Families and Technology
By: Carrie Portrie, EC-SEAT Project Coordinator
As we continue our conversations on special education, families and young children, we can acknowledge that technology floods public consciousness and daily life. Many may imagine that the majority of children and families use technology daily, have Smartphones, and spend most nights using their tablets to watch shows or movies, read and play games. Commercials and media depict our world in this way. However, between July 17th - 22nd, 2013, 2,242 individuals completed the HarrisPoll. Bloomberg reported 38% of individuals surveyed owned tablets and 54% owned Smartphones. Although this sample is small in comparison to the population of the United States, it does illustrate that a large majority of people live and play without smart technology and tablets at home in the United States.
These statistics make me wonder: Who has access to technology? And how is it being used? Adults stare at screens for hours a day as a prerequisite for making a living. Children are increasingly using technology with precision, but there is some concern about screen time and the effects it has on children’s growth. The increasing amounts of screen time includes televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, handheld game devices, and game consoles (Common SenseMedia 2011). Some professionals and parents have come together to speak against excessive technology use and speak for a “commercial free” and limited “screen time childhood.” The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages “screen time” for children under 2 years old as well as the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity (NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center, 2012). The use of technology as a primary mode for learning and recreation for very young children could very well be detrimental, but for many children there is a time and place for technology.
In early childhood special education, tablet technology has invited many young learners with into the social and communicative world of their peers. Assistive technology is especially important for many children with special needs. A non-verbal child can participate in group meetings and activities using an iPad language application such as My First AAC (Augumentative Alternative Communication. Children with limited dexterity can create drawings using Doodle Buddy or stories using Felt Board to share with their families, peers and teachers. These methods of expression are made easier using tablets such as iPads.
As teachers, family members, and supporters of children with diverse needs, it is our job to stay informed and educate ourselves about the appropriate use of technology with children. Be creative, and remember early childhood is about the exploration of children’s social and physical worlds using verbal and physical means of expression. Technological innovation is often paired with excitement for what can be achieved as well as fear about overuse or misuse. We may worry a new wave or trend will take over the values we hold for children’s experiences early on regarding social interactions and physical growth. Portable technological tools for early learning and specialized supports can expand children’s play, exploration, and expression. Be thoughtful. Be informed, and invite children into new possibilities. There is a balance.
As we continue our conversations on special education, families and young children, we can acknowledge that technology floods public consciousness and daily life. Many may imagine that the majority of children and families use technology daily, have Smartphones, and spend most nights using their tablets to watch shows or movies, read and play games. Commercials and media depict our world in this way. However, between July 17th - 22nd, 2013, 2,242 individuals completed the HarrisPoll. Bloomberg reported 38% of individuals surveyed owned tablets and 54% owned Smartphones. Although this sample is small in comparison to the population of the United States, it does illustrate that a large majority of people live and play without smart technology and tablets at home in the United States.
These statistics make me wonder: Who has access to technology? And how is it being used? Adults stare at screens for hours a day as a prerequisite for making a living. Children are increasingly using technology with precision, but there is some concern about screen time and the effects it has on children’s growth. The increasing amounts of screen time includes televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, handheld game devices, and game consoles (Common SenseMedia 2011). Some professionals and parents have come together to speak against excessive technology use and speak for a “commercial free” and limited “screen time childhood.” The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages “screen time” for children under 2 years old as well as the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity (NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center, 2012). The use of technology as a primary mode for learning and recreation for very young children could very well be detrimental, but for many children there is a time and place for technology.
In early childhood special education, tablet technology has invited many young learners with into the social and communicative world of their peers. Assistive technology is especially important for many children with special needs. A non-verbal child can participate in group meetings and activities using an iPad language application such as My First AAC (Augumentative Alternative Communication. Children with limited dexterity can create drawings using Doodle Buddy or stories using Felt Board to share with their families, peers and teachers. These methods of expression are made easier using tablets such as iPads.
As teachers, family members, and supporters of children with diverse needs, it is our job to stay informed and educate ourselves about the appropriate use of technology with children. Be creative, and remember early childhood is about the exploration of children’s social and physical worlds using verbal and physical means of expression. Technological innovation is often paired with excitement for what can be achieved as well as fear about overuse or misuse. We may worry a new wave or trend will take over the values we hold for children’s experiences early on regarding social interactions and physical growth. Portable technological tools for early learning and specialized supports can expand children’s play, exploration, and expression. Be thoughtful. Be informed, and invite children into new possibilities. There is a balance.
References:
- Common Sense Media. (2011). Zero to eight: children’s media use in America. Retrieved from www.commonsensemedia.org/ research/zero-eight-childrens-media-use-america.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College (2012). Technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (n.d.) Media and children. http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx.
