"Alright students, I have posted the introduction of our online course to the website. Please find the syllabus and look over the content before class starts. We will be completing one project that is due at the end of the semester along with many smaller activities throughout the semester. Please print out the assignments and become familiar with them. If you have any questions, please email me or call my office."
When we think of education, we always think about K-12. What about our preschool population? School truly starts before Kindergarten when most children attend preschool. I have been working in the early childhood setting for 7 years with typically developing children and currently with students that have special needs. Throughout the Educational Technology classes, I have had to get creative in researching, adapting, and creating technology resources for my unique student population. When researching online learning, I have to ask: Is online instruction appropriate for all classes, especially preschool? Could you picture a child or 3, 4, or 5 being able to successfully follow the directions above and navigate an online course independently? I would have to say that technology has its place in preschool but online instruction is NOT appropriate for preschool.
Distance learning has grown so much and has gained in popularity. One area that interests me and I thought about for preschool was blended learning. What does blended learning look like in a classroom? According to Educational Technology Guy, “Blended learning combines face-to-face and online instruction. It allows students to work with teachers in school and have online resources at home. It is similar to the flipped classroom, but with more emphasis on in-class work with the teacher over video/home content.” This type of learning would NOT work for preschool in the typical sense because my students could not access online teacher content at home without adult support and it would not be as meaningful as hands on learning. Some of the Learning Management Systems that I considered and looked at during my research were Edmodo and Schoology. I liked that Schoology had more features and could grow more. That promotes social presence in itself that the site continues to evolve and change. It offers updates, has more parts, and has the discussion option. I just have to use it more and learn how to use all that it has to offer. I am a visual learner and found a PCmag website to help with looking at all of the LMS platforms and learn about each. I also utilized the reading materials from this course to research the pros and cons of each LMS platform. According to Educational Methods for Children, “Within primary classrooms, blended learning can be more comparable to technology integration; serving the class environment as a teaching aide.” One way that I would integrate technology within the preschool classroom would be to utilize iPad apps to enhance lessons.
When searching for innovative uses of technology, I discovered what a great tool that interactive or digital media is for preschool students. According to NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), one principal to guide the appropriate use of technology and interactive media as tools in the early childhood program is when it is integrated into the environment, curriculum, and daily routines. Once implemented, media should be part of the routine and the focus should be on the extension of the lesson that is being taught, not on the technology.
They also recommend that passive screen technology uses are not recommended but interactive
media should be used to enhance lessons that are being taught and not replace the lessons themselves. Using this rationale, I will be creating lessons and using iPad technology to enhance the lessons.This type of learning would be more beneficial to preschool students. Blended learning would not be the true blended learning experience but technology integration is key.
When searching for innovative uses of technology, I discovered what a great tool that interactive or digital media is for preschool students. According to NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), one principal to guide the appropriate use of technology and interactive media as tools in the early childhood program is when it is integrated into the environment, curriculum, and daily routines. Once implemented, media should be part of the routine and the focus should be on the extension of the lesson that is being taught, not on the technology.
They also recommend that passive screen technology uses are not recommended but interactive
media should be used to enhance lessons that are being taught and not replace the lessons themselves. Using this rationale, I will be creating lessons and using iPad technology to enhance the lessons.This type of learning would be more beneficial to preschool students. Blended learning would not be the true blended learning experience but technology integration is key.
Online instruction and true blended learning would not be appropriate for preschool. I’ve seen the benefits to blended learning and it may be appropriate for k-12 classrooms. However, I want to see an increase in technology integration in preschool classrooms. It may not be “online” but technology should be present in preschool classes. I feel it is more meaningful to enhance lessons using technology and offer technology "centers" to let students use technology apps.
References:
Blended Learning: What is it, pros/cons, tips and resources (2015, February 2)
Retrieved from:
Blended Learning: Educational Methods for Children
Retrieved from: http://educationmethodsforchildren.blogspot.comFenton, William. (2016, March 10). The Best Learning Management Systems for 2016. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2488347,00.asp
Fenton, William. (2015, September 23). Schoology LMS. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2490580,00.asp
"Technology and Young Children." NAEYC. NAEYC. Web. 7 Feb. 2016.
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