Presented at NHSA 2013.

1. Technology
Planning & Support:
Using Data Effectively
to Plan Classroom
Implementation and
Professional
Development
May, 2013
1
Lilla Dale McManis, Ph.D.
Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.
Fran Simon, M.Ed.
NHSA Annual
Conference 2013

2. About US
Lilla Dale McManis
Hatch Early Learning
Karen Nemeth
Language Castle, LLC
Fran Simon
Engagement Strategies, LLC
Early Childhood
Technology Collaborative

3. Learning Objectives
You will:
• understand the types and uses of educational
technology that may be considered for your program
• learn about national survey data and resources that
can inform your technology decisions
• learn how to collect internal data for more effective
technology planning and professional development
• learn and practice new strategies to evaluate
technology professional development options for
inclusion in your Head Start E-Rate Technology Plans
as recommended in the Reference Guide under item
4, Core Element II – Professional Development

4. Our
Study
4
On Tech Use in ECE Overview

5. Rationale for Early
Childhood Technology
Collaborative Study
• Lack of research about ECE tech
• Differentiate home use and classroom use
• Sort out conclusions about passive tech
use vs. interactive technologies
• Need to hear directly from EC educators

6. Who Responded?
•485 in the U.S.
•116 Administrators
•369 Teachers

7. About the Respondents
Community Type Poverty Children Served

8. About the Respondents
Program Type Ages Children Served

9. Why
ECE Educators Use Technology

10. Primary Reasons

11. How Tech Tools Are Used

12. Why don’t
some programs
use tech?

13. Obstacles/Weakness

14. What
Technology is Used?

15. Types of Tech Tools

16. What Educators Don’t Have
but Would Like for Children

17. How Much
Time?

18. How Many Days of the Week

19. Desk/Laptops
Feel Appropriate Actually Spend

20. IWBs
Feel Appropriate Actually Spend

21. Tablets
Feel Appropriate Actually Spend

22. The Results
• Used regularly but not excessively
• Used because children enjoy it & it helps meet
goals of program
• More a support than for direct instruction
• What’s used follows
availability
• Differences between
beliefs and practices for
amount of time

23. What
Activities?

24. Frequency by Content
Language/Literacy Mathematics

25. Frequency by Content
Science Social Studies

26. Frequency by Content
Art Music

27. Frequency by Domain
Social-Emotional

28. Logic/Problem Solving Approaches to Learning
Frequency by Domain

29. Teacher’s Role

30. Who is Guiding Activities

31. Who is Guiding Devices

32. Who is Guiding Devices

33. Who is Guiding Devices

34. • Used more for traditional content areas
• Rarely used to support social-emotional goals
• Educators “drive” some kinds of tech more
than others
• Also allow child-initiated
• Balance: teacher-guided
and child-initiated
The Results

35. How are Goals Monitored?

36. Determining Learning

37. For Children
Needing Extra Support?

38. DLL/ELL Learners

39. Tech with DLL/ELL Learners
Chosen specifically to meet
needs of ELL children
In every language spoken
in your group now

40. Special Needs Learners

41. Special Needs Learners
Devices used
with children
who have
special needs

42. Professional
Development?

43. Types Professional Development

44. Best support received for using
technology

45. Comfort Level Using w/ Children
1 = not at all, 5 = completely
Desk/laptops IWBs

46. Comfort Level Using w/ Children
1 = not at all, 5 = completely
Tablets Multi-touch Tables

47. • Technology is being used to monitor
progress
• Seems available but low implementation
for DLL/ELL children and special needs
children
• Many different kinds
of PD available and
most have received
• More comfortable with
more established tech
The Results

48. Implications
for your
program?
48
Discussion

49. 49
From the
conference
to your
program
What next?

50. Put your plan into action!
–Needs Assessment w/key players
• Roll the results into a professional
development plan
• Roll the results into a phased
Technology Action Plan
–Measure results & revise accordingly
–Revisit the plan regularly
–Be open to change as change occurs

51. Copyright, Simon and Donohue
Technology
implementation
requires buy-in and
support from the
program
“ecosystem”
Director
Board
Families
Funders
Support
Staff
Community
Partners
Vendors
Main
Office
I/T
Teachers
Tech
Lead

52. Look for Internal Data!
• Sources
– Observation of use
– Dialogue and conversation
– Feedback forms
– Organization records
• Think about
– What do teachers/children ask for? Get excited
about?
– What do teachers/children never use? Avoid?
– What do they rush to “show” others?
– What do they “grumble” about?

53. Professional Development
Teachers need:
– Hands-on playtime
– Relevant reasons to use technology
– Technology role models, coaches, peer
mentors
– Ongoing formal PD opportunities
– Professional learning networks
– Reliable resources: books, websites, blogs,

54. 54
Resources

55. Resources for Planning
Gryphon House, Amazon,
Follett Early Learning
HatchTeachersPayTeachers.com

56. Learn More-Stay Connected
• Early Childhood Technology Network
• Twitter: #ECEtechCHAT
Every Other Weds. @ 9pm ET
• http://www.ecetech.net/
• Free resources by Hatch
http://hatchearlylearning.com/resources/

57. Readings
Suggested readings
• Simon, F. & Nemeth, K. (2012). “Digital Decisions: Choosing the Right
Technology Tools for Early Childhood Education.” Lewisville, NC: Gryphon
House
http://www.gryphonhouse.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?BookID=1
0023
• McManis, L.D. & Gunnewig, S. (2012). “Finding the education in educational
technology with early learners.” Young Children, 67(3), 14-25.
http://www.naeyc.org/yc/files/yc/file/201205/McManis_YC0512.pdf
Acknowledgement
• The Early Childhood Technology Collaborative would like to thank Perry
McManis, M.A. Economics, for statistical analyses of the survey data.

58. 58
Questions
Lilla Dale McManis
DMcmanis@HatchEarlyChildhood.com
Karen Nemeth
Karen@LanguageCastle.com
Fran Simon
Fran.Simon@ESbyFS.com