Digital Tools for Learning, Creating, and Thinking: Developmentally Appropriate Strategies for Early Childhood Educators

Introduction

Guidance for Intentional Decision Making Around Technologies

Guiding Principles in this Book

What's in this Book?

What's Not in this Book

Part 1: Setting a Foundation for Technologies in the Classroom

Chapter 1: Making Intentional Choices About Technologies

Technology Is Not the Teacher

Navigating Concerns About Technologies

Close- and Open-Ended Apps

Using Technologies with Purpose

Next Steps

Chapter 2: Creating, Collaborating, and Communicating: A Framework for Thinking About Technologies

Creating

Using Technologies to Explain and Reflect

Using Technologies as a Medium for Creating

Collaborating

Communicating

Supporting Children's Pride in Their Work

Learning from Each Other

Connecting to Families

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: Evaluating Technologies: Can Children Create, Collaborate, or Communicate?

Part 2: Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use

Chapter 3: Mindsets and Guidelines for Using Technologies

A Play Mindset

Explore

Fail

Focus on Process, not Product

Scaffolded Learning: Digital Natives, not Digital Wizards

Supporting Child Creators

Guidelines

It's Everyone's Device

?Must Do? and ?Can Do?

We Learn from and with Each Other

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: ?Let's Be Troubleshooters?

Chapter 4: Teaching with Technologies

Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Modeling

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

Save Time for Sharing

Including All Children

Visual Images

Feedback

Engagement

Including All Voices

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: What Type of Technology-Related Lesson Do the Children Need?

Chapter 5: Creating and Collaborating with Technologies

View and Review

Playful Creations

Class E-Book

Story Retelling

Storytelling

Story Acting

What Does Story Acting Look Like?

Movie Making

Digital Puppetry

Stop-Motion

Movie Trailer Templates

Coding

Assessment

Portfolios

Assessing Process

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: Many Pathways for Creating

Chapter 6: A Connected Classroom

Creating a Connected Classroom

Empowering Children

Empowering Families

Connecting to All Educators

Bridging the Digital Divide

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: Privacy Considerations

Chapter 7: Planning for Intentional Technologies Integration

Setting a Purpose

Setting Goals

Create

Collaborate

Communicate

Classroom Activities

Individual Child Accomplishments

Handling Technologies as a Goal

Identifying Key Teaching Partners

Do You Need a Technology Cheerleader?

Do You Need a Critical Friend?

Are You the Only Tech-Curious Teacher in the Classroom?

Teachable Moments

Next Steps

Making Intentional Choices: Where to Start

Appendix A: Student Sharing Checklist

Appendix B: Weekly Planning Sheet

References

Resources

Index

Acknowledgments

About the Author