Technology in Kindergarten

“Sesame Workshop to Tackle Preschool Literacy With Technology”

By: Elizabeth Jensen

Source: New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/business/media/sesame-workshop-to-tackle-preschool-literacy-with-technology.html?ref=technology

Technology has taken a new step. It is being introduced to kindergarten students to help them with their learning experience. Sesame Workshop, the producers of “Sesame Street,” has agreed to a partnership with ToyTalk in order to come up with a two-way conversational technology. The purpose of this agreement will be to teach kindergarten students preschool literacy. The alliance will be using ToyTalk’s “Pullstring” technology. “Pullstring” was created to recognize speech, understand children’s speech patterns, artificial intelligence, and includes prewritten scripts to respond to a child’s sayings.

Both companies have been found a way to teach children the basics, such as asking them to come up with words that rhyme with cat. However, they have not been able to create the technology that will correct their grammar. ToyTalk is hoping to release the software by early next year. However, their main intention is to receive feedback on the effectiveness of their software. According to Oren Jacob, the more children use the software, the better they will be able to enhance it. They are hoping that the software will be cost-effective in order to achieve a wider audience. They want people to see the value in the software and help distribute it to people they know who might want to give it a try.

Technology has become an important part of peoples’ lives. However, children should not be introduced to technological learning in kindergarten. These students are beginning to learn the language. They need the time and care of an individual to properly guide them through the basics of English. Technology will not be able to replace the special guidance children receive when they attend kindergarten.