Page 98 - Gateways for Early Educators

Gateways for Early Educators
APPENDIX B: GATEWAYS COMPUTER LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY TRAINING REPORT
Gateways for Early Educators
Computer Literacy and Technology Training
Report for the 2015-2016 Program Year
Report Prepared by the Research Department, Child Care Resource Center July 2016
If you have any questions about this report, please contact Olivia Pillado, Research Manager at [email protected].
Introduction
As technology becomes a greater part of our daily lives in a changing digital age, its use has the potential to benefit early care and education educators in a variety of ways. Technology tools may be used in the management of the child care business, in accessing resources for planning program activities, can support the ways educators measure and record child development and growth and can be used a means to connect with the families of the children they serve. As technology becomes a greater part the daily lives of the children they serve, it will be increasingly important for early educators to not only know how to use technology appropriate in their program settings, if they choose to use technology, but to also potentially respond to parents’ questions about the appropriate use of technology for children. In a joint statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College regarding the use of technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs for children birth through 8 years old, it is recommended that early childhood educators have access to and participate in professional development which includes the of technology and media as it is essential for the adults who work with young children.lix
Having recognized the importance of technology use now and in the future, as part of the scope of work, the Gateways for Early Educators Program assessed the computer and technology training needs of Gateways participants as they enrolled in the program. As a result of information gleaned from the computer literacy assessment conducted during the 2014-2015 program year and during the current program year, the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles (CCALA) developed a training module regarding technology for early care and education professionals. Six Resource and Referral agencies hosted trainings at their offices. A total of 333 (92%) out of the 362 newly enrolled participants completed a computer literacy assessments. In addition coaches collected computer literacy assessments from 17 participants who had enrolled in the program prior to 2015-2016. In total, information about computer literacy is reported on 350 participants who completed a computer literacy assessment and on 79 participants who took part in 8 computer and technology trainings.
Computer Literacy Needs Assessment
Ninety-two percent of the participants who enrolled in the Gateways for Early Educators Program completed a computer literacy assessment. See Table 1 for the response rate by R&R agency. A copy of the computer literacy assessment is included at the end of this report. About half of the participants who completed a survey (48%) reported English and 47% reported Spanish as their primary language. See Figure 1.
2016
88