What is
ICT Sandbox?
ICT Sandbox specialises in using educational concepts and applying a ‘real world’ context through video and age-appropriate content, accessible through sound, text and symbols.
Designed with both teachers and pupils in mind, ICT Sandbox can be teacher-led or facilitated, allowing pupils to work independently or in small groups,
in a secure digital environment.
Listed below are the 5 digital tools that ICT Sandbox offers and their objectives.
Discussion
Dedicated Forum
Let Me Discover
A search engine designed for young children
“Let me Discover” is a secure, child-friendly search engine customised to enable children to independently extract age-appropriate information on topics such as: animals and their way of life; plants and how they grow; space and the solar system; holidays and festivals and many more topics.
The information is presented via video and sound, accompanied by text suitable for early readers. Let Me Discover empowers young children to ask questions and search for information while enhancing critical thinking skills required to retrieve this information.
Email Me
Electronic mail for young children
״E-mail Me״ is a secure electronic mail service that enables children to graphically communicate with a pre-approved (teacher and/or parent controlled), network of classmates, teachers and parents. This unique programme promotes non-verbal communication while developing written language literacy.
Objectives:
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Encouraging familiarity with written text and other communication tools.
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Imparting the elementary structure needed for communication, and rules for sending messages - addressor and addressee.
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Imparting communication in a respectful and ethical way.
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Promoting written language literacy and also symbol comprehension.
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Acquiring customs and social skills such as sending holiday and birthday greetings, sending get-well wishes and updating classmates about missed lessons and school curriculum.
How Much How Many
Electronic spreadsheet for young children
"How Much, How Many" enables children to relate to day-to-day events by collecting and processing data such as, how many children came to school today? How much rainfall was there this week? This promotes scientific and technological education, mathematics and statistics in the child’s natural environment as well as allowing for a democratic concept.
Write For Me
Word processor programme for young children
"Write For Me" allows the children to experiment with writing and printing messages, invitations, greeting cards, posters, labels and short stories.
Objectives:
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Understanding the value and power of written messages used for personal and interpersonal needs as well as for public applications.
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Promoting writing proficiency: familiarisation with basic writing rules of spacing, line usage and punctuation.
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Creating awareness of how to use the computer for writing/typing.
Discussion
A secure forum for young children
"Discussion" enables the class teacher and pupils to conduct an on-line discussion about all kinds of issues/topics, in a polite and appropriate manner.
Objectives:
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Imparting ways of conducting a teacher-pupil dialogue.
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Familiarising pupils with rules for a respectful debate.
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Fostering appropriate online communication behaviour, to provide relevant norms of honesty, politeness and respect.
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Teaching tolerance for diversity of opinions, thereby promoting democratic education.
