Secret Ingredients of App Development for Early Childhood Education

Fran Simon, M.Ed. | Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

Early Childhood Technology Network

The Secret Ingredients of Early Childhood App

Development: Make Your Apps Rise to The Top

Fran Simon, M.Ed.

Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

About us

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The secrets are not

what you think

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We’re serious about interactive tools for young children in preschool programs…

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Cute

Fun

Engaging

Educational

Our objective today is to share what “high quality” REALLY means in ECE classrooms

Skills

“High quality “

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How do you know the product teaches the concepts or skills you

claim it teaches?

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Cookie cutter approach to app development

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Let’s digress: Why free and $0.99 apps are bad

(Free trials on SaaS, not so bad!)

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Poll: What’s Your biggest challenge

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Poll: What is your top marketing priority right now?

we need get deep into how children learn

You want to know how to sell apps, but first…

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Young children are explorers

Developers need to know how young children learn

and what EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

want* and need**may not be compatible

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most the Early Learning apps… have high/moderate entertainment and production value, BUT

• low educational value

• are redundant

• are rote/skill based

You may think this doesn’t apply to your apps– but are you sure?

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Make your products meet the specific

needs and requirements of early

childhood EDUCATORS

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Where EC Educators get their guidance: NAEYC & FRC Tech Position Statement

+=

Technology & Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8

15http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

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Find it. Read it.

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“… A framework of principles and guidelines for best practice in the care and education of young children, birth through age 8. “• Research on how young children develop and learn

• What is known about educational effectiveness

NAEYC, 2012

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Choices and problem solving

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Long term “units of study” or projects for depth (sometimes called themes)

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Encourage children to work together and interact

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Balance of challenge and achievement that grows with

child

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Respond to and build on children’s interests

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Individualize, differentiate, meet the needs of children with

different languages, abilities and various cultures

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Capture and use data about progress

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NO one app or site can encompass all elements of

DAP

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Direct Instruction

An instructional approach that emphasizes the use of carefully sequenced steps that include demonstration, modeling, guided practice, and independent application.

DAP is about exploring concepts and skills so children discover the answers

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Direct Instruction and DAP

• DI can used to introduce specific skills and concepts• DAP used to:– practice – refine– explore the uses of that skill

Just because DI is commonly used with older kids does NOT make it right for preschool!

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DAP: As the term implies, one size does not fit all

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Different settings…Different

Ages…

Different strategies

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• Creative Curriculum• High Scope•Tools of the Mind•Investigator Club•Curiosity Corner•High Reach•Opening the World of Learning

Crosswalk foundationbuilt from key commonalities of DAP AND

•Project Approach•Montessori•Project Approach•Montessori•Reggio Emilia

Commercial Curricula Respected Approaches

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Then there are standards

* State* Common Core (coming soon)* Head Start * Special needs (OSEP)

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Math is more than counting and number identification

Number concepts and quantities• Measurement and comparison• Number relationships and operations• Geometry and spatial relationships• Patterns

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Language and literacy is more than identifying the alphabet and sounds

Literacy Knowledge and SkillsLetter recognitionPhonological awareness• Book Awareness• Early writing• Print concepts

Language Development• Receptive• Expressive

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And the SECRET is…Know what early childhood educators need

to facilitate learning with young children and be intentional about the tools you provide!

DAP + Curriculum content/standards

= Apps at the top!

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Don’t skip theSubject Matter

Expertsfor

developmentand marketing

Our book Our Site

Gryphon House

Early Childhood Technology Network

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Fran@ECEtech.net

Karen@ECEtech.net

Join #ECEtechCHAT,

Wednesdays, 9 PM Eastern

Tweet#ECEappdev to continue the

conversation

BONUS SLIDES

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Looking into the rearview mirror at your instructional design

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Common practices that are inappropriate for children in early education settings

Instructional Design

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Don’t do th

isDevelop apps that are just

like Worksheets or

flashcards

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Provide

Feedback

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Don’t assu

me

UnderstandsThe learner

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Don’t Provide empty Entertainment. Develop products that help children develop meaningful, transferable concepts

and skills