Classroom Strategies for the Internet

The aim of Internet use in the Early Years is to enrich the experiences of the children by providing the teacher with useful learning resources that can be used with the children to develop and support a theme or classroom activity. The Internet also allows the children access to a wide range of activities that are stimulating and fun. It is also important that children of all ages and abilities have access to new technologies and are provided with suitable tasks.

Examples of Internet use:

• to build up scenes, making choices
• to complete simple maths tasks/ games
• to build and sequence stories
• to provide simple adventures
• seasonal tasks related to topics
• to access suitable database software, which the children might be familiar with
• interactive stories
• e-mailing other classes and schools (or known personalities - eg. Father Christmas, Sebastian Swan etc.)
• use of sites to support class themes - there are sites specific to the Early Years
• to provide video links to sites of specific interest - eg. zoos, wildlife parks etc.

It is essential that the use of the Internet is planned and managed within the school ensuring quality learning and teaching. See the schools ICT Policy for further details regarding use and safety issues.

The teacher will be able to download suitable resources which can then be freely used in the classroom, these should then be used as support materials in relevant situations, not in isolation. It will be necessary that all sites used are visited prior to use with the children and bookmarked for later use.

When introducing new activities to the children a class demonstration is advisable which can then be followed up by small group activity, or paired and individual tasks. Young children to begin with, usually require individual help and support before they are able to work with a partner successfully.

It is essential that an adult is to hand if new software has been introduced, and to provide input so that guidance is available and children are kept on task. Simple well chosen tasks provided by the Internet will encourage and develop the child's speaking and listening skills, while enhancing their social skills through paired work. It will also provide the class teacher with a wide range of activities that can be used to develop cross-curricular links.

The pupils must be given time to discuss the activity and talk through what they have done and learnt. The benefits of this will depend on the questions asked by the teacher during the activity or as a follow up. This will then enable the teacher to make informed judgements and assess the pupils' skills and knowledge which will then be used to inform the next steps.

Children's work should be displayed and used as a resource to support other areas of learning whenever possible and to stimulate discussion within the class.

All pupils should be given equal opportunity to use the Internet in a variety of contexts and to contribute to the lesson at a level appropriate to their needs and abilities.

At all times the teacher must be vigilant and consider the safety aspects when pupils are working at the computer. It is important to ensure:

• that there are no trailing leads, either on the work surface or on the floor beneath the computer station
• pupils are seated comfortably at the computer and that chairs and working surfaces are a suitable height

Assessment of the pupil's work should be:

• in line with the teaching objectives
• through observation
• through discussion with the child
• in line with the schools Early Years Assessment Policy

When assessing collaborative work it is accepted that assessment can be carried out through observation and interrogating the pupils.

Discussing outcomes with pupils- this should identify individuals children's contribution to the activity.

SEN and ICT
Teachers should be able to recognise the specific contribution that ICT can make to teaching pupils with special learning needs. Supporting children in mainstream classrooms is based upon the need to provide access to the curriculum in a manner appropriate to the pupil's needs and being able to identify where ICT can provide subject specific support.

The code of practice is a guide for schools LEAs about the practical help they can give to pupils with special educational needs. It recommends that schools identify children's needs and take action to meet those needs as early as possible.

A child has a special educational need if he has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child has a learning difficulty if he or she:

• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
• has a disability which either prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the LEA
• is under five and falls within the definition of the two points above or would do if special educational provision was not made for the child

A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language of the home is different from the language in which he or she will be taught.

Using ICT effectively:

• be aware of the range of needs of the pupils you work with
• be aware of targets that any child with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) have
• differentiate ICT teaching to take account of these needs and targets
• monitor any progress made
• ensure that you are aware of the way that ICT can support and enrich pupil's learning
• know how ICT supports the school SEN policy
• check the existing software and peripherals that could be used during the support of the pupil
• work with subject co-ordinators to ensure that individual schemes of work have differentiated ICT activities within
• work with class teachers during the 'planning sessions' to ensure that ICT supports the IEPs

For pupils with learning difficulties, ICT can be a focus for language development activities. It can make writing more accessible, and enable and encourage children to practice skills. Using ICT offers a medium for differentiated activities and can make information more accessible.

Children with emotional and behavioral difficulties can find ICT motivating because it is not threatening or judgmental. It can offer a medium for differentiated activities that are more manageable and provide more satisfying outcomes.

Children with visual impairment may need help to make the most of their vision when using ICT. You should consider the position of the pupil in relation to the screen. Clarity of display is essential, as is the use of large fonts and possibly adjusting the colours. Where possible, use speech facility to provide speech feedback.

Children with hearing impairment where language is a major problem can benefit from the use of ICT. Where ICT is used for language activities symbol or picture enhanced text can bring meaning to text. Graphics can stimulate writing while access to whole words can help children to organise thoughts and aid expression.

Prior to Commencing the Task...