The Integration of ICT into Project-Based Approach to Enhance Early Literacy

Abstract

The report presents the main theoretical basis of the concept use of Information Society Technology (IST) at project-based approach to enhance early literacy. We have aimed at identifying some practical solutions to connect the digital tools and online instruments in the pedagogical interaction towards development of communicative competence in the pre-school groups. The aims of this study were: a) to compare the function and notion loading of the speech texts of the experimental and control groups before and after applying the didactic model based on the online Project-based learning; b) to examine whatever the online PBL suggested in the eTwinning educational portal stimulates child to create different types of texts in the frame of the communicative situation. The findings of the study show that at the percentage of texts, containing the main characteristics of a good quality text such as connectivity, organization, idiomatic, terminology-rich and meaningful connections, has significantly increased. This suggests that targeting to use online project-based approach pupils start to implement technology in meaningful ways

Keywords

• Online project-based approach, interactive learning, early literacy competence, e-learning

References

1. Aubrey, C. and Dahl, S. (2008). A review of the evidence on the use of ICT in the Early
2. Years Foundation Stage. BECTA. Retrieved May 2015 from: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1631/2/becta_2008_eyfsreview_report.pdf
3. Bolstad, R. (2004). The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education: A review of
4. New Zealand and international literature. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Burnett, C. (2010). Technology and literacy in early childhood educational settings: A review of research. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 10(3).
5. Campbell, A. & Scotellaro, G. (2009). Learning with technology for pre-service early childhood teachers, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(2).
6. Cordes, C., & Miller, E. (2000). Fool’s gold: A critical look at computers in childhood.
7. Retrieved June 2015 from: http://waste.informatik.hu- berlin.de/diplom/DieGelbeKurbel/pdf/foolsgold.pdf
8. Durrant, Cal; Green, Bill. (2000). Literacy and the new technologies in school education:

9. Meeting the l(IT)eracy challenge? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Vol. 23, No. Hatzigianni, M., and K. Margetts. (2012). 'I am very good at computers': young children's computer use and their computer self-esteem. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 20.
10. Janice H. Im, Carol A. Osborn, Sylvia Y. Sánchez, and Eva K. Thorp (2015). Cradling
11. Literacy: Building Teachers’ Skills to Nurture Early Language and Literacy From Birth to 5. Retrieved May 2015 from: http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/first_pass_FM.pdf
12. Lankshear, C., Knobel, M. (2010). Technology and literacy in early childhood educational settings: A review of research. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, September 2010, 10.
13. McKenney, S. & Voogt, J. (2010). Technology and young children: How 4-7 year olds perceive their own use of computers. Journal Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 26.
14. Marsh, J., Brook, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S. Wright, K. (2005). Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies. Sheffield,
15. University of Sheffield. Retrieved June 2015 from: http://www.digitalbeginnings.shef.ac.uk/DigitalBeginningsReport.pdf
16. Pahl, K. (2005). ‘Narrative spaces and multiple identities: Children’s textual explorations of console games in home settings’ In: J. Marsh (2005) (Ed.), Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood. 126-143. London: Routledge.
17. Parlakian, R. (2003) Before the ABCs: Promoting School Readiness in Infants and Toddlers.
18. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THRE. Plowman, L. and C. Stephen (2003) A ‘benign addition’? Research on ICT and pre-school children: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. Volume 19, Issue 2.
19. Plowman, L., & Stephen, C. (2005). Children, play, and computers in pre-school education.
20. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(2). Programme http://www.unesco.org/education/lwf/dl/edict.pdf the ICT usage in education. Retrieved June from: Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2006) A curriculum development guide to ICT in
21. Early Childhood Education, Nottingham: Trentham Books with Early Education. Teuwens, J. (2011). Het gebruik van internet door preschoolers [The use of the internet by preschoolers]. Unpublished Master's dissertation.
22. The Qingdao Declaration on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education. Retrieved June 2015 from:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/resources/in- focus-articles/qingdao-declaration/
23. Valova, Т. (2013). The online based projects in the training of Bulgarian language and literature at the primary school. ScientiŞc theoretical and methodological journal Pedagogy, Issue 5.
24. Van Scoter, J., D. Ellis, and J. Railsback (2001). Technology in Early Childhood Education: finding the balance. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon.
25. Vassiliou, А. High-level group issues 'wake-up call' for Member States to address literacy crisis. _en.htm?locale=FR. April from: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12- Yelland, N. J. (2005) Critical issues in early childhood. OUP, Buckingham, UK.