Learning Through Play #2
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The invention of the transistor in 1956
marks the beginning of the digital age. An innovation in micro-processing leads
to a single chip microprocessor in 1971.
Advancements in the mobile internet, enable touchscreen technologies to
eliminate reliance on the mouse and keyboard as input devices, and provides
ready access to technological devices at any time or place.
Rapid increases in the number of children using technologies lead to the
introduction of a new concept into early childhood education and care, known as
digital play.
Researchers consider the use of said technologies by young children as
"domesticated". A designation
that facilitates children's interactions with digital technologies in a way
that was not possible in previous generations prior to the digitization of
information via microprocessing.
Domestication defines play as a contested
concept and theoretical perspective that is frequently understood as open to
interpretation. This openness now
extends to a new body of work seeking to develop the concept of digital play.
Recent
decades have seen a push for children to learn academic skills at younger
ages. For example, kindergartens have
shifted towards more literacy and math content, direct instruction, and
assessment, over creative and child-led activities.
The average age of a child starting to use a touch-screen device is
about 11 months, so it's no surprise that many children master a digital device
before they can talk, tie their own shoes, or read. Parents now substitute books and general baby
toys for smartphones and laptops.
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Shua Photography
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