Technology in Kindergarten

Essay Review
Educational Technology: Trends and Implications in the Kindergarten Classroom

Chenoa Dirks
80761117
University of British Columbia
MET: ETEC 511

Technology in Kindergarten

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 2
What the Research Says .............................................................................................................. 3
Synthesis ................................................................................................................................. 9
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 9
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 10

Introduction
In the mid eighties, computers began making appearances in school classrooms. The
early nineties brought school computer labs and home computers quickly followed suit as the
technology became more affordable. With the onset of 21st Century Learning and the urge to
prepare young children for the future, the last decade has seen various other forms of technology
become common place in the Kindergarten classroom, such as: electronic games, CD/DVD
players, televisions, iPods, iPads, Smart boards, document cameras, etc. With such a prevalence
of technology and electronic media available in classrooms today, many advocates of early
childhood education are concerned that technology will replace other meaningful learning
experiences that have traditionally occurred in Kindergarten, such as building with blocks,
dramatic play, and art.

Kindergarten has traditionally been a year of transition allowing children to develop the
social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills necessary to adapt to academic learning in grade
school. During this year, children are meant to learn through developmentally appropriate
activities centred on a childs work, commonly recognized as play. The widely understood
statement children learn through play has guided educators and developmental theorists for
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Technology in Kindergarten
decades, and has been the basis for many early childhood education models. The original
Kindergarten model was founded in Germany by Freidrich Froebel who, based on his own
research, designed specialized play materials, games, and activities which afford specific kinds
of learning. Through play, children are able to find new ways to deal with reality, form
relationships, develop cognitive understanding, release unconscious anxiety, and express their
feelings (Shipley, 1993).
With so much debate about the technology in the Kindergarten classroom, and the push
to prepare students for the global community of 21st Century Learning, it is clearly necessary to
explore whether technology should have a place in the Kindergarten classroom, or not. If so,
what types of technology are appropriate for this stage of development and learning? The focus
of this essay will include a critical review of relevant literature and research with the purpose of
exploring trends and rationales for the use of technology in the Kindergarten classroom.

What the Research Says

In todays global community technology is an everyday necessity for the majority of the
population for both work and play. Many young children are even entering Kindergarten already
able to perform basic technological skills and can freely use the appropriate terms to explain
what they can do. The demands of todays workforce require a variety of technological skills
and abilities and our education system should take at least some of the responsibility for
preparing students for their future. The following summary of research explores the need for
technology in the classroom, and the differing views on how and when it should be included in
the curriculum. A synthesis of the themes that emerge from the research will be followed by a
conclusion that will identify a focus area where further research is needed.
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Technology in Kindergarten
In his article, Technology and Classroom Practices: An International Study, Robert
Kozma examines the findings from 174 case studies from 28 countries, in an effort to identify
specific patterns of innovative classroom practices which are supported by technology (Kozma,
2003). The most frequently used technology represented in the case studies included productivity
tools, web resources, email, multi-media software, and web design tools. The case studies were
compiled by panels in each of the twenty-eight countries, and classroom samples were chosen
based on an agreed upon international set of criteria with local concerns identified. Kozma was
able to identify seven meaningful patterns of classroom practice including: student collaborative
research, information management, teacher collaboration, outside communication, product
creation, and tutorial. The research found that most of the teachers considered in the study are
beginning to integrate ICT into both school curriculum, and their own classroom teaching.
Dr. Alper Kumtepe wrote the article, The Effects of Computers on Kindergarten
Childrens Social Skills, using research data gathered for the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), by National Center for Educational Statistics.
The ECLS-K study used a nationally represented sample that included 12,929 kindergarten
children. Kumtepe used this national study to further his own research which focused on the
effects of computer use on childrens social skills in kindergarten (Kumtepe, 2006). Analyzing
data that was specific to the relationship between social skills and childrens computer use in
Kindergarten, Kuptepe concluded that children demonstrated developmental gains from using
appropriate software on classroom computers when working with their peers. He also found
evidence that children who used computers more proficiently showed more positive social skills
and less problem behaviors (p. 56) , where it was also found that appropriate social skills in the
classroom were not significantly affected by owning a home computer. Kumtepe does note,
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Technology in Kindergarten
however, that the computers ability to support a childs development is largely dependent on
how the computer is used in the classroom.
Peta Wyeth researched young children and their interactions in their own kindergarten
environment in an effort to explore the possibilities of developing new technology for young
children. In her article, Ethnography in the Kindergarten: Examining Childrens Play
Experience, she relays her observation of thirty Kindergarten children and their teachers. The
article focuses on the loosely structured, free-choice activities which the children chose, which
were categorized as: calm, play, and artistic interactions (Wyeth, 2006) . The results of her
observations confirmed well-known beliefs that quality play materials should leave room for
creativity and provide opportunities for discovery-type experiences. Her recommendations for
appropriate technology in the Kindergarten classroom suggest that technology should be
flexible in that it could be used in several different ways. The specific technologies that she
suggests should enable children to experience emotional and/or social connections, such as
capturing and sharing images and recording personal messages.
The article Technologies for Lifelong Kindergarten, written by Mitchel Resnik, discusses
computationally enhanced manipulative materials designed for use in the Kindergarten
classroom. These materials a meant to expand the range of concepts that children can explore
through direct manipulation of objects (Resnick, 1998). The author expresses his goal of
keeping a kindergarten approach to learning new concepts, but adds that by using these new
digital manipulatives will give young children the ability to learn concepts previously believed to
be too advanced for them. Resnik bases his theory for designing these digital manipulatives on
the constructionist theory of Jean Piaget. The author goes on to describe several of these
manipulatives, such as programmable bricks, BitBballs, and Digital Beads, and how each is
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Technology in Kindergarten
intended to affect conceptual knowledge development by engaging children as active participants
in their own learning. Resnik bases his theory for designing these digital manipulatives on the
constructionist theory of Jean Piaget.
Cynthia Ching, Christine Wang, and Mei-Li Kedem, wrote the article titled Digital
Photography and Journals in a Kindergarten-First-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful
Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education. Their article describes their study of
Kindergarten students using digital cameras and computers to journal their daily school
activities. Their study investigates how their Kindergarten students used the digital camera, what
types of pictures they chose to take, and what they wrote about them in their daily journals. Their
goal was to integrate technology into the physical spaces and social fabric of the classroom, in
an effort to provide the students with opportunities to explore mobile technology as a creative
and expressive outlet for their ideas and views. The students were able to take as many pictures
as they liked, but had to choose only 3 for the journal entry. The teacher scribed their ideas, or
the student recorded them digitally with help from the teacher.
Through their examination of the completed students journals, the authors were able to
conclude that the students thoroughly enjoyed the activity, and most often chose to display
pictures of their friends. The authors felt that they were successful in creating an activity that
technology becomes an explicit tool for developing and exploring understandings of self,
others, and the classroom environment (Ching, Wang, & Kedem, 2006). Through their research,
the authors also did realize that many teachers already use digital cameras in their classrooms,
though seldom let the students use them on their own

Technology in Kindergarten
The research done by Irene Sivropoulou, Aggeliki Tsapakidou, and Argygis Kiridis, is
described in their article, The Opinions of the Kindergarten Teachers in Relation to the
Introduction of Computers to Nursery Schools. During the introduction of computers into the
Kindergarten curriculum, Kindergarten teachers posed many opposing views and opinions about
appropriate technology use. This study explores the attitudes of teachers regarding the
introduction and use of new technologies in the Kindergarten classroom. One hundred
Kindergarten teachers participated in a questionnaire. The results showed that 65% of
Kindergarten teachers agree with the view that computers nurture the creativity of children, and
95% are willing to help children learn to use the computer (Sivropoulou, Tsapakidou, & Kiridis,
2009). Sivropoulou, et al, note that further research needs to be done regarding how the
computers are used in the classroom, and what types of educational activities should be
practiced.
In her article, Look What Kindergarten Children Can Do with Technologies!, Nancy Yost
explores common concerns about the appropriate use of technology with young children in a
classroom. She observed and photographed two Kindergarten classes participating in a daily
video-conferencing activity with two other classrooms located in another State. The students
were encouraged to observe and record the weather daily and to report it to the other classes by
video/computer.
Yost concludes that the project showed that her students were able and excited to
participate in the traditional Kindergarten activity of recording the weather, and to extend it
beyond the classroom with the use of multiple technologies, making the experience authentic and
meaningful. Yost expressed her concern with the amount of time the project took away from

Technology in Kindergarten
other activities, though she states that because of her results, she would repeat the activity
(Yost, 2003).
In her article, Write from the Start:A Technology-Rich, Collaborative Project for
Kindergarten, Ellen Jay develops a project whereby students in Kindergarten would learn to use
technology as a tool for interacting with information in a meaningful way (May, 2004). Her
goal was to provide young students with regular scheduled times to use computer technology to
collect, organize, interpret, and share information. She felt that this concept was considered to be
valuable for older students and should also be considered as such for younger students. The
students participated in various math and literacy activities throughout the school year, whereby
the results of the project reflected the general understanding that all technology related
experiences, especially using a computer, should be provided with an age appropriate structure
and should guide students toward becoming information literate, lifelong learners (May, 2004).
In the article, Kids havent changed; Kindergarten Has, Laura Pappano analyses a
national study which was intended to determine how child development in 2010 relates to
Gesells historic observations (Pappano, 2010). With the concern that academics are replacing
exploratory play in the Kindergarten classroom, Pappano questions whether children have gotten
smarter, or learn things sooner? The study had 92 examiners conduct 40-minute one-on-one
assessments with 1287 children ages 3-6 at 56 public and private schools across 23 states. The
results of the study show that Gesells developmental milestones have not changed. Children
may be able to memorize, but that doesnt mean that they have conceptual knowledge. Children
will learn when they are developmentally ready to learn. Even after seeing the research, Pappano
notes that many teachers still push pencil and paper activities and longer academic sessions that
children simply arent ready for.
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Technology in Kindergarten
Synthesis
In a synthesis of the reviewed scholarly articles it is clear that a majority of teachers and
educators feel the pull of 21st Century Learning and the need to include technology in the
curriculum to prepare students for a global community. Technology is all around us, and young
Kindergarten students are comfortable with much of it, and sometimes more so than their
teachers. A common theme through the literature is that technology in the classroom does not
necessarily refer to computers. In many cases the authors cited technology such as web cams,
cameras, video recorders, productivity tools, flexible technology, among various applications
and software used with a computer. As suggested by several of the authors, a variety of media
and technology can be creatively incorporated across the Kindergarten curriculum in a manner
that extends learning experiences and enhances conceptual knowledge.
Common to all is the need for technology in the Kindergarten classroom to be
developmentally appropriate with the ability to give young children the opportunity to explore,
discover, and practice new skills and concepts without prescribed or scripted expectations for
learning. The research also suggests that there needs to be a balance between creative, artistic,
and exploratory play, and technology. This is not to say that technology cannot be part of these
types of play, but it should not be the sole focus of the play or activity.
Conclusion
With the understanding that technology is part of the 21st Century Learning curriculum, it
is necessary to explore the learning needs of Kindergarten students and how technology can be
included in a balanced curriculum that considers developmentally appropriate practices. For this
to happen successfully it is critical that teachers are confident in their abilities to use and
manipulate the technology used by their students and in their classrooms, as their confidence, or
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lack of, will be passed on to their students. Teachers must also use skill and foresight when
considering the types of technology and media that will be included in their program, and how
they will be used to encourage cognitive, social and emotional, and physical development
through play-based activities.

Bibliography
Ching, C., Wang, X., & Kedem, M.-L. (2006). Digital Photography and Journals in a
Kindergarten-First-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early
Childhood Education. Early Education and Development , 17 (3), 347-371.
Kozma, R. B. (2003). Technology and Classroom Practices: An International Study. Journal of
Research on Technology in Education , 36 (1), 1-14.
Kumtepe, D. A. (2006). The Effects of Computers on Kindergarten Children's Social Skills. The
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology , 5 (4), 52-57.
May, E. (2004). Write from the Start:A Technology-Rich, Collaborative Project for
Kindergarten. Knowledge Quest , 33 (2), 51-54.
Pappano, L. (2010). Kids Haven't Changed; Kindergarten Has. Harvard Education Letter , 26
(5), 1-3.
Resnick, M. (1998). Technologies for Lifelong Kindergarten. Educational Technology Research
and Development , 46 (4), 43-55.
Schools, P. C. (2012). Empowering 21st Century Learners. Retrieved February 2012, from
Empowering 21st Century Learning:
http://www.pearsoncanadaschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZqH8
Shipley, D. (1993). Empowering Children. Scarborough: Nelson Canada.
Sivropoulou, I., Tsapakidou, A., & Kiridis, A. (2009). The Opinions of the Kindergarten
Teachers in Relation to the Introcution of Computers to Nursery Schools: Preliminary Approach.
ACTA Didactica Napocensia , 2 (1), 69-80.
Wyeth, P. (2006). Ethnography in the Kindergarten: Examining Children's Play Experiences.
CHI 2006: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-4). Montreal, Canada:
ACM.
Yost, N. (2003). Look What Kindergarten Children Can Do with Technologies! Young Children
and Learning Technologies (pp. 1-3). Parramatta: Australian Computer Society, Inc.
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