"Technology has its place but it will not serve to cultivate success."
I will cite what I have experienced certainly not scientific but something I am willing to continue researching.
One of our two earlier pilots, I video recorded one set of three-year-old children using the alphabet app with animals. As one child recited each letter and attempted to pronounce animals such as rhinoceros and orangutan, which was quite a feat to be sure, he uttered "I did it" on every attempt. I praised him for his efforts and accomplishments. He went through the whole alphabet and animal pronunciations with pride and perseverance.
In another school, the lead teacher gathered a group together to work on a math app, which was her favorite, the children were fully immersed and engaged. She used the technology for her after school children as a group activity.
She had a child, which she described ADHD, he was five, who rarely participated in any group activity. Two of the children were playing the math app, to her surprise the child joined in and was actively participating once the children showed him how the activities were played.
The teachers comment, she jokingly said, "where can I get one of these tablets, I didn't have to yell at that boy for 15 minutes. I have to constantly watch him". I am going to tell his mother about your tablet."
Obviously, ADHD is a very serious and concerning condition among parents and the health and education community. That said, the integration of technology in this case served as an instance, whereas, a self-guided tool can cultivate some foundational triggers that otherwise would not be stimulated. I would consider that a small success.
Of course, we don't know what these triggers are or why the child was attracted and engaged. What we do know is that his behavior changed, albeit, for a short period of time that was out of the ordinary.
Many years ago, before Facebook, Twitter and Google, an Atlanta neighborhood organization set up a computer purchase program for low income families. We gave them our Pop Math software application, so they would have something on it for any young children in the household since the program focused on adult computer literacy in the black community.
The organization got CNN to do a story about the program. They filmed the setup of the computer in the home and came back a few weeks later for the follow up story.
Although, the story was about access to technology in the African American community the surprise was, they had a little girl struggling with math in school. She was in the 2nd grade and was using our Pop Math software on the computer. Her teacher sent a letter home stating the child's grade went up two grade points in three weeks and wanted to know what they were doing with her.
"what is really needed for success is creating an environment where children can make choices about what they "do" in the classroom. You can start this by listening to what the boys are saying and structuring activities that reflect their interests along with what you know will make a difference in their school success,"
In an era of structured educational settings, Early Learning Development Standards and Common Core can we count on our educational ecosystem to listen to what boys are saying and structure activities to reflect their interest?
A child entering early learning centers today will be exiting in a global economy by college graduation that has self-driving cars, drones that deliver to your doorstep, cryptocurrency that has made the physical dollar obsolete, livable communities on Mars and medical breakthroughs with life expectancy of over 150 years.
These are the articles and discoveries we read daily, just a small subset of innovations being created in our new world economy.
According to labor statistic, half the jobs and labor force of 2018 will not exist or be transformed by 2028. When today's early learners are tomorrows leaders, inventors and orchestrates the next level of world advancement how should we be preparing them?
20 years ago, my first son was on the computer at 3 years old. Today he's writing a screen play making his way into acting and directing. My youngest son who was six months old at the time just tapped on the keys to see what happened. Today, he's studying to be a commercial pilot.
Do I believe technology cultivates success? Absolutely unequivocally without a doubt. I also believe Dupo, Lego's, Lincoln logs and natural play was an equally significant part of their development. In as much, everything we expose our children to must be monitored and proportioned with appropriate measures. Children need diversity in learning, we all gravitate to what we love and that is where we excel.
Technology offers far greater options then we can imagine in early learning. The use of algorithms can be used to create individualized learning systems by tracking and adjusting curriculum based on the child inputs. Early detection of developmental concerns can mean the difference between failure and success in future academic pathways.
It's not a fight for a reduction in screen time or more physical play time. It's right learning, whereas the physical world integrates with the digital world. We give our children eye and hearing test for sure, but development is observed and often an inexact science.
Children will always sing, dance and create with physical arts. That said, taking a picture of a beetle bug outside and emailing it to a mother or father wearing glasses with rabbit ears has broad implications for a child's creativity and family fun. Creating a Lego like structure with a 3D printer that the child gets to see manifest before their very eyes will leave them amazed.
Technology today and its application can sense developmental disparities, targeting weak areas throughout a child's development and triggering intervention analysis sooner rather then later. Early detection and prevention can be the answer to many of our social concerns with our youth.
As for Playschool to Prison, taxpayers spend $40,000 per prison inmate and $10,000 per student. The amount obviously varies from state to state to be sure. However, for every $1 spend for incarceration $10 more is spent in the aftermath by families and social agencies who support previously incarcerated citizens of our communities.
Researchers at the University of Washington found the broader economic impact of incarceration is even greater when lost job opportunity, decreased wages, family members exiting high school to work and support families of incarcerated members. And, societies resistance to hire previously jailed citizens equates to $70 billion in lost wages and $230 billion in reduced lifetime income due to incarceration.
Early childhood development and education is the frontline and possibly the last bastion of defense for many children needing an academic and social edge to keep them growing and succeeding.
Technology is not a turn key solution, it's how we apply it to maximize our capabilities to develop deeper learning and access data on which to make more informed decisions.
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Gary Beulah
CEO
SoftBlue
Riverdale GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-02-2018 09:30 AM
From: Nora Krieger
Subject: Cultivating Schools Success in the Early Grades for Black Boys
Yes, there is a discrepancy between lower and <g class="gr_ gr_32 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="32" data-gr-id="32">upper income</g> families to computer access and technology in general,
As someone who taught in East Harlem in a daycare center and in kindergarten and second grade in the South Bronx, I understand your concern for cultivating early school success in the early grades for black boys. I would suggest including more active physical experiences in the classroom as well as including time for what used to be typical for all early childhood classrooms: block play, art, dramatic play, etc. We are so focused today on trying to get young children to sit still and do things as a "whole" group. In a toddler class, a sense of community and some simple, clear rules are necessary but what is really needed for success is creating an environment where children can make choices about what they "do" in the classroom. You can start this by listening to what the boys are saying and structuring activities that reflect their interests along with what you know will make a difference in their school success,
Another really important way to cultivate school success in the early grades for black boys is to work on delivering positive messages about their effort and hard work and try to refrain from harsh words and punishment for unacceptable behavior by redirecting that behavior and having a safe place for students whose behavior is too emotional to calm themselves down.
Listen and talk to the children using rich vocabulary. Take walks outside and talk about what the children see. They need adults who speak to them and read to them and with whom they have developed a trusting relationship. This is another way that we can cultivate school success in the early grades for black boys.
Technology has its place but it will not serve to cultivate success.
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Nora Krieger
Associate Professor Emerita/ Chair NJEEPRE
Bloomfield College/ New Jersey Educators Exploring the Practices of Reggio Emilia
Highland Park NJ
Original Message:
Sent: 02-28-2018 12:00 AM
From: Gary Beulah
Subject: Cultivating Schools Success in the Early Grades for Black Boys
Hi Helen,
First I want to thank you for your candid response and show my appreciation for your service in educating our youngest learners.
We do not condone "increased technology" for toddlers. We do encourage the introduction of early learning tools that are age appropriate and supervised by an adult.
Our program is focused on children with limited to no access to technology from an early learning perspective. Most Childcare facilities have no strategic plan for the integration of technology as an educational tool that blends well with their current curriculum or play and learn lesson plans.
Research and studies on screen time and computer use typically, have been focused on health effects, the family unit, and conducted or commissioned by the medical community. Therefore , any academic persuasions have been muted by the affects of anti social behavior , sleeplessness, and other irritable maladies that typically go along with many abuses that go unchecked.
Our intent is to integrate solutions that focus on early learning experiences that are structured and blended with appropriate time, content and material that expands a child's imagination and creativity. Taking advantage of the brains early development and neuroplasticity.
Many children we serve come from challenging socio-economic environments where toxic stress, we believe, can be an inhibitor towards establishing sound educational foundations. One childcare facility we worked with had an unrelated shooting in their parking lot while the children were out playing. The community has had four homicides within a 4 block radius in 2017, and nightly gun fire is typically the norm.
Unfortunately , we still have to contend with violence and crime in many of our neighborhods. Even as the media extol the virtues of a strong and flourishing economy.
Our goal is to give children an early academic edge to mitigate the circumstances which they find themselves and get them on a path for their future success.
Thank you for your interest and I look forward to further dialogue.
Gary Beulah
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Gary Beulah
CEO
SoftBlue
Riverdale GA
Original Message:
Sent: 02-26-2018 02:07 PM
From: Helen Meissner
Subject: Cultivating Schools Success in the Early Grades for Black Boys
Gary, Can you explain what you mean by increasing technology for Toddlers in a more indepth manner?
If you are suggesting more computer access and screen time this is concerning for me as an experience Early Learning Professional. This use of technology would not only, be against the child's best interests, it is not developmentally appropriate. If you mean incorporating more exposure to loose parts, simple tools and age appropriate science and math skills I am very interested than to see your proposal .
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Helen Meissner
Lead Teacher
Love To Grow On
Saint Paul MN
Original Message:
Sent: 02-25-2018 12:59 PM
From: Gary Beulah
Subject: Cultivating Schools Success in the Early Grades for Black Boys
Hi Brian,
Here's an extended reply to your queries. It transcends further then your initial inquiry, however, I wanted to share a broader view in hopes to stimulate deeper discussions on the matter. And, a little FYI.
We are creating a Tech for Toddlers and Preschooler's campaign for the next school year in Atlanta Georgia to be launched August 1, 2018. Four pilots Integrating technology into early learning disciplines to build critical foundation skills using STEAM related concepts.
Taking children beyond foundational rote learning to stimulate more intellectually driven deeper learning for critical skills building. Using tradition exercises, games, and age appropriate activities will be the centerpiece of the project with STEAM embedded algorithms that will be instructor lead for guiding children towards a self-paced self-guided learning experience.
Augmenting responsible technology integration and tech etiquette skills at an early stage in children's learning and development. Our hypothesis: if children learn to use technology for foundational learning and academic base-lining, at an early stage of child development, they will associate technology as a learning tool before they use it for pure social and entertainment engagement, which we find ourselves grappling with in tech addictions among minors, as well as adults.
In terms of education attainment of Black Boys, fundamentally, NAEYC supports the educational advancement of all children, a philosophy I share. That said, Native Americans, African Americans and American Hispanic communities all face the challenges of equality in educational access.
According to these fast fact statistics at the US Dept of Education, African-American children on average are at the academic level of their white counterpart of year 1971. Their achievement level is one percentage point below Hispanic children with Native Americans being the lowest of the groups.
It is said, "a rising tide lifts all ships", clearly some of our little vessels need some TLC before they can make the journey, so they remain at port waiting for help to arrive.
"21st Century Learning" should be more than a buzzword used for political academic posturing. It needs to be a reality to prepare our most vulnerable children for the opportunities ahead. "It takes a village to raise a child" is old hat and just as outdated. Today, it's a global effort.
Urban centralization, smart cities, anywhere anytime learning on a global scale should leave no child behind.
I've studied early learning concepts in Australia, Canada and currently in Mexico. From the outside looking in, I have drawn some personal distinctions. Although in all appearances these are, what I consider western ideological countries, their early learning tendencies seem to mirror the US, with one distinct advantage, they do not fail their children before they get started.
The United States Kindergarten failure rate has doubled in the past decade. That's another topic worthy of discussion later. Many of these countries don't share the same taboos as the USA so they are far better positioned from a cultural perspective even as the US is the envied and often loathed nation of the new world, from all accounts.
Children are far more intelligent then we tend to give them credit. Their innate creativity and imagination is constrained as they age. As adults, we only must look in the mirror and ask ourselves, where that did eight-year-old child go, in which, we are the finished product.
Being on the business side of education I consider myself a novice at best and advocate for sure. I am not a credentialed educator with a PhD. In as much, peering through the looking glass at a system set up by those who are, one must wonder where we are falling short in closing the gaps.
Below, I took the liberty to paste some excerpts of the DAP position statement from NAEYC. They are dated, yet forward thinking and relevant in today's terms.
Excerpt: NAEYC Position Statement
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Adopted 2009
Throughout this statement, the terms teacher, practitioner, and educator are variously used to refer to those working in the early childhood field. The word teacher is always intended to refer to any adult responsible for the direct care and education of a group of children in any early childhood setting. Included are not only classroom teachers but also infant/toddler caregivers, family child care providers, and specialists in other disciplines who fulfill the role of teacher. In more instances, the term practitioners are intended to also include a program's administrators. Educators is intended to also include college and university faculty and other teacher trainers.
Children from families living in poverty or in households in which parent education is low typically enter school with lower levels of foundation skills, such as those in language, reading, and mathematics. On starting kindergarten, children in the lowest socioeconomic group have average cognitive scores that are 60 percent below those of the most affluent group. Explained largely by socioeconomic differences among ethnic groups, average math achievement is 21 percent lower for African American children than for white children and 19 percent lower for Hispanic children than for non-Hispanic white children. Moreover, due to deep-seated equity issues present in communities and schools, such early achievement gaps tend to increase rather than diminish over time.
Concerns over the persistence of achievement gaps between subgroups are part of a larger concern about lagging student achievement in the United States and its impact on American economic competitiveness in an increasingly global economy. In comparisons with students of other industrialized countries, for example, America's students have not consistently fared well on tests of educational achievement.
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Gary Beulah
CEO
SoftBlue
Riverdale GA
Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2018 10:03 AM
From: Brian Wright
Subject: Cultivating Schools Success in the Early Grades for Black Boys
Greetings!
What are some developmentally appropriate practices early childhood teachers (pre-K-3rd grade) are implementing to cultivate school success with Black boys? A number promising practices can be found in this new book entitled, The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades. (Teachers College Press)
I look forward to learning what other teachers of young Black boys are doing to support their social-emotional development and school success.
Kind regards,
Brian
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Brian L. Wright, PhD
Professor of ECE
The University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
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