Technology in the Curriculum: Technology In Early Childhood Education: Finding the Balance [By Request... June 2001]

The use of technology in the curriculum is based on the needs of the children, the focus of the curriculum, and whether the technology will add to children's educational opportunities and experiences.

The age of the child and his or her developmental stage must be taken into account when considering computer use. Two important questions need to be asked when introducing young children to anything new, including technology:

Is it developmentally appropriate — is it consistent with how a child develops and learns, and with the child's current developmental stage?
Will the activity benefit the child?

For very young children the answers to these questions are usually "no." Computer use for most children under age three does not have meaning for the child.

Three to Five Years, or Preschool

Children's activities and experiences with computers will evolve over time as they grow and develop. Very young children often use computers with help from an adult or older child. As they mature children use computers more independently, and the teacher's role moves from guidance toward monitoring and active facilitation.

Young children learn through exploration and discovery. If computers are used with children in kindergarten, preschool, or childcare settings, the computer should be one of many activity choices they can explore (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994). During choice time, for example, a computer center may be one of several options.

Children frequently use computers for short periods, then become interested in another activity. Three- to five-year-olds generally spend about the same amount of time at a computer as they do on other activities such as playing with blocks or drawing. They are more interested and less frustrated when an adult is present, and much of the computer use will be facilitated or mediated by the teacher, which is consistent with best practice at this level (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).

For this age the value of the computer is in its open-ended use, not in creating a product (Davidson & Wright, 1994). The teacher's role is to create an environment in which children become aware and explore, and then act to support their exploration and inquiry in many different ways. Software programs for this age group should be limited in number and appropriate for children's skill level and the intended use.

Five to Eight Years, or Primary Grades

As children become more able to read and write on their own they are not limited to icons and pictures on the screen for understanding. More opportunities for independent use become available with increasing language and literacy skills. For example, simple word processors become important educational tools as children experiment with written language.

The teacher's role is to set up the environment and activities, matching technology use to the curriculum as well as to the children's needs and interests. The teacher is less involved in directing the activities, and more involved in monitoring student activities, intervening as necessary to guide and pose questions that encourage thinking.

USING TECHNOLOGY FOR A REAL PURPOSE

Good pedagogy and sound learning objectives should guide the choice of materials and tools, including technology, to be used in learning activities (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994; Davis & Shade, 1999). "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" (Davis & Shade, 1999, p. 237).

Computers are powerful tools that, as with other technologies, are most beneficial when used as a natural part of the learning experience. This includes:

Integrating computers into the classroom environment.
Using them as a part of the ongoing curriculum.
Applying their use to real problems for a real purpose.
(Davis & Shade, 1994)

Written language, like oral language, is learned by doing things with words in the real world, using language for a purpose (Novick, 1998). Early childhood classrooms encourage written literacy by providing materials to use in pretend play, and by encouraging children to express themselves in writing (IRA & NAEYC, 1998). Studies indicate that word-processing software encourages writing, and leads to increased motivation and improvement in writing skills.

Computers and writing programs can be used with preschool-aged children to explore written language, and their use can be successfully integrated into process-oriented writing programs as early as first grade or kindergarten. (Clements & Nastasi, 1993). Such software:

Provides critical support, or scaffolding, for young writers, enabling them to perform tasks they could not perform by themselves (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).
Allows children to compose longer and more complex stories and worry less about mistakes (Davis & Shade, 1994).
Facilitates positive attitudes toward writing and word processing among children from kindergarten through primary grades (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).
Encourages students to write more, more effectively, and with greater fluency (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow, 1995).
Helps children gain confidence in their writing and increases motivation to write more when using computers than with paper and pencil (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).

Computers also provide students a private place for practice while learning, without fear of public failure. "Especially during the primary grades, when children are expected to acquire an acceptable level of mastery of mathematical content and literacy, the computer can serve as a supportive tool for those children who have more than average difficulty succeeding" (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994, p. 59).

COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOM

Studies show that when computers are located in the classroom, children's developmental gains from using appropriate software are significantly greater than when they are in a computer lab (Davis & Shade, 1999). Reasons cited include:

Limited exposure to computers when they are placed in labs.
The tendency to use drill-and-practice software in labs, while more tool-oriented software is used in classrooms.
Less collaboration and peer tutoring in lab settings.

Other studies offer additional support for locating computers in the classroom:

Using a computer laboratory pulls children out of their usual setting and takes away other rich options (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
Using a program as whole-group instruction, common in a lab setting, denies the computer's power as an individual teaching tool (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
Computers within the classroom enable children to use or not use them as they wish (Davidson & Wright, 1994).

As detailed in the Social and Emotional Developmental section, arranging the classroom to allow and encourage conversation around the computers is essential in creating opportunities for student interaction.

CHOOSING SOFTWARE

To allow children to reap the greatest benefits from using technology, the software must be developmentally appropriate, that is, consistent with the way children learn and develop, and support or extend the curriculum (NAEYC, 1996). Select software that:

Is open ended and allows for active learning with students making decisions.
Involves many senses and contains sound, music, or voice.
Is controlled by the children, and allows them to explore without fear of making mistakes.
Responds to children's exploration in ways that encourage further investigation.
Reflects and builds on what children already know.
Applies to real problems with real-life connections.
Elicits excitement and so encourages language.
(Davidson & Wright, 1994; Davis & Shade, 1994; NAEYC, 1996)

Drawing programs and music-making programs are examples of software that may have these characteristics. Children can create pictures and music that reflect a variety of abilities and interests, limited only by their imaginations.

Drill-and-Practice Software

Drill-and-practice or computer-assisted instruction (CAI) software, similar to electronic worksheets or flashcards, is frequently used to strengthen academic performance. This type of program should be used for limited amounts of time, not as the major focus of computer use. While such software can lead to gains in certain skills, it has not been as effective in improving children's conceptual skills (Clements, 1999). "The effectiveness of computer learning depends critically on the qual-ity of the software, the amount of time children work with the software, and the way in which they use it. Not surprisingly, studies indicate that CAI can be effective only if teachers consider such critical features" (Clements, 1994, p. 33).

These results are consistent with evidence from educational research that does not focus on technology. Such studies suggest that "preschool programs based on child-initiated learning activities contribute to children's short- and long-term academic and social development, while preschool programs based on teacher-directed lessons obtain a short-term advantage in children's academic development by sacrificing a long-term contribution to their social and emotional development" (Schweinhart, 1997, p. 3). The child as active participant in the learning process is an important element of long-term learning gains.

OTHER TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES

In addition to computers, many other types of technology can be used effectively with children. The setting, the purpose, and the developmental stages of the children will help decide the best choices for a particular situation. The technology available and commonly used in the community may also influence the choice.

Tape recorders support early literacy experiences. They allow children to listen to recorded stories or songs, or to follow along in a book as they hear it being read on tape. Children can record family stories, their own made-up stories, poems, and songs, or themselves reading aloud. When adults write down children's stories — from children's dictated words or from the tape recorder — children see how the spoken word can turn into the written word. These activities integrate all aspects of literacy: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. They help children develop their storytelling ability and an understanding of how sound translates to print. Children learn that:

What they say can be written down.
What is written down can be read.
What others say can be written down.
They can read what others write down.
(Novick, 1998)

Cameras — film, video, or digital — record students' activities while they are at work, as well as performances and special events. Children can tell a story in pictures and write or dictate captions. Photos share the learning with other students, parents, and community members. Photos can also introduce teachers and staff members to new students and families during home visits.

TV/VCRs play back videos of class activities and recordings of students. Children and families have a chance to see the results of their projects and learn from watching the performances. Videos may be loaned to family members who were not able to attend in person.

Fax machines are a way to reach out to other schools and outside organizations, to gather information, and to keep in touch with parents. Fax machines can provide immediate feedback that keeps children involved.

Portable keyboards are lightweight, inexpensive machines that are easy to carry around and use in many different situations — in the classroom, out in the schoolyard, at home, or on field trips. They allow children (or adults who take children's dictation) to type, edit, and electronically store text. The text can be transferred to a computer for formatting and graphics if desired, or sent directly to a printer.