Going Beyond ‘Computer Time’

When technology is part of pre-K or early elementary classrooms, what does it look like? Are most teachers holding “computer time” in the corner, with kids putting on headphones to play games or click through books by themselves? Are children having chances to take photos or capture video of their marine field trips or block towers? Is someone helping them to scan books and conduct online searches for more information on whales or skyscapers?

We don’t have good answers to these questions, but anecdotal evidence points to a few possibilities. Teachers may be seeing technology (especially when it involves desktop computers) as something that should be offered as a separate, “skill-based” activity that has little to do with helping children explore  content or kindle curiosity. Or teachers may be avoiding computers altogether because they worry they amount to mindless screentime.

But there are other ways to use technology in a classroom — approaches that involve digital photography and close observation of the natural world, children sharing stories using audio capture, group discussions prompted by video clips and more. And new tools like tablets and digital white boards are ushering in new examples of how kids can explore content. A new report from the Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council delves into some of the possibilities and imagines technology use as more naturally integrated into education from pre-K up through the third grade. It also stresses the importance of professional development to help teachers see new possibilities for using tech tools. I write about the Council’s report in a post for the Huffington Post this week:

EdTech for the Younger Ones? Not Without Trained Teachers (November 17, 2011)