Scene one: Two cars speed from opposite ends of a street. They crash head on. One overturns and bursts into flames. A police car and fire engine approach. Sirens wail. A van arrives and tows the overturned car away. The end.
This is the plot of Calum, Nicole, James, Brooklyn, Amy and Aaron's first film, which can be viewed as part of the children's blog at www.edubuzz.org.uk. The children are nursery pupils at Prestonpans Infant School and Nursery School (Nursery Department) and the website is that of East Lothian council's Education and Children's Services (see box).
The film reflects the growing willingness of staff, and children, to embrace technology and give it what they believe is its rightful place within the early years curriculum and practice.
Staff confidence in using ICT has been built up through council training, made available as part of Learning and Teaching Scotland's ICT initiative, Early Learning Forward Thinking, and by the school allowing staff to incorporate ICT into their continuing professional development.
Early Learning Forward Thinking - The Policy Framework for ICT in the Early Years advocates embedding ICT within the learning environment. It advises against seeing such technologies 'as separate entities' and notes that 'there should be no presumption that ICT, by its nature, will always offer a better tool for learning. Young children's active learning takes place in contexts that are meaningful to them.'
This approach is embraced by the school. Within nursery the children have access to an interactive whiteboard, to computers and software (used to develop language and maths skills and for the children to pursue their own interests), to digital videos and cameras (for recording their interests), and to a listening centre with headphones. Activities such as baking and snack preparation also give them access to equipment such as real fridges, microwaves and cooking utensils.
Whatever the technology, be it computer software or everyday technology such as whisks, laminators, microwaves and thermometers, the emphasis is on making it relevant through hands-on meaningful experiences.
21st century advances
Reflecting on the ICT philosophy guiding their nursery practice, Acting Depute Head Alison Kettell says, 'As educators we must support each child to develop his/her ability to investigate, think, reason, learn, plan, predict, create and invent. As technology in this 21st century continues to develop at great speed in every aspect of our lives, it is our responsibility to enable each child to access technology safely with confidence and increasing skill. No one should feel threatened, bewildered, restricted or enslaved by technological advances - everyone should be empowered by them within the reality of their everyday lives.'
The school's philosophy is supported by A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5 which states, 'The children's environment is one in which technology is important in their everyday lives. As children use blocks, put on a warm jumper, look through a magnifying glass, clamber on to a climbing frame, use a computer or travel by train, they become aware of the everyday uses of technology in the home, in transport, in communication and in leisure.'
Mrs Kettell adds, 'It's all about the children's needs, about keeping it relevant and not losing the child-centred aspect of children's learning. Everything should be related to the children's interests and next steps for learning.
'Children may have seen videos and Wii's and other expensive equipment at home, so they come in with some knowledge, but they won't always have been given the opportunity to explore equipment for themselves.'
Assessment tool
As well as embedding technology within the curriculum, the school's early years staff use ICT as an assessment tool and as a means for allowing children to reflect on their own learning.
All the reports on children's ante-preschool (first year of nursery) and transition to school are word-processed, while digital photographs are incorporated into the children's Early Learning books.
This has been made possible through extra investment in equipment, in part from the school budget but also through Parent Council fundraising.
'Investment in digital resources and computer consumables has been paramount, to help capture the educational richness of children's experiences. It provides children with the opportunity to reflect on their learning and be pro-active in developing next steps for learning. Photographs act as a visual stimulus for parents and as a starting point for educational dialogue during parental consultations,' says Mrs Kettell.
'The nursery staff have helped us get to the level we're at, because they were very keen to incorporate digital imagery into the assessment process. Digital cameras and Photosmart printers are part of our everyday nursery life.
'There's been a lot of personal commitment. I don't think we would be at that level without it. We're still on a learning curve, but what we have is enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
- www.edubuzz.org/blogs/prestonpans/category/nursery
- Assessment is for Learning, www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/for/index.asp
- Early Learning Forward Thinking - The Policy Framework for ICT in Early Years and A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5 can be viewed at Learning and Teaching Scotland site: www.ltscotland.org.uk/earlyyears/
Edubuzz.org
A blogging facility is just one of the web publishing tools offered to learners within East Lothian via the local authority's Edubuzz.org site.
The site forms the basis for a networked learning community and was developed by East Lothian Council's Education and Children's Services in their drive to raise the quality of teaching and learning within its schools.
The initiative, originally called Excel, also aims to ensure that ICT within the authority is driven by practitioners - not technicians.
As well as their first film, blog entries by the nursery children at Prestonpans Infant and Nursery School include a podcast of the children's voices and details (and photographs) of class pets (goldfish, stick insects, snails and worms), a birthday celebration and a library visit.
Entries are written using the children's words, as in: 'Today in nursery we were helping the teachers learn about podcasting.' Words of encouragement from teachers, family and friends follow, as there is a facility for people to add their comments. 'I can't believe this is is your first try! Well done!' says one respondent of the children's film. 'Do you think they might have a favourite thing to eat?' enquires acting head teacher Helen Gardyne about the worms.
The site also provides practitioners with the opportunity to share good practice. It includes an entry by teacher Dave Cain on the making of the film. 'The children were really enthusiastic about the whole thing, from developing the story (hence the action-packed content) to actually moving the models and working the ibook,' he writes. 'It was amazing how quickly they grasped the whole process. While initially moving the models too far between shots, they were remarkably quick to realise this and adjust the movements accordingly. A large group of other children were interested enough to hang around to watch the proceedings, and the film-makers themselves were thrilled to show off!'
There are plans for the nursery children to contribute more regularly to their blog, so following the example of Primary 2 and 3, who have been enthusiastic bloggers for more than a year. As part of last month's blog, Primary 3 pupils incorporated a podcast of class members reciting poetry, a round-up of class news and details of their space project, including a photo album of their drawings and a photo gallery of the week's space events - a lunar eclipse, the Shuttle Atlantis landing and the shooting down of a spy satellite.
'Blogging is an area we now wish to develop in the nursery,' says Acting Deputy Head Teacher Alison Kettell. 'It gives children the opportunity to share their experiences and learning with the wider community and allows positive feedback on their successes.'
