In this study, teachers’ views and perspectives of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) have been examined. The findings of this study indicated that the teachers involved in this research study considered that ICT in ECE offered valuable opportunities to make children’s learning visible and contributed to developing and enhancing relationships with children, families and teachers, when integrated in meaningful and purposeful ways within the early childhood teaching and learning community. The overarching positive approach to ICT, expressed by these particular respondents, did not mean, however, that this place remained uncontested. Several critical issues, as previously noted, were signaled by several of these teachers.
The first key issue surrounds the significant difference in exposure to ICT the children or as Zevenbergen (2007) describes “digital natives” (p.27) may come with, when entering early childhood services, compared with what the teachers themselves are likely to be familiar or confident with. Therefore, how do early childhood teachers respond to the knowledge and experiences these often technologically confident learners bring with them to the early childhood setting? Conversely, what provision is made for children who have limited access to and experience with ICT in the home environment?
A second key issue relates to the resourcing of ICT, as it appears that there is a variation in equity and access between different early childhood centres depending upon their economic status. Writers such as Zevenbergen (2007) suggest that the early childhood context has the potential to address these differences.
A third issue that arose is related to the increased visibility of children through the use of ICT. Whilst ICT was seen to offer opportunities for children’s learning to be
for example, this visible and rising public nature may be seen to create a mode of increased control and surveillance.
The current study, has attempted to contribute to the increasing body of literature related to ICT in ECE. While ICT in itself is not a total newcomer to the early childhood scene, as items such as audio tape recorders, television and fax machines have been utilised for many years, the current use of computers, digital cameras, interactive whiteboards and video recorders, for example, used to document and share children’s learning experiences, has served to significantly increase and highlight this profile. As noted previously, the main focus of past research was centred upon whether or not the presence of computers could be beneficial or harmful to young children’s learning (Edwards, 2005; Elkind, 1996; Haughland, 2000; Stephen & Plowman, 2003a; Stephen & Plowman, 2003b).
Now that these understandings appear to have changed to some extent, with a broader meaning of ICT being realised, the focus of the literature has shifted to the how and why, rather than if (Brown and Murray, 2006). The expanding publication of case studies, which outline the ways in which ICT has contributed to enhancing children’s learning, have added yet another dimension and expectation in the ICT in ECE discourse (for example, Cowie & Carr, 2004; Hong & Trepanier-Street, 2004; Ramsey et al., 2006; Zevenbergen, 2007) .
Nevertheless, it must be noted as the teachers in this study emphasised that ICT on its own will not create or instigate optimum teaching and learning environments, or enhance relationships. ICT should be seen as a tangible and visible way to create possibilities and avenues through which children, their families and teachers can collaboratively engage and interpret teaching and learning experiences. Furthermore, the visual and written opportunities offered by utilising ICT resources invite, as proposed by Rinaldi (2005) “those who document and those who read [both visually and in the written form] an opportunity for reflection and learning” (p.25).
It is imperative, therefore, that the voices and perspectives of teachers be examined and not remain silent in these projects, as possibilities and potential for learning and teaching with young children are presented through the filter of teachers’ enactment and views of their teaching and learning pedagogy (Edwards, 2005). Moreover, as Hattie (2003) cited by Smith (2008) asserts, “Educators still make most of their practice decisions on the basis of personal belief and personal experience” (p.68), it is critical that teachers are provided with on going opportunities to reflect and examine this notion further. Consequently, it is important that teachers’ personal beliefs and experiences are considered, if changes and shifts are to be made to foster and optimise opportunities for young children’s learning.
The initial questions posed for this current study were focused on exploring early childhood teachers’ understandings of their role related to ICT in ECE, and how this understanding influenced and shaped the ways in which they implemented and integrated ICT. Questions were also asked as to what role they considered ICT played within their early childhood teaching and learning environments. Whilst their responses signaled an overwhelming acknowledgement of the potential that they believed ICT has in enhancing the early childhood teaching and learning communities with whom they work, this enthusiasm was also, however, tinged with caution, as highlighted earlier in the findings.
This study has contributed to making visible the views and perspectives of a small group of early childhood teachers to the on going discussion about the benefits and challenges of ICT in ECE. Their voices have added valuable insights into the issues surrounding this highly debated topic and may serve to provoke others to look more acutely at the ways in which they view and subsequently implement ICT in their teaching and learning contexts. Thus, ideally creating hi tech educators, who are also capable of encouraging young children to develop the ability to sift through the array of ICT mediums, that they are
presented as part of their daily encounters with as Ministry of Education (1996) describe “people, places and things”. (p. 11).
Teachers cannot ignore the influence of digital technology in their own and young children’s lives, and the implications for practice this can present, if they are to acknowledge and embrace the very different social conditions that the children who attend these early childhood settings have experienced. It is suggested, therefore, that teachers in early childhood education have more than a passing obligation to gain a deeper understanding of these influences and explore how they can interact with young children more effectively, taking into account the diverse range of children’s prior knowledge, experiences and access to these digital mediums (Zevenbergen, 2007).