The use ofDigital Sound Recordersin the Early Years Foundation Stage

“Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology and use information and communication technology and programmable toys to support their learning”

(The Early Years Foundation Stage – Statutory Framework 2007:15)

ICT in the Early Years ICT in the Early Years foundation stagefoundation stage

Knowledge and Understanding Knowledge and Understanding of the Worldof the World

““ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION, CHILDREN ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION, CHILDREN USING APPROPRIATE ICT ARE INTERESTED, USING APPROPRIATE ICT ARE INTERESTED, EXCITED AND MOTIVATED. UNLIKE SOME EXCITED AND MOTIVATED. UNLIKE SOME ADULTS, THEY ARE UNAFRAID OF ADULTS, THEY ARE UNAFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY AND CONFIDENT TO TRY OUT TECHNOLOGY AND CONFIDENT TO TRY OUT NEW ACTIVITIES AND BECAUSE THEY FIND NEW ACTIVITIES AND BECAUSE THEY FIND THE WORK SO INTERESTING MOST THE WORK SO INTERESTING MOST CHILDREN HAVE LONGER ATTENTION SPANS CHILDREN HAVE LONGER ATTENTION SPANS WHEN USING ICT”.WHEN USING ICT”.GOVIER H – PRIMARY EARLY YEARS, NAAACE- ADVANCING GOVIER H – PRIMARY EARLY YEARS, NAAACE- ADVANCING EDUCATION THROUGH ICTEDUCATION THROUGH ICT

Why Use ICT in Early Years?

How should ICT be used?

“In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that some of the most exciting and appropriate uses of ICT are to be found in early years settings, where there is less pressure to meet strict targets and more opportunity to experiment with child-centered practice”.

(Liz Brooker; Childhood Education, Vol. 79, 2003 Integrating New Technologie in UK Classrooms: Lessons for Teachers from Early Years Practitioners).

Does ICT Improve teaching and learning in Early Years?

Key MessageKey Message

•Research indicates that ICT can make a difference to pupils’ learning

•In large studies there is a positive link between the provision or use of ICT resources and pupil attainment, but this link is weak

•More substantial gains in pupil attainment are achievable where the use of ICT is planned, structured and integrated effectively.ImplicationsImplications

•The way the equipment and these resources The way the equipment and these resources are then used by pupils and by teachers is what are then used by pupils and by teachers is what makes the differencemakes the difference

Steve Higgins – (2003) British Educational Research Association.

Using Digital recorders creatively in Early Years

Early Years planning is based around the interests of the children.

The activities detailed in this presentation took place at the beginning of the autumn term and were linked to the children’s interest in the book

“We’re going on a Bear Hunt”By Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Digital Sound Recorders

Creative ideas for using the digital Creative ideas for using the digital sound recorders in the Early Years sound recorders in the Early Years

EnvironmentEnvironment

Planning based on -We’re going on a Bear HuntPlanning based on -We’re going on a Bear Hunt

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy:Positional language Children, with a digital recorder each, hid their bear and described, using

the digital sound recorder, what they could see from the hiding place using positional language. The recorder was then passed to a partner who listened to the recording to find the bear.

Communication Language and Literacy: Outside, the children recreated the Bear Hunt story using the digital

recorders to rehearse and reflect on their experiences. The children used their newly learned words.

They used their language to imagine, act out or develop their Bear Hunt experiences.

Learning experiences to listen for in the “Bear Hunt” movie. Please remember these children are only

4 years old and have just started school.

Good descriptive language. Expression Realisation that “I’ve gone wrong!” (In many

cases the children self assessed and repeated their corrections)

Making up their own versions of the story Rhyming Speech problems

Bear Hunt Movie

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Talk about the children’s feelings during different parts of the Bear Hunt drama. Using the words and phrases recorded can they match the words to the facial expressions in do2learn. Can the children describe other occasions when they might feel like the do2learn characters?

Scared

Gooey

Cold, shivering and cold

My Welly’s stuck!!!

Ouch! My knee’s hurting

Ideas for using the digital sound recorders Ideas for using the digital sound recorders in the Early Years Environmentin the Early Years Environment

Knowledge and Understanding of the World Children investigated, explored and recorded the sounds they heard on the Bear

Hunt walk through the school grounds. The sounds were transferred to the PC and used as a listening game, discussing similar/different sounds via the IWB.

Overall the children understood the technology and have used it to enhance their learning across the curriculum.

Self assessment and Teacher assessment

A reflective early years learning environment is not only conducive to achievement, but it is also required by the EYPS and the EYFS (Williams, C. 2008 Early Years Update: online)

Children like to listen to themselves and digital recorders encourage children to self evaluate and improve as they play.

The recordings made provide solid evidence of children’s progress in the use of the technology and the other learning areas targeted e.g. CLL, PRSN, KUW, PSE

Bibliography

DfES (2007) The Early Years Foundation Stage- Statutory framework. Nottingham. DfES.

Govier, H. (2009) Advancing Education through ICT. Primary Early Years (online at http://primary.naace.co.uk/curriculum/earlyyears/foundation_ict.htm

Brooker, L. (2003) Integrating New Technology in UK Classrooms: Lessons for Teachers from Early Years Practitioners; Childhood Education, Vol. 79.

Higgins, S. ( 2003) Does ICT improve teaching and Learning? Nottingham. British Educational Research Association.

Rosen, M. & Oxenbury, H. (1989) We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. London. Walker Books Ltd.

Williams, C. (2008) Early Years Update (online at http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/involving-early-years-planning-and-evaluating-their-own-learning-3902 )