When I reflect upon my childhood experiences with digital technology, I feel that my access was somewhat limited and my interactions were set by fairly rigid guidelines. I am often hesitant to use digital technology in my classroom because of my own comfort level, or lack there of… This is not to say that I am against it’s use in the classroom, I would like to engage more with technology in an educational and evidence-based way. Presently, I have used digital technology to create books on BookCreator, students take photographs and videos on our school iPads to share with their families and document their work, as well as trying a few Apps for numeracy and literacy.

 

As part of my own personal and professional learning journey, I am interested in exploring and learning more about the research on the use of digital technology for primary-aged children, and it’s relationship with social-emotional well-being. With my students, I find that a majority of them come from homes where they are exposed to digital technology from a very young age, and on a regular basis. Therefore, I sometimes question my use of technology in the classroom and want to provide them with different experiences that they may not be experiencing as much in other parts of their lives.

 

I also recognize that digital technology is a constantly and quickly evolving force in our lives and in society, and in order to support children and share up-to-date information with families, we [educators] should keep ourselves informed. It is also important to teach children about digital safety and online dangers (in age appropriate ways), as it seems that children are spending more time unsupervised online and on devices.

 

By reflecting upon my own experiences and acknowledging my own areas of growth and curiosity, as well as recognizing areas in which I think would be valuable for myself and to share with others, I have identified several learning goals:

  • Explore relationships between digital technology and social-emotional well-being of primary aged children.
  • Uncover more ways that I can authentically and appropriately imbed digital technology into our [student] learning.
  • Examine and reflect upon evidence-based information can I share with families to support their navigation and relationship with digital technology at home.
  • Analyze information and ways that I can approach safety and security online (and with devices) with my students and families, in age appropriate ways.

 

Looking forward to this learning journey!