Engaging Little Learners with Technology

Guest Post by Erin Klein:  Mom, teacher, and blogger
I’m 3 and I Love my Mommy’s iPad!
As educators, we have all heard the joke. If a person woke from a 100-year nap and went to a hospital, she would be amazed at all the changes brought by scientific discoveries and technological innovation. Yet, if that same person walked into a school, she would see an institution that looked nearly the same when compared to previous decades. Students still carry textbooks, struggle with homework, sit in desks, march to the beat of a regular schedule, and read whole-class short stories and novels. It’s time to turn the page, and think about how we can invite our students to make use of their passions, creativity, and technology skills to become more engaged learners!
Learning my alphabet with Amazing ABC’s
Using technology in today’s classroom is now more essential than ever before, and in effort to prepare students for their world of global communication and collaboration, we, as educators and parents, must foster an environment in which uses such tools to aid their learning. Apple’s iPad mobile tablets offer a multi-faceted platform to engage students in the classroom, enhance current pedagogical practices, support school improvement goals, and reform educational policies that enrich twenty-first century learning. Not only does the touch screen interface extend a user-friendly application, but the mobile component of the devices coupled with the extended battery life, hands-on style of educational applications, and affordable price point, iPad technology allows today’s learner to bridge content with authentic real-world preparation.
Click Play to View: A Few of Jacob and Riley’s Favorite Apps!
(Jacob is 3 and Riley is 6)
Growing and Inspiring the Footprints of our Future

If you’re interested in more technology tips and ways to make learning fun, for any grade level or age, please stop by my blog, Kleinspiration, and become a follower. Right now, I’m offering a gift to one of my followers. As a winner of the recent Really Good Stuff Classroom Blog Contest, one of the gifts was a $75 gift certificate to their wonderful store. I’d like to offer one of my followers the $75 gift certificate as a token of my appreciation for supporting Kleinspiration. I truly am thankful for your support and blogging friendship! Have a wonderful and relaxing summer. Cheers!

7 Comments

  1. Love this post! I just posted this morning on using technology with my 3 year old:

    http://gratefullygrowingingrace.blogspot.com/2011/07/using-microsoft-paint.html

    I am worried about finding a balance between teaching my children technology and letting them get swept away in a world of TV, apps, video games, and the Internet. We barely watch TV, don't own an Ipad, and don't let our preschooler use video games or the Internet. We're trying to make good technological decisions and hope that we don't render him 'behind'.

  2. We love to incorporate technology into the lessons that we are learning. When I taught my twins their letters we used the meet the letters dvd's and ipad app to have a break and a new perspective from our flash cards and learning games. My theory is, I need to embrace technology and so I might as well introduce them to technology that includes learning games and activities.

  3. I couldn’t agree more. I got my first iPad in April, and my 3 year old loves it. He has learned recognize numbers 1-10 and shapes I haven’t even introduced to him yet (hexagon, pentagon shpere….).
    I also started using my personal iPad in my self-contained CI classroom. The children were amazed! They became independent on it very quickly.
    Thanks for sharing!

  4. And just think about when they reach college, the money you’ll save on textbooks!!!! I want to go back to school just to use an iPad ;)

  5. To work fom home, you must have a setup similar to the following:
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  6. Students learn with technology. In today’s classroom is now more essential than ever before, and in effort to prepare students. They learn a lot of from technology. Kids love technology.

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