Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash

French educational tech maker Lexibook is bringing its eponymous kiddy-tablet to the US from next month. It's not talking specs or price, but we're expecting it to be close to the Lexibook First currently available in Europe. The seven-inch slate packs a 600MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable to 16GB with an microSD card), parental controls and 802.11 b/g WiFi. The FroYo-running device retails for £150 ($237) over the pond, but if the company tries something similar over here, we suspect people might plump for something a little more powerful, or less expensive, or both.

source:  http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/24/lexibook-coming-to-the-us/

Early Learning Environment

http://ele.fredrogerscenter.org

About

The Fred Rogers Center Early Learning Environment (Ele) is an innovative online space where early educators, families, and others who care for young children can come together in a safe environment to find and share digital resources that support early learning and development in children from birth to age 5. By focusing on Early Literacy and Digital Media Literacy, the information, media-based activities, and social networking opportunities within Ele are intended to advance learning, healthy child development, and school success.

When it comes to finding high quality media for children to use or to provide guidance and support for the adults in their lives, there seem to be an overwhelming number of options. Ele brings together many of the best free trusted materials from around the web, including videos, games, ebooks, music and other interactive tools. Ele also provides a platform to connect and discuss with others who care about issues affecting young children.

The Rogers Center believes that Talking is Teaching, and the research on the importance of early language development is clear. Early literacy starts well before children can read – talking to and with children from the time they are born helps them feel loved and valued and gets them started on the path to learning language.

The ubiquity of technology and digital media in the lives of adults and even the youngest children, across all socioeconomic groups, also makes digital media literacy more important than ever—being able to select, use, participate in, and reflect on media use in an informed way. Ele encourages caregivers to treat media more like they would treat a book: as a chance to sit with a child, share time together, and talk about what children are seeing and hearing. In this way, media and technology can be motivating, interesting, and helpful tools. Used properly, they can spur conversation and encourage children’s interaction with their peers and with the caring adults in their lives. Ele suggests ways to develop such healthy media habits.

Ele is a signature program of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. The mission of the Center is to advance the fields of early learning and children’s media by acting as a catalyst for communication, collaboration, and creative change. All of the Center’s work resonates with Fred Rogers’ own belief in the positive potential of media to support the healthy social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of young children.
Site design by: emphas!s design. Powered by: metarhythm.

Computer Resources for Primary Grades!

Computer Resources for Primary Grades!
This month, the Education World Tech Team members answered the question Do you think K-3 students should use computers in school? with a resounding yes! Our experts also shared a plethora of activities and programs they use with primary students. Included: Web sites and software programs to use with your young students!
This month, we asked Education World Tech Team members to tell us whether they thought students in the primary grades should use computers. We expected a vigorous debate. What we got was a unanimous yes! What the team lacked in controversy, however, they more than made up for with recommendations on which computer programs to use with primary students -- and suggestions on how to use it!

Be sure to check out the previous Tech Team article, Should Kids in Primary Grades Use Computers?

HOW DO THEY DO IT?
"At our school, students in grades one through three have formal computer classes once a week; kindergarten children use the computer lab for less formal projects," said Pamela Livingston, director of information technology at Chestnut Hill Academy, in Philadelphia. "All our projects, however, relate to what's happening in the classroom.

The Expert's Picks The Education World Tech Team recommends the following computer resources for the early grades: SOFTWARE * Bailey's Bookhouse (Edmark) * Creative Writer 2 ( Microsoft) * Kid Pix (Mattel Interactive) * Math Blaster (Knowledge Adventure) * Print Shop (Mattel Interactive) * Read, Write & Type (Talking Fingers) * Reader Rabbit (Mattel Interactive) * Reading Blaster (Knowledge Adventure) * Stickybear Early Learning (Optimum Resource, Inc.) * Teacher Created Materials * WiggleWorks (Scholastic) WEB SITES * Education World * Global Schoolhouse * Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections * Lightspan * Scholastic.com * SchoolWorld

"First-grade students study the Iditarod, for example, so during computer class, they find information about Alaska and the race," Livingston said. "The first graders also study Hawaii, and they use the Internet to look at photos and videos of Hawaii. "Our second graders learn about the water cycle and the Vikings. Both of those units are rich in opportunities to research online information students would not be able to find otherwise," Livingston continued. "We also start exposing students to keyboarding in second grade. Teaching them where the keys are makes writing with the computer less frustrating.
"The third grade studies geography, Asia, and Africa -- all topics that provide opportunities for computer-savvy teachers to use software, Internet projects, and Internet research. We also participated in a great author chat with Mary Pope Osborne about her Magic Tree House series," Livingston concluded.
WHAT DO THEY USE?
"It is our school policy that K-2 students use the computer lab for skill reinforcement only," said Jennifer Wagner, technology coordinator at Crossroads Christian School, in Corona, California. "At that level, we use the Reader Rabbit series, Math Blaster, Teacher Created Materials, and various templates I create myself. We also do a bit of word processing, but that is minimal.
"Our third graders jump into computers with both feet," Wagner told Education World. "We begin the year with Kid Pix. By November, the kids have pretty much mastered the tools, and we do a ten-week salute to different artists and create our versions of their artwork. Favorites are Starry Night, by Van Gogh, and pictures by Mondrian, Seurat, and O'Keeffe. Kids remember this project and talk about it each year. Our third graders also use Math Blaster and Reading Blaster, and they begin word processing with Creative Writer 2.
"If you're teaching K-3 computer skills, you need a good program, such as Kid Pix, Wagner noted. "The program gives every student an understanding of mouse skills, graphic design, presentation design, graphic manipulation, and more, but it is so much fun they don't even know they're working with graphics. They think they're just coloring.
Creative Writer 2, by Microsoft, can't be beat for a word processing program for kids," Wagner continued. "Almost everything is done graphically. When they click File, for example, the icon looks like a file. Creative Writer 2 is also fun and very easy to use. We use it for keyboarding nine weeks a year, and no one ever complains. The program also includes a paint program that allows students to make posters, cards, banners, certificates, and more. It's a bit advanced for K-1, but kids in grades two or three can pick it up with a bit of guidance.
"The Reader Rabbit series can't be beat for teaching cognitive skills, such as math and phonics, and Math Blaster 4-6 is also a favorite," Wagner said. "If you are going to get only one program, however, make it Kid Pix. You can't go wrong."

Media and Technology Resources for Educators

Go way beyond Internet safety. Turn students into great digital citizens.

Get all the tools you need with our FREE Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum and Parent Media Education Program. The relevant, ready-to-use instruction helps you guide students to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world where they live, study and play. Every day, your students are tested with each post, search, chat, text message, file download, and profile update. Will they connect with like minds or spill ...

read more

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators 

Early Connections: Technology in ECE

http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/preschool/curriculum.html

	Child Care	Preschool	Kindergarten	Primary Grades	Before/After School

Learning & Development Learning & Technology Technology &Curriculum Classroom Arrangement Software Selection Health & Safety Hardware Resources

Technology in the Curriculum In preschool children and teachers are working on readiness skills and early literacy experiences. Technology can help to support these lessons when used in planned and guided manner. Language Development and Emerging Literacy Literacy skills increase from the conversations that take place between children and supportive adults, and between children and their peers as they work. Computers offer another resource for helping children develop language; technology can provide and extend language opportunities. Linking Words to Pictures: Children can make a connection between an object on the screen and its written label in the same way that picture books are used. Newer computers and software may also provide spoken text options, where words or phrases are spoken aloud.. Creating a Story: Children can create their own stories with the help of an adult, using one of the software programs available. After drawing a picture (on paper or on the screen) the child can dictate a story to an adult or older child to type into the computer. Alternately, the child can tell the story into a tape recorder and play it back for others to enjoy. Emerging Math Skills Children work on mathematics in a variety of informal ways with manipulatives such as blocks and linking objects. Software can also be used to practice these skills if desired. Patterning: Seeing how objects and numbers relate builds a concrete understanding of math. Patterning or drawing software can provide children with practice in seeing relationships and predicting what comes next in a series. Many of these programs can be used in conjunction with building blocks, patterns in music, or other curricular activities. Classification: Learning to identify and sort objects by their attributes is basic to both science and math. Classification software encourages children to group objects by attributes such as size, color, and shape, as well as to create groupings of their own objects. Seriation: During the preschool years, children learn to order an array of objects by size. Objects can be manipulated on the screen in much the same way that physical objects can be ordered in the classroom. Numerical Relationships: Software programs can help children work with the concepts of “more than,” “less than,” and “the same as” and learn this necessary skill for understanding mathematics.

Sesame Street and Technology Readiness

 

 

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/what-we-do/joan-ganz-cooney-center.html

 

 

Asking how emerging media can help children learn—and finding answers.

Visit: Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Ahead of the game: accelerating education for a digital age.

In 1969, Joan Ganz Cooney and her colleagues launched Sesame Street, harnessing the power of television to educate underserved preschoolers. Forty years later, a new center was established in the same spirit of courageous experimentation. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop focuses on the challenges of educating children in the rapidly changing media landscape of the 21^st century.

This pioneering “think-and-do tank” is advancing the cause of digital learning on multiple fronts—from supporting research into emerging education technology to collaborating with tech companies and media producers to put this research into action. The Center is also informing the national debate on media and education, spurring new development and needed policy reforms. In its recent forum, "Learning From Hollywood,” the Center convened more than 200 thought leaders from research, government, education, and industry to help direct the next wave of technology-led learning.

The Cooney Center’s efforts hinge on a central question: How can digital media help children learn? To find answers, the Center is focused on improving foundational skills such as reading and writing, while investigating "new literacies" for a new century—areas like inter-cultural understanding, digital literacy, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning. By finding ways to foster these skills using the latest technology, the Cooney Center is preparing children to compete and cooperate in a hyper-connected world.

Why computers in preschool are important.

Introducing preschoolers to technology, more specifically, computers, is important because they have become such an integral part of our society, and continue to be so.  In preschool, we teach children letters and words to prepare them for reading, writing, and communicating, which they need for life as a student and a participant of society.  Likewise, teaching them computers prepares them for using computers as a student, and increasingly possible, later on in work.

First, let’s consider how vital computers are to our society; they are everywhere: banks, all kinds of offices, examining rooms at the doctor’s office, grocery stores, factories, department stores, churches, and the DMV...just to name a few.  Also, how many of us have computers at home?  The role of the computer in the last 30 years alone has changed drastically, especially with its entrance into our homes, changing the way we communicate, accomplish school work, how we spend our time, and more.  Many young people can’t imagine their lives without a computer, nor a telephone for that matter, which has become a lot like a mini-computer.  The point is, computers and technology has become (is becoming)  increasingly essential to the everyday functioning of our country, and for many of us, our personal lives.

Children must be prepared for this technological society.  I’m not proposing that we have infants and toddlers playing on the computer, as there are concerns about its effects on their eyes, and it seems their motor skills are not yet developed enough to use them appropriately (touch screens are perhaps a different matter).  What I do suggest, is that around ages 3-4, we introduce children to the computer in preschool for short periods of time, with guidance, and not just letting them click at random.  That is not to say that kids are not great at exploring technology and discovering how things work on their own, they are!  However, with direction, they can gain a better understanding of how to use a computer appropriately and further their developing skills.  

Preschool computer use has many developmental benefits.  The more obvious skills developed are fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination.  Also, many programs exist to teach children basic math and literacy skills.  Though many don’t typically think of the computer area as a social place, it is in preschool.  In fact, it is a great opportunity for children with strong computer skills to aid others, and strengthen their social skills and self-esteem in the process.

When used as a tool for purpose and with guidance, the computer (as well as other technologies) can provide many opportunities for developing children’s social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills (please see the Areas of Development, posted on our blog).  Furthermore, not only is it useful, but it is essential that children are prepared to use computers in school and in society, since they play such a fundamental role in our country and in our world.

Tips for Monitoring Computer Use by Young Children

Tips for Monitoring Computer Use by Young Children

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is an organization that sets standards of excellence for programs designed for children from birth through age 8. The organization bases these standards on current research in child development and on the professional opinions of early childhood educators.

NAEYC has issued the following specific recommendations regarding computer use by young children. In addition to helping your child have the best educational experience when working on a computer, these strategies also may decrease your young child's risk of fatigue-related eye strain, computer vision syndrome and computer ergonomics problems:

• Computers should supplement, not replace, educational activities such as art, books, music, outdoor exploration, dramatic play and socializing with other children.
• Parents should guide children's use of computers. Be on hand to help your child, answer questions and interact with him as he works on the computer.
• Take the time to observe your child at the computer and participate in computer activities with him. Observing children working at a computer can reveal a lot about the way they think and solve problems.
• Encourage your child to work with a sibling or friend at the computer whenever possible. Using computers with others encourages important social skills, such as turn-taking and cooperation, and helps build your child's ability to speak and listen.
• Learn more about software for young children, and carefully preview the software your child uses. While many high-quality products are available, some software is not appropriate for young children because it is difficult to use, highlights violent themes or does not foster language or learning.

What is the role of computers in the preschool classroom?

An educational PC for the Kids

An educational PC for the KidsOnce my kids were two and a half I introduced them to the computer. The first attempts were made to try the mouse and pictures were shown on the screen. It wasn't until I heard the Linux Link Tech Show guys interview the lead developer of gCompris that I saw that there's a lot of good educational stuff out there that can greatly benefit my children. The sooner a child grasps certain concepts a better base he or she has to understand more. It's a snowball effect you start the sooner the better.

I set up a PC specifically for the kids and spent some time introducing them to some basics. Bit by bit I added more applications and features. The results were pretty good with my oldest daughter. She got an exceptional score in her last year in kindergarten. She is a very bright kid, but I'm very much convinced the Kids PC has helped her with concepts like groups, numbers, shapes, colors, dexterity, language and abstract thinking.
There is one rule I live by and I want to pass on to my children: Try things that are above your level, it's the only way you will learn new things. I try to have my kids see learning as a positive thing by having them associate it with fun. At the same time I do the reverse by using “not showing a new thing on the computer” as a punishment.
    The games I show my children are at or slightly above their level. I don't mind if they can not complete a level or even play the game as it should at first. The first goal is that they try the new software, all the rest is irrelevant. Always keep your primary goal in mind!
    I fail to understand parents who teach their kids that learning takes effort and anything that takes an effort is not good. Those children are destined to become lazy, fat and dumb. Not a very good start in live, is it?
If you invest the time and energy to set up a computer with educational software and help your kids use it I'm sure they will benefit from it in one form or the other. Once you get them going you will benefit on the short run - the kids have something to do - and on the long run - they will become brighter people.

    What is educational software?

Any software that improves a person's mental level, logical reasoning, dexterity and cognitive perception is regarded by me as educational software. This can be as variable as puzzle games, an audio recorder, a web cam application, a technical challenge or a drawing program.
Applications that focus too much on competitiveness and quick responses, like race or first person shooters, do not fully fit in this category as they tend to be too repetitive and don't really stimulate mental challenges. Does this mean they should be banned totally? I don't think so. The main focus of an educational PC is to stimulate children into learning new things and to develop mentally. If this means a less educational application is used to keep the child interested, that application serves its purpose. It would be less favorable if the child looses all interest in the PC and doesn't get any advantage from it at all. It has to be fun!

    How do you use educational software?

So you want your child to learn a lot of things as early as possible to give it a good start in life. You decide to try educational software and set up a PC for this purpose. You show the child how to switch the PC on and let it have a go. You think this is it and let the child take advantage of all the good stuff - or so you think. After a week or so you will notice the computer is hardly ever touched any more and the child has lost all interest. All your efforts to set up the PC proves to be fruitless. What went wrong?
You can not and should not expect the kid to be interested in things it doesn't know yet. You can not expect the kid to go out and discover all applications and know how they function. Most children are eager to learn new things, but also loose interest fast if it's not fun. I have yet to find a child that didn't focus when I said “Watch carefully, I'm going to show you something fun”. Of course this has to be done in the right circumstances, not with a hyperactive child or a very stressful situation. A parent has to be engaged and not expect things to go by itself without investing any energy at all. Educational software only gets to its full potential when the child is educated on how to use it. You have to invest the time too!

    Operating system requirements

There are many operating systems available for a home computer. Microsoft Windows and Apple OSx are not the ones available. There is also GNU/Linux and OpenBSD at the forefront. These last two are totally free and open and can be downloaded from the internet. Not only because of the freedom, but also because of the security model they use will I focus on those two. There are hardly any viruses or malware present for these OSes. Next to that you have to look at the available software and this is where GNU/Linux truly shines.

Screen Children

As you see from the photo above, my kids are screen children. They know their way around an iPad. When Daddy takes his toy to work, however, they make do with a good old fashioned computer.

Jadzia's favourite games site is Sesame Street, which doesn't give up trying to get you to press a key, or pick an item from Big Bird's shelf, or choose another outfit for Grover, even hours after you've left the computer.

William enjoys many gaming sites, though he is quite partial to Armor Games, which has the most inappropriate bloody shoot 'em up zombie games. This lead to his famous line: "It is appropriate because I'm not scared."

Occasionally, they forgo the technology and we play an old fashioned board game together.  Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders are the crowd favourites, while Jadzia loves Hungry Hungry Hippo the best.  In the latter we never count the marbles to determine a winner, which makes me crazy.  Not that I care who wins, me or my three-year-old, but somehow when nobody wins it feels like an exercise in futility (I mean, more so than normal).  The other two games are better, until you realize that there is absolutely no skill or strategy involved.  Also, while both games last an average of fifteen minutes, either could theoretically continue forever if you choose to wrong card or land on a chute which brings you back to the beginning.  A game can last anywhere from two minutes to a hundred years.

Areas of Development

Preschool Technology Readiness

Social/Emotional Development:

• Demonstrate self-direction and independence
• Opportunities to work with other children
• Solve problems, jointly maneuver through programs
• Becoming computer “expert” provides valued leadership role in classroom

Physical Development:

• Work online motor skills using keyboard
• Put in CD-ROM in drive
• Coordinate the cursor with mouse
• Every action on the computer involves fine motor skills
• Development and eye-hand coordination

Cognitive Development:

• Intellectual development
• Bridge gap between concrete and abstract thinking
• Explore cause and effect, create patterns, solve problems, and discover solutions
• They do on screen what they have mastered through hands on learning
• Creativity flourishes as children create art, arrange objects in unique ways and experiment through graphics

Language Development:

• Identify and use computer terms, gain technical vocabulary
• Begin to identify the letters of the alphabet on the keyboard and in programs
• Using software they can read and highlight spoken text, they make connections between speech and print

Examples in chart on page 472-473
Keeping in mind the structure of the Creative Curriculum all facets of structure are also taking place.

Los Altos School Technology Rules

 

Kindergarten Technology Proficiency Skills

Student will:

K-1 Identify and use the enter key, arrow keys, space bar, delete key, backspace key, Caps Lock

K-2 Identify and use the numbers and letters keys
K-3 Use the mouse to click and drag
K-4 Open and close application programs
K-5 Type name
K-6 Save work
K-7 Show responsible use of equipment
K-8 Work independently and cooperatively using technology tools
K-9 Use ergonomically correct posture at the computer
K-10 Demonstrates acceptable behavior at the computer and in the lab
K-11 Understands developmentally appropriate Internet use with respect to safety, manners, advertising, research, and technology