Factors influencing digital and technology - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about theFactors influencing digital and technology. Answer: Childhood development at their early ages has always remained a challenge to their parents and to the childcare educators (Britto et al., 2017). I being a childcare educator do better understand such challenge both for my professional career and for the development of a child. Parents are always keen on putting their child to a lifelong learning process. However, they are very less sure of the ways to follow. In that regard, they find childcare development centers as a good option for their children (Pegrum, Oakley Faulkner, 2013). The contemporary childhood educators are keen on using a different technological platform to nurture the development in little kids. It is beneficial from one perspective that kids nowadays are very acquainted with the different technological gadgets like Computer games, Laptops, Tablets, Smartphone, DVD, Television and much more (Cristia et al., 2017). They may learn things quickly, which is both times saving and pressure reducing from the educators. How ever, the other perspective is not much in favor of the use of technology to educate kids. It has been believed to influence various health related ailments in kids like attitude problems, obesity, negative social life, reduced academic performance, eyesight problems, irregular sleep patterns and a lot more (Strasburger et al., 2013). The study is aimed at discussing the impact of technology on kids and their early childhood development. Moreover, the study suggests a few possible ways out of the issue and steps to support my development as a professional childhood educator in the identified scenario. In the opinion of Blackwell, Lauricella Wartella (2014), historically, many educators have supported the potential of technology in nurturing a development in kids. The introduction of technologies have witnessed the change with the passage of time but had kept the same purpose fulfilling and that to support the childhood development in a more advanced and easy way. This is because of such facts the one of the first use of digital technology was in the form of educational television. It then gradually transformed into a large-scale use of federal E-Rate program. The advent of the internet has opened up some other ways like the iPads. However, the authors have identified that very few pieces of evidence are available on an appropriate use of technology in educational institutions (Nikolopoulou Gialamas, 2015). Educators in significant cases have been found to be a sceptic as they have limited themselves from the use of technological gadgets for their own few traditional beliefs. Suc h educators have kept them limited from the use of technology because of barriers like pre-existing beliefs on teaching, their attitudes and their comfort level with technologies (Nikolopoulou Gialamas, 2015). The authors have gone the other way and said that the impact of technology on students comes later, it is rather important to know how much educators are familiar with the different technological platform designed particularly for childhood development. The authors have not cited any established benefits of using technology to teach the kids. They have neither tried to identify any potential harm of integrating the classroom with the latest technologies. The authors in their way have supported a fact that there is very fewer evidence are available on the potential harms of using technology in early childcare centers (Blackwell, Lauricella Wartella, 2014). According to Price, Jewitt Crescenzi (2015), latest technologies like iPods can be a very potential addition to the childcare development centers. This may not replace the existing system of mark making activities. However, it can well complement the existing system for mark making. The authors have found the keyboard pattern of iPods less effective than the touch version of it. Students aged between 3-4 years who were investigated on mark making skills have been found as significantly connected with the use of the touch version of iPods. They comparatively performed better with the touch version and lacked in performance with the use of keyboard version of iPods. However, the touch version has only allowed them to use the index finger in large cases. Apart from that, it was also believed by the author that the technology is much more complex to students at their early ages. They may get to learn digital knowledge by swiping (Lee, 2015). As opined by Smahel, Wright Cernikova (2015), there are both positive and negative aspects of using technology in childhood development. The positive outcomes may be many but to list a very few it includes, quick learning to complex topics and childhood friendly ways as they are addicted to technological gadgets at both their homes childcare centers. However, the authors have identified possible negative impacts as well. The authors have believed that a very less attention has been given to the effect of technologies on the health of kids. They may develop various health-related issues like headaches, eye problems, stomachaches, poor eating habits and irregular sleep patterns. The authors have further identified that very few investigations have been made on the impact of technology on the health of kids (Smahel, Wright Cernikova, 2015). Investigations have indeed been made over an excessive use of technology. However, even a low and average exposure to technology may also bring the different kinds of health damages to kids (Smahel, Wright Cernikova, 2015). The authors have noted the different research works on the connectivity of using internet with the obesity. Few universities across the globe like the Hong Kong University have found that excessive use of the internet is related to obesity (Smahel, Wright Cernikova, 2015). This is because such students tend to skip their meal or they maintain an irregular diet as they are busy playing with the internet and the different technological gadgets. Additionally, they have also found with sleeping irregularities like going to bet late or sleeping during the daytime (Smahel, Wright Cernikova, 2015). The health-related harms may be categorized into two parts as suggested by the authors. The physical health and the mental health are the two identified parts. Eye problems are one of such issues that may even attract wearing of glasses. Such issue is probably for longer time spending on computers and the other technological gadgets (Rowan, 2014). Headaches are there because of too much spending on the internet and the other resource of technology. An irregular habit of eating gets developed because kids have less time to think of such habits; they are rather happy with what they are doing with technological stuff (Rowan, 2014). Mental health includes aggression, sleeping issues, and nightmares. Aggression gets developed into kids when they are not able to play games due to some technical issue. The aggression level can be much severe. They may even break the gadgets (Sarwar Soomro, 2013). Sleeping problems may be due to violent games, bad movies or they are busy doing internet till a larger part of the night. Nightmares are another issue that hampers their sleep. Such kids are not able to sleep alone (Sarwar Soomro, 2013). As opined by Burton Pearsall (2016), use of DVDs for the educational purpose may slow down the language development in kids. The authors have identified the connection of using technology in kids with the obesity, school difficulties, social and attention factors. More than eight hours of spending on computers per week can believably reduce the time spent on sports and other activities. Irregular participation in sports may cause heavyweight gains. Additionally, the authors have identified few guidelines for using technologies to the kids. They have identified that kids aged 0-2 years should not be explored to screen. Kids who are 3 and more years old should be put to the screen but for just one to two hours (Boydell et al., 2014). There are no such clear indications on what is the ideal age limit for kids to put them on the screen to prevent them from potential harms. Smartphone and Tablets have redefined the technology and the level of doubts on its harms on kids (Rosen et al., 2014). Technological advancements have brought kids closer to technological gadgets even if parents are up against such activities and are limiting their kids to interact with those devices. The kids have some other options as well in the form of various other devices like TV, iPods, Mp3s and video games. Such activities have put the social workers, parents and the childhood educators into al sort of questions, which are related to the physical wellbeing of kids (Eliasson et al., 2014). Even though kids use a much of their minds, which is actually a kind of exercise, but still they have been limited to the physical exercise. Some kids are found as prone towards physical inactivity (Eliasson et al., 2014). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 10.4% of kids and 19.6% of children aged 6-11 are obese (Keast et al., 2013). A high exposure to violent games through DVDs or through other technological gadgets causes kids to become aggressive. The result gets evident th rough their abnormal behavior in schools. They easily develop in themselves a tendency to fight with other kids for no such valid reasons. Even if reasons are valid, this is not advisable to have conflicts in childhood educational institutions. They are in their early ages. They should learn how to become social and not the vice-versa (Keast et al., 2013). An incremented exposure to technological gadgets may retard the development of social skills, which were not the case in the 1950s (Gentile, 2014). Kids at that time used to get a lot of time to play with the other kids. They because of which used to get much time to know each other. However, the contemporary kids are supposedly spending an approximate around seven and half hours on media-focused devices. They have a very less time to interact with the other kids to know them and to make them friends, which is required to be social (Gentile, 2014). They are not even able to identify whether they are the killing machine that they view on the video games and the TVs or they are just a lonely little kids (Gentile, 2014). The situation is challenging for a childhood educator who is very new to the profession and wants to build up a successful career as a childcare educator. They will not be able to separate kids from the technological gadgets as lots of amounts is being invested in implementing technology in childhood centers. The situation is similar to me as well for my career as an educator. Australia, in particular, is edging towards technology. The educational styles are on a rapid change with the inclusion of the different kinds of technologies. A childcare educator in such scenario will need to find some other ways to make its presence felt. There is a need to use some smart ways out of the identified challenges (James Prout, 2015). I being a childcare educator may find this challenging to cope with such kids in his or her childhood development centers. The rising awareness of the benefits of technology to some extent has attracted the modernization of such centers. I am needed to nurture the development of kids in such environment only (Follari, 2015). I also need to follow their understanding of technology and put the experience to get the results. Educators who have just started their career as professional educators, they need to learn on how to cope with the identified challenges. This will not only help them groom their professional career, but this will also help the kids to have a better platform for growth (Follari, 2015). Being a childcare educator I am required to resolve the issue with the help of different solutions like encouraging an ethical practice while using the internet. An ethical practice will help to reduce the time spent of kids on the internet and the other technological devices. There is a need to limit a time frame for the use of technology and the other technological gadgets in both the child development centers and at the homes (Follari, 2015). In that regard, I will require the support of school admin and also the parents of kids. School admin should support educators to implement an ethical practice of using technology. Moreover, a certain time frame will be set to the children. They should be put to technological gadgets accordingly (Follari, 2015). This may help the educators to reduce the time spent of kids on technology. Additionally, kids should be encouraged to play physical games with other kids. This will help kids become social (Follari, 2015). The implementation that has been suggested cannot be introduced if I do not take a step and speak for reframing the curriculum. The curriculum will be needed to revise in order to facilitate the implementation of ethical policies for using technology in educational centers. The curriculum change is a long process and needs to have approval from the governing body. It looks a much effective way to counter back the high use of technology; however, it does not look feasible either (Follari, 2015). This is because of the incremented concerns of the global institutions, in particular, the Australian institutions. The Australian government has shown its concerns for the technological upgrade at all the levels of education (Lynch Redpath, 2014). Despite the challenge, I am needed to keep on requesting the implementation of the thought ethical policies. This looks problematic as limited investigations have so far been done on harms of using technological gadgets in the child even for a low span of time. In addition to taking attempts to ask for a change in study curriculum, there is also the need to have similar voices on the identified solution. I may have differing thoughts on the identified solutions. There are possibilities as some educators are in favor of positive impacts of using technology in early schools. They find this engaging and worth benefitting for kids. According to such educators, technology is a very good resource to teach the kids. Moreover, they find technology as a supportive tool for themselves that help in reducing their work pressures (Follari, 2015). This is indeed good for them as kids are able to learn the different topics in quick time and at the same time, they are able to get rid of work pressure. It is indeed difficult to have the majority of favors in support of restricting the use of technology in kids (Follari, 2015). Workforce issue is another challenge that compels childhood institutions to go with the use of technology. Such institutions have no better option than to facilitate the growth of technology. The various technological gadgets effectively fill the gaps created by the shortage of educators. Such gadgets may effectively teach kids and that to in a very less amount of time. Such institutions may also not think of implementing the ethical policies suggested to restrict the usage of technology in early schools (Follari, 2015). Interaction with parents may work well in reducing the usage of technological gadgets at homes. Kids get enough time to spend on technological gadgets both being at homes and the childhood centers. If parents can cooperate with me, we both can actually prepare a much better platform for kids (James Prout, 2015). Sometimes, parents are not aware of the harms of technologies or they may even be found as ignorant because of their love for their kids. Such situations will not be helpful in limiting the usage of internet (James Prout, 2015). On contrary to this, parents should support such educators who have their views to prevent kids from the health-related losses because of high usage of technology. Their supports will encourage educators to provide the necessary tips to limit the usage of technological gadgets in kids (James Prout, 2015). Professional development activities can also be helpful in implementing the ethical policies for limiting the use of technological gadgets in early schools. Educators who are less aware of the harms of using technologies, they may get to know it from the professional development program. They will get to know the severity of using technologies both at homes and the early schools (James Prout, 2015). The initiatives that have been discussed so far like interacting with parents, professional development program and revising the curriculum program are needed for educators to become both personally and professionally fit for the early childhood centers. They needed to have the skills to have a sustained career as a childhood educator. This may provide a widened support to the kids at the educational centers, which will encourage them to limit the usage of technological gadgets (James Prout, 2015). In addition to this, there is also a need to develop an environment where kids will get ample of time to be with other kids. The extensive use of technological gadgets both at the homes and at the educational centers have kept kids away from being social. They have probably a very less or no time to play with other kids. A physical play like playing a sport is a beneficial exercise for kids. They due to such habits get the chances to groom themselves as social (Follari, 2015). To conclude, educators need to have professional skills to become an educator in early schools. However, this only is not sufficient to have a successful career in childhood development institutions. Educators will face substantial pressure in such centers. They may or may not be able to put the kids away from technological gadgets available at such centers. An excessive exposure to technologies may put kids on threats to certain identified health ailments like poor eyesight, irregular eating habits, sleeping irregularities, obesity and aggressive nature. Educators may have the challenge to adhere to the policies of the administration. On the other hand, they might also find technology as a threat to kids. Educators under such circumstances will be in all sorts of doubts on what to use as the best possible way that will limit the usage of gadgets and provide a much better learning platform for kids. I am being an educator will look for limiting the usage of gadgets by putting forward an ethical practice of technology. I am expected to find challenges at the institutions and also from the external bodies like the governing body of childhood centers in Australia. 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