My own research- how child development plays into using technology in the classroom

       I am currently working on my Master's degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Education Technology. In another course, we are talking about digital literacy. This week we were asked to consider some possible downsides when using technology. While researching, it was interesting to see how much connected with the child development course I am also taking.  I am currently planning a digital storytelling unit for my summer school kindergarten students, so I did some researching.  Story telling and story time is used daily in a kindergarten classroom. Unfortunately, the older children get, the more teachers forget the power of stories. “Although story time is a staple in early childhood education, one rarely observes learners above the fourth grade engaged in a storytelling activity, which is in direct conflict with theorists in education who tout story as a primary tool in learning and memory  (Banaszeqski, 2005).” One of my kindergarten team members is moving to a 3^rd grade classroom next year. She tried to bring me all of her books after the last day of school. I tried to tell her that 3^rd graders still enjoy read alouds, and that she can use them with her new students. It took a few other teachers to hear what was going on to convince her to keep the books. Just because a student can read, doesn’t mean they forget the love of picture books. 

       Through my research, I found that when working with kindergarten students, one has to be very carful when scaffolding learning with technology. I am a huge technology user, so I am constantly looking for new technology to use with my children in my classroom. But is using all that technology always beneficial for 5 and 6 year olds? When planning the scaffolding for 5 and 6 year olds, It is important to keep in mind that most have never touched a computer before. I teach in a very poverty stricken school district, so it’s a little easier for me to plan out lessons with technology, since little to no students have had experiences before.

       Before looking at the child development side to educational technology, I had never before thought about scaffolding limiting growth, or scaffolding TOO much. I always thought scaffolding was a great thing, and as teachers, we must scaffold as much as possible. Dalton had a different point to make. “Successful learning depends on customization, and scaffolding is essential to making it work for each child. However, scaffolding can limit growth and actually cause students to disengage if it is too constraining or if there is no progression toward increasing independence. For example, I may start with an activity that is highly constrained, yet still offers creative choices around the skill that is the focus of the lesson (Dalton p13).” Of course we can lose our children’s interest! Why have I never thought of this before? I have never lost a child’s interest from introducing too much technology at one time. But I have lost interest from not allowing them enough creativity. “When products start to look the same or students lose their creative energy, it’s a sign that there may be too much scaffolding (Dalton p13).” It’s always a hard thing for teachers to give up control, I find. I remember in my first year of teaching three years ago, I had to constantly remind myself that my kindergarteners could do things themselves. I need to continue to remind myself of this while using technology. 

       I am very much looking forward to using technology in a way that is productive for my student's development next year.  I will be careful not to push too hard with using technology. Just like with anything else with children, we must first make sure they are ready, so as not to turn them off from a specific activity too early. Most of the students I will have are from families that cannot afford technology in their homes. Looking at their developmental level while planning the lesson's scaffolding will lead to successful learning in my classroom 

Dalton, B. (2012). Multimodal Composition and the Common Core State Standards. The Reading Teacher, 66(4), 333-339.

Morgan, H. (2012). Technology in the Classroom: Creating Videos Can Lead Students to Many Academic Benefits. Childhood Education, 89(1), 51-53.