Week 12 PLE

2-3 important things that I learned from the research on technology use with early childhood students:

I learned that students are able to demonstrate fairly symbolic and abstract skills starting at around age 7-8. This is much earlier than I would have expected. I guess I always assumed that students would not be able to do technological things until they were older, maybe age 9 or 10. But they are actually capable much sooner than that.

Using technology can encourage social interaction as well. This is teaching across the curriculum! This was explained in the website when it said that if you put 2 or 3 chairs around the computer the children will work together. What a great idea!

I learned that students benefit much more when the technology is actually IN the classroom rather than in another room. When I was in elementary school we had a computer lab, but no computers were in the classroom (until 5th grade, that is). I guess, if possible, it is best to have computers actually in the classroom.