Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom

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Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom

• Julie Small
• Kindergarten Teacher
• www.angelfire.com/funky/julie17

Click the photo for a video introduction.
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Introduction

• How young is too young?
• Is it appropriate?
• What are they learning?

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What is Technology?

• Definitions
• NAEYC
• -Computers
• -Telecommunications
• -Multimedia
• Scholastic
• -children using cameras, computers, tape
  recorders and video cameras
• PA Academic Standards
• -application of tools, materials, processes and
  systems by humans to solve problems and provide
  benefits to humankind

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What Research Tells Us

• Work shared with peers creates community of
  learners
• Opportunity for fluency and complex speech
• Highly engaging, empowering, and exciting
• Opportunity for success for children with fine
  motor difficulty
• Powerful tool if used the right way

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What is the Right Way?

• Integrate technology into the curriculum as an
  extension of concepts being learned
• Keep computers in the classroom rather than
  isolating them
• Use software and activities that are enriching
  for the students and will reinforce the
  curriculum goals

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Useful Sites

• Starfall
• Interactive website focused mainly on phonics
  instruction
• KidsPsych
• Unique website designed to help children develop
  cognitive-thinking and deductive-reasoning
  skills
• Apple Learning Interchange
• Site for early childhood educators who need
  ideas for integrating technology into the
  classroom
• All pictures are links to sites

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What the kids are saying
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One kindergarteners favorite computer experience
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Extend the curriculum
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Incorporate favorite stories in a new way
From Dr. Seuss Oh, The Places Youll Go
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Conclusion

• Technology offers young children unique and
  interesting ways to explore and manipulate the
  world around them
• Technology enhances social and emotional
  development, language development, cognition and
  general knowledge
• Must be used the right way
• The earlier the exposure, the better
• Click the picture for an audio recommended
  follow-up to this presentation

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References

• NW Regional
• Educational Library
• NAEYC
• Beyond the Journal
• Scholastic
• Education World

• PA Academic Standards
• KidsPsych
• Starfall
• Apple Learning Interchange
• Oh, The Place Youll Go by Dr. Seuss