Guardians of play: early childhood teachers’ perceptions and actions to protect children’s play from digital technologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-365
Author(s):  
Vicki Schriever ◽  
Susan Simon ◽  
Sharn Donnison
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Play

scholarly journals Becoming clowns: How do digital technologies contribute to young children’s play?

2019 ◽  
pp. 146394911986420
Author(s):  
Tove Lafton
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Early Childhood Setting ◽  
Material World ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Children’S Play

Research concerning play and technology is largely aimed at expanding the knowledge of what technological play may be and, to a lesser extent, examines what happens to children’s play when it encounters digital tools. In order to explore some of the complexity in play, this article elaborates on how Latour’s concepts of ‘translation’ and ‘inscription’ can make sense of a narrative from an early childhood setting. The article explores how to challenge ‘taken-for-granted knowledge’ and create different understandings of children’s play in technology-rich environments. Through a flattened ontology, the article considers how humans, non-humans and transcendental ideas relate to one another as equal forces; this allows for an understanding of play as located within and emerging from various networks. The discussion sheds light on how activation of material agents can lead us to look for differences and new spaces regarding play. Play and learning are no longer orchestrated by what is already known; rather, they become co-constructed when both the children and the material world have a say in constructing the ambiguity of play. Lastly, the discussion points to how early years practitioners need tools to challenge their assumptions of what play might become in the digital age.

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

2021 ◽  
pp. 1476718X2110303
Author(s):  
Vicki Schriever
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Parental Concerns

Young children use, engage with, and experience digital technologies in their home and early childhood settings, yet their presence and use can be fraught with tensions and uncertainties. This paper reports on an Australian study focusing on how early childhood teachers perceive and manage parental concerns about their child’s digital technology use in kindergarten. Grounded theory was the methodological approach used to give insights into the early childhood teachers lived experiences. The findings revealed that early childhood teachers who taught kindergarten children, aged three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years of age, experienced parents voicing concerns about their child’s digital technology use and made requests for mediation. Differences were identified between the children’s home environment and kindergarten setting regarding children’s access to digital devices, expectations for use and digital mediation practices. To manage the concerns parents raised, early childhood teachers endeavoured to educate and reassure parents about the nature of digital technology use in kindergarten. This paper invites early childhood professionals to reflect on how they respond to parental concerns about digital technology and to consider the role they play in educating parents about how digital technologies are used in kindergarten.

Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities: Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of a nutrition-integrated pilot curriculum

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Alicia Cooper Stapp ◽  
Gerogianna Mann ◽  
Laurel Lambert ◽  
Kenya Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Flexible Schedule

Abstract Objective: Healthy eating behaviors are often developed early in life, yet nutrition is rarely emphasized in early childhood education. Integration of nutrition into academic content is warranted, still, its ability to positively impact teaching and learning has been understudied. Therefore, this study explored the feasibility of application in the classroom and the perceived usability of a nutrition-integrated pilot curriculum. Design: Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of four nutrition-integrated lessons were explored through a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through pre- and post-focus groups, lesson observations, and teacher feedback. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis and supplemented with observations and lesson feedback. Setting: This pilot study took place in Northwest Mississippi at three preschools which are part of the Mississippi Early Learning Collaborative. Participants: A non-probability convenience sample was utilized to acquire participants. Ten early childhood teachers and 132 Pre-K4 students participated in the study. Results: Three themes emerged and were categorized accordingly: (a) preconceived concern of the unknown versus experienced reality; (b) promoting buy-in and engagement through hands-on learning experiences; and (c) manifestation of perceived prioritization. Conclusions: Nutrition-integrated lessons were reported to be creative, facilitate positive food behaviors, and highly engaging for teachers and children. Concerns for new and unfamiliar curriculum were noted but could be alleviated with more detailed instructions. Future nutrition-integrated curriculum efforts should include detailed video instructions and offer a gradual and flexible schedule allowing teacher autonomy in how to prioritize implementation.

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