Assignment Content
Technology is an integral part of life–including the lives of young children and their families. NAEYC’s position is that technology and media can indeed support development when used wisely and in a developmentally appropriate fashion. Your task? Find and evaluate a website, online game, or app and review all of its sections and tabs. Then create a family friendly guide for this tech review, this can be a rubric, rating scale, or checklist using the information listed below
Rubric/Rating Scale Components:
1. Introduction- What elements of this site/game/app align with preschool or
Kindergarten school readiness goals? Are these goals, in turn, aligned with developmentally appropriate practices? (Think about active learning and developmental domains)
Review these articles to better understand the guidelines for using technology in early childhood
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/technology-supports-early-learninghttps://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/ps_technology.pdf
1. Evaluate: Give feedback on each section. What is done well with this part of the site/online game/app? What could be changed or fixed for better accessibility for young children (i.e. fine motor skills, cognitive development)?
2. Use:How user friendly is this site/game/app?
Would an adult/child be able to use all of the sections? When would it be used? At home?
Teacher-directed time? Free choice? One-on-one learning?
3. Multicultural: What are the multicultural/multi-ethnic concepts in this site/game/app? How culturally appropriate is this component of this site/game/app? What might be added, modified, or removed, and why?
4. Sounds:Give examples of the site/game/app that foster emergent literacy skills, such as print concepts, phonological awareness, decoding, and language.
5. Safety/ Security: review the apps privacy settings, adds, in app purchasing, and restrictions on device and internet usage
6. A statement sharing your thoughts about the use of technology in a young child’s learning environment, is also required.
