Introduction
It's challenging to be an analog adult in the digital world young children are grow- ing up in today.Thanks to these outstanding teachers and technology innovators for sharing their stories: Tricia Fuglestad, NBCT, K-5 Art Teacher, Dryden Elementary School, Arlington Heights, IL; Maggie Powers, Lower School Technology Coordinator, The Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, PA, and Erin Stanfill, NBCT, Teacher and Educational Consultant, Bur- ley Elementary, Chicago Public Schools.It also contrasts with noninterac- tive or "passive" use of media, where children are placed in front of screens
with little or no interaction with the technology or with others. o Engaging speaks to the quality of the technology or media experience as well as engagement with peers and adults--so all three Cs need to be accounted
for--content, context, and the child. o Co-engagement or Joint Engagement With Media is a central idea that places
technology as a tool for encouraging adult child and child-to-child interac-
tions and invites a more social and less isolating experience. o The words access and equity are professional responsibilities early educators share to be sure that all children have opportunities to experience technology and media and to gain valuable skills for learning and digital media literacy
for the 21st century. o The words select, use, integrate, and evaluate are action words that describe
the role of the teacher and the ongoing and dynamic nature of teaching with technology--and are a constant reminder that it takes knowledge, experi- ence, and digital media literacy for the adult to choose and use technology in appropriate and intentional ways. o And finally, professional development acknowledges the need to support educators as they enhance their digital literacy and strengthen their ability to use technology in intentional and effective ways. Identify and address the concerns. Some advocates for children, quality early childhood experiences, and childhoods without technology (or with very little), have raised concerns that cannot be ignored. Early childhood educators interested in using technology with young children need to always be aware of these con- cerns and take them into consideration when making choices for the classroom. Among the most frequently raised concerns about technology in the early years are the following:
o The need to address access and equity issues so that new digital devices are tools for all children and can help close the achievement gap and the digital divide--not make them worse
o Exposure to inappropriate content and commercial messages targeting children
o Negative impact on social-emotional development due to less socialization and more social isolation and the risk of technology interrupting the adult/
child relationship
o The need to emphasize interactive use and interactions with others over pas-
sive, noninteractive uses
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years : Tools for Teaching and Learning, edited by Chip Donohue, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/zu-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1762040. Created from zu-ebooks on 2020-06-29 09:02:51. Copyright (C) 2014. Taylor & Francis Group. All rights reserved. 26 Chip Donohue
 o The need to monitor and manage screen time and place limits on use--this becomes more complicated when we consider a child's screen exposure throughout the day and across settings in addition to classroom time. o Displacement--the risk that technology will replace developmentally appro- priate and valuable materials and activities
o Negative impact on imaginative and open-ended play, active learning, hands- on learning, and creativity
o Less outdoor time and physical activity leading to more childhood obesity
o Increased sleep disruptions
Position Statement Alignment
 o o
o
o o
o o
o o
There are concerns about whether young children should have access to tech- nology and screen media in early childhood programs. Several professional and public health organizations and child advocacy groups concerned with child development and health issues such as obesity have recommended that passive, non-interactive technology and screen media not be used in early childhood programs and that there be no screen time for infants and toddlers. NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center are also concerned about child develop- ment and child health issues and have considered them carefully when devel- oping this position statement. NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center (2012), p. 2
AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org
AAP Policy Statement--Children, Adolescents, and the Media (2013). http://pediatrics. aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/24/peds.2013-2656
Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood: Teaching Young Children in the Media Age, Diane E. Levin www.naeyc.org/store/Beyond-Remote-Controlled-Childhood
Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood www.commercialfreechildhood.org
Caring for Our Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education http://cfoc.nrckids.org
Center on Media and Child Health www.cmch.tv
Facing the Screen Dilemma: Young Children, Technology and Early Education. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood & Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment www. commercialfreechildhood. org/sites/default/files/facingthescreendilemma. pdf
healthychildren.org
TRUCE, Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment www.truceteachers. org/
 Figure 3.1 Learn More . . . About the Cautions and Concerns
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years : Tools for Teaching and Learning, edited by Chip Donohue, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/zu-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1762040. Created from zu-ebooks on 2020-06-29 09:02:51. Copyright (C) 2014. Taylor & Francis Group. All rights reserved. Tools for Teaching and Learning 27
 Know What Matters. Findings shared by children's media researchers during a research symposium, Digital Media in Early Learning: What We Know and What We Need to Learn, cohosted by Lisa Guernsey and New America with the Alliance for Early Learning in the Digital Age (Fred Rogers Center, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, PBS, Ses- ame Workshop, and the TEC Center at Erikson), provided evidence-based guid- ance for educators and parents. Some of my takeaways about what matters most are the following:
o Relationships matter--We know that young children learn best in the con- text of interactions and relationships with tuned-in, responsive, and caring adults, so technology use should support and strengthen adult/child relation- ships, not interrupt or prevent them. o Joint engagement with media matters--We know that adult/child interac- tions are key to language learning, and this is also true when using media with children. Reading a book or playing with an app leads to more learning when adults and children share the experience. o Content matters--For screen-based media, the content on the screen really matters, and we're beginning to understand that what children watch on screens can be much more important that how long they watch screen. Con- tent features from children's television that seem to be most important when designing or choosing a media experience for a young child include charac- ters who children build relationships with, an engaging story, elements that promote guided play, and avoidance of distractions. o Context matters--In early childhood education we've long known that children learn best in active environments when they are engaged in mean- ingful, interactive, and social contexts, and these "essentials" hold true in the digital age with multitouch screen, apps, and interactive experiences.Tools for Teaching and Learning 29
  o Center on Media and Human Development http://cmhd.northwestern.edu/
o Children's Technology Review http://childrenstech.com/
o CLDC Best Practices Page, Child Learning & Development Center, Pacific University http://fg.ed.pacificu.edu/cldc/bestpractices.html
o Common Sense Media www.commonsensemedia.org/
o Digital Media Literacy in Early Childhood Programs, Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, PAEYC www.paeyc.org/digital-media-literacy
o Early Childhood Investigations Webinars www.esbyfs.com/early-childhood- investigations-webinars
o Early Learning Environment (Ele), Fred Rogers Center www.yourele.org
o ECEtech.net, Early Childhood Technology Network www.ecetech.net/dev/
o edWeb.net, PreK-3 Digital Learning www.edweb.net/prek3digitallearning
o Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College www.fredrogerscenter.org
o HITN Early Learning Collaborative http://earlylearningcollaborative.org
o ISTE, International Society for Technology in Education www.iste.org
o Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/
o NAEYC, National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org
o NAMLE, National Association for Media Literacy Education http://namle.net/
o National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, Utah State University http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/ nav/vlibrary.html
o New America's Early Education Initiative and Learning Technologies Project http:// education.newamerica.net
o Pittsburgh Kids + Creativity Network http://remakelearning.org/
o Results Matter Video Library - iPads in Early Childhood, Colorado Department of Education www.Fred Rogers Center (2012), p. 6
Read the Framework at www.fredrogerscenter.org/media/resources/Framework_ Statement_2-April_2012-Full_Doc+Exec_Summary.pdf
Consider the three Cs--Lisa Guernsey writes about the three Cs--content, context and the individual child--and provides a third framework to help educa- tors and parents thoughtfully select and use media with young children.Educators and Media Creators (2012) The three Cs--content, context, and the individual child--from Lisa Guern- sey's book, Screen Time: How Electronic Media--From Baby Videos to Edu- cational Software--Affects Your Young Child (2007)
As described in the Introduction, everyone who has contributed chapters to this book hope that you will take time to access and read the position statement and Framework for Quality as you begin to explore the ideas and best practices we share.o Digitally literate teacher educators, professional development providers, and trainers
o Technology integrated into preservice, teacher education, and professional development
o Technology and media knowledge, experience, competency, and fluency leading to digital literacy
o Hands-on opportunities to play with technology before teaching with it
o Confidence to jump in and get started--to use technology to learn how and
why to use technology
o Communities of practice and interest where you can access resources and
practical information about teaching with technology, exchange ideas, share stories about what works, and ask questions about what doesn't with other educators, and develop your own personal and professional learning network
o Access to evidence-based practices, and examples of effective practice
Take time to check out some of the resources and links that have been shared, and refer back to them often as you move on in the book.When used intentionally and appropriately, tech- nology and interactive media: can be additional tools for learning and development and can enhance children's cognitive and social abilities; sup- port inclusive practice; provide tools to support English language learning; enhance early childhood practice when integrated into the environment, curriculum, and daily routines; and help educators make and sustain home- school connections.NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center (2012), p. 1
Conclusion
Drawing on the big ideas and key concepts from the NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center joint position statement (2012), the Fred Rogers Center Framework for Quality (2012) and the three Cs--content, content, child--from Lisa Guernsey (2007), I've presented an overview and highlights of what educators need to know to be able to use technology thoughtfully and appropriately.You've taken your first steps toward digital literacy--a journey you'll share with other early childhood educators, teacher educators, professional develop- ment providers and trainers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, parents, and media developers who are scrambling to catch up and keep up in the digital age.co. us/resultsmatter/rmvideoseries_ipadsinearlychildhood
o TEC Center at Erikson Institute www.teccenter.erikson.edu
o Technology and Young Children Interest Forum www.techandyoungchildren.org/index.o Principle 3: Determinations of quality should be grounded in an evidence base that can be used by parents, educators, policymakers, and others to make decisions about the selection and use of particular digital media products, and by media creators to improve and develop new products in response to consumer expectations of quality.Position Statement Alignment
It is the position of NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center that: Technol- ogy and interactive media are tools that can promote effective learning and
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years : Tools for Teaching and Learning, edited by Chip Donohue, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center (2012), 5-9 NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center (2012) summarize the benefits this way,
Effective uses of technology and media are active, hands-on, engaging, and empowering; give the child control; provide adaptive scaffolds to ease the accomplishment of tasks; and are used as one of many options to support children's learning.Making effective, appropriate, and intentional choices about the use of technology tools and digital media with young children can be difficult, even overwhelming, for early childhood educators and parents who live in a world full of TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones, handheld digital games, and other mobile devices.In early childhood programs, at school, at home, and in informal learning set- tings like libraries, museums, zoos, and nature centers, we all share a responsibil- ity to be sure children's engagement with screen media supports early learning and the development of the whole child.The NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center joint position statement on Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Chil- dren from Birth through Age 8 (2012)
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years : Tools for Teaching and Learning, edited by Chip Donohue, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.To understand and appreciate our perspectives, approaches, and practices, it's important to be grounded in the same foundational sources and resources that inform us.
Begin with the Position Statement and a summary of the key messages:
o When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development.If relevant, the conduciveness of certain location(s) of use (e.g., homes, classrooms, outdoors, other settings for informal learning) to particular goals for learning, development, communication, and/or entertainment, should be specified.We use technology in art education for instruction, art production, exploration, making connections with authentic audiences, and connecting our writing with our images via our online digital art gallery.I've learned that technology is often a consumer product at home so I need to help my students understand how they can be more than consumers and empower them to begin collaborating and making or building with technology (e.g., making eBooks, Skyping, creating music, designing robots).Position Statement Alignment
When the integration of technology and interactive media in early childhood programs is built upon solid developmental foundations and early childhood
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years : Tools for Teaching and Learning, edited by Chip Donohue, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/zu-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1762040.ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/zu-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1762040.NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center (2012), p. 5
Emphasize the benefits.cde.3...........