Teaching with technology can be a frightening prospect. All
the possibilities of a lesson gone wrong, teaching materials lost if your
browser malfunctions, the prospect of the student outdoing the master with
their IT knowledge.
We, who are in the business of developing VLEs for practical
use, know only too well the roadblocks teachers face. Our training manager, Stephanie, often meets teachers who, prior to receiving her special care, point
blank despair at IT in the classroom.
We think VLE could be the solution and not the problem.
Students need to learn early the risks of being online. A
VLE can provide a safe environment for that. The platform is an online learning experience, however in a far more controlled environment. out the added pressure of the students actually being
on the web.
Designing and publishing their own profile on a VLE at an
early age is a great reminder that information shared is information exposed.
Whether it’s a Facebook update or an Instagram photo, children need to know
that there are consequences. VLEs allow teachers to provide a guiding hand in
this complex and ever expanding social arena.
In this month’s “Teach Primary” Miles Berry, Senior Lecturer
and Subject Leader at the University of Roehampton, argued the importance of “ethics
in computing”. Berry wrote “schools are required to promote pupil’s spiritual,
moral and cultural development, and a greater focus on ethics in computing
could do much to support this.” (p.109)
We agree, the further a student travels in education the
greater the emphasis on ethical practices using IT. Referencing is a good example of this expectation. If
a student is introducing information from the internet into their work, start
encouraging referencing early on. Using a VLE means that any information
downloaded to the platform can be easily referenced and any teachers using
content such as YouTube videos can set an example in their own lessons.
Plagiarism is stealing, so make sure students understand that when applying their computing skills to their lessons and they’ll never face the unfriendly plagiarism committee!
Professor Robert Winston, also in “Teach Primary”, argued “Technology
must aid communication” (p.114). A VLE focuses on the school as a community. It
allows for school wide blog distribution from a single sign on location. It
also provides a safe space for students to share their work, teacher’s to shout
about what they’re proud of this term and parents to engage with school
activities.
Communicating digitally is one of the main ways we communicate
today, so let’s encourage safe and friendly practices in young people early on.
VLEs put communication in school back in the control of educators.
The internet can be a large, imposing and scary place. It is also a fantastic
embodiment of humanity at its most creative, experimental, communicative and
intelligent. Learning needs to embrace the growing cyber world. A VLE can do
this for you.