Category: ELC

April 19, 2024

Unplugged Computing Science Live Lesson with Barefoot

EARLY AND FIRST LEVEL LEARNERS LIVE LESSON.

Join Isabella Lieghio (Barefoot Volunteer and Education Consultant at www.iconlearning.co.uk) in this interactive live lesson for early and first level learners, to explore one of the newest Barefoot Computing resources that has been specially created for younger to help develop their computational thinking skills, set around the context of ‘People Who Help Us’.

The activities are all based around our real-life superheroes, the people who help us every day. In this session children will guide a delivery person with their package to the correct destination while exploring computational thinking concepts and approaches.

Everything you need is provided via the Barefoot Computing website, including activity plans with ideas for developing computational thinking in the early years, curriculum links, all printable resources and links to extend learning.

Please visit Barefoot Computing Early Years and create a free account to access all resources and check out the introduction video, to learn more about developing computational thinking approaches in play and learning such as tinkering, creating and debugging.

https://www.barefootcomputing.org/earlyyears

This session is for all practitioners, including childminders working with early and first level learners.

Practitioners are also welcome to join the live lesson without children to observe how the resources can be delivered.

This session will be recorded.

More details, resources links and sign up here.

April 19, 2024

Introducing The Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC – CLPL Sessions

Accompanying CLPL supporting the new Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC.

Join us in a 30-minute information giving session, introducing the brand new Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC and to find out about the new accompanying CLPL programme.

This session will be repeated 3 times in May;

Monday 13th May 4-4.30pm
Thursday 16th May 10-10am
Friday 17th May 12.30-1pm

Find out more and sign up here.

March 18, 2024

Introduction to The Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC.

Introduction to The Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC.

The Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC in Scotland is a national award scheme to promote, recognise and encourage a whole setting approach to the use of digital technology in ELC settings.

The award framework echoes national practice guidance for the early years in Scotland, Realising the Ambition: Being me (2020), which guides and supports the ELC sector to provide high quality early learning and childcare, meeting the developmental needs of our youngest learners, enabling children to flourish as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors. 

Purpose of the award.

This award has been designed to support ELC settings to integrate digital technologies into children’s play and learning experiences, both outside and indoors. Opportunities to learn with and through technology in practical and creative situations, provide children with flexibility and choice while exploring technology as a way to solve problems.

Investigating virtual environments through digital technology can inspire curiosity and creativity, encouraging children to develop imagination, beyond what is possible without the stimulus afforded by technology. Through immersive, stimulating learning environments and meaningful adult-child interactions, children are inspired and motivated to learn.

Access the draft framework here.

Educator webinars introducing the award

The feedback form has now closed.

March 12, 2024

Summer term early level webinar dates for you diary.

The series of This is early level Digital and Spotlight CLPL sessions will be delivered for the final time in April and May. If you missed out on the previous webinars, there is still time to sign up.

The webinars are suitable for practitioners working with children at early level across a range of ELC settings and schools. A Glow log in is NOT required to sign up or join the online sessions.

Please click on the hyperlinks below for session information and sign up details.

APRIL 2024

Tuesday 16^th April 4pm This is early level Digital: CRIS 3 part course. SESSION 1

Thursday 18^th April 4pm This is early level Digital: Spotlight on Practitioner Collaboration.

Tuesday 23^rd April 4pm This is early level Digital: Spotlight on Transition

Tuesday 30^th April 4pm This is early level Digital: CRIS 3 part course. SESSION 2

MAY 2024

Tuesday 14^th May 4pm This is early level Digital: CRIS 3 part course. SESSION 3

Tuesday 21^st May 4pm This is early level Digital: Spotlight on Outdoor Play

Tuesday 28^th May 10am This is early level Digital: Spotlight on Making Data Visible

Sign up coming soon:

Monday 13^th May 4pm – The New Digital ELC Setting Award

Thursday 16^th May 10am – The New Digital ELC Setting Award

Friday 17^th May 12.30pm – The New Digital ELC Setting Award

January 26, 2024

Safer Internet Day 2024

Safer Internet Day 2024 took place on the 6^thof February 2024, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Inspiring change? Making a difference, managing influence and navigating change online’.

Safer Internet Day is held every February all around the world. Last year, over 170 different countries celebrated the day! Safer Internet Day is a chance to think about any worries we might have about using technology and the internet, but it’s also about celebrating all the fantastic things technology can help us with.

Safer Internet Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety.

Created in consultation with young people across the UK, this year Safer Internet Day will be focusing on change online, this includes covering:

Young people’s perspective on new and emerging technology
Using the internet to make change for the better
The changes young people want to see online
The things that can influence and change the way young people think, feel and act online and offline

Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

Visit UK Safer Internet Centre or browse the links below to become involved!

Education Resources (suitable for early level to senior phase)

Supporters Registration

Films

Get involved on social media

Parents and carers

Supporters Map

You may also find education resources from Common Sense Education helpful to begin conversations and explore digital citizenship. Check out our webinar calendar for upcoming live lessons with Jenna Khanna from Common Sense Education.

Common Sense Education – Daily Activities for Primary

December 15, 2023

Activity 11 – Snowman Algorithm

Day 11 – Build a snowman algorithm

How do you build a snowman?
How many steps are there?
What are the important features of a snowman?
What steps come first, next, last etc.
What position should the parts be placed in?
What materials and parts will you require? (If there is no snow outside, what else can you build with or use to create an alternative 2D snowman?)

Create an algorithm (sequence of instructions) to show how to build a snowman. Capture your algorithm on paper/whiteboard/drawing app by drawing or writing it down. This Barefoot handwashing poster might help you to get started. Please also see the Collaborative Crazy Characters activity in Barefoot bytes resource.

You can create your snowman with snow, playdough, clay, plasticine etc or by drawing/painting a 2D snowman, similar to the Collaborative Crazy Character activity.

To make sure your algorithm is is working correctly, you will need someone else to help you test it. You might want to explore taking on the roles of programmers and testers from CS Unplugged.

Will your friends be able to follow your algorithm to correctly build the snowman or will you have to debug the algorithm, to find the bugs (errors) then tinker with a different sequence in your algorithm and try again? This is why it is helpful to capture you algorithm on paper. You may not need to change the whole algorithm if you can spot the bug(s).

You might want to try out the algorithm sequencer template to help you organise your sequence of instructions.

Supporting resources for creating your algorithm:

Try it for yourself and share your algorithm with us on social media @digilearnscot using #12DaysofCreativity

December 7, 2023

Activity 5 – Explore Sounds inside and out (early level)

Day 5 – The sound of Christmas

What does Christmas sound like?

What does it sound like outside?

What does it sound like indoors?

Use your senses to see, touch, smell and HEAR everything that means CHRISTMAS to you!

Once you have identified the sound of Christmas, capture this in an audio recording and then invite your friends to listen to the recording and try to identify the sound you have captured.

Will they identify the sound correctly, or will they need a clue?

Different ways to capture audio:

Talking button/postcard, recordable microphone, karaoke machine, Dictaphone, talking/recordable toys.
Recording audio on an iPad with built in apps Voice Memo or GarageBand
Recording audio on a Chromebook with Vocaroo | Online voice recorder (website will work on any browser/device with Microphone access permission)
Recording audio on a Windows device with built in Voice recorder
Recording an audio clip in Microsoft Sway with record audio
Recording an audio clip in Scratch Jr app with sound blocks (play video at 38 seconds)

You may be required to adjust privacy settings to enable your microphone to work.

Try it for yourself and share your audio creations with us on social media @digilearnscot using #12DaysofCreativity

July 4, 2023

ELC Practitioner Feedback Opportunity, help shape the future of Digital CLPL

There is a draft ELC practitioner Digital Literacy Framework / list of core skills currently required to enable practitioners to use them for communication, collaboration, planning, facilitating learning, capturing/documenting learning, and assessing learning

We would like to hear your feedback, to ensure the core skills are relevant to your every day practice and welcome your feedback.

We would also welcome feedback on where CLPL is required to enable you to develop confidence and knowledge of the core skills. This will inform the webinars that we will offer Nationally.

If you would like to help shape future ELC practitioner support in Digital Literacy, please click on the link to the Form and submit your feedback through this anonymous survey. The survey will take approximately 1O minutes to complete.

ELC Practitioner Feedback – Digital Literacy Framework / Core Skills

July 3, 2023

Exploring early level Cyber Resilience with The Bongles and the Crafty Crows.

The Digital Team and The Bongles have joined forces in partnership with Cyber Scotland, Cyber Aware and the Scottish Book Trust to introduce younger learners to develop understanding of cyber awareness at early level, through the publication of the new Bongles book ‘The Bongles and the Crafty Crows‘, produced by Edinburgh based Story Learning Ltd.

Who are the Bongles?

The Bongles are a group of monster friends who live on a paradise-like planet.

They reuse and repurpose items that wash up onto their planet’s pristine shore and turn trash into treasure.

The rhyming stories are full of slapstick and silly humour, which both children and adults alike will find funny. The quirky and whimsical watercolour illustrations are sure to capture the attention of young readers.

The Bongles and The Crafty Crows – The newest book in the series helps children to learn about cyber resilience in a fun-filled way.

Story Summary

Three wooden crates wash up onto the shores of Bongle Island.

The Bongles really want to keep this new found treasure safe from the crafty crows.

Will the crows outsmart the Bongles’ padlocks and passcodes?

Will the crows take the crates full of treasure and keep it all for themselves?

‘The Bongles and the Crafty Crows‘ story book was included in the P1 Bookbug Family bags for every primary one child in Scotland in 2023/24!

There is also a variety of practitioner-created learning and teaching resources to accompany the story, a downloadable PDF of the book and an animation on the Bongles website and links to recordings of previous educator information sessions and children’s ‘read alongs’ at the bottom of this page.

You will also engage with this story in the 3-part series of early level Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety webinars, This is early level Digital – CRIS and through various cyber events throughout the year, which will be advertised here, on the blog.

The Bongles and The Crafty Crows articles and related links:

Early level learners paving the way for a cyber secure nation (linkedin.com)

Teaching Children Cyber Security Skills Is An Investment In Our Future – TeachingTimes

CyberScotland Week – Cyber Scotland

Three random words – NCSC.GOV.UK

The Bongles and the Crafty Crows Campaign Report November 2023

June 23, 2023

Learning with, and through, technology in ELC: Learning with, and through, technology in ELC

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. For example, in response to a children’s interest in sharks, digital technology can extend learning through watching how real sharks move under the sea. Children then get a better understanding of size and speed and so on. This helps us draw on children’s own knowledge gained at home or outwith the setting to spark possible lines of development and a response to children’s own interests.