Technology and Young Children
Touch Tablet
Surprises
A Preschool
Teacher’s Story
Rena Shifflet, Cheri Toledo,
and Cassandra Mattoon
© Gordon Studer
A year and a half ago, Rena, Cheri, and Cassandra were introduced to each other by a colleague
because they shared an interest in exploring the
impact newer technologies have on learning in
early childhood classrooms. They meet regularly to
share ideas and information on how to incorporate
tablets using best practices. Cassandra’s preschool classroom serves as a natural environment for them to test their ideas. This article describes a collaborative effort. The authors are
conducting additional research on the use of technology with preschool children.
Rena Shifflet, EdD, is an assistant professor at Illinois State
University in Normal, Illinois. Prior to taking a position in higher
education, Rena worked as an elementary classroom teacher
and district technology coordinator for over 30 years. Her
research work includes the study of preservice and in-service
teacher technology use for pre-K–8.
Cheri Toledo, EdD, is an associate professor of educational technology in the curriculum and instruction department at Illinois State
University. Her research interests are strategic uses of current and
emerging technologies to increase effective teaching and learning.
Cassandra Mattoon, BS in early childhood education, is the
preschool teacher at Thomas Metcalf Lab School at Illinois State
University. Cassandra is conducting research on the use of tablets in early childhood education settings.
Photos courtesy of Cassandra Mattoon.
®
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2, 3
C
assandra never thought about having the children in
her preschool classroom use touch tablets until she was
approached by the technology coordinator for her school.
She is guided by her belief that hands-on learning experiences are essential and any technology must correspond
with developmentally appropriate practice so children can
explore and learn about their world. When she found herself
with four touch tablets, she wondered what kind of learning
experiences these tools could give the young learners.
Cassandra experimented with a touch tablet and several
free applications (apps) before realizing she needed to see
a young child interacting with one. She enlisted her 4-yearold nephew and watched as he easily maneuvered his way
around the touch tablet interface and its apps. He seemed
to know instinctively about moving his finger on the screen
to manipulate the apps. Without any instruction from Cas-
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New To
hildren
New Tools and Strategies for Teachers and Learners
sandra, he even discovered activities on the apps that she
had not found. His reaction to the touch tablet fueled her
curiosity about using it as a learning tool in her early childhood classroom.
Cassandra, an early childhood teaching veteran,
describes herself as a neophyte technology user. So, adding a cutting-edge technology like touch tablets caused her
some concern. For Cassandra, and many early childhood
educators, preschool is a time for children to experience
real life in play, use their imaginations, and engage in multiple hands-on experiences as they construct their own
understandings of the world. Teachers take great care in
designing stimulating learning environments while considering individual needs and differences. It is this intentionality that sets the foundation for developmentally appropriate practice (NAEYC
& Fred Rogers Center
2012). When educators
add technology as an
When educators add
instructional tool, the
technology as an
interface may be different, but the principles
instructional tool, the
remain the same.
interface may be differThe touch tablet
is
just one of many
ent, but the principles
tools used to expand
remain the same.
children’s learning
experiences (Guernsey
2010). It is important
for teachers to evaluate every instructional tool for its effectiveness in context.
There are benefits and challenges to each (Cooper 2005),
and it is the educator’s responsibility to determine when
each is advantageous to children’s learning and development (NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center 2012).
Some educators, researchers, and parents stress that
children already spend too much time in front of television and computer screens (Plowman, McPake, & Stephen
2010), so why add more technology during the school day?
This line of thinking led Cassandra to ask herself what role
technology should play in a quality preschool program. She
also understood that NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center
(2012) recommend that teachers be willing to learn about
new technologies, evaluate their purpose, and observe children’s use of the tools to make informed decisions about
how technology is used in the classroom.
device for a group of children. She began by showing the
tablet to the entire group during circle time and discussing
how children could use it. The children then dispersed to
play in a variety of centers. Cassandra remained on the rug
and worked with a small group of children who were interested in exploring the tablet. Four children then moved to
the library center to work together on the tablet. As the
week progressed, all of the children had used the tablet.
Once she was satisfied with their interactions, she gave the
children two tablets, eventually making all four touch tablets available in the library center. She hoped that without
enough tablets for individual play, the children would learn
to use them cooperatively.
As Cassandra introduced the touch tablets into her classroom activities, she encountered four surprises. The first
came as she sought the answer to the question, “Would
using these devices encourage isolated play?”
Surprise 1: Cooperation!
From the first time she introduced the touch tablets,
Cassandra found the children interacting cooperatively. Her
observations supported Kumtepe (2006), who notes that
rather than fostering social isolation, children’s computer
Introducing the new technology
Concern about the negative impact that computer use
has on children’s social interactions in the classroom is a
long-standing issue in education circles (Barnes & Hill 1983;
Finegan & Austin 2002). With this in mind, Cassandra slowly
integrated the touch tablets by first introducing a single
Young Children • May 2012
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T
use increases social skills. Children who use computers
design of their pictures. While the children used the drawmore frequently and at a more proficient level demoning apps, Cassandra discovered the second surprise.
strated more social skill gains and fewer problem behaviors
in kindergarten.
Surprise 2: Collaboration!
One day, Cassandra observed four children sitting
Cassandra found the children working collaboratively to
around one touch tablet, playing a memory match app.
design and create their pictures. In traditional art centers,
She thought to herself, “Maybe this technology is OK and
children rarely work on one piece of art together—each
can encourage cooperative play.” Contrary to her initial
child walks away with his or her own piece of art. With
concern, she discovered that the children rarely used the
the touch tablet, the children fed off of one another’s sugtouch tablets in isolation. Even when four children were
gestions and created art together. Three children began
each using a tablet, they huddled together, interacting,
to make a picture about fall. One child drew a fall tree. A
teaching, and learning from one another. On one occasion,
second child said, “I will add the squirrel.” They then sugwhen four children were each using their own tablet, she
gested that the third child add a bird in the tree. Cassandra
purposefully had them sit three to four feet apart. Within
heard them say, “Look what we did; we did this together;
moments they had worked their way back into their huddle
we were a team.” Not only were they proud of their work
and resumed their collaborative interactions. The impact
of art, but they also took great pride in their collaborative
on their language skills as they exchanged comments and
effort—quite a contrast from the
suggestions was apparent. Children
more common single-ownership
were sharing ideas, helping each
attitudes seen with traditional,
other find apps, and asking each
nontechnology-based artwork.
other questions.
Children were sharing
As she continued to think through
The tablets also allowed for more
ideas, helping each other
the use of technology with precollaboration than traditional art
schoolers, Cassandra asked more
tools. Many apps encourage creativfind apps, and asking
questions: How much time should
ity, such as some of the drawing
each other questions.
she allocate to the devices? Will the
apps that were popular with the
children be so enamored with the
children. They created pictures
technology that they won’t want to
related to a unit of study, putting
engage in other activities?
much thought and time into the
38
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Technology and Young Children: New Tools and Strategies for Teachers and Learners
Surprise 3: Digital citizenship!
At first, the children’s natural curiosity promoted their
desire to use and play with a new toy. As Vygotsky (1978)
states, “A child’s greatest achievements are possible in
play” (100). Play is part of the natural learning process and
one way young children construct meaning. As the children
used the tablets and explored the possibilities, some children seemed more fixated on using
the technology than others—they
just couldn’t get enough time with
the tablets. However, some of the
initial newness wore off as the tablets became a natural part of the
classroom environment. Cassandra
found that the children still wanted to
engage in other hands-on activities in
the classroom, and they willingly and
naturally moved on to other activities.
Her observations support the idea
that technology should not replace
other forms of active exploration, and
when used appropriately and responsibly, technology is another tool for
teaching and learning (Fisch et al.
2002; Yelland 2005; NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center 2012). An important goal is
a healthy balance between activities
with and without technology.
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YCShifflet.indd 39
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As the children continuously used
the touch tablets, Cassandra remained
wary that they might prefer the tablet
and their apps to parallel real-life experiences. She asked herself, “Would
a child understand that what he was
seeing and doing on the tablet is only
a representation of the actual realworld event?” She decided to create
an opportunity for them to experience
both real and virtual cookie making.
They read stories about cookies,
watched a short video about a bakery, and then set up a bakery in the
dramatic play area of the classroom.
They were excited when the day to
bake real cookies finally arrived!
Cassandra used a document camera (digital overhead projector) to
demonstrate how to use the cookie
app to virtually mix dough and
singing, DAncing, AnD pLAying
their wAy to LeArning.
ES
L
Initial experience and
reactions
decorate cookies. The children then went to centers. In
the library center, children continued to read books about
cookies. In the writing area, children created signs to promote and sell the cookies. In dramatic play, they assumed
the roles of bakery employees and customers. Jill took a
“customer’s order” with the tablet and shared it with the
bakers. Another group mixed the “dough” in the sand/water
table, while the cookie decorators added the final touches.
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Technology and Young Children
In the cooking area, each child added an ingredient and
mixed the batter, first using the application and then with
the actual ingredients. Using his finger, Marcus touched the
egg to make it crack, and the egg fell neatly into the virtual
bowl without any pieces of shell. Then Marcus cracked a
real egg and dumped it into the actual bowl. Cassandra
asked him how it felt when he cracked the egg on the touch
tablet and when he cracked a real egg. “It’s hard. It’s sticky.
It’s not easy to crack an egg!” Marcus quickly learned that
cracking a real egg was nothing like a gentle finger tap on
the tablet. As each ingredient was measured and added—
into both the virtual and the real bowl—the children said,
“You can’t smell it on the computer.” “It’s hard to stir the
dough.” “The butter really is sticky.” Cassandra asked, “Is
making cookies on the tablet anything like making real
cookies?” A unanimous “No!” was followed by “And you
don’t really get to eat the cookies you make on there!”
Surprise 4:
Connection to the real world!
The children could tell real from virtual, and they still
wanted to engage in the real-life experiences. This activity
reinforced what Cassandra already knew about developmentally appropriate practice—children still need and
desire real-life experiences. The touch tablet technology
helped reinforce cookie-making steps and the children’s
vocabulary—a perfect example of using a technology tool
to support and enhance a traditional learning experience,
Questions to Consider when Deciding
to Use a Technology Tool or Application
• How can I incorporate technology into my current curriculum in developmentally appropriate ways?
• How am I enhancing the learning experience with the
use of technology?
• What am I giving up to make time for the use of
technology?
• How can children learn from the technology used for
this activity?
• Am I helping to close the learning gap in experiences
between the children in my classroom who have and
have not previously used technology?
• Is the objective to reinforce or teach a skill? Does the
technology activity effectively help me reach this objective, or is there a more appropriate way to reinforce or
teach this skill?
• Have I properly evaluated the app for its appropriateness in an educational setting, using the criteria I would
use for other games, books, and toys?
40
New To
one that connects real-world experiences with the digital
world (Yelland 2005).
As the preschoolers continued their work with the
tablets in various center activities, they seemed quite at
ease with this technology. This was illustrated when Rena
observed a child using the cookie app. Billy selected the
dough and rolled it out. He chose a cookie cutter, pressed
it into the virtual dough, and instantly saw that the dough
was not large enough for
the cutter. Without any
hesitation, he tapped
When educators are
the back button to get to
intentional and selecthe previous screen and
rerolled the dough. When
tive in its use, technolhe was satisfied with
ogy can enhance early
the size of the dough, he
went to the next screen
childhood education.
and instead of selecting
the same large cookie
cutter, he chose a smaller
cutter that easily fit his dough. Amazed by Billy’s ability to
quickly and efficiently solve his problem, Rena asked if he
had ever used this particular app before. Without stopping
his cookie decorating, Billy said he did not have a touch
tablet at home, and this was the first time he had used the
cookie app. Rena’s observation supports the position of
NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center (2012) that technology
can and should provide opportunities for children to be
creative, solve problems, think, and make decisions.
Observations
Cassandra has come a long way in the short time she
has been using touch tablets in her classroom—from
helping the children hold the device for fear it might drop
and break, to letting them touch the screen while making
cookie dough. Many educators resist using technology out
of concern that it is not developmentally appropriate for
young children. However, when educators are intentional
and selective in its use, technology can enhance early childhood education (Yelland 2005; NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center
2012). According to Yelland (2005), when such technologies
are embedded in the curriculum, “young children can not
only experience concepts that were previously well beyond
that expected of them, but that they could deploy sophisticated strategies and work collaboratively with others in
new and dynamic ways” (224).
As early childhood educators, we understand that most
preschoolers are at ease with technology: it has been continually present in their lives, and they are growing up with
it. It is not possible to deny who they are and how they
fit into the digital world in which they live (Zevenbergen
2007). Cassandra stated at the end of the year, “After experimenting with technology in my own classroom, my ques-
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FR
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naeyc-120
hildren
y
New Tools and Strategies for Teachers and Learners
tion is not should I be using it, but how, in what capacity,
and how often. I’ve moved past the question of if.”
References
Barnes, B.J. & S. Hill. 1983. “Should Young Children Work with Microcomputers: Logo before Lego?” The Computing Teacher 10 (9): 11–14.
Cooper, L.Z. 2005. “Developmentally Appropriate Digital Environments
for Young Children.” Library Trends 54 (2): 286–302.
www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/3477/Cooper
_Developmentally.pdf?sequence=2.
Finegan, C., & N.J. Austin. 2002. “Developmentally Appropriate Technology for Young Children.” Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual 2002 (1): 87–102. Association for the Advancement of
Computing in Education (AACE).
Fisch, S.M., J.S. Shulman, A. Akerman, & G.A. Levin. 2002. “Reading
between the Pixels: Parent-Child Interaction While Reading Online
Storybooks.” Early Education and Development 13 (4): 435–51.
Guernsey, L. 2010. “Screens, Kids and the NAEYC Position Statement.”
Early Ed Watch blog (New America Foundation).
http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/screens_kids_and_the
_naeyc_ position_statement-35103.
Kumtepe, A.T. 2006. “The Effects of Computers on Kindergarten Children’s Social Skills.” The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 5 (4): 52–57.
NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media.
2012. “Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.” Joint position
statement. Washington, DC: NAEYC; Latrobe, PA: Fred Rogers Center
at Saint Vincent College.
www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf.
Plowman, L., J. McPake, & C. Stephen. 2010. “The Technologisation of
Childhood? Young Children and Technology in the Home.” Children &
Society 24 (1): 63–74.
Applications for Both Android™ and
Apple iPod® Touch Tablets
Shape Builder Preschool Puzzle—Variety of puzzles,
including letters, animals, vehicles, instruments, and
food. When a puzzle is complete, it shows a photo of
the item and the sound it makes, if applicable.
Super Why—Activities based on characters from the
PBS Kids series, SUPER WHY. Children practice
alphabet, rhyming, spelling, writing, and reading skills.
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox—Activities related to
colors, letters, counting, shapes, differences, and
matching.
Dr. Seuss Books—Classic interactive stories by Dr.
Seuss.
Vygotsky, L.S. 1978. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Yelland, N. 2005. “The Future Is Now: A Review of the Literature on the
Use of Computers in Early Childhood Education (1994–2004).” AACE
Journal 13 (3): 201–32.
Zevenbergen, R. 2007. “Digital Natives Come to Preschool: Implications
for Early Childhood Practice.” Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood
8 (1): 19–29.
Copyright © 2012 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
See Permissions and Reprints online at www.naeyc.org/yc/permissions.
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