Teacher Technology Integration in Early Childhood

How do we increase technology integration in the early childhood classroom?

Teachers’ technology use in the classroom would increase if teachers felt confident in their technology pedagogy, school support, and the positive impact on student learning. 

I feel that the teachers that I work with would be open to using new technologies in their early childhood classrooms if they felt that the technologies were relevant for their learning objectives and developmental level, that they would have the support and resources they needed to implement the technology, and that the learning curve would not be overwhelming.  This blog post Learning, Digital Media and Creative Play in Early Childhood  provides examples of implementing developmentally appropriate applications of technology in an early childhood setting.

If I could model the implementation as an administrator, or pre-service professor,  that would provide them with a minimized learning curve, I think they would actually be excited about trying something new.  Especially if the technology engaged their students.  I have found when presenting new teaching methodologies, that teachers love to see their students engaged and enthusiastic about their learning.  That engagement becomes contagious.  When the students are excited, the teachers become excited about their teaching and their learning.

From Fear to Facebook

     I have just finished reading the first few chapters of From Fear to Facebook by Matt Levinson.  In this book, Matt Levinson shares the journey of the Nueva school as they establish their one-to-one laptop program.  I was really intrigued by many of his observations and insights.  He points out that adults use technology as a source for information and as a means of communication, while children use new technology as a tool for entertainment and socializing.  The school discovered, as many educators and parents have also discovered, that there is a great disconnect between how teachers and students use technology.  Sherry Turkle ,who was interviewed by the PBS Frontline -digital nation life on the virtual frontier investigation, also points out that as students use technology to socialize, we have a generation that would rather text than engage in a face-to-face encounter because texting is less risky.  And so the questions are raised, what communication skills are our children developing?  How do we maintain the ability to communicate in a professional environment while enjoying the plethora of information that is available through the new technologies?  And how do we bridge the gap between what our students think is important as far as technology use, and what educators see as possibilities?

     I thought he had an important insight as far as implementation about a new program such as the one-to-one laptop program, and that is the need to include students and parents both in any type of acceptable use policy for technology.  As we read through the research last weekend in class, that same concept was reinforced for encouraging implementation of technology in school.  Teachers need to see how the technology can improve their teaching.  Modeling of appropriate use must occur in the school setting, and just like at Nueva, the teachers must have a voice in implementation of technology integration.

     I also wanted to check and see if the one-to-one laptop program still existed at Nueva, and I found out it is alive and well.