Journal 1: Technology Benefits and Challenges for Teachers

I have been working in the field of early childhood education for nearly eight years, and I have witnessed changes in classroom setup. Back in 2016, when I started my first job in kindergarten, there was only one laptop and loudspeaker in each class, and we used a mobile phone app to communicate with parents. Gradually, an interactive smartboard was introduced, then a screen-free coding robot and iPads. Apart from the mobile app, other social platforms are also used to communicate with parents, such as Zalo and Facebook. Everyone, including parents, teachers, and students, seems to be more comfortable with the presence of technology tools in the daily school routines.

As a teacher teaching very young learners, I can’t deny the benefits of using technology in early childhood classrooms. They include increased student engagement, better teacher differentiation, time saving, and more collaboration among teachers when it comes to sharing teaching resources. However, challenges coexist. For example, some students may not be comfortable with technology, and without careful selection, technology can be distracting. Furthermore, it may be expensive and unreliable as it requires devices and a stable internet connection.

With my current and future use of technology in the classroom, I expect that my students will have more chances to develop their critical thinking skills (through games, quizzes, projects). Additionally, I believe that technology can provide students with personalized learning experiences, allowing them to learn at their own pace and in their own way. For example, when playing an online color mixing game on tablets, students can play and replay as many times as they wish and choose to play individually or with friends. With the introduction of tablets, my students are given more tools to express themselves using pictures, sounds, videos, etc., which, I believe, will facilitate their creativity and imagination.

Just like everything else, technology can pose many potential challenges, such as too much screen time, an increased risk of addiction that may lead to social isolation or poor social and emotional skills. Acknowledging these challenges, I make sure that I always set clear rules and expectations, as well as balancing different kinds of activities to ensure the holistic development of my students.

When working with co-teachers who are not as advanced with using technology, I take it as an opportunity to share knowledge and grow together. The collaboration among us can also be strengthened. Nevertheless, working with people with low-tech skills can be frustrating sometimes, and it requires time to support them along the way ^_^ For students, things are easier, as you are expected to be patient, and that’s my job—to teach them. There’s no reason to get frustrated. Students are the reason for teachers’ existence.

It’s likely that you did or do or will meet/have to work with those who are hesitant to using technology. What I often do in such cases is that I will first try to understand their concerns (what makes them hesitant), then work it out and start small. I don’t forget to celebrate their improvement, no matter how small. This strategy works quite well for me. However, there are some difficult cases when there is nothing I can do to make them more open to technology. I just give them (either students or co-teachers) more time to observe or ask somebody else to help them out. In the end, I don’t think I have to be the ONLY one to solve problems coming my way ^_^