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Making Technology Work in the Classroom: DOE's Latest Tech Report
posted by: Alana | October 25, 2016, 07:55 PM   

This past week, the Department of Education's Office of Education Technology released a new policy brief that examines the best practices of implementing the use of technology into the classroom of young learners.

 

This report is the first ever joint policy brief conducted in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and was developed in consultation with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Despite differing opinions on the value new technologies bring to students, the consensus among many education professionals is that the key to the value in technology resides in the implementation of its use.

This policy brief aims to help parents and educators make wise decisions about media use for our nation's 36 million students so as to maximize that potential.
The primary elements in this report are the four guiding principles of using technology with young learners and a clear call to action. The four guiding principles are as follows:
1. Technology, when used properly, can be a tool for learning.
2. Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.
3. Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.
4. Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

Despite these guiding principles, the Departments realize that there is still much to be learned with regards to the use of technology in the classroom. Because technology has the potential to impact key skills such as play, self expression, and computational thinking among other such skills that impact success across all areas of adulthood, the Departments' Call to Action in this policy brief encourages researchers, developers, and administrators to continue to pursue important research questions in this area and to develop policies and products that ensure the best uses of technology in early learning that services the needs of families and early educators.


Would you add to, take away from, or otherwise alter these guiding principles?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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