Abstract
Early childhood (EC) teachers need ongoing professional development (PD) to use information and communications technology (ICT) intentionally with young children. This chapter bridges the existing literature on PD best practices with additional interview data from EC teachers and higher education faculty. Three frames of influence on EC teachers' uses of ICT are discussed: personal – beliefs and comfort with technology; institutional – mandated curriculum, affordances of equipment, and ongoing personalized support; and societal – pervasive reliance on technology and influence on young children's future careers. The chapter concludes with PD recommendations for ICT that is content- and pedagogy-focused, based on research and policy, provides options for PD types and timing with follow up supports, and includes EC teachers in shared decision making for appropriate ICT practices in their classrooms.
TopLiterature Review
Overview
While technology is pervasive in our ever-changing digital society and in children’s homes (Rideout & Robb, 2020), EC teachers are still exploring the uses of ICT with young children. EC teachers become frustrated with the lack of EC focused professional development and struggle with the conflicting advice of the importance of ICT and “screen time” cautions for young children (Straker et al., 2018). Ideally, teachers considering the use of ICT with young children should utilize evidence-based guiding principles regarding ICT as a tool to support learning and enrich hands-on activities. In reality, other factors may impact or conflict their decision making, such as teachers’ perceptions about ICT use, the effectiveness of teacher preparation and PD related to ICT as well as access to hardware and programs/apps (Donohue, 2015; Donohue, 2020; Fenty & Anderson, 2014; Mertala, 2019).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Common Sense Media: Due to the everchanging, influences of digital media, social networks, new uses for technology for children and adolescents, this non-profit organization provides research and guidance to policy makers, parents, and teachers.
Blended Learning: Learning in the classroom and at home can integrate intentionally selected technology mediated activities and digital family communications with traditional hands-on, in person instruction with tangible materials.
Media Mentor: A person who takes on the role of supporting and providing personalized guidance to teachers and families to make informed decisions about digital information, hardware, robots, and screen media may be a teacher, instructional specialist, school librarian, media specialist.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT): This includes any digital devices/ hardware (i.e., computers, tablets, Smart boards, smartphones) as well as the software, apps, internet searches, games, online learning materials, e-books, coding, and websites that children use or create on those devices.
Platform: The computing operating system hardware, a web browser or digital environment that runs software encompasses specific requirements, affordances, and limitations.
National Association For The Education of Young Children (NAEYC): This professional organization promotes high quality learning for young through conferences, publications, and position statements including the 2012 Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth to Age Eight position statement co-authored by the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media which serves to guide teachers’ decision making related to classroom ICT use.
Multi-Literacies: To support equity, children should be able to express and represent what they know and can do using multiple forms of literacy. Options should include traditional forms such as drawing, speaking, writing, gesture, creating a model, and play as well as new digital literacies such as digital photos. word processing, using the internet to research a topic, and web quests.
Constructivist: This approach focuses on young children’s active learning with multiple tools and people, exploration, creation through authentic projects, collaboration with peers and adults, and reflection to support new learning and adjust missteps.
Media Literacy: The process of becoming wise consumers and producers of media involves critically evaluating media using skills such as analysis, induction, deduction, and synthesis.