Post - The fifth

Using Spreadsheets to solve mathematical problems

When faced with a lengthy wordy problem for example what lengths of fencing should Mr Mcgreggor use to gain the maximum area for his vegetable patch with 15 m of fencing, a traditional pen and paper method would involve children undertaking a vast amount of calculations in order to solve it. They would have to calculate all the various combinations individually using number bonds to fifteen.

A Spreadsheet such as Excel allows a pupils to put in formulas and copy them and therefore the programme works out all of the calculations. Some people would suggest that this makes pupils lazy and gets them out of doing sums. However; I would argue that the pupils still need to know what cells and what sums to use in order to make the formula correct. In this way they are still going through the process of doing the sums but the computer is working out the answer. I would suggest that in using a spreadsheet the pupils become much more aware of the process involved to get an answer rather that fixating on just getting the right answer.

They can use a spreadsheet to solve calculations quickly and effectively and allows them to solve problems and reach conclusions more quickly than if they had to use traditional methods. This then allows them to come to a generalisable solution (introducing basic algebra) and they can then adapt their worksheet to solve similar problems.

Post - the fourth

Yes we all have it. We all use it. The latest craze to ultimately hit the web is Facebook.

It wasn't long ago that we were all busy communicating away with our MSN messenger and updating our my-space, but now it seems that the Facebook phenomena has replaced these two to become the biggest social network and means of communication.

Why is it so good?

• It is very easy to use
• you can share information and photos with other people
• You can upload pictures as well as text
• It is easy to create discussion boards and get opinions without having to send separate emails
• It is a very easy and effective way of contacting people from all over the world without them having to be online at the same time
• It is constantly updated and with wi-fi it can be accessed almost anywhere
• By setting up groups you can communicate with people with similar interests to you and also be updated with anything that may be relevant to your particular interest
• My drama group for example uses it to contact people in the group for rehearsal times and also productions going on that they may be interested in
• It is a fantastic tool to keep people updated with your news and keep updated with other people's news. In this way you are able to keep in contact than you would to if you had to email or call them individually

What might be some problems?

• It is consequently not very private, although providing you are careful not to put too detailed info on it, it isn't a problem. You can however control who can see your complete profile
• There have been incidents of identity theft from details people have posted
• It can be a means for bullying and nasty groups and the overseers are not very good or quick at removing these groups. This can be especially hurtful for children
• It is open access for anyone who wants to see it so don't get caught saying something nasty about someone!
• Their have been cases of people being refused jobs because of their Facebook profile
• police and administrators are cracking down on students who post pictures of themselves partaking in underage drinking and other illegal activities (this is not necessarily a bad thing, but an example of how easy it is to glean information from people's profiles)
• One blogger argues that Facebook has caused some students to lose touch with reality stating that 'My friend jokingly asked her boyfriend to ‘marry’ her on the relationship status option on Facebook. In response, her boyfriend rejected her offer and changed their “in a relationship” status to single. That is how Facebook ended their relationship.'

In conclusion I would argue that Facebook, if used correctly is a fantastic networking tool. If it is used irresponsibly it can become a tool of personal attack and in some cases identity crime. People after all have control over their profiles so as long as they're careful about what information is posted and as long as things aren't too seriously, Facebook should be a useful tool that can be enjoyed by many people.

Post - The Third

ICT Trial in School

This week, whilst on placement, I was lucky enough to be able to observe a free trial of a system for secret voting in the classroom. The company (who shall remain nameless) were offering technical support and hiring of the equipment for sessions on the interactive whiteboard.

What does the system do?
The main idea is so that children have the opportunity to vote on a right answer out of a choice of a few on the board (sort of a Who wants to be a Millionaire type idea). Each child has an individual handset with buttons that each correspond to an answer on the board. The computer can then remember the answers given for each handset and produce graphs, tables and reports to allow the teacher to assess who might not have grasped key ideas within lessons.

Why were they good?
The first thing that was brilliant about these devices is that the children in my class absolutely loved them. They really engaged the children and one boy even admitted that they got his brain working! It also allows them to each have the opportunity to answer a question without some people calling out and not allowing shyer children to talk. One boy admitted that the handsets were an excellent way of getting people to answer without 'getting a headache' from people shouting out. They provided excellent opportunities for assessment and were a great teaching tool as they could be incorporated into any part of the lesson. Because each child was expected to give an answer the teacher was able to see which children were struggling with the topics being presented on the board.

The handsets proved especially popular with the boys in the class as they were similar to the computer games etc that they might play. In this way they were a complete novelty.

What was bad about them
Although the idea of this technology is potentially brilliant, the company offering it seemed to have no idea what was involved in teaching. The technicians and the equipment had to be booked in advance. This means that if you wanted to use them on the spur of the moment you couldn't. Also the company made the slides for you or adapted your slides to the software needed. This really means that you can't have ownership over the slides which would be very frustrating. The company can be booked for an hour or for a day. However; the system would be brilliant to perhaps use just in an intro or a plenary so they would not be needed for a whole hour. The amount the company were charging per hour would mean that a teacher would have to use the system for the whole hour to make it worth while and this would not necessarily be the best way of using the system in teaching. As well as the company not really understanding how teaching works, they seem to be out of touch with the children as well. The slides were very boring and there were no flashes or cool sound effects that children seem to really love. If paying them to make the slides then they would have to be greatly improved.

What would be better?
The company that came into the school basically had a fantastic idea. However; the fact that they have to set each session up means that a teacher can't have ownership or use them last minute. Other companies such as Active Primary and Quizdom also offer a similar idea, however; a school is able to buy the software and the equipment to use as and when they want so they can be effectively planned in to a lesson. The teachers therefore can create their own slides and quizes so they can have full ownership of the software and the way it is used for teaching and learning.