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Technology is very important in early childhood education. Educational studies have shown that icons, photos, and other visual symbols are important for the early development of reading and learning, since they facilitate the development of speech, writing, and reading.
However, critical areas within the early learning circle in preschool must always be respected. Music, dance, visual arts, physical activities, exposure to nature, and the development of social skills are areas that must not be compromised.
How can technology be PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED IN CLASSROOMS?
The secret to integrating technology in preschool classrooms is to see it as any other tool or material for teaching specific skills and concepts. The use of technology in schools is intended to expand, enrich, implement, individualize, differentiate, and extend the curriculum.
Education experts say that the iPad is not just a fun toy, but a very powerful tool that is changing the face of education. Early developmental and learning needs align very well with the appropriate use of technology in the classroom, especially iPads. In this way, students can learn through exploration that promotes collaboration and communication for more effective learning.
What benefits does using technology in the classroom provide?
Studies show that children display a diversity of learning styles, and that the optimal way for them to learn goes beyond the traditional approach in which a teacher directs instruction verbally. All educators must be more sensitive when teaching these different learning styles, especially with a student population as diverse as those in our Latin American countries.
Many of these developmental and learning needs align very well with the appropriate use of classroom technology, especially through exploration, manipulation of symbolic representations, alternative learning styles, and adjustments to learning formats that students can control and adapt to meet their individual needs.
Inappropriate use of technology in classrooms
There is also a danger that technology may be used inappropriately in classrooms, but that is what proper, regular teacher training is for. Professionals must be available who can select applications, programs, and websites appropriate to children's development at those ages.
It is very important for parents to be involved in teaching their children at home when it comes to technology. They must know how to set limits so their children learn to make good use of it.
Children should also be taught digital ethics: the ability to distinguish right from wrong in this area, whether on social media, when sending texts, or even when avoiding copying information from the internet without citing its source.
We need technology in every classroom and in the hands of every student and every teacher, because it is the pen and paper of our time.
David Warlick
Source: la prensa.com