Technology in the Reggio Classroom

The appropriate use of technology has been a conversation among early childhood educators for many years.  Children are growing up in a rapidly changing digital age and technology is a part of their everyday lives.  I have personally struggled with what is the appropriate amount of technology and how to use technology in the classroom.  I have concerns about children spending too much time in front of a screen and the implications to their brains.  Many times children use technology in a very passive way, staring at the screen of a computer, phone, or television.

The schools of Reggio Emilia have discovered a way to use a vast variety of technological devices that encourage active participation and discovery.  The technological devices are incorporated into a play based exploration to promote student led discoveries.  I observed three year old children using a video camera to enhance dress up and dramatic play.  Four year old children were using a microscope, iPad, and projector to display backgrounds onto their block creations.  In the preschool classroom, five year old children were piloting a Lego coding program.  These children were actively engaged with the different forms of technology to enhance the learning process.

I was able to spend a morning learning and discovering along with other educators in the Digital Landscaping Atelier at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre.  Microscope pens, stop motion film, projectors, video cameras, web cams, cameras, scanners, and graphic tablets were some of the forms of technology that we explored.  We were challenged to think of these materials as tools for letting us look at things in different ways.  I was impressed with the many possibilities each form of technology presented.  Our experiences in the Digital Landscape Atelier was anything but passive.  I left the experience with many ideas on how to begin to incorporate technology into my classroom.

Ah-ha Moment- These technology techniques can be easily implemented into the classroom and incorporated into play. The astonishing thing is that while technology may seem complex, the items used in this experience were cost effective and user friendly.