engleski

Key ICT Competences of Kindergarten Teachers

The aim of this paper is to identify the key ICT competences needed by kindergarten teachers for the development and implementation of new technologies in their educational practice in kindergarten. As outlined in the UNESCO document “ICT competency standards for teachers” (2008), in order to live, learn and work successfully in an increasingly difficult, digital and knowledge-based society, teachers must be capable of using technology in an effective way. Nowadays, kindergarten teachers are not only responsible for children’s upbringing but they complement the educational role of families at home. In this new educational scenario, families and teachers present novel demands as real-time information about centers and its services, tools to track children progress or recommend new activities, new ways of communication, etc. Video-games and multimedia resources, especially those that combine education and entertainment features (edutainment) are well-accepted by young children. ICT are not only used as educational tools but also as supporting ones. There are a wide range of online communities targeted to children, families and teachers that offer different services as discussion forums, search engines, educational resources, etc. There is a lot of well-established early childhood educational policies, supported by national governments and educational institutions, based on the same idea: to provide an interactive and social learning experience based on children’s interest and experimentation. Many of that goals can be realized if the kindergarten teachers are used ICT skills and with support of ICT-based educational processes in early childhood towards better preparing children for the afterwards schooling.

ICT In Kindergarten; Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten Teachers ICT Competences; Edutainment

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