Introduction:
The ECE ICT Professional Learning Programme is a national pilot programme for early childhood services initiated by the Ministry of Education and aimed at developing the innovative integration of ICT into teaching and learning and/or administration. CORE Education manages this project and provides professional learning support to centres. Ann Hatherly is the national facilitator team leader and there are six cluster facilitators working in the regions around the country.
ECE ICT PL is the first programme of its kind in early childhood education in New Zealand and promises to add to the already exciting developments in the use of ICT that have evolved in centres over the last few years.
This initiative is one of several steps that will eventually flow from Foundations for Discovery, (Ministry of Education, 2005) the framework for ICT use in early childhood education. A key strategic focus area within the framework is “Developing Professional Learning and Capability”. The goal of this focus area is that ECE educators become confident and capable users of ICT to enhance children’s learning and their own practice and professional learning.
Almost 60 centres have been selected to participate over a three-year timeframe. These include kindergartens, education and care centres (childcare centres) and one hospital-based early childhood service. The services have been clustered into 6 regions across the country. Each regional cluster will be assigned a facilitator who will act as a mentor and coach for the services within that cluster. Centre teaching teams will be supported to use action research methodology to investigate an issue or area that they are curious to develop, involving ICT. As well as face-to-face contact, teachers will have opportunities to develop professional networks through virtual learning communities within ICT PD.
