Teacher resourcesHow learning has changed
We know everything there is to know about teaching primary, right? Multiple Intelligences, Total Physical Response, Cross-Curricular Content, Critical Thinking and Values all wrapped up in multiple components. Well, yes you’re right we do need all these methodological elements, and of course we need a good range of components.
But we’re forgetting the most important thing…
My oldest boy Tommy is nearly three, and his interests include: Mama Mia (the musical), the Discovery Kids website (for the games), Shrek (1, 2 and 3), the list goes on. When I was Tommy’s age my mother tells me my interests included: Playing in the dirt, kicking a ball and chasing our pet dog. Now I’m not saying that my son Tommy doesn’t also enjoy doing those other things (especially playing in the dirt), but I am saying that children now are massively more sophisticated than we were at their age.
The age of visual communications has caused a revolution in the way that children receive and process information, kids can now listen to music, text their friends and watch TV at the same time as doing their homework! They multi-task.
So how does that affect materials design?
Previously material design concentrated on providing the right methodology in the material, ensuring that all the elements we discussed earlier in this article were included. This is of course still vitally important, but with changes in children’s demands, we must now consider two new and essential elements, the visual design and interactivity.
Visual design
Ever heard of TV’s ‘Power Puff Girls’ (Las Chicas Poderosas), or maybe ‘The Bear in the Blue House’? If you haven’t then I can guarantee that your 6 to 12 year-olds have! That’s why Cambridge chose cutting edge designers to put together the graphics of their new primary series, Kid’s Box. We realized that having cutting edge graphics was an essential element in not only attracting young students’ attention, but also maintaining it. Bright colours, contemporary design and up-to-date characters are all essential in ensuring that your primary text book is something that your students will want to open again and again.
Interactivity
Multi-tasking used to be a skill enjoyed by the few, but now it’s enjoyed by the many, that is if you are between 6 and 12! With the Kid’s Box Interactive DVD you can surf the DVD like a web site and choose from a range of options. Try the songs in Karaoke versions for a class sing-along. Or why not try one of the interactive quizzes, or join in one of the traditional playground games, or learn about the real world in one of the DVDs documentaries.
It is vitally important that we keep our primary classrooms active spaces, and so we do activities that stimulate our young students through striking visual presentation combined with using the best of Total Physical Response and cognitive learning.
Familiarity
Of course for many of us, interactive DVDs and contemporary design can seem a bit threatening but if your family is like mine, then your young children, like my Tommy will be the ones who use technology as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
Ask us here at CUP or your local distributor for a demonstration of the new Kid’s Box DVD and you’ll see how powerful a tool a DVD can really be!
We know everything there is to know about teaching primary, right? Multiple Intelligences, Total Physical Response, Cross-Curricular Content, Critical Thinking and Values all wrapped up in multiple components. Well, yes you’re right we do need all these methodological elements, and of course we need a good range of components.
But we’re forgetting the most important thing…
My oldest boy Tommy is nearly three, and his interests include: Mama Mia (the musical), the Discovery Kids website (for the games), Shrek (1, 2 and 3), the list goes on. When I was Tommy’s age my mother tells me my interests included: Playing in the dirt, kicking a ball and chasing our pet dog. Now I’m not saying that my son Tommy doesn’t also enjoy doing those other things (especially playing in the dirt), but I am saying that children now are massively more sophisticated than we were at their age.
The age of visual communications has caused a revolution in the way that children receive and process information, kids can now listen to music, text their friends and watch TV at the same time as doing their homework! They multi-task.
So how does that affect materials design?
Previously material design concentrated on providing the right methodology in the material, ensuring that all the elements we discussed earlier in this article were included. This is of course still vitally important, but with changes in children’s demands, we must now consider two new and essential elements, the visual design and interactivity.
Visual design
Ever heard of TV’s ‘Power Puff Girls’ (Las Chicas Poderosas), or maybe ‘The Bear in the Blue House’? If you haven’t then I can guarantee that your 6 to 12 year-olds have! That’s why Cambridge chose cutting edge designers to put together the graphics of their new primary series, Kid’s Box. We realized that having cutting edge graphics was an essential element in not only attracting young students’ attention, but also maintaining it. Bright colours, contemporary design and up-to-date characters are all essential in ensuring that your primary text book is something that your students will want to open again and again.
Interactivity
Multi-tasking used to be a skill enjoyed by the few, but now it’s enjoyed by the many, that is if you are between 6 and 12! With the Kid’s Box Interactive DVD you can surf the DVD like a web site and choose from a range of options. Try the songs in Karaoke versions for a class sing-along. Or why not try one of the interactive quizzes, or join in one of the traditional playground games, or learn about the real world in one of the DVDs documentaries.
It is vitally important that we keep our primary classrooms active spaces, and so we do activities that stimulate our young students through striking visual presentation combined with using the best of Total Physical Response and cognitive learning.
Familiarity
Of course for many of us, interactive DVDs and contemporary design can seem a bit threatening but if your family is like mine, then your young children, like my Tommy will be the ones who use technology as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
Ask us here at CUP or your local distributor for a demonstration of the new Kid’s Box DVD and you’ll see how powerful a tool a DVD can really be!
