Category: ELC

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

Bongles Text image

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.

Upcoming read alongs for children and webinars for educators during Cyber Scotland Week 2025:

 

February 2025

Join links coming soon.

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

Previous webinar and read along recordings:

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two pre school children learning together using a mobile device.

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.  ​

Realising the ambition: Being Me page 79

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early level digital literacy planning support doc 22/23

Digital Literacy and Computing Science Glossary

This is early level Digital. Spotlight on: Making Data Visible. (Live Webinars).

This is early level Digital. Spotlight on: Making Data Visible.

Via Forms and Excel within Microsoft Office.

Do you have access to Microsoft Forms and Excel within your ELC setting but are unsure how they can help you to gather, visualise and analyse data? Please join us in this 60-minute practical demo session, for beginners, where we will focus on how you can use Microsoft Forms and Excel to gather data more easily, better understand what the data you are gathering is telling you and how you can share this visually with children, colleagues and families.

In this session, we will demonstrate how to create a Forms Survey, how to view responses and how to export the results into an Excel file, where you can drill down deeper to interpret and analyse the data you have collected by exploring charts, pivot tables and slicers.

The demo session will be a take place within Glow, however you do not need a Glow log in to join this session.

*Please check with your local authority digital team or organisation lead officer for Information Security on protocols for gathering and storing data.

This session is for ELC practitioners working across a variety of settings in Scotland.

The session will be repeated 5 times throughout the year with morning and twilight options.

A Glow login NOT required to join.

Click here to select one of the morning or twilight webinar dates.

You may also be interested in This is early level Digital. Spotlight on: Practitioner Collaboration. (Live Webinars).

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This is early level Digital. Spotlight on: Practitioner Collaboration. (Live Webinars).

Spotlight on: Practitioner Online Collaboration.

Do you have access to Microsoft Teams within your ELC setting but are unsure how it can help you? Please join us in the 60-minute practical demo session, for beginners, where we will focus on how you can use Microsoft Teams as your one stop digital shop with your ELC team, for organising, sharing and collaborating on content and for assisting communication. For example, you can all work together, in real time on planning documents, staffing rotas, risk assessments and shared calendars.*

You can communicate via audio calls, video calls, private chat messages and Team posts, and start conversations centred around a particular document.

You can also utilise Teams with practitioners from other settings, to support children’s transitions and to plan and work together on community events.

In this session, we will demonstrate how to create your own Staff Team and how you can use it to connect with your fellow practitioners to distribute information, communicate and work collaboratively on documents.

The demo Team you will see in the session will be a Team within Glow, however you do not need a Glow log in to join this session.

*Please check with your local authority digital team or organisation’s lead officer for Information Security on protocols for file sharing.

This session is for ELC practitioners working across a variety of settings in Scotland.

The session will be repeated 5 times throughout the year with morning and twilight options.

A Glow login NOT required to join.

Click here to select one of the morning or twilight webinar dates.

You may also be interested in This is early level Digital. Spotlight on: Making Data Visible. (Live Webinars).

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This is early level Digital – CRIS

(Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety).

When we use the internet we either consume, create or communicate. Each of these behaviours has different levels and types of risk. Join us in this series of three webinars to explore how we can support early level learners to gain knowledge and confidence in Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety. This webinar series is for all ELC practitioners working with early level learners across a variety of settings in Scotland.

The sessions will include examples from practice, centered around the Curriculum for Excellence early level Digital Literacy CRIS Experiences and Outcome,

I can explore, play and communicate using digital technologies safely and securely. TCH 0-03

illustrating what invitations to explore, play and communicate safely and securely may look like across a variety of ELC settings. 

We will also refer to National self-evaluation framework for ELC, How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare Quality Indictor 2.1 Safeguarding and Child Protection.

We welcome you to familiarise yourself with Curriculum for Excellence early level Digital Literacy Experiences and Outcomes prior to joining us. 

Each session is accompanied by optional follow up reading/professional development centred on the Cyber Toolkit, coordinating with each session.

Attendees will be invited to submit a short blog post illustrating how the programme has impacted practice,

The examples of practice included in the session content will be ELC focused, however this session is for all practitioners working at early level across a variety of settings. 

Glow login NOT required. 

Each session will be repeated three times throughout the year 23/24 with morning and twilight options.

To get the most from this course, it is advised that you join the sessions in numerical order.

Session 1 (60 minutes) This is early level Digital, CRIS – Consume 7.9.23 & 9.1.24 & 16.4.24

Session 2 (30 minutes) This is early level Digital, CRIS – Create 3.10.23 & 20.2.24 & 30.4.24

Session 3 (30 minutes) This is early level Digital, CRIS – Communicate 7.11.23 & 12.3.24 & 14.5.23

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Spotlight on early level Digital: Outdoor Play

Join us with Mairi Ferris from Thrive Outdoors – Inspiring Scotland in this 60-minute online session, to explore how digital technology can be used effectively at early level to creatively support interactions, experiences and spaces within our outdoor environments. This webinar is for practitioners working with early level learners across a variety of settings in Scotland.

The session will include creative examples from practice, centered around Curriculum for Excellence early level Digital Literacy Experiences and Outcomes, to illustrate what learning with and through digital technology outdoors may look like across a variety of settings.

Creativity is about much more than expressive arts, it is the ability to wonder about things, to see them or use them differently. Creativity is vital for all learning. Think about the creativity involved in the everyday problems we face. Consider the pace of change in our world and how we need to ensure our children are equipped with the right skills for their future. The foundations are built from the child’s earliest years. Creativity is crucial within science, technology, engineering and mathematical learning (STEM). It is also essential to language and literacy development. Realising the ambition: Being Me (page 24)

We will also refer to National self-evaluation framework, How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare Quality Indictor 3.3 Developing creativity and skills for life and learning (including digital skills), to help us identify strengths in the ways we are currently working and areas where we could do more to improve outcomes for children and their families.

We welcome you to familiarise yourself with Curriculum for Excellence early level Digital Literacy Experiences and Outcomes prior to joining us.

The examples of practice included in the session content will be ELC focused, however this session is for all practitioners working at early level across a variety of settings.

Glow login NOT required.

This session will be repeated five times throughout the year 23/24 with morning and twilight options.

Sign up via Eventbrite here.

 

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Spotlight on early level Digital: Transition

Join us in this 60-minute online session to explore how digital technology can be used effectively at early level to support horizontal and vertical transitions within our ELC settings. This webinar is for all ELC practitioners working with early level learners across a variety of settings in Scotland.

Strong collaboration between practitioners, teachers and partners is also important in designing a continuous curriculum experience for babies and children as they journey from one phase of their education and care to another.   Realising the ambition: Being Me (page 52).  

How can we strengthen practitioner collaboration? What digital technology do we have access to that can help?

This session will focus on practical use of digital technology to capture the all-important child’s voice, ensuring transitions are meaningful to the child, supporting their social, emotional and mental wellbeing, and we will also focus on how digital technology can support the 5 Cs structure when intentionally planning your transition programme (child centered, communication, consistency, collaboration, culture).  Realising the ambition: Being Me (page 96).

Part of the session will document examples of practice from current practitioners of where they are creatively using digital technology to support transitions within their settings.

We welcome you to familiarise yourself with How Good is Our ELC, Quality Indicator 2.6: Transitions (page 35) and Realising the ambition: Being Me Section 8: Transitions matter to me (page 89).  

The examples of practice included in the session content will be ELC focused, however this session is for all practitioners working at early level across a variety of settings. 

Glow login NOT required. 

Sign up via Eventbrite and receive a join link to an online meeting within Microsoft Teams. 

This session will be repeated five times throughout the year 23/24 with morning and twilight options.

Sign up via Eventbrite here.

learning with and through programme

This is Early Level Digital programme webinars

This four part programme is currently delivered as a RIC offer. Please note your interest to your local authority digital lead.

This CLPL programme is for all ELC practitioners working with early level learners across a variety of settings in Scotland.

In this four-part professional learning programme, explore and play along with us (the Digital Team at Education Scotland), to extend your knowledge of how early level learners can effectively learn with and through technology, linking to current guidance and policy (Realising the Ambition, Curriculum for Excellence, How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcare). 

In the first session, we explore examples of effective use of digital technology and the creative ways in which practitioners are harnessing digital technology to support intentional and responsive planning at the early level. 

In session two, the programme will focus on Curriculum for Excellence early level Digital Literacy experiences and outcomes in more detail. You will be invited to look inwards at your own knowledge and skills and/or learning provision in your setting, to identify what is currently working well and where there is room for improvement. 

In session three, the programme will focus on Curriculum for Excellence early level Computing Science experiences and outcomes in more detail, and we will ‘play a long’ together, exploring unplugged computational thinking and online computing science resources for early level learners. Again, in this session you will be invited to look inwards at your own knowledge and skills and/or learning provision in your setting, to identify what is currently working well and where there is room for improvement. 

The fourth session will allow practitioners to share their journey and the impact this course is having on their professional learning and also on children’s experiences. Participants will be asked to share very a brief* presentation/video/sketch note/blog post, demonstrating how they have developed their effective use of digital technologies in their setting. 

*A couple of minutes, guidance on structure will be provided. 

The examples of practice included in the session content will be ELC focused, however this session is for all practitioners working at early level across a variety of settings. 

This four part programme is currently delivered as a RIC offer. Please note your interest to your local authority digital lead.