[Advisory] RE: [Primary] Infant Moodle again

[Dughall McCormick]

Hello all,

Forgive me for a slightly rushed contribution but my workload never
seems to diminish sufficiently for a comprehensive review and response
to the posts I am actually able to keep up with in NAACETalk.

Here in Kirklees we have a number of excellent examples of the use of a
VLE in KS1 and Foundation Stage.

We use a platform designed specifically with Primary children in mind:
DBPrimary (www.getprimary.com) It has a simple editor for blog, email
and forum that allows written, graphic or video input. It is very
visual/graphic orientated and very intuitive. Children's logins are
simply the child's first name (eg 'Tom') + a password. See here for my
views on passwords: http://shareit.yhgfl.net/kirklees/kcyps/?p=106

I agree with Fiona that it should be about the learning, and for me,
that learning should be as much about simple e-safety messages and what
I would call 21st Century Literacies as it is about the extension of
school-based learning. My views on this are here:
http://edutalk.cc/dughall-mccormick-on-when-i-was-10 

I also agree that (in FS at least, but not exclusively) the use of the
VLE should be very much about parental engagement. I recommend (and have
run) sessions in which the platform is launched for parents and children
with them learning about it alongside each other. One notable bit of
feedback I heard in one such session was by a mother of a 3 year old who
blurted "Wow, this is amazing. It's like Facebook for kids!"

DBPrimary now also has a parental login feature that affords parents a
view of what their children are up to.

At my Teachmeet Takeover at BETT, I mentioned (briefly) how Nursery and
Reception children had used the forum feature at one of the schools I
have worked in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=j-2KDHnr3lw&v=xX6SI65icLg
For those busy folks like me, you might want to skip to 5mins 55secs for
me talking specifically about forum & Foundation Stage. (Apologies for
the appalling sound quality...)

Hope this is helpful.

Dughall



_______________________________

Dughall McCormick
E-Learning Consultant
Kirklees Children & Young People Service, Learning
ITCAS
The Deighton Centre
Huddersfield
HD2 1JP

Telephone Featurenet:  (860) 5724
Telephone External : 01484 225724
Fax 01484 225725


>>> Allison Allen <allison.allen@outstream.co.uk> 24/02/2010 10:50 >>>
There was a useful system at Bett that sits in front of any log-in
software - it allows log-in by picture which could be ideal for Infants
and many other groups.  http://www.picturepin.co.uk/   /   
http://www.picturepin.co.uk/Home/ 


Best Wishes
 
Allison 
Outstream, London

-----Original Message-----
From: primary-admin@talk.naace.org
[mailto:primary-admin@talk.naace.org] On Behalf Of Miles Berry
Sent: 23 February 2010 21:11
To: primary@talk.naace.org; advisory@talk.naace.org 
Subject: Re: [Primary] Infant Moodle again

Hi Chris,

There's much to be said for pupils getting a sense of their
online/digital identity from an early age, but the practical side of
things here is problematic. Logging in becomes a lot easier with
lowercase keyboards, and I'd expect some enterprising firm to have
developed a solution using RFID tags or biometrics already.

Back in school we went with a shared log-in but individual folders up
to Y2, the contents of which moved into their individual accounts when
they joined Y3, however we weren't using Moodle in KS1 ourselves. If
the school's interest is just as a way of presenting online resources,
then you can go a long way with guest access and enrolment keys, but
Moodle (and the best of the rest, I'm sure) is more about building a
learning community than delivering learning objects, and for this
you'd need individual accounts.

Musing on Fiona's call for us to refocus on pedagogy rather than
technology here, I was reminded of a post I wrote in April 06
(http://milesberry.net/2006/04/primary-vles/) about what one would
look for in a primary learning platform that would support the best
aspects of primary pedagogy:
A rich and stimulating environment in which a variety of resources and
activities are available
Tools for teachers to produce resources themselves (Whilst Roger may
be right that secondary schools have the expertise to adapt a learning
platform, I think the culture in primary schools is often one in which
a DIY or scissors and glue approach still flourishes; Ian Usher
explored a similar theme:
http://moodlea.blogspot.com/2006/03/content-with-content.html)
Opportunities for creativity and collaboration
A recognition that learning is a social process (qv circle time)
The valuing of informal learning (qv show and tell)
Classrooms as communities of enquiry
Play and fun.

I'd be interested to know the extent to which we're seeing platforms
like this in practice. I'm also curious about whether learning
platforms are, to any significant extent, changing pedagogy, which
they potentially could, and as IWBs arguably have (although not
necessarily for the better).

Best wishes,
Miles.


On 23 February 2010 20:18, Chris Sutcliffe
<chris@westcomtraining.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi again
>
>
>
> Thanks everyone for your ideas, links, tweets etc. They have been
most
> helpful! One further question though – what about individual
logins? Have
> you found that little ones are able to work with usernames and
passwords, or
> is a class login best, or open access? I realise there are pros and
cons to
> each, so thoughts from those who have tried the different approaches
would
> be appreciated.
>
>
>
> Many thanks,
>
>
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> Chris Sutcliffe
>
> Education Consultant
>
>
>
> WESTCOMtraining
>
> engage...inspire...achieve
>
> Lowther Road, Clay Flatts, Workington, CA14 2TQ
>
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-- 
Miles Berry
Senior Lecturer, ICT | Roehampton University | roehampton.ac.uk | 0208
392 3241
Community Manager | Open Source Schools | opensourceschools.org.uk
Blogger | milesberry.net
Twit | twitter.com/mberry

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