You, a parent of young children, may be tethered to your phone, iPad and laptop. But you cringe at the thought of touchscreens and apps slinking into your children's preschool classrooms. You worry about your 4-year-old turning into a device-obsessed zombie who barely notices the world around her. You might even suggest that screen technology should be banned from any setting designed for young children.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children doesn't agree with you. And with good reason.
Today, the NAEYC, the largest trade organization for early educators in the country, released a statement in conjunction with the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media about technology and young children (up through age 8). Though the groups discourage "passive screen technology" usage -- like TV and DVDs -- with children under two, they don't suggest a ban on screens for preschoolers or kindergartners as some child-advocacy groups have suggested. Nor do they say teachers should avoid using technology with young kids. Instead, the groups puts the onus on teachers to make smart decisions and use technology appropriately.
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