use of technology in early childhood classrooms

1. TECHNOLOGY IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
By: Mandy Galle EDUC W200 26754

2. Presentation Overview
Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom
 Summary
 Reflection
Technology in Early Childhood Education – Finding the Bala
 Summary
 Reflection
Learning and Technology
 Summary
 Reflection
Conclusion

3. Technology in the Early Childhood
Classroom
“As with any
le arning
to o l,
te chno lo g y
sho uld be
use d
alo ng side a
varie ty o f
le arning
e xpe rie nce s
. ”
 Adults consistently model for children the use of
technology in everyday life.
 Technology needs to be introduced to children
before they can be expected to use it
independently.
 Instructional strategies coupled with technology
can creative powerful learning experiences.
 The use of technology helps children practice
skills and better understand concepts.
 Interactive educational games provide immediate
feedback and encouragement to children.
 Software can provide individualized instruction by
allowing children to work at their own skill levels.
 Multimedia provides nonlinguistic representation
for learning subjects using a combination of
audio, video and interactivity.

4. Continued…
 Kidspiration (a software application)
 Humphrey Bear’s “What Doesn’t Belong?” Game
 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
 Starfall
 BBC Little Animals Activity Game
 Get Ready to Read
Identifying Similarities and
Differences
Homeworkand Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
Generating and Testing
Hypothesis
Create a Graph
National Geographic WildCam AFRICA
PBS Kids Africa
PBS Parents Creativity Challenge
National Library of Virtual
Manipulatives

5. Personal Reflection
There is an array of websites and software available to scaffold
learning in early childhood classrooms. “As with any learning
tool, technology should be used alongside a variety of learning
experiences.”
Elizabeth Ross Hubbell states, “Technology is and will
continue to be an integral part of classrooms, workplaces and
our everyday life. Using technology helps early learners to
communicate, practice life skills, and better understand
concepts. If used pragmatically in the early childhood
classroom, students will be better equipped to begin using 21st
century tools independently as they enter elementary schools.”
I believe that the use of technology in a classroom can help
bring a concept full circle for children. It’s not just enough to
tell children about a topic, you need to help them experience it.
Through the use of various forms of media and technology,
teachers can truly help children make learning more
meaningful. The more meaningful it is, the more a child is
likely to retain the concept.

6. Technology in Early Childhood
Education – Finding the Balance
“Whate ve r
m ate rials o r
to o ls are
be st suite d
to the
activity will
be use d;
so m e tim e s
co m pute rs
are the be st
to o ls fo r the
jo b, and
so m e tim e s
the y are no t;
the se cre t is
kno wing the
diffe re nce . ”
Children birth to age eight learn through play and exploration.
Technology in the classroom enhances learning in a
variety of ways.
 Computers motivate young children and contribute to
cognitive and social development.
 Computers can enhance children’s self concept and their
attitudes toward learning.
 Children show increased levels of spoken communication
and cooperation during computer use.
 Children share leadership roles and initiate interactions
more frequently. They engage in turn taking and peer
collaboration.
 Children tend to narrate what they are doing at the
computer as they type text or move objects around on the
screen.

7. Using computers with supporting activities provides
a greater benefit than using any one thing alone.
Learning is a layered process!

8. Personal Reflection
“Whatever materials or tools are best suited to the
activity will be used; sometimes computers are the best
tool for the job, and sometimes they are not; the secret is
knowing the difference.” Teachers cannot rely on
technology alone to be the only method of learning in
their classrooms. Just as teachers cannot rely on only
books or manipulatives to explain a concept. All learning
needs to come from a variety of sources. Learning
becomes the most meaningful when children can
thoroughly understand and explore a concept. When
used in conjunction with other modes of learning,
technology can be a very powerful tool in the classroom.

9. Learning and Technology
Do im ag e s and
e ve nts o n the
scre e n re pre se nt
e xpe rie nce s that
have m e aning fo r
the child?
Is the child able
to m ake
co nne ctio ns
be twe e n what is
o n the scre e n
and what is in the
re alwo rld?
Do e s the child
re ally unde rstand
who co ntro ls the
co m pute r, o r is
he /she rando m ly
hitting ke ys?
From birth to age 3, the answers to these questions is usually
“no”. Around the age of 3, the answers begin to change
from “no” to “yes”.
Social Development
 Computer use fosters social interactions.
 Place the computer in an area of the class that is open for
sharing. Place extra chairs at the computer so that other
children may participate.
 Ask children open ended questions about their work on
the computer.
 Offer comments about what they are doing. The adult
attention is important.
Approaches Toward Learning
 Provide a lot of opportunities for children to interact with
many things in the classroom (blocks, dolls, clay etc.)

10. Continued…
Make sure that connections are drawn from computer learning to real
world experiences by encouraging the children to use all 5 senses.
Limit screen time to less than 1 hour per day.
Language Development
Use open ended software that encourages thought and conversation.
Make sure to use 3 dimensional objects to make the connection
between letter and number symbols seen on the screen to the real world.
Cognition and General Knowledge
Help children understand the “if then” sequences on the computer.
Explain what happens while they are on the computer. If you press this
button, this will happen.
Pay close attention to social interactions at the computer.

11. Personal Reflection
“Computers do not provide the kinds of learning they
(children under age 3) need for the growth and
development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills.” It
is important to remember that computers are not for
everyone. Children need to be ready to reap the benefits
of technology. Young children simply do not understand
that images on a screen could have any meaning for
them. It is important for older children to couple their
computer learning with other “real world” experiences. If
they are doing a lesson on the computer about how
plants grow, it is important for them to also physically
work with dirt and seeds and observe how plants grow.
Adult interaction with children during their computer time
is very important. As adults ask open ended questions, it
encourages more critical thinking from the child.

12. Conclusion
Computers in the
classroom enhance
learning. It is important to
remember that computers
must be used in
conjunction with a variety
of other materials to get the
most benefit from the
technology. Choose
software that makes sense.
Encourage conversation
between students at the
computer. Expand
concepts by providing “real
world” experiences. You
can provide an enriching
learning environment for
your students!

13. References
Hubbell, Elizabeth Ross. (March 2007). Technology in the Early
Childhood Classroom. Le arning Co nne ctio ns. Retrieved April 18,
2009 from
http://www.mcrel.org/pdf/educationtechnology/9713IR_TechEarlyCh
ildhood.pdf
Unknown. (June 2001). Technology in Early Childhood Education –
Finding the Balance. NWREL. Retrieved April 18, 2009 from
http://www.nwrel.org/request/june01/technology.html
Unknown. Learning and Technology. Early Co nne ctio ns. Retrieved
April 18, 2009 from
http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/childcare/technology.html