The teachers' use of technology, as well as their behaviors and attitudes, become important as they are second only to the parents in shaping children's futures. Although the teachers' attitudes and behaviors are important in every stage of the children, they are crucial in the preschool period. It is even more important for the teachers who have this awareness to shape and construct their behaviors and attitudes accordingly in order to invest in a better future. With this in mind, the aim is to explain the technology in the preschool period, the levels of teachers' use of technology, their views on technology, and their responsibilities in the use of technology in the preschool period.
TopIntroduction
The rapid developments and advances experienced today have impacted on human life immediately. Technology, which has taken its place even in the houses, has simplified human lives on a large scale, even reducing or eliminating geographical differences. Certainly, this has affected human life significantly. Technological tools have simplified people's lives, but they have also caused traditional values to be exposed to erosion (Gencer, 2012; Okumuş, 2017). Despite this type of negative features, especially in today’s very important technological tools, using technology effectively and efficiently makes human life easier.
The term technology can be described briefly as a technical science, combining technical knowledge with theoretical knowledge. All kinds of tools that introduce technology to human life are expressed as technological tools (Sayan, 2016). Technology, which is quite important, makes people's lives much more comfortable, when it is used properly, but can also lead to many negative consequences, especially addiction (Aral & Doğan-Keskin, 2018; Kabakçı & Odabaşı, 2004; Özoğlu & Bülbül, 2017). Moreover, such attitude may affect children, who see their parents as role-models, even more (Kılınç & Kılınç, 2014). It is stated that children are interested in technological tools from a very early age. There are many factors underlying this interest. Examples of these factors are their parents’ attitudes and behaviours, and the characteristics of the technological tools themselves. However, improper use of technological tools can affect children negatively and these effects can last for a long time. Any kind of childhood experience has the potential to affect the society as well, positively or negatively (Blair, McKinnon, & Daneri, 2018; Diergarten, Mockel, Nieding, & Ohler, 2017). At this point, it can be stated that inculcating the habit of using technology properly in children is a necessity. All kinds of experiences and habits the family has to provide to children continue at school. In this context, teachers, who are living elements of schools, become very important.
Teachers have a great role and responsibility in building the future of a society. The teacher can be considered as an architect that shapes and directs the society both by his/her education and teaching activities, and his/her behaviours as well as attitudes that should be exemplary (Brownlee, Scholes, Walker, & Johansson, 2016; Çalışkur, Demirhan, & Bozkurt, 2012). Therefore, the importance of teachers' use of technological tools and their attitudes towards these tools among educational activities cannot be denied, particularly nowadays. This importance is particularly more determinative in the preschool period, when personality begins to form (Bencik-Kangal & Özkızıklı, 2015). In the literature review, the author found a limited number of studies on preschool teachers' use of technology and their attitudes towards technology (Blackwell, Lauricella, Wartella, Robb, & Schomborg, 2013; Chong-Liong, Sing-Choi, Ling-Koh, Yong, & Tsai, 2013; Clements & Sorama, 2003; Dale-McMannis & Guwing, 2012; Demir, 2015; Hacısalihoğlu-Karadeniz, 2014; Ihmedieh, 2009; İliş, 2006; Kuzgun & Özdinç, 2017; Yılmaz, Tomris, & Kurt, 2016). Based on all these, the following sections will address technology in the preschool period, preschool teachers' use of technology, teachers' attitudes and behaviours towards technological tools, and their roles and responsibilities in using technology.