ABSTRACT
Internal staff reorganization gave me responsibility for an infant class of twentyseven Year 1 and 2 children. This was my first experience of teaching such a young group. I was also made responsible for administering National Curriculum Key Stage 1 assessment to Year 2 – another personal ‘first’! In addition to my duties as deputy headteacher and as an extension to my school role as technology coordinator I was about to embark upon my first full year as teacher consultant for a cluster of six village primary schools, contributory to one local high school. An in-service design and technology course provided a chance to focus upon early years classroom organization and practice in delivering technology, enhancing my own skills. These are the ‘local’ factors that were predominantly to influence the direction and conduct of my research during the Autumn and Spring terms. They led to:
• the desire to address effectively my lack of experience in organizing, managing and teaching a Key Stage 1 class;
• the corresponding need to examine/modify my classroom practice with regard to technology with Years 1 and 2;
• the need to administer teacher-and standardized assessments; • a need to promote effectively technology to my own school and cluster
schools.
