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Abstract

Each time a new technology is introduced into the classroom, there are those who claim that it will revolutionize the way teachers teach, the way students learn, and in general, the way we conduct education. In the 50s it was film; in the 60s it was broadcast educational television, slides; in the 70s it was video and computer assisted instruction, and in the 80s it was videodisc. As we heading toward a new millennium, the new player on the scene is clearly the Internet. Matrix Information and Directory Services [26] estimated that the total number of worldwide users will grow to 707 million by the 2001. According to a research by [22], over 90 percent of parents and 80percent of teachers believe that young children can use computers and are ready for multimedia technology. A strong and pervasive faith makes younger and younger children at home and at school expose to the cyber world. Will web-based activities be valuable to the growth and development of young children, especially those under the age of eight? Currently, researchers and educators offer conflicting advice on whether children should be encouraged to surf the web. Regardless of the debate, many young children are now using computers and will continue to do so. Where in our curriculum do we help children navigate this new world? How will schools keep up with the pace of change? How will early childhood educators ensure equitable access to everyone? How will we deal with information complexity and quantity? What about standards for quality? In order to answer the above questions, this paper will examine the difficulties of using networks successfully in early childhood education. Several issues to overcome these barriers will be addressed.

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