Observing and assessing young children’s digital play in the early years: Using the Digital Play Framework

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Edwards ◽  
Jo Bird
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
Tool Mediation ◽  
Ludic Play ◽  
Early Childhood Settings ◽  
New Framework ◽  
Children's Learning

Early childhood education settings are characterized by the use of play-based learning and the assessment of children’s play by teachers to promote further learning. A problem with technology use in early childhood settings is that little is known about how children learn to use technologies through play. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult for teachers to observe and assess how young children in their settings are learning to use technologies. In this article, we report on the use of a new framework we have previously developed to help educators observe and assess young children’s learning to use technologies through play. Known as the Digital Play Framework, the framework draws on Vygotsky’s ideas about tool mediation to position technologies as tools that children learn to master according to Hutt’s conceptualization of epistemic and ludic play. We suggest that the Digital Play Framework holds potential for supporting educators to identify children’s learning to use technologies through play and therefore opportunities for extending the provision of play-based technology education in the early years.

Play-based Learning and Intentional Teaching: Forever Different?

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Curriculum Innovation ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
Children's Learning

PLAY-BASED LEARNING IS a cornerstone of early childhood education provision. Play provides opportunities for young children to explore ideas, experiment with materials and express new understandings. Play can be solitary, quiet and reflective. Play can also be social, active and engaging. While play is commonly understood as the basis for learning in early childhood education, this is not always the situation in all settings. Cultural variations in learning and play suggest that social interactions and observational learning also create powerful pedagogical learning environments for young children. International and national research highlights the value of sustained and reflective interactions between children and educators in promoting children's learning. Increasingly, the notion of quality in play-based pedagogy invites educators to integrate traditional beliefs about play with new insights into the role of social interactions, modelling and relationships in young children's learning. Overseas, the movement towards quality play-based pedagogy reflects debate and policy initiatives captured by the notion of intentional teaching. In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework makes explicit reference to intentional teaching. Intentional teaching arguably engages educators and children in shared thinking and problem solving to build the learning outcomes of young children. However, the pedagogical relationship between play-based learning and intentional teaching remains difficult to conceptualise. This is because the value placed on the exploratory potential of play-based learning can appear to be at odds with the role of intentional teaching in promoting knowledge development. This paper reaches beyond binary constructs of play and intentional teaching, and invites consideration of a new Pedagogical Play-framework for inspiring pedagogical and curriculum innovation in the early years. This paper was a keynote address at the 2016 Early Childhood Australia National Conference addressing the theme Inspire-be inspired to reach beyond quality.

scholarly journals Electronic portfolios in early childhood education: Parent-teacher communication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amanda Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Electronic Portfolios ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Children's Learning

<p>Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are a new phenomenon in early childhood education (ECE) and there is minimal existing research available on their use and effectiveness as a learning and communication tool in ECE.  This thesis presents an exploratory case study of an ECE centre, positioned within a constructive-interpretivist paradigm, which investigated communication between teachers and families via ePortfolios. Data used in the study were drawn from online surveys, document analysis of ePortfolios, individual interviews, and focus group interviews with parents and teachers. Thematic analysis identified three main themes; the benefits and drawbacks of communicating via the ePortfolio, the online tools that supported or constrained communication, and the types of communication that were evident.  Several implications for teachers’ practice arise from this study. First, the ePortfolio enabled communication to easily flow between settings, and provided another avenue for teachers and parents to communicate. Second, the different levels of communication parents and teachers engaged in via the ePortfolio had potential to influence their on-going communication, relationships, and children’s learning. To extend on-going learning and positive learning outcomes for children, online communication could be scaffolded so that a focus on relationships moves toward to a greater focus on children’s learning. Finally, levels of trust between teachers and parents were apparent, though more complex elements of trust such as competence and openness were less evident. Teachers could consider ways to develop these with parents to further enhance trust and communication.</p>

scholarly journals Lessons From Research for Les Familles Exogames: A Literature Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Rachelle Blanchette Deans
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
English Language ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Educational Choices ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Petite Enfance ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

<p>In this article, I draw from a recent graduating project where I examined the lessons from research for <em>les familles exogames</em>. This expression is used in the French early childhood education and education sectors to refer to families where one parent is French speaking while the other has another (predominantly the English) language (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2004). The focus of this article is on parental decisions with respect to language or languages spoken at home and choices of early childhood settings and schools. Given the focus on parental choice, the inquiry question is: What does the scholarly research say about linguistic and educational choices for young children from <em>les familles exogames</em>? The inquiry centres on the linguistic and educational choices for young children from <em>les familles exogames</em> from sociocultural and ecological systems perspectives. I examine the extant literature on bilingualism and, more specifically, on bilingualism in <em>les familles exogames</em>, and I share implications from research that are meaningful to parents and early years professionals.</p><p><em>Cet article est tiré d’un projet de maîtrise où j’ai examiné les enseignements tirés de la recherche sur les familles exogames. L’expression « familles exogames » est utilisée, dans les secteurs de l’éducation et de l’éducation de la petite enfance en langue française pour désigner les familles formées d'un parent francophone et d’un parent s’exprimant dans une autre (habituellement l’anglais) langue (Ministère de l’Éducation de l’Ontario, 2004). Ce document s’intéresse notamment aux décisions que prennent les parents relativement à la langue parlée, ou aux langues parlées, à la maison ainsi qu’au choix du milieu de la petite enfance et de l’école. Puisque l’accent est mis sur le choix des parents, la question d’enquête est: Que disent les chercheurs au sujet des choix en matière de langue et d’éducation pour les jeunes enfants de familles exogames? L’enquête s’articule autour des choix linguistiques et éducatifs pour les jeunes enfants des familles exogames des points de vue socioculturel et des systèmes écologiques. J’ai ainsi passé en revue les ouvrages publiés qui traitent du bilinguisme, et plus particulièrement du bilinguisme dans les familles exogames, afin de communiquer des résultats de la recherche qui sont utiles aux parents et aux professionnels de la petite enfance. </em></p>

Using ePortfolios in early childhood education: Recalling, reconnecting, restarting and learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Hooker
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Children's Learning

Portfolios are widely used in New Zealand for documenting children’s learning; there is now an increasing move to online ePortfolios. This article presents findings from a doctoral study which investigated the impact of the introduction of ePortfolios in an early childhood education setting where traditional paper-based portfolios were previously used as the formative assessment tool for children’s learning. The findings demonstrate that a significant benefit of the ePortfolio system used in this study was the ways in which they could support children to revisit their learning and become involved in their own formative assessment. This is described as recalling, reconnecting and restarting. Through participating in these processes, children become active contributors to their own learning journeys which is a significant factor of formative assessment.

scholarly journals Research work as curriculum work in New Zealand early childhood settings: What should be taught and learned?

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra C. Gunn
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Curriculum Policy ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Research In Education ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

Abstract This article draws from experiences in an ongoing study of children’s narrative competence in the early years across early childhood education and school settings. Focusing on the research as it is being conducted in the early childhood context (a kindergarten), the paper inquires into what it means to do research in education settings where curriculum is constituted as everything that happens there, and principles of curriculum demand empowering, responsive and reciprocal, inclusive and holistic practices. Questions of research ethics, children’s rights to assent or dissent to participate, to learn about the findings and consequences of the research, and to have the research recognised as curriculum experience are raised. Sitting at the intersection of research work and pedagogical/curriculum work the paper explores lessons from New Zealand of striving towards a fuller curriculum policy implementation and of addressing demands for ethical research practices with children who are very young.

scholarly journals Electronic portfolios in early childhood education: Parent-teacher communication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amanda Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Electronic Portfolios ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Children's Learning

<p>Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are a new phenomenon in early childhood education (ECE) and there is minimal existing research available on their use and effectiveness as a learning and communication tool in ECE.  This thesis presents an exploratory case study of an ECE centre, positioned within a constructive-interpretivist paradigm, which investigated communication between teachers and families via ePortfolios. Data used in the study were drawn from online surveys, document analysis of ePortfolios, individual interviews, and focus group interviews with parents and teachers. Thematic analysis identified three main themes; the benefits and drawbacks of communicating via the ePortfolio, the online tools that supported or constrained communication, and the types of communication that were evident.  Several implications for teachers’ practice arise from this study. First, the ePortfolio enabled communication to easily flow between settings, and provided another avenue for teachers and parents to communicate. Second, the different levels of communication parents and teachers engaged in via the ePortfolio had potential to influence their on-going communication, relationships, and children’s learning. To extend on-going learning and positive learning outcomes for children, online communication could be scaffolded so that a focus on relationships moves toward to a greater focus on children’s learning. Finally, levels of trust between teachers and parents were apparent, though more complex elements of trust such as competence and openness were less evident. Teachers could consider ways to develop these with parents to further enhance trust and communication.</p>

The relational space of educational technology: Early childhood students’ views

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyriakos Demetriou ◽  
Zoi Nikiforidou
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Children’S Learning ◽  
Space Material ◽  
Material Space ◽  
Early Childhood Students ◽  
Children's Learning

The aim of this article is to explore early childhood students’ views on how variations in educational technology might impact young children’s learning experiences in the classroom. Initially, a meta-analysis of 33 studies was carried out in order to identify how technology is positioned in children’s lives (m = 4.8 years), identifying two key dimensions: one, regarding aspects of children’s learning and, the other, regarding their personal development. At a second stage, two online vignettes, informed by the meta-analysis findings, were completed by 45 university students studying early childhood studies (N = 45). Participants’ understandings of the interplay between the First Space (material space) and the Second Space (mental space based on perceptions and attitudes) were explored from the perspective of Soja’s Third Space which combines both First and Second Spaces. Data show that alterations in the First Space influence participants’ opinions on the relationship between technology and children’s learning and development. The implications of this study reflect the complexity of educational technology in early years settings where both First and Second Spaces play a significant role and provides the opportunity to implement a spatial perspective on how practitioners can become navigators, transformers and constructors of their own technological praxis and practice.

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