Technologies used in play

Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022)

Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity 

Children develop knowledgeable, confident self-identities and a positive sense of self-worth (e.g., Children share with others how they have learned to use digital technologies).

Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy, and respect (e.g., Children co-use and collaborate with others when using digital technologies).

Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world

Children develop a sense of connectedness to groups and communities and an understanding of their reciprocal rights and responsibilities as active and informed citizens (e.g., Children use digital technologies, with assistance, to explore solutions or assistance to community issues; Educators use digital technologies and the internet with children to explore solutions or assistance to community issues).

Children respond to diversity with respect (e.g., Educators use digital technologies to find answers to questions and document discoveries).

Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment (e.g., Educators investigate with children environmental challenges and explore solutions to problems using digital technologies and the internet).

Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing 

Children become strong in their social, emotional, and mental wellbeing (e.g., Educators discuss and model appropriate use of digital technologies and discuss how to keep children safe online with children and families).

Children are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety (e.g., Educators learn about e-safety for children and embed and model safe digital practices).

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners  

Children develop a growth mindset and learning dispositions such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, and reflexivity (e.g., Educators model inquiry processes, including wonder, curiosity, and imagination, try new ideas, and take on challenges).

Children develop a range of learning and thinking skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching, and investigating (e.g., Children explore their environment through asking questions, experimenting, investigating, and using digital technologies; Children use a range of strategies and digital tools to organise and represent mathematical and scientific thinking; Children use a range of media to express their ideas through the arts, e.g., clay, drawing, paint, digital technologies).

Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies, and natural and processed materials (e.g., Children explore the purpose and function of a range of tools, media, sounds, and graphics; Children use digital technologies and media to investigate and problem solve; Children express and respond to ideas and feelings using a range of creative media including photography and digital technologies; Educators select and introduce appropriate tools, technologies, and media and provide the skills, knowledge, and techniques to enhance children’s learning; Educators develop their skills and knowledge with digital technologies and media in their curriculum to use them confidently with children).

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators 

Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts (e.g., Children engage in pretend play that draws on the use of digital technologies).

Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media (e.g., Children experiment with ways of expressing ideas and meaning using a range of media; Children display literacy behaviours by incorporating reading and writing approximations and viewing in their play, including digital technologies).

Children use digital technologies and media to access information, investigate ideas, and represent their thinking (e.g., Children incorporate real or imaginary technologies as features of their play; Children develop simple skills to operate digital devices, such as turning on and taking a photo with a tablet; Children use digital technologies and media for creative expression, e.g., designing, drawing, composing; Children identify basic icons and keys, e.g., delete button, and use them to support their navigation, e.g., click, swipe, home, scroll, and understand these terms; Educators provide opportunities for children to have access to different forms of communication technologies; Educators teach skills and techniques and encourage children to use technologies to explore new information and represent their ideas).

National Quality Standard (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, 2019)  

Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice (e.g., Each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities, and interests are the foundation of the program; Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions; Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions, and feedback; Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world).

Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety (e.g., At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard)

Quality Area 3: Physical Environment (e.g., Resources, materials, and equipment allow for multiple uses, are sufficient in number, and enable every child to engage in play-based learning).

Quality Area 5: Relationships with children (e.g., Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident, and included; The dignity and rights of every child are maintained; Children are supported to collaborate, learn from, and help each other).

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018)

Principle 4: Equity is upheld, and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

Principle 8: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

If these ideas are new to you, explore these related resources:

Everyday learning to build young children’s digital technology skills

This webinar explores how early childhood professionals can support children’s conceptual understandings of, and skill development with, digital technologies.

Supporting children’s play and learning using technologies

This infographic explores how educators, parents, and carers can use digital technologies in various ways to support children’s play and learning.

For more ideas, explore these related resources:

When the dinosaurs came to kindy

This video presentation explores how early childhood educators can connect with children’s interests using digital technologies.

Unpacking imagination in action with Bluey

This video presentation explores how educators, parents, and carers can use technologies (e.g., popular television programs) to support children’s participation in imaginative play.

If you would like to read some research, explore these related resources:

Edwards, S., Mantilla, A., Grieshaber, S., Nuttall, J., & Wood, E. (2020). Converged play characteristics for early childhood education: Multimodal, global-local, and traditional-digital. Oxford Review of Education, 46(5), 637–660. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2020.1750358

Grieshaber, S., Nuttall, J., & Edwards, S. (2021). Multimodal play: A threshold concept for early childhood curriculum? British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(6), 2118–2129. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13127