Children in today’s society are exposed to many facets of
technology at an early age. It is
important to look at the use of instructional technology within the early
childhood realm from multiple perspectives in order to uncover the positive and
negative effects that technology can have on child development. Experts in the field of child psychology such
as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Freud discuss the importance of play in order to
support the developmental process.
However, society has moved toward more technological approaches of play
utilizing tablets, leap pads, computers, smart phones, just to name a few. Therefore, the ways in which play has changed
may alter the findings of these important figures in history on their
perceptions of child development. The
question at hand is, are these effects and changes creating a positive or negative
impact on the early childhood development process?
Within my county, students at the middle and high school levels
will be participating in the one-to-one program. This program designates one chrome laptop to
each student for the duration of the school year. The school system is also implementing
wireless internet access on the school buses, so that these students may
utilize these laptops on the buses to and from the school environment. What are some of the technological tools that
your systems are incorporating?
It is my observation that we live in a ‘plugged in’ era. Many youth are utilizing technology for
dating, gaming, and other means that are not linked to educational purposes. What are your thoughts on how these
technologies are effecting the development of our youth? After much research and discussions with
educators in the early childhood field, it is apparent that we need more
research on the effects of this technology on the development of our young
children. I believe that technology has
positive and negative effects and it is imperative that we limit the amount of
exposure or the facets in which the technologies are used in order to support
the positive development of our children.
“Digital technologies are
changing the developmental landscape for young people. The task of designing
innovative approaches to support children and youth in their good uses of
technology goes beyond educators. It involves families, child development experts,
mental health professionals, child advocates, and all others who have influence
in a child’s life.” (Bers, 2010, p.
21). With this being said, how do
educators and parents work toward balancing play-based exploration and the
utilization of technology?
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