A Tablet Computer for Young Children?

Source:

Couse, Leslie, J. & Chen, Dora, W. (2010). A Tablet Computer for Young Children?: Exploring It's 


    Viability for Early Childhood Education.  Journal of Research on Technology in Education,   43(1),   


     75-98. 

The article that I read this week regarding technology in the classroom was about tablet computers evolving in the early childhood classroom. A tablet computer is a PC that includes a pen-like tool or a touchscreen. The article discusses the possibilities of including tablet computers in Pre-k classrooms, due to the positive feedback of this type of PC in elementary and high schools. Feedback included studies in higher level writing skills as well as an increased interest in drawing. The article addresses the argument that technology is not for everyone, and that all Pre-K aged children should still be learning the other techniques of drawing and writing. The idea of learning how to draw with a pen is compared to learning how to draw on a computer, with the conclusion being that children still use many of the same motor skills when operating both ways. To show this, a study was prepared, where an average Pre-K class would participate in learning how to use tablet computers for several sessions. "Average" in this case, means that the teachers in this classroom claimed to use a sufficient amount of technology in their classroom, and made sure that technology was incorporated into their curriculum. These children were sent in to play with these tablets and draw a self portrait. Over the weeks, studies did not show that there was a drastic increase in a higher level of thinking; however, there was a distinct increase in progress among the children's tablet skills and understanding of the use of the tablet in general. The study concluded that using technology can be taught to young children at the early childhood level, and can still be a useful tool of assessing and tracking a student's progress of certain motor skills.

I really enjoyed the article this week, because I specifically searched for something early childhood related. I thought that the people conducting this experiment with the Pre-K class were right on point with what people are trying to say about technology in the 21st century. Technology is not trying to take over the "old" ways of learning motor skills in a classroom, rather, becoming another skill for children to develop. I have to be honest, I'm not truly a fan of having children sitting in front of a computer all the time and using technology for everything. I did enjoy the tablet computer study though, because it was something that was similar to drawing on paper, just on a screen. As a future educator, I would leave things such as tablet computers to become more available in the early childhood classroom- not as a permanent way of teaching children how to write, but having it available as another (fun) strategy for children who may find it more comfortable to write that way.