© 2015 Erikson Institute

Strategies for Using Technology in the Classroom and to

Foster Family Engagement

Partnership with the Alliance for Early Childhood

Amanda Armstrong, M.S.

TEC Center at Erikson Institute

@AArmstrong_CD @TEC_Center #TEC_Center

Your tech experience

• I consider myself a tech-savvy person.

• I am confident in my ability to appropriately use digital tools to manage my personal life.

• I consider myself a tech-savvy early childhood professional.

• I currently use tech and media as a tool to support learning.

• I am confident in my ability to appropriately integrate technology and interactive media in my program.

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8

http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

Sources to Guide Best Practice

Concerns • Overexposure to harmful commercialization, violence, and

inappropriate content; Negative influence

• Hyperactivity, shortened attention, and emotional problems

• Contributes to risk and health problems

• Decrease in social interaction and creative play

• Replace traditional family time activities

• Childhood obesity

• Disrupts sleep

• “Technology Addiction”

• Less time outdoors

Considerations for EC Programs Use and integration

• Active, hands-on, engaging and empowering

• Intentional

• Do not replace traditional activities

• Evaluation and reflection

• Special considerations for infants and toddlers

• Holistic, healthy growth and development

Use and Integration • Developmental and educational goals

• Opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving and creativity

• Access to new content

• Interdisciplinary

• Enhance communication and collaboration

• Build relationships

• Throughout the classroom

• In daily routines

School Integration

http://www.cde.state.co.us/resultsmatter/rmvideoseries_ipadsine

arlychildhood

Classroom Environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkkEgLCZrHo

Small Group Activity • Watch classroom examples

• What do you notice about the technology being used and integrated in these situations?

• Is there a different tech tool you would use?

• Is there a balance between traditional and digital materials?

• What would you do next to continue this learning experience?

Science

http://fg.ed.pacificu.edu/cldc/microscopes.html

Student Learning

Small Group Activity • Watch classroom examples

• What do you notice about the technology being used and integrated in these situations?

• Is there a different tech tool you would use?

• Is there a balance between traditional and digital materials?

• What would you do next to continue this learning experience?

Digital Media Content • Appropriate images, language, and design

• Support children’s learning and development

• Accommodates children of different abilities and needs

• Engaging and motivating without being distracting

• Culturally appropriate and inclusive

• Repeatable and scaffolded

• Gives children control

• Content creation: Allows expression and creativity

Tools to Evaluate Tech Integration

Pennsylvania Digital Media Literacy Project

• Utilizes key points from NAEYC and Fred Rogers Center joint position statement

• Sections: Select, Use, Integrate, and Evaluate

http://www.fredrogerscenter.org/media/resources/Tech_Integratio

n_Checklist_-_Final.pdf

Can Support Family Engagement in Programs

Appropriate Technology Integration

• Familiarize staff with tools to use

• Discover effective ways to share information and communicate with families

• Build home-school connection

• Help support families in appropriately using technology at home

What is Family Engagement? Family Engagement, Diverse Families, and Early Childhood Education Programs: An Integrated Review of the Literature

• Early childhood education programs encourage and validate family participation in decision making related to their children’s education.

• Consistent, two-way communication is facilitated through multiple forms and is responsive to the linguistic preference of the family.

• Families and early childhood education programs collaborate and exchange knowledge.

What is Family Engagement?

• Early childhood education programs and families place an emphasis on creating and sustaining learning activities at home and in the community.

• Families create a home environment that values learning and supports programs.

• Early childhood education programs create an ongoing and comprehensive system for promoting family engagement by ensuring that program leadership and teachers are dedicated, trained and receive the supports they need to fully engage families.

Technology tools offer new opportunities for educators to build relationships, maintain ongoing communication, exchange information and share online resources with parents and families. Likewise, parents and families can use technology to ask questions, seek advice, share information about their child, and feel more engaged in the program and their child’s experiences there.

Engaging Families in Your Program

What is the program’s philosophy on family engagement?

• Staff’s perception of families and the community?

• Family connection and communication?

• Program’s expectation of families?

• Families’ expectations of the program?

Considerations For Engagement

• Enhance what the program is already doing

• Getting to know the families & the community

• Families’ barriers and challenges for engagement

• Tools available to families

• Multiple opportunities for engagement

• Family liaisons

• Leadership and teacher support

• Current technology policies and consent forms

Steps for Engagement

• Bringing families in the program and the program to the families

–Communication

–Documentation

• Engaging families at home

Cultivating quality, meaningful, and authentic relationships is key.

Bringing Families in the PreK Classroom

Communication

Convey information to families in a way families understand

Translation and language tools

Communication

Make information accessible

Blogs and websites

Texts Services

School Website

http://mpowerstech.edublogs.org/

School Website

http://mpowerstech.edublogs.org/

Communication

Use tools families already have

Social media

Videoconferencing

Documentation Meaningful and valuable information that demonstrate children’s progress

• Photos and digital photo frames

• Videos and audio recordings

• Communication systems

• Apps

Communication Systems

Children’s Apps Save information to send to parents and vice versa

• Storytelling, interactive whiteboards, etc.

• Combine different types of media

http://mpowerstech.edublogs.org/2014/12/18/sharing-december-holidays-with-singapore/

Show and Share

Turn and talk

• What are some approaches you’re using to communicate with families?

• Have a play with some tech tools we discussed and see how they can support bringing families in the program and vice versa.

Family Program + Tech

• Tech Playdates

• Have information available online for families from events:

– Family nights

– Family workshops

Engaging Families at Home

Access to resources to extend learning at home – classroom site and online sources

Supporting Families at Home

• Encourage utilization of community services

• Blend technology tools

– Translate “Wonder of the day” from Wonderopolis to families’ home language. Send it through Remind.

–Have families’ use digital camera to take photos. Compile photos into storybook app and share online or print.

With technology becoming more prevalent as a means of sharing information and communicating with one another, early childhood educators have an opportunity to build stronger relationships with parents and enhance family engagement.

Why Teachers Use Technology

Making Digital Choices that EMPOWER • Examine ways technology enhances children’s

learning and development

• Merge devices with other hands-on experiences

• Play with digital tools

• Open PLN to include professionals and parents

• Watch young children’s responses to tools

• Establish a framework for digital choices

• Research ways to build knowledge

TEC Curation – Favorite Resources

TEC Curation – Trusted Sources

Little eLit

Thank you and visit us at www.teccenter.erikson.edu