The use of Digital Sound Recorders in the Early Years Foundation Stage

1. The use ofDigital Sound Recordersin the Early Years Foundation Stage

2. ICT in 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) Knowledge and Understanding of the World

3. Why Use ICT in Early Years? “Almost without exception, children using appropriate ICT are interested, excited and motivated. Unlike some adults, they are unafraid of technology and confident to try out new activities and because they find the work so interesting most children have longer attention spans when using ICT”.Govier H – Primary Early Years, Naaace- Advancing education through ICT

4. 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).

5. Does ICT Improve teaching and learning in Early Years? • Key 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. • Implications • The way the equipment and these resources are then used by pupils and by teachers is what makes the difference Steve Higgins – (2003) British Educational Research Association.

6. 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

7. Digital Sound Recorders Advantages • Palm size and easy to operate (unlike digiblue) • Portable – so can be used outside • Can be used as part of a larger project e.g. Movie maker • Children do not need any prior ICT experience and find them fun to use. • 4 different files in each recorder enables teacher to use recorder with several groups. • For children who are reticent to speak in groups/class and those with speech therapy needs. Disadvantages • Some recorders require specific software that has to be installed on each computer rather than on a network to transfer data to a PC. Others can be transferred without specific software and have an integral USB. • Cost – varies between £37 and £150+

8. Creative ideas for using the digital sound recorders in the Early Years Environment Planning 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.

9. 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

10. Bear Hunt Movie

11. 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? Cold, shivering and cold Ouch! My knee’s hurting Gooey My Welly’s stuck!!! Scared

12. Ideas for using the digital sound recorders in 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.

13. 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

14. 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 )