How the use of technology can be integrated into early childhood education, with an emphasis on children aged 3-5 years old

Abstract

This thesis was an activity based project. The objectives were to explore how the latest curriculum legislation regarding technology in early childhood education could be put into practice, and to demonstrate to children that there is more to technological devices than games and other forms of entertainment. In order to meet these objectives it was important to explore the European and Finnish legislation regarding the use of technology within early childhood education, the implications of using technology with young children, and the practicalities of incorporating the use of technology within early childhood education. As the overall topic for the thesis was very wide, the thesis was unable to consider every aspect of the topic. Therefore instead of trying to tackle the whole topic, the thesis main focused was on using digital cameras and how their use could be incorporated into the existing learning experiences of children. Due to the nature of the children involved in the thesis, the use of interactive stories and multi-sensory spaces were also explored. The data and findings for this thesis were collected from the practical application of the legislation in the form of a case study which involved children aged 3-5 years, and many years of experience working in the field of early childhood education. The main findings of the thesis were that incorporating technology is far easier than many practitioners expect, the activities involving technology and children need to be flexible, fun and relevant to the children, and that the children need to have a sense of control over their learning experiences e.g. the type of photograph they want to take.