Discovery Time in the Early Years

We teach in an Early Years Unit at Ferryden Park CPC- 7 school which is a Category 1 disadvantaged school in the north western suburbs of South Australia. Our school community is truly multicultural with fifty percent of our students coming from non-english speaking backgrounds and representing 32 different nationalities.

We are one of four schools in South Australia that are DECS Learning Technologies Research Schools. Our Inquiry question is ‘How is Discovery Time making a difference to our students learning?” & ‘How do we best use the different technologies available to support student and teacher learning?”

During this presentation we will share the Discovery Time we have with our R-2 students and our research findings. Discovery Time is aimed to develop an inquiry-based curriculum where the children co design their own learning. It is a time for developing social skills, oral language, creative and critical thinking, self assessment and reflection. For teachers, it's a time to step back from the 'teacher' role and become the facilitator, the questioner, the encourager, the helper.

Discovery Time caters for different learning styles eg (VAKPOINTT) and focuses on children having an opportunity to inquire using a variety of mediums. We will share with you how digital tools such as flip cameras, iPod Touch, Bee Bots, PC Classmates, digital microscopes, software, IWB & dance mats have supported and extended our student learning during Discovery Time.

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