Website Archive - March

Spotlight on Integrating Technology

This month, our focus is on Integrating Technology into the Early Childhood Classroom.  Computers are a wonderful tool in the preschool classroom when used to enhance the early childhood curriculum. But not all computer experiences are valuable. Because children have so much to learn during their early years, the integration of computers must be carefully planned.

Check out this month's "previews” and links.

Children

Kids Space Hip Hop presents a fun approach to teaching music. This site offers three progressively challenging scenarios for children to make music. Each uses different “instruments” and allows the children to play, sing or record the notes. The final scenario is the Instruments Hall and actually groups the instruments of the orchestra so they can be identified and listened to together or apart. This is an example of an activity that could not be easily duplicated in the classroom without technology.  However, it can be supplemented by non-computer activities such as the making and playing of instruments or the demonstration of instruments owned by children, parents, or teachers.

Parents

Sesame Place offers savvy advice for parents on the role of computers with young children. This collection of articles includes age-appropriate computer guides and software suggestions, high-tech help for kids with special needs, actual experiences of four families with young children as they try to figure out the Internet, and some myth-breakers about kids and computers.

Sir Robert Hitcham’s Primary School Resources is a portal of web sites for early learning. This United Kingdom site offers more than just developmentally appropriate websites though. It also includes software suggestions, computer lessons for children and parents, and introductions to lots of other learning activities that can be done with software and/or the internet.

Education World’s Ten Great Web Sites for Young Children has identified devlopementally appropriate website for young children which enourage parents to interact with children as they “play and learn” through entertaining environments and activities.

Teachers

Early Connections: Technology in Early Childhood Education’s site includes Learning & Development, Technology & Curriculum, Software & Selection, Hardware, Learning & Technology, Classroom Arrangement, Health & Safety, and Resources.

Although it has not been updated recently and a few of its links are no longer active, Montgomery County Public Schools’ Early Childhood Technology Literacy Project still has much to offer educators of young children. Check out Dara Feldman’s articles on technology in education, Lesson Plans (many use KidPix), Student Work for new ideas on class projects, Training Resources for some short lessons or demos on how to use new applications, and Links and Resources for many other resources that will further develop your ideas of how to effectively integrate technology into your classroom.

Computer Use in Early Childhood Programs for Adults and Children from Wisconsin’s Childcare Improvement Project, Inc. offers tips for effectively implementing computer technology in childcare facilities – both for facility administration/ staff and children. The benefits are broad – enhanced learning opportunities for staff and children as well as improved facility operations and fiscal management.

 

[Posted on March 7, 2006]