Educational Technology Philosophy

Educational Technology Philosophy

Being an early childhood educator, I greatly value play and creativity in the classroom.  I believe that children should be encouraged to engage in social play, such as dramatic play, to encourage and develop creativity and social skills.  I believe that teachers in an early childhood settings should serve as facilitators and role models in order for children to learn by example and gain independence.  A positive learning environment should be provided to students in order to promote creativity.

I believe that children learn best through hands-on and interactive activities.  I think that technology is a great tool to use with children of all ages, even young children, because it can be adapted to fit any age or developmental level. I believe that it is very important as a teacher to introduce children to technology as early as possible.  Technology is such an integral part of the world today and children need to experience all different kinds of technology.

As an early childhood educator, I will work to provide many different kinds of technology to my students in order to help them develop and express their creativity and also to prepare them for their future, both as students and as members of society.  I think children can be introduced to interactive educational computer games and taught basic skills on the computer in order to work on them independently.  I also think it can be very beneficial to use music and occasional videos in the classroom to introduce them to different cultures and ways of life.  Using an iPod to introduce children to music from another culture and letting them dance to it would be a very beneficial use of technology.  I also like the idea of using such things as Leap Frog Leapsters and Leap Pads.  These are a great way to help get young children interested in reading by directly involving them in the process.

I think that technology can be a great asset to teachers if they embrace it and educate themselves on the potential benefits for themselves and the students.