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Children live in an information society and it is essential that they are given opportunities in SPHE to:
- Access and receive information
- Explore some techniques used in the media and the various technologies for communication available to them
- Learn to make decisions and become more discerning in their use of the technology and the media
- Develop self confidence in using a wide range of technology
- Enhance their relationship skills
A number of CD roms and DVDs are available covering issues such as life-cycles, diet analysis, growing up together, the human body and the process of conception, pregnancy and birth and diet analysis. These issues are all presented in interesting ways and with the help of task cards, can help children of all ages to understand these aspects of all the programme.
Word-processing programs and publishing programs give children the opportunity to draft, edit and correct their own work. This enables them to communicate their ideas, findings, or suggestions in an interesting and original way. Children can work very effectively in pairs or small groups on such tasks, and in sharing ideas and investigating together they can learn from and with one another.
The content of many television and radio programmes, advertisements and dvd’s can be beneficial in exploring particular topics and issues in SPHE. Recording extracts from programmes and discussing and analysing them in the classroom can help children to understand the techniques being used to promote products or lifestyles, to appreciate the difference between fact and fiction, and become aware of the meaning of a target audience.
The internet can provide children with a wide range of source materials on many topics. It is important that the internet is introduced to children in a gradual and structured way and that they are made of its influence and the culture, values and attitudes that it promotes. Through using the internet children will recognise the need to make immediate decisions and choices. SPHE provides the opportunity to promote the skills for using the internet appropriately and for enabling the child to become a discerning and judicious internet user
