Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/connecting-pioneers-in-tech-and-early-ed-to-spur-innovation/5024526/
When Head Start was created 53 years ago as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty, it was a disruptive innovation before that was even a buzzword. The work product of an interdisciplinary task force, the program was the first large-scale example of applied design thinking. Head Start has since produced a remarkable amount of “frugal innovation,” led by the practitioners, administrators, and parents in the field.
Building on that culture of innovation, the National Head Start Association recently launched the HeadStarter Network, an independent nonprofit organization with the mission to apply best practices from technology, business and academia to early childhood. For instance, the HeadStarter Network has been exploring the potential of exponential technology for early childhood education—connecting pioneers from both sectors, and spurring innovation.
Here are two of the emerging technologies we have gained valuable insights into:
1. Virtual and augmented reality boost the experience factor.
Children learn best from active engagement rather than the passive consumption of text and visuals. Augmented Reality, which uses technology to inspire cognitive and physical activity, to link virtual and real worlds, and to stimulate play, can be combined with educational content to create an engaging, immersive experience for ...