AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
OF
THE USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSROOMS
By: Caroline Lively

Gimbert, B., & Cristol, D. (2004). Teaching curriculum with technology: Enhancing children’s technological competence during early childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31 (3), 207-216. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
This synthesis conducted by Gimbert and Cristol proposed five findings of the use of technology with Pre-K students through students in grade three. They found that technology used appropriately gave students the chance for socialization and language development, software gave students the opportunity to explore and use their imagination, tools increase the attention span of young children, children with special needs benefit from multiple uses of technology, and the classroom teacher and learning environment determine how effectively technology is used. This article stresses that teachers also have to learn how to effectively use the technology, in order for students to benefit from it.
I learned interesting ways to implement technology in my classroom from this article. The article showed me the importance of giving students venues to express themselves with technology. The benefits are so vast when students are using technology, and should be explored. I will use this article to motivate me into finding technological opportunities for students in my class.
Espey, L. (2000). Technology planning and technology integration: A case study. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference: Proceedings of SITE 2000, 1-3. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Espey conducted this study to discover how a school district implemented technology in the classroom in a meaningful way. In this qualitative case study, the district studied was able to establish an infrastructure leading to effective use of technology throughout the district. They also trained teachers and administrators to prepare and excite them for technology integration. The research in this study demonstrated the district’s ability to integrate technology, but the educators in the district did not seem to be onboard. Although the district was ready for full on technology, the teachers were reluctant to use this in their day to day practices.
This study was beneficial to be because it showed me the challenges one would face when introducing a new topic to a school. If teachers are reluctant to use technology in their teaching practices, it would be exceptionally difficult to move forward with technology integration. I learned important ways to setup the infrastructure in a district or school where little technology is currently being used. With the tools and experiences in this article, I have the basis for a presentation to gain more technology for my school and my classroom.
Green, T. (2005). Using technology to help English language students develop language skills: A home and school connection. Multicultural Education, 13(2), 56-59. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Green unveils ways computers can assist in instructing English Language students when learning core subjects. Students can use technology to gain in vocabulary development by using a computer to practice the vocabulary words. Green also points out that the computer can act as another being and the student can listen to it, as well as speak back to it. Although the computer is a tool for teaching English Language students, Green points out the importance of not throwing out the human interaction.
As a teacher of English Language Learners, I found this article to be particularly interesting. It is interesting to me that the computer was used to help the students with vocabulary development. I am going to research websites with vocabulary rich activities for my students. This will help them to work on their vocabulary development without feeling threatened.
Hertzog, N., & Klein, M. (2005). Beyond gaming: A technology explosion in early childhood classrooms. Gifted Child Today, 28(3), 24-31. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Hertzog and Klein researched the current fact that students today are used to having technology around them. The article goes into ways we can use this to our advantage, rather than as a hindrance. Hertzog et al. point out the fact that three to seven year old children are able to use technology without a problem, and can do this in the classroom. Through their research, they found technology to be exceptionally helpful in providing differentiation within a classroom. With students understanding how to use technology finding uses within the curriculum proved to provide students with meaningful and challenging learning experiences.
I will use this article in my classroom to benefit my differentiation in my classroom. My class varies from student with little or no English language skills, to students reading. I can bookmark different activities to be used by different students to zero in on the skills they need to work on. This article reminded me that students now have the skills to use these tools, and should be doing so.
Judge, S., Puckett, K., & Bell, S., M. (2006). Closing the digital divide: Update from the early childhood longitudinal study. The Journal of Educational Research, 100 (1), 52-60. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Judge, Puckett and Bell observed children from different backgrounds to determine what effects technology has on their academic performance. They found there was a positive correlation between students’ access to computers both in school and at home, and academic performance. The exposure to computers gave students this positive correlation, where there was actually a negative correlation between students using reading software and their actual reading performance.
Based on this article, I will make sure my students have ample exposure to effective computer use. In order to make sure my students are gaining the most from the use of the computers in the classroom, the article points out that I must use effective teaching practices. To do this, I will stay on top of the current trends and issues facing educational technology.
Kemker, K., Barron, A. E., & Harmes, C. (2007) Laptop computers in the elementary classroom: Authentic instruction with at-risk students. Educational Media International, 44 (4), 305-321. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
The lack of access to computers in low-income schools presents many problems. Knowing the benefits of technology and computers to academic performance, the problem is apparent. This study revealed that authentic instruction was present when integrating technology in the classrooms. Students were also able to visit places they might not be able to go to otherwise through virtual field trips, providing cultural experiences as well as technological experiences. Overall, this article determined the benefits for providing at-risk students with the opportunities technology exposes students to.
Teaching in an at-risk school presents many challenges. I found many of the activities to be useful. I would like to try to implement virtual fieldtrips to expose my students to many places they might not be able to go to without technology. This article provides many creative ways to increase technology uses in at-risk classrooms.
Paoletti, M. (2004). Great uses of electronic whiteboards in the classroom. Media & Methods, 22-24. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Paoletti challenges the question of the uses of technology in classrooms by researching the uses of electronic whiteboards in the classroom. She studies teachers with this form of technology in their classrooms to uncover ways they can be used. Paoletti reveals many ways elementary teachers can use technology such as: stream video through the board, daily lessons on the board, and interactive units displayed on the whiteboard. The teachers in this study found students were responding with more enthusiasm and were more engaged in the classroom while using whiteboards in the lessons.
Although I do not have an interactive whiteboard in my classroom, I feel I can use techniques introduced in this article to engage my students. I recently got an LCD projector mounted in my classroom that I can use to show streaming videos. I can modify lessons such as the Ocean unit described in this article by having it in a powerpoint form, and allowing the students to use the computer to show the class where the animals should go. I feel this would be engaging and a relevant use of technology in my classroom.
Siu, K. W. M, Lam, M. S. (2005). Early childhood technology education: A sociocultural perspective. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(6), 353-358. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
This study conducted in Hong Kong by Siu and Lam confers how technology lessons should be implemented and thoroughly planned on the elementary level. They reveal the importance of introducing students to technology, because it is a part of daily lives. They concluded that the background of the students and their parents determined how they view technology, and the current generation is more likely to own a computer and be more open to technology. They also found society to feel those without knowledge about technology to be outdated, and that it should be taught to children. Finally they pointed out the hands-on, problem-solving lessons that can be implemented when using technology, proving to be effective instruction for the students in the study.
After reading this study, I see the importance of guiding my students through technological activities to broaden their horizons. I will use activities such as the problem-solving ones mentioned in the article to teach concepts through technology. I will also give my students the opportunity to use technology and learn hands-on, as suggested in this study.
Sweet, J. R., Rasher, S. P., Abromitis, B.S., Johnson, E. M. (2004). Case studies of high-performing, high-technology schools: Final research report on schools with predominantly low-income, African-American or Latino student populations. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
Sweet, Rasher, Abromitis, and Johnson conducted a series of case studies to determine the ways technology can be used to close the achievement gap. This study found that all of the high-performing, high-technology schools have at least one computer in each classroom, and also have a computer lab for student use. At all but four of the nineteen schools researched, technology was shown to motivate students. This motivation combined with frequent use by students, lead to finding these schools encourage the use of technology, and use this as a means of minimizing the achievement gap.
This article proves the importance of me using technology in my classroom. Allowing my low-income students the opportunity to use and understand technology gives them a leg up in closing the achievement gap. By encouraging students to use technology, and give them multitudes of opportunities to become familiar with technology, I am giving them tools to succeed.
Yes! Kindergarteners can use whiteboards. (2009) Instructor, 118 (5), 11. Retrieved from Periodical Abstracts database http://www.galileo.usg.edu
This article presents different ways to use a smart board in a Kindergarten classroom. After working in Kindergarten classrooms, uses are presented that are developmentally appropriate, as well as engaging for the students. Uses include: writing the morning message on the board and compiling them to send home to the parents. Other ways to incorporate this form of technology in a Kindergarten classroom would be to use it in a science lesson to take the temperature each day, and graph it at the end of the month. Overall, this article found Kindergarteners fully capable of using this form of technology.
Although I do not have a smart board, I can tweak techniques listed to the available equipment at my school. I could write the morning message on my computer, and show it through the LCD projector. This would still give me the opportunity to make a book for my students, and save chart paper at the same time!