Sep 27, 2021
At The Old Station Nursery Group, we're dedicated to enriching our children's learning experiences through technology while maintaining a crucial balance with non-digital activities. One of our key technological assets is the digital table, which is now a fixture in all 36 of our nurseries as of January 2022.
Across our nurseries, we carefully strike a balance between using devices, like digital tables, for consumption (e.g., watching videos, playing games) and creation using age-appropriate software. Our practitioners consider how digital tables can align with children’s learning outcomes and choose software that caters to their needs. We prioritize meaningful learning experiences with technology.
In today’s digital age, many of our children have access to technology at home. We view our role as educators to guide them in balancing tech use and prioritising their well-being.
Since technology is recognised as an important part of children’s everyday lives both now and in the future, and a valuable way of exploring and expressing meaning in combination with non-digital forms, we ensure that technology is woven carefully and meaningfully across all areas of learning.
Through research evidence, it has been demonstrated that technology can be used for learning. Our children are living in a technological society, who will need to navigate an even more technological world in the future. Technology in the Early Years help create the building blocks to continue building on when they transition to school and beyond.
With practitioner support, digital tables become valuable aids in teaching essential skills like literacy, numeracy, self-expression, creativity, and computational thinking. We observe high levels of engagement as children connect their digital experiences with real-life situations, sparking imaginative play and social interaction. Our practitioners rely on digital tables as effective teaching tools. They facilitate discussions, reflections, and support children’s questions, whether individually or within a group.
If you are interested in reading more about technology in the Early Years, make sure you read our blog ‘Screen Time in a Technological World’.