Application of an analytical framework to describe young students' learning in technology

This paper discusses a framework for describing and analysing how young students (5–6 years) learn in technology with a view towards enhancing teaching and learning practice in technology. Examples of student work which demonstrate the complexity of learning in technology, and what young children can achieve with appropriate teaching strategies are presented. Holistic aspects as well as associated variables are highlighted

Learning and digital inclusion: the ELAMP project

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Project (ELAMP) was a nationally funded project by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which ran from 2004 to 2010. The main aim of ELAMP was to improve the education of Traveller children, particularly highly mobile learners. ELAMP focussed upon the use of mobile technology and distance learning to support, enhance and extend young Travellers’ educational and vocational opportunities. This article will reflect upon the learning and technological experiences and opportunities that the ELAMP project provided for Traveller children, young people and their families. In doing so it will critically consider the value of information technology in working with Traveller communities and advancing their educational opportunities. Reviewing ELAMP work will also demonstrate how the use of mobile technology can improve educational outcomes and Traveller families’ digital inclusion. Now that the project has ended, this article will question why we are not using what we learnt from ELAMP to move forward

The home as a technological learning environment: children's early encounters with digital technologies

Today's children are growing up in homes with an ever-growing array of technologies supporting families as they work, play, communicate and learn. How have recent rapid changes to the home as a technological environment influenced what and how preschool children learn? This paper, based on a series of studies of young children's experiences with digital technology at home, identifies key factors - including the structure and layout of the home, family practices, family values and family interactions - which shape the ways in which children: a) learn to use technologies; b) learn about the world via the medium of technologies; c) develop learning dispositions; and d) learn about the role of different technologies in family and community contexts

Delegating and Distributing Morality: Can We Inscribe Privacy Protection in a Machine?

This paper addresses the question of delegation of morality to a machine, through a consideration of whether or not non-humans can be considered to be moral. The aspect of morality under consideration here is protection of privacy. The topic is introduced through two cases where there was a failure in sharing and retaining personal data protected by UK data protection law, with tragic consequences. In some sense this can be regarded as a failure in the process of delegating morality to a computer database. In the UK, the issues that these cases raise have resulted in legislation designed to protect children which allows for the creation of a huge database for children. Paradoxically, we have the situation where we failed to use digital data in enforcing the law to protect children, yet we may now rely heavily on digital technologies to care for children. I draw on the work of Floridi, Sanders, Collins, Kusch, Latour and Akrich, a spectrum of work stretching from philosophy to sociology of technology and the “seamless web” or “actor–network” approach to studies of technology. Intentionality is considered, but not deemed necessary for meaningful moral behaviour. Floridi’s and Sanders’ concept of “distributed morality” accords with the network of agency characterized by actor–network approaches. The paper concludes that enfranchizing non-humans, in the shape of computer databases of personal data, as moral agents is not necessarily problematic but a balance of delegation of morality must be made between human and non-human actors

Children’s Creativity Lab : creating a ‘pen of the future’

This work is funded by EPSRC and SICSA.Technology is changing the way we acquire new skills and proficiencies and handwriting is no exception to this. However, while some technological advancements exist in this area, the question of how we can digitally enhance the process of learning handwriting remains under-explored. Being immersed in this process on an everyday basis, we believe that school aged children can provide valuable ideas and insights into the design of future writing tools for learners developing their (hand)writing skills. As end-users of the proposed technology, we explore including children in a form of informed participatory design during a creativity lab where we invited 12 children, aged 11–12, to put themselves into the shoes of a product designers and create a Pen of the Future using prototyping materials. In this paper we describe our methodology and discuss the design ideas that children came up with and how these may inform the design of future writing tools.Postprin

Adequate Use of Technology and Effects on Young Children

Review of literature about technology use in young children and the positive effects it may have along with consequences and recommendations. Young children are able to access technology easily and use it for many reasons. Using technology responsibly and for educational purposes will help maintain young children’s health and safety. Supervision and interactions is key when young children use technology. Young children spend a lot of time on technology which can have adverse effects such as physical health issues, mental health issues and social interaction problems. When children use it for educational purposes the work should be monitored and the programs adequately researched. Young children can improve literacy skills, mathematics skills, writing skills and also social interaction skills. Students in special education have also benefited from advancements in technology. Spending too much time using technology and using it for inappropriate reasons can harm young children. Adults are responsible for teaching young children appropriate uses of technology and use to make sure the children become responsible technology users

Using Filling Stations for Mathematics Skill Building in Kindergarten: Harnessing Technology Tools to Remediate Skill Deficits

Education professionals and researchers have underscored the importance of mathematics education for young children and the awareness that young children can learn early mathematics concepts that serve as a foundation for later years. The need for teachers to support individual needs for some children to build their conceptual understanding is clear as many children show deficits during kindergarten while others are ready to advance to the next areas of instruction. One way to meet the needs of children who need more work in foundational areas of mathematics is to utilize technology within filling stations in the classroom. To this end, this article discusses ways to expose children to more work in basic concepts and skills in mathematics through the use of a filling station with technology supports for children to work on foundational skills

Case study:exploring children’s password knowledge and practices

Children use technology from a very young age, and often have to authenticate themselves. Yet very little attention has been paid to designing authentication specifically for this particular target group. The usual practice is to deploy the ubiquitous password, and this might well be a suboptimal choice. Designing authentication for children requires acknowledgement of child-specific developmental challenges related to literacy, cognitive abilities and differing developmental stages. Understanding the current state of play is essential, to deliver insights that can inform the development of child-centred authentication mechanisms and processes. We carried out a systematic literature review of all research related to children and authentication since 2000. A distinct research gap emerged from the analysis. Thus, we designed and administered a survey to school children in the United States (US), so as to gain insights into their current password usage and behaviors. This paper reports preliminary results from a case study of 189 children (part of a much larger research effort). The findings highlight age-related differences in children’s password understanding and practices. We also discovered that children confuse concepts of safety and security. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research. This paper reports on work in progress.<br/

Adequate Use of Technology and Effects on Young Children

This paper reviews literature about technology use in young children and the positive effects it may have, along with consequences and recommendations. Young children are able to access technology easily and use it for many reasons. Using technology responsibly and for educational will help maintain young children’s health and safety. Supervision and interaction is key when young children use technology. Young children spend a lot of time on technology which can have adverse effects such as physical health issues, mental health issues and social interaction problems. When children use it for educational purposes the work should be monitored and the programs adequately researched. Young children can improve literacy skills, mathematics skills, writing skills and also social interaction skills. Students in special education have also benefited from the advancements in technology. Spending too much time using technology and using it for inappropriate reasons can harm young children. Adults are responsible for teaching young children the appropriate uses of technology and monitoring use to make sure the children become responsible technology users

Adequate Use of Technology and Effects on Young Children

This paper reviews literature about technology use in young children and the positive effects it may have, along with consequences and recommendations. Young children are able to access technology easily and use it for many reasons. Using technology responsibly and for educational will help maintain young children’s health and safety. Supervision and interaction is key when young children use technology. Young children spend a lot of time on technology which can have adverse effects such as physical health issues, mental health issues and social interaction problems. When children use it for educational purposes the work should be monitored and the programs adequately researched. Young children can improve literacy skills, mathematics skills, writing skills and also social interaction skills. Students in special education have also benefited from the advancements in technology. Spending too much time using technology and using it for inappropriate reasons can harm young children. Adults are responsible for teaching young children the appropriate uses of technology and monitoring use to make sure the children become responsible technology users