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.”
Jessi Williams on 03 Nov 09This is a collaborative document creation website mainly used for groups collaborating on mission statements, news articles, press releases, product reviews, petitions, etc. Most documents on this site are related to politics. It would not be appropriate to use in a classroom setting or with children. However, it would be a good tool for parents or teachers to use if they are concerned about a children's product, some type of legislation, or a community issue related to education.
