ICTresources

ICT resources • What are they?

• What are they for?

ICT is for learning

• Many activities in the Early Years revolve around children developing an understanding of their environment. We encourage children to explore, observe, problem solve, predict, discuss and consider; ICT resources can provide tools for using these skills as well as being examined in their own right.

• Children are surrounded by ICT in their immediate environments. Resources that we will be exploring today will be instantly recognisable and familiar to children. We are building on their experiences.

• ICT allows children to use a range of recording devices to capture their thoughts and ideas

• ICT allows children to explore different environments that would be impossible to gain experience of otherwise.

• ICT is enabling and can support all areas of a child’s learning

Personal social and emotional development

• Almost without exception, children using appropriate ICT are interested, excited and motivated.

• Unlike some adults, they are unafraid of technology and confident to try out new activities and because they find the work so interesting most children have longer attention spans when using ICT.

• Computers are very powerful facilitators of group work. Programs that present challenges stimulate children to discuss and to share.

• Creative programs that allow children to produce a polished product raise self-esteem. Children are eager to show and tell about their achievements.

Resources that support personal social and emotional development

• Use a digital camera to take photographs of the children; use them to enhance children’s self-esteem, to give them a sense of belonging and to reflect on a range of emotions

• Use software that encourages children to talk about themselves and their experiences

• Tape recorders or Camcorders can record children's stories, musical compositions and physical achievements to celebrate with each other and their families

• Use creative programs that allow children to produce a polished product and raise self-esteem, such as Dazzle Plus, 2Paint, Doodle or Revelation Natural Art

• Use the computer to motivate children, or to provide access to activities that they might not be engaging in elsewhere

• Communication skills can be supported and developed through role play activities that incorporate ICT elements. These reflect the children’s real worlds and allow them the opportunity to share, problem solve and immerse themselves in familiar events.

• The use of programmable toys can stimulate thought and discussion and encourage collaboration and problem solving.

• ICT can be used to present stories, music and rhymes and can be another way to encourage children into a love of literature. Children can enjoy word games, including matching, rhyming and first letter recognition, on websites as well as part of CD collections. They can experience another way into writing as they use keyboards and early word processors in play and for specific purposes such as making a name label.

Communication, language and literacy

Resources that support Communication, language…

• ICT resources that support communication for imagining and recreating roles and experiences can be both "mock up" machines from cardboard boxes, and commercially produced equipment. Some examples are: toasters, microwaves, kettles, bar code scanners, electronic cash register etc. Remember also that old, defunct, equipment e.g. computer keyboards, monitors, laptops, fax machines, mobile phones, and telephones are also excellent for imaginative play. The computer can be moved into the role play area so that ICT is seen as an everyday tool in an everyday environment. These kinds of resources can support both indoor and outdoor play.

• Digital photographs can support communication skills and vocabulary development through oral discussion.  Pictures of outings, visitors and day to day setting life can be recorded. Children can find it a useful way of recording activities that they had been involved in where the process or end product could not always be left e.g. role-play, construction, sand. The important point to remember is that photographs will generate a great deal of language, even with the most hesitant child.

……and literacy

• A Pixie can be dressed and used to move through a story, such as ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’, allowing children opportunities to recreate an imaginary world and retell a familiar story. Or children can make up a miniature world and use programmable toys to travel through it

• Digital photographs can be taken of the children in role-play providing opportunities for the children to recreate and retell imaginative events. Children can sequence photographs and begin to think about beginnings, middles and ends. Photographs of the children can be added to story boards allowing the children to put themselves and their friends ‘into’ stories such as ‘Mr Gumpy’s outing’

• CD-Roms, such as ‘Talking Topics’ and web sites can be used for searching for information. Software can also be another way of enjoying the pleasure of stories and rhymes through some of the ‘Talking books’ and a way of learning specific reading skills such as the sounds of letters as in ‘The animated alphabet’

…and more resources to support literacy

• With an adult acting as a scribe, word processors like 2publish or Textease and multimedia software like PowerPoint, can turn children into authors of their own stories. Scanners can be used to scan in images from books or children’s own work. Microphones can add in their own voices or music.

• Software, such as ‘At the Vets’ can support ways into literacy through role play. Print outs of signs, appointments, instructions, messages, lists can be provided in a meaningful context for children to read or fill in for information

• Tape recorders with microphones, or small Dictaphones can be used for children to record their retelling of stories or linked with small world play. These can be played back to small groups and enjoyed again and again

Mathematical development • Role play with elements of ICT can encourage mathematical

thinking and experience: environments such as shops, libraries

and doctors all require counting, adding, scanning, records, lists,

phones and computers. By providing resources that reflect this children will immerse themselves in real world applications of mathematics

• Software should not replace all the rich mathematical activities away from the computer but it can provide endless versions of on-screen mathematical games, problems and experiences that offer a superb stimulus for talking, working out and thinking about numbers. These allow children to practice sorting, matching, sequencing and discriminating and can lead into counting, adding and subtracting, all in a very motivating environment.

• ICT can offer children opportunities to experience and practice other aspects of mathematical thinking such as experimenting with weights and arranging shapes and patterns.

• The use of programmable toys encourages children to think about space and use language of direction. They involve children in problem solving skills, counting, spatial relations and planning.

Resources to support mathematical development

• Bar code scanners, calculators, word processor and a printer for making price labels, signs for special offers and sales. Electronic tills, software such as ‘At the Café’ and phones can all support mathematical experiences in role play. Use Clicker5 for putting in pictures of food and making a menu, add numbers to allow for inputting ‘2 buns’ and money for making a bill

• Computer programs and web sites that provide opportunities for sorting, matching, sequencing and discriminating and ones that encourage counting, adding on, finding more or less or those that provide number stories and problems all can provide an exciting context for mathematical thinking

• Pictogram software like 2count can be used with children to model collecting, storing and retrieving data

• A Pixie can provide a wealth of opportunity for counting, estimating, ordering predicting and building vocabulary around the language of direction. This can be linked with onscreen control programs such as 2go and to tape recordings taking children on routes that they give directions to or listen to and follow

• Digital cameras can be used to make mathematical resources such as counting numbers of children by sorting photographs of ‘who is here today’

Creative development

• ICT allows children to explore sounds and instruments that they would not otherwise be able to experience

• ICT allows children to compose, record and play back their compositions to an audience.

• Through ICT we can acknowledge the value of music and songs from a wide variety of cultures.

• ICT can help develop children’s sense of rhythm and movement.

• ICT allows young children to incorporate elements into drawings that they would not be capable of producing with traditional materials e.g. complex shapes such as stars.

• ICT allows children to experiment with new creative tools, some of which are unique to ICT (e.g. rainbow paint and shapes tools) and others of which simulate existing techniques (e.g. spray brush, water brush).

• It allows children to try things out to see “what would happen if”.  They can easily undo, rub out or start again to make changes.

Resources to support creative development

• Use software that allows children to create, paint and print

such as Dazzle, Revelation Natural Art and 2paint

• Use tape recorders, video or digital cameras to record children's own music, movement, songs and dance

• Use data projects and whiteboards for children to explore light and shadow or to use paint programs with large scale movements

• Graphics tablet and pen can provide another experience of using an art program

• Use a scanner to scan in children’s own pictures for recording electronically or for adding into stories

• Musical keyboards can encourage children to explore tunes and play with composition then listen to their creations

• CD-ROMs and websites that allow children to explore and play with music, such as ‘Musical Leaps and Bounds’, and those that give children opportunities to listen to and rehearse nursery rhymes and songs from other cultures

• Simple digital cameras give children a chance to try out photography and to record things that they have made that will need to be disassembled to be used again

Knowledge and Understanding of the World 

• ICT resources can help children in developing crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to make sense of their own, immediate environment as well as environments of others. Digital photographs, tape recordings, camcorders and web cams can allow children to investigate living things, objects and materials, some of which might not be accessible otherwise e.g. a web cam placed in a wild life area

• ICT equipment can help children to focus on specific features of objects and help them observe closely similarities, differences, patterns and change. It can be a way to focus on their local environment and talk about those features they like and dislike

• TV, video and Software can bring in different worlds and different times, allowing children to find out about past and present events and others cultures and beliefs

ICT resources for developing Knowledge and Understanding of the World

• All the resources that we have mentioned so far will support the early learning goal for ICT; be sure to teach the children the skills they will need for understanding and using these resources

• Take an ICT walk identifying ICT and related uses in their environments such as street lights, signals, automatic doors etc

• An Intel Play microscope works on a computer and allows children to explore natural resources; they can find and see the finer detail on the monitor.

• Digital cameras, tape recorders, camcorders and web cams can all be used to record living things, objects and materials and give children an opportunity to investigate and make sense of their immediate environment as well as environments of others.

• Use a programmable toy, such as Pixie, to explore environments. These can either be imaginary (e.g. making up a pretend town), from a book (such as Elmer), or by using a digital camera,can be an exploration of the local environment

Resources• Digital camera Programable toys

(e.g. Sony Mavica) (e.g. Pixie Bee-Bot)• Web cam Remote control vehicles

(e.g. Logitech Quick Cam) (e.g. Duplo Bugs)• Phone and answer machine Toaster or kettle

(e.g. ELC ) (e.g. ELC or Boots)• Computer Bar code scanner (home made)• Laptop Electronic till• Interactive whiteboard (e.g. ELC or Boots)

(e.g. Smart Board) Defunct equip. e.g. mobile phones• Data projector Musical Keyboards• Camcorder Dance mats • Metal detectors Torches• TV or video Remote controls Washing machine• Tape recorder CD-player • Walkie talkies Scanner• Photocopier Microphone• Graphics tablet and pen Touch screens• Kidglove and keyboard Tiny mice and tracker ball