Scholars Magnet for Business and Law Senior, Queen Trapp, is conducting research on technology in the kindergarten classroom to determine if it is helpful or harmful. Kindergarten is where students develop their reading and writing skills; and Trapp wants to discover the most resourceful methods for these students to gain this knowledge. While enrolled in Teacher Cadet course, Trapp has an entirely new perspective about the elementary school and teachers. While planning her lesson, she incorporated SmartBoard activities that include notes, videos, animations, and student presentations.
The Department of Education states, “There is evidence across the state that students desire the use of technology and have the ability to adopt it successfully when properly instructed.” When students see the availability of this technology, they want to learn how to use it, which could benefit their learning in various ways. Another positive aspect of using technology would incorporate assistive technology. “With personal effort, support from others and appropriate tools (such as assistive technology), students with learning disabilities can be more successful in school, at home, and at work.” Children with disabilities are able to have the same opportunities as those without because of technology. This inclusion helps both teachers and students by exposing everyone to the perks of using technology to it’s fullest extent.
Though there are plenty of benefits to using the different types of technology in the classroom, “lack of standardization of classroom technology across and within districts makes it more challenging for entities to offer support services.” It becomes difficult to mentor the instructors from different schools when each has their own designated technology. During this research, Trapp hopes to answer the following questions:
- What if children used technology beginning in kindergarten?
- How much is technology used to help children read and write?
- Which is more efficient, paper to Ipad?
If you would like to learn more about Trapp's research, you can email her at techinedu17@gmail.com or click on the image to follow her research on Twitter.
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