This week we have done a pechakucha presentation about one real activity which is being developed currently in a school using ICT. It has been really interesting because with only “one” activity, the presentation, we have learnt many things:
Firstly, what is a pechakucha. Well, I think this is the easiest part but only in theory; a pechakucha is an oral presentation supported by a visual presentation made with 20 slides of 20 seconds each one. The difficult part is to take this into practice. Having only 20 seconds to explain something can be really difficult and it involves to have very cleared in mind what you want to say. And it is even more difficult when the topic you want to explain is something technical and complex. In fact, some explanations have seemed to be a little bit confusing or at least the idea has not been completely clear because of the time we had. All the group have been working hard along this week and the stars Pilar and Ana have worked really hard to do the performance as better as possible due to its difficulty.
During all this week we have been preparing our activity (pechakucha presentation). First of all, we read and informed us about the activity carried out by José María de Pereda public school in Cantabria. It consists of an interactive game, based on the teaching machines (Skinner) in which children have to answers questions about animals which are endangered. This game is carried out using internet, thus children not only can play in school but also at their homes. Until they do not answer a question correctly they cannot go on. When finally they finish all the questions they have a game to enjoy.
The role of the teacher is a guide, firstly he explains the dynamics of the activity helped by a digital whiteboard and later children, placed in pairs, answer the question on the tablets using different web pages looking for the relevant information that they have been requested.
This activity is very interesting because apart from keeping children really interested on what they are doing they are much more collaborative and less selfish.
Regarding TPACK theory, the three elements are working here mixing each other and arising other new components. We have:
Technology, they are using and learning about it because they search the web to look for information and they use tablets to answer the questions.
Pedagogy, the way they are learning keep them motivated and make them to be more collaborative as well.
Contents, endanger animals like brown beard, lynx, wolf… their environment, footprints… and also other contents like language and culture.
All along this activity we have seen how all the elements of the curriculum have been implemented. Obviously when the school began to develop this activity there are several factors from the curriculum to take into account, first and related to people and institutions, the center itself and the people inside, the teachers have to be aware about new technologies and between the children there are some students with disabilities and immigrants who do not have Spanish as their mother tongue. And it also requires the parent’s implication when the children work at home. The activity is directed to 11-12 years-old students.
As far as design is concerned they have planned beginning with a main objective which is that children learn how and where to look for the information required through the web. And from that main point they develop the rest of contents and objectives which are mainly related to science and digital competences but also transversally, with language and cultural competences.
Finally, media and technologies which is the third element of the curriculum. To carry on this activity is necessary to have a wide range of resources, a digital whiteboard to explain the activity, internet, tablets… although at first it does not seem very affordable the big advantage is the motivation that children show with it.
All these activities, the one we have been working on and the ones in which our class mates have been working, make us to see the involvement of some teachers in their pupil´s development and make us to realize how many things we can do as future teachers making children learn and enjoy at the same time.
Finally we have had to learn how to make a good visual and oral presentation, or at least that is what we have tried to do. Because of teachers maybe are not good natural speakers they have to learn and have into account some techniques to achieve it. Bearing in mind all Linda´s explanations about how to make a good presentation we started by reading and informing us about the activity itself to know it well. Then we made a “storyboard” which consists of organize all the information that we had to tell to our classmates into the 20 slides we had, then, we thought about, color, pictures, letters, messages… Well, I think we have taken into account all this points correctly, but you can judge by yourself watching our presentation, here you have, we hope you enjoy it!
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