April Jones, director of Computer Kids, looks at digital presentations One really useful piece of technology for the nursery is a digital camera.
This can be used for taking pictures of the children, their work, displays and visits. In a digital format it is easy to store the photographs on a computer or floppy disc. It is also nice to be able to display them on screen for children to look at.
There are many pieces of software that will allow you to set up slide shows. A popular one is PowerPoint. An alternative could be PhotoJam and a free, trial version can be downloaded from the Shockwave website.
To set up a 'show' in PhotoJam, double click the icon on the desktop and then click Create. All you need to do now is click the Select button, browse for the folder where you have saved your photos, click Go and then play the show. You can adjust the time each photograph is displayed and add style effects to your photographs - Jfor example, old film, fireworks, page turn. You can also download music files from the Shockwave website.
So how could you apply such software? Use it to display children's art work or images associated with a topic - for instance, photographs of toys, children's teddy bears, signs of autumn, everyday technology. Photograph the children playing in the role-play area and display the pictures for everyone to look at - children love watching themselves and so will the parents. Take a time-lapse series of photographs to show the growth of a plant, fruit rotting or leaves falling off the trees. Display a sequence of photographs to explain a process such as brushing your teeth, going out in the rain or a day in the life of a nursery - put them in an incorrect order and see who notices!
The Shockwave site is at www.shockwave.com/sw/content/photojam
