Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary

Classroom
Annotated Bibliography & Literature Review
Chenoa Dirks
ETEC 532 Section 65A

Dr. Alex de Cosson

University of British Columbia

Tuesday March 19th, 2013

1

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

Annotated Bibliography
Blum, C., Boeckmann, N., Hourcade, J., & Parette, H. (2010, March 6). Handy Manny and the
Emergent Literacy Technology Toolkit. Early Childood Education Journal , 483-491.
The authors of this article believe that every early childhood centre should be equipped
with a technology toolkit containing basic hardware and software components which support
developmentally appropriate learning activities. The article lists and describes specific
components of the toolkit and how each can be used in the early childhood environment. The
evidence in this article supports the use of technology in the classroom and recognizes the
necessity for educators to implement it appropriately to meet the needs of all learners.

Blum, C., Parette, H., & Quesenberry, A. (2010). Missing the Boat with Technology Usage in
Early Childhood Settings: A 21st Century View of Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Early
Childhood Education Journal , 37, 335-343.
This article uses several vignetts to showcase examples of how young children are using
technology at home and to justify that similar technology should be integrated into educational
settings. The authors suggest that todays evolving technology demands a need for new skills as a
requirement for success in our growing global community. In this case, the authors strongly
advocate for developmentally appropriate use of technology in the classroom. The article
includes charted information regarding effective uses for technology in the areas of emergent
literacy, social skills, and problem solving. Some challenges discussed in the article include
security issues, fear of predetors, negative teacher attitudes toward technology, and limited
research regarding technology applications and effectiveness. This article shows evidence that
technology can be integrated into the early learning classroom as a developmentally appropriate
tool for learning.

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

Ching, C., Kedem, Y., Shih, M., & Wang, C. (2006). Digital Photography and Journals in a
KindergartenFirst-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early
Childhood Education. Early Education and Development , 17 (3), 347-371.
This article explores the potential for using a digital camera to create journals in the
primary classroom. During their one-classroom study over a one year period, the authors
describe the process of the students creation of their digital journals in detail. The study
concludes that, by providing a child-centered approach toward technology such as this, students
have the opportunity to express and represent their own perspectives about their environment.
This type of activity provides evidence that the work of young children is valued by adults, in
turn validating the childs learning experience.

Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2009). Technology and Early Childhood Education: A
Technology Integration Professional Development Model for Practicing Teachers. Early
Childhood Education Journal , 37, 209-218.
This article focuses on how appropriate use of technology in the early childhood
classroom can benefit learning when learning takes priority over the technology in itself. The
authors performed a study at a summer institute with the goals of integrating technology into the
teaching environment and helping teachers to become more confident with its use and
applications. Conclusions suggest that teachers need to feel comfortable learning alongside their
students, and confident in their roles as models for student learning. Technology as a tool for
learning and incorporated into the curriculum as such, can also provide a powerful opportunity
for meaningful assessment.

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

Mowbray, L., & Preston, C. (2008). Use of SMART Boards for Teaching, Learning and
Assessment in Kindergarten Science. Teaching Science , 54 (2), 50-53.
This article discusses the challenges of eliciting prior understanding and knowledge from
young children whose literacy skills are still developing. The authors describe how a Smart
board can be used in the classroom to support differentiated learning, and benefit student
motivation, participation, and discussion, while also providing opportunities for formative and
summative assessment. Common limitations for Smart board use in classrooms with young
children are cost, classroom set-up, and overall quality of the planned lessons.

Phillips, V., & Popovi'c, Z. (2012). More Than Child's Play: Games Have Potential Learning and
Assessment Tools. Kappanmagazine , 94 (2), 26-30.
This article looks into the benefits of game-based assessment and how this can help
teachers meet the needs of the differentiated learners in their classrooms. The authors describe
how games can be used to meet learning goals, motivate students, and teach skills that can be
transferred outside the classroom. It is suggested that many games provide dash-board style tools
which can be used for assessment and viewing student progress. Some of the challenges posed
are the availability of resources to implement technological games and that more research needs
to be done on how games affect learning.

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

Literature Review
In our growing global community, 21st Century learning skills are quickly becoming a necessity
and an expectation in education at all levels. Most classrooms have at least some level of accessible
technology available to both students and teachers, but most often this technology is under-used or missused in the primary classroom. The following review of literature reflects research, studies, and
instruction regarding appropriate uses of technology in the primary classroom. This review will focus on
the need for appropriate use and integration of technology in the primary classroom with implications for
its use as a tool for validating, documenting, and assessing student learning in the primary classroom.
Children in the early primary years frequently use technology outside of school in play
experiences such as electronic toys, educational games, and entertainment media such as mp3 players,
and social game sites (Blum, Parette, & Quesenberry, 2010), and often see their parents using computers
and other technologies. As technology is accepted as a daily part of a childs culture outside of school,
young students need to learn the appropriate technology skills necessary to become successful members
of their culture. 21st century learning skills are designed to prepare students for our growing global
community and need to be implemented in the classroom where students spend many of their daytime
learning hours. Blume, Parette, and Quesenberry, state that many classrooms are still lacking in
utilization of developmentally appropriate technology methods (2010) , suggesting that teachers need
curricular and instructional competence with technology in order to model and integrate appropriate
applications for technology (Blum, Parette, & Quesenberry, 2010), with their young students. These
authors have also recommended that effective uses for technology can benefit young students in the

areas of emergent literacy, social skills, and problem solving.

In their article, Technology and Early Childhood Education: A Technology Integration
Professional Development Model for Practicing Teachers(2009), authors Keengwe and
Onchwari focus on the necessity of preparing teachers to integrate appropriate technology into

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

their classrooms of young students. Their research shows that teachers often feel that their
technological skills are inadequte for successfully implementing most technology applications
with their young students (p. 215). In effect, successful technology integration requires a handson instuctional approach for teachers to build their confidence in how the technology is best
applied and used for classroom learning. While school districts supply schools with technology,
it is also imperative that they provide appropriate technology leadership, partnership, and
professional development to support teachers in their technology teaching endevors.
Blum, Boeckmann, Hourcade, and Parette, in their article Handy Manny and the
Emergent Literacy Technology Toolkit (Blum, Boeckmann, Hourcade, & Parette, 2010), focus
on the concept of having a prescribed technology toolkit for the young learners classroom. By
recomending a small variety of specific hardware and software for the classroom toolkit,
teachers have the benefit of becoming proficient and confident with a select collection of tools
without being overwhelmed by the extensive list of tools and resources available on the open
market. Using this type of framework, schools can focus training in specific areas with the
expectation that teachers will develop a level of proficiency in their applications that they can
model for their students.
The following three articles focus on specific technology applications for use in the
classroom. They have educational and learning benefits for the student, and productivity benefits
for the teacher. The article by Ching, Kedem, Shih, and Wang, Digital Photography and
Journals in a KindergartenFirst-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration
in Early Childhood Education(2006), discusses their study of using a digital camera with iPhoto
software in a Kindergarten/grade 1 classroom over one school year for creating journals. Their
belief that too often technology is limited to computers (2006, p. 348), led them to explore the

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

effects of providing portable technology to a classroom of young students for the purpose of
creating an ongoing project. The conclusions of the study ranged from how the students used the
camera, to how the students responded socially when using the camera, to the literacy outcomes
which each of the students produced in their final project. Results of the study ultimately show
that the integration of technology through meaningful learning activities supports student
empowerment and reflection (Ching, Kedem, Shih, & Wang, 2006).
Mowbray and Preston, in their article, Use of SMART Boards for Teaching, Learning
and Assessment in Kindergarten Science (2008), discuss the benefits of using a Smart board for
eliciting prior understanding and knowledge from young children whose literacy skills are still
developing. Smart boads allow for students to actively participate in planned learning activities
often guided by the teacher. Many predisigned interactive activities can provide students with
opportunities to express their understanding all while the Smart board is recording formative and
summative assessment outcomes. The authors note that Smart board itself does not enhance
teaching and learning, it is the way that it is used (Mowbray & Preston, 2008), suggesting that
teachers must take the responsibility for planning appropriate and meaningful learning
experiences for their students in order for learning outcomes to be met. Some implications are
that most of the research done with Smart boards has been done with older students, but even so,
the benefits of implementing its use appropriately in any classroom can only improve overall
outcomes.
This last article, More Than Child's Play: Games Have Potential Learning and
Assessment Tools(2012), by Phillips and Popovi'c, looks into the benefits of game-based
assessment and how this can help teachers meet the needs of the differentiated learners in their
classrooms. Some of the benefits which the authors focus on include dashboard style progress

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

charts, personalized learning, and student motivation. The dashboard allows for real-time
feedback (Phillips & Popovi'c, 2012), allowing teachers to differentiate instruction without
having to spend a lot of time reviewing student data, which of course is quite appealing for
already over-tasked classroom teachers. Along with all of the benefits for game-based learning,
the authors do stress that there are still challenges to overcome. These challenges include: the
availability of adequate technology, matching game designers with assessment experts, further
research on how games affect learning, and more teacher training with the proposed technology.
It is fair to say that game-based learning has a place in education, but further research needs to be
done to determine what that place looks like.
In conclusion, this collection of literature supports the necessity of integrating appropriate
technology into the primary classroom so that young students can prepare for the growing global
community in which they live. The various authors also share the common belief that integrated
classroom technology needs to afford meaningful learning activities that are appropriate to the
developmental abilities of the students. The literature also makes connections between
recommended technology, prescribed uses and implementation for the technology, and the
learning outcomes that can be expected. This selection of literature, along with supporting
documents, will support the use of technology as a tool for validating, documenting, and assessing
student learning in the primary classroom.

Using Technology to Document Student Learning in the Primary Classroom

Bibliography
Blum, C., Boeckmann, N., Hourcade, J., & Parette, H. (2010, March 6). Handy Manny and the
Emergent Literacy Technology Toolkit. Early Childood Education Journal , 483-491.
Blum, C., Parette, H., & Quesenberry, A. (2010). Missing the Boat with Technology Usage in
Early Childhood Settings: A 21st Century View of Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Early
Childhood Education Journal , 37, 335-343.
Ching, C., Kedem, Y., Shih, M., & Wang, C. (2006). Digital Photography and Journals in a
KindergartenFirst-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early
Childhood Education. Early Education and Development , 17 (3), 347-371.
Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2009). Technology and Early Childhood Education: A
Technology Integration Professional Development Model for Practicing Teachers. Early
Childhood Education Journal , 37, 209-218.
Mowbray, L., & Preston, C. (2008). Use of SMART Boards for Teaching, Learning and
Assessment in Kindergarten Science. Teaching Science , 54 (2), 50-53.
Phillips, V., & Popovi'c, Z. (2012). More Than Child's Play: Games Have Potential Learning and
Assessment Tools. Kappanmagazine , 94 (2), 26-30.