Children using the Computer

DATE:  9 September, 2011

Children practicing their computer skills

At our centre the teachers and I support the children’s use of a computer in order to help them practice and enhance their knowledge, skills and learning experiences (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003).  We believe that having this technology available supports the children’s learning and helps them to keep up with the existing and ever changing technology in the world.  We discussed the importance of carefully examining “the underlying educational content, format, and features” to ensure that we buy appropriate computer software that effectively supports the “children’s active learning” (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003, p. 6).  As a result the children are able to engage in age appropriate educational software that enables them to learn and enhance their literacy, numeracy, cognitive and fine motor skills in a meaningful and interesting way (Lee, Hatherly & Ramsey, 2002; Ministry of Education, 2004).

We have recently fixed the children’s computer that our children enjoyed using to play the various educational games that were downloaded into the computer programme.  I noticed that some children wanted to go on it just about every day and practice both their new and already developed computer skills.  The knowledge of how to use a computer and mouse varied between each child using it.  Some knew how to click onto the programmes and games that they wanted to play due to the amount of access available to them at home, whereas some other children, who did not have a computer or were not allowed to use one, needed more assistance in order to learn how to eventually do this by themselves.

I recognised how the children learned how to negotiate with each other by taking turns and helping each other whenever someone did not know what to do – which was fantastic!  The children learned how to persevere and problem solve when they found things a little difficult to do in order to overcome any problems that they faced.  It was great seeing them sort, match and sequence objects, and also follow the dotted lines by moving, clicking and dragging the mouse accordingly in order to complete each required task that was set before them.  I also recognised that the more the children practiced these skills, the better and more confident they became at mastering their own skills and being able to help others who were not as capable or unfamiliar with using this type of technology (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

I also recognised that the computer is sometimes viewed as a “babysitter” and that the teachers’ computer abilities or inabilities “can have a direct impact on how effectively children’s learning needs are met through technology” (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003, p. 4 & 7).  In order “to scaffold children’s learning in this area we need to broaden our understanding of technology and continue to extend our own knowledge and skill base” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5).  Doing this enables the teachers to help the children learn and “develop experience with some of the technology and resources for mathematics, reading and writing” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 78 & Ministry of Education, 2004, p. 4).  When teachers engage with children using the computer to extend upon their knowledge and skills, it becomes a useful educational tool rather than a babysitting device (Lee, Hatherly & Ramsey, 2002; Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003).

The significance of the use of the computer on the children’s learning and development in our centre is their increased confidence and capabilities to use this technological device (Ministry of Education, 1996).  The children are able to learn and develop their cognitive abilities, hand-eye coordination and small motor skills to complete the required tasks.  This is done when using their cognitive thinking to make choices, solve problems, sorting, matching, sequencing objects, and following the dotted lines by moving, clicking and dragging the mouse accordingly.  Doing this helps the children realise that “knowledge, skills and resources are combined to find solutions; and there may be more than one solution to the problem” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5 & 6).   

As a result, research of children using the computer indicates they gain “in intelligence, non-verbal skills, structural knowledge, long term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction and conceptual skills” (Haugland, 2000 cited in Lee, Hatherly & Ramsey, 2002, p. 15).  Using the computer also encourages children to share information, develop their language and decision making skills (Davidson & Wright 1994; Fischer & Gillespie 2003; Haugland & Wright 1997; Sarama & Clements 2001; Wright 1994).  This demonstrates “the importance of developing computer awareness and basic computer literacy skills (understanding how computers can be used) as early as the preschool level” (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003, p. 7 & 8).

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