1. Technology to Support the
Whole Child
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math: Full STEAM Ahead! Conference
September 2012
Lilla Dale McManis, PhD
2. Topics
• What educational technologies
are available to support
developmental domains?
• How can we teach content area
& skills w/technology in ways
supporting the whole child?
• What does a technology-
supported day look like in an
ECE program?
3. Defining Developmental Domains
•Language/Literacy/
Early Writing
•Mathematics
•Science
•Social Studies
•Creative Arts
•Social-Emotional
•Positive Approaches to
Learning
5. Physical Domain
• Two areas are particularly relevant to using
technology: gross and fine motor.
• Examples are creative arts such as music
(dancing, singing, and playing music) and art
(such as drawing, sculpting, building).
6. Social-Emotional/Affective Domain
• Cooperation, collaboration, and communication are
some main social skills children are called upon to
exercise when using technology.
• Social studies for example is an area which in early
childhood often makes the social connection for
children on a very personal level.
• Helping children identify emotions
has been found promising using
technology is another example.
7. Cognitive Domain
• Mastery of language and then literacy is one of the
most significant tasks of early childhood & related is
development of symbolic thinking. Technology both
can support the teaching and the eliciting so is an
especially good fit.
• Another example is science and technology which
have always gone hand in hand, particularly the
scientific method.
8. Positive Approaches to Learning
• Curiosity, initiative, flexible thinking, and
persistence are some of the most critical skills
for school and life success.
• They are also some of the most ‘under-taught’.
• Technology is an effective
and engaging way to
support these skills
with children.
9. How can we teach content area & skills
w/technology in ways that support the whole child?
Using Scaffolding means…
purposefully supporting children’s learning, while they
use educational technology, through techniques like:
• asking, answering, and inviting questions;
• encouraging positive feelings about
technology; and
• making use of computer/technological
capabilities.
10. Cognitive Scaffolding
• Teachers use cognitive scaffolding to develop
children’s understanding of concepts, and it
most obviously resembles traditional
scaffolding between adult/teacher and child.
• Activities include
questioning, modeling, and
encouraging collaboration with peers.
11. Technical Scaffolding
• Technical scaffolding uses the features of the
technology to support learning. That is, the
technology itself can facilitate understanding and
problem solving.
• Examples are manipulating shapes, using a word
processor or gallery with pictures to create a story, or
the computer customizing activities for a child.
12. Affective Scaffolding
• Affective scaffolding is used to help keep
children on task and encourage higher levels
of thinking when using technology.
• Examples include teachers (or characters)
being available to help and give
encouragement and it can also be feedback
given from within the computer software.
29. Let’s Stay Connected!
• LinkedIn: Early Childhood Technology Network
• Twitter: #ecetechchat Every Weds. night @ 9 EDT
• LinkedIn: Lilla Dale McManis
• Twitter @DrLDMcmanis
• Blog @ http://blog.hatchearlychildhood.com/
Hinweis der Redaktion
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & MathFull STEAM Ahead! Conference
Technologies you might see in an ECE classroom….
Emotional skills such as self-regulation of emotions and impulses intersect. Finally, self-efficacy is tightly intertwined as children strive to accomplish tasks and competently meet goals. Creative arts such as music (dancing, singing, and playing music) and art (such as drawing, sculpting, building). Social-studies particularly in early childhood often makes the social connection for children on a very personal level.
The mastery of language is one of the most significant tasks of early childhood and related to this is the development of symbolic thinking. Technology both can support the teaching and the eliciting so that in this way technology is an especially well aligned fit. Similarly, reasoning and problem solving. Related to language is literacy, considered another cognitively-based skill. Areas such as print knowledge, the alphabetic principle, phonological awareness and then phonics, and writing can all be supported with technology. Moving to mathematics in such key areas as number concepts, geometry/spatial sense, and patterns and measurement. Science and technology have always gone hand in hand, particularly the scientific method. Social-studies in respect to the processing of information and being language based is considered a cognitive skill. Creative arts such as music (dancing, singing, and playing music) and art (such as drawing, sculpting, building).
Often used in groups but can be used individually
Through built-in digital portfolios, children’s artwork (and any work) can be saved, retrieved for further engagement, and shared
And Social Studies
Examples of use which do NOT support the whole child…