Monday, May 20, 2013

Technology in Pre-K



Hello Friends,

As we know, young children perceive the importance of technology in our lives, and this is not a recent development. What is new is the the rate of change in our technlogical capabilities. Because computer technology has become ubiquitous in our society, it seems like a natural progression to introduce it at a very early age. Educators need to look at this impulse very carefully, though. Not every important development that society embraces can be accessible to the very young child.

There are few experiences a young child can have through a computer which would not be more meaningful in real life. Counting monkeys on a screen is not superior to actually counting a concrete set of objects the child can manipulate with his hands. The early childhood years are an important formative period and one of the greatest dangers is that tasks and ideas which are better suited to the elementary years may get pushed into the early childhood curriculum in the name of preparation.

Young child are having a real and very important life right now, they are not living in preparation for kindergarten. If teachers focus on tasks that are developmentally appropriate, there should be no need to concern ourselves with children's readiness, they will be ready for much more than just kindergarten, they will be on the road to becoming life-long learners.

But if we allow the tasks and tools of the elementary years to occupy the hands and minds of young children, they may fail to develop the abilities to interact with the environment (and the people in it)in meaningful ways. What are your thoughts about using technology with the youngest learners? We would not encourage families to plop their child in front of the TV. What's so different about an i-Pad? Here's an article in EdWeek--check out their thoughts on this topic.  Let's talk.

Proper Role of Ed-Tech in Pre-K a Rising Issue

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