Engaging children in conversation around new literacy can be simple but purposeful. For example, when I use digital story telling app, I can pause and ask, "Who might want to hear a story?". conversation can help my students see the tool not just ask a task but as a way to connect with each other in their group.
Philips and Garcia remind us that even though today's children are growing up surrounded by technology, pedagogy must remain important. In other words, simply putting an iPad in front if a child is not enough, it is the intentional teaching choices we make that determine whether technology deepens learning or just distracts from it. This resonates with my preschool classroom, where students may be drawn to digital apps but still need adult modeling, structure and scaffolding to understand how those tools connect to literacy and communication.
Equity and engagement are always a worry as not all children have equal access to technology at home. To support this, I sometimes create activities that have multiple entry points, so if a child struggles with the digital, they can still participate in the hand on work.
A project I would love to try is a "Community Helpers Project" We could begin with the student's role-playing different community helpers (Doctors, firefighter, policeman) using props and costumes. Then, we could take photos and videos of the children in their roles and compile them into a digital class book or a slideshow using an app calked Book Creator. I love this because it uses imaginative play with digital publishing, giving the children a product to share with families. The tension, of course is ensuring that technology supports rather than replaces play. To help this, I would keep the focus on the role play itself and use the digital tool as a way to capture and celebrate student learning.
References
Donohue, C. (2015). Technology and digital media in the early years: Tools for teaching and learning.
Philips, L. A., & Garcia, M. (2013). The importance of still teaching the iGeneration: New technologies and the centrality of pedagogy. International Journal of Educational Research, 62, 257–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2013.09.002
Hello Flora!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. It brings me great joy to see that you care about addressing your children’s social needs and are thinking of ways to incorporate opportunities for growth in that department within your plans. I think your project idea is a great way to get students to interact with each other and simultaneously explore their individual creativity. This is especially important given how the rise of technology has the potential to isolate kids and, in turn, stunt their social growth. I also appreciate that the project gets children thinking about possible career paths. Obviously, it’s impossible to predict exactly what your students may grow up to accomplish in life. But by having them learn by playing the roles of doctors, firefighters, police officers, etc. you subconsciously reinforce the idea that it’s never too early to start thinking about the future and set yourself up for many successes along the way.