Introducing Technology at Key Stage 2

Abstract

The author lectures in education at the University of Exeter, with special isms in Information Technology and Design Technology in the primary curriculum. He also is a practising primary school inspector.

This article describes a school-based project undertaken when asked by a local school toassist them to introduce some aspects of technology as a part of the curriculum. The intention was that the project would provide some classroom-based staff development for the Key Stage 2 teachers, would extend the curriculum for the pupils involved and would enable me to develop ideas to use with our initial teacher training students at the university. The proposal was to work across seven classes and to use elements of technology that fitted in with their existing curriculum plans. In order that the teachers should maintain a sense of ownership over the activities, the details of the activities to be undertaken were negotiated and planned with them. I actually started working with the oldest pupils in the Year 5/6 classes and worked down the school, but in order to give a sense of development across the Key Stage, I will describe the work beginning with Year 3 pupils.