School Type: Public	School Setting: Urban
Level: Pre-K	School Design: Traditional
Content Presented By:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC)

Summary

The practice: Multiple Learning Strategies
Technology-enhanced lessons and activities should represent a variety of learning strategies that include active learning strategies, constructive learning strategies, authentic learning strategies, cooperative learning strategies, and intentional/reflective learning strategies.

• 12 diverse cultures and languages represented
• meaningful integration of technology into early childhood curriculum
• technology fosters a home-school connection
• active and cooperative learning strategies employed

Portland Public Schools Head Start has five sites across the city with 612 three-, four-, and five-year-old children representing 12 diverse cultures and languages enrolled in full- and half-day sessions. Recently, they received a small amount of funding specifically for technology integration. Before adding technology to their curriculum, staff members from the five sites formed a committee to answer the question, “What will be most beneficial and useful in supporting student learning?”

They developed a philosophy statement to guide any use of technology in the classroom, which sums up their philosophy for technology integration. Before recommending any purchases, the committee carefully considered the developmental needs of the students, the current curriculum, potential uses of technology tools by teachers to achieve learning goals, and available resources. Based on this data, the committee recommended purchasing a computer, scanner, printer, and drawing program for each classroom and a digital camera for each school.

Children are encouraged to work together at the computer to enhance communication skills, and the digital camera has become a useful and versatile tool for the teachers. It is used regularly to assist with the transition between home and school; to help children stay on task, gain independence, and increase time management skills; and to enhance communication between parents and child, as well as parents and school.

Judging from the success of this technology integration, the staff anticipates purchasing an additional computer and age-appropriate, open-ended software for each classroom. A priority is to get additional digital cameras, which they see as the most useful and beneficial to the objectives of their program.

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