Hello All,

My name is Ashley P and I am a kindergarten in the North Vancouver School District. I have experience teaching grades 1 and 2 but this year I am tackling the world of kindergarten. I have also moved schools this year and am now teaching at an International Baccalaureate World School. With these two new professional paths to explore I am quickly realizing how important inquiry is within my practice. It is with this context in mind that I wish to pursue my own inquiry into using technology to foster inquiry within the early years. I recently took a course at UBC in which my learning curation was also focused around inquiry-based learning in the early years so I would like to expand on my newfound knowledge while diving deeper into this topic.

Historically, within my classroom technology has been used as a tool to support as opposed to an integral part of the curriculum. For example, the SmartBoard at the front of my room typically serves as a glorified projector, with all other educational capabilities ignored. Similarly, iPads have been used as tools to take photos and support reading through websites such as RazKids. I did experiment with Seesaw last year, which is a tool to allow students to document their own learning. However, my students and I only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of Seesaw’s capabilities. This limited use of technology is partly due to the fact that I see many barriers when using technology with young children. These barriers include lack of funding, technological malfunctions, privacy/safety issues, parental concerns about screen time, as well as my own concerns around screen time. Additionally, challenges arise around children’s reading capabilities, site navigation skills, and digital literacy levels.

Despite the aforementioned challenges, there is no denying the excitement and eagerness to learn when the SmartBoard turns on or iPad cart comes out. It is reminiscent of my own elementary school days when I could hear the squeaking of the wheels of TV cart coming down the hallway. Technology is quickly advancing as are the expected competencies and literacies of the 21st-century learner. While I have my reservations I believe we are doing our students a disservice if we do not support and develop their technological interests and skills. It is widely accepted that children learn through play–a notion mirrored through the Redesigned BC Curriculum as well as the IB Primary Years Programme–but how does this transfer to the use of technology? Is it acceptable for students to play internet games at school? Does the play need to be structured around educational websites and apps? Is the educational value in the content or the digital literacy that students are learning via technological use? The more I consider this topic, the more questions I have. It is my hope that some of these queries will be answered throughout this course.

In closing, I would like to outline my overarching learning goals:

  • Overcome parental and personal barriers when it comes to technology use in the early years.
  • Discover ways to incorporate the SmartBoard and school iPads in my practice in authentic ways.
  • Facilitate inquiry-based learning through technology within a Kindergarten, IB context.
  • Effectively use Managebac (an IB reporting tool) to bridge the gap between home and school.

I will be posting weekly to document my learning journey. Thanks for your time and stay tuned for future posts!

Bye for now!

Miss P.