ICT in Nursery

What a difference a good book can make! I'm refering to Primary ICT for Teaching Assistants by John Galloway. I found it via Blackboard on the reading list of last years ICT module. Anyway, i ordered from Amazon via a private seller and it was here in 2 days and i have to say it has opened my eyes to ICT. Until now the reading i've done has been from books which have covered all aspects of primary teaching with just a chapter given to ICT. In these books ICT has just focused on the use of computers, whiteboards, webcams, scanners etc etc. However, this book has helped turn a light bulb on in my head and realise that the toy microwave, kettle and toaster, the class cd player etc are all equipment that has the ICT tag attached to it. They all have batteries which means they are all electrical, therefore all classed as ICT. Now why couldn't every book put it in such simple terms and be such an easy read. Admittedly the book would be even more beneficial to me if i worked from year 2 up but at least it's given me a start.
Mr Galloway even says himself how easy it is to forget that these are all classed as ICT. We tend not to notice the role of technology anymore as it's so embedded into what we do on a daily basis. He also goes on to say about the inportance of teaching the children how to use the equipment properly. Now i know that may seem like common sense but sometimes when it's the most obvious you don't do it. But... tomorrow when the boys fill up the kettle with the multlinks, and try and stuff playdough into it instead of just asking them why they've done that and telling them that the multi links belong on the maths table and the playdough on the dough table i'll take time out to sit with them and talk about the kettle and how it works and what it's used for etc.
I know at one point we did have a Tuff Cam and Microphone in class so i need to try and find them this week and get them working again. The bee bot we did have went to year 1 as it was classed as not been suitable for Nursery.
Yes, i'm feeling more positive tonight about the assignment. How long it will last who knows, but i will go into work tomorrow with a fresh pair of ICT eyes on!
PS . The hardest part of keeping this blog up to date is thinking of a Title every time!