Week 12

*I read the website (Technology in Early Childhood Education: Finding the Balance) thoroughly.*

Lesson Plans

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhhwwsx5_7f6b84shc

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhhwwsx5_6gzh4dpgw

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhhwwsx5_5cgjht7jf

*I watched both videos for the ple assignment-week 11*

week 9.............

Technology Inventory -
The teacher I interviewed talked a lot about the school's need for more technology to be available. Apparently because the school is in a fairly wealthy area, there is not a lot of extra funding available (that could possibly be used on technology) like there is in low income schools. She said she wished she had a digital camera to document the year for the children and at the most a video camera which personally I think it is good for young children to hear themselves talk in order to develop their speech. Of course a digital camera could capture video just as easily.
The only thing this teacher used technology for was in centers. Which in preschool are free. And because there are only 2 computers in the classroom and 12 students, not everyone gets to use a computer each day and most students do not even use a computer once a week because they choose other centers over computers. However, the teacher has a personal computer which she can use to search ideas of new ideas for learning in lessons, centers, or research a field trip for the children to take.
I asked the teacher what she thinks of using technology in such a young class like preschool and she said that it's great for them to explore and "play around with", but planned lessons involving computers does not usually go over well. Especially with only 2 computers in the classroom. And even going to a computer lab at school, preschoolers need a lot of one-on-one help which one teacher could not give.

*I have completed the midcourse evaluation as well as the informed consent form*