Photos of teddy build home-school links
Pre-School Category
Aboyne Nursery,
Aboyne
Project Description:
'Beryl and Barnie's Digital World'
This project sets out to build on the success of an initial home-link project involving two teddy bears who accompany a different child home each night. It seeks to develop creative and artistic expression in very young children through a new and innovative medium. The children will be trained to use simple digital technology to record their teddy bear adventures and activities at home and then download the images onto a computer the next day. Parents will be involved through initial training with the equipment and asked to support their children's creative and imaginative use of the technology.
[Top]
Final Report: June 2002
The Beryl and Barney home-school link was established last year at Aboyne Nursery. It was designed to enable the children to take a teddy-bear home and have 'adventures' with the bear. The children would retell the adventures to staff who would scribe their story and the children would be encouraged to draw pictures of their adventures. This was a successful project in itself and is up and running in a variety of forms in many nurseries across the country.
When the opportunity arose to apply for funding from the NGfL Scotland to develop ICT in the nursery, it seemed a natural progression to introduce cameras to help the children recall their adventures. The resulting equipment purchased has enabled the children and parents to benefit hugely in learning and involvement in their child's education.
After a few initial mishaps with the new digital equipment, we were able to get the project up and running by the end of January 2002.
Staff gave parents the opportunity to come into the nursery to learn about the cameras and the project. The parents were also given a demonstration of the digital camera at an 'Early Maths' workshop and have since been encouraged to assist their child in their photographic exploits and to come into the nursery to help their child download and print off the photos.
The children were told about the cameras and it was explained that although they were not toys they would be able to use them with an adult. When the cameras went home on the first night we did wonder if they would come back broken the next day! The resulting photographs were a huge success when displayed on the laptop on a simple to use slideshow facility.
The children love sharing their pictures with others. Telling both adults and peers about the photos and what they were doing ... or more to the point what the bears were doing. The children in the nursery re-visit the photos and in twos or threes will often gather chatting about the photos. The children love the immediacy of the photos as when a picture is taken they are able to view it on the LCD display on the back of the camera.
Bears with personalities
Interestingly, the bears have had personalities placed on them by the children as a group. Barney is a naughty bear who likes to raid food cupboards in the dead of night leaving the children with no breakfast. Beryl is a good bear and seems to do a lot of shopping, reading and bicycling! Beryl and Barney have even featured in two local newspapers with Barney photographed reading the article on himself!
The children are proud of their ability to take photos with no adult help. In the questionnaire sent home, the overwhelming response was that the children liked to take photos on their own.
Parental involvement
The parents are equally pleased with the cameras and for a few, it has increased their own personal awareness of computer technology. Some of the more computer literate parents found the downloading very simple to use, other less used to computers have been surprised at the simplicity and have come away saying they would love to get a digital camera. The comments coming back from parents include the observations that "It is good to be able to take part in what they do at nursery, especially for the parents who can't manage nursery sessions to help."
In response to the question about strengthening their own involvement with their child's education, the comments include,
"I know more about what he does at school." and "In a way we are learning together." Prospective parents have also heard about the cameras. They have commented that the provision here has encouraged them to send their child to this particular nursery. Very encouraging for the staff!
Benefits for Learners
Staff working in the nursery have certainly seen a change in the work that the children produce as a result of the cameras. In particular, children with special educational needs have shown great enjoyment and language progress when using the cameras. Two children who normally use little language for communication, showed a marked improvement when given pictures of themselves with the bears.
For other children, it has increased independence, story writing and sequencing skills, creative skills, language and communication skills- as well as being fun! The visual reminder of their adventures is essential in producing an account of their time with the bears. The call at the end of every nursery session is "Remember Beryl!" - as if we could forget ... !
[Top]
Contact Details
Esther Gooch
Aboyne Nursery
Morven Place
Aboyne
AB34 5JN
tel: 013398 86697
esthergooch@37.com
[Top]