Synopses & Reviews
"Digital Decisions will open your eyes and expand your awareness of how technology fits into a purposefully planned child-centered classroom."—Paula Jorde Bloom, Michael W. Louis Endowed Chair, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership
"Simon and Nemeth transform the debate between technology as good or bad, rather showing us how to use technology actively and interactively within good active and interactive early childhood programs."—Ellen Galinsky, author of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
When it comes to choosing and implementing the most appropriate technology tools for an early childhood classroom, many educators feel exhilarated or overwhelmed. Most feel both!
Digital Decisions offers expert guidance and simple strategies for early childhood educators, administrators, and directors looking to embrace and integrate technology in the classroom. This no-nonsense, jargon-free guide will help educators choose and implement the right technology tools based on the needs of the children, the context of the curriculum, and the resources available.
Fran Simon is a contributing author on technology and social media for early childhood journals and frequently presents on technology and social media at national conferences.
Karen N. Nemeth has been a teacher and a teacher educator for more than twenty-five years.
Review
"Fran and Karen have compiled a treasure trove of great advice and practical suggestions for integrating technology into an engaging and developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum. From video cameras and iPads to interactive white boards and smartpens, they share the pros and cons of different devices and applications. Even if you are already tech savvy, Digital Decisions will open your eyes and expand your awareness of how technology fits into a purposefully planned child-centered classroom." - Paula Jorde Bloom
Review
"For a long time I have been longing for a book for early childhood educators on digital technology. Now, heres the book I have been waiting fora treasure trove of practical information, soundly based on the best child development and educational research for young children. Simon and Nemeth anticipate and address your every question with how-to information. Most importantly, they transform the debate between technology as good or bad, rather showing us how to use technology actively and interactively within good active and interactive early childhood programs." - Ellen Galinsky, Author, Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
Review
"Digital Decisions opens up new ways of thinking about technology and young children by offering sound and concrete advice rooted in the everyday realities of early childhood classrooms. It is refreshing to see examples of technology use with young children that feature open-ended play and exploration. Don't miss the book's creative ideas for Skyping with remote family members to promote cross-cultural discussions, harnessing the power of mobile voice apps to foster language development and employing graphing software to help children understand math concepts." - Lisa Guernsey, Director, Early Education Initiative
Synopsis
Brimming with charts, resources, and clear judgments, this no-nonsense, jargon-free guide will help educators choose and implement the right technology tools-based on the needs of the children, the context of the curriculum, and the resources available.
Synopsis
A reference every early childhood teacher will want to have to correctly choose and effectively implement technology in the classroom.
Synopsis
Feel confident and competent when it comes to choosing and implementing the most appropriate technology tools for your early childhood classroom! Whether you are a technology enthusiast looking for new ideas and guidance about developmentally appropriate practices, or you are new to the idea of using technology with young children, this book is for you. Digital Decisions provides everything you need to make your own technology plan based on your experiences and beliefs, the needs of the children, the context of your curriculum and the resources available to you. This no-nonsense, jargon-free guide will help you evaluate the tools and opportunities technology has to offer and integrate them into your early childhood classroom so you can offer real-life, hands-on, interactive activities to children. A reference every childhood program will want to have, Digital Decisions is brimming with charts, resources, and an array of activities that maximize technology as an interactive learning tool. Each chapter provides supporting guidance to make technology most effective for those working with children who are dual language learners or may have special needs.
About the Author
Fran Simon is a professional early childhood educator, a passionate technologist, and the chief engagement officer of her own national marketing, educational technology, and publishing consulting company, Engagement Strategies, LLC. After 15 years as a multisite child care administrator and subsequent positions at Teaching Strategies, Inc., and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, Fran served as vice president of the Technology and Young Children Interest Forum at NAEYC. Fran is a contributing author on technology and social media for Child Care Information Exchange and is a frequent presenter on technology and social media at national conferences. She lives in metropolitan Washington, DC. Karen Nemeth is an education specialist with the New Jersey Department of Education Office of Preschool Education. She earned an MEd in learning, cognition, and development from Rutgers University. For more than 25 years, she has been a teacher, teacher educator, and frequent presenter at national, state, and local education conferences. She is on the executive board of NJ Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/NJ Bilingual Educators and is co-coordinator of the Early Childhood Special Interest Group.