KU PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND LEARNING
Quarterly
KU Children ’ s Services JANUARY 2017
PURSUING AN EVIDENCE BASE FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BY DR KATE HIGHFIELD
When we consider our teaching pedagogy and practice , linking to research is essential . This can happen in many ways , whether that be researching and reflecting on our own teaching , engaging in action research and practitioner inquiry , reading and learning about educational research and using that to impact our practice . As educators , we have all experienced the impact of research in some way , to a lesser or greater extent .
As a researcher I am excited by the pursuit to underpin a solid evidence basis around practice . Understanding and reflecting on research enables us to develop our practice and strive for settings that truly enable children . Unlike many other areas of educational research , which can be based on decades of data , technology research presents particular challenges . Specifically we often have a time lag , a difference between when technology emerges and then when its use is examined in teaching . For example as the technologies such as tablets and iPads are developing ( and coming into our settings ) so quickly , research may not yet be available to specifically explore best practices with these . While we have amazing Australian researchers examining technology in early childhood contexts [ see for example Professor Susan Danby http :// staff . qut . edu . au / staff / danby / and Professor Suzy Edwards https :// lsia . acu . edu . au / people / susan-edwards / at times because technology evolves so quickly we may not have research based evidence on how to best use these tools in our practice . When this happens we need to draw on other forms of evidence and remember that technology is just one of the tools we use in teaching .
In the article following , you will read how Laure Hislop , an Early Childhood Teacher , has faced this dilemma . She has not only drawn on current technology research in early childhood , but also on what we know as best teaching practice and sound pedagogy . She focused first on the children she was working with and then looked at ways to engage , extend and enable children in their learning pathways . For those wanting to look at this idea further , the work of Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford , on sustained shared thinking , is highly relevant .
Digital documentation , as described by Laure , provides an opportunity for parents and educators to engage in partnership and helps make learning visible for all members of our educational community , including the children . By making learning visible we provide opportunity for children to revisit their learning and to sustain and extend their learning . These opportunities to reflect , revisit and re-engage are powerful for our young thinkers .
The example of using a large screen also links well to research , as Laure seeks to enable the joint construction of knowledge . Here the opportunity to inspire coengagement links to research on co-engagement and seeks opportunity for others , including teachers and children to extend learning through the zone of proximal development . By making children ’ s thinking visible – sharing learning and sharing experiences – we are truly providing opportunities for effective learning .
IN THIS ISSUE : INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY USE – CO-VIEWING AND RE-ENGAGING