Using digital technologies with infants can be rather limited due to developmental appropriateness of available resources. Although these are restricted I encourage the use of technology with infants where I can. Infants in my centre have consistent contact with low tech interactive technologies such as battery operated resources. This provides them with the opportunity to bring something which is inanimate to life by adding battery power and promotes sensory information (Mitchell, 2007).
This type of technology use with infants can be linked to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development where in the sensorimotor stage children’s cognition develops through movement and sensory exploration of the physical world. Infants explore technology resources through sight, touch and sound, this highlights the use of such technologies in infants learning to coordinate sensory information (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).
Low tech technology can be used to promote aspects of sensory integration as resources provide the opportunity for children to combine and integrate information across their sensors, which is critical towards the development of perception. Infants continuously construct new knowledge and understanding when they accommodate new sensory information. They begin to relate what they have learned about one object through one sense such as touch to what they have learnt from another such as hearing. Interactive toys as sensory stimulation can be used as a repetitive experience supporting the foundation of healthy learning pathways in the brain. Research suggests that such sensory experiences for infants provide a strong base for further cognitive development (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008; Wang, Kinzie, McGuire & Pan, 2009).
Interactive toys can also be used to facilitate interaction and play between infants and their peers along with educators (Walton-Hadlock, 2008). From my own experiences I have found technology developed resources are an effective way to promote participation in interactions or experiences. For example children use a musical bus as an interaction tool, child A points at the toy and waits for child B to make the interactive toy go, when this occurs both children start moving their bodies to music. This resource has facilitated the interaction between two infants where they both used their understandings and communication skills to reach a common goal while exploring their sensors and body movements. Children are here seen as "active explores" they interact with the world around them to satisfy their learning needs (Ministry of Education, 1996).
Interactive toys can be considered as a type of assistive technology, where resources are used to promote learning and development. Such resources provide infants with an attractive activity which stimulates many of their sensors (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). Books are an example of a resource which has developed dramatically through technology over the recent years. This particular book provides this child with sensory stimulation through sight, sound and touch.
Interactive technology used in infant toys is specifically designed to promote education while they play. Such resources are intended to support children develop their bodies and minds through interaction with these toys.
If we step back for a moment and really take note of what is available for children in our centre’s we are soon to realize how much resources develop in order to meet the changing developmental and learning needs of each generation and discover how much technology no matter what type it is influences the learning needs of children. Such resources also reflect the technological world we live in.
Although technology can bring such richness to children’s learning, I do feel it is important to acknowledge the fact that it cannot replace the need for children to be present among other children and adults for personal interactions. Research suggests that when the need for these encounters is honoured by educators, the use of such technology in promoting learning is effective in many ways (Mitchell, 2007).
References
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4th ed.). Boston, United States of America: McGraw Hill.
Ministry of Education. (1996) Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.
Mitchell, L. M. (2007). Using Technology in Reggio Emilia-Inspired Programs. Theory Into Practice, 46 (1), pp. 32-39.
Walton-Hadlock, M. (2008). Tots to tweens: age-appropriate technology programming for kids. Children and Libraries, 6(3) 52-55.
Wang, F., Kinzie, M., McGuire, P., & Pan, E. (2009). Applying technology to inquiry based learning in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 381-389.
Krista what a wonderful blog, I really enjoyed reading how technology is still incorporated into your infant’s curriculum in a way that is developmentally appropriate. I love the learning you have captured with your infants and their interaction with technology and each other. I find it amazing how what we see as simple technology (Putting a battery in a toy) provides so many sensory experiences to infants that in the long term provide a strong base for further cognitive development. I like that you have acknowledged that it is still important for children to interact with other children and adults though, and that through these interactions we can enhance their use with technology. I’m finding it hard to make suggestions to further / extend this experience. But I was just wondering about the toys that the infants have access to are they mainly simple sensory toys or do you have more complex toys for older infants, or children that need more complex interactions
ReplyDeleteKrista, this is a great blog – I really like what you said about the “developmental and learning needs of each generation, and discover how much technology no matter what type it is influences the learning needs of children”.
ReplyDeleteI never actually thought about what infants have for “technology”, your blog gave me more insight of what there is for infants and what they already know and have available.
I enjoyed reading about how you captured infants playing with a toy that fostered their interaction and your other photo captured an infant exploring an interactive toy that is stimulating her senses.
It is great to see how you can extend on children’s (especially infants) learning through the use of technology, but also know that with this the low tech technology toys encourage a social aspect to further foster infants development.
Hi Krista,
ReplyDeleteFrom my own teaching experience with infants I agree that movement and sensory experiences are very important for infants learning development, because this is how they learn. I enjoyed reading how one experience involving the sense of touch can provide learning that can be related to another experience involving hearing.
The technology of the music bus as an interactive tool is a great way for two infants to socialise and a great opportunity to learn about turn taking and sharing. Technology fosters opportunities for people to communicate, and socialise,and learn from each other.
I enjoyed reading your post Krista, after reading your post I am going to bring into my centre some toys that are run by batteries and explore with the children. I decided to choose this post to comment on because the photograph’s appealed to me. I think that your infant’s room looks so colourful with all the bright colours, it must be exciting for the infants and for you to explore in. Isn’t it amazing how a story about using technology in your centre can be transformed by the photographs included in it. “A picture tells a thousand words", thank you technology for enriching our lives.
Where to from here? Well Krista my only suggestion would be from one of my previous experiences with older children. This involved bringing into the centre a book that is run by batteries and it talks to the children.
Niria: Yes as children's developmental needs change so do the resources that they interact with, children have access to a range of technology resources some more complex than others, thank you for your feedback.
ReplyDeleteLisa T: Thank you for your feedback, and your idea which was great as you can see from the photos we have a child who has an interest in interactive books. I am now currently trying to find one that not only makes sounds but also plays music or reads bits of the story.
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