CAREER: A Classroom of the Future: Developing and Infusing New Technologies in Early Childhood Education

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Technology is clearly changing the way children live and learn. What is not clear is how our classrooms will change in the future due to these new technologies. Today there are numerous questions when it comes to infusing technology into the classroom environment, particularly when it involves early childhood education environments. What will our pre-school classrooms look like with new technologies? What, if any, are appropriate new technologies for young children? Will early childhood teachers approach teaching in the same way? Will children learn differently because of these technologies? In this research the PI will explore issues relating to the development, evaluation, and dissemination of new technologies and infusion methods in early childhood education. The goals are: to understand the unique needs of young children (ages 3-6) in learning environments; to develop new technologies in partnership with children and teachers; To develop new strategies for teaching in a technology-infused early childhood education environment; to understand the impact these technologies can have on young children and their early childhood educators; and to understand when technology is an appropriate catalyst for early childhood education. The research will be an important demonstration of new approaches in interfaces, technologies, and design practices for and with children, and will further offer new educational tools that can have a broad impact on how we educate our children in our classrooms of the future.