1.2 Role of Digital Technologies and Transversal Skills in ECE

Conceptual Guidelines

Incorporating digital technologies in early childhood education (ECE) involves balancing acquiring digital skills with developing critical, meta-cognitive, and social skills.

• Digital Literacy: Children should become familiar with digital technologies’ basic functions and potential uses. This includes understanding both the benefits and risks associated with digital tools. While it is not obligatory to use digital technology, it is important to provide a critical stance towards it, and crucial to refer to it so children can transfer critical thinking tools when dealing with digital technology.
• Transversal Skills: Critical thinking (meta-cognitive skills), problem-solving, and social interaction are essential for navigating the complexities of the digital world. All formats of collaborative reflection foster these, and in turn these reinforce collaborative reflection and joint action.

Methodological Guidelines

Educational strategies to achieve these objectives include:

• Integrated Learning Activities: Create activities that blend digital tools with traditional learning methods. For example, interactive storytelling can be used to combine listening to stories and digital animations.
• Critical Thinking Exercises: Encourage children to question and think critically about digital content, as well as to think about how they are thinking. Simple activities like comparing different sources of information or discussing the outcomes of digital games can be effective.
• Meta-Cognitive Skill Development: Foster self-awareness in learning processes. Activities that develop meta-cognitive skills often include reflecting on what was learned and how it was learned. Thus, the learning process is amplified. For example, errors will be considered an opportunity for a better understanding instead of merely the focus of correction.
• Safe and Responsible Use: Teach children about the safe use of digital technologies. This includes understanding privacy, recognising trustworthy content, and knowing screen time limits.
• Philosophical Dialogue: Create occasions for cooperative dialogic inquiry on digital tools and contents, emphasising questioning and the practice of asking and giving reasons for one’s claims.