Technology's Role in Early Childhood Education

This assignment delves into the impact of technology on early childhood education. It examines various aspects like the use of iPads in classrooms, educational apps, digital storytelling, and the integration of media into curriculum. The focus is on understanding how technology can be effectively used to enhance learning while considering potential drawbacks and ensuring a balanced approach.

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Technology and Young Children
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Childhood education and their personal development in academic are very complex and
challenging task for the childcare educators and also for the entire management. It is a complex
task that requires an utmost understanding of few most important things such as the use of
technology and maintaining a balance between the used technology & the natural needs of the
children (Shonkoff et al., 2012). Educators nowadays are more or less aware of the benefits of
the technology in the earlier education of small kids. However, they are not very well versed
with the way that helps to tackle the complexity of managing a balance between technology and
the natural needs of kids. The current policy context encourages the childhood educators to cope
with the complexity, which is there in teaching the kids in a technological environment
(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2017). Technology helps child get things quicker; however, on the other hand,
it should not be misused. A limited use of technology when it is required is still okay; however,
an extensive use of the same might affect the natural process of kids. Kids are known to have
their desire to play with other kids in their spare time. They spend their significant time in
playing with the other kids. The use of technology therefore should be used in a way that it does
not affect the naturalness that a child has. The challenge to understand a balanced approach while
using the technology for teaching purpose has made this topic discussable (Cristia et al., 2012).
The main purpose of this assignment is to review the different literatures that have been selected
for this study. Moreover, the study will also investigate the identified issue, which is “technology
and young children” in a broader sense.
According to Blackwell, Lauricella & Wartella (2014), the use of digital technology at
the very early age of childhood is growing in popularity. This has shown some positive trends
from the kids. However, according to the authors, there are still numerous conflicting thoughts
on the importance of digital technology for the childhood education at the early age. Authors

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have further explained that few are in support of a successful embracement of the digital
technology in the school kid’s curriculum. On the other hand, some have entirely refused the
importance of technology at the very early childhood age. According to those, digital technology
has of no use in the modern classroom. According to them, latest technology will produce a
negative impact on the school kids. However, there are some as well who support the use of
technology in the childhood curriculum but they are not sure of the ways to implement such
technologies successfully and integrate this with the traditional study curriculum. The authors
Blackwell, Lauricella & Wartella (2014) have been able to find tree different views on the
use of technology in the school curriculum such as technology is beneficial for a quick
development of kids, technology will negatively affect the progress of kids and technology is
difficult to be integrated with the traditional style of learning.
In the opinion of Donahoo (2014), screens are required to be managed. The author has
supported the two of the different views presented by Blackwell, Lauricella & Wartella (2014),
which is the need of technology inception in the childhood curriculum in schools and the
difficulties of integrating this with the study curriculum. Donahoo (2014) has argued that parents
are letting their kids observed the use of technology at their home. According to the author,
parents themselves watch television for an average of eight long hours. During such times, little
kids observe their parents while watching the television. If parents really do want that their kids
remain away from the use of technology then it is important that they learn on how to manage
the screens. They should rather look on the benefits of the digital technology rather than
discouraging their kids from using technology in their studies.
As opined by Sims (2015), it is important for the educators to understand that the
different technology device should be used for a better development of kids. The author has

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supported the views of Donahoo (2014) and to some extent the views of Blackwell, Lauricella
& Wartella (2014) by stating the importance of technology in early education and also the
difficulties of implementing the same. Sims (2015) has said that in a world where little kids are
exposed to different forms of technological devices such as Tablet, Smartphone, and Computer.
In such situation, it is meaningless to restrict the use of technological device for the kids. The
author has rather supported a fact that modern technological devices will rather help the kids
develop their personality more efficiently. The author has emphasised on the ways that could
help integrate the different technological devices with the early school kid’s curriculum in order
to attain a maximum growth in child.
Stevenson et al. (2015) has further exemplified the facts presented by the authors
Donahoo (2014) and Sims (2015) by stating that an app should be developed in order to
digitalise the educational modes for the little school kids. The author has supported a fact that
skids in nowadays is very much exposed to the different technological devices such as Tablet
and Smartphone. It is then necessary to use such devices in an appropriate direction to give the
little kids a defined and a modernised way to progress with. In the age of digitalisation it is of
significant worth to develop numerous learning apps on mobile. Such mobile apps will be really
helpful and engaging also. Such apps will produce an entertaining way to teach the kids. They
would probably find this comparatively interesting to learn different new things at their early
age.
As opined by Yelland, Gilbert & Turner (2014), iPads is one of the better ways, which
could help the kids in an intelligent development of their personality. The device can be used for
entertaining purpose while supplying the learning materials at the same time. Moreover, such a
way of learning while playing will help the kids to grow with more intelligence and excellence.

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The author has supported the views of Stevenson et al. (2015) by stating the fact that modern
technological device such as iPads is extremely helpful in making the kids understand the
learning materials in a comparatively easier way.
In the video, it has been shown that using technology to educate the kids will yield an
elevated success. In the video, it has been stated that in the age of technology it is advisable to
take the available leverages. Emphasis has been given to the fact that there is no pint of skipping
away from using technological devices for teaching the kids. According to the video, the use of
technology such as the different kinds of mobile learning apps will help the kids grab things
much easier than the traditional format of learning (Resources for Early Learning, 2017). This is
very much evident from all the above discussions from the different authors of the selected
articles and the chosen video that the use of technology will be advantageous in the childhood
educational system provided if it is controlled with utter understanding of the pros and the cons
of the technology. According to the majority of the views, it is evident that technology such as
the technological devices should be used for educating the school kids. However, educators
should also understand a fact that the use of technology should happen in a controlled manner.
They need to understand the complexity of the use of technology in the schools. The role is
complex but it is needed to be done in order to enhance the learning capability of the existing
school curriculum (Blackwell, 2013).
There are different mobile apps that can be used for variety of purposes for educating the
kids. Learning the English alphabets through mobile apps dedicated especially to the alphabets
learning will help the kids learn the alphabets efficiently. Such apps not only present the different
alphabets in a interesting way but it also represent the different alphabets with different and
suitable background sounds. It is an undeniable fact that sounds and music excite the kids. In

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such situation, it is understandable that educating the kids in an entertaining way would yield
better results than the traditional format of learning. It is also because kids are now exposed to
televisions and the different technological devices more than ever. They have started
understanding this as a good resource to learn new thing. Such new thing can be anything for
them (Ciampa, 2014). It is then immensely required to make them understand that the different
technological device should be used in a rightful manner. The manner, which will help the kids
learn various new thing, which can be either academic or the general thing. However, there
should always be a controlling needs identified by the teachers or the parents. They should know
the needs to control and the level where it is required to be controlled. The exposure to different
mobile app is required but up to an accepted level. The accepted level needs to be understood,
which is not less than a challenge to present day childhood teachers and the parents. The teachers
in the digital age need to realise the importance of technology as well as they also need to
understand the degree of level, which should be allowed to the kids to interact with the
technological options of study. A controlled use of technology to educate the kids is what
actually required to be incepted in the school curriculum (Herold, 2015).
I have some personal experience working in an educational centre. The experience has
made me understood quite a few thing. In the role, I came to know that kids have high interest in
them for the different technologies that are popular today. They love using the iPads,
Smartphone and Computer. I relatively found this easier to make them understood the course
syllabus through the use of technological devices such as apps on iPads. They were expressive
for the things that have been taught to them on technological device. They had high interest in
such form of learning. The experience has made me understood the importance of technological
gadgets in educating the kids in their early childhood (McManis & Gunnewig, 2012).

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Additionally, I also found that there were few educators, which have their less faith on the
benefits of using the technological gadgets for educating the kids in their early childhood
education (Merchant, 2012). They believed that the use of technological device will negatively
affect the kids. Such educators have entirely ignored the importance of technological gadgets.
The workforce was very less cooperative on innovative things, which is also a fact behind the
negligence of using the technology for the educational purpose (Camisón & Villar-López, 2014).
The policies at the workplace had no yet realised the importance of technology for learning
purpose. The institution where I had once worked need to have a revised policy set, which will
support the use of technological device at the education point to teach the kids in their childhood
stage (Knapp & Ferrante, 2012).
There are ample of positivists of using or incepting the use of technological device at the
early childhood educational centres. The first and foremost positivist is the atmosphere that it
creates among the early childhood kids. Little kids have their tendency to play all the time. It is
rather difficult to attract them towards learning. This is where the usage of technological devices
or the mobile apps become useful in delivering the much needed atmosphere to the kids. It helps
to deliver the atmosphere where kids enjoy while learning the course materials. It is like learning
while playing (Wu et al., 2012). It gives them pleasure to work on the technological gadgets.
Kids are nowadays extensively explored to different media and the technological systems. They
have now started loving the use of technologies. In such case, it is extremely important to
understand the importance of the opportunities that the technology provides. Kids are explored to
such technologies for their different reasons; however, if they could be made explored to the
gadgets for learning purpose they will rather enjoy each and every moment of such session
(Chaudron et al., 2015). The technology helps kids in grabbing things quicker. They are quick

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absorber of learning materials when they are taught using the different mobile apps or the iPads.
In the opinion of Ciampa (2014), kids are found to be more engaged when they are put into
study on the tablets. They are found engaged and entirely immersed in the process while having
little or no knowledge of the surrounding world. It is evident that their concentration level is high
while they are studying on the tablets. The fact has further emphasised on the importance of
implementing the different technologies at the educational platform. The fact has shown an utter
need of implementing the technological device for the study purpose at the early childhood level
of education (West, 2013).
Education on the different forms of technological platform does also contribute in making
the kids a creative thinker in their early ages. Interaction with the different technological device
helps the kids in developing themselves as a serious thinker that has high values to creativity.
Nevertheless, creativity is very important in evolving the self personality as a successful
professional. Creativity is of high use in the every aspects of life. It guides through the different
phases such as at the time of education, during the professional career and so on (Ohler, 2013).
Despite all the benefits that the technology has in the childhood education, it is also
contaminated with little negativity as well. It has broadly been discussed through this study that a
controlled usage of the technological gadgets needs to be understood by the educators. This is
required to prevent the kids from misusing the technology. This is because it has few negative
impacts, which can affect the personal and the professional development of kids. An addiction
to the technological gadgets will lead to a destructive career where the kids will see such gadgets
as a mode of entertainment only (Muduli, 2014). They will start entertaining themselves with
such devices. Nevertheless, they can easily play games, watch cartons and many more on the
Smartphone or the Tablet. This is because of such reason it is important to put them to such

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devices under a strict control of the educators and the parents. However, this is also undeniable
that it is indeed a challenge to understand a controlled operation of the technological devices.
Medically, this is also unadvisable to have a prolonged staying on the technological devices. This
is extremely harmful for eyes. It emits certain radiations that affect the eyes and becomes
responsible for poor eyesight as well. Poor eyesight is a very common consequence of a
prolonged staying on the technological gadgets (Muduli, 2014). This is for such reasons lot have
been discussed in this study about a controlled approach for implementing the use of technology
in the early childhood educational centres.
To conclude the study, it can be said that the adoption of technology in the
different forms of apps and gadgets in the early childhood educational institution is indeed a very
productive option. This helps in developing the kids as a creative thinker who is innovative
enough to understand the right or wrong for him or her in their personal or professional
development. They have high concentrations when they are put into the different technological
devices for educating them on something. A high concentration is indeed required to have a
controlled and progressive career. The study has shown many positive points in the use of
technology at the childhood educational centres; however, it has also some negative points that
need to be controlled. The study has widely discussed the importance of having a controlled
progression with the use of technology for educating the kids in their early age. This is necessary
to prevent them from the negative aspects that an addiction to the technology can produce.
Moreover, the use of technology at the various institutions across the globe is immensely
required at the early ages of kids. On the other hand, it is also important to have a controlled use
of technology in such institutions. This will prevent the kids from being negatively affected by
the use of technology. However, this is also challenging to understand the safe level of using the

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technology. Educators those who are yet to implement the technology at the basic level of
education, they are required to understand the safe use of technology in order to justify the usage
of technology.

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