Author Archives: Helen

Session 5: Beyond the Classroom

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The arrival of handheld, powerful mobile technologies is blurring the lines between the concepts of ‘school’ and ‘not school’, ‘classroom’ and ‘non-classroom’, ‘school-time’ and ‘free time’. These technologies present challenges and opportunities to teachers that are only just being recognised and understood.

This week we are thinking about ways of using technology to explore the world outside the classroom and how to bring the outside world into the classroom. This includes making the most of opportunities to use tablets and cameras to document outdoor learning and exploring apps that are designed to be used beyond the classroom walls. We will also think about analysing data that we’ve collected outdoors and how to connect with people and places using technology tools. A further avenue to explore is the idea of exploring the wider world through simulations.

Here are our slides for session 5: ITT3012 Session5- Beyond the Classroom

This article on Learning, Digital Media and Creative Play in Early Childhood is well worth reading and points out that, “There’s an opening of windows onto new worlds that can occur when you have a computer there – a YouTube video or a Skype chat with other preschools in Sweden or Singapore. These are especially magical moments that can happen with young kids –  especially when they just don’t get that otherwise.”

 

Session 4: Digital Technology Across the Curriculum

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This week we will be looking at using technology to explore Early Years themes. We’ll  think about balancing ICT objectives with other subjects and about how to facilitate inquiry-based learning across the curriculum.

A great starting point is the Communication4All website run by Bev Evans:

Bev has also collected many ideas for exploring these themes on the TES Pinterest pages, many of which are interactive:

Here are this week’s slides and a bunch of Bit.ly links:

Session 4 – Technology across the curriculum

Session 3: Creative Computing in EYFS

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We began by looking at the new Computing Programmes of Study for Key Stage 1 and thinking about the new emphasis on Computer Science:

Although this seemed daunting at first, we had an enjoyable practical session exploring new Lego Wedo sets, Beebots, Programmable toys and iPad apps. This resulted in some groups coming up with clear ideas for how to progress from physical computing to working with instructions on a screen. Here’s a super example; it would be great to share some more.

Several groups also considered the idea of Computing Unplugged which means that you can reinforce computing concepts through activities and games away from technology. For example, here are some Year 4 children giving instructions to their teacher Philip Bagge:

The links for this session can be found in this Bit.ly bundle. This is an easy way of sharing a small set of weblinks.  And here’s a link to the slides for this week:

Session 3- Creative computing in EYFSv3

 

 

Session 2: Mobile Devices

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This week we looked at ways of evaluating apps and using iPads effectively.

Here’s the Prezi:

You all had superb ideas for using apps as a medium of expression, for reinforcing skills and for personalising learning. Many of these are appearing on our resourcebank. Please add yours if you haven’t already:

I’ve put together some instructions on how to upload your idea:

How-to-add to the resource bank

 

First Session

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A very warm welcome to our class blog for Year 3 Early Years ICT.

We’ll use this space to link together our individual blogs and share ideas.

Our first session looks at presentation tools and digital storytelling. We’ll be thinking about how we can use technology to explore the medium of story as a natural way of sharing and communicating.

Here are a few inspiring examples:

And here are the slides for the session:

Presentation tools and Digital Storytelling

I’ll look forward seeing your creative ideas on these themes.

Helen