Entry Three

Children experience a different world to where I was a child.  Children now have technology and this is their world, it is what they are brought up in and what they know and understand.  So children understand it better than most adults and this influences children in different ways.

Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle (2003) state that using technology in childcare centres is teaching them basic computer skills before getting to school, it is about the information the children can source and along with Bolstad (2004) they say this helps with language development and when working in pairs helps them learn about turn taking and decision making.  Stephen & Plowman (2015) also states that children are developing their cognitive development learning, social and cultural awareness while using technology.  This all happens when children have good support behind them when staff have knowledge and depends on the staffs own confidence with technology and their own beliefs around technology.

Bolstad (2004) says technology has an effect on people and the environment that surround the children learning, providing collaboration, co-operation and positive learning experiences.  “Children experience an environment where they are encouraged to learn with and alongside others” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.70) this can include parents like Bers, New & Boudreau (2004) says learning experiences for parents and children together on technology and when in childcare centres children mirror home-life (Stephen & Plowman, 2013) and bring what they know into the centre.  Bolstad (2004) also states with scaffolding of a teacher technology can benefit children with special learning needs, “children experience an environment where they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88).

So with all that said, technology has a place in childcare centres providing it is used correctly and staff have an understanding on how it works, children can develop good thinking with technology and learn to work alongside others for team work and parents for more learning.  Technology can help with language development.  Technology is a great way to help children move forward and with staff scaffolding them with what they know and what they don’t know getting them to learn more they will be up with technology that will be used at school, having those basic skills of ICT. 

References

Bers, M., New, R., & Boudreau, L. (2004). Teaching and learning when no one is expert: Children and parents explore technology.  Early Childhood Research & Practice, 6(2). Available at http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v6n2/bers.html

Bolstad, R. (2004). The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education: A review of New Zealand and international literature. Wellington: New Zealand Council of Educational Research.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. 

Stephen, C. & Plowman, L. (2013). Digital technologies, play, and learning. Early Childhood Folio, 17(2), 3-8. 

Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003). Examining some common myths about computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web, November 2003, 1-9.