Maximizing Technology Use in Early Childhood Settings: Leadership Strategies

This chapter addresses how early childhood professionals can implement technology in early childhood settings with infants and toddlers. Early childhood educators face complex expectations to ensure children learn and develop optimally. Technology use with infants and toddlers in early childhood settings introduces additional intricacies and nuances. This chapter explores and assesses technology usage with infants and toddlers. The impact of violent media on infants and toddlers is explored. The use of applications in early childhood settings is discussed, including consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on technology usage, along with research-based solutions and recommendations to using technology with infants and toddlers. Implications for early childhood teacher education and professional development are also summarized. Finally, future trends related to technology usage with infants and toddlers are discussed.

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

Journal of Early Childhood Research ◽

10.1177/1476718x15579746 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 158-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

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.

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Children’s ‘working theories’ as curriculum outcomes

10.1093/oso/9780198747109.003.0016 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Sally Peters ◽

Keryn Davis ◽

Ruta McKenzie

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

New Zealand ◽

Adult Child ◽

Early Childhood Curriculum ◽

Complex Thinking ◽

Young Learners ◽

Early Childhood Settings ◽

Te Whāriki ◽

Sense Of Wonder

This chapter explores how children make sense of their world through the development and refinement of ‘working theories’. Working theories are a key item for young learners, and are emphasized in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki. Children’s working theories develop in environments where they have opportunities to engage in complex thinking with others, observe, listen, participate, and discuss, within the context of topics and activities. It is through interactions and activities that children begin to own the ideas and beliefs of their culture and begin to make sense of their worlds. However, fostering this learning in early childhood settings is not always easy, and requires skilled adults who can respond appropriately. We explore and discuss the nature of children’s working theories and ways in which adult–child interactions can enhance or inhibit a sense of wonder and curiosity.

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