Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 22
Sharing Good Practice
USING TECHNOLOGY TO VARY AND
ACCELERATE LEARNING IN KINDERGARTEN
BY: GIANNA ULYATT
and these skills will be extended into
their writing on paper. Children are
relaxed, well-motivated and develop
confidence because anything children
are not happy with can be quickly
eliminated and their work can be
improved upon. Provide programs
or games that promote early writing,
spelling, Mathematics, early Geography
and History. Good, clear images and
the use of headphones, help visual and
auditory learners well.
I
n recent years the use of technology
has become an essential feature
of everyday life. Young children
are growing up in a world where
technology is the norm. Adults working
with young children must be prepared
to allocate time to teach children
how to use the equipment and the
necessary vocabulary linked to it. Most
adults are surprised at how quickly
children accept new ideas and learn
many complicated processes. Research
has shown that technology improves
many skills in young children, including
concentration,
fine
motor
skills,
collaboration, cognitive development,
access to research, exploration and
independence.
The equipment most children have
access to is the tablet and the laptop.
Adults must consequently plan
how children can use technology
to extend, vary and accelerate their
learning. Very young children learn
best when they feel they are playing
and experimenting in an unstressed
way. The number of games available
for tablets and laptops is extensive,
but these need strong adult scrutiny
before loading them up. Prepare
children in the use of new programs
and the possible pitfalls so they can
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020
use the equipment with increasing
confidence and independence.
Initially, it is crucial to teach children
basic, essential computer terminology
and how these functions work. Make
a list with illustrations, if possible, so
children understand what adults are
talking about. For example, space bar,
arrow keys, desktop, keyboard, delete
etc are all new words to young children.
Teach children the meaning of symbols
that are important to them and how
to turn on and close down computers
when they are finished working. This
further
develops
independence.
Always block undesirable websites
from computers because sometimes,
as children continue to investigate and
experiment with the machines, they
can come across inappropriate images
without realizing what they are doing.
By providing programs with a stylus for
drawing or a brush for painting, fine
finger control, eye/hand coordination
and fine motor skills may well improve
Allocate simple research opportunities,
such as, ‘I wonder which are the
most important buildings in our city
and why?’ or ‘I wonder how animals
and plants survive in the desert?’ or
‘Did people always travel in cars?’
By suggesting simple projects that
cross-curriculum areas, children begin
to make links, new learning is more
meaningful and memory recall is
developed. Allowing children to work in
pairs ensures they develop strategies for
collaboration and become supportive
of one another. Allocate a few minutes
for one or two children to share their
new findings with others and to explain
how they discovered these. Children
then become mini teachers in the use
of specific programs or in methods of
research.
Checklist
1. Provide a variety of technological equipment
for use in the classroom.
2. Teach children how to use the equipment and
the necessary vocabulary.
3. Ensure that technology is a regular, daily
feature of classroom activity.
4. Suggest problems or ideas that need
resolving so children can engage in worthwhile,
technology-based research activity.
5. Allow children time to show how they
used new games or how they found out new
information via the computer.
Gianna has extensive experience as a teacher, principal and inspector. She is
a consultant with expertise in KG and has spoken at conferences in Hong Kong,
Spain and the U.K. She sometimes works in the UAE. To connect with her, email
[email protected]
Class Time