A Week in Nursery

The nursery pre-visit week which was undertaken recently was very interesting and enjoyable for me. I found the the worries of placing theory and practical issues together were not so apparent in practice. I found that, on discussion with other students and through my own experience, the more important factors of the week were settling into the nursery team and interacting with the children. I found that I was able to do this and still use theory to compare with observations I made of how the nursery was run. I found myself more interested in how the nursery works, sitting in on a meeting helped me really see how to team gelled and how I could learn from their own reflective approach. I feel that I have been very fortunate to be placed in the nursery I am in as there are very strong bonds between the staff however they are welcoming and helpful to me as well. As I continue to research and experience life in the nursery I feel I will learn a lot about using theory to support practice.

When I was in the nursery I kept an eye out for the different ICT tools used. There were the obvious such as computers and televisions (also a digital microscope which was unused as far as I could see) but there were also resources such as toy cash registers, telephones and calculators.
At first I would not have considered these to fall under the category of ICT, rather number as Brenda has mentioned, however Hall (2010) states in The ICT Handbook for Primary Teachers that as, 'play is the means by which young children make sense of their world,' it is then the teachers role to,'raise children's awareness of technology in the world around them and create safe settings which model a range of real world scenarios.' p.99.

According to Hall, using everyday items such as the battery operated toys in nurseries helps the children with the following;

• develop and interest in ICT equipment and apparatus
• identify and explore everyday uses of information technology in a meaningful context
• talk about uses for ICT in their own lives and represent experiences through role-play
• understand how to operate simple equipment and perform simple functions independently
• turn to appropriate equipment in their play in order to communicate information
• be aware of the dangers associated with some equipment, such as electrical switches, and of the need to work within simple safety guidelines
• use correct technical vocabulary

 P.99

This list points out how through playing, the children are already picking up essential ICT skills and knowledge.