How does ICT allow greater speaking & listening skills?

ICT - Speaking and Listening

Workshop #4 - Tuesday 13th November

We began by learning how ICT benefits speaking and listening within a classroom environment. We spoke about the use of interactive whiteboards, media (for example, through watching and listening to things), audio books (such as, learning a new language) and through transportable devices, such as mp3/mp4s. We then considered why these equipments are beneficial in learning. This is because they can be used for a variety of different purposes, such as for school trips and storybooks to aid teachers during lessons.

Talking photo albums: We explored this device, which supports speaking and listening on the literacy framework. The talking photo albums provide a particular focus on:

- Photo sequences

- Presentations

- Hiding and revealing pictures.

Talk time cards: This device contains a limited recording time and keeps pupils focused on talk. It also ensures they record what is really needed. 

Talking tins: This device is especially useful for:

- Recording and playing back short instructions or word sounds.

- Developing speaking and listening skills.

- Using teacher recording sounds and instructions to encourage investigative work.

Podcast are video blogs which can be downloaded from the internet. Schools use radio podcasts to communicate particular content/material.

Finally, we explored the role of digital cameras and video recording, which can be a useful resource in the classroom. It is important to remember that children live in a multimedia world and appreciate variety in their learning environment. They take audio visual information and the internet for granted, almost. In addition, when learning, they children tend to react more positively to a mixture of text, still images, sound and video, which appeals to all types of learners (visual, auditory and kinesthetic). Children tend to find these activities more interesting, in comparison to 'chalk and talk' style lessons.