Posted on
November 1, 2017
EdTech in Early Childhood Education
Educators if you haven’t noticed, education technology is rapidly making its way into the classrooms of our young children. Better yet, it’s here to stay!
The only way to keep up with the barrage of tablets, laptops, apps, software, etc. is to use it effectively. At the end of the day, most classroom technologies are just a screen. It’s our responsibility to make the appropriate use of these devices to provide a well-rounded learning environment.
[bctt tweet=”It’s our responsibility to make the appropriate use of these devices to provide a well-rounded learning environment.” username=”@educator21blog”]
This simple ABCs lesson, demonstrates that it is easy to incorporate using our current edtech tools that most of us have in our classrooms.
Below I’ve listed what I believe are the top 5 ways educational technology tools can help facilitate the teaching and learning process in early childhood. I came up with these reasons from observations; I made in my niece’s preschool classroom. I was highly impressed by their use of technology (Thank you, Ms. Burns, for allowing me to see the future of EdTech in our classrooms).
Number 1: Shift The Focus
Traditionally, the focus of the classroom was the teacher at the front. Now, with technology in our classrooms, early learners can take a more active role in their learning. It’s great to be teaching responsibility to students so young.
Number 2: Encourage Early Collaboration
Even in my high school classroom, collaboration is a struggle because it’s a learned skill. Some students dislike working in groups and teams, while others thrive on it. The collaborative effect from using ClassFlow and Google Apps is allowing young students to learn essential communication and collaboration skills that will be the foundation for their success as an adult.
Number 3: Fast Feedback
Sometimes getting useful feedback can be a challenging and time-consuming task for teachers. Using online tools like ClassFlow and the polling options, question/answer features, and response system, students can receive needed feedback almost instantaneously.
Number 4: Expand Learning
With technology in our younger classrooms, we’re able to broaden the learning horizons for children at an early age by expanding the learning environment beyond the typical classroom environment.
Number 5: Self-expression
Lastly, children find many ways to express themselves with technology in their hands; through images, video, text, and creative visuals.
I hope that the reasons mentioned above make a strong case for the increased use of educational technology tools in our early childhood classrooms.
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