Using new technology in kindergarten activities

a real necessity?
Oana Rou Stoican, Cornelia tefnescu, Valeriu tefnescu
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
E-mail:stefanescuvaleriu@gmail.com
Abstract
New technologies exercise a direct influence on the transmission of information as well as on
social skills formation in school. The existence of these technologies in the child's life, but
also in the educational environment has generated and still generates constant change, on the
one hand, in terms of life experience and, on the other hand, in pedagogical area, as a
resource, means, interactive teaching strategy.This study is an investigation into the place
and role of the computer in teaching activities is kindergarten. The population investigated,
consisting of pre-school teachers, members of the Association of Educators in Romania,
presented interest in terms of how they perceive and use into their own activity modern
means, considering that the sample had a heterogeneous structure. Thus the subjects were
positioned according to criteria such as: level of education, teaching experience, the level of
continuous training, area of origin, which enabled the collection of data relevant to the
subject. Assuming that the computer facilitates the work of the teacher, we found different
degrees of involvement of the various types of modern activities with preschoolers mandatory optional and complementary activities - which shows that the place and role of
new technologies are determined by a number of factors related to: teacher's competence and
creativity in sketching the design of activities, levels and training needs of preschoolers,
material resources and the allocated time.
Keywords: Instruction : new technologies, kindergarten, computer, activities with preschoolers.

1 The context of research

Technologies play an increasingly important role in our society, reaching daily use to determine
the relationship of the individual with the world. The Extraordinary Social spreading of
Informatics allows us to examine its implications in an important dimension of human activity:
education. The problem of using and integrating new technologies in education is an aspect that
has been concerning all actors of the educational area lately.
The preschool period is of great importance in the acquisition of knowledge and skills
necessary for the future student, kindergarten helping each child to become independent, to think
critically, to acquire a rich, organized and understandable spoken language. In kindergarten, ICT is
not a new disciplinary field and does not replace fundamentally practical activities but it represents
a means of production, communication, documentation, discovery, experimentation, simulation
and practice. Integrating new technologies in kindergarten is a challenge the teaching approach
aiming at the suitability of performant modern techniques to the age level of the child, to the
teaching-learning objectives of preschool education (Gioux 2009). Finding effective solutions
using new technologies as tools, through which to obtain first knowledge acquisition and skills
training specific to kindergarten, is an actual problem.
The new technologies that can be used in kindergartens can be classified as:
- the Internet and online services: forums, blogs, electronic dictionaries, search engines, videos
on youtube;

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- independent resources : USB sticks, podcasts;

- software : maps, 3D images, animated tutorials, simulations, games,
- projection or recording devices: computer / laptop, tablet, i-pad, i-phone, e-books, webcam,
projector, digital camera.
The added value and benefits of using these new technologies can be identified at several
levels:
- at childrens level:
facilitates learning by using other forms of presentation, mainly visual information;
increases the child's motivation and valorizes his work;
favors student's autonomy;
fosters constructive discussions between children after completion of activities;
causes the child to interactto engage actively;
develops his critical thinking;
contributes to the organization of information in the child's mind;
allows acquisition of experimental data.
- at teachers level:
contributes to a better dispensing teaching of time;
fosters the teaching feedback, due to immediate ackowledge of children's acquisition;
facilitates the exchange of information between teachers after activities;
contributes to a better rationalization of the work due to the development of technological
skills.
- at the preschool level and the teacher:
represents a modern way of evaluation and self-evaluation;
provides the possibility to access continuously various and up to date resources;
allows carrying out activities together;
gives the possibility to make enjoyable some boring scenes of the activity;
constantly allows updating resources;
promotes continuity between the activities developed in kindergarten and the work done
after completing the activities.
- at the level of the relationship between the teacher and children:
fosters interactivity within the group;
enables communication and sharing of information outside of activities carried out in
kindergarten (weekends, holidays);
provides individualization of teaching and learning.
In this study we assumed that the new technologies and their integration into kindergarten
activities involve reporting to a system of needs (Assude, Loisy 2008): epistemological (related to
subjects' nature), educational (related to organization of the classroom activities, to the relations
between teacher and children and to childrens autonomy) and didactical (about proper
organization of the child's educational process). Thus, we try to answer the question: do the new
technologies constitute effective teaching tools for teaching in kindergarten?
2. Objectives and research methodology
2.1 Study Objectives
So we took into consideration teacher's practical and professional experience, and the
characteristics of the new resources represented by the modern means that can be exploited in the
preschool.
In our undertaken research we have focused on the following objectives:

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- highlighting the usefulness of the computer in group work;

- highlighting the involvement of the various types of modern activities with preschoolers;
- highlighting how preschool teachers resort to modern means.
2.2 Research Methodology
In order to obtain information necessary for carrying out this study a questionnaire was developed
that was distributed to a group of 70 primary school teachers, members of the Association of
Educators in Romania. Out of the 70 questionnaires 63 have been validated, the errors are due
mainly to blank fields or incorrectly filled.
3. Structure of The Sample
The investigated population, consisting of 70 pre-school teachers, presented interest in terms of
how it perceives and uses for its own modern means, given that the sample had a heterogeneous
structure. Thus the subjects were positioned according to criteria such as level of education,
teaching experience, level of continuous training, background, which enabled the collection of
relevant data for the subject suggested. It is also mentioned that the investigated sample include
subjects from several counties.
3.1 Age distribution
Type In terms of age, the highest percentage is owned by the category of persons aged 30-40
years, the percentage is 40%. The other age groups - 19-30 years, 40-50 years, 50 years - have
almost equal shares, representing 19%, 19% and 22% of the sample.
The age variable is particularly
important
because the subjects belong
22%
19%
to different periods of initial training,
when modern means were more or less
19%
present. Thus, it is useful to note the
40%
influence of this variable in the choice
of the means in the preparation,
19-30 years
30-40 years
organization and conduct of the group,
40-50 years
50 years
trying to see if new technologies are
most frequently accessed by young
Figure 1. The age distribution of subjects
academics or are present at all ages.
3.2 Distribution by level of study
Among the 63 teachers interviewed, four are pedagogical high school graduates, four postsecondary school graduates and 55 university graduates. Among university graduates, of which 5
have Masters studies, 32 have graduated the specialization Pedagogy of Primary and Preschool
Education, which showed that the introduction in the
60
university curricula of the courses of Information
40
and Communication Technologies (ICT) and
Computer Assisted instruction (CAI) has created an
20
effective solution to form skills for using and also
0
for didactical integration of computers in education.
pedagogical

post-

high scool secondary

3.3 The institution which they work

a. The environment. Of the 63 teachers
interviewed, 42 are active in urban areas,
representing 67% of all respondents.

graduates

university

masters

graduates

studies

scool
graduates

teachers

Figure 2. Distribution by level of study

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The good material endowment available to kindergartens in urban areas, but also to a large part
of those in rural areas, constitutes a favorable opportunity to use new technologies in good
condition.
b. Type of kindergarten. The surveyed teachers originate relatively equally both from
kindergarten with regular schedule (34) and also from kindergartens with extended schedule (29).
This aspect is relevant for the present research as the time spent in kindergarten with regular
schedule is different in terms of quantity from the time spent in kindergartens with extended
program, offering more opportunities for exploiting new technologies, given a wider range of
activities possible.
c. The group type . The sample consists of 30 subjects that develop their activity in simple
groups and 33 teachers from combined groups. the remarkable homogeneity of the sample can be
also observed in this aspect. The combined groups activity is characterized by a certain specific,
involving a higher degree of difficulty both in organizing and in choosing teaching strategies.

33%
46%

48%
54%

67%

52%

kindergarten with regular schedule

urban areas

rural areas

kindergartens with extende schedule

simple groups

combined groups

Figure 3. The institution which they work

3.4 The existence of a personal computer and an internet connection.

62 of the 63 subjects interviewed have a personal computer connected to the Internet, an aspect
that gives them the chance to diversify the sources of information, the ability to use the computer
to prepare teaching materials, but also the opportunity to perfect their digital skills.
4. Data analysis and interpretation
Figures should when questioned over the types of teaching aids used in preschool, subjects
indicated that they use in their activity both traditional and modern resources. Due to technological
development and expansion of new technologies in education, modern means are gaining more
ground in classrooms, with the advantage of high degree of attractiveness exerted on children.
Item 2, shows which are the modern resources the most used in teaching. Thus, the most
options are moving towards computer, projector, CD player, DVD player, educational software,
online resources. The data analysis found that 56 of the subjects use the computer, 37 subjects use
the projector, 20 the CD player, 17 the DVD player, 50 educational software and 32 online
resources. From the information gathered we draw the conclusion that kindergartens equipment is
reflected in designating the computer as the primary modern means used in teaching. This modern
means is characterized by complexity because it offers many possibilities for exploitation. In
schools, Internet access for teaching still constitutes an issue generated either by the impossibility
of connecting in rural areas difficult to access, or by the lack of financial resources. This drawback
is prevented by the use of a considerable number of different kinds of educational software.
Item 3 investigates the purposes on the use of computers. It is found that 56 of respondents use
computer in educational activities, 49 of them use it in creating teaching materials needed, 56 for
individual study and 10 for other purposeslike: communication, recreation, socializing, shopping,
etc.. From the responses provided it appears that most teachers use new technologies for work,
these constituting a necessity in teachers' life.

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online resources
educational software
DVD player
CD player
proj ector
computer
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

new technologies

Figure 4. The modern resources the most used in teaching

other purpuseslike

individual study

creating teaching
materials needed

educational activities

10

20

30

use of computers

40

50

60

Figure 5. The purposes on the use of computers

Item 4 shows the frequency of computer usage in teaching preschoolers by the 56 subjects.
Most of the subjects (23) use the computer 2-3 times a week at various times of teaching, 14 of
them weekly, 12 daily, and 7 occasionally. These data lead to the conclusion that the computer is a
constant presence in establishing didactic strategies of preschool activities proving its utility.
Also by reporting these results to age indicator, we found a uniform distribution of the use of new
technologies in all four age groups discussed. This indicates the presence of technological skills at
any age, skills derived from necessity and usefulness of these tools in the field of preschool
education.

occasionally
daily
them w eekly
2-3 tim es a w eek
0

10

15

20

25

use of com puters

Figure 6. The frequency of computer usage in teaching preschoolers

The activity in kindergartens involves a specific progress consisting of freely chosen activities
(FCA), activities in experiential areas (AEA), personal development activities (PDA) and

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transitions. Computer using in AEA by 50 subjects demonstrates the importance of new

technologies in structuring teaching process. 40 teachers claimed that they use computer in freely
chosen activities, 26 in personal development activities and 24 in transitions. The need to use the
computer as a means of teaching is given by the multiple opportunities to use it, since in activities
with preschoolers, media tools should be characterized by concreteness, clarity, visual support.
Children's learning is facilitated by the use of new technologies, helping them to a better
understanding of the visual representation of knowledge and an easier assimilation.
Transitions
PDA
AEA
FCA
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

use of com puters

Figure 7. The use of computers in the activity in kindergartens

In carrying on activities in areas, new technologies are an alternative to traditional means,

some of them replacing them with success. The diversity of educational software allows better
interactivity developing children's skills needed in modern society. Through their interactivity,
modern means determine the child to want to engage in activities in kindergarten and outside it.
New technologies foster learning because the child becomes an active participant in his own
training using modern devices himself and also because he creates, designs and develops content.
5. Conclusions
The International Assuming that the computer facilitates the work of the teacher, we found
different degrees of involvement of the various types of modern means in activities carried out
with preschoolers - mandatory, optional and complementary activities - which shows that the place
and role of new technologies are determined by a number factors related to: teacher's competence
and creativity in designing the activity; the level and training needs of preschoolers;, material
resources and time allocated.
Quoting Umberto Eco, that "every time we invent a new technique to transmit knowledge, we
fear that it will kill the previous ones", we find that, in practice, new technologies cause some
reluctance into the educational environment. However, with the reference of human history, in
which new discoveries like printing, photography, cinema, have not canceled and replaced old
cultural values as religion, painting, theater, we can assert that, within the school, modern means
have their well established ranks, without eliminating traditional means.
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Baron G.L., & Bruillard E.(1996). L'informatique et ses usagers dans l'ducation, chap. 4. Paris: Presses
Universitaire de France.
Gioux A.M. (2009). L'cole maternelle une cole diffrente? Paris: Hachette.
Besnier .S. (2011).Usages et intgration des technologies l'cole maternelle. Universit europenne de
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