Information Communication Technology (ICT) Cwmaman Infants School

Information Communication Technology (ICT) Cwmaman Infants School Foreword Information and Communication Technology plays an increasingly important r...
Author: Gavin White
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Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Cwmaman Infants School Foreword Information and Communication Technology plays an increasingly important role in the life of young children today. From the earliest are children come into contact with a variety of ICT equipment and are often familiar with and unafraid of it, unlike the preceding generation.

It is important to introduce children to ICT as early as possible as there are many instances in real life where children will experience computer control of everyday items – in the supermarket, the garage, automatic doors and alarm systems at home. Alongside these real life applications children play with programmable toys, musical keyboards, radio controlled toys, televisions, DVD players and, Ipad and Apple Mac technology and computers. Their general technological awareness is therefore good. Many of the elements required to be competent in the use of ICT will be seen in children even at this very early are, the ability to ask questions, to explore for themselves, to test out and look for solutions.

ICT is now used across all subjects in the curriculum and is used to enhance and support learning. The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of all members of staff under the guidance of the ICT coordinator.

Aims To encourage the children to recognise the importance of ICT in everyday life. To encourage enjoyment as well as confidence in using ICT skills To develop children’s ICT skills through a series of structured lessons aimed at increasing awareness of the strengths and limitations of ICT. To become familiar with ICT hardware and software. To learn to use ICT to achieve specific outcomes. To use ICT to develop their ideas and record their creative work.

Entitlement Children at Cwmaman Infants School will all be giving the opportunity to use ICT and it will be used in all curriculum areas for children studying the Foundation Phase Curriculum. The nature of ICT means that it will be used in all curriculum areas supporting and enriching the child’s learning experience. Children in the Foundation Phase will have experience in these specific areas.

Communicating Information – children will use the computer to write, draw and create pictures text and music. They will have the opportunity to amend, alter and arrange their work using the computer as a tool. They will be encourages to develop their ICT capabilities to include storing, retrieving and redrafting work. Handling Information – children will have the opportunity to use suitable software packages, which will enable them to enter, assemble and display information in the form of text and pictures. They will store and retrieve their work for their further use. Modeling – this is concerned with the children exploring the rules and relationships in a computer model and serves in the development of their problem solving abilities. These skills can be applied to everyday life situations. Applications and Effects – children reflect upon how they used ICT and how it is used in everyday life. All children should develop positive attitudes to ICT. They

should develop an understanding of the potential of ICT and confidence and enjoyment in its use. Implementation – as part of the children’s experience in all subjects and learning areas, they will be given the opportunity to develop their ICT capabilities. For details of specific applications please refer to the policy statements and schemes of work. Assessment Children’s work in ICT is assessed during and at the end of specific planned, learning experiences. Teachers plan, monitor and evaluate progress on their weekly plans. Parents are then informed of their child’s progress at the end of the academic year, evidence is retained in the form of children’s work and children have their own individual work files on the server in the computer suite. Records of children’s work is specific areas is also kept on files (Abacus Maths assessment, Catch Up and Success Maker)

The role of the ICT coordinator The ICT coordinator has an important role to play to ensure that staff members are kept informed and are up to date with current issues, The ICT coordinator will:Monitor the policy and organization of work for the school and make amendments when necessary. Support staff in planning ICT activities and assist staff in managing resources in the classroom. Manage the schools ICT resources and advise the head teacher regarding the needs of individual pupils, teachers and school as a whole. Suggest to all members of the staff INSET opportunities to further their professional developments in the use of the application of ICT. Suggest safety arrangements to staff and head teacher. Ensure the agreed system for Monitoring and Evaluating is organized and developed.

Special Needs The very nature of ICT means that it allows children with special educational needs access to the curriculum through use of special software and hardware. The provision of ICT resources to meet specific special educational needs would involve coordination between the areas of the special needs and ICT in consultation with the head teacher.

It is the policy of Cwmaman Infants School that all children should have access to the use of ICT irrespective of age or ability. Indeed ICT can be a significant tool in the differentiation of work and classroom provision in meeting the needs of those children at both ends of the special needs spectrum, from those with physical disabilities and general learning difficulties to the children who are more able and talented, enabling both to gain the social benefits of working alongside their peers in their mainstream age groups.

Equal Opportunities. There is equal access and expectations for both boys and girls to all aspects of ICT in Cwmaman Infants School.

Health and Safety Adherence to the requirements of our Health and Safety policy for safe usage of electrical equipment is of particular importance in the area of ICT. Safety procedures specific to ICT involve: Setting up/moving of computers – this is only to be carried out by staff members. Working with computers and electrical equipment – staff must ensure that equipment is safe to use – stable and in its position, properly connected to the mains with cables away from the walkways and working areas. Batteries – when not in use batteries should be removed form equipment to help avoid leakage.

The organization of resources for ICT The children will have experience in a variety of software that allows teachers to provide for progression in skills, concepts and applications. Much of the software suggested by the

advisory team will be used throughout the school to ensure that the children at Cwmaman Infants School benefit from ICT allowing their learning to be enhanced and supported.

Children will have the opportunity to work both individually and in small groups and will have experience of working with ICT on a weekly basis. Increasingly the children will become more and more independent in their use of ICT and will have experience of a range of software recommended for use throughout the school covering all ICT skills. This will be planned for and organized by class teachers in their medium and short term forecasts over the school year.

Children in the Nursery and Reception classes will experience ICT largely from activities that introduce a computer. Children will be encouraged to use a variety of appropriate software on the Computer and Interactive Whiteboard but will also be encouraged to use a tape recorder/listening station, microphones and cameras.

Children in the Year One and Year Two classes have their own DVD player, Television, listening centre, interactive whiteboard, microphones, cameras, microscopes, flip cameras and CD players.

Children in all classes in the school will have access to Ipad and Apple Mac technology to enhance and support their learning.

This Policy will be reviewed and amended in the summer term 2017.

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