An Early Childhood Professional Development Model for Technology Integration: Attending to Internal Barriers

Introduction

There are differing opinions among early childhood educators and scholars surrounding young children’s use of technology (Lindahl & Folkesson, 2012). Many are concerned about the effects of technology on young children’s development in multiple domains (Armstrong & Casement, 2000; Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Alliance for Childhood, 2012). However, others see technology as beneficial in supporting children’s learning and development (Cooper, 2005; Hsin, Li, & Tsai, 2014; Infante et al., 2010; Lim, 2012).

Although debates about children’s use of technology can be found throughout the extant literature, more current discussions about technology and young children have shifted from what Mertala (2019) calls a ‘friend’ or ‘foe’ debate to a ‘what’ and ‘how’ dialogue. What technologies are best for young children and how can early childhood educators utilize these technologies to support development? Rosen and Jaruszewicz (2009) refer to this concept as developmentally appropriate technology use (DATU) defined “as the use of digital tools and strategies in ways that capitalize on children’s natural desire to actively, collaboratively construct knowledge, respecting the unique challenges presented by children’s levels of development across all developmental domains” (p. 164). This new vision is reflected in the joint position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center (2012) on technology and media use in early childhood programs:

With growing interest in understanding what technologies are most beneficial for young children and how they are most effectively used in early childhood classrooms (see National Association for the Education of Young Children & The Fred Rogers Center, 2012; Donohue & Schomburg, 2017; Mertala, 2019), early childhood leaders need to place increased focus on the implementation of effective technology professional development for teachers.

In recent years, several organizations have released policy statements, guidelines, and reports related to technology integration in ECE classrooms (HighScope, 2015; United States Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services, 2016; The Fred Rogers Center and the Technology in Early Childhood Center at Erikson Institute, 2017). Reviewing these documents, as well as others, Donohue and Schomburg (2017) found agreement on several foundational elements for effective technology professional development, including the need, “to provide educators with the media literacy and technology skills to select, use, integrate, and evaluate technology tools for young children” (n.p.; see also NAEYC & FRC, 2012).

Ensuring that effective technology-focused professional development is available to early childhood educators can be challenging (Nikolopoulou & Gialamas, 2015; Parette, Quesenberry, & Blum, 2010). Even when such professional development is provided, early childhood educators can still struggle with the implementation of technology in their classroom (Parette, et al., 2013), much like their K-12 peers (Keengwe & Onchwari, 2009; Palak & Wall, 2009) and success can be heavily dependent upon elements of leadership support (see Fisher, 2013; Kincaid & Feldner, 2002; Schrum, Galizio, & Ledesma, 2011; Whitworth & Chiu, 2015). Overall, current studies of professional development suggest that, “across the board…professional development programs fail to prepare teachers to use technology in effective ways” (The United States Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, 2016, n.p.).