This week I read Razfar and Yang's article Digital, Hybrid, and Multilingual Literacies in Early Childhood. In it they discuss research pertaining to changes in early childhood literacy due to information technology and increased diversity in many schools. The point that "No ten-year period in human history has seen such rapid growth and change in information technology, digital media, online gaming, and children's access to them" is, I think, a valid one. As teachers, we have no choice but to acknowledge the growing place technology has in our students' lives. This article focused on three aspects of modern early childhood literacy: electronic and digital media as mediational tools, hybrid languages as mediational tools, and the use of multiple languages, literacies, and discourses in school communities.
The authors discuss the principle of semiotic mediation that is, the way children learn about and interpret signs and symbols in order to make meaning. The authors explain that "though semiotic mediation, children participate, negotiate, and interact in cultural and social practices." It is important then, for teachers not to limit children to one kind of interaction or to devalue certain types of social practices unless they are harmful to the children. We may have students from varied backgrounds in our classrooms and it is not our place as teachers to place value judgement on the types of semiotic experiences students have. During early childhood, the important part is to let the children discover as much as possible for themselves. The authors cite Vygotsky's idea that "During early childhood, children and adults develop multiple literacy practices through participation in socially organized activities, such as play, oral storytelling, and painting. These activities are often fluid in terms of roles taken up by young children, and dynamic in terms of the cultural tools they use to achieve concrete ends."
Furthermore, this article provides several examples of children demonstrating awareness of how technology is used in everyday life through their play. One example is of a 2 or 3 year old boy who has been using CD-ROM storybooks and one day asks his father to 'click' on him. His father points at the child and makes a clicking noise at which point the child starts singing and dancing. He is demonstrating his understanding of the links and buttons in his computer storybook. When the reader wants an action to happen, they click on a character. Another example comes from Karen Wohlwend and involves kindergarten and first-grade children using classroom supplies and found objects as placeholders for items like cell phones and iPods in their play. The authors explain that "These examples demonstrate how the technology itself has become an object of activity during pretend play and an intimate part of children's lives. So, just as we must reserve judgement about cultural and social interactions during play, we must allow children to use technology or representations of technology in their play. Because technology is part of the average adult's everyday life in this country, we must allow children to develop their own understanding of how and why these things are used.
These play situations are forms of early childhood literacy. They are examples of children demonstrating how they understand social situations and the use of technology in their lives. For children who are not yet writing, play is their primary form of literacy. We can learn about what types of things are important to children by observing their play. For instance, many children will reference characters from pop culture. This shows us as teachers what our students are experiencing outside the classroom. It is important for teachers to not only accept the type of play our students want to partake in, but to encourage diverse play. This means presenting a variety of cultural and social situations and different kinds of technology. Allowing students to explore these elements during play will prepare them for interactions as adults.
Razfar, A., Yang, E. (2010). Digitial, Hybrid, and Multilingual Literacies in Early Childhood. Language Arts. Vol. 88 (No. 2). pp. 114-124. Retrieved from http://jstor.org/stable/41804239
The authors discuss the principle of semiotic mediation that is, the way children learn about and interpret signs and symbols in order to make meaning. The authors explain that "though semiotic mediation, children participate, negotiate, and interact in cultural and social practices." It is important then, for teachers not to limit children to one kind of interaction or to devalue certain types of social practices unless they are harmful to the children. We may have students from varied backgrounds in our classrooms and it is not our place as teachers to place value judgement on the types of semiotic experiences students have. During early childhood, the important part is to let the children discover as much as possible for themselves. The authors cite Vygotsky's idea that "During early childhood, children and adults develop multiple literacy practices through participation in socially organized activities, such as play, oral storytelling, and painting. These activities are often fluid in terms of roles taken up by young children, and dynamic in terms of the cultural tools they use to achieve concrete ends."
Furthermore, this article provides several examples of children demonstrating awareness of how technology is used in everyday life through their play. One example is of a 2 or 3 year old boy who has been using CD-ROM storybooks and one day asks his father to 'click' on him. His father points at the child and makes a clicking noise at which point the child starts singing and dancing. He is demonstrating his understanding of the links and buttons in his computer storybook. When the reader wants an action to happen, they click on a character. Another example comes from Karen Wohlwend and involves kindergarten and first-grade children using classroom supplies and found objects as placeholders for items like cell phones and iPods in their play. The authors explain that "These examples demonstrate how the technology itself has become an object of activity during pretend play and an intimate part of children's lives. So, just as we must reserve judgement about cultural and social interactions during play, we must allow children to use technology or representations of technology in their play. Because technology is part of the average adult's everyday life in this country, we must allow children to develop their own understanding of how and why these things are used.
These play situations are forms of early childhood literacy. They are examples of children demonstrating how they understand social situations and the use of technology in their lives. For children who are not yet writing, play is their primary form of literacy. We can learn about what types of things are important to children by observing their play. For instance, many children will reference characters from pop culture. This shows us as teachers what our students are experiencing outside the classroom. It is important for teachers to not only accept the type of play our students want to partake in, but to encourage diverse play. This means presenting a variety of cultural and social situations and different kinds of technology. Allowing students to explore these elements during play will prepare them for interactions as adults.
Razfar, A., Yang, E. (2010). Digitial, Hybrid, and Multilingual Literacies in Early Childhood. Language Arts. Vol. 88 (No. 2). pp. 114-124. Retrieved from http://jstor.org/stable/41804239
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