Technology has slowly crept its way into schools and it looks like it’s here to stay. It has been welcomed with open arms by some people, and reluctantly accepted by others. As a teacher, I generally like teaching with technology because it’s something that I’m good at and I love to use it as a tool to help my students.

However, I know of some teachers who have used technology as a substitute for quality learning. I don’t agree when tech is used this way, but I do agree that children should be able to use technology in school because they’ll need it later in life. That being said, what level of technology will your toddler be expected to adapt to once they get to kindergarten and beyond?

Computers
Depending on where your child attends school, you can expect that they will either have laptops or computers right in their classroom, or they will at least have access to some type of computer room. Kindergarteners won’t use computers every day, but they will use them at some point during the year. At first, they will have help, but soon they will be expected to know how to navigate a computer to some extent. 

Tablets
Tablets may be more common than computers, especially for private and charters schools as well as well-funded public schools. These have better learning games and activities for young children and they don’t require the use of a keyboard. While I was teaching first grade, my students already knew how to turn a tablet on and locate games and audio books on our classroom tablet because they had learned to do so in kindergarten and they also learned from using their parent’s tablets.

SMART Boards
One of the newest bits of tech to hit schools is SMART Boards, which are interactive whiteboards that hook up to your computer and the internet. We had one in the first and kindergarten classrooms where I taught, and the children used them a few times a week. They can be used like a white board, but they can also be used for interactive lessons as well.

Though your toddlers will probably use all of these types of technology once they get to kindergarten, you shouldn’t be too concerned with teaching them to use these devices beforehand. Toddlers shouldn’t get too much screen time when they’re young, but if they know how to use a touch device or know the basics of working a computer, your toddler should be ready for increasing levels of technology by the time they hit school.

GreatSchools Staff. "Your child and technology: what your kindergartner needs to know." GreatSchools. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.