It appears as the debate over using technology to enhance learning is over and the debate has been shifted to “How can educators utilize the technology they have to enhance students learning.” As we have seen in the past 10 years, the use of technology has completely transformed our world. We are now exposed to more information at a faster rate than ever before. Young children are well versed in operating VCR’s, DVD’s, CD’s etc. Computers are having a profound impact on children’s lives, both at home and at school. President Clinton once said that “access to computers and the Internet is becoming critical for full participation in America’s economic, political, and social life.” If technology has become a critical component in the success of our citizens, then it is our job as educators to best prepare our students for their future. According to the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, “part of the mission of educational institutions is to produce workforce-ready graduates who can, among other things, manipulate and analyze raw data, critically evaluate information, and operate hardware and software.” Educators can begin as early as Kindergarten to lay the knowledge foundation that students will need to be successful in their adult years.
Constructivists believe that “children need to have the opportunity to construct their own knowledge through play and exploration, so they can create, reflect upon and work out their own understanding.”(Vygotsky, 1978). Offering young children the opportunity to explore technology allows them to acquire knowledge and allows for a variety of learning styles. When students gather information on the Internet, they can be self directed and independent. They can choose what sources they want to examine and what connections to look at more carefully. Technology provides the students with more opportunity to work at their own pace, in the learning style that they prefer. Technology applications provide ways for a variety of minds to gain access to knowledge.
The Internet was created “to provide communication and the exchange of information between people. The paradigm has shifted and now the Internet is to foster conversations between writers and readers,” according to Al Rogers from the Global Schoolhouse. The Internet has spawned interactive dialogue between users. Students are engaging in projects in which they are required to research a subject, interact with experts via e-mail, post their findings on the web, and reply to questions proposed by those who visit the web page. “Well designed Internet and Web based projects offer the user a constructivist approach that utilizes cooperative learning, process writing, and authentic assessment.” (Rogers)
Various technologies offer different kinds of content and can serve different purposes in the classroom. E-mail and word processing promote communication skills, database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills, and modeling software promotes understanding of math and science concepts. Within the early literacy program, computers used with young children tend to be “a powerful learning device that facilitates cognitive development and positive social interaction to young children,” according to Patsy Pierce, Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies. In their study, children who used computers had an increase in cognitive abilities, such as the memory, spatial and logical problem solving. Gains were also reported in children’s self-learning, self-organization, memory, and concentration. 
Oral language production, counting the number of words spoken per minute, was almost twice as high at the computer than during other activities such as block play. Children often taught each other how to use the menu items and prompts on a new piece of software. Properly used, computer software can provide a catalyst for social interaction and conversations. The studies also showed that children who wrote with word processors were motivated to write more than when they used a pencil and paper. Children tended to write longer and tell longer and more elaborate stories when composing on the computer with the use of computer graphics. According to the Global Schoolhouse, when children are writing for a real audience, like posting on the web, or answering e-mail, they tend to enjoy writing more, they are more willing to write, proofread, revise, and edit their work. They are also more careful about spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
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