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Information, Communication & Technology

At Lower Park Information Technology is introduced in Reception and covers, using a database, word processing and simulation activities. Children respond very positively to these activities, which significantly develop their confidence and self-esteem. The school has heavily invested in computer hardware during the last three years. Children become familiar with Windows, Logo, Powerpoint and a wide range of software. Many of the Year 6 children are currently involved with the maintenance of the school website.

Whatever you are studying in ICT there maybe something useful for you to look at on the web. Here is a list of useful sites which may help with your homework or even give you tips on using the internet, finding information, communicate via e-mail or catch up on the latest technology.

If you come across other good ICT sites e-mail them to your Lower Park Web Editors saying why you think they are 'cool'.

Barry's Clip Art Server
A collection of static and animated images resides on Barry's server for your use. There is a search facility available to find what you want, but the choice is more limited than on other clip art websites. A useful place to start if you or your pupils are looking for something to perk up an internet or graphics project.

Children's Pet Page
There is some animal theme preschool fun to be had at this offshoot from a pet rehoming website. Look at the colourful animal alphabet or get your little ones to improve their mouse skills by copying letters and numbers in the 'mouse alphabet'. They can make tunes on a xylophone and colour in pictures too, and even play with Mr Potato.

Clip Art Gallery
Lots of free clip art helpfully arranged by subject. Just right click on the required image and save it to your hard drive to use. These images could be used by pupils creating their own web pages, presentations or multimedia documents.

Coloring.com
This site is no more and no less than an online, point and click, colouring resource aimed at very young Key Stage 1 and pre school children. It is great for mouse control practice, has a wide variety of subject matter that is being updated regularly and produces very pleasing, printable outcomes.

F9 Kids
Children at Key Stages 1 and 2 will enjoy learning with this colourful and interactive site. Follow Bumble-B to uncover facts about the planets or be creative with colouring activities, wordsearches and mazes. The Netkids guide allows children to learn the 'Do's and Don'ts' of the internet and the fun games section includes 'splat a spacemole' and many more.

GetNetWise
Do your kids know more about computers and the internet than you do? If so, you may find this site useful. Many parents fret over the things their children might see online and this American organisation gives pointers on how to make browsing safer for various age groups. There is an online safety guide, suggestions for safe search engines and other tools, and tips for kids and teens on using Web resources such as email and chat rooms without getting themselves into trouble.

Getting Around the Web
This site will teach you the basics about the Internet, for example, What is a browser? What is HTTP? It will also open up the mysteries of cookies, security, caches, browser wars and much more. A great guide to the Internet for beginners and those with a good grasp of the basics.

How does a computer work?
Doc Croc takes you on a guided tour of the basic components and functions of a PC. This site is suitable for Key Stages 1 and 2. The language used is slightly technical but the explanations are straightforward. There are useful analogies for explaining functions such as input and output devices. A small site which covers only the basics.

Kids on the Web - Oxford Brookes University
Join Cyber the spider for an exciting journey into cyberspace. This excellent resource is designed as a guide to the internet for children. It is a great source of straightforward information about the internet for teachers and older juniors who are unfamiliar with the World Wide Web. There are lots of links to interesting sites for children and a cyberquiz to test acquired knowledge.

Kids' Space Connection
A monitored environment for kids all round the world to communicate with each other can be found here. There is a pen-pal area, a bulletin board, the 'Web Kids' Village' where children can tell others about their own websites, and the 'Go Outside!' section which has links to child-friendly sites around the globe. A great place to get children using ICT skills in a safe cyberspace.

Langstone Junior School
A great school site full of children's work and information related to primary education. Features include a useful Minibeast Identification Key which serves as a good model for overall site design. A well thought out site.

Learn the Net - an Internet Guide and Tutorial
A very comprehensive site containing lots of information and step by step instructions. Subjects covered include the history of the internet, how to look for information (including an online search engine tutorial), how to evaluate information on the Net and how to send e-mail. More advanced topics, including downloading files, sending attachments and how to experience multimedia online, are also covered. Great for Key Stage 2 and above.

LearningPlanet.com
Meet Rusty Rat, Detective Shell and Mister Elephant amongst others and be introduced to fun, colourful and interactive games for Key Stages 1 and 2. These test and develop various basic skills in numeracy, literacy, colour and shape recognition, and memory. Shockwave is all you need for children to enjoy these great activities at home or in the classroom. There is full support for parents and teachers too.

Lil' Fingers Storybooks
Big buttons, clear text and lively animations make it easy for little fingers to navigate this attractive site. Click-through storybooks can be read with assistance by very young children to improve their motor and literacy skills either at home or in the classroom. One non-fiction narrative covers sweets eaten during the Jewish festival of Purim, others practise shape, colour and number recognition.

Miami Museum of Science Internet Island
Make this site a regular in your classroom. Internet Island is home to some shipwrecked children and their teacher (that's you and your class) - and they only have a laptop and a mobile phone! Never fear, this site takes you carefully through the skills needed to navigate the Net. Let staff in your school use it, let children use it, use it yourself - just make sure anyone who isn't sure where to click and when gets a chance to practise using Internet Island.

Micklefield School's Web Page
This is the website of a small, private South African girls' school. You can view pupils' work on a variety of subjects including internet projects, and read about their unusual 'travel buddy' exchange scheme. There are also comments about the school in three languages and a page about their teaching philosophy.

ORT's Information Technology Foundation Course
If you are new to the internet or computing then this site will be ideal for you. It's free to use after registration, and provides a stimulating and interactive environment in which to learn about information and communications technology. Clear explanations of topics, including hardware, software, the internet and networking, are followed up with multiple choice questions. Highly recommended for Key Stage 1 and above, or if you want to know the basics about computing. Teachers may find the downloadable worksheets useful.

Quest - NASA K-12 Initiative
Use the Quest Project (found within NASA's huge site) as either a subject resource for 'The Earth & Beyond' in Key Stage 2 Science, Physical Processes or, with some careful planning, you can integrate small groups from your class with online interactive projects involving NASA scientists - a definite first for most schools. One interesting interactive project is the Mars Millennium Project.

Rainy Day Playhouse
This is a great little site to bookmark for your class to use on those wet playtimes and long lunches. It will keep children amused while providing an opportunity for them to familiarise themselves with website navigation and keyboard skills. Some of the games are purely for amusement while some have some strong cross-curricular links such as chess and draughts (maths) and word games (literacy). A site that will keep your class coming back time and time again.

Silly Billy's World
Silly Billy teaches children at Key Stage 2 how to draw using the computer. By breaking down everyday objects into simple shapes children can follow these online lessons to create their own computer art. The lessons are available in both Flash and non-Flash versions and there are teachers' notes provided which deal with how to teach computer graphics to a large group of pupils.

Sutton-on-Sea Primary School
An excellent, user-friendly and fun site about the school, it has interactive quizzes and activities, a visitors' survey to provide pupils with data for projects, information about the school and local area, and examples of children's work. The school would also like other primary schools to contact them for an email project.

Tuckswood Community First School
This is an absolutely charming site made with lots of input from the children of Tuckswood. An excellent site for parents and teachers to see what goes on in the school, and for children to see what other children are up to in school, from Mrs Cornish's Space class to the Brain Gym!

Using E-mail
Let Bruce the Spider guide your 7-11s through the techno-maze of email and into the internet revolution. Key Stage 2 pupils can find out what email is, how to use it and all about 'netiquette' at this easy-to-use BBC website. A great resource for IT and literacy teaching.

Valiant Technology
If you want to use a Roamer floor turtle for control technology, then the Valiant site has free resources including programming instructions, classroom ideas and activities. Most Key Stage 1 and early Key Stage 2 classrooms use Roamer and this site provides another valuable resource for its effective employment.

Webopedia: Online Computer Dictionary for Internet Terms
Faced with a Web or computer related word that you don't understand? Webopedia is an online dictionary and search engine covering computer and internet technology terms. Enter a word in the search engine and receive a detailed explanation of the term and links to other relevant sources of information. A very easy to use site that will be of benefit to internet users of all levels.

Welcome to the Web
Key Stage 2 pupils new to using the internet should visit this clear and colourful site first. It is a set of interactive resources that teach children about the fundamentals of the internet. It deals with searching, guestbooks and using forms, printing Web pages, favourites and bookmarks. Each section includes short quizzes and printable Activity Sheets to test knowledge and finishes with an exciting and highly interactive 'Challenge' to test children's knowledge of the concepts covered. A great ICT resource.

Wonka
Meet Willie Wonka and the Oompa Loompas in this exciting and colourful site. The interactive games are both fun and educational with varied levels, and can be played online with Shockwave or downloaded. Topics include science, technology and animals. Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils studying Roald Dahl's stories will enjoy this either in the classroom or at home.

Yahooligans - Web Guide for Children
Yahooligans is a search engine designed for children. They can search for information on a range of relevant subjects including: Food and Eating, Safety, Cultures and Human Rights. It is child-centred and well structured and is an invaluable way of finding relevant sites. It could also be useful for developing children's research skills.