Technology and Young Children:

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Technology and Young

Children:

Bridging the Communication

Generation Gap

Sally Blake

Flagler College, USA

Denise Winsor

University of Memphis, USA

Lee Allen

University of Memphis, USA

Information Science

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Detailed Table of Contents

Forward xii Preface xiv Acknowledgment xxiii

Section 1

Understanding the Digital Communication Generation Gap: Values, Beliefs, Social Cultural Systems that Influence Teaching Practice

Chapter 1

The Impact of Technology on Early Childhood Education: Where the Child Things Are? Adults, Children, Digital Monsters and the Spaces in Between

Andrew Neil Gibbons, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

This chapter explores the bridging the communication-generation gap through an analysis of the child's play with hi-tech toys. The analysis of the young child's play with these toys employs narrative from the show Digimon in order to critique predominant themes in relation to learning and development. These themes highlight challenges to binary oppositions of adult-child, self-other, and artificial-real. In troubling these oppositions, the very idea of the gap becomes of interest in that in the gap are potential alternatives for adults who seek a critical understanding of the complex terrains in which they engage the young child.

Chapter 2

Enculturation of Young Children and Technology 24

Alexandru Spatariu, Georgetown College, USA Andrea Peach, Georgetown College, USA Susan Bell, Georgetown College, USA

Children are exposed to technology in many ways. As technology use in informal settings like the home, the community, the library, the zoos, and museums increases, children are exposed to a variety of ap-plications and technology availability. Each generation of children come to early childhood programs with increasingly different experiences and exposure to technology. Technology has become a strong

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cultural influence in the lives of children, and we need to explore and think about how this will impact development and learning.

Chapter 3

Children's Power for Learning in the Age of Technology 49

Julie McLeod, University of North Texas, USA Lin Lin, University of North Texas, USA

Sheri Vasinda, Texas A&M University - Commerce, USA

This chapter situates discussions of children's power for learning in the context of new media and technology. We assert that for learning to take place, children must exert their own power and take ini-tiatives in their learning; yet, the current power structure of classrooms inhibits children from exerting their power and motivation for learning. Tracing the seminal works on power, we provide examples of children's power in learning and argue for a power structure transformation necessary in a technology-rich classroom of the twenty-first century.

Chapter 4

Technology in Three American Preschools: Technological Influences of Ideology and

Social Class 65

Allison S. Henward, Arizona State University & University of Memphis, USA

This chapter explores the marriage of popular culture and technology and its place in preschool settings. It is specifically concerned with the manner in which social class and preschool ideology contribute to or detract from children's access to popular culture technology.

Chapter 5

Technology: Changing the Research Base on Young Children 88

Shannon Audley-Piotorwksi, University of Memphis, USA Neha Kumar, University of Memphis, USA

Yeh Hsueh, University of Memphis, USA Melanie Sumner, University of Memphis, USA

Technology has changed the potential for research of young children dramatically. Technology has al-lowed researchers to capture nuances of children's interactions such as eye movement in infants, heart rate, and physiological reactions that researcher's could never accurately track without the new technolo-gies. Understanding the role of technology and the evidence of children's development has opened new ideas about the capabilities of children. Teachers need to understand how these technologies are being used and how researchers support learning and development based on this new approach to information collection with young children.

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Section 2

Bridging the Gap between Technology-Based Educational Research Methods and Child Development Chapter 6

Bridging the Communication Gap through Video Research: The Preschool in Three

Cultures Method Ill

Yeh Hsueh, University of Memphis, USA Joseph Tobin, Arizona State University, USA

Technology is a valuable tool for researchers of young children for many reasons. This chapter discusses the use of video as an ethnographic research tool for studying preschool education and offers insight into how video can be used to inform researchers, practitioners, and parents of young children. The approach referred to as video-cued multivocal ethnography is intended to highlight differences across cultures, and to reveal continuity and change in preschool education of three countries over the course of a generation. But this approach is also valuable for promoting teacher reflection on, and developing cultural understandings of how teachers' practice embodies the culture in which they live and work.

Section 3

Bridging the Gap between Pedagogy and Technology Chapter 7

Early Childhood Teachers: Closing the Digital-Divide 126

Kevin Thomas, Bellarmine University, USA

Kathleen Spencer Cooter, Bellarmine University, USA

This chapter reviews the state of technology training for early childhood educators in teacher preparation institutions across the country. Using NCATE and NAEYC standards as benchmarks of practice, the chapter outlines some current issues and research on technology training at the preservice level, such as course sequence, textbook choice, content infusion, field experiences, et cetera. The chapter also out-lines three technologies, Web 2.0, Google Earth, and the Virtual Manipulatives that are accessible, free to users, require little teacher training, and have evidence to support their instructional benefits. These three well-developed technologies can easily be introduced to students and teachers as exemplars of constructivist pedagogical technology in early childhood science and mathematics classrooms. Activi-ties using each are included.

Chapter 8

Technology and Second Language Learning: Developmental Recommendations for

Early-Childhood Education 151

Nathan E. Ziegler, The University of Toledo, USA Florian C. Feucht, The University of Toledo, USA

Technology is often viewed as a necessary component for the facilitation of learning, especially for sec-ond language learners in early-childhood education. However, integrating technology in the classroom

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is a difficult task. The existing literature often does not bridge the fields of technology, second language learning, and cognitive development in childhood. Therefore, the goal of this chapter is to develop a theoretical framework stemming from a critical literature review of conceptual and empirical works as they pertain to technology, second language learning, and cognitive development. This framework is used to describe conceptual issues and to identify educational implications for the use of technology in the second language classroom in early-childhood education. Furthermore, the chapter concludes with educational, conceptual, and methodological implications as they pertain to technology research and development in early second language classrooms.

Chapter 9

Science Technology and Young Children 180

Brian H. Giza, University of Texas at El Paso, USA

Teachers of young children have access to an ever increasing diversity of technology tools. This chapter provides a framework for evaluating and applying tools for science in all classrooms. It includes a series of vignettes that illustrate the application of technology in the context of a tools-task-strategy approach.

Chapter 10

Mathematics Learning through the Use of Technology 199

Amy M. Smith, Pink Sky Education, USA Amy R. Gentry, Shelby County Schools, USA Sally Blake, Flagler College, USA

Technology can capture young children's attention, motivate them, and help them construct early mathematics concepts in meaningful ways. This chapter examines the nature of children's mathematics learning and how technology can support learning on three levels: (a) a teacher information resource; (b) teaching support; and (c) the learning process for children. It provides a description of how technol-ogy tools, when connected to sound inquiry-based pedagtechnol-ogy and formative assessment, can facilitate learning in today's increasingly technological world. Considerations for future research as well as a list of relevant, practical resources for teachers to experiment with in their own classrooms are included.

Chapter 11

Technology for Young Children with Special Needs 222

Sara C. Bicard, University of Memphis, USA David F. Bicard, University of Memphis, USA

Children come to early childhood programs with a wide range of learning abilities, languages, cultural backgrounds, and educational experiences. Most classrooms also include children with special needs or exceptional children, who differ from these typically developing children to such a degree that an individualized program of adapted, specialized education is required to meet their needs (Heward, 2009). This chapter provides a framework for the use of technology to assist these exceptional children in early childhood and primary level classrooms.

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Section 4

Bridging the Gap between Policy and Practice Chapter 12

Bridging the Gap between Policy and Implementation: Preschool Education in Mexico,

Latin America and Spain 242

Jorge Lopez, University of Texas at El Paso, USA

The last decade brought major change to the Mexican educational system as sweeping reforms across all levels were implemented. In particular the early years of education became the focus of legislation to increase quality, open access, and improve curriculum. Mexico captured international attention when it became the first country to make it obligatory for the State to provide pre-school education services for children 3 to 6 years of age and required parents to see that their children attend a public or private pre-school. This chapter explores the gap between policy and implementation of early childhood and technology reform. This sweeping reform is one of the first international attempts to support early child-hood education at this level.

Compilation of References 261 About the Contributors 290 Index 295