Plowman et al (2012) Extending opportunities for learning 1 EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN EARLY EDUCATION LYDIA PLOWMAN, JOANNA MCPAKE & CHRISTINE STEPHEN Plowman L., McPake J & Stephen C. (2012) Extending opportunities for learning: the role of digital media in early education. In Contemporary Debates in Child Development and Education, eds. S. Suggate & E. Reese, pp.95-104. Routledge, Abingdon. THIS IS A PRE-PRINT VERSION AND MAY NOT BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS PUBLISHED Abstract We use evidence from four research projects conducted in preschools and in homes to address the following questions: Is it important that young children learn to use digital media? Which digital media are best suited to their needs? Can digital media provide opportunities for learning? By describing and examining children’s experiences at home and in preschool settings we have identified how factors such as their own preferences, the people in their lives, and the cultural practices of the different environments in which they spend time shape their encounters with technology. We conclude that there is potential for digital media to extend the possibilities for children’s learning. Many people believe that children need to become competent users of digital media to avoid disadvantage or marginalisation and to become assured, discriminating and effective members of society. For others, the ubiquity of these technologies has led to concerns about the ways in which they are seen to exert influence on the lives of young children. Like it or not, most people would agree that children’s experiences with technology – whether for play, learning, or communication – will have significant implications for their future lives. We prefer to engage with this transformation rather than seek to establish a technology-free version of the past in the present. Nevertheless, we are aware that some of these changes are driven by the marketisation of education (Selwyn, 2011), a rhetoric of progress through technology (Plowman et al, 2011) and sometimes inflated claims by media and technology industries. Later in this chapter we describe some of our concerns about the use of digital media in preschool settings. We are not inclined to base a general denunciation on these shortcomings, but prefer to consider the contribution that thoughtful use can make to young children’s learning and how this might be achieved, while recognising the need for balance in children’s activities. The research studies By taking cognisance of parents’ and children’s perspectives and looking at practices in preschool and home in some detail we aim to inform choices. For parents and the wider public this means supporting decisions about how we want to bring up children in a technologized world. For early education professionals and policy-makers it is to provide the wherewithal to make informed choices about how (or whether) to integrate digital media into pedagogical practice and curriculum design.