Author: George Milliken

Celebrating and Sharing Learning Digitally

Making home learning content accessible: Padlet/Thinglink/Sway 

In the following three session recordings, we explore how ELC practitioners can use a range of digital tools to help make home learning content more accessible, in an engaging early level friendly way. 

*Please check with your local authority before using any digital tools/apps that are not part of the Glow core apps to ensure they are GDPR approved or if there is an alternative tool/app. 

Digital tools explored include: 

Sway (via Microsoft Office 365 within Glow)– how we can use Sway as a digital storytelling tool, to create accessible and interactive learning stories full of rich media including photo, video, voice recordings, and embedded web content.

Thinglink- how we can augment images with additional information and links, via interactive tabs, allowing you to bring your ELC setting to life digitally.  

 

Padlet -how we can create an instant, real-time collaborative environment, where families with the link can communicate, mark make, share media, and interact together.  

QR codes can also be a quick and effective way to share digital content with families by turning your video link into a small barcode that can be scanned by most smartphones.

Capturing and Assessing Learning Evidence

Supporting early level learners to digitally document their learning: enhancing early level literacy with digital technology. 

In this introductory session recording (part 1 of 2), we explore the Digital Literacy Experience and Outcomes (that sit within the Technologies Curriculum) and where they overlap with the Literacy and English curriculum.  You will find out about a range of digital tools that exist to support learners to document their learning, by allowing them to creatively capture their voice and interactions.  The session will be brought to life by real examples of rich media footage captured by whiteboard recording, green screen, interactive digital books, lip syncing and storytelling apps. This webinar also focuses on how the media can be collated collaboratively by practitioners and then shared with parents and carers via Glow. 

A guided demo session to Support early level learners to digitally document their learning. 

This session recording (Part 2 of 2) provides a guided demo on how to use the digital tools that are covered in part 1. 

Embedding Digital Learning Through Play Pedagogy

Digital technologies provide opportunities for us to design unique learning spaces for the children. Bringing resources and experiences virtually into the setting can lead learning well-beyond what was originally planned. 

Realising the Ambition | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot) (page 79) 

 

Learning with and through digital technology opens so many possibilities for creativity. Realising the Ambition tells us that creativity is about much more that the expressive arts, it is the ability to wonder about things and see them or use them differently, a crucial element of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). 

Embedding Digital Literacy & Computing Science through play pedagogy  

This 60 minute session recording introduces you to the Digital Literacy and Computing Science organisers within the Technologies curriculum at early level.  Our national policy and curriculum documents tell us digital should be at the heart of good learning and teaching and through current examples in photo and video format, this session will demonstrate what this might look like.  We will explore how the Digital Literacy and Computing Science experiences and outcomes can be embedded across the early level curriculum through a practical play-based approach. Early level Digital Literacy and Computing Science can be further explored below. 

 

How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare (HGIOLEC) QI 3.3: Developing creativity and skills for life and learning, theme Developing digital skills (page 45). 

How good is our early learning and childcare? (education.gov.scot) 

 

Some challenge questions to consider include: 

  • What can we do to ensure we are enhancing learning through the use of digital technologies?​ 
  • Are children encouraged to recognise a range of technologies and their purpose in the setting, at home and the local environment?   
  • Do children know how to operate simple technological equipment? 

Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety for Early Learning and Childcare

Why is cyber resilience and internet safety (CRIS) so important?

We are spending an increasing amount of time learning, playing and socialising in online environments. In fact, 87% of people aged 16+ in the UK used the internet in 2019 (Ofcom). Our online behaviours fall into three categories, we:

  • consume
  • create
  • communicate

To support our children and young people navigate this part of their lives, we need to be able to support them to recognise, react to, and recover from online harms. At the same time, we need to promote safer, smarted and kinder ways of playing, learning and socialising online.

Embedding the experience & outcome ​through a practical play-based approach

This session recording aims is to support and equip you with the knowledge and confidence to embed cyber resilience and internet safety at early level through a practical play-based approach. This session will explain where Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety sits within the Technologies curriculum and where it overlaps with the Health and Wellbeing, Numeracy and Maths and Literacy and English curriculum, and why it is so important to embed across your curriculum. We will unpick the CRIS experience and outcome and explore what this means in the context of play and how it can be part of everyday conversations, and what this might look like in your own settings.

Resources for Supporting CRIS in ELCs

All childcare providers want to create a safe and secure environment for the children in your care. As we become ever more reliant on digital technology it is increasingly important that you protect data (on children, staff and families), finances and also the integrity of any digital systems you use, including email, communication channels and databases.

There are a handful of steps you can take to minimise the potentially costly and disruptive effect of a cyber incident, and better safeguard the children in your care, as well as your business’s finances and reputation. This short seminar is for anyone working in childcare in Scotland. It is run by the National Cyber Security Centre (www.ncsc.gov.uk), and supported by the Scottish Government, Education Scotland and Care Inspectorate, as part of CyberScotland Week. It will provide you with advice and steps you can take to minimise the likelihood and impact of a cyber attack on your setting, and information about where to get help and advice if you need it.

Please click here to download e-pamphlet PDF Early Years practitioners: using cyber security to protect your settings. 

 

 

Keeping-Under-Fives-Safe-Online2.pdf (childnet.com)

Upcoming CRIS webinars

DIGITAL FUTURES PROGRAMME – MICROSOFT

Microsoft have created the Digital Future Programme to help young people explore the digital future aims to prepare young people for the technology-driven world of tomorrow, demonstrate how diversity helps build better technology, and how it can be used as a force for positive change. The programme brings together the best resources from Microsoft and our industry-leading partners, and covers these exciting topics:

  • Discover the tech industry
  • Coding
  • AI
  • IoT
  • Big Data

 

Digital Future takes a creative approach to digital skills education with classroom activities, challenges and more. Once completed, students get a certificate to celebrate their success!

 

Digital Future Programme – Microsoft UK

digital skills microsoft

Data, Technology and Digitalisation Series: Digital Skills for Youth – Microsoft

The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting a webinar in partnership with Microsoft about the skills young people need to be competitive employees, entrepreneurs and digital citizens.

Over 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s 2.4 billion citizens are aged 29 or under. This webinar is an opportunity for young people from across the Commonwealth to talk to industry experts about their digital skills needs and challenges.

Discussions will kick off with opening remarks from The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and Senior Leaders at Microsoft.

The webinar will then offer two panel sessions, the first of which will look at country and organisational initiatives in building digital skills for young people. The second session will be led by the Commonwealth Young Professionals and will discuss youth experiences and ideas on digital skills gaps and opportunities. A demonstration of digital skills capacity-building tools will also be demonstrated by Microsoft, followed by a Q&A session.

 

Participation

The webinar will take place on 10 June 2021 from 11 am (BST/GMT+1)

For more information please contact: Margaret Dalziel, ICT Digital Platforms Coordinator, Commonwealth Secretariat

cyber sprinters game

CyberSprinters – Cyber Security Game, Launched by the NCSC

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK agency responsible for identifying cyber risks and attacks, combatting cyber crime and providing guidance and information to the public. They recently launched a brand new game to teach children aged 7 to 11 how to stay secure online.

read more here

play the game

 

Let us know how you have used it, or any of our CRIS resources, by sharing your story here Please fill out this form

cyber competitions and challenges

Cyber Competitions and Challenges

There are a range of different competitions and challenges, aimed at all ages, that support and challenge learners to learn about Cyber Resilience.

CyberFirst Girls Competition 2021

The NCSC are working hard to get more girls interested in a career in cyber security. The CyberFirst Girls Competition provides a fun but challenging environment to inspire the next generation of young women to consider a career in cyber security.

The competition is a team event, with each one made up of 4 female students from Year 8 in England and Wales, Year 9 in Northern Ireland and S2 in Scotland.

Find out more info here

Register here

Hear from last year’s Scottish winners and UK finalists – the Greenwood Challengers:

Cyber Skills Live

These interactive lessons don’t need any technical knowledge. By taking part, learners develop digital skills while learning about cyber security topics. The lessons are designed to give individuals an insight into one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, creating more career prospects for the younger generation.

View the lessons

cyberfirst girls competition

CyberFirst Girls Competition

The NCSC are working hard to get more girls interested in a career in cyber security. The CyberFirst Girls Competition provides a fun but challenging environment to inspire the next generation of young women to consider a career in cyber security.

The competition is a team event, with each one made up of 4 female students from Year 8 in England and Wales, Year 9 in Northern Ireland and S2 in Scotland.

Find out more info here

Register here

Hear from last year’s Scottish winners and UK finalists – the Greenwood Challengers: