Technology and Early Childhood Education Research Paper

Technology and Early Childhood Education - Research Paper Example Technology is used on all sorts of classroom scenarios including early childhood education. Some technologists and educations specialists, however, cite that use of technology in early childhood may be detrimental. This paper seeks to explore both the positive and negative attributes of use of technology in early childhood education. Technology forms the most vital element of life in the world today. Every aspect of our lives is dominated by technology and its importance in our lives is indispensable. One of the outstanding facts about technology use in schools is its controversial nature. There is no common agreement by stakeholders in technology and educations sectors about the use of technology in schools. There are two different factions, one supporting use of technology as a positive aspect, while the other faction disagrees, citing the detrimental effects of technology in students. However, the use of technology in classrooms catering for children continues to increase, as education develops more interesting ways of enhancing understanding in children. eLearning provides the future for classroom teaching. Debates have centered on the appropriateness of computers in development of children. According to Elkind (1998), computers are development appropriate for children above the age of three, and children within this age and above can successfully use computers. Haugland (1999) dispels the notion that computer use among children is developmentally inappropriate by citing that many factors that may affect children usage of computers are still the same with the factors that affect usage of computers even at old age. These factors involve the ‘tasks of manipulating a wide variety of tools in the process of learning about themselves and their environment’ (Haugland, 1999). Developmental psychologists have noted that the use of computers by children lie within the