ICT and the outdoor learning environment.

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ICT and the outdoor learning environment. | Examples of using ICT outdoors

Add technology to role-play indoors and out to reflect real environments.
A child checks the photo she has just taken in the camera display.
Old headphones are part of the Explorers role-play box.
Exploring an Overhead Projector. What happens when I put my hand here? What does this look like?
Technology can motivate. Here a music mat encourages children to jump, skip and hop.
Over head projectors through light into dark spaces and project large images. Here the OHP has been set up in the outdoor house, paper lines the walls and children gather natural objects to make a 'forest' backdrop for storybook characters. They draw into the environment, involving their imaginations and of course developing motor skills along the way!
A view showing part of Homerton's outdoor area. A base at the top of a hill allows for all kinds of play; a look out spot, a castle or a place to run and meet friends.
So many things to find out; Bee-Bot can go down the slope but how will it get up to the next level of blocks?
Defunct technology lends itself to all weathers outdoors.

Technology is not best suited to all weather conditions and the management of equipment is necessarily different in a large open space.

But technology can be used just as purposefully outside as it can in, with careful planning.

ICT and the outdoor learning environment is a PowerPoint file that we use for training on ICT and the outdoor learning environment. ICT outdoors requires a different approach from using technology indoors. Look through this PowerPoint with colleagues when considering developing ICT outdoors.

Outdoor Play is a document that supports the 'ICT in the outdoor learning environment' PowerPoint and will help you plan for your outdoor provision. First it makes some points about why outdoor play it is so important for young children's learning and development. This is followed by some questions to help you think through your own outdoor area. Finally there's a long list of technology that could support one particular scenario role-play. This is just an example of ideas and you don't need to use them all but it does highlight how much technology is embedded in the environments around us.

Two main areas we have found support our own use of ICT outdoors are to develop role-play boxes so resources are at your hand according to children's play, and using defunct technology that has the advantage of being usable in all weathers!

When you have looked through the Powerpoint think about the uses of technology you would like to develop in your setting and have a go at a Starting points sheet to help you think through your planning. The Word document knowledge and understanding outdoors has some ideas for using technology outdoors.

Attachments

ICT in the Outdoor Learning Environment (22.01 MB ppt file)
Starting Points (22.5 KB doc file)
Outdoor Play (31 KB doc file)
Knowledge and understanding outdoors (28.5 KB doc file)

on 14th Apr 2009 at 11:11 pm

1 Wendy Walker

I am an FS2 teacher and FS/KS1 ICT coordinator. This is the best site I have found for incorporating ICT in EYFS. There is a huge amount of useful information which will be a great help with our planning. Thank you.

on 15th Apr 2009 at 6:58 am

2 Annie Hu

It is wonderful!! I am excited to see these excellent outdoor and clssroom activities. I am teaching a course named ICT in ECE currciulum for kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong. It will be great to introduce these experience to teachers. Expect to see their feedbacks!! Thank you very much!

on 09th Sep 2009 at 10:48 pm

3 Sue Russell

A brilliant site. I am a reception teacher and FS/KS1 ICT coordinator and this site has helped to re-energize ideas and support planning for incorporating ICT in the outdoors.Thank you.

on 20th Oct 2009 at 9:32 pm

4 honoria arnold

useful, concise and easy to navigate. I wanted to know about ICT resources and where they fitted into each aspect of the curriculum. This site was most helpful. well done!

on 24th Feb 2010 at 8:53 pm

5 C Ward

This site has a more rounded approach to ICT. As a FS/KS1 Leader and an ICT leader this has an approach that fits into child initiated rather than just computer based learning.

on 01st May 2010 at 12:40 am

6 Jackie Motloung

This is fantastic and concise easy to use for ict integration into the curriculum.I am an e-learning coordinator at district level education department in South Africa.Thank you

on 17th Oct 2010 at 3:32 pm

7 Ria Hidveghy

Just wanted to say how much I appreciate this website. I'm an EY practitioner, doing the EYFD, and have made a start on incorporating more IT across the curriculum at my setting,without use of computer/software. Your excellent and information and user-friendly website has shown what we're already doing, but highlights there's so much more, that's accessible too. Thank you. I'll be back!

on 16th Nov 2010 at 10:17 am

8 Emma Dunn

This website is extremely useful as I am currently working in a Early Years setting and need ideas to help futher the learning of children that are in my care. Thank you! I will definiately be reccommending this website to everyone in the business.

on 08th Jan 2011 at 6:00 pm

9 Nicola

This is an amazing site. I am a trainee teacher and have found the material on here extremely helpful for informing me on how ICT can be incorporated into the EYFS, I will highly recommend this site to my colleagues.

on 09th Dec 2011 at 3:05 pm

10 Sue

I am an early years manager at a pre-school & currently in my third year of the early years foundation degree. I found this site last year whilst doing a unit on the use of ICT I found it truly inspirational!I have chosen to investigate this firther in my practitioner based enquiry. I am looking forward to further enhancing ICT provision in the setting in which I work. I've personally gone from technophobe to technoenthusiast & have observed how much cyoung children can get out of ICT. I wish that all the practitioners could have access to specific training in how to use ICT effectively to enhance children's learning.

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