Technology Then and Now

When I had my first family child care setting the only form of technology I used was a 35mm camera, records for music, and occasionally we watched Sesame Street on a small television. Today the whole world has opened up with the use of the Internet, digital cameras, at home photo printing, all in one scan, copy, & print machines, laminators, CD's, & DVD's. Making classroom materials and following the interests of the children is so much easier now. One problem in my original setting was how to have materials at hand but not have everything out at the same time, especially with toddlers in the mix who were still at the dump and pour stage or overwhelmed by all the choices. Today I use clear plastic shoe box containers and make photos of the contents of each box. The children can use the photos to make choices and like a library system the activity needs to be returned before that child can "check out" another activity. I use this same system for the props to songs, finger plays, and stories.