Technology Interview

Kimberly Swain works at the Anthis Career Academy in Fort Wayne, Indiana where she is an early childhood education instructor for 11th and 12th grade students. In her role, she prepares students for work in the early childhood education field through certification and the coordination of internships. Her classes gain real experience in the field and receive dual credit for their schoolwork. Personally, I had the privilege of being one of Ms. Kim's students from 2018-2019 and learned a lot under her guidance. As an instructional coach in the early education field, it is essential to stay up to date on best practices and trainings, including the use of technology for young children.

As an instructional teacher, Kimberly Swain prepares high school students for work in the field. While not directly using technology with young children, she ensures that her students are able to identify technology that is age and developmentally appropriate, that technology is balanced with curriculum and has minimum, specific use. She states, "since I work with students who are interested in working in early education, I want to be sure that they learn a healthy balance." These statements support that the use of technology needs to be appropriately aligned with learning goals.

In the interview, Swain stressed the importance of creating the discipline that technology is a tool and not a toy, and when encountering issues with introducing technology (as you would with any new material or concept) it is essential to use reflective practice to monitor teaching and the tool's effectiveness. Swain stated, "I also consider the gradual release of control; for example, did I give clear instructions and allow time to practice with me before turning the activity or the over to the child." In order to use technology appropriately and effectively in the classroom, it is essential that students understand the technology's purpose, its dynamics, and are using these tools as intended. This entails ensuring that students receive examples, guidelines, and active monitoring while engaging with technological tools.

Her students in her classroom use Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) applications on their school laptops, meaning the district is responsible for what kinds of technology students interact with while they receive their education. As a side comment, she mentions how much focus has improved in the classroom since FWCS has restricted phones in their buildings. Additionally, she shared that common applications integrated into the area's early childhood classrooms are MobyMax (MobyMax SPED | MobyMax) and Boddle (Boddle Learning | 3D Math and ELA Game for K-6 Kids). MobyMax is a curriculum application that supports differentiated learning, intended for special education students. MobyMax includes progress monitoring, diagnostic assessments, and provides games and other activities that can be integrated into lesson plans. Boddle is designed to support math and early language arts instruction by including games and activities that can be used on a phone, tablet, or computer. Applications with these modifications support accessibility, allowing for more students to access and use them inside and outside of school. Boddle additionally scores games and tracks progress for parents and educators to view. When children are taught to properly use these tools, they can support education and make learning more interesting by holding young children's attention.

As parents and educators, we worry about the misuse and draw to technology. Especially when we combine digital games with learning. For technology to be effective in classrooms there must be a direct and explicit purpose for it. By evaluating applications and sources educators can ensure that technological tools align with curriculum. For attention and engagement, parents and eductors can refer to the CDC's guidelines for screentime which is available on their website (https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/php/obesity-prevention-standards/screen-time-limits.html). With Swain's viewpoint of the "less is more" approach to technology with the emphasis on aligning to curriculum and appropriate use an additional recommendation is to set restrictions/limits are established for preapproved educational technology resources.