Transcript Adult Learning By Marcia L. Conner

The Impact of Preparing Educators to Incorporate
Technology
2005 PBS Ready To Learn Summer Institute!
Technology Use in Preschool Education
August 9-10, 2005 • Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia
Lynn Hartle, Ph.D.
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~eceucf
http://techandyoungchildren.org
Preparing educators to incorporate technology in the preschool classroom,
in order to capitalize on the benefits of technology.
Who Are Preschool Teachers?
According to the National State-Funded Pre-Kindergarten Study:
•
Seven out of ten (7 out of 10) teachers in state-funded pre-kindergarten
programs earn salaries in the low-income category and one in six (1 in 6)
works a second job to make ends meet
•
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the teachers lacked a bachelors degree.
•
The Western U.S. had fewer bachelor degrees per classroom than any
other part of the country. Nationally, 13 % of teachers reported having no
more than a high school diploma or GED; 14 %, an associates degree;
49 % a bachelors degree and 24 % a masters degree or higher. Twentytwo percent (22%) held a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.
•
In West Virginia, Maryland, New York, and South Carolina , the majority of
teachers held masters degrees. In Alaska and Florida, the majority of
teachers had no more than a high school diploma or GED as their
highest educational degree.
Gilliam, W.S. & Marchesseault, C.M. (March, 2005). From Capitols to Classrooms,
Policies to Practice: State-Funded PreKindergarten at the Classroom Level. Part 1:
Who’s Teaching our Youngest Students?: Teacher Education and Training,
Experience, Compensation and Benefits, and Assistant Teachers. (funded by NIEER,
Pew Charitable Trusts, and Foundation for Child Development)
http://www.pewtrusts.org/pdf/NIEER_Teachers_050305.pdf
Policies and Trends that Impact
Preschool Teachers
• 2000, New Teachers for a New Century: The future of Early
Childhood Professional Preparation
•
2001, National Center for Early Development and Learning
(NCEDL) 1,200 offered early childhood teacher preparation
programs, yet most offered either Associates or less than
Associate degrees.
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
• The 2001 report from the National Research Council, Eager to
Learn: Educating our Preschoolers
• Preventing Reading Failure (Snow, 1998). .
• Federal Head Start mandates
• Early Childhood Education: A Call to Action from the Business
Community (2003) www.cvworkingfamilies.org
Selected Policies and Trends that Impact
Technology for Preschool Teachers
NAEYC position statement: Technology and young children - ages three
through eight (1996) www.naeyc.org/pubs
THE Consortium (1999).http://www.thecol.org/
The Digital Divide Network (1999) www.digitaldividenetwork.org/
CyberStart (2000) www.cyberstart.org
Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers (2001) online at nap.edu
IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program http://www.kidsmartearlylearning.org/
Technology and Early Childhood Professional Development: A Policy
Discussion (2002) hosted by KnowledgeWorks Foundation
(http://www.kwfdn.org) and the Education Commission of the States
(ECS) (http://www.ecs.org
Beyond the Journal of Young Children
November 2003: Using Technology as a Teaching and Learning Tool.
May 2004: E-learning for Educators.
Technology and Young Children Interest Forum of the NAEYC
http://techandyoungchildren.org
NETS National Ed. Tech Stand. With ISTE http://cnets.iste.org/
Adult Learning & Preschool Teachers
http://agelesslearner.com/intros/adultlearning.html
Marcia L. Conner
•
Learning can be defined formally as the act, process, or experience of gaining
knowledge or skills. In contrast, memory can define the capacity of storing,
retrieving, and acting on that knowledge. Learning helps us move from novices to
experts and allows us to gain new knowledge and abilities.
•
Learning strengthens the brain by building new pathways and increasing
connections that we can rely on when we want to learn more. Definitions that are
more complex add words such as comprehension and mastery through experience or
study.
•
Children learn by building new assemblies and sequences of brain pathways and
connections.
•
Adults spend more time making new arrangements than forming new sequences.
•
Learning requires energy; re-learning and un-learning requires even more. We must
access higher brain functions to generate the much-needed energy and unbind
the old. Our experience, background, and learning styles allow us to learn new
concepts.
Also, preschool teachers may enter the field with little training and lots of
hands-on practice; while elementary and secondary teachers first learned
about theories of learning and teaching and then integrated theory with field
experiences in classrooms; therefore their needs for professional
development formats, timing, and frequency will differ. (Ackerman, 2004).
Which software might would be more motivating
for this teacher?
ACTIVE
•
•
X
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
<-- -->
REFLECTIVE
SENSING
X
•
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
•
<-- -->
INTUITIVE
VISUAL X
•
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
•
<-- -->
VERBAL
SEQUENTIAL
X
•
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
•
<-- -->
GLOBAL
Ms.Preschool
Teacher
What do Preschool Teachers
Currently Do with Technology at Home?
•
•
•
•
•
IF they have a computer at home, they:
Surf the web to shop
Create resumes
Play games
And do what many of us do online and off line
• . . . . But only IF teachers have a computer at home
Having a computer at home makes a difference as this
allows teachers to practice individually and try out new
techniques.
What Do Preschool Teachers Want to Do with
Technology
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
--for Teaching with Young Children
-Make instructional materials (labels, games, pictures, stories)
-Create newsletters to send home with families
-Keep records about classroom activities (lesson plans, floor plans,
learning centers)
-Assess and document children’s learning
-Communicate with families or other professionals via email
-Locate internet resources for lesson planning or ideas for best
practices
-Create or add information to a classroom website
-Develop and print photographs from digital cameras
-Select and use appropriate software as part of an integrated
activity/lesson plan
-Create multi-media projects
-Create video clips of children’s play and work
What Are Some Apprehensions Preschool
Teachers Have
We all have some apprehensions or concerns about using technology in
curriculums with young children. What are yours?
(Circle your FOUR top apprehensions/concerns.)
•
fear of the unknown and a desire to maintain the status quo (the way things are now),
• apprehensions about breaking or misusing expensive equipment,
•
time constraints involving learning new skills needed to implement the technology in
the classroom and restructuring the curriculum to include technology as a learning
center,
•
perceptions of myself as incapable or "stupid" about computers,
• previous unsuccessful experiences with technology,
• children will know more than me about using computers,
• there are dangers with children using the internet (ie. those who find children through
the internet and capture or abuse),
• computers don’t foster positive social interaction that young children need,
• children may use computers too much and not have enough time with other classroom
materials especially hands-on materials,
• lack of support from other teachers,
• belief that learning about technology is a waste of time because the school would not
have funds to purchase the equipment or enough software,
• don’t believe in the benefits technology has to offer young children
– Adapted from Theuvenelle & Bewick (2003)
What Do Preschool Teachers Need to Be
Successful with Technology
•
•
To be personally comfortable with technology (McCarty, 2000)
Have a computer readily available to use and try out new skills, preferably
at home
•
Time to share ideas with other teachers, experiment with high quality
software
•
To feel that the tasks are worth it because they make life more efficient or
support learning information THEY want to know more about .(Magee &
Jones, 2004)
•
To know the basic operation of the computer, including alternative ways
of doing things (the back door) if something goes wrong .(Magee & Jones,
2004)
•
Feel supported by administrators or supervisors (Espinosa & Chen,
2001; Bewick & Kostelnick, 2004)
•
To have a curriculum and program philosophy that supports technology
integration. (Davis & Shade, 1994)
Teacher Technology Assessment Bewick & Kostelnick (2004)
How Can Preschool Teachers Get The Technology
Professional Development Needed?
Basic Principles: #1 Ongoing, Ongoing, Ongoing…..
• Grounded in the learning material and curriculum with targeted
assistance
• Time for practicing and working out sample problems
• Tech support available in person, phone, on-line
• Teachers can work in teams to support each other (learning
communities)
• Modeling of all kinds – visual, video, verbal, demonstrations
• Avenues for reflection
Learning through Story and Play!!! i.d.e.a.s. and Atusi Hirumi (2005)
Links to Online Resources on Technology as a Learning Tool
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200311/links.asp
Making a good choice about the types of medium for technologybased Professional Development (Harvey, 2004)
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200405/ThreeE-LearningTables.pdf
What New Roles will Preschool Teachers Have
With Technology Infused Curriculum?
It is not IF computers should be used with young children,
but HOW (Papert, 1980)
The teacher is the key and pivotal person to the successful use of technology
in early childhood classrooms (Bowman, 1998; Chang, 2001; Sarama &
Clements, 2001; Thouvenelle & Berwick, 2003)
Instructional Support
-as a Modeling Vehicle
-as tool to monitor and assess children’s progress
-as a link to families and the community
-a tool to find or create new lessons
Instruction with Children
-select and support the use of appropriate software
-to support a teachable moment and foster rich language development
-design computer centers that foster social interactions and rich play and work
- learning fosters constructivist teaching and learning
-
see Australia www.edna.edu.au
Technology – as a Modeling Vehicle
Professional Development and Ongoing Reflection
can be supported with a well developed website:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Environments as Context
Classroom Examples
Managing - Is there a place for….?
Creating environments
Panoramas of Classrooms with various curriculum models
Observing and Evaluating Classrooms
»
Wetsel, J.C. (2002).
– http://ed.oc.edu/earlychildhood/
Technology – as tool to monitor and assess
children’s progress
EasyTech as modeled at this Elementary
school
http://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/curr/cf/tech/te
ch.htm
Teaching Strategies CreativeCurriculum.net
http://www.creativecurriculum.net/tour_intr
o.cfm
Technology - as a link to families and the
community
Virtual PreK www.virtualpre-k.org
KidSpace (1995)
http://www.kids-space.org/
Early Learning Coalition of Orange County Florida
http://www.elcoforangecounty.org/
Digital Learning Exchange and the National Board for Teaching
Standards
http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/deli/exhibits/1000445/The_Lesson.html
Scholastic – Web spaces for teachers
http://teacher.scholastic.com/homepagebuilder/
Technology - to find or
create new lessons
• Edutopia, a book developed through the George
Lucas Foundation includes a wealth of links for
teachers to use as they build virtual and real
projects with children.
• Preschool Literacy Website
http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/pkhome.htm
• Apple Learning Exchange
http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/index.html
• DMOZ
http://dmoz.org/Reference/Education/Early_Chil
dhood/
Technology - select and support the use of
appropriate software
• Choose appropriate Software according to
sound principles (Haugland, 1997)
• Consider the children’s reading level
• Software should be open-ended and allow the
children to create, this is especially important for
children of low-income and minority families who
have less access at home (Bowman, 1998;
Clements & Sarama, 2001)
• Monitor the children’s software use often to
learn about each child’s unique learning style
and emerging learning (Chang, 2001)
Technology - to support a teachable moment and
foster rich language development
The Kids Got Taken by
Aliens
an original screenplay by
Jahad and Taurus
Rated 5 for 5 year olds
Damian, B. (2005) Rated 5 for five
year olds, Young
children,60(2), 50-53.
See also:
Kelly; K.L. & Schorger,
J.R. (2001).
Technology – centers to foster social
interactions and rich play and work
•
•
•
The area should support two or
more children to support language
turn-taking, extending of each
other’s ideas, and augment
learning beyond 2D materials
(Freeman & Somerindyke, 2001;
Sarama & Clements, 2001)
Less than 10:1 children to
computers fosters social
behaviors (Yost, 1998)
Place computers next to each
other with two seats in front with
another at the side for the teacher
to join in or provide support
Technology – learning fosters constructivist
teaching and learning
• Create real-world environments and real-world problems
• Instructors are guides and there are built in controls for learners as
well as opportunities for the learner to modify the learning
• Provide experiences, examples, and experts
• Provide the materials and other tools that help learners interpret
multiple perspectives and sources of information
• Teachers work with children to design and carry out goals for
learning
• There are assessments and evaluations in which children can
self-evaluate as well as have adults guide and assess.
Jonassen (1991); Jonassen, Howland, Moore, Marra (2003)
Technology – requires ongoing questioning and
scaffolding
•
•
•
•
“mental bridges” (Huttinger &
Johanson, 2000; Jonassen,
Howland, Moore, Marra (2003)
Scaffolding by providing openend tasks with systematic timing
of brain-storming sessions,
questioning by the teacher,
supports for planning processes,
and providing examples or models
is critical to children’s success on
tasks and enhances these skills
(Yelland, 1998).
A balance of teacher guidance
and self-directed exploration is
needed.
Teachers need to redirect, provide
choices, and model strategies just
like they would other materials
What is in Store for Young Children and Preschool
Teachers?
Kalinowski, M.F. (2001) The Current Status
of Technology in Education: Lightspeed
Ahead with Mild Turbulence. (Statistical
Data Included) Information Technology in
Childhood Education Annual.
References:
Ackerman, D.J. (2004) Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 24(4) 291-301.
Anderson, G.T., Hilton, S.C., & Wouden-Miller, M. (2003). A gender comparison. of the cooperation of
4-year-old children in classroom activity centers. Early Education & Development, 14(4), 441-451.
Blagojevic, B. 2003. Funding technology: Does it make cents? Young Children 58 (6): 28-33.
Bowman, B. (1998) Equity and Young Children as Learners Proceedings of the Families, Technology,
and Education Conference http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/books/fte/ftepro.html
Bowman, B., Donovan, S. M. & Burns, S. (Eds.) (2001). Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers.
Washington, DC: National Research Council.
Bredekamp, S. & Rosegrant, T. (Ed.) (1992). Reaching potentials: Appropriate curriculum and
assessment for young children, Vol. 1. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of
Young Children.
Chang, N. (2001). It is developmentally inappropriate to have children work alone at the
computer? Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual.
Chen, M. & Armstrong, S. (2002). Edutopia: Success stories for learning in the digital
age. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Clements, D.H., & J. Sarama. 2003. Young children and technology: What does the
research say? Young Children 58 (6): 34-40.
Damian, B. (2005) Rated 5 for five year olds, Young children,60(2), 50-53.
Davis, B.C. &Shade, D.D. (1994). Integrate, Don't Isolate! Computers in the Early Childhood
Curriculum http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/integrate.computers.html
Donohue, C., & R. Neugebauer. 2004. Innovations in e-learning: New promise for professional
development. Young Children 59 (3): 22-25.
References (Cont.)
Freeman; N.K. & Somerindyke, J. (2001). Social Play at the Computer: Preschoolers Scaffold and
Support Peers' Computer Competence. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual.
Harvey, C.E. 2004. Technology-based professional development: A meaningful alternative. Young
Children 59 (3): 34-40.
Haugland, S.W. (1999). What role should technology play in young children's learning. Young
Children, 54(6), 26-30.
Haugland, S.W. (2000). Early childhood classrooms in the 21st century: Using computers to maximize
learning. Young Children, 55(1), 12-18.
Hohmann, C. 1994. Staff development practices for integrating technology in early childhood
education programs. In Young children:Active learners in a technological age, eds. J.L. Wright &
D. Shade.Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Huttinger, P.L. & Johanson, J.(2000). Implementing and maintaining an effective early childhood
comprehensive technology system. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 20(3), 159-173.
Jonassen, D.H. (1991). Evaluating constructivist learning. Educational Technology, 31 (9), 28-33.
Jonassen, D.H., Howland, J., Moore, J., Marra, R.M. (2003) Learning to solve problems with
technology: A constructivist perspective, 2nd Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Kalinowski, M.F. (2001) The Current Status of Technology in Education: Lightspeed Ahead with Mild
Turbulence. (Statistical Data Included) Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual.
Kelly; K.L. & Schorger, J.R. (2001). "Let's Play 'Puters": Expressive Language Use at the Computer
Center. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual.
Magee, J., & E. Jones. 2004. Leave no grown-up behind: Coming to terms with technology. Young
Children 59 (3): 13-20.
McCarty, W. 2000. Computers and children. Humanist Discussion Group. Vol 14, No. 285. London:
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King’s College. Online:
www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/
References (Cont.)
MOBIUS Corporation. 1994. Computers in Head Start classrooms:Recommendations from the Head
Start/IBM partnership project. 2ded. Alexandria, VA: Author.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (1996). NAEYC position statement:
Technology and young children - ages three through eight. Young Children, 51(6), 11-16.
Papert, S. (1980). The connected family: bridging the digital generation gap. New York: Longstreet
Press.
Papert, S. (1986). Mindstorms: Children, computers and powerful ideas. New York: Basic Books.
Ray, J. A., & D. Shelton. 2004. E-pals: Connecting with families through technology. Young Children 59
(3): 30-32.
Theuvenelle, S. & Bewick. C.J. (2003). Completing the computer puzzle: A guide for early childhood
educators. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Wetsel, J.C. (2002). Using technology to help preschool teachers construct knowledge about young
children’s classroom environments. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 23(3), 293295.
Wheatley, K.F. 2003. Increasing computer use in early childhood teacher education: The case of a
“computer muddler.” Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 2 (4): 12.
Yelland, N.J. (1998). Making sense of gender issues in mathematics and technology. In N.J. Yelland
(Ed.). Gender in early childhood (pp.249-279). London: Routledge.
Yost, N.J.M. (1998). Computers, kids, and crayons: A comparative study of one kindergarten’s
emergent literacy behaviors. Dissertation Abstracts International 59(8), 2847. University
Microfilms.