A group of Japanese professors have visited a Wolverhampton nursery school to discover how it is enhancing young children’s learning by using the latest technology.
The six, from universities in and around Tokyo, spent a day at Ashmore Park Nursery speaking to children, teachers and parents and finding out more about a three-year Europe-wide research programme which the school is taking part in.
The programme, funded by the European Union's Erasmus scheme, has seen Ashmore Park and Phoenix Nursery School in Blakenhall work closely with nine other pre-schools in the West Midlands and Sweden to test different ways of using digital technology with young children in creative and expressive ways.
Ashmore Park Nursery Headteacher Sue Lacey said: “We have moved away from the traditional way of using computers and tablets to play educational games or complete tasks, and are instead using them in more creative ways so that our children are using technology more interactively.
“For instance, we use digital projection which the children can respond to through movement, and digital microscopes to investigate things hidden from their view – they are encouraged to think what it may look like before discovering the reality.
“The children are very interested and competent in using technology from a very young age. We aspire to harness this interest in technology as a vehicle to enhance the learning experiences of the children.”
She added: "We were excited and extremely proud to host international visitors at Ashmore Park Nursery School. It was great to be able to share our findings with them and we hope they were impressed with the innovative ways we are using technology here in Wolverhampton.”
Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "Schools in Wolverhampton are very forward thinking, and it's great to see that the work taking place at Ashmore Park and Phoenix nursery schools to engage with youngsters in such a creative way is being recognised across the globe."
