Hi
As some of you have already noticed we have brought some new ICT equipment for the nursery. ICT is important in developing the children's knowledge and understanding of ICT and its everyday use, and also features in the EYFS under Knowledge and Understanding of the World. So we reviewed our resources and decided to invest in some new ICT products that would spark the children's interest in ICT.
Laptops
We have two brand new children's laptops for the Racing Racoons and Cheeky Chipmunks, where they have been enjoying learning how to use them over the last few weeks. The children have been using the stylus (pen) to draw on the screen, take turns with thier friends and accessing numeracy and literacy games that are built in on the laptops. Both laptops are touch screen on which the stylus can be used to develop the children's fine manipulative skills throguh holding the stylus and using it to draw and make marks on the screen. The numeracy and literacy games are designed for children from pre-school (us) right throguh to primary school (key stage 2) so can be adapted to suit all ages and development levels. Through the laptops we can also access websites such as Ceebeebies and the BBC website to research areas the children show an intrest in, while extending their learnign at the same time. To ensure the safety of the children we have parental controls on the laptops so the children can only access safe and secure sites. To maximise the children's learning they will be supported by a practitioner when using the laptops, who will also support them in caring for the equipment and using the equipment appropriately.
Beebots
Some of you may have notice some yellow and black bee shaped robots around the nursery, well these are Beebots, robots that can be programmed to move around obstacles and in different directions. The Beebots are designed for the age ranges here at the nursery and are simple to use as the controls consist of four arrows pointing forward, backwards, left and right. The children can programme the Beebots to move around a mat that is designed to develop a sense of directions, counting and basic numeracy skills, and literacy and communication skills, through encouraging the children to count how many times they press the buttons to move the Beebots. Other skills learnt by using the Beebots are team work, as they are require the children to work with their peers to reach their desired outcome, communication as the children need to talk about what they are doing, and finally it allows them to problem solve and correct there own mistakes.
Projector, Video and digital camera
Other ICT equipment we have brought includes a projector for our team meetings and training so we can link our video camera and digital cameras to it and reflet on our practice and improve. The video camera will be used throughout the nursery to observe practice and the children so we can develop our practice to meet the children's needs, throguh observing thier play and interactions we can plan for their future development. The digital cameras will be used by the team and children to take photos of activitites they do, the photos will then be used on displays in the rooms, in the children's learning journals and the memory card will be put in our digital photo frame to for you to see daily.
Digital photo frame
Each room now has their own digital photo frame which are currently being used by the rooms in the nursery to display up to date photos of the children, please ask your child's key person where the frame is situated so you can have a look- there are some lovely photos of the children playing.
Stereo and calculators
Finally we brought some new stereos so we can use a range of music and story tapes to develop the children's listening and movement skills.
There are also some new calculators to support the children in thier role play and numeracy skills. We have been supporting the children to use the equipment and to show a good understanding of how to care for the equipment, which they are doing really well. The children are all enjoying the ICT equipment and are really showing a interest in all the equipment especially the laptops and Beebots, and we are really enjoying supporting them with thier new learning.
Please do ask your child about these and come in and have a look at them yourself.
Emma
