Technology
- 1. Recommendations to Parents, Teachers and Researchers by Candy Channell and Brenda E. Mondy Technology and the Young Learner FS 5283 Texas Woman’s University
- 2. Introduction The power medium of technology must be dissected and explored to glean the optimal advantages it brings to young children. The impact of technology on the young learner is of growing national concern. The exploding abundance of material from product to printed material supports the truism that technology is now a constant in our society, including the world of the young child.
- 3. Recommendations to Parents Suggestions that will help parents and children have a positive experience with technology in home are: • Choose age appropriate software • Choose software that has been reviewed by early childhood professionals • Become familiar with the technology services offered by schools • Choose software that is free of cultural, gender, and age biases • Choose software that is nonviolent (Healy, 1998)
- 4. Recommendations to Parents Suggestions when using technology in the home: • Do not leave your child unsupervised • Do not choose software where the program is in control • Do not allow your child unlimited time on the computer • Do not select software that looks appealing to the parent
- 5. Recommendations to Parents Helpful resources for the parents to explore: • Director of a child care setting • A preschool teacher • Technology coordinator of a public school
- 6. Recommendations to Parents Websites that would offer information to aid parents in software selection: • Children’s Software Revue http://childrenssoftware.com/ • Kid’s Domain Family Resource http://www.kidsdomain.com/review/listing.php?cid=software
- 7. Recommendations to Teachers For many of today’s children their first exposure to technology will be in the classroom setting (International Reading Association, 2002)
- 8. Recommendations to Teachers Suggestions for the classroom: • Select software that supports collaboration between students instead of competition • Allow for equitable time on the computer for all students • Select software that has real world connections • Expect professional development • Integrate technology use with classroom instruction
- 9. Recommendations to Teachers Restrictions to consider while working in the classroom: • Do not overuse software that is drill and practice in nature • Do not rush into using technology with the class • Do not deny children with special needs the use of assistive technology
- 10. Recommendations to Teachers Teachers need to become familiar with the philosophy and mission statements of the various educational organizations
- 11. Recommendations to Researchers The impact of technology on the very young learner from ages 0-3 is unknown. There is little research on uses and impact of the media on infants and toddlers (Anderson, 2001). The research varies in opinions as to how certain technologies affect the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of children 3-8 years old.
- 12. Recommendations to Researchers Questions to consider for future studies on the impact of technology in social, cognitive, and physical development of young children: • Considering the lack of research in the area of computer impact on the very young child, what age before three years old would be best to introduce young children to computer and media applications according to DAP and brain research? • When a child is introduced to technology at an age as young as six months, is their development during the remaining years more compared to a child who had no prior technology, but a loving environment filled with non-technical materials.
- 13. Recommendations to Researchers • Computer technology can enable young children with disabilities. Considering this information, how often do ISD’s utilize technology to aid the development of a special needs learner? If not, what adaptations are made? • If computers help young children to foster friendships in the presence of the computer, are the relationships continued on the playground? Does the friendship continue to develop beyond the computer screen?
- 14. Recommendations to Researchers Impact of technology on curriculum integration True computer integration respects the interrelationships of the disciplines – language, mathematics, science – as natural and necessary to achieving the goal of becoming educated about a particular topic (Davis, 1994)
- 15. Recommendations to Researchers Questions to consider for future studies on curriculum integration • No Child Left Behind has had a profound impact on cognitive development for young children. Does technology implemented into the curriculum better prepare students for rigorous high stakes testing? • How much does the old stereotype that boys are better at math and science affect how a young girl perceives technology, specifically the computer?
- 16. Recommendations to Researchers • Will teachers allow a computer technologist to teach a lesson they have written without the computer to be taught using the computer and observe the way the lesson unfolds? If so, will this make a difference in how they view computer technology and its uses?
- 17. Summary The question remains whether we use technology with young children, and if so, when, where, and how? These questions must be answered by parents and educators. Alliance for Childhood issues this statement: Computers are reshaping children’s lives at home and at school, in profound and unexpected ways. Common sense suggests that we consider the potential harm, as well as the promised benefits, of this change (Alliance for Childhood, 2004).
- 18. References Alliance for Childhood Position Statement (2000). Children and computers: A call for action. Retrieved September 5, 2004 from http://www.allianceforchildhood.net/projects/computers/computers_article Anderson, R. & Evans M. K. (2001) Peril and Potential of Media for Infants and Toddlers. Zero To Three. Retrieved September 5, 2004 from http://www.zerotothree.org/ztt_professionals.html Davis, B. & Shade, D. D. (1994). Integrate, don’t Isolate-computers in the early childhood. Retrieved October 9, 2004 from http://www.kidsource.com/kdsource/content2/integrate.computers.html Healy, J. (1998). Failure to connect: how computers affect our children’s minds- and what we can do about it. New York: Touchstone. International Reading Association (2002). Integrating literacy and technology in the curriculum. Retrieved September 1, 2004 from http://www.reading.org/pdf/technology_pos.pdf
- 19. Technology is Here to Stay (Sung to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town) Oh! You better watch out Don’t turn your head and run Working with computers Can really be fun Technology is here to stay Remember to limit the time that is spent With appropriate software within the Learning environment Technology is here to stay You need to watch the kids And you know what to forbid No violence or bias with Culture, gender or age So, find open-ended work And let the child construct Learning will happen with many positive perks Technology is here to stay