Week 3: Multimedia in the classroom

Multimedia software is a range of ICT that uses more than one software including; text, sound, picture, animation and video. Multimedia tools can be used for professional use by the teacher to enhance learning, or by the learners to develop their computing skills and learn about the potential of ICT. In this lesson, we particularly focused on the use of PowerPoint in the classroom, touching upon how other applications such as Clicker 6, Photostory and 2create a story can also be used within a FS or KS1 classroom.

Power Point



As a trainee teacher, I was made aware of some of the limitations that may arise from using PowerPoint in the classroom to aid teaching. When designing a PowerPoint presentation, it is important to use a wide range of the software available on PowerPoint. If the whole presentation is text, the children may loose interest as this type of PowerPoint can be boring for younger children. I will use this to reinforce my teaching by ensuring that any presentation I do will have a range of software such as pictures, animation, video etc. to ensure the children are fully engaged throughout the lesson or activity. On the other hand, PowerPoint can be useful for teachers to prompt their teaching, with images or a small amount of text. It can also be beneficial for EAL and visual learners, as it can provide them with visual and interactive aids. According to Leask et al (2000), "pupils of all abilities can find something in it that they can do really well, and the software they produce is high status, long lasting and very satisfying."

We were shown an example of how PowerPoint can be used to produce an interactive and fun activity for children. The PowerPoint was called 'Historical Detectives'. 

This was a particularly good resource as it provided children with pictures as clues, and encourages them to use their imagination with a set goal in mind. ICT can be used to  Our task was to design a PowerPoint presentation about the environment using different tools available including; images, text, buttons, animation and action settings. I was not aware of how to use the action settings previously, however, I discovered this to be an interesting and useful tool that can be used in my future teaching. This tool allows you to skip back a few slides or forward a few slides by clicking on the button. I implemented this tool to reinforce my learning intentions. I placed these at the beginning of my PowerPoint, but I also wanted to refer back to them at the end of the lesson to ensure that they had been met. By using the action button, I was able to skip back to them without having to go back through each slide. This illustrates how multimedia does not have to present information in a linear manner.

Clicker 6

Children's use of multimedia is essential in developing key skills across the curriculum. We were shown how Clicker 6, 2create a story and photostory can be used to re-create stories. We re-told a fairy tale using Clicker 6. Clicker 6 helps to boost children's writing independence with an intelligent word predictor. This allows children to explore freely with words and will encourage them to use different vocabulary, enhancing their knowledge and understanding in literacy. Clicker 6 can be used to benefit those with learning difficulties as clicker's multi-sensory approach of using words, pictures and sounds keeps learners interested and motivated, and enables them to achieve success. It reads the text back to them so they know how it sounds. You can download software and read some of the benefits to using Clicker 6 here.

The National Curriculum (1999) states that children should be taught to:

• Find and select information
• create, manipulate and process information
• collaborate, communicate and share information
• refine and improve their work.

All of these aims are covered in the design of a PowerPoint presentation.

The resources we used in today's lesson proved extremely useful in both helping me to understand how multimedia can be used to enhance my teaching, but more importantly, how it can benefit the learners. The learners will benefit from it as it provides a means of communication other than text. It is interactive and children are able to be involved in the process of design, as well as having a finished product that is long lasting. 

Further Reading

Leask, M, Meadows, J (2000) Teaching and learning with ICT in the primary school: Routledge Falmer. Ch 9.

Department for Education and Employment (1999) The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers in England. London: Department for Education and Employment & Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.