Learning Objectives

• Identify benefits of technology when used effectively with children ages 3-5.
• Use the Three C's when using technology with children ages 3-5.
• Understand how media-rich environments help children become accustomed to and proficient with various types of media.
• Explore the concept of biliterate brain development as a need in the 21st Century child.

A Pathway of Progress

Print the KWL chart linked below to identify what you know or think about using technology with young children in the K column. 

Read the satirical article Limiting Your Child's Fire Time: A Guide For Concerned Paleolithic Parents.

Talking about the Learning

1. Satire is used to comment on the follies or foolishness of a culture. What social comment is this article making?
2. Choose a word or phrase that captures the essence of the article. What are the reasons you chose this word or phrase?
3. Use the KWL chart to record thoughts or ideas you had while reading the article. 
4. Fire is a necessity in life, though at one time it was a new and innovative element. Think about the rules you would establish for using fire when working with children. They might look something like these:
   • Use only when an adult is near.
   • Don't start unnecessary fires.
   • Don't stand too close to a fire.
   • Be cautious and watchful when you are around a fire. Sometimes they can spread.

 Now think about the rules for using technology - television, mobile devices, media such as videos, digital games, and eBooks. How are these rules similar? Post your thoughts in the Early Learning Open Space group Discussion. Look for the Concerned Parents post. Reply and review other participants' responses. 

The Three C's 

While there are no "rules" for using technology with children, there are definitely guidelines. In the book Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens by Lisa Guernsey and Michael H. Levine, they introduce the Three C's - Content, Context, and Child.

Take the Three C's quiz found on this tipsheet from Tap, Click, Read's website. Then use the scoring guide to rate how well you set guidelines for technology use with early learners. 

Watch this short video as Lisa Guernsey explains more about the Three C's.

Record what you learned in the L column of your KWL Chart. Fill in the W column with information you would like to learn more about.

Readialand

The concept of Readialand is also introduced in Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens. Watch this video that outlines what Readialand is and how it helps young children.

Use your KWL chart to record what you learned and what you would like to know more about after watching the video.

Biliterate Brains

 Accompanying the idea of Readialand is the concept of the development of the biliterate brain. This is researcher and author Maryanne Wolf's term for the 21st century child's ability to 

• develop habits and thinking that can be used across different mediums
• learn to be code switchers as they are presented with various mediums
• learn early that each medium has its own rules and characteristics
• read for meaning, checking for comprehension and using inferential skills regardless of the medium (print or online)
• self regulate and check attention when using online mediums
• effortlessly switch back and forth between medums, understanding the different skills needed for various tasks

Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World, Harper, 2018.

Read about Wolf's reason for developing the concept of the biliterate brain in this article. 

Reflecting on Your Learning

1. Summarize the main ideas of each of the articles, videos, or other mediums you read in this lesson. Then think about the skills you needed to use in order to comprehend and learn from each. How did your thinking differ when watching a video or reading an article online?
2. Based on what you learned in this lesson, what are three ways you could more effectively use technology with children as a teaching and learning tool?
3. Think about a child in your life. What was the last technology they used? What did they use it for? How would you change that interaction now based on what you have learned? Respond to this question in the Early Learning Open Space group Discussions. Look for Reflecting on Your Learning in the Discussions tab. Reply and respsond to other participants' answers.