What Research Said ?

Based on researcher says, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is important because it give effect on the people and environment surround young children’s learning. It is a component of the physical and social worlds that occupied by young children’s learning. ICT is important part of the private and work lives of most people including those who support young children learning development that is parent, sibling, teacher and other. It is to guide young children’s future development and decision making in this area.

ICT offers new opportunities to strengthen many aspects of early childhood education practice (Downes & Fatouros, 1995). The opportunities are:

·         To support and enhance children’s learning and play experiences.

·         To support and strengthen the relationships and communication between early children centers, parents and other people that connected with young children.

·         To support and strengthen practitioners’ professional learning and development.

Besides, ICT support for the development and integration of ICT education policy, curriculum and practice across the whole education sector. ICT and “e-learning” have become important concept in primary, secondary and tertiary school. However, for ICT in early childhood education sector has lagged behind in most of the countries. But, this situation is beginning to change ( O’Hara, 2004; Sheriden & Pramling Samuelsson, 2003l; Stephen & Plowman, 2003)

Some technologies may not have adverse effects for children but by some token, it may not be well matched to children’s level of development, motor skills or previous experience. Researchers believe that young children had more success operating a computer by using a mouse than touch screen because children had more prior experience and using mouse physically easier for children to operate. (Romep, Edwards, McNamara, Walker & Ziguras, 2003).

References

• Downes, T., & Fatouros, C. (1995). Young children learning in their preschool and primary years: A framework for planning to incorporate IT. Australian Educational Computing, May, 4-9. Elkind, D. (1998). Computers for infants and young children. Child Care Information and Exchange, 9, 44-46.
• O'Hara, M. (2004). ICT in the early years. London: Continuum
• Sheridan, S., & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (2003). Learning through ICT in Swedish early childhood education from a pedagogical perspective of quality. Childhood Education, 79 (5), 276-277.
•  Stephen, C., & Plowman, L. (2003). ICT in pre-school settings: Benign addition or playroom revolution? Early Childhood Folio, 7, 33-38.
• Romeo, G., Edwards, S., McNamara, S., Walker, I., & Ziguras, C. (2003). Touching the screen: Issues related to the use of touchscreen technology in early childhood education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34 (3), 329-339.