As part of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s ICT in Pre-School project, a training and support programme has been developed with practitioners and local authorities.
The ICT Strategy for Early Years has four components: the document Early Learning, Forward Thinking, which sets out the framework and background to the strategy; a programme of training and staff development available to all early years practitioners in Scotland; a range of support and guidance materials, which are being developed; and a process of monitoring and evaluation which will appraise the impact of the strategy.
The staff development programme comprises three stages. Following the success of residential Masterclass ICT courses for other sectors, a specially-adapted series of early years Masterclasses will identify key personnel in each local authority to take forward staff development. LT Scotland staff will deliver a three-day training course for a larger group of ICT tutors identified by local authorities, which will follow a Training the Trainers model.
These local tutors, assisted by their own Masterclass tutors and LT Scotland staff, will deliver practical ICT modules to all early years staff. They will be able to select the most appropriate parts, depending on their skills and expertise in ICT.
Support and guidance materials will be published at the end of October and sent to all early years establishments. These can be used flexibly to encourage reflection and debate on the use of ICT with youngsters. As the strategy is rolled out, good practice will inform future materials.
SETT
Liz Robertson, an LT Scotland early years development officer, will talk on A Training Programme for Early Years Practitioners: Discovering New Possibilities on Thursday at 1.45pmThe national policy paper Early Learning, Forward Thinking: The Policy Framework for ICT in Early Years, will be launched by Euan Robson, the deputy minister for education and young people, on October 8
