Technology and Language Development: Where to start?
Online Professional Development Workshop | Early Childhood Education
1. Workshop Overview
Language and communication are fundamental to children's learning, development and relationships. Early childhood educators play an important role in creating inclusive, language-rich environments where children have opportunities to communicate, express ideas, interact with others and develop their emerging literacy skills.
Digital technologies can provide additional opportunities to support language development through meaningful interactions, communication and learning experiences. When integrated purposefully into early childhood environments, technology can complement existing teaching practices and help educators respond to children's diverse communication and language needs.
This workshop introduces educators to the relationship between technology, language development and early literacy. It explores how educators can use available digital technologies to support communication, create inclusive learning environments and plan meaningful experiences informed by relevant theories and teaching practices.
The emphasis is on using technology to strengthen children's language and communication experiences, rather than introducing technology simply for its own sake.
2. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, educators will be able to:
Facilitate inclusive learning environments that support children's diverse language and communication needs.
Understand how digital technologies can support children's language, communication and early literacy development.
Promote language development through meaningful interactions and learning experiences within early childhood settings.
Create language-rich learning environments that incorporate digital technologies purposefully.
Support the development of children's communicative competencies through appropriate ICT experiences.
Plan learning experiences that develop key language and communication competencies.
Foster dual-language learning and recognise opportunities for technology to support children learning more than one language.
Apply practical teaching strategies that encourage meaningful language and communication experiences with technology.
Implement practical approaches using the workshop's ready-to-use lesson plans.
3. Topics Covered
The following topics are proposed from your existing learning outcomes. They are not yet a confirmed outline of the updated workshop.
Understanding Language and Communication Development
Explore how young children develop language, communication and early literacy, and consider the role of digital technology in supporting these important areas of learning.
Creating Language-Rich Environments with Technology
Discover ways to incorporate digital technologies into everyday learning environments to encourage conversation, storytelling, listening, communication and children's expression of ideas.
Inclusive Communication and Dual-Language Learning
Consider how educators can respond to different communication needs, support children learning more than one language and create opportunities for meaningful participation through technology-supported experiences.
Developing Communicative Competencies with ICT
Explore how digital technologies can be incorporated into learning experiences that encourage children to listen, speak, interact, communicate ideas and develop confidence in expressing themselves.
Planning and Implementing Language Learning Experiences
Examine approaches to planning meaningful language and communication activities using available technologies, including opportunities to apply practical strategies through ready-to-use lesson plans.
4. Applying Learning to Practice
Developing children's language and communication involves more than introducing new activities or digital resources. It requires educators to make informed decisions about how their teaching practices, interactions and learning environments support children's communication and participation.
This workshop encourages educators to consider their existing language development practices and identify opportunities to integrate digital technologies in purposeful and inclusive ways.
Through the Academy's Theory into Practice approach, members can:
Build confidence: Begin with familiar technologies and manageable language-learning experiences that suit their current knowledge and teaching environment.
Explore professional questions: Use the Wisdom AI Search Tool to investigate language development, inclusive communication and appropriate technology integration.
Apply practical strategies: Use workshop lesson plans and teaching ideas to trial technology-supported language experiences within their own setting.
Reflect on teaching practice: Use the Membership Workbook to critically reflect on how their decisions and interactions support children's communication and language development.
Learn with other educators: Share successful experiences, discuss challenges and exchange ideas through the Academy Community.
The aim is to help educators develop the knowledge, confidence and professional judgement to use digital technologies in ways that genuinely support children's language, communication and early literacy development.
Ready to strengthen your digital teaching practice?
Imagine what you could achieve in just 90 days!
Join the ICT in Education Teacher Academy and begin a professional learning journey shaped by your questions, your teaching experiences and your goals.
Start by exploring how digital technology can better support children's language and communication. Deepen your understanding, try evidence-informed strategies in your own learning environment, and reflect on what you've achieved.
With online workshops, practical lesson plans, the Wisdom AI Search Tool and a supportive educator community, you'll have the resources to keep learning and improving.
Start with 90 days. Keep growing at your own pace.