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Improving the use of ICT in the Foundation Stage

Improving the use of ICT in the Foundation Stage: Overview

Go to the case studies.

Here are the projects in more detail and accompanying case studies:

To celebrate children’s child-initiated learning and explore ways to enhance outcomes for children through documentation for different audiences – children/parents/educators:

• Maintained / PVI (Private, Voluntary and Independent) including childminders – 3 settings as pilot + 9 settings as research group
• ICT - Digital camera and video camera
• Documentation includes – project report and PowerPoint illustrating how a specific creative theme is developed with children  – illustrated by practitioners

To celebrate achievement in Black African and Caribbean boys in CLL (Communication, Language and Literacy) by using ICT in the outdoor environment:

   1. 4 Primary with Nursery / YR (Reception Year)
   2. ICT - Video Camera + Pocket PC (+ range of ICT equipment to use outdoors)
   3. Documentation includes - PowerPoint and Video clips – illustrated by children and practitioners

To explore potential of digital video to capture the development of the whole child and promote practitioners’ critical reflections:

   1. 2 Maintained and 2 PVI settings
   2. ICT - DVD Camcorder and laptop
   3. Documentation includes – Overview of the project.

To enable children to document their own learning and to contribute to the assessment process using ICT:

   1. 6 Primary with Nursery / YR + Y1/2
   2. ICT - Digital camera and docking station
   3. Documentation includes – Overview of the project.

To extend observation and documentation practices across the LA through the use of ICT:

   1. Range of settings – 4 settings focused on 0-3 and 4 settings focused on FS – including CCs (Children’s Centres) + Childminders
   2. ICT – Digital Camera
   3. Documentation includes – Documented learning stories – illustrated by practitioners

To use ICT to capture children’s voices – in order to develop ‘listening stories’:

   1. 14 Schools and a Children’s Centre
   2. ICT – Digital Camera
   3. Documentation includes – written documents by practitioners at the initial stages of the project

To develop a personalised electronic portfolio to support learning partnerships between practitioners, parents and children – particularly supporting transition:

   1. Range of settings – 7 maintained and PVI settings including Children’s Centre
   2. ICT - Digital Video
   3. Documentation includes – video clips including examples of e-portfolios – illustrated by practitioners and children

To create transition passports to support transition from pre-school to the reception year in schools:

   1. 6 Primary schools + their feeder Pre-Schools
   2. ICT – Digital Camera (with video and sound clips) and Laptop
   3. Documentation includes -  e-portfolios evidencing FSP and examples of children’s learning stories (transition passports) – illustrated by practitioners

To trial a range of ICT equipment in order to create electronic records of learning to feed into the FSP:

   1. Range of settings – 3 Primary (with Nursery / YR) + Nursery School + Children’s Centre + Playgroup (SEN – Special Educational Needs)
   2. ICT – Digital Camera (video) + Pocket PC (still and video clips) + Laptop + Printer
   3. Documentation includes – practitioners’ self-evaluation reports and an example of a learning project in a pre-school setting

To explore possibility of extending LA’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLEs) to include PVI sector as a way of sharing and exchanging information with parents:

   1. Range of settings – 10 settings including childminding network; day nurseries; pre-schools; nursery class / YR
   2. ICT – PC + Camera and Camcorder + Broadband Connection (where appropriate)
   3. Documentation includes – Overview of the project

To build upon the LA ICT school strategy to include the Early Years: Documenting Children’s Learning:

   1. Range of settings – 8 settings including childminder; day nurseries; playgroups; Nursery/YR and YR
   2. ICT – Digital camera; Digital Camcorder + Mini DVDs; Digital pen; Laptop
   3. Documentation includes – PowerPoint presentations illustrated by practitioners and children

To use ICT to support observations and develop e-portfolios:

   1. Range of settings – Primary/Infant/Nursery Schools + Independent School + Private Day Nursery
   2. ICT – Digital Videos Cameras + Video Baby Monitors
   3. Documentation includes – Video records and PowerPoint portfolio of evidence for FSP (Foundation Stage Profile) – illustrated by practitioners

To use ICT to capture learning in order to plan next steps, and to record in a format that can be shared:

   1. Maintained sector – 6 settings including Foundation Stage Unit; Nursery; YR and YR/Y1
   2. ICT – Computer; Digital Video Camera; Camera for video conferencing
   3. Documentation includes – Video clips – illustrated  by practitioners

To support schools and settings in developing children’s portfolios, through use of LA produced PowerPoint framework:

   1. Range of settings – 6 schools and 3 PVI settings working in 3 networks
   2. ICT – Digital Camera; Voice Recorder; Printer/scanner/copier and reader; USB microphone; IO Pen
   3. Documentation includes – PowerPoint Portfolios – including photos and scanned work – illustrated by practitioners, children and parents

To develop the use of ICT to support speaking and listening through creating an audio-rich environment:

   1. Range of settings – 5 settings where speaking and listening has been identified as an issue – including FS Unit (SEN); Nursery/YR (EAL – English as an Additional Language); Day Nursery
   2. ICT – Tape recorders; web-cams; computer microphones; toy answer phones
   3. Documentation includes – written case studies – illustrated by practitioners

To develop observational assessment practices using ICT incorporating children and parents in the assessment process.    

   1. Range of setting – 7 settings including childminder, start right group, day nursery, and nursery and reception classes
   2. ICT – Digital Camera and Digital Video Camera
   3. Documentation includes – PowerPoint Portfolios compiled by childminders, parents and practitioners

To extend the process of documenting children’s learning using ICT, through involving and supporting children in large scale creative projects:

   1. Range of settings – 6 settings including Primary, Nursery and Special Schools; Childcare and Day-Care
   2. ICT – Digital Camera; Camcorder; Scanner; Voice Recorder and Web-Cam
   3. Documentation includes – case studies – illustrated by advisory teacher

To develop e-portfolios capturing children’s learning and to encourage sharing electronically with parents:

   1. Range of settings – Primary schools; Children’s Centre and Children’s Society Provision
   2. ICT – Digital Camera; Video Camera; Digital Voice Recorders; Scanner
   3. Documentation includes – a case study overview with illustrated by practitioners’ conferencing diary entries

To introduce PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) to FS Children and use them to document process rather than product, building upon an LA Project PICL (Parents involved in Children’s Learning):

• Children’s Centre – based around 5 children and their families
• ICT – PDAs - Palm held technology
• Documentation includes – PowerPoint containing an example learning story – illustrated by children and parent