How This supports student learning
This website, allows teachers to have complete access to both hard copies of work and online resources. It is an interactive resource accessible for both students and teachers. Therefore it makes it easy for everyone to access the work, and access instructions. The web site has a simple explanation on the webpages for each activity, and then a lesson plan at the end, for in detail lesson structures and ideas. This way, the teacher can have a quick look, and will be able to
It incorporates social media, through blogging, creating a connected but closed off environment on the internet. So students can always update the blog with their ideas relating to baptism, it allows for the opportunity for the students to ask questions concerning the concepts, or even write a blog about what they have learnt or are thinking at a time.
The activities embedded within this teaching resource will support student learning.
The Godly Play has been proven to be effective way of teaching religion, Godly Play Australia state that in most religious educations children are told what God did, contrasting Godly Play where students discover who God is. It is an effective method, which engages students through the use of props and a set structure. The students are invited to connect the faith stories with personal experience, with the use of wondering questions and open-ended response.
Children prepare for Godly Play by crossing the threshold from the world outside into the carefully prepared environment of the Godly Play. This is followed by Group Wondering in which the Storyteller invites the children to wonder together about the lesson. There are no predetermined answers to wondering posed by the Storyteller. It is not a “question and answer time,” but rather an opportunity for the children and the Storyteller to engage playfully with the lesson of the day. The children's wondering emerges from their own lives, their relationship to God and their participation in the lesson. The role of the Storyteller is to support their wondering. This method is effective in engaging students and opening up their thoughts, allowing them to think / wonder about the story.
Hyde (2008) states that this is "Weaving the threads of meaning, which refers to the child drawing on her or his own sense of wonder as a means by which to make sense of the world and events from the many and diverse frameworks of meaning that are available." His case study further states that each of the four characteristics of children's spirituality —the felt sense, integrating awareness, weaving the threads of meaning, and spiritual questing—were brought to the fore and were nourished as a result of the Godly Play process.
The second activity, provides an online area where students work can be submitted. Popplet, allows students to create a welcoming sign using a program. Using this program allows the students to focus on the welcoming component rather then concentrating on the mind map. The benefits of using ICT are extensive in a primary classroom. Majumdar (2006) states that ICT improves teaching and learning, when infused with pedagogy. Its infusion motivates, engages students, promotes collaboration, fosters enquiry and exploration and creates a learner centred learning culture. This permits the move into an independent, autonomous learning model promoting initiation, creativity and critical thinking allowing students to do independent research.
Activity three, provides students the opportunity to think about their relationship with Jesus. It allows students to question their ideas, and write about these questions in a short journal. Essentially students are provided with the opportunity to link their relationship with Jesus to their own life, strengthening their spirituality.
Therefore, this web site creates a place where the teacher and students can easily access resources to learn about Baptism. The web site includes background information, activities and extra work for fast finishers (activities, games and videos) which all relate to the stage one Sydney Diocese Baptism topic. Students and teachers can effectively move through the unit in an engaged and exciting manner across multiple media, using various web tools. The use of a web site and these web tools reflects contemporary early childhood theory and practice, focusing on the statement (Majumdar, 2006) that ICT improves teaching and learning, when infused with pedagogy.
It incorporates social media, through blogging, creating a connected but closed off environment on the internet. So students can always update the blog with their ideas relating to baptism, it allows for the opportunity for the students to ask questions concerning the concepts, or even write a blog about what they have learnt or are thinking at a time.
The activities embedded within this teaching resource will support student learning.
The Godly Play has been proven to be effective way of teaching religion, Godly Play Australia state that in most religious educations children are told what God did, contrasting Godly Play where students discover who God is. It is an effective method, which engages students through the use of props and a set structure. The students are invited to connect the faith stories with personal experience, with the use of wondering questions and open-ended response.
Children prepare for Godly Play by crossing the threshold from the world outside into the carefully prepared environment of the Godly Play. This is followed by Group Wondering in which the Storyteller invites the children to wonder together about the lesson. There are no predetermined answers to wondering posed by the Storyteller. It is not a “question and answer time,” but rather an opportunity for the children and the Storyteller to engage playfully with the lesson of the day. The children's wondering emerges from their own lives, their relationship to God and their participation in the lesson. The role of the Storyteller is to support their wondering. This method is effective in engaging students and opening up their thoughts, allowing them to think / wonder about the story.
Hyde (2008) states that this is "Weaving the threads of meaning, which refers to the child drawing on her or his own sense of wonder as a means by which to make sense of the world and events from the many and diverse frameworks of meaning that are available." His case study further states that each of the four characteristics of children's spirituality —the felt sense, integrating awareness, weaving the threads of meaning, and spiritual questing—were brought to the fore and were nourished as a result of the Godly Play process.
The second activity, provides an online area where students work can be submitted. Popplet, allows students to create a welcoming sign using a program. Using this program allows the students to focus on the welcoming component rather then concentrating on the mind map. The benefits of using ICT are extensive in a primary classroom. Majumdar (2006) states that ICT improves teaching and learning, when infused with pedagogy. Its infusion motivates, engages students, promotes collaboration, fosters enquiry and exploration and creates a learner centred learning culture. This permits the move into an independent, autonomous learning model promoting initiation, creativity and critical thinking allowing students to do independent research.
Activity three, provides students the opportunity to think about their relationship with Jesus. It allows students to question their ideas, and write about these questions in a short journal. Essentially students are provided with the opportunity to link their relationship with Jesus to their own life, strengthening their spirituality.
Therefore, this web site creates a place where the teacher and students can easily access resources to learn about Baptism. The web site includes background information, activities and extra work for fast finishers (activities, games and videos) which all relate to the stage one Sydney Diocese Baptism topic. Students and teachers can effectively move through the unit in an engaged and exciting manner across multiple media, using various web tools. The use of a web site and these web tools reflects contemporary early childhood theory and practice, focusing on the statement (Majumdar, 2006) that ICT improves teaching and learning, when infused with pedagogy.