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.”