How technology enhance language literacy

Constructivists believe that "children need to have the opportunity to construct their own knowledge through play and exploration, so they can create, reflect upon and work out their own understanding."(Vygotsky, 1978). Offering young children the opportunity to explore technology, allows them to acquire knowledge and allows for a variety of learning styles. When students gather information on the Internet, they can be self directed and independent. They can choose what sources they want to examine and what connections to look at more carefully. Technology provides the students with more opportunity to work at their own pace, in the learning style that they prefer. Technology applications provide ways for a variety of minds to gain access to knowledge.

Various technologies offers different kinds of content and can serve different purposes in the classroom. E-mail and word processing promote communication skills, database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills, modeling software promotes understanding of math and science concepts. Children who used computers had an increase in cognitive abilities, such as the memory, spatial and logical problem solving. Through this medium, children also have the opportunity to enhance their self-learning, self-organization, memory, and concentration. Children often taught each other how to use the menu items and prompts on a new piece of software. Properly used, computer software can provide a catalyst for social interaction and conversations. Children who wrote with word processors were motivated to write more than when they used a pencil and paper. Children tended to write longer and tell longer and more elaborate stories when composing on the computer with the use of computer graphics. When children are writing for a real audience, like posting on the web, or answering e-mail, they tend to enjoy writing more, they are more willing to write, proofread, revise, and edit their work. They are also more careful about spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

The use of real world tools, relevant experiences and having a meaningful learning experience help children to acquire knowledge. Children who use technology in meaningful, relevant experiences, have an increased level of self-confidence as they rely less on their teacher and more on themselves for knowledge. Technology allows students to increase their understanding and utilize their higher level thinking skills. Students tend to understand the more complex concepts like Math and Science when they can use technology to help them visualize hard to understand concepts. Technology is a tool, just like a journal, book, or pencil. Technology can be used in developmentally appropriate ways that are beneficial to children. Technology when used in conjunction to other tools, like blocks, art, sand, water, books, exploration, etc., assists in the development of literacy, cognitive and social skills.