The screen and the sand-timer: The integration of the interactive whiteboard into an early years free-flow learning environment

Abstract

This article aims to explore how the interactive whiteboard is situated in the social and material conditions of an early years free-flow learning environment. It examines how the affordances of the interactive whiteboard and the expectations of the surrounding classroom impact how activity involving the interactive whiteboard unfolds. It achieves this through an analysis of observations, documented through video, of how children enter into and exit from activities involving the interactive whiteboard during free-flow activity time. We share the different types of entrance and exit observed and what these suggest about the social and material conditions in which interactive whiteboard is situated. Based on these findings, we suggest opportunities for the disruption of existing patterns of integration of the interactive whiteboard into the learning environment, so as to explore the potential for more collaborative and creative engagement with the technology. Specifically, we argue that the emphasis on turn-taking that characterises the early years learning environment – an emphasis reinforced by the inability of the interactive whiteboard to support simultaneous engagement by multiple users – is prompting children to engage individually with the resources and miss opportunities to create and play together.

Learning through Play in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…The present findings also suggest that it is necessary to ensure that children able to achieve positive emotions (Catalano & Campbell, 2021), building a positive self-concept (Aksoy & Baran, 2020), building interaction skills (Aksoy & Baran, 2020;Sakr & Scollan, 2019), and social skills (Aksoy & Baran, 2020;Parrott & Cohen, 2021;Catalano & Campbell, 2021). Through storytelling and drama, children able to express their emotions and build positive self-concept (Halimah et al, 2020).…”

“…Social (3 articles) Sakr and Scollan (2019) revealed the diversity in how the children drew the IWB into activity and pointed toward the potential for collaborative creativity in interaction with the IWB. Parrott and Cohen (2021) added that the play was perceived as valuable for helping build friendships and developing social skills, as older children become role models to younger ones.…”

“…In recent years, several studies have published a paper in which they described play elements. For example, Sakr and Scollan (2019); Leung et al (2020); Peppler et al (2019); Li et al (2021); Abdi and Cavus (2019) discovered digital technology such as interactive whiteboards, video art, video tools, and models. Similarly, Vanbecelaere et al (2020); Adbo and Carulla (2020)…”

Early childhood teachers’ perceptions and management of parental concerns about their child’s digital technology use in kindergarten

“…Kirova and Jamison’s (2018) study revealed that many children engaged in meaningful experiences with digital technologies within their home and yet had no independent access to iPads in the classroom. Similarly, Sakr and Scollan (2019) report that ‘studies conducted on digital technologies in early years learning environments present a different story to those conducted in the home’ (p. 191). An example of the distinction between children’s digital technology access and use in the home and early childhood setting is evidenced by the findings of Dashti and Yateem (2018) who revealed that 78% of the children in their study used mobile devices in the home, while only 18% used mobile devices in their early learning setting.…”

Stretchy time or screen time: how early years practitioners conceptualise time in relation to children’s digital play

“…Classrooms have particular priorities and practices that influence how resources are taken up. For example, EY learning environments tend to place an emphasis on turn-taking (Sakr, 2017;Sakr & Scollan, 2019). How time is conceptualised and managed in relation to particular semiotic resources is an essential component of the sociocultural context.…”