The field of early childhood education (ECE) has long supported and implemented the idea of cooperative learning environments. We have been struggling in the midst of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) push-down affect to keep our classrooms learner-centered, hands-on, individualized, cooperative, and fun. As I read more about Instructional Design (ID) and the core ideas for the Postindustrial Paradigm of Instruction, I began to realize how similar the views of ECE and ID are as we consider what we know about how children learn best. Reiser & Dempsey's "Trends & Issues in ID and Technology" lists the core ideas as being learner-focused, includes learning by doing, is attainment-based, customized, collaborative, and enjoyable (p.77-8). How ironic that two fields that seem at first glance to be on opposite ends of the education spectrum are in this sense almost identical.
It is my intent to use this blog as a means of sharing my thoughts, experiences, and new found knowledge about how the fields of educational technology and early childhood education can come together in the classroom and beyond. Please feel free to weigh in respectfully on the topics posted and shared.
