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Contents
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Overview
Whether we use technology with young children--and if so, how-are
critical issues facing early childhood educators and parents. This Digest
discusses questions about when children should start using computers;
developmentally appropriate computer activities in preschool,
kindergarten, and early primary classrooms; benefits of computer use;
integration of computers into classrooms; and teacher training.
When to Introduce Children to Computers
Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use
computers (e.g., Hohman, 1998). Computers simply do not match their
learning style. Children younger than 3 learn through their bodies: their
eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Although they may return over and
over again to an activity, they are full of movement, changing focus
frequently. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skills
these children are learning to master: crawling, walking, talking, and
making friends.
Developmentally Appropriate Computer Activities
Unfortunately, computers are used all too often in ways that are
developmentally inappropriate. One study (U.S. Congress, 1995) found that
while "schools are steadily increasing their access to new technologies .
. . most teachers use these technologies in traditional ways, including
drills in basic skills and instructional games" (p. 103). Clements (1994)
makes a similar point, noting, "What we as early childhood educators are
presently doing most often with computers is what research and NAEYC
guidelines say we should be doing least often" (p. 33). Papert (1998)
stresses that computers have an impact on children when the computer
provides concrete experiences, children have free access and control the
learning experience, children and teachers learn together, teachers
encourage peer tutoring, and teachers use computers to teach powerful
ideas. Developmentally appropriate ways to use computers with 3- and
4-year-olds are different from the ways we use computers in kindergarten
and the primary grades.
Computers for Kindergartners and Early Primary Children
As children enter kindergarten and the primary grades,
it is important that they continue to have access to a computer center
with a library of developmentally appropriate software. Children need
opportunities to make choices about some of their computer experiences. In
addition, kindergarten or primary-grade teachers will want to use the
computer for more directed activities that match their learning
objectives. For example, to enhance language skills, children can compose
a letter to a friend or relative using the template provided in
ClarisWorks for Kids or similar software. Children could also work in
small groups using software such as Scholastic's Magic School Bus Explores
the Rainforest to compare two of the seven ecozones in the program. Using
software such as Edmark's Kids' Desk: Internet Safe, other small groups
can investigate these two ecozones on Internet Web sites selected by the
teacher. The groups then merge to share their discoveries and write a
report on the ecozones, illustrating each with pictures drawn by members
of the group or downloaded from the Internet sites. Through exploring
computer experiences, these children build memory skills, learn how to
seek out information, use knowledge until they have a clear understanding
from multiple sources, and integrate their knowledge of how each ecosystem
functions. In the process, they learn to delegate responsibility, interact
with others, solve problems, and cooperate to reach a goal.
Benefits of Computer Use
Research has shown that 3- and 4-year-old children who
use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major
objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains
when compared to children without computer experiences in similar
classrooms-gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge,
long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving,
abstraction, and conceptual skills (Haugland, 1992). The benefits of
providing computers to kindergarten and primary-grade children vary
depending upon the kind of computer experiences offered and how frequently
children have access to computers. The potential gains for kindergarten
and primary children are tremendous, including improved motor skills,
enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on
tests of critical thinking and problem solving, higher levels of what
Nastasi and Clements (1994) term effectance motivation (the belief that
they can change or affect their environment), and increased scores on
standardized language assessments. In addition, computers enhance
children's self-concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of
spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more
frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning (Clements, 1994;
Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith,
1997; Haugland & Wright, 1997; Matthew, 1997).
Integration of Computers Into the Classroom
Early childhood programs serve diverse populations and
have different schedules, curriculums, staffing patterns, resources, and
so on. Goals for computer use and the steps that schools take to integrate
computers into their classrooms may be completely different but equally
successful. A viable beginning is for teachers, administrators, and
parents to share magazine, journal, and newspaper articles they have seen
regarding children using computers. A study group of all the individuals
who have expressed interest in children using computers can then be
organized. The next step is to summarize the benefits of using computers
with young children and to discuss goals for the year, including the cost
of computers and teacher training. A first goal may be obtaining
computers. The ratio of computers to young children is important--at most
1 to 7, preferably 1 to 5. If this ratio cannot be met with the resources
available, it is far better to use a set of computers in a classroom for a
month, quarter, or semester and then rotate them to another classroom.
Equal access for children is essential; even the most talented teacher
will have difficulty integrating computers into his or her classroom with
only one computer. To help in computer selection, the study group can seek
out mentors who have expertise using computers. These mentors might be
teachers currently using computers, a professor at a college, or leaders
in business. The study group may also want to brainstorm possible
fund-raising activities and explore the possibility of obtaining used
computers from businesses-making sure the computers have the capacity to
run software that is currently being marketed for young children.
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