I selected the organization The
National Association for the Education of Young Children, otherwise known as
the NAEYC. The focus of this organization is to work on behalf of young
children by setting standards of excellence for programs and teachers while providing
the latest research and techniques of how best to work with children.
The issue that I selected to
focus on from the website was something I felt the organization was focusing on
since it was displaying two articles on the same subject of technology in the
early childhood field. During my undergrad, I was able to take a class that
showed useful ways to incorporate technology in the elementary school setting,
but I never put into thought how to incorporate it into the early childhood
setting. As I pay more attention to technology all around me, I recognize that
even children as young as those in the EC field are using technology and can
master it; therefore there is a need for the classroom to change.
This topic can relate back to
the subject for this week because just like how the diversity of our population
is changing, so is the advances in the resources we have to work with. We have
become a more technological society and this trickles down onto the youngest of
our society and as leaders we need to teach them the proper ways to use it.
References:
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the information about technology. I am actually a member of NAEYC. I just received my latest journal about technology and can't wait to read about it. Our classrooms that are located in schools have smart boards, and they are wonderful. Working for Head Start, I have found that many of our children do not have access to technology. It is important for us to give them exposure to it so that they are able to have the skills to use the technology. We don't overuse the technology, however, because the interactions between students and staff and children with each other are critical.
Continue your work in early childhood. It is nice to see young people going into the field!
Hi Stephanie, NAEYC is an amazing organization. I get their issues of "Young Child" and "Teaching Young Children". They are amazing resources to use in the classroom and to keep you on top of trends, approaches, curriculum development, and the politics of early childhood education.
ReplyDeleteI think technology in the classroom is a great topic. In my previous school we were not allowed to have computers in the classroom. Now that I have my own program, we have computers in the 3 and 4 year old classrooms. This year I used it to study eagles with the kids. There is a live feed of an eagles nest out of Iowa. We began watching late fall when the mom and dad eagle were preparing the nest, we saw them mate, we saw when she laid her 3 eggs, and we have watched the eagles grow up. They will be leaving the next within the next few weeks as they learn to fly. Each day we just turned the computer onto the live feed and we keep it running all day. The children go to it throughout the day or when they hear the eagles talking. It has been such a wonderful experience for the children to learn about nature. I think there is an appropriate way for children to use computers. I am not a fan of running programs, but I feel that if you are doing a project or exploring a specific theme, the internet has so many opportunities to build on the child's knowledge, and the teacher's as well. I think if we do not have an answer, to show the children that we are all always learning is an importnat message and promotes the idea of becoming a life-long learner.
Hello Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much technology influences even our young ones. I have seen the use od the smart boards in EC classrooms. The children learn to use the ipads and just swipe away on the screen understanding what they are doing. It is the right thing for the EC educators to learn how to harness this curiousity the children have with technology to help them develope and apply the use of it.
Technology in the early childhood field is so important. It amazes me when I go into the two year old room in the childcare center I work at and see the little one's clicking away. While it is a challenge for some, others really do get the concept. The teachers work with them on clicking while doing activities about colors and matching games. It is great that they can not only enhance their technology skills but meet other developmental milestones at the same time.
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