In Rethinking Early Childhood education the author talks about computers and young children. There are many reasons mentioned as to why using such technology at such a young age is really not necessary or appropriate, especially when considering all the other things children could be spending their time on.
When it comes to the classroom I feel that it is more appropriate to not have a computer. They are really fun and I know many children enjoy them but it is not the best learning technique. There is so much a child will miss out on if they are simply staring straight ahead at a screen. Many children go home after school and are baby sat by the television or video games. School is where they should be coming to learn social skills, motor skills and things that cannot be taught by a computer.
There are some things that children can learn from computers but it does not mean they could not learn something equally or more importantly from their teacher, peers or themselves.
Computers are also very expensive and there are many other things that the money could be used for, that will actually end up benefiting the child with whatever it pays for. Art supplies always need to be replenished and the natural ware and tare always requires upkeep and replacement of other toys and equipment. Also if a computer gets bumped and broken it will be an expensive loss, on the other hand a toy truck can get dropped a bunch of times and will still roll on.
One thing the author did not talk about was the potential damage that staring at a screen for so long, at such a close distance, could do to a child’s eyes. Even adults should take breaks from looking at a computer screen to avoid getting dizzy or to re-adjust the eyes.
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Hi Kawai,
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the other reading might contribute to your blog posting this week.
While reading many of your blogs this week, I am struck by the descriptions of how technology use is described. Often, people depict a very one-sided experience where the child is just watching the computer. I wonder how this might change if computers become a tool.
What if children used computers to document their work in the classroom? What if children created movies of their process in creating? (For example, documenting the process of building a building our of blogs.) Would this change how computers are used and viewed? How might the change impact viewpoints on technology? Are we hindered in our perspectives on technology because our experiences (possibly very limited) with technology?
Jeanne
Does technology have any place in a preschool program? How about old computers that are no longer working? I once walked into a classroom and saw an old telephone with the coil wire cut off. These types of phones are obsolete and make a different type of ringing noise that our children will probably never experience with the invent of cell phone with special unique ringtones. In a world where we are surround by technology, it is nearly impossible to leave it out of the classroom, but how can we make it work for the classroom?
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