Shandelle Small ID#813000518

Technology can be defined as the total knowledge skills available to any human society for various uses, for example, industry, art, science and much more. Recently, the Ministry of Education has made a commitment to providing information and communications technologies to all the schools in Trinidad and Tobago. This statement has generated mixed feeling amongst some early childhood educators and parents .While technology has a lot of positives, some educators and parents believe that the integration of technology would take time away from hands- on experiential learning in the early years of a childs life. Throughout this course, I have had the opportunity to learn how to use some of these technologies like Prezi, Voki, Weebly, Wiki, Podcast and E-books just to name a few. I believe that technology is great part of the learning landscape for the future. Teachers sometimes encounter situations where children have difficulty sitting still, this occurs because they need frequent changes in learning styles or delivery methods, and their desire for a variety of physical experiences involving dance, physical play, climbing and sports. In these early years they are also within the process of mastering language, and exploring various elements of social behaviour. Early childhood educators and parents should note that when technology is integrated into the classroom appropriately, it will expand, enrich, implement, individualize, differentiate, and extend the overall curriculum and bring about a new level of curiosity for the child in areas where they may be weak which could generate great progress since each piece of software is very creative and would grasp the childs attention. Software can be used to create e-books which can be a great substitute from regular book especially in the area of language. Educator would be able to specifically select pictures and

Shandelle Small ID#813000518

words to create their very own story. Whereas without technology they would have to resort to reading the same books over or manually creating books out of Bristol board and other items.
By appealing to what's already familiar, educational technology helps students understand new concepts in a more natural way technology tends to have more of an impact because it makes things happen on a grander scale. Particularly in the sciences, it's not always feasible (or safe) to reproduce laboratory conditions in the classroom. That's where platforms like YouTube come in handy.

Technology helps students experience exotic settings and scenarios. In doing so, it helps them understand that learning doesn't just take place inside the classroom. It's taking place everywhere-in the grocery store, in the swimming pool, even in their homes. With open source software and the Internet, students can review or revisit their favorite topics after class. And with enough inspiration, they can follow their own route and satisfy their innate curiosity by surfing the web or Wikipedia. By incorporating technology into lessons in and out of the classroom, teachers can encourage children to learn independently
This means they are concrete learners who are very interested in using newly learned symbolic representation speaking, writing, drawing Do carefully evaluate all software, both for developmental appropriateness

Provide a computer center as one of many equally valued learning centers in the classroom. Allow use, access, and choices as you would any other center.

Dont use computers for drill and skill activities. This is one of the biggest misuses of computers with young children Provide enough staff training that teachers feel comfortable both with the computers in the classroom, and the software selected http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=302 http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/blog/can-technology-be-a-teaching-tool-for-toddlers-preschoolers

Shandelle Small ID#813000518

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

Do not allow computer use to distract children s time and attention from critical early childhood activities: art, music, play, social interaction, exploration of books, climbing on the playground, etc. Computers cannot replicate concrete experiences, hands on learning, mentoring by adults and older peers, and exploration of the real physical and natural world