The installation of an Interactive White Board (IWB) in a classroom is a positive step towards assisting with the integration of ICT as a teaching and learning resource into the various curriculum strand and strand units that we teach daily. However the IWB and the coupled software are only presentation tools and the teacher needs to be constantly looking for innovative ways to use the board.
Pupils in my class have full time access to six laptops scattered around the room. The laptops are networked and the laptop screens can be shown on the IWB using screen sharing software such as NetOp School. Often pupils will have created a Multiple Choice or Mix & Match type quiz, a PowerPoint presentation or other piece of work and the screen sharing software provides and easy way to view the finished work.
A Clay Animation project, for example, based on one of the characters from the Irish reader, presents an opportunity to integrate ICT across several curriculum subjects. The project provides the pupils with an interesting and captivating activity and the completed project will be a short movie with music and narrations.
Frames
The clay models can be constructed during Art classes; the project is based on Gaeilge strands and strand units; the narration and music brings in Drama and Music. There are various animation sofware programs available; one such program is Frames from Tech4Learning. A sample movie based on a 5th class reader ‘Drochlá Ruairí’ will be available in a later blog post.