| After much searching, Lisa located a web site which featured traditional stories that she could use in the Literacy Hour. She has developed lesson plans for her Year 3 / 4 class based on the stories she found on the Internet. She describes how she used a data projector with a laptop computer for the first time. The report includes recommendations for further work, and advice on practical aspects. Using traditional stories from the Internet in the Literacy Hour
Finding traditional tales on the Internet in a format suited to teaching in the Literacy Hour was not an easy task. Many of the sites I came across in searches were very plain and uninteresting. I wanted a site that had colours, suitable language and preferably sounds. When I explored the internet, I found many stories that would be useful in the Literacy Hour for the teaching of traditional tales. These include The Ant and the Grasshopper, The Three Little Pigs, Beauty and the Beast, Country Mouse and Town Mouse, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, The Tortoise and the Hare and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I decided to use Goldilocks and the Three Bears . I prepared a planning grid showing how the story would be used in the Literacy Hour for one week. The grid shows how National Literacy Strategy teaching objectives were addressed. Download the planning grid (Excel 97) Four worksheets on collecting and classifying adjectives (Word 7) Group work
In a classroom with only one computer it was possible to have one group of three children using the computer to retell the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears.' This work was then projected onto the screen for the plenary session for the class to read, discuss and make corrections. The next day the following group could then continue the story on the computer and so by the end of the week a complete version of the story had been written. Further suggestions for using the data projector in the Literacy Hour
I discovered that a data projector is a useful resource for any presentation or whole class teaching. Here are a few suggestions that worked well. - E-mail If your class is involved in writing to another school or taking part in an e-mail project this is a good way to present the new mail. Writing collaborative e-mail is a quick and effective way for everyone to contribute to a message.
- Talking word processors are especially effective when made available to the whole class via the projector.
- Shared writing is made easier once everyone can see the text and changes can be made instantly. The undo facility on the computer makes experimenting with words fun.
- Checking group work and advising on suggested improvements is an ideal activity for a plenary session. Children are inspired to produce their best work if they know that at the end of the session everyone will be reviewing their efforts .
Using a data projector: practical issues
I did not use the projector in a well-resourced computer suite but in a mobile classroom without a whiteboard or screen. I stuck four large pieces of white paper onto the blackboard with Blu-tak. This worked very well: the image was sharp and clear and there was no glare, which can be a problem when projecting onto the shiny surface of a whiteboard. It is important to set the projector up in the best position and at the correct height. Schools may wish to consider purchasing a stand for the data projector if they are to use it to its full potential. Safety Issues
Trailing cables are a problem. Fortunately I was able to have the cable and extension leads close to the power point. I was still very aware that children would always try to take the quickest route from one side of the room to the other rather than necessarily the safest. It was important to talk to the children about the dangers of walking near the cables and also to remind them of this at regular intervals. (NB Cable protector may be purchased by the metre from County Supplies. This is a flat rubber tread which conceals the flex.) Using the data projector with a laptop
A laptop has to be instructed to send a signal to an external display. There is normally a special key combination. Hold down Fn and tap F5 (F4 on the BECTa portables) to toggle through the three settings: laptop only - external display only - both. Using a remote control
When talking to the children about the text and asking specific questions I found it very useful to block the image on the data projector using the remote control. This displays a red and black chessboard image. The children quickly got the idea that when the chessboard was displayed I wanted their full attention. There is also a pointer available on the remote control panel. I used this to focus the children's attention to specific areas such as speech marks or to show adjectives etc. Disasters
When using sophisticated equipment and the Internet be prepared for occasional problems! It is important to have a back up lesson as a stand by. Store the Internet pages you wish to use and have paper based resources available if possible. (NB Internet Explorer 5.0 may be used off line without having to take any special steps to store pages. Make sure beforehand that you visit all the pages you intend to use and wait for graphics, animation and sounds to download. When you start Internet Explorer, click Work Offline in the Dial-up Connection box. If you have not upgraded your NGfL laptop to IE 5.0, contact the NGfL office for a free upgrade CD ROM.) Other websites Fairy Tale Land
www.lancsngfl.ac.uk Big Books Online
www.lancsngfl.ac.uk Aesop Tales
www.umass.edu/aesop Various Big Books
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/onlinestory.htm
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