This document discusses the role and potential benefits and risks of using information and communication technologies (ICT) in early childhood education. It outlines several benefits, such as supporting child development, learning key areas like communication and problem solving, and helping children from diverse backgrounds. Potential risks include physical and social issues as well as exposure to inappropriate content. The document also provides examples of how ICT tools like Tux Paint and online story websites can support learning through play, creativity, and interaction. Overall, it argues that ICT can positively contribute to early education when used in developmentally appropriate ways.

1. Caritas Institute of Community Education
Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education
2017-2018
Technology and Early Childhood Education
Assignment 1
Name : Cheng Tsz Ching
Class : B

2. The aim of this essay is to talk about the role and the potential benefits and risks
of using ICT in Early Childhood Education. Also, the rationale of using ICT for
supporting young children’s learning experience will be justified. In the wake of
technology development is becoming mature, ICT acts as an essential role in Early
Childhood Education, for example teachers may make use of ICT as one of the
teaching tools while children can make use of ICT as learning tools.
Moreover, there are some both potential benefits and risks in using ICT in Early
Childhood Education. First of all, the potential benefits of the usage of ICT can
support child development and early learning, and it can serve as environment and the
tools, for example: the psychological tools and technical tools. It can also support the
key areas of learning in Early Childhood Education; there are communication and
collaboration, creativity socio-dramatic play, learning to learn. In addition, it can
support literacy development, it can help children observe, fix, memorize, describe
and share their impressions with others, and to find answers to their questions.
Furthermore, it can support mathematical thinking and problem solving skills, provide
much richer context for children’s problem solving, open-ended mathematical
problems, projects integrating math skills and mathematical experiments, help to
present mathematics to children in visual and tangible forms. Apart from these, It can
support the development of controlling and planning skills, extend the scope of
different kinds of games, some symbolically represent reality and imitating real events
and choices, for example: card games, chess and domino, etc. And, it can support
children from diverse cultural or language background, allow children to engage in
self-exploration (Kalas, 2010).
The potential risks of using ICT in early childhood education are that it may

3. causes harmful physical effects of prolonged computer use by children, negative
effects on children’s social development, such as promote anti-social behavior like
isolation or aggressive behavior; Developmental concerns because computer use can
interfere with children’s cognitive development; exposure to unsuitable content for
example: material of a sexual or violent nature, or containing inappropriate gender,
cultural, or social stereotypes; other important learning and play activities may be
displaced by computer use (Kalas, 2010).
To discuss what and how to teach children technology with the use of ICT, the
teaching method depends on the nature of the topic. Certain topics are easily
adaptable to group discussions, while some need to be explained, some can be
debated, while others require lab work. For a topic that requires many pictures,
animation, videos, etc., to be shown, multimedia can be used in the classroom.
PowerPoint is one of the very useful tools in making multimedia presentations on
topics of study. Pictures and information on a variety of topics are available on the
Internet which facilitates the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Also, during the
lesson, teachers may give students worksheets to respond based on the PowerPoint as
the lesson proceeds, this helps students to assimilate information (Anna,2012) .
In the following, the rationale of using ICT for supporting young children’s
learning experience will be justified. At first, teachers can use ICT Tools in teaching
children painting and drawing. Tux Paint is a free, award-winning drawing program
for children ages 3 to 12, such as preschool and K1-P6. Tux Paint can be applied in
schools as a computer literacy drawing activity. It combines an easy-to-use interface,
fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use
the program (About Tux Paint, n.d.). This tool allows students learning knowledge

4. through playing computers as play is one of the main ways in which children learn. It
helps to build self-worth by giving a child a sense of his or her own abilities and to
feel good about them. Also, it is help them develop the ability to concentrate as they
are using the tool. Trough drawing and painting pictures, it can encourage student’s
creativity, imagination and expression of feelings (How children learn through play,
n.d.).
In addition, teachers can use some network tools to let the children learn. For
example, some online websites, like “BrianPOP”, “Storyline Online”, they can show
children some stories and have some games to give children to play after they read the
stories. The games may be in form of some quiz games or puzzle games which make
more interaction with children. This allows students not only sit on the seat and just
listen the teacher to say, but also they can interact with teachers and the computers
through using those websites to learn and to study.
There is a growing recognition of many different ways that ICT can contribute to,
or transform, the activities, roles, and relationships experienced by children and adults
in early childhood education settings. Several studies suggest that ICT can be a useful
tool for supporting young children’s learning and development. And it can provide a
context for collaboration, co-operation, and positive learning experiences between
children, or between children and adults. It can also be used to support a wide range
of practices that directly or indirectly support children’s learning and development,
which include directly supporting and scaffolding children’s use of ICT. Using ICT
may assess children’s learning and activities and reflect on children’s and educators’
interactions in the early childhood education setting. Apart from these, it helps to
build curricula from children’s interests, ideas, and experience. Also ICT can help to

5. strengthen and support family involvement in children’s learning among others
(Otucu Bonny, 2013).
In conclusion, the role and the potential benefits and risks of using ICT in Early
Childhood Education have been discussed. And, the rationale of using ICT for
supporting young children’s learning experience has also been justified. Moreover, in
order to let ICT makes a contribute on early childhood education, it needs to be used
by young children in ways which recognize and respect how they learn most
effectively, and what is involved in helping them to become confident and be a
creative thinkers.
Words: 1000

6. References
About Tux Paint, (n.d). Open Source Drawing Software for Children. Retrieved 26 NOV
from http://www.tuxpaint.org/
Bonny Otucu, (2013). Why ICT is important in Early Childhood Development and
Education today. Lango Samaritan Initiative Organization (LSIO). Retrieved 26
NOV from
https://langosamaritan.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/why-ict-is-important-in-e
arly-childhood-development-and-education-today/
George Anna Neena, (2012). How to use ICT to teach. Retrieved 26 NOV from
http://www.teachersofindia.org/en/article/how-use-ict-teach
How children learn through play, (n.d). How children learn through play - Family Lives.
Retrieved 26 NOV from
https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/toddler-preschool/learning-play/how-
children-learn-through-play/
Kalas, I. (2010). Recognizing the Potential of ICT in Early Childhood Education. The
UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education.