In 2019, educators at Beehive Montessori School (Beehive) in Western Australia implemented their self-defined digital literacies framework. The framework guided their approach to, and use of, digital technologies in their classrooms. Doing so came out of a whole school action research project in which the school became a hub for inquiry and…

A body of research is emerging on early childhood education teachers' views on the integration of digital technologies in their practice. Despite evidence of the digitalisation of homes in affluent societies and children's interactions in highly mediated digital environments, few teachers so far have integrated digital devices into a play-based…

Prior work demonstrates the importance of introducing young children to programming and engineering content before gender stereotypes are fully developed and ingrained in later years. However, very little research on gender and early childhood technology interventions exist. This pilot study looks at N = 45 children in kindergarten through second…

This article presents a preliminary examination of the potential of Technology User Groups as a professional development venue for early childhood education professionals in developing operational and functional competence in using hardware and software components of a Technology toolkit. Technology user groups are composed of varying numbers of…

Early years curricula promote learning through play and in addition emphasise the development of computer literacy. Previous research, however, has described that teachers feel unprepared to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and play. Also, whereas research has suggested that effective computer use in the early years is…

With vastly ever-changing technology, there come greater possibilities in the school classroom. One possibility includes the interactive whiteboard, IWB (Higgins, Beauchamp, & Miller, 2007). However, there is little research on how to effectively promote the use of an IWB in the classroom for anything other than as a mediating tool. One option…

This article addresses the following questions: What impact does using the theoretical framework of new literacies have on understanding language, literacy, and learning practices today as technologies are constantly being developed and used? What is the state of research in this area? What are some new directions the field might take in order to…

This study explored the viability of tablet computers in early education by investigating preschool children's ease in acclimating to tablet technology and its defectiveness in engaging them to draw. A total of 41 three- to six-year-old children were videotaped while they used the tablets. The study found significant differences in level of tablet…

This paper describes an innovative pilot project at the University of Canberra aimed at providing pre-service early childhood teachers with the skills, confidence and ideological change required to include technology-enhanced learning as part of the early childhood curriculum. The impact of the project was evaluated through participant…

Whether we use technology with young children--and if so, how--are critical issues facing early childhood educators and parents. This Digest points out that many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers. The Digest also notes that many educators use computers with young children in ways that are developmentally…

Whether we use technology with young children--and if so, how--are critical issues facing early childhood educators and parents. This Spanish-language digest points out that many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers. The digest also notes that many educators use computers with young children in ways that are…

The presence of computers in early childhood classrooms is growing, despite serious doubts about whether young children really need them or benefit from using them. A recent study of child care centers in Texas found that preschool children were using computers in more than 75% of these institutions. According to most child development experts,…

This study surveyed 110 preschool and kindergarten teachers in the greater Chicago area to determine the range of attitudes, knowledge, and practices related to computer usage in their classrooms. The results indicated that over 90 percent of the teachers had positive or very positive personal and professional attitudes toward computers, and that…

This document contains the following papers on the young child from the SITE (Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education) 2001 conference: (1) "Young Children and Technology: Building Computer Literacy" (Michael J. Bell and Caroline M. Crawford); (2) "Integrating Technology into the Young Child Lesson Plan"…

Parents of 62 children enrolled in a private school for young gifted students completed a questionnaire designed to assess home use of computers, as well as parental concerns and expectations for appropriate concurrent and future computer use in educational settings. Familiarity with computers increased perceptions of their beneficial educational…