Learning Technology at Home and Preschool

Plowman, Lydia

doi:10.1002/9781118736494.ch6

Cited by 36 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…All settings described how adults worked with children to use technology to support their learning. This contrasts with findings which suggest that settings prioritise developing operational skills and that open ended, exploratory activities are rarely observed (Plowman 2016).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?

Jack

Higgins

2018

International Journal of Early Years Education

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The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details.Steve Higgins is a professor at the School of Education, Durham University. His research interests include the area of effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) and digital technologies for learning in schools.2 What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?There are many digital technologies available to support teaching and learning.Historically the focus has tended to be on computers, but this has extended to include interactive whiteboards and tablets. As well as these technologies, which were originally designed for adults, there are devices specifically designed to support teaching and learning in the early years. These tend to be overlooked in the literature. This project aimed to find out if this reflected practice in early years settings.Participants from twenty early years settings in the North East of England were asked about 'educational technologies'. This term was deliberately not defined, the aim was to find out what they thought it meant. They were asked about the technology they had, and how it was being used. This provided an opportunity to explore whether their use of technology fit with their beliefs about teaching and learning.Findings suggest that technology is seen as more than computers and that technology is being used to support a broad range of activities in line with practitioners' pedagogical beliefs. Early years and technology[Technology] has opened new ways of working that I have never seen before… This quote, from one participant, reflects a position that has been seen many times over the last couple of decades: technology can make a significant, positive impact on teaching and learning (Couse and Chen 2010; Higgins, Xiao, and Katsipataki 2012).However, opposing views are seen just as frequently, in social media, websites, blogs, mainstream media and publications (Hall and Higgins 2002; Marsh 2005, 181). 3 Given such different opinions this research was designed to find out what is actually happening in early years settings. One key issue is the definition of educational technology, is there consistency between curriculum documentation, the literature and practitioners' understanding of the term? Technology in the Early Years CurriculumEven in 1990 (Rumbold), curriculum documentation in the UK referred to more than just computers, with references to toys and domestic technology. The Desirable Learning Outcomes (School Curriculum and Assessment Authority and Department fo...

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?

Jack

Higgins

2018

International Journal of Early Years Education

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“…We are aware that the concept of ICT is linked with connotations that may have had a role in shaping the participant's perceptions. For example, Plowman (2016) has argued that terms such as 'ICT' and 'educational technology' are not well suited to ECE as they guide our attention towards traditional classroom technologies such as computers and interactive whiteboards. The findings of the present study support her claim and we agree with Buckingham's (2015) argument that the contemporary digital landscape can no longer be regarded simply as a matter of 'information" or of "technology".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

It is a tool, but not a ‘must’: early childhood preservice teachers’ perceptions of ICT and its affordances

Dong

Mertala

2019

Early Years

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With the ever-diversifying digital landscape of the 21st century, terms such as 'information and communication technologies' (ICT), 'digital media' and 'technologies' are often used to refer to a broad set of digital devices and applications. However, the use of these umbrellaconcepts in educational contexts has caused issues when used in conjunction with concepts such as affordances and integration. In this paper, eight Chinese preservice early childhood teachers' perceptions of ICT and its affordances are explored through online interviews. The participants conceptualised 'ICT' as screen-based technologies such as interactive whiteboards and computers. These technologies were perceived to afford efficiency and assistance, particularly for teacher-centred practice, but to constrain children's tactile and direct hands-on experience. The results highlight the importance of sociocultural contexts (e.g. practicum places and educational traditions) in shaping preservice teachers' perceptions of technology and technology use. Implications for future technology integration research and teacher education are discussed.

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“…The data used in the present study, texts and drawings, are commonly described as qualitative (e.g. Biesta, 2010;Patton, 2002). In the context of the present paper, measurement refers to getting an overall picture of which activities and devices were the most frequently drawn and mentioned among the whole population of participants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fun and games - Finnish children’s ideas for the use of digital media in preschool

Mertala¹

2019

Preprint

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This study has used drawings from and interviews with 5–6 year-old Finnish children (N=103) to explore their ideas for the use of digital media in preschool. The main findings, based on data driven analysis, were the following: Playing commercial digital games was the most popular activity followed by media production, mainly photographing. Computers, tablets and cameras were the most popular devices. Digital media was understood to be more about leisure than learning. Pedagogical implementations are discussed.

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Learning Technology at Home and Preschool

Cited by 36 publications

References 33 publications

What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?

What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?

It is a tool, but not a ‘must’: early childhood preservice teachers’ perceptions of ICT and its affordances

Fun and games - Finnish children’s ideas for the use of digital media in preschool

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