Bannockburn Nursery use ICT to document learning
Introduction
Bannockburn Nursery uses a variety of technologies to document their children’s learning.
In the last six months ICT has been taken forward in the nursery to help deliver literacy and numeracy skills, develop creativity, and encourage collaboration. The children are very confident with ICT but it took a while for the staff to become confident enough to allow children free rein to explore the technology given to them. Once they realised that simple steps such as adjusting the straps on the digital camera so pupils can support the camera safely and having supervision and filtering available when children use the internet, the staff quickly became comfortable in letting children play with ICT as part of the learning experience.
In many cases the staff have used it for reinforcement and to extend learning but they have also been looking at ways in which to document children’s learning in a manageable and meaningful way.
Making learning visible
Bannockburn (with Killin Nursery) was involved in a pilot using the Starting Points document electronically. The pilot was carried out in different situations and with children from different backgrounds to find out how effective it would be to use this method of recording. Initially they found the process very time consuming as this was a new way of working and there was an element of trial and error. The nursery was able to get a laptop on loan from the ICT Riverside Centre and this was used by staff and children.
There are many advantages to documenting children’s learning in this way. As a working document it is important for children to feel as though they have ownership of it, therefore staff and children working together on the computer not only develops ICT skills and builds confidence but also promotes discussion, making children feel they are part of the process.
As the document is kept until the child starts school it can become very used looking and having it electronically means it is kept in good condition at all times. Pictures can be added and removed easily to keep the document up to date. The document can be modified to suit the individual and additional information can be added easily. Simple tasks such as using mouse skills and using the highlighting tool can be useful for activities in colour recognition.
The staff found using the electronic version ideal for emailing to parents and keeping them informed of their child’s progress. They were able to foster closer home/nursery links and they found a great sense of achievement in this. Some of the children were able to type part of the email to the parents and more than one copy of the document could be printed if required.
Staff are aware of the disadvantages associated with using this method of recording and they need to be mindful they do not lose parental involvement or face-to-face contact and only use emails as their method of communication. If they want to include pupil’s drawings or examples of writing in the document they would need to scan it in. Not all parents/carers have access to emails so every time the document is updated it would have to be printed off.
Recording with pictures
Bannockburn Nursery uses the digital camera to record the majority of the children’s learning. The camera is a great tool for recording pupils’ progress and for showcasing their achievements. Being able to view pictures of themselves at work and photos of activities they have completed, such as models they have built, or pictures of them dressing up for role play builds their self esteem.
Using such evidence staff can promote language development and prompt the use of certain vocabulary in pupils through discussion sessions. Having their work displayed on the walls allows them to share their experiences with other children, staff, parents and visitors to the nursery. It gives the children a sense that their work is valued.
More uses of ICT
The nursery is also investigating other ways of documenting children’s learning and has recently been looking at using dictaphones and recording children’s voices during structured activities and free play. This allows staff to play back children talking and pick up on anything they may have missed during the task. They also found that recording the children speaking or singing to be motivational as the children become enthusiastic when it is played back to them.
The staff used Windows Media Player to show children the different visual effects that could be achieved with the sound of their voices.
The dictaphone was used effectively when recording children who may have speech difficulties and can be used to document progress and reassure parents/carers of the progress being made.
Another effective use of the dictaphone was to leave it lying on the table while children were talking and interacting with one another. This was then played back to promote further discussion amongst the children and helped in assessing their learning.
The children get to use the laptop and desktop computers to develop ICT skills. They are given plenty of opportunity to explore what it can do with appropriate adult supervision.
The staff also use the digital video camera to record children putting on a puppet show or filming special events such as a visit from the fire brigade and this can be played back to promote discussion and recall an activity. They use the internet for research and software programmes for literacy and numeracy development.
Staff input
The staff is always looking for interesting and alternative ways to stimulate and record children’s learning. Staff are given the opportunity to attend various ICT courses in order to bring back ideas to the nursery to make ICT enjoyable and engaging for the children and staff.