One of the most highly debated, technology-related topics within various education circles is about the age at which it's okay to begin introducing tech tools into student learning experiences. We know that today's students have grown up using technology and plenty of those kids spend countless hours playing games or streaming video content on a family device. Some say this is stunting their development while others say the stimulation is beneficial. While there is truth to each of these, it’s the educational games and challenges that are most valuable for children. There are right ways and wrong ways to introduce kids to technology, including foregoing tablets for more tactile options, which are great for engaging kids at a young age and for stimulating creativity.
EdTech Helps with More than Engagement
A big part of education, as we all know and increasingly attempt to avoid, is testing. Education leaders, however, require that students take tests in order to pass classes or move to the next grade level. We all know that—and it’s been that way for a long time. Testing, however, while required, is not the same as assessment. Sometimes, formative assessments and the unique abilities that teachers see in their students are much more important. Using certain tech tools, educators can design formative assessment activities to measure much more than intellectual ability. The skills students could gain in this process include their ability to problem solve, collaborate, and maximize their resources.
Finding the right technology.
The thing is that, in typical early childhood classrooms, there's not usually a lot of technology for teachers and students. They tend to assume that kids shouldn’t be using technology at that age, but there actually are educational tools specifically for preschool and kindergarten. Over 80 percent of ECE teachers have tried technology in their classrooms and, as long as they’re using beneficial tools, this is encouraging. A lot of the time, we see kids playing digital games for hours at a time. Some of them certainly can help them develop key skills but others, of course, are a waste of time. With hands-on tools, like beginner-level robotics devices, for example, they can actually begin developing STEM skills while they play.
Learning more than technology skills.
Using hands-on STEM tools, like the Cubetto robot, teachers can also begin to conduct their own assessments of students. These include whether they can get the device turned on, if they can use it to solve a problem, or if they can they construct something meaningful with it. All of these are indicators of how their minds are working and whether they’re truly engaged. When they have an idea of how students should be developing and the skills they can learn by using technology, it’s easier for teachers to see their progress. So, it’s not terrible for young kids to be playing games on a tablet (as long as they’re educational). But, overall, we believe that tactile experiences will help them progress more effectively—and do so more quickly.
Why Early Education is So Important
Topics like robotics and artificial intelligence are often focal points in discussions about what the future workforce might entail. That workforce is the one today’s children will someday enter and, even though these kids are only five or six years old right now, they’ll need to prepare eventually. Educators often keep one eye on the future while they teach some of the more traditional concepts in new ways. And, much of this stems from the fact that the world is so different than even just 10 years ago. With so much of the tech industry continuing to trend towards innovations like artificial intelligence becoming commonplace, some education experts believe the key to preparing students for tackling these challenges is beginning in early education. That means they first must create access to high-quality Early Ed programs.
Building a strong foundation in early education.
It’s not just tech skills, however, that these children need—it’s also some of those basics, like reading and math. A child with a solid foundation in these areas will likely be able to develop the STEM skills more easily and adapt to changing environments as well. It may seem silly but research shows that experiences in their first few years definitely impact their futures. In fact, the size of a child’s vocabulary at two years old is a legitimate predictor of academic and behavioral performance in kindergarten. Most kids can’t fully construct sentences and speak coherently at two years old but that doesn’t mean they’re not listening. Kids constantly listen to their parents and start to pick up on the structure of language and, of course, words.
The right types of EarlyEd experiences.
So, what does this mean? Well, basically, parents and teachers must be mindful and may even want to try talking about certain topics that will help kids learn. Another opportunity this presents has to do with digital media. We touched on how young children use tablets to play games that may or may not be educational. When done correctly, however, this can create a great advantage. At this young age, toddlers learn from instant and recognizable feedback, which they often get from touchscreen technologies. Research indicates that replacing toddler screen time with evidence-based activities rather than exclusively consuming video content can improve development. So, keep in mind that technology has its benefits as long as educators filter out the harmful experiences and focus on the good ones.
Redesigning Early Education Starting with Preschool Classrooms
All different children learn best in any number of ways, including throughout each school day and each school year. Even in preschool or kindergarten, teaching has evolved into a science and how children's minds simultaneously develop is also noteworthy. There's promise when it comes to creating standard practices for innovation, curriculum, and classroom design. In fact, much of it is related to the framework it sets for the subsequent years of their education. Research indicates that skills development in one domain (cognitive, social, and interpersonal, for example) can significantly impact skills development in another domain (problem solving, collaboration, or creativity, for example). It has also shown that the environment they’re routinely learning within can profoundly impact their academic and non-academic development.
Soft skills in early education.
In preschool and kindergarten, children commonly learn interpersonal skills as they’re also learning academically. ECE teachers should be aware of this and try to weave opportunities for non-academic skill building into educational activities. A child's ability to follow rules or help a friend can indicate how they pick up literacy or math skills. Creating predictable and structured learning experiences can significantly help students bridge multiple domains and start to develop skills that they can use in many different areas for years to come. To give an example, focusing on helping young kids develop literacy, language, and math skills is very likely to translate to stronger vocabulary and geometry skills a few years later. Essentially, the early experiences kids have often come back to them in one form or another down the road.
Shaping the Early Ed experience.
The non-academic skills, in particular, that children do or do not develop are often a direct result of their everyday school environment. Predictability, stability, and routines provide kids with a number of beneficial experiences both in the immediate aftermath and in the long term. Some things that make learning environments effective include direct instruction, rich texts, classroom dialogue, and consistent routines. Combining these elements in an Early Ed classroom can help create a close-to-ideal environment for developing the most crucial skills. With educators focusing on these outcomes, the curricula they deploy should complement their goals. Overall, the process of teaching counting, reading, and writing is also an opportunity for them to gain vital executive function and social-emotional skills, too.
What Early Childhood Teachers Want from EdTech
You’ve probably heard many people argue about technology in early education and how it has no place in the hands of children this young. Sure, they shouldn’t be overloaded with technology while they learn and they shouldn't be using mindless technology during the school day but tech tools can actually be pretty beneficial for kids—even while they're still in preschool. Not only is the belief that technology stunts intellectual development erroneous, it’s often quite the opposite. In many cases, technology can play a big role in early childhood development. It's a force that helps stimulate certain parts of the brain and allows kids to develop a connection between the actual piece of technology, their hands, and their collective potential.
Technology use limits and purposeful learning.
If you’re thinking about giving preschool or kindergarten kids more access to technology, there are some things to consider. The first is that the technology must be purposeful. It should be used to accomplish a specific goal or to develop a specific skill rather than serving as a reward or simply being used to keep kids busy. Technology, as beneficial as it is, should also be limited when it comes to use in Early Ed. It’s important to not overwhelm or overstimulate children that young, so there’s no need to force technology into every lesson. In fact, about 30-60 minutes of tech use per day is a good number in Pre-K and kindergarten.
Ideal features of early education technology.
Some other things to consider include determining if the technology is age appropriate and if it provides room for exploration. If students are using mobile apps, for example, they need to incorporate new and important skills and concepts. If the activity is too simple or too challenging for a child, they will lose interest or become frustrated. On the other hand, advantageous technology allows kids to flex their creative muscles—perhaps through the chance to paint, draw, and innovate without making a mess. Finally, Early Ed technology should be aligned to both student needs and their interests. They need to feel empowered to make mistakes without fear, receive feedback effectively, and rework their problem-solving approaches. This is what helps them to grow and continue using EdTech for learning as they progress.
Introducing Kids to STEM at an Early Age
In today's college programs, education majors are doing more to prepare for teaching young children with technology. Many actually use various STEM tools to help get a better feel for instructional integration and how students might respond. They know that preschool and kindergarten children are capable of understanding STEM concepts, but need help to start intentionally developing these important skills. Research has shown that kids can actually develop complex thinking skills before they can even speak. Evidence also suggests that play is essential for developing certain STEM skills, like curiosity, questioning, and analysis. Kids are filled with curiosity and technology can help them learn a lot more through creative experiences.
Physical and digital connections in early education.
Obviously, most of the STEM experiences children have in preschool and kindergarten are made possible by their teachers. So, here are some ways in which educators can use technology to provide kids with a solid STEM foundation. First, kids should be using tools with manipulative elements at least some of the time. When they can control these elements, children can see how one action leads to a specific and desired outcome. Teachers can also have students show how simple tools work, like a chair, shelf, or door hinge, for example. This helps them see things in a different way and allows them to work on explanation skills and clarity. Also, what’s described as “repetitive play” can be effective for kids. Using a device to program a robot to do the same thing every time will help them understand that they're using technology to control it.
Stimulating development in other areas.
It's also beneficial for young students to practice different types of play—pretend play, exploratory play, guided play, or free play. These different approaches will help them explore all opportunities, recognize and obey guidelines, and stretch their creativity among other benefits. While they’re engaged in play, teachers can ask “why,” “what,” and “how” questions to better engage them and gauge how the technology is supplementing their learning. Even introducing kids to bigger words can help with their vocabulary skills. They, of course, won’t know the meanings right away but regular exposure should help them learn more quickly. With or without technology, creating active learning experiences is crucial in early education but tech tools can certainly help maximize engagement.
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