The Impact Of Technology On Young Children’s Development By Ashwag Aldegin

What is The Technology Technology can be anything that was created by humans. It is intended to make life easier or solves a problem.

Some of Electronic Devices: There are some of electronic devices that young children can use for their learning: 1- Computers. 2- IPad. 3- IPod.

Review of Related Studies A- Supporter of Using Technology: 1- Develop children’s skills. I ) Cognitive Skills. * Increase children’s time in on-task behavior (Bergin, Ford, & Hess, 1993). * Provide consistent and frequent reinforcement. * Provide extensive scaffolding of learning. (Parette, Hourcade, & Heiple, 2000). * Participate in simulations and manipulate variables that might not be possible in the real world. (Scoter, Ellis, & Railsback, 2001). * Enhance curriculum (Haugland, 1992).

II ) Social Skills. * Increase the amount of communication and positive interaction. (Clements, 1994 & Haugland, 1997). * Using technology is a catalyst for information sharing, language development, and decision making for many young children. (Tsantis, Bewick, & Thouvenelle, 2003). 2- Improve children’s knowledge in using different digital learning tools.

: B- Opponents of Using Technology 1- Using electronic devices for young children affect children’s development. I ) Physical Skills. II ) Social Skills. (Cordes & Miller, 2000). 2- Increase some health problems. I ) Vision problems. * Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). * Early myopia. II ) Childhood obesity. (Alliance for Childhood, 2004).

Discussion 1- Using technology can support both teaching and learning. 2- It enhances classrooms with digital learning tools, such as computers, IPads, and other devices. 3- It expands learning materials. 4- It supports learning all the time.

5- Using technology builds 21st century skills. 6- It increases student engagement and motivation. 7- It helps to link teachers to their students. 8- Using technology helps to increase educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning. ( U.S. Department of Education,2013)

Recommendations for Early Childhood Educators: 1- Select and use technology and interactive media tools in developmentally appropriate ways. 2- Giving careful attention through using electronic devices to provide the quality of the content for young children. 3- Provide a balance of activities for young children. 4- Discourage passive uses with young children.

5- Limit any use of technology for children younger than 2 years old to support responsive interactions between caregivers and children. 6- Educators and parents should carefully consider the screen time recommendations from public health through using technology with young children. 7- Provide serious leadership from educators and parents to ensuring equitable access through using technology for young children. (NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center, 2014)

Conclusion Using technology in classrooms can enhance the curriculum and young children’s skills if it use appropriately. Teachers can achieve the best academic results if they use technology with other classroom activities together.

References: Alliance for Childhood. (2004). Tech Tonic: Towards a New Literacy of Technology, Alliance for Childhood. College Park, MD. Bergin, A., Ford, E., & Hess, D. (1993). Patterns of motivation and social behavior associated with microcomputer use of young children. Journal of Educational Psychology. 85(3), Cordes, C. & Miller, E. (2000). Fool’s Gold: A critical look at computers in childhood. College Park, MD: Alliance for Childhood. Clements, H. (1994). In Wright, L., & Shade, D. (Eds). The uniqueness of the computer as a learning tool: Insights from research and practice. Young Children: Active learners in a technological age Washington, DC: NAEYC. Haugland, S. (1992). The e ff ect of computer software on preschool children’s developmental gains. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 3(1):15–30.

References: Haugland, S. (1997). Children’s home computer use. Early Childhood Education Journal. 25 (2): NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center, (2014). Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8: NAEYC. Parette, H., Hourcade, J., & Heiple, G. (2000). Computers and Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 27, No. 4. Scoter, J., Ellis, D. & Railsback, J. (2001). Technology in Early Childhood Education: finding the balance. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon. Tsantis, A., Bewick, J., & Thouvenelle, S. (2003). Examining some common myths about computer use in the early years. U.S. Department of Education (2013). Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning Retrieved from