EPSDtechintplan2004

I. Elementary Level Vision for Technology
Have you ever walked into a classroom where you immediately sensed that good things
are going on? It may have been a class discussion where children were interested and
participating in a group project or a game. Or maybe it was a particularly charismatic
teacher…doing something dramatic to capture the children’s imagination? Most likely it
was many factors that contributed to making the class exciting…There has to be a
synergy between the teacher, the students, and the resources. The Dynamic Classroom
Revisited (2001) Ihor Charischak
The early years are crucial for developing children’s language, their social skills, auditoryattention
span and skills in problem solving, and reading. Many of these concepts develop
through three-dimensional work, and technology should support early learning in
developmentally appropriate ways. Marjorie Kostelnick in her article, Developmentally
Appropriate Programs (DAP) (1993) suggests two types of learning that occur at the elementary
level:
Learning can be characterized as occurring in two directions, vertically and horizontally.
Vertical learning is traditional hierarchical learning, that is, piling new facts or skills on top
of previously learned ones to increase the number and complexity of facts and skills
attained. Horizontal learning, however, is conceptually based. In this framework,
experiences occur more or less simultaneously, and the role of the learner becomes that
of making connections among these experiences, which leads to an understanding of the
world through the development of increasingly elaborate concepts. Both vertical and
horizontal learning are essential to human understanding, but horizontal learning, also
known as “concept development,” tends to be neglected in traditional primary education.
In addition, an intellectual bridge should be built, so students may traverse and experience both:
Because children in the early years are establishing the conceptual base from which all
future learning will proceed, their need for a solid, broad foundation is great. The breadth
of the conceptual base children form, eventually influences their performance in school. A
balance in the curriculum, with both kinds of learning addressed and valued, is a
fundamental aspect of DAP. Such a balance results not in children learning LESS, but in
children learning BETTER.
Based on this vision, the needs of our elementary level learners that can be facilitated by
technology are:
• Learning in a more interactive manner by engaging children in exploring, thinking, inventing,
problem-solving, and experiencing the world differently.
• Shifting from teacher instruction to student construction through discovery, the creation of
learning cultures and learning partnerships.
Children are learning to reach out to a social and physical world. They are learning how
to look carefully and delight in their discoveries. They are often eager to find out how
things work in the natural world and ask many questions. They still look to adults to help
them answer their many questions. The Everyday Classroom Tools (ECT) curriculum
taps this natural curiosity and helps children seek patterns in their observations. The
focus on learning from one’s experience is a natural developmental fit for this age group,
in a sense, they haven’t forgotten what it means. The Keys to Inquiry (1998) Tina Grotzer
EPSD Technology Integration Plan
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