Playing digital games is an important leisure activity for a large number of us. Research shows that a large number of children play digital games for leisure purposes. One of the games played is Minecraft. This chapter outlines how... more
Playing digital games is an important leisure activity for a large number of us. Research shows that a large number of children play digital games for leisure purposes. One of the games played is Minecraft. This chapter outlines how Minecraft is being used in junior year settings by referring to academic literature as well as communities of practice available on the internet. The authors outline a set of activities incorporating Minecraft aimed at seven year olds which were designed to introduce a series of curricular topics in a class in a Maltese school. Following qualitative data analysis the chapter outlines a series of outcomes that were extracted from this project
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Various studies outline the ‘digital disconnect’ that exists between the digital experiences that children have with technologies at home and at school. It is however important to document the increasingly multimodal technological world... more
Various studies outline the ‘digital disconnect’ that exists between the digital experiences that children have with technologies at home and at school. It is however important to document the increasingly multimodal technological world that young children are inhabiting. Framed by socio-cultural and ecological theoretical perspectives, this case study of a 4-year old girl investigates how the contexts surrounding the child impact the use of digital technologies and the differences, if any, between the two contexts. Participatory methods are used to gather data from the child participant in relation to her experiences, preferences and interactions with technology, which was triangulated with the views of one parent and her current educator. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged as follows: technological uses and competences, child agency and participation, individual and collective funds of knowledge and bridging of children's lifeworlds. Findings indicated that the differences or digital disconnect between the home and the school are not necessarily perceived as negative or limiting, yet there is also room for fluidity and openness to explore these technological spaces as possibilities or bridges for children's participation, engagement and agency in the two lifeworlds. Practitioner notes What is already known about the topic The notion of digital disconnect between the home and the school characterises children's encounters with technology. Learning is culturally, historically and socially situated, and a result of participation and immersion in the cultural milieu through the mediation of social and cultural tools. What this paper adds Empirical evidence of young children's experiences of their multimodal lifeworlds through case study research. Understanding of a young child's perceptions on the use of digital technologies in the home and the school from her own lens using participatory methods with children. Realisation that at age 4, a child may already have developed clear distinctions between formal and informal spaces. Implications for practice and/or policy Implications regarding the ways early childhood settings may respond in light of findings related to how young children may regard the existence of a digital disconnect from a positive or neutral lens. Considerations around the need to give young children a voice before effecting changes to their learning spaces through participatory, child-friendly methods, in concordance with a rights-based approach. Suggestions on the role of the adults (parents and educators) in ensuring that young children are provided with opportunities to experience and use digital technologies for multiple purposes through modelling, scaffolding and creativity. © 2021 British Educational Research Association
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The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventual closing of schools in March 2020 throughout the world caused major disruptions to the educational experience of all learners. Teaching and learning began to be organised and delivered... more
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventual closing of schools in March 2020 throughout the world caused major disruptions to the educational experience of all learners. Teaching and learning began to be organised and delivered from within the homes of educators. With little time to prepare and make the necessary arrangements to transfer devices from schools to teachers' homes, technological investment financed over several years remained largely idle behind the closed doors of school buildings. This paper looks at the experiences of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Malta as they rapidly shifted their work to online modes of teaching and learning during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Data gathered through an online questionnaire captured the views of 407 Maltese educators, working with learners aged five to sixteen years. Through a series of open and closed-ended questions, interesting data was yielded on the approaches they were adopting to deliver learning. Findings indicate teachers used both real time and asynchronous approaches. Benefits and disadvantages of both systems emerged from their responses. Rich insights into the challenges educators faced with both modes of remote online instruction are outlined. Maltese teachers' voices on the support they received from their leaders and school authorities, and the ways they kept track of learning and learners during the times of COVID-19 are presented. The implications of how teachers and schools responded to the emergency shift to technology-mediated schooling, the influence of previous investment and training in the use of digital technologies and the impact on learners and learning are also explored.