Technology - A Friend or Fiend?

Technology - A Friend or Fiend?

The use of technology for educational purposes has become a prominent conversation amongst Early Childhood settings this year as learning has gone on line for many services within the eastern states due to COVID-19.  With this has come an apparent need to investigate how services can support families in keeping their children safe within this digital platform we call the internet.  

Technology means we are members of a global village which offers many opportunities for connection that might not be possible in person and to access information that in the past we would have trawled through books in a Library to retrieve.  However, this village of interconnected pathways of information, entertainment and communication is not always and is often not a safe place for young children to be in alone in.  

The Early Years Framework that guides our interactions and learning opportunities has many links to technology and how to be a safe global citizen of it.  

Outcome 1 speaks into the identity of a child and the rights that they have to feel safe, secure and supported, to be provided with care, empathy and respect in an environment that develops their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence and resilience.

Outcome 2 refers to children developing a sense of belonging to groups and communities with an understanding of the reciprocal rights of others in a way that is fair and shows respect.

Outcome 3 presents to us the importance of social and emotional well being which is the foundation for a child's ability to be integrated successfully into the community.

Outcome 4 explores how children learn and the dispositions and processes that children have with processing knowledge and information.

Outcome 5 speaks directly into the multiple platforms of media that offer children the tools to become effective communicators.

We would like to invite all of our families to join us as we explore what it means to build knowledge about how to be safe and active digital citizens when using digital technology in our daily lives.

As our children play and engage with each other we see an outworking of their engagement with technology influencing and guiding their play.  Sometimes this is for good and other times are areas that need redirection.

"If we begin early and frame our discussions around love, empathy, kindness, compassion, body safety and self-care within the context of relationships, we arm children with a much broader life skill set."  

(Collett Smart, p. 7 from, "They'll Be Okay?"

In your child's communication pocket today you will find a booklet from the eSafety Commissioner regarding online safety for children under 5 years of age.  As parents, I would encourage you to have a read of this booklet and begin to browse the resource links below.

It is our hope that you will partner with us this term as we tap into these resources and begin to explore the Child Protection Curriculum for both teams.  I will be posting weekly considerations and activities for our families to engage with as we explore more of this topic together.  A great starting point is to do an audit of how much time you as a family are spending in front of screens.

Thank you for joining with us as we explore with our children what it means to be a safe and active digital citizen.

All the best, 

Jacqui

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/children-under-5

https://playingitsafe.org.au/