Today I want to talk about technology and why everyone in Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) needs to stay on top of it - or at least be aware of it and the changes that it brings.
Don't Get Left Behind
Ideally, you don't want to be left behind and then struggling to come to terms with the changes that have occurred while ignoring the inevitable. It might seem a little daunting but believe me it is not.
When we visit ECEC Services, we do hear a lot of staff saying: they don't like technology, they don't like social media, they don't like Apps, they prefer things on paper, they like scribbling things down.
Whilst that point of view is ok to have - you have to think about the future and not be too rigid in your personal views. The world is changing and technology is at the forefront of it.
Again, you don't want to be left behind.
The Rise of Technology
A while ago, many people were happy to go to their local video store to hire a movie for the night. And this was the norm for many people for a long time - myself included. Then along came the likes of Netflix and other streaming video companies.
There was a gradual shift.
It didn't happen overnight, but many people opted to stop going to their local video store and start subscribing to these services for many reasons (convenience being the most obvious).
I would hear a lot of people mentioning to me, "I prefer the video store. I still like to walk up and down the aisles of a video store looking at the movie cover and picking one."
Again, while this view was OK, behind the scenes this person was reluctant to change and when the consumer masses speak, companies took note.
Over time, the local video store went out of business since changing consumer habits meant it was no longer viable to have video stores around. Remember these names? - Blockbuster (largest chain in the world now bankrupt and gone), Video Ezy, Civic Videos, Home Pics to name a few..
So the point I am trying to make here is that, even if you are set in your ways, things will evolve and change around you. If you don't adapt you will be left behind and will struggle.
It is better to embrace change or acknowledge it than ignore it and let it come back to bite you. While you may still like to wander down the aisle of a video store - there is no longer one around to do so.
Technological Changes in ECEC
This leads me to technological changes in the ECEC space.
Many centres and educators have embraced it well, but we still see a lot of centres who are reluctant to change or even embrace it. They will mention, "our parents love the write ups we do on paper", "I prefer to give parents a portfolio book," or "I don't have to worry about computers and iPads." The lists goes on.
Our analytics and research don't share that same argument.
This generation's parents have grown up with technology. They use social media on a regular basis, and they are used to communicating and consuming information like this. They like to stay informed but also have the luxury of consuming that information in their own time.
We have witnessed this, so that's what makes our Platform so great. Centres are able to convey all of this information for parents readily and easily. Parents are alerted right away and can decide whether to consume it at that moment or at a later time.
There are many more technological changes in the ECEC space to come, such as augmented reality for learning, video learning to name a few.
Centres need to keep an eye on things and make sure they evolve with these changes before they are engulfed with it and overwhelmed.
If you would like to know more or discuss any concerns your centre might be having - feel free to reach out to us.
We don't just build Apps, we also help Centres and Educators with any technological issues they may be having as well.
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