Killin Nursery explores learning through play - using ICT
Children are given opportunities to develop ICT skills
Children at Killin Nursery are using a variety of ICT to support and enhance all areas of their learning. Staff at the nursery fully support the use of technology and identify a real value in its appropriate use. They ensure all children have sufficient opportunities to develop the necessary skills, and they provide interesting and motivating learning experiences across the curriculum. ICT skills are being developed right across the age groups and, having just recently put the office computer into the 0-3 years room, the staff have noticed that the children are already developing considerable ICT skills.
Exploring through play
Children are given the opportunity to explore and investigate different technologies. From role playing with mobile phones to using the digital camera, the activities engage and challenge children’s learning.
During a visit to the nursery, I observed a small group of children at the computer. They were working through a series of activities using Maths City by 2Simple Software. The activities were engaging and designed to develop numeracy skills. The children were confident in moving from one activity to the next and demonstrated clearly that they were ‘unafraid of the technology’.
For the duration of their time on the computer the group took turns to complete a task or level, extending their communication through discussion. They were able to talk to one another about their achievements and about activities they were less successful in, sharing ideas on how to improve their performance next time. The activities in the software challenged the children and provided a stimulus for promoting discussion within the group.
Other software packages available for use in the nursery were:
- 'Beep' and 'Musical Monsters' by Q&D Multimedia
- 2Simple City by 2Simple Software.
Using digital images
Digital cameras were also prevalent in the nursery. The children tended to use the Mavica as this is a robust camera for young children to handle. The staff were able to get a loan of a camera from the ICT Riverside Centre to assist in documenting children’s learning. The camera allows children to use their creativity and imagination and focus their attention on visual detail. Groups can work together to record their experiences and it is a powerful facilitator in promoting group work: children can communicate effectively with one another in sharing their thoughts on their own and others’ work. Staff have plans to buy and use the Digital Blue camera which was demonstrated to them at one of their staff development days.
Building confidence
As well as building the children’s confidence in developing the necessary ICT skills, there is also a need to build children’s confidence in their own learning. Through using the digital video camera, children at Killin have been building on their self esteem and recognising their own achievements. Windows Media Player visualisations projected on a wall provided the perfect background in front of which the children could perform a dance. The performance was filmed and then used as a stimulus to promote discussion. As performers, children were able to foster their creativity and enthusiasm, and as the audience, they were able to discuss and evaluate their own and others’ work.
Competent staff
The staff at Killin are competent in using ICT throughout the nursery. They have all received staff training using the Early Learning Forward Thinking staff development pack. They also find themselves learning skills from the children and are actively encouraged to share examples of good practice within the nursery. They receive excellent support from the ICT curriculum officers and their equipment is checked and maintained on a regular basis.
Documenting children's learning
As part of the documentation process, staff are encouraged to use ICT. Killin Nursery was involved in piloting the electronic version of the Starting Points document. One member of staff found that using the Starting Points in this format made it easier for her to complete because she had dyslexia.The presentation of the document was better and it was quicker for her to complete by typing rather than writing. Staff comment that switching to this method permanently will need some careful consideration as the Starting Points document is a working document and children need to be able to write and draw in order to take ownership of it. Staff would need to investigate ways in which to overcome this
There is further evidence of the use of ICT to document children’s learning in the photographs and word processed documents displayed on the nursery walls. Following on from the staff development training, the nursery is considering furthering staff ICT skills and using PowerPoint to display the children’s learning with the possibility of having presentations on display at parents' evenings.
The nursery demonstrates the use of ICT across all its activities and clearly highlights that there is a place for ICT in early years.