The Importance Of ICT In Preschool
Knowledge and use of information and communication technology is something that teachers must encourage from an early age. Therefore, the use of ICT in preschool and childcare is very important.
When children are between 2 and 6 years old, they often spend several hours a day in a preschool or in some other form of childcare. This is the age when boys and girls should have their first contact with information and communication technology.
Information and communication technology (ICT)
ICT refers to technical resources, tools and programs that we use to process, administer and share information, such as technical devices such as computers, mobile phones, TVs, game consoles, tablets, etc.
Today, information and communication technology plays a fundamental role in daily life by offering the services that “users” are used to using every day, such as e-mail, text messages, web platforms, search engines, etc. The list just gets longer and longer.
Information and communication technology makes an infinite amount of information and data available to us. Therefore, it is important to develop certain technical skills.
The same applies to the ability to interpret and assimilate information. Children need to understand that not everything they can learn online is complete or even completely true.
The importance of ICT in preschool and childcare
Knowledge of and use of ICT during early childhood is important because it enables children to develop different skills. To begin with, it promotes skills related to the use of computers or tablets, such as tactile, hearing and visual abilities.
Second, children also develop other skills related to educational programs, games and apps they use.
In other words, the use of ICT contributes to the cognitive development of preschool children. Contact with computers, mobile phones or other technical devices from an early age facilitates and helps learning. Of course, this contact should always be mediated by the children’s teachers.
The use of technology in the classroom motivates children and gives them the opportunity to search for information and create their own strategies. It also gives them the chance to make their own decisions. They select, filter, prioritize, etc.
ICT’s contribution in preschool and childcare
Use of ICT in preschool and classroom…
- Stimulates creativity
- Encourages children to experiment
- Gives each student the opportunity to learn at their own pace
- Develops budding investigative strategies
- Arouses curiosity
- Develops children’s growing independence
- Motivates learning
- Helps to develop fine motor skills
ICT in preschool and childcare: Aspects to take into account
Up to this point, we have addressed many of the benefits and importance of ICT in early education. However, we must also talk about the correct use of ICT in preschool and childcare. ICT in schools can have negative consequences if it is abused or used too much.
During their time in preschool, children need an education based on play and experiences of real objects. In addition, they need contact with other people and with nature, and they need to be able to read fairy tales and develop both emotionally and socially.
It is true that the use of technology has its role in social cooperation development and collaboration between children. No matter what you do on a screen, it is nothing compared to socializing with other individuals, face to face, and with physical contact.
At the same time, it is also important to limit the use of ICT in preschool and childcare. Prolonged exposure can be harmful – affecting a child’s posture and leading to a sedentary lifestyle and antisocial behavior.
Finally, as mentioned above, any use of technology in preschool should involve continuous support from teachers. This also applies to subsequent stages of education.
Teachers are not only responsible for teaching how new technology works and how to use it, but must also teach their students critical thinking and responsible use of the information they have access to.
Information and communication technologies offer endless possibilities for immediate access to enormous amounts of information. This means that children must learn to interpret the large amount of information they encounter. This information is in many cases incomplete, biased and should always be put in context.
