5 Ways to Use Technology in a Preschool Classroom
“Don’t be a slave to Technology. Go out and Play instead!”
Words uttered by every parent to their child, until they realized it was an exercise in futility. There is an inextricable link between all that Play-based Learning and Technology, in today’s world. Gone are the days when your children could go through an entire week, without the use of any technological device. Instead of looking on Technology as a bane, we must find ways to seamlessly integrate it into the lives of our children. All so that we can provide them with an Enhanced Learning Experience!
In this article we will discuss everything related to the use of technology in the classroom. Exploring the types of technology used in the classroom, we will see just how beneficial technology in preschool can be, where it comes to getting kids more ‘connected’ than ever.
Technology in Preschool: 5 Ways to use Technology in the Classroom
The use of Technology in the Preschool Classroom becomes truly effective, when we learn to introduce it properly to those young, impressionable minds. Presenting the 5 best ways to introduce technology in preschool.
- Selecting the appropriate programs
- Using Different Types of Technology
- Introduce them to the Basics
- Being Well-Educated vis a vis Internet Safety
- Give value to that Screen Time
You want to choose Programs and Applications that are ‘developmentally-appropriate’ for your little one. The last thing you want is to see them getting bored by programs that only engage them in mundane ‘practice.’ No, you want to choose programs that are open-ended, and will get children to interact with them!
To do: For instance, you might get them to work on a computer program that helps them to draw simple things like flowers. Simple as that program might be, it will work wonders in unleashing the creativity skills of your kids. After all, there is no limit to the kinds of ‘art’ children can create. After they have finished, they can even take a printout of what they have made, and show it to their parents at home!
Tip: You want to start introducing those programs to children as a group activity, before they can begin to work on them all by themselves.
If you’re asking your preschoolers to hop onto the Technology Bandwagon, you might as well make use of all the different types of technology out there! To that effect, you want to ensure they go beyond merely using a desktop or a tablet, and introduce them to other types of technology that can be used in the classroom.
To do: Introduce them to the wonders of digital equipment, like Digital Cameras and even Interactive Whiteboards! All of these can provide delightful new ways in which children can learn. There are even Educational Robots that might have a thing or two to teach your children. The idea is to keep abreast of all the latest technology that your children can use, and then incorporate it into classroom learning.
Tip: Even though kids pick up things fast, it is important that the teacher familiarize themselves with the technology first, so as to facilitate the process of learning to follow.
If your little one has an older sibling, there are good chances that they have taught you all there is to know about your newly-purchased mobile phone! When they are too small, however, the onus is on adults, to introduce them to the basics of using computers.
To do: Start by showing them what a computer does, and gradually ease them into the process of using it. Then you might introduce them to applications that help them hone basic skills, like Reading and Writing. Once you have gotten a sense that they have the ‘hang of it’, you can get them to perform more complicated tasks, such as Editing Pictures or even, Recording Videos!
Tip: You want to take it slow here. Don’t introduce them too much, or they might get overwhelmed by the experience.
The Internet is something we all take for granted. To the point where, we barely begin to think about how dangerous a place it can be, especially for our little ones!
To do: You want to safeguard your children as best as you possibly can, from the very ‘real’ online dangers out there. This means ensuring that you get all the technological safeguards well in place, so that your children can use all of that technology without the fear of their being harmed by the likes of ‘predators.’ You want to teach them how to surf the Internet safely, but you also want to keep yourself well-apprised of all the inappropriate content that exists out there. For instance, you might think that some websites are harmless, but you have absolutely no clue as to where on those platforms, any of that ‘harmful’ content might sneak in.
Tip: It could be helpful, to hire the services of a professional here, who can come in and highlight all those potential ‘loopholes’ that exist in the virtual world, to parents and teachers alike. After all, you never know when your little one might inadvertently stumble onto some explicit pictures by accident!
Last but not the least, there should be a keen emphasis on the amount of Screen Time children should be allowed in the classroom. Even though technology can be extremely beneficial to them, kids must learn that there is a ‘real’ world that exists outside it.
To do: You want to get those preschoolers to indulge in the use of technology, only at specific times. In this way, those technology-infused sessions will be more engaging for them. That being said, the use of that technology should be limited to things like Educational Games, and Learning Applications.
Bonus: By getting children to limit their use of that screen time, they will grow up to be ‘discerning’ users of technology, something that will aid them greatly in the years to come.
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