Current View of Technology

I believe that it is important to incorporate technology into the early childhood classroom. Technology not only enhances a lesson, but it gives children the chance to explore their learning styles. There are several different technologies that could be a part of the classroom including interactive white boards, projectors, computers, and digital cameras. It is important for teachers to recognize the importance of children interacting with different forms of technology so that they will be more knowledgeable once they get older.
It is important to recognize that technology should not take the place of cooperative learning in the classroom. Teachers need to be aware of the time that children spend on a computer and that more time is allotted to developing their interpersonal skills. Technology should not take the place of group work but it should aide children in different activities such as writing a story, or drawing a picture.
I believe the two most important technologies to have in the classroom other then a computer are digital cameras and an interactive white board. Digital cameras offer a way for children to explore their environment in a different way. The teacher can then print off the pictures the children take to make collages, bulletin boards, worksheets, or even as posters to hang around the classroom. An interactive white board is a newer technology that allows children to interact with different activities on the screen. It is also a way for teachers to give information to the class.
Teachers who utilize technology also benefit. The Internet offers a way to communicate in a more sufficient manner between faculty members, parents, and other individuals at the school. It also offers teachers endless resources regarding lesson plans, units, or rubrics. The computer allows teachers to manage their work and to keep an electronic grade book. It is important to explore the different technologies available because it will not only benefit teachers, but more importantly, the children.

Non-Computer Based Tech

When looking at non-computer based technology in an early childhood classroom, I feel that the most important device would be an over-head projector. This device plays a huge role for the teacher because it allows them to show the class different media that is enlarged for everyone to see. Instead of running off handouts or passing around pictures for everyone to look at, projectors offer a way for children to see the desired object all at once. Teachers can leave up directions on an activity that the children are doing so that they can look at what they need to do next.

Another non-computer based technology in an early childhood classroom would be a dry erase board. I think this is an important aspect of every classroom because it offers a way for teachers and children to communicate with each other. Dry erase boards can act as a huge drawing canvas for children during different activities or they can serve teachers in being able to make reminders that the children need to see such as homework assignments or the class schedule.

ERIC Reflection

After listening to the ERIC presentations, I have realized how important it is to include technology into the early childhood classroom. When including technology there are several areas you have to look at to insure that the safety and issues are met concerning technology. To allow technology to be used in the classroom you have to plan so that every area is covered. I learned that parents and students have to agree to an acceptable use policy that discusses the guidelines and safety measures involving technology. In order to plan effectively, teachers need to be flexible as well as knowledgeable of different software programs that are available. Teachers could form a technology team that would discuss new ideas or that would monitor new programs that could come out in the next five years. Teachers need to keep in mind however, that new technology is not always better. Sometimes new technology performs at a lower level because it is cheaper to produce and to buy.

Another issue I learned about after listening to the presentations were the gender, racial, and economic issues that involve technology. Children who come from a low socioeconomic environments, may not have the exposure to technology at home and may need extra support in the classroom. If teachers recognize this issue, he or she could pair children up to work cooperatively with peers that may be more knowledgeable of the software. After listening to the gender issues involving technology I have realized that women are becoming more knowledgeable and skilled at using technology. Even though men are still more dominant in this area, women are stepping up to the plate. This is because technology is becoming more and more prominent in our every day lives.

I am becoming more excited about including technology into my future classroom after hearing how to correctly implement different software programs. Children can learn so much from hands-on experiences and by using the computer they are learning in a more engaging way. A thought to keep in mind is including digital cameras in the classroom. Digital cameras could be used across the curriculum such as in a language arts activity. Children could take photos and then later write a story about what they photographed. Children could also take pictures for a science lesson of the different forms of precipitation throughout the year. There are so many ways that technology can be included in the classroom and I feel that it is my responsibility to introduce children to the various types of technology that are available.

Technology in an Early Childhood Classroom

The online article, "Technology in Early Childhood Education: Finding the Balance", offers several tips on how to integrate technology into the curriculum successfully. When introducing children to technology you should consider whether or not the technology will add to every child's educational opportunities and experiences. Technology can begin to enhance a child's learning beginning in Preschool. Young children should only use technology for a short period of time. The technology should be introduced as a choice during free time. This way the technology will act as a discovery process. Also, for children in preschool, there should be only a few software programs to choose from which are developmentally appropriate. Children ages five to eight (primary grades) can begin to use technology for a longer period of time. The children in this age group are beginning to read and no longer have to depend on icons to navigate through technology. Technology can now begin to enhance a child's literacy or language skills. For example, simple word processors become important educational tools as children experiment with written language. The teacher is less involved and only acts as a guide for children while posing questions that encourage thinking. The article also goes on to talk about how to use technology for a real purpose, choosing appropriate software, and other types of technologies that are beneficial in the classroom.

Review:
I think that this is a great article that future teachers should read to understand how to effectively adapt technology into the classroom. It gives helpful suggestions on what type of technology uses children should be involved with by age group. The website is very easy to navigate because it offers headings that you are able to click on if you know exactly what you want to look at. It also offers links to other websites that may be useful regarding technology usage in the early childhood classroom.

Here is a link to the website so you can check it out:
http://www.nwrel.org/request/june01/intro.html

Inspirational Quotes for Kids

This video can help teachers when they are teaching children about emotions. Teachers could take the individual quotes from the video and make a handout that the children could write their thoughts about the quote. Another idea would be to have the children draw a picture of what they think the quote would look like. The children would then share with the class and then the teacher could have a discussion on the similar and different views the children had.

Half-Way Reflection

Now that I have made it half way through my computer utilization class, I am more aware of different technology uses and sites that can help me in the future as a teacher. I have learned about several new sites that will help me develop lesson plans, form rubrics, and sites that offer free pictures and music to use on worksheets or presentations. The most important concept I have learned so far is how to involve children with programs that involve graphing different experiments. At a young age, children can begin to understand and form graphs of different activities that they have done in class. This will give them a visual representation of the results and for them to be able to compare and contrast their peers results. I feel that I am more aware of the pros and cons of technology use in the classroom and how to successfully adapt lessons that children can perform on the computer.

Internet Use in Elementary Classroom

The Internet can be a beneficial part of an early childhood classroom. One benefit of the Internet is that it offers a way for children to complete assignments in a different way. By doing this, children can be more motivated to complete their work then they would be by doing their assignment on paper. Their assignments will now have more information which supports their ideas. Teachers will be able to incorporate pictures on various worksheets by searching the Internet. Another benefit is that children can communicate with children from different classes via email. The teacher could have the children type up a sentence on a word processing program and then paste their work into an email in his/her name. This is a way for the teacher to monitor what is being sent but is a way for children to begin their skills in technology. The last benefit would be that children could begin to look at different online magazines. Online magazines can be educational ways for children to read about different events or to participate in activities that may be present on the site.

The Internet can also cause problems in the early childhood classroom. One downfall is that the teacher could begin to rely too heavily on the Internet for resources in doing lesson plans or activities. The Internet should act as a tool for teachers to get ideas for ways to expand on lessons or subjects but should not take the part of replacing their work. Another downfall is that it offers a wide range of information that could potentially be false. Children need to learn what websites are legit and which sites could have information posted by anyone. The last downfall would be that children would rely on the Internet for all of their information. Children need to be reading books rather than sites online for information.

My personal views of the beneficial uses regarding the Internet is that the Internet can be a successful tool for children if used appropriately. Children need to begin their skills in navigating the Internet but need to be taught how to search properly. The Internet can offer teachers a way to find different activities that focus on their lesson for the week. They can print worksheets off or get ideas on how to set up worksheets. The Internet can also be a way to communicate with parents, staff, and other school personnel. This can offer teachers immediate feedback from parents rather than waiting overnight for answers. It also is a way to communicate events, announcements, and other information quickly and effectively.

My favorite educational website would be WebQuest. A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. When you click on find WebQuests you are able to type in a subject area in search the San Diego State University Database. Then you are brought to different pages that consist of an introduction of different activities, different tasks and processes to complete, and an evaluation which you can grade your students on how well they completed the tasks. Under the process tab, you are able to click on different links that are related to your topic that might be helpful in completing the tasks. These different links that you will find act as lesson plans that can help you when presenting different themes or subject areas to your class.

http://webquest.sdsu.edu