This week I decided to create a part 1 and part 2 blog to start expressing the obervations I did over the break, and kind of put things into perspective for those whole will start to follow me along on this journey. I want the blogs to represent how my ind is working as I collect new information and why my ideas are the way they are, so I felt by starting with my observations this will give a great insight into why not only this topic is important to me, but also how surrounded by the topic I am at this present time in my life.

Last week I love how Dr. Zamora mentioned that my focus was mainly on the ways young children use technology outside of school, so I have decided that this will be my center focus, and to speak about how this may affect the way students interact with technology in school. I think that as parents we expose our kids to the fundamentals in life and once they start school you are kind of presenting a little person with the views and values you gave them, in a way. As they get more use to school and the training they are receiving they begin to encorporate this things to make them more of who they are. As parents we also learn from our children, so the techniques they learn in school pertaining to technology we try to keep up with them at home. For instance, when Victoria, my 4 year, started school she was using iPad more for play purposes and apps that I found appropriate. Once school was incorporated her teacher gave a lot of great sites to use. her favorite to use at school is ABC Mouse, so now during her screen time at home I make sure to keep this apart of it. It actually makes her more confident in school while using the website because she is now becoming use to the gameplay on the site. Something the teacher noticed as well.

My final blog this week to make 3 will talk about the use of technology to teach letters and numbers on a basic level. I am looking at the ways in which the educational apps I have observed the kids use are teaching them the alphabet and counting 1- 10, or through to 20 depending on age, and how the children do with retaining information in these ways They typically do it with music, song, dance, and it helps with the receptiveness. Children end up singing the alphabet song without truly understanding what each letter represents. As they get older and start school as a parent you begin to see the ways in which they use those songs to remember things they are taught. This basic tool, the alphabet, can now be taught to children through tech in a way they can understand, relate to, and truly enjoy. I feel this is nice to see that children are not only learning, but they are also enjoying that they are learning and want to do it more and more.

These 3 blogs this week are just the beginning of the overall path I am taking to putting together all the information I have found, and I how I plan to continue my research as we move forward through the semester.