What are some of the current international research topics?
Immediately after I selected the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ) to discover what are current international topics I came across several articles that highlighted integrating technology in early childhood. "The EECERJ, the Journal of EECERA, is one of the most prestigious early
childhood journals in the world. It is one of only four early years
journals indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information" (EERECJ, 2020). Technology is one of many topics I have mixed emotions on in regards to early child development. I feel strongly that if we are going to allow our children to use technology whether it be a computer or even a smartphone we should guide their learning by joining in on their experience in using technology. Children are so much more intelligent than most individuals give them credit for. I think we should not just tell them what not to do when it come to technology but show them why certain websites are not for them to fully help them understand. When we do fully express certain topics to children toddlers or teenagers some tend to become more curious. In permitting children access to technology I also believe that it should be use primarily as reinforcement as children need to interact with one another to develop their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. "Healthy development in the early years (particularly birth to three) provides the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, strong communities, and successful parenting of the next generation" (DVC, 2020).
What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
Although past research (Arnott, Palaiologou, and Gray 2019; Fleer 2018, 2019; Mascheroni and Holloway 2019) describe the pros and cons related to the integration of technology in early childhood education and the subsequent influences on children’s cognitive learning and effective engagement with their everyday world, early childhood settings need more guidance in relation to what high-quality pedagogies with technologies may look like. This guidance needs to align closely with the founding principles of early childhood education–linked to play and child-center readiness–to ensure technologies become complementary resources,rather than competing artifacts which, some consider, may threaten early childhood ways of being (Kewalramani, 2020). According to the research done within this article technology can effectively be implemented in early childhood learning. Because of what is currently taking place all over the world having a reinforcement to learning for children of all ages makes technology based learning ideal. "The issue also provides innovative research evidence about how this can include pedagogies and practices for babies and toddlers (0–3) as well as Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning in early childhood education. It presents meaningful ways to engage the disengaged, how technology as multi modal artefacts complements the interactions that happen in an EC setting, extend education outside the classroom to enable children collecting digital data" (Kewalramani, 2020). As I stated before I have mixed emotions on technology in early childhood learning and like most anything there are pros and cons.
What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
There are countries that are successfully implementing technology based programs in early childhood learning. The article expressed how Turkish preschool has discovered improvement of a child motor skills "Bulca and Hürrem Özdurak present a distinctive instructional approach supported with visual materials to improve children’s locomotor skill learning in Turkish pre-schools. They provide a quantitative analysis to demonstrate the effects of digital physical exercise videos for improving children’s locomotor skill performance. We now have‘one of its kind’evidence that children who experience more movements with the applied video modelling techniques develop and improve their motor skills" (Kewalramani, 2020). Discovering new ways to teach children and assisting in the developmental learning within technology can be useful however, I fear that it is likely that it will take away from role of play and the benefits it incorporates for early child development. "Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. ... Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills" (Ginsburg, 2007).
References
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eecera.org/journal/
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eecera.org/journal/
Kewalramani, S., Arnott, L., & Dardanou, M. (2020, March 20). Technology-integrated pedagogical practices: a look into evidence-based teaching and coherent learning for young children. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1735739
What is Early Childhood Development? A Guide to Brain Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/guide/what-is-early-childhood-development-a-guide-to-the-science/
5 comments:
Violanda I really enjoyed reading your post about including technology in early childhood. I am going to the website to read the article because it sounds interesting. I have reservations about having young children become introduced to early to technology. I bothers me when I see parents that give their small child a phone to keep them occupied while shopping. I maybe old fashioned, but I think small children learn so many skills through relationships with caregivers and their natural environment. Thanks for giving something to think about in a new light.
Violanda,
I enjoyed reading your blog this week. I enjoyed how you spoke about the use of technology in early childhood education. I believe that technology is a good way to connect with students and children, as well as colleagues in the field. I believe that technology should be used, but not as a "babysitter." Technology should be used in order to build upon background knowledge, and continuing education.
Thank you for sharing,
-Heather
Violanda,
Wow, your blog post was so detailed. Thank you for including so many details. I really liked the quote you included about play. Play is such an important concept that all children need in their lives every day. It is essential for development and learning! Great post!
Love how detail your post is. I would like to add comment to your post. In the European Union, early childhood education and care has been a growing priority in many Member States. Whereas education has long been high on the policy agenda, early childhood education and care has only started to receive attention more recently. This interest in the early years is inspired by a rapidly expanding body of scientific research in different disciplines that points to substantial economic, social, educational and developmental benefits of participating in high-quality early childhood education and care. These benefits are not limited to the children involved, but extend to society at large. At the level of the individual, participation in high-quality early childhood education and care is associated with higher earnings, greater educational attainment, improved social integration and better health, among other advantages.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1350293X.2015.1043805
Violanda,
I agree with you that young children should be able to use technology but we must guide them. Due to what is happening in the world now, remote learning is what is happening. I don't think that moving forward we can rule out technology but think of ways to integrate it into young children learning.
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