Community of Research and Practice
The Talk To Your Baby Community of Research and Practice is an online network open to everyone who shares our interest in the development of young children’s speech, language, and communication. It brings together researchers and academics who are particularly interested in the development of theory, investigation and enquiry, with practitioners who are working with children and families to promote high-quality practice at home, in early years settings, and across local communities.
If you think the community might be of interest to you, then it probably is. If you’d like to participate, you need register as a user of our website and create a user profile. This is free of charge. If you already have a username and password for our site, you simply need to log in. Then you will be able to contribute to the discussion threads below.
For more information, see the *Read me* Introduction thread below.
Using Information Communication Technology in the early year
By Cathy Hamer. Posted on 15 Aug 2011 at 15:18
While computers shouldn't overshadow traditional ways of learning for young children they can certainly add to the rich diversity of children's experiences as they are a medium through which information is communicated.
How do others feel about this?
2 Replies
saldennis replied on 25 Aug 2011 at 21:47
Whilst experimenting in the role of an early years educator and also as a parent I think ICT (more broadly than computers) provides a powerful way to link ideas and experiences and also gives a meaningful talking point about the past and present.
Digital photography and video in particular, bring a fascinating mirror of self, experiences and memories when talking and playing with young children.
As an adult there is something powerful about stepping back and looking at what the camera saw rather than what my brain saw, assumed and concluded at the time.
There seems to be a delicate discovery too in learning to use technology to enhance and link learning rather than having the technology interrupt or become the focus itself.
Lucy.Williams replied on 26 Aug 2011 at 11:29
My passion for the voice of the child grew from my involvement in the Young Children’s Voices Network project at NCB. From this, I have seen how cameras can have a powerful role in enabling young children’s voices to be heard and reflected upon. This is shown particularly through Alison Clark’s Mosaic Approach which provides an accessible framework for early years settings to take on young children’s perspectives in order to shape environments which best support children’s learning and development – the camera is a tool which can support child led tours, one of 6 activities that make up the Mosaic Approach methodology. Young children taking their own photos can be fun and engaging as well as having the potential to give incredible insights into the way children are experiencing the setting from their point of view. But, it isn’t about the camera or photos on their own, the role of the practitioner is critical in how conversation is build around the reflection of images that children choose to take, prompted by their likes and dislikes – to actually find out what the child means to communicate through the photos they have taken is what is really important, particularly as adult assumptions can lead to misinterpretations. The camera can be a catalyst for conversation and a point of reflection for both child and practitioner but using technology in this way requires sensitivity, a sharing of power and an openness to change to allow communication to flourish. Also, as a big advocator for the Arts, the camera can support visual literacy in an immediate and direct way to be enjoyed by children, practitioners and parents who through photos, can also get to see a glimpse into their child’s life at nursery.