Technology opens windows to other people’s experiences and knowledge, what enriches our learning process. Besides, the possibilities of communication are bigger than with multimedia since everyone can interact with each other and can build new knowledges.
Technology can have a drastic impact on the learning and education of a child. Based on the concept of Cone of Experience (hierarchy of experience) developed by Edgar Dale, his concept prioritized the intensity of different learning styles and the diverse ways of learning in the classroom. Most of our students show more qualities towards the oral/auditives and visual learning styles. Today there is still no scientific evidence of the depth of each learning, but the experts in neuroeducation (the discipline that studies how the brain learns), states that to acquire knowledge you need to be excited and interested in what you are learning . Technology is transforming the way we learn in classrooms and many colleges are becoming interested in technology, re-imagining 360-degree scenes that allow students to feel content rather than simply reading or listening to them.
Digital devices as part of the 21st century student’s academic life
There are many advantages to using technology in the PreK classroom. Some of the benefits in doing so is that it enriches and broadens their horizons and lets them experience learning in a completely different way. In my classroom I have seen that it allows students to focus more, and as a result the students enjoy learning in a new format. A perfect example is when we use the tablet to introduce letters and sounds with the apps already installed. This allows for the students to be engaged and motivated to participate. They become familiar with using the apps and they become more engaged with learning their letters and sounds. Another important factor is that they enjoy the way concepts are presented with bright colors and sounds and they are able to interact with the content presented. Their curiosity is sparked because it focuses more on their likes and interests. During an observation focusing on the class during this time, the teachers also detected that those students who did not normally participate in class, were encouraged to do so with the use of tablets.
Now the main problem is the mobiles. In schools there is terror to the use of mobile, in most centers is prohibited and is even badly seen that teachers bring them to the classroom. Idea of school with no use of tablets, iPads or smartphones, and parents...
The use of mobile phones by minors is an upward trend. One in three children aged 10 years has one; 80.4% of those aged 13 years and 95% when they exceed 15, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. Although in the USA there is no official data on how many schools use the phones in class compared to those who Prohibit, if it is known that each year many teachers are trained in digital skills.
The immersive experiences manage to extend the time of attention of the students and improve the abilities to work in group, according to the study Virtual Reality. The next step in the future of education, prepared by the University of Gothenburg. Integrating virtual reality experiences into academic programs can help children with difficulties withholding textbook information to better process content, the study said.
We can highlight the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) integration in the learning process and some of the main points of its role playing to get the learning goals:
Positive environment since it is a requirement to create a positive atmosphere that invite students to participation and learning together, in which the promotion of positive values of respect to others is a key concept.
Improvements in the learning process.
Consistency. The use of ICT should be part of the daily learning process.
Philosophy of teaching of the school: innovation, communication and diversity, new opportunities of learning, new scenarios, respect,... many specific conditions must be taken into account.
New ways of learning with digital devices
According to some experts technology by itself does not produce learning,however those facts depend on the learning goals. For example, if one student uses a computer without knowledge or experience, then that student will not progress unless taught how to do so. ICT devices, in comparison to paper or audiovisual devices, can be manipulated by students, which in turn offers them possibilities to interact with the knowledge and the processes of learning, and can connect students from different places around the world at the same time.
It is important to make clear some ideas when talking about technology and education. As we said above, it is important to put a purpose of learning, technology by itself doesn’t produce learning. Teachers and educators should have formation in educational technology and its use in schools in order to provide students better possibilities of learning. Dealing with differentiation, technology can cope with the different ways of learning. Technology in education help students to get digital skills and competences, compulsory for their future as part of a global world. In relation to the previous idea, technology offers different ways of work: individual (cognitive skills development), collaborative (enhances communication), creativity (creative/higher level of thinking), active (enhance significant learning and offer opportunities to learn to learn)...
Technology and Family
For many families technology is a big window opened to the academic life since most schools offer many digital connections with parents, most of teachers have blogs and use social media to inform parents about the academic situation and news.
Technology at home can serve as a new opportunity of learning where the same resources and tools as at school can be used. It is a different context, a new scenario to study as in school with the support of their families. Technology goes beyond because if offers students and families to connect knowledge and learning process with different and familiar things, a new way of organization of education that should be coordinated with the one in the school.
Multiple ways of learning are offered when at home. Activities can be done in other parts, not school-centered, that broaden the students’ habits of learning, as well as those of their families. The way of interaction of different components in their learning process enriches their development since the context of learning is more opener, more flexible, more motivating because it goes beyond the walls of their school facilities. It offers new possibilities of learning responsibility, individual work, social work, social skills, leadership, decisions, problem-solving.
Technology and languages at Early Stages
The possibilities of learning that technology offers our youngest students are great in quantity and quality. According to the evidences of Neuroscience, language development takes place highly during the first six years, that is when all the linguistic system is getting formed because of the neuronal connections. Children, if they are exposed to native or native-like ways of communication in foreign languages, above all the oral skills (listening and speaking), can get them easily.
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(full infographic:
http://visual.ly/truth-studying-foreign-language)
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Nowadays, there are many sites with storytelling apps, videos in youtube and other digital programs that offer this kind of formation. Being exposed to other languages increases our cultural background since languages can not be learned isolated, socio-cultural aspects are necessary to communicate successfully.
Positive attitudes are promoted with the use of technology and the exposure to other languages and cultures, since children learn about other lifestyles, different from the ones they have but that help it expand them.
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Technology with the little llamas at Ninfa Laurenzo ECC
Ninfa Laurenzo ECC is informing families and parents with the easiest way just by scanning a big poster with a QR-code and they are informed. We recorded a video to show parents and families how to access to it. Once the code is scanned, they are leaded to the section of “News” of the official web of the school.
HISD is providing parents with a FREE subscription to ReadyRosie, an interactive tool that provides daily activities for adults to do with children ages 0 to 6. The activities are simple, take about two minutes, and help prepare children for success in school.
All the teachers of this pre-K school emailed an invite to parents. However, any HISD parent or guardian with a child or children ages 0 to 6 can register for ReadyRosie at www.readyrosie.com/register.
The registration process will ask parents for their child’s elementary school. If a child is too young to be enrolled in school, parents or guardians can enter the name of their neighborhood HISD elementary school. To find the name of your neighborhood elementary school, go to www.houstonisd.org/findaschool and enter your home address.
We recorded a video to help parents with the registration process.
HISD will use myON as part of the district’s Literacy By 3 Movement and summer reading program. myON’s in-depth reporting functions will be used to track progress for all student users to make sure that their reading levels improve over time. myON’s wide array of Spanish and bilingual titles will be useful in supporting the growing number of English language learners (ELLs) in the district.
Since the district first started using myON in March 2015, 212,663 users have spent 103,834 hours reading more than half a million books—totaling more than 14 million pages.
This file help students and families log in out of the campus.
BrainPop provides various resources supporting many areas of the curriculum. The products in the subscription are BrainPop, BrainPop Jr. and BrainPop Espanol. Login is required for school and home access. Contact your campus librarian or Sofia Darcy to get the username and password. This resource is funded by the HISD Special Education Department.
The Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) designed this Pre-K digital learning tool to help young children develop literacy and language skills (vocabulary, letter identification, and phonological awareness). It also includes scales for mathematical skills (numbers, counting shapes, and operations) and social-emotional skills.
Frogstreet has a blog with lots of resources, articles and amazing activities to do at home.
Other webs like starfall, blogs: ninfalaurenzoecc or Mr Usero’s blog , social media sites like pinterest, and apps for tablets and iPads help our students develop their digital skills, so necessary to be a successful citizen in the 21st century. They are being prepared to life from their foundation.
Other apps suggested to Early Childhood Education:
Virtual Field Trips to Integrate Technology
Technology offers us many opportunities to learn outside the classroom, because it open windows to other parts of the world and giving our students new possibilities of learning by making connections with what surrounds them. For examples, when we were learning about animals, in my room (#8) at Ninfa Laurenzo ECC we could do a virtual field trip to the Houston Zoo using their webcams and activities.
Looking for more information and experiences about the use of technology and field trips I found this one: “Another way to integrate technology with literacy is to create a virtual field trip to meet the Common Core Standard of asking and answering questions. A virtual field trip is a way to have students explore one or more designated websites while purposefully reading for information. As a teacher you will need to set a purpose (for example, visit Sea World to learn about ocean life) for your virtual field trip as well as a list of questions based on what you want the students to visit. I use open-ended questions to check for understanding rather than short, one-word answers. I create questions according to my students’ abilities.
You can see an example of a virtual field trip form by clicking on the image on the right. The virtual field trip my students love is a trip to San Diego Zoo. They have live webcams and a kid section including audio for non-readers as well as games. This form is a Word document that you can customize with your own questions.
Some of you might ask how I manage a virtual field trip in my classroom. I have students in pairs or small groups to work on answering questions. Every day, a few groups of students use the computers during literacy block time. I have bookmarked the website they are to use and modeled how to use the Internet and the website. With the younger grades, I only have the students use one website with links from that website. For instance, I use kids.sandiegozoo.org, where there are no ads for the kids to accidentally click on and many links to navigate.”
This is another benefit of technology and education. Your knowledge and experiences can help others grow.
If you are interested in getting more information of how to implement technology in Early Childhood Education I will be pleased to help you.
Written by Francisco Usero Gonzalez.
Edited by Angelica Saenz.
