Janey’s Blog

This week I have had a great time making a photostory with a group of 11 playgroup children. The children had great fun, worked cooperatively, listened and talked, made decisions about captions, colours and pictures and really loved the look and sound of their final story!OK, so they didn’t work completeley independently, BUT…

We learned how to take a picture with the digital camera, took photos of each other, imported them together, added our names and created the music. 

The thinking skills involved were numerous. The decision making process was thoughtful and the evaluation of the finished story raised valid points about what they would do next time. The children had great ideas about who our audience could be and who would like to see it most.

I don’t think young children always have to use simple programmes that they can use independently. I think sometimes working together and focussing on m aking choices can work brilliantly.

 It looks a bit like this!

Oscar has named him Lucius after Draco Malfoy’s dad.

How curious that the day I get a blog I actually have something vaguely interesting happen to me so I can write about it.

I am trying very hard to find it’s owners and I think the topic could make the geekiest blogger proud! 

Today we are experimenting with podcasting. I think it is great! I can imagine such possibilities in the primary classroom with non-fiction writing, story-boarding, report writing and many more areas of cross-curricular writing. It would also make a nice medium for providing visitors with an impression of the work of the school.

Here is my first little test.

Janey1.m4a

As I come to the end of my Hands On Support role, I find myself in the enviable position of a career break! I will be enjoying time to spend with my children, being part of their daily life and getting involved in all the fun stuff that is usually enjoyed by someone else. Since the possibility of this ‘time-out’ started to emerge I have been thinking about where I am best placed to make the most of my ability to help children learn. Should I be working in a school where children don’t have the benefit of creative, enjoyable and productive experiences so I can make a difference to the largest number of children or should I do that for my own children?

Maybe I will use my own children as guinea pigs for a while and enjoy the break. I can always go back to work when I have had enough of making play dough!

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