MANAGING ICT

It’s a visual thing

In his latest

article on new technologies in education,

Kieron Kirkland from

Futurelab looks at audio- visual technology

W

E LIVE in an audio-visual age. Children are exposed from a young age to a range of technologies to which previous generations had no access: television, DVDs, iPods, Nintendo Wiis,

computer games, the internet, smartphones and more. Yet schools are sometimes reticent to recognise the

potential offered by the technologies that children are in contact with every day. The British Film Institute (BFI) is trying to convince

schools that there are a range of audio-visual tools that can be used to complement books to help children to learn about narrative. Mark Reid, its head of education, explained why: “What’s really needed is a definition of literacy that incorporates speech, writing, pictures and moving pictures.” To this end, the BFI has been working with local

authorities to provide schools with packs of seven DVDs containing 55 short films, and has trained primary and secondary teachers to think about film in terms of narrative, structure, editing and sound. They have found that they have a big impact on

children’s literacy. Many teachers who have used the films have found that children who previously said very little, or had poor writing skills, demonstrate a much more sophisticated vocabulary and writing ability than they had previously shown, Mr Reid says. But some schools are still reserved about introducing

new media materials into the classroom and so could be missing out on resources that could not only make learning more interesting, but engage learners by using technologies with which they are already familiar.

SecEd ICT review: Neo2

Julie Hodge, special

needs teacher at Warblington School tries out the Neo2 from Renaissance Learning

WARBLINGTON SCHOOL in Havant, Hampshire, is working on an exciting new project with the company Renaissance Learning using the Neo2 writing tool. We are piloting the use of the Neo2 to enhance

literacy across both key stage 3 and 4, using the devices for whole class and group work. I have found that they can support personalised learning and make writing both more enjoyable and accessible. Here at Warblington, the Neo2 and all of its

software, such as the AccelTest and 2Know toolbar, have been used by students throughout key stage 3 and 4. The product is used as often as required enabling staff to indicate when and where on any lesson plans they believe this product will be valuable in improving students learning. This product

is easy to set up and use. Once the software is set up on your laptop and the Renaissance receiver connected, staff and students are able to access a variety of differing features.

The devices have been used by whole classes and

for small or large group work. They are also used with students working independently on their own work. Here are some examples of how we use have used this product. Our students have improved their keyboard skills

through the use of the KAZ type-writing programme. This was completed as a whole class. Students enjoyed seeing the improvements in the amount of words they could type; giving them increased confidence in their keyboard skills. The ability to access Accelerated Reader quizzes

through the Neo2 has helped our students to become independent learners. They are able to finish reading their books and have logged onto Renaissance Place via the Neo2 and completed their online quizzes without any delays. This flexibility means that our students have been

able to word process any work set by staff irrespective of individual ability. Using the Neo2 has meant students’ attitudes to

writing and literacy have improved as well. The durability and accessibility of the Neo2 are

a positive aspect. In the current financial climate knowing that, as a school, we have a product which is durable and cheap to run makes this product attractive. We have found that staff

are not worried about using a whole class set of Neo2s as they are lightweight and robust, allowing staff and students to

accidents. They are easy to use and we

know that students’ work will be

automatically saved so they do not need to worry about lost work. Also, the flexibility of the product means that they

can be used in cross-curriculum writing providing access to ICT across the curriculum. The simplicity of the device means even students who are not particularly ICT literate can use this product easily. Students can be autonomous when using them,

yet the Neo2 also allows for students to share work through the Neo Share wireless text transfer system. The 2Know software has made it easy for staff to assess students’ understanding instantly during a lesson, particularly the plenary. Before we used the devices, staff had to gauge

students’ understanding of the lesson’s aims and objectives from a cross-section sample, often by those students willing to put their hands up. We have found that by using the Neo2 there is a more comprehensive indication of students’ understanding and this allows staff to help those students who may need further assistance. Another benefit we found was that students were

not distracted by the internet or games. With the presentational style of the document, students are able to concentrate and focus on the content of their writing. There have and will always be students whose

handwriting may be difficult to read. Using the Neo2s enables these students to produce work of an equal if not higher standard than conventional handwriting will allow. This has a marvellous psychological effect on students’ belief in their own self-worth and self- esteem. The device also caters well for SEN students, as

focus

on learning without worrying

about any potential

we can change the display screen to suit any visual impairments as well as for students with dyspraxia or dyslexia. Staff have been able to be creative with the use

of the AccelTest software, where bespoke quizzes and tests are implemented supporting Assessment for Learning (AFL) within lessons. The AccelTest software allows staff to have answers automatically marked

and results are recorded in a range of formats when required. This software has allowed staff to track students’

progress and areas have been identified for further consolidation of knowledge.

• Julie Hodge is a special needs teacher at Warblington School in Havant, Hampshire.

Further information

Neo2s are lightweight, writing tools that run for 700-plus hours from three AA batteries. They are compatible with any test-accepting software. When purchased for a class of 30, each Neo2

unit costs £99.97 (excluding VAT), which equates to £2,999. A single machine costs £139 (excluding VAT). Visit www.neo2.co.uk

For example, YouTube is a potentially powerful tool that is freely available to anyone and which has a wealth of educational content – from science experiments (there are 47,000 in all) through to PowerPoint presentations and demonstrations of how to play a musical instrument. Furthermore, given that mobile phones are now

sophisticated mini-computers that include a camera, a video camera, the ability to record and play sound, and a GPS function, it is possible for most young people to create moving images as well as to watch them. Some might fear that an emphasis on visual and

auditory technologies could displace more traditional skills of reading and writing. In reality, they give teachers a wider set of tools with which to engage learners. At Longwill School in Birmingham, deaf children have been using PlayStation Portables to keep diaries in British Sign Language. As an alternative to essay-writing, some learners

might choose to present their work by creating a series of photographs or an animated presentation using Animoto, a free web service that enables users to create short films using photographs and music. Foreign language teachers who worry about the

difficulty of getting their students to talk could try YackPack, a website that enables users to upload and share audio messages, and can be used, for example, for practising speaking a foreign language with native speakers in their own country. When modern audio-visual technologies are

combined with using the internet to share and disseminate, we have a model that could transform learning. Think of the millions of students who can watch a lecture on string theory by a Harvard physicist on YouTube; or the Essex school where the podcasts created by students now have 1,000 subscribers; or the archaeology students at Leicester University who took a tour around a Kalasha village recreated in Second Life. What this model does is to put the choice of how to

learn in the hands of the learner, by enabling them to learn in their own time, at their own pace, and in their chosen way.

SecEd

• Kieron Kirkland is a learning researcher at Futurelab, a research charity dedicated to transforming teaching and learning by using innovative practice and technology. Visit www.futurelab.org.uk

Further information

• Animoto: http://animoto.com/ • YackPack: www.yackpack.com

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