It is not
unusual to see a young child today slip a CD into a stereo system,
set a digital alarm clock, or even program a VCR. Children quickly
learn to use technology that is part of their daily lives, often
with greater ease than their parents or other adults. But does
their ability to do these complex tasks really enhance children’s
development? Does using technology really teach children new
skills? What should parents know about the role of technology
in children’s learning?
According to NAEYC’s Young Children: Active Learners in
a Technological Age, computers can be active or passive agents
for learning. Parents who recognize the difference will choose
appropriate computer programs for their children.
As passive users, children utilize tools with no understanding
of the concepts represented on the screen. The computer becomes
an electronic worksheet that asks children to memorize without
comprehending.
As active agents for learning, computers extend children’s
abilities, helping them to accomplish goals and objectives.
In active use, children understand the relationship between
real ideas and what is being represented on the screen. Constructing
relationships between pictures and concrete objects helps children
establish meaning.
In order to promote effective computer learning, parents should
monitor the quality of the software children use, the amount
of time children work with it, and the way in which they use
it.
What should you teach your preschool children about technology?
Here are some suggestions:
* People control technology, and technology can be used for
activities that are meaningful to people.
* Technology can take different forms, as in calculators, telephones,
and tape recorders. It provides different, useful things in
a variety of ways.
* Technology has rules that control how it works. Objects must
have a source of power -- they have plugs or batteries; computers
must have instructions -- either built-in or provided by the
user.
* Computer programs require different ways of organizing thinking.
Some will ask you to match and rhyme, others will give you the
freedom to draw or paint whatever you wish.
Some parents express concerns about the role of technology in
children’s lives, such as how it will affect children’s
attention to social relationships and other activities.
Appropriate computer programs promote dialog between children,
as well as group problem-solving. They also offer opportunities
for shared experiences between parents and children. As partners
in our children’s learning, we may not only monitor their
educational environments, but we may experience their progress
first-hand.
Checking out good software for children:
1. Software uses pictures and spoken instructions rather than
written ones so that children will not need to ask for help.
2. Children control the level of difficulty, the pace and direction
of the program.
3. Software offers variety: children can explore a number of
topics on different levels.
4. Children receive quick feedback, so they stay interested.
5. Program utilizes the capacities of today’s computers
by appealing to children through interesting sights and sounds.
6. To determine a product’s appropriateness for a child’s
current level of development, parents have evaluated the skill
list and activities as described on the package, and previewed
the product through store demonstration or a friend’s computer.
7. Software engages children’s interest by encouraging
children to laugh and use their imagination in exploring.
8. The program allows children to experience success and feel
empowered through learning.
Reproduced
with permission from the National Association for the Education
of Young Children
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