8082 MD4 Dis2

Assignment Task Part 2

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two of your colleagues’ postings of 125 words each in one or more of the following prompts:

· Read through the posts on the Discussion forum. Explain how the technology suggested by your peers might be differentiated to build on the strengths and meet the needs of children’s varying ages and abilities.

· As you envision the setting and examples your colleagues describe, offer several suggestions to ensure equitable access for all children in this early childhood setting.

· Using one of the technological tools suggested by your peers, explain how this tool might be used incorrectly or ineffectively. Provide a suggestion for overcoming this challenge and assist them in avoiding the misuse of this technology.

Cite appropriate references in APA format to substantiate your thinking

Colleague#1

Katheryn Gonzales 

Top of Form

Tablets:

Research indicates that young children who use iPads or tablets will do so with a high level of engagement. Teachers should capitalize off this and bring in student technology funds of knowledge (Oakley et al, 2020).  Young students like to play games. There are a wide variety of apps that can be downloaded onto a tablet that engage students in both literacy and math. My school for one uses a reading application from Kids A-Z called Headsprout. This is a great tool that takes kids on an adventure as they learn how to decode words and begin reading text. This is an app that levels kids up as they gain more knowledge and understanding. As they pass levels, they earn stickers on the app that they can turn in to build parts of a robot. Students love to earn stickers because the reward of building their robot is engaging. For math, my students use an app called Dreambox. This is another application where teachers can determine student level through a pretest. Students play games and level up. Both applications allow teachers to assign work and students can receive feedback from the teacher.

Coding:

Coding is the new digital literacy that schools are introducing students to in the classroom. Early childhood educators are finding that interactive media, including programing are common in children’s lives. Children learn though play and the interaction of their environment. Learning to code allows students to interact with the technological environment much like they would on the playground. Students can solve problems, discuss, make choices, and follow rules while coding (Lee & Junoh, 2019). At my school my kindergarten students are taught how to code on Bee-Bots. The students use a large graph which tells them how many spaces the Bee-Bot needs to go up and how many spaces it needs to move to the left or right. The Bee-Bot can be programed to turn around and go backwards as well. We create games where they must get to different objects on the graph. Students are highly engaged in this activity.

  References:

Lee, J., & Junoh, J. (2019). Implementing Unplugged Coding Activities in Early Childhood

Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(6), 709–716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00967-z

 

Oakley, G., Wildy, H., & Berman, Y. (2020). Multimodal Digital Text Creation Using Tablets

and Open-Ended Creative Apps to Improve the Literacy Learning of Children in Early Childhood Classrooms. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(4), 655–679.

Colleague#2

Marcia Phillips 

Top of Form

Based on scholarly resources from the last 5 years, share examples of at least two technology tools and how they could be incorporated into early childhood settings in ways that enhance children’s development and learning. 

Provide rationales for why you selected these tools, the ages for which they are appropriate, and how they may enhance children’s development and learning experiences.

One technology tool that would be good for emergent bilingual children that are learning English is word prediction software. Word prediction software teaches extended written responses, basic spelling support, and additional opportunities to practice reading. This software can be accessed through a computer. According to (Brown, 2021), “this digital tool enhanced the meaning-making process of emergent bilingual writers” a success. This technology thus far has seen positive results in the classroom. This technology is developmentally appropriate for children in first grade ages 6-7. 

Another technology tool is the AT-Assistive Technology for children with difficulties with communicating through language. Children with developmental delays can have the AT to help with language to engage in social play, respond and initiate to social stimuli and negotiate conflict (Lohmann, 2019). AT can increase receptive and expressive language development to comprehend or understand what others say. This technology is developmentally appropriate for preschoolers age 3-5. Through language there is no technology (e.g., gestures, and sign language), low technology (e.g., picture boards, images, pencils and paper, drawings) or high technology (e.g., tablets, smartphones, speech generating devices, and apps). 

Provide rationales for why you selected these tools, the ages for which they are appropriate, and how they may enhance children’s development and learning experiences.

References :

Brown, S., & Almond, A. (2021). Emergent Bilinguals’ Use of Word Prediction software amid Digital Composing. Reading Teacher, 74(5), 607-616.

Lohmann, M. J., Hofe, K. A., Gauvreau, A. N., & Higgins, J. P. (2019). Using Assistive Technology Tools to Support Learning in the Inclusive Preschool Classroom. Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 8(2).