Reflective Statement
We live in a world were technology surrounds us. Most children by the time they enter Kindergarten have used a laptop, tablet or mobile device. Major corporations design and create technology just for children. There are“24 platforms for children’s interactive media” (Buckletitner 2015: p.57) on the market tailored for various ages of children. Apple reports that “there are over 1,000,000 apps” (Buckletitner 2015: p. 58). In December 2013, 47,500 are listed as children’s apps on Apple’s iPad alone. Not only is this medium growing fast and in abundance, many groups like the NAEYC claims that “technology and interactive media are here to stay” (NAEYC 2014: p.2). It is important as users of this technology and teachers that we “keep an open mind… and keep things in balance” (Buckletitner 2015: p.66). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity (2010) discourage any use of technology or interactive media for children ages 2 or younger. These groups recommend “no more than one to two hours of total screen time per day for children older than 2” (NAEYC 2014: p.3). As Teachers we need to take this information and use technology and interactive media as tools that can promote effective learning and development. When we act as “intentional teachers” we can teach technology within the framework of developmentally appropriate practice and “support learning goals established for individual children” (NAEYC 2014: p.5). In Ann Epstein’s book “The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children's Learning" (2014) she explains: “to be an 'intentional teacher’ is to act purposefully, with a goal in mind and a plan for accomplishing it” (Epstein 2014:p.1). When teachers can explain why they are doing what they are doing, they are being intentional. Using the ISTE Standards for Teaching and NAEYC Standards, give a purposeful and developmentally appropriate framework for your lesson planning and teaching.
“B.F. Skinner might have described behaviorism’s view of a child starting life with a blank slate” (Buckletitner 2015: p.59) if positive behaviors are reinforced and encouraged the child will adopt them. Just like “Pavlov’s Dogs,” when Ivan Pavlov conditioned his dogs to get food every time they heard a bell. Even when there was no food present the dogs would salivate at the sound of a bell. I would imagine that Skinner, if he were alive today, would like children’s applications to be high in stimuli and rewards. In our iMovie short (button below) we decided that Skinner would love to play the app Candy Crush for its “conditioning stimuli including intermittent reinforcement” (Buckletitner 2015: p.60). Montessori on the other hand would be careful not to expose children to the over-commercialized society they live in today, she would look for “non-commercial apps that promote active learning, that are self-correcting and multi-leveled, don’t talk too much and are empowering” (Buckletitner 2015: p.64). In our iMovie short we play with the idea of Montessori asking ‘Why not build with wooden unit blocks and create something together? Why do we need this apps?’ Montessori’s theory involves learning with direct experiences and concrete objects that have texture and can be manipulated, like decimal blocks or sorting objects. Lev Vygotsky developed the social constructivism theory where he argues that children learn best in social situations. A student’s individual learning takes place as a member of a group. Intentional teachers should use interactive media, like "computers and mobile devices to facilitate social exchange" (Epstein, p. 171). Children can work together and problem solve any issues that might arise. Looking at three different theories: Behaviorism, Constructivism and Social Constructivism, would the founders approve of digital literacy? We don't know, but technology is here to stay. And using the ISTE Standards for Teaching and NAEYC Standards to show that being an “intentional teacher” of technology is a good thing. References
Buckleitner, W. (2015). Chapter 5 What would Maria Montessoria say about the iPad? Theoretical frameworks for children's interactive media. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years (p. 54-69). New York & London: Rougtledge. Download Here
National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January). Technology and interactive media as tools for early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved February, 2014 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_WEB.pdf NAEYC Standards: https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ProfPrepStandards09.pdf accessed on 10/24/15 This iMovie was a collaborative effort by Krista Podolny, Staci Reyonds and Katrina Anderson
We created this iMovie on an iPad about a fictional conference held by Fred Rogers with special guests Maria Montessori, B.F. Skinner, Lev Vygotsky, and Jean Paiget.
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