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Pasnik says she sees a lot of learning potential in these newer technologies. Tablet computers for example, offer repetition, portability and the possibility of learning with gestural movements, all of which hold promise for preschool students. She cautions that many of the apps being developed today place too much emphasis on academic skills and not enough emphasis on making things, discovering, sharing and turn taking. “We do a disservice to young children in attending to a very rigid and narrow sense of math and literacy and not really paying attention to the developmental needs of this age group,” said Pasnik. “The uptake of adoption here is far in advance of the research. But that’s not to say that we can’t be really thoughtful about what we do know about children’s development.”

Maxwell King was blunt in assessing the ever-growing industry that churns out television shows, video games, Web sites and other media for kids: We don't need more crap, he told the audience at this week's Fred Forward conference. There's plenty of crap already.

Media products for babies, toddlers and preschoolers represent what is now a billion-dollar industry. How young is too young for TV and video viewing? What sort of shows and Web sites help children develop, and which ones keep kids from interacting with the real world? Combing through the thicket of mindless videos and slickly marketed characters to find the worthwhile educational elements is anything but easy.

One highlight of the conference: A chance to help shape the national guidelines about the role of technology in children's lives, which haven't been updated in 14 years. The NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) has announced that they're revamping those guidelines this year -- a very necessary move, given that the technology and media landscape has changed so drastically since 1996.