Learning Outcomes:
This review meets/reinforces the Learning Outcomes:
#1 - Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.
#8 - Evaluate, adapt and reflect upon emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature.
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| Students in my class work in our computer lab. |
The role that technology should or should not play in the early childhood classroom can be a controversial topic, depending on whom you ask. The journal article entitled, Missing the Boat with Technology Usage in Early Childhood Settings: A 21st Century View of Developmentally Appropriate Practice by Howard P. Parette, Amanda C. Quesenberry and Craig Blum, takes the stance that technology is under utilized in today’s early childhood classrooms. Parette, Quesenberry and Blum worry about the disconnect between technology used at home and in the classroom. Children live and participate in daily activities that include the presence of technology. Digital cameras, iPods, games sites, TVs and computers are all part of a trend that children are being exposed to at home. Technology is becoming a routine part of a child’s day in the twenty first century. What about technology in the classroom? Why does it seem that technology is being left at the door as children enter? Are we ‘missing the boat’ in early childhood settings?
Early childhood education develops foundational skills that are necessary for children including early literacy skills, basic math concepts, play and socialization. Early childhood educators need to approach these areas with the twenty first century in mind. Our society is quickly changing and the technology based world that students live in has changed, therefore, so have the demands. Skills that student haven’t needed before are now a requirement to succeed in everyday life. Technology holds the potential to shape children’s learning, yet we aren’t taking advantage of it. Parette, Quesenbury and Blum feel that although technology use has increased in classrooms, the way that it is used falls short in terms of what's developmentally appropriate. Often times, this is because the role in which technology should play in the early childhood curriculum is still unclear. The authors of the article have found that computers and other forms of technology are not valued by education professionals who use a more traditional approach to teaching, using traditional teaching methods and materials. These traditional educators don’t understand how technology tools can support learning and growth.
So What’s Standing in the Way?
According to the journal article, there are hurdles we must overcome to blend lifelong learning skills with technology tools. Educators must overcome the following and embrace the challenge of developmentally appropriate practice.
- Time Constraints and Financial Challenges- Parette, Quesenbury and Blum feel that with all of the grants and community partnerships available, there are ways around this.
- Not enough pre-service programs specifically designed for early childhood teachers about the developmentally appropriate practice of technology.
- Resistance to Change- Schools are not embracing the role and use of technology. There needs to be a change of attitude so that technology is seen as a developmentally appropriate practice. Some teachers still feel that the use of technology will interfere with the relationships that teachers form with children. Teacher attitudes don’t change until they have seen first hand how an instructional strategy and theory work.
- Professional Development- Schools and professional development practices need to change and recognize the needs of the twenty first century learner. For teachers to successfully implement technology, they must understand how to use instructional strategies, understand what technology tools to use, how to use the appropriate technology tools and how to apply these in the classroom.
Educators and leaders must become advocates for integrating meaningful and developmental appropriate uses of technology. Pre-service and professional development can help teachers better understand how technology can strengthen instructional strategies.
Here is a video about The Four C's: Making 21st Century Education Happen
(Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication)
Reflection
The debate of the role that technology should play in kindergarten is one I have often. My stance would be close to Parette, Quesenbury and Blum. I do believe that we have an important job as early childhood educators to expose our students to technology. They are learners in the twenty first century and like it or not, the reality is that technology is going to play a large part in their lives. With technology integrated into the curriculum, all learners have an opportunity to experience technology, regardless of the technology opportunities they have at home. Not all students are able to access technology at home. If they do, it may not be the type of technology that will help them in the classroom, such as a violent video game. I have yet to see a kindergartner intimidated by technology. I believe if students are involved in technology from early on, they are never intimidated by it like others who haven’t used technology often. Technology is intuitive to them. I remember growing up and panicking if something went wrong while I was working on a computer, fearing I broke it. This afternoon, my kindergartners spent 45 minutes in the computer lab working on coding! The biggest challenge we had was a new student learning how to use a mouse. Today’s students have grown up with technology and already know how to troubleshoot technology problems when they are 5 and 6 years of age. If we know technology can help shape student learning, why not integrate technology into the classroom?
One of the team members on my kindergarten grade level does not agree that technology has a place in the early childhood classroom. She, like many others, feel that children are exposed to too much screen time without it being part of the classroom. The thought is that students need to be playing, creating, and socializing. If students don’t learn how to play now and develop face to face relationships, when will they? Honestly, I don’t totally disagree but I do think there needs to be a place to meet in the middle. A plan is needed to integrate technology in a meaningful way and still allow plenty of opportunity for play and creativity.
As noted in the summary above, teacher attitudes don’t change until they have seen first hand how an instructional strategy and theory work. Both sides of the debate need to bring an open mind to the table. At my school, we are using an adaptive math program, DreamBox. The cost is $25 per student per school year, expensive but worth it when used as recommended. Dreambox recommends students spend 60 to 90 minutes on the program each week. My class has spent the recommended amount of time with DreamBox this year. I can honestly say that I have never had kindergarten students collectively been so far ahead in math. What they are doing amazes me, things I would have only thought enrichment students would be capable of. One of my team members has not taken advantage of the program and has reluctantly used it once a week. She hasn’t seen how DreamBox can help her students, and therefore, her attitude towards it hasn't changed. Perhaps, if we all had an open mind and were presented with more specific professional development opportunities, we would be able to see there is room for developmentally appropriate technology integration in the early childhood classroom. Let’s jump in the boat.
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| A student in my class creates an illustration in the computer lab to go along with a story he wrote in the classroom. |
Resources
Missing the Boat with Technology Usage in Early Childhood Settings: A 21st Century View of Developmentally Appropriate Practice
by Parette, Howard P, Quesenberry, Amanda C, Blum, Craig
Early Childhood Education Journal, 03/2010, Volume 37, Issue 5
