Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan Samarkand State University Theme : Mathematics in the preschool Contents

Computers Computer and the Internet are more commonly used sources for teachers in the teaching and learning environment. Teachers can access teaching materials, teaching ideas, lesson plans, and activities through searching on the Internet. In today’s classrooms, the computer can be connected to the Internet, and interconnected with the interactive whiteboard, projectors, and/or printers to share information with students. Smerdon, Cronen, Lanahan, Anderson, Iannotti, and Angeles (2000) reported that almost all (99%) public schools had computers available somewhere in the schools. In 2009, 97% of teachers had at least one computer located in their classroom, and 93% of these computers had available Internet access in public schools (U.S. Department of Education: National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010). Also, the Internet is used on a weekly basis in 43% of elementary mathematics classes, 26% of middle-level mathematics classes, and 11% of high school level math classes (Banilower et al., 2013). Over the last ten years, computer availability has increased in the classroom. However, some teachers do not have enough experience to integrate computers in the classroom, and some teachers do not allocate time to prepare lesson plans and teach mathematics using computers (Heddens & Speer, 2006). Ke (2008) studied the effect of computer games, and concluded that use of computer games increases students’ attitudes positively toward mathematics; however, it does not affect students’ cognitive mathematical achievement.
Other Technologies Another technological tool in math education is the Mobile Device (e.g., smartphone, iPod, tablet PCs, handheld gaming devices, and so on), which is a new trend in educational settings. Mobile devices allow students to connect to the digital world while sitting in the classroom (Franklin & Peng, 2008). Baya’a & Daher (2009) highlighted how the use of mobile phones in education could enable student learning of mathematics as students can explore mathematics independently; help students to learn math through collaboration across physical locations; demonstrate real life situations; help the student to learn mathematics easily and visualize complex mathematical contents. Multimedia is another tool used in education. Multimedia offers a combination of different content such as audio, text, image, video, animations, etc. Teachers would need to be comfortable with technology and know how to integrate multimedia technology into the learning environment (Heddens & Speer, 2006). Teachers can use multimedia tools as a classroom application, and students can use them as productivity tools (Heddens & Speer, 2006). Ahmad, Yin, Fang, Yen, and How (2010) highlighted that students’ understanding is better when teaching with multimedia than traditional methods, because multimedia provides a visual presentation, 3D shapes, and helps students to engage with mathematics easily. There is the variety of technology tools available for teachers and PSTs to teach mathematics as highlighted above. In the next section, technologies selected by PSTs for lesson activities in an elementary (grades PK-4) program, Middle-Level (grades 4-8) program and Secondary Mathematics (grades 7-12) program are presented.

Volume 1 Issue 1, April 19, 2021 Stamatios Papadakis, Michail Kalogiannakis and Nicholas Zaranis

link between mathematical practices and mathematical knowledge is strengthened in didactical
situations that involve effective uses of technology with the use of developmentally appropriate
software. It has been suggested that within an appropriate pedagogical framework, the use of
mobile technologies can make mathematics more meaningful, practical, and engaging (Bray &
Tangney, 2016) as they provide children with an opportunity to learn and practice skills in an
engaging and interactive environment (Chmiliar, 2017).
Digital activities are particularly effective when designed to examine a specific problem
or teach a specific skill, encouraging learning in the thematic areas of the curriculum such as
mathematics, natural sciences, and language where the specific goals can be determined and
selectively developed within a context relevant to the learning activity and the specific target
(Johnson et al., 2011). For children aged three to five years old, digital educational activities
often focus on readiness skills for the kindergarten, including reading (letter recognition, letter
formation, correlation of sounds and letters, simple spelling), mathematics (recognition of
numbers, formation of numbers, counting, grouping), thinking and reasoning skills, perceptual
skills, daily life skills (hygiene), social skills, creativity, and self –expression; as well as the
understanding of concepts such as family relations, emotions, professions (Lieberman et al.,
2009b). Lieberman et al. (2009b) distinguish the quality of digital learning activities in the
following categories:
•
Well-designed activities provide powerful interactive experiences that can enhance young
children’s learning, foster skills development, and promote healthy development.
•
Poorly designed activities - simple, sedentary activities that contribute little to children’s
learning, skills development, or healthy development while potentially associated with
obesity and poor physical condition.
• Very poorly designed activities - can potentially cause considerable damage to children
either through strengthening the aggressive or antisocial behavior, approbating ethnic or
transgender stereotypes, and promoting bad eating standards.
A finding of several studies in children three to six years old correlates the benefits of using
digital activities in different sectors such as:
•
Learning - Digital activities can provide multiple educational services to children. Com-
parative studies have suggested that well-designed educational activities potentially
provide more motivation and encourage learning than traditional teaching methods
(Swing & Anderson, 2008).
•
Cognitive skills - Using digital activities, children learn cognitive skills through repetition,
as relevant studies have found improvements in operating memory, spatial ability, visual
attention (Thorell et al., 2009).
•
Social interaction - In preschool education, young children often engage in cooperative
social interaction when playing digital activities (Christie & Johnson, 2009).
Suppose materials for play and learning (including digital activities) are designed to indulge
the interests and abilities of children, as well as their instinct to learn. In that case, students are
more likely to develop and strengthen their initiative, attention, industriousness, and love for
learning (Kalogiannakis & Papadakis, 2020). However, not all digital activities are developmen-
tally appropriate or meticulously designed to enhance the procedure according to which young
children play and learn (Hirsh et al., 2015).
While much of the available literature on digital technologies in ECE focuses on the role
and use of computers by young children (Nikolopoulou & Gialamas, 2013), during the past
few years, there has been an increase in research and descriptive literature about the use of
other kinds of ICT focusing on the rising popularity of smart mobile technologies and mobile
applications (apps) (Papadakis, 2020a).
The intuitive nature of mobile touch screen tablet devices reduces the mental and spatial
demands needed to use and navigate the device (Papadakis & Kalogiannakis, 2017). These
devices allow incredibly young children to interactively engage intuitively with actions as simple
as touching, swiping, and pinching (Lovato & Waxman, 2016). The iPad and other tablets
are viewed as tools that increase student learning and achievement due to their multi-sensor
properties and various accompanying applications (Dittert et al., 2021). The touch and swipe
actions needed for touchscreen tablets remove the complex spatial knowledge required to
associate actions with the mouse or keyboard to the screen’s actions. These reduced cognitive
demands should increase attention to content and promote greater and more immediate learning
with mobile tablet devices than desktop computers. There are five specific affordances or
benefits associated with the use of tablets, such as portability, affordable and ubiquitous access,
situated just-in-time learning opportunities, connection, and convergence, individualized and
personalized experiences

Digital mathematics activities and children

The research into using digital technologies in developmentally appropriate mathematics
education methods is not new (Larkin & Calder, 2016). For over three decades, digital technolo-
gies have been part of mathematics educators’ repertoire of tools, knowledge, and processes
to enhance engagement and understanding in learning and teaching (Calder, 2015). Research
that focuses on best practice in the incorporation of technology in Early Childhood Education
(ECE) has shown the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can result in
improvements to student engagement, motivation, persistence, curiosity, and attention even with
preschoolers with concurrent risk for mathematics difficulties (Larkin, 2013;Moore et al., 2015;
Orlando & Attard, 2016).
Digital technologies may transform the way mathematics could be taught and learned with
the assimilation of the technologies to existing classroom practices. Although technologies
open the possibility for meaningful mathematics, still, in many cases, technologies are used to
substitute paper-and-pencil calculations or supplement graphing skills (Olive et al., 2010). The
Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research © 2021 by SyncSci Publishing &All rights reserved 7 of 18

Volume 1 Issue 1, April 19, 2021 Stamatios Papadakis, Michail Kalogiannakis and Nicholas Zaranis

link between mathematical practices and mathematical knowledge is strengthened in didactical
situations that involve effective uses of technology with the use of developmentally appropriate
software. It has been suggested that within an appropriate pedagogical framework, the use of
mobile technologies can make mathematics more meaningful, practical, and engaging (Bray &
Tangney, 2016) as they provide children with an opportunity to learn and practice skills in an
engaging and interactive environment (Chmiliar, 2017).
Digital activities are particularly effective when designed to examine a specific problem
or teach a specific skill, encouraging learning in the thematic areas of the curriculum such as
mathematics, natural sciences, and language where the specific goals can be determined and
selectively developed within a context relevant to the learning activity and the specific target
(Johnson et al., 2011). For children aged three to five years old, digital educational activities
often focus on readiness skills for the kindergarten, including reading (letter recognition, letter
formation, correlation of sounds and letters, simple spelling), mathematics (recognition of
numbers, formation of numbers, counting, grouping), thinking and reasoning skills, perceptual
skills, daily life skills (hygiene), social skills, creativity, and self –expression; as well as the
understanding of concepts such as family relations, emotions, professions (Lieberman et al.,
2009b). Lieberman et al. (2009b) distinguish the quality of digital learning activities in the
following categories:
•
Well-designed activities provide powerful interactive experiences that can enhance young
children’s learning, foster skills development, and promote healthy development.
•
Poorly designed activities - simple, sedentary activities that contribute little to children’s
learning, skills development, or healthy development while potentially associated with
obesity and poor physical condition.
• Very poorly designed activities - can potentially cause considerable damage to children
either through strengthening the aggressive or antisocial behavior, approbating ethnic or
transgender stereotypes, and promoting bad eating standards.
A finding of several studies in children three to six years old correlates the benefits of using
digital activities in different sectors such as:
•
Learning - Digital activities can provide multiple educational services to children. Com-
parative studies have suggested that well-designed educational activities potentially
provide more motivation and encourage learning than traditional teaching methods
(Swing & Anderson, 2008).
•
Cognitive skills - Using digital activities, children learn cognitive skills through repetition,
as relevant studies have found improvements in operating memory, spatial ability, visual
attention (Thorell et al., 2009).
•
Social interaction - In preschool education, young children often engage in cooperative
social interaction when playing digital activities (Christie & Johnson, 2009).
Suppose materials for play and learning (including digital activities) are designed to indulge
the interests and abilities of children, as well as their instinct to learn. In that case, students are
more likely to develop and strengthen their initiative, attention, industriousness, and love for
learning (Kalogiannakis & Papadakis, 2020). However, not all digital activities are developmen-
tally appropriate or meticulously designed to enhance the procedure according to which young
children play and learn (Hirsh et al., 2015).
While much of the available literature on digital technologies in ECE focuses on the role
and use of computers by young children (Nikolopoulou & Gialamas, 2013), during the past
few years, there has been an increase in research and descriptive literature about the use of
other kinds of ICT focusing on the rising popularity of smart mobile technologies and mobile
applications (apps) (Papadakis, 2020a).
The intuitive nature of mobile touch screen tablet devices reduces the mental and spatial
demands needed to use and navigate the device (Papadakis & Kalogiannakis, 2017). These
devices allow incredibly young children to interactively engage intuitively with actions as simple
as touching, swiping, and pinching (Lovato & Waxman, 2016). The iPad and other tablets
are viewed as tools that increase student learning and achievement due to their multi-sensor
properties and various accompanying applications (Dittert et al., 2021). The touch and swipe
actions needed for touchscreen tablets remove the complex spatial knowledge required to
associate actions with the mouse or keyboard to the screen’s actions. These reduced cognitive
demands should increase attention to content and promote greater and more immediate learning
with mobile tablet devices than desktop computers. There are five specific affordances or
benefits associated with the use of tablets, such as portability, affordable and ubiquitous access,
situated just-in-time learning opportunities, connection, and convergence, individualized and
personalized experiences
Digital mathematics activities and children
The research into using digital technologies in developmentally appropriate mathematics
education methods is not new (Larkin & Calder, 2016). For over three decades, digital technolo-
gies have been part of mathematics educators’ repertoire of tools, knowledge, and processes
to enhance engagement and understanding in learning and teaching (Calder, 2015). Research
that focuses on best practice in the incorporation of technology in Early Childhood Education
(ECE) has shown the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can result in
improvements to student engagement, motivation, persistence, curiosity, and attention even with
preschoolers with concurrent risk for mathematics difficulties (Larkin, 2013;Moore et al., 2015;
Orlando & Attard, 2016).
Digital technologies may transform the way mathematics could be taught and learned with
the assimilation of the technologies to existing classroom practices. Although technologies
open the possibility for meaningful mathematics, still, in many cases, technologies are used to
substitute paper-and-pencil calculations or supplement graphing skills (Olive et al., 2010). The
Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research © 2021 by SyncSci Publishing &All rights reserved 7 of 18

Volume 1 Issue 1, April 19, 2021 Stamatios Papadakis, Michail Kalogiannakis and Nicholas Zaranis

link between mathematical practices and mathematical knowledge is strengthened in didactical
situations that involve effective uses of technology with the use of developmentally appropriate
software. It has been suggested that within an appropriate pedagogical framework, the use of
mobile technologies can make mathematics more meaningful, practical, and engaging (Bray &
Tangney, 2016) as they provide children with an opportunity to learn and practice skills in an
engaging and interactive environment (Chmiliar, 2017).
Digital activities are particularly effective when designed to examine a specific problem
or teach a specific skill, encouraging learning in the thematic areas of the curriculum such as
mathematics, natural sciences, and language where the specific goals can be determined and
selectively developed within a context relevant to the learning activity and the specific target
(Johnson et al., 2011). For children aged three to five years old, digital educational activities
often focus on readiness skills for the kindergarten, including reading (letter recognition, letter
formation, correlation of sounds and letters, simple spelling), mathematics (recognition of
numbers, formation of numbers, counting, grouping), thinking and reasoning skills, perceptual
skills, daily life skills (hygiene), social skills, creativity, and self –expression; as well as the
understanding of concepts such as family relations, emotions, professions (Lieberman et al.,
2009b). Lieberman et al. (2009b) distinguish the quality of digital learning activities in the
following categories:
•
Well-designed activities provide powerful interactive experiences that can enhance young
children’s learning, foster skills development, and promote healthy development.
•
Poorly designed activities - simple, sedentary activities that contribute little to children’s
learning, skills development, or healthy development while potentially associated with
obesity and poor physical condition.
• Very poorly designed activities - can potentially cause considerable damage to children
either through strengthening the aggressive or antisocial behavior, approbating ethnic or
transgender stereotypes, and promoting bad eating standards.
A finding of several studies in children three to six years old correlates the benefits of using
digital activities in different sectors such as:
•
Learning - Digital activities can provide multiple educational services to children. Com-
parative studies have suggested that well-designed educational activities potentially
provide more motivation and encourage learning than traditional teaching methods
(Swing & Anderson, 2008).
•
Cognitive skills - Using digital activities, children learn cognitive skills through repetition,
as relevant studies have found improvements in operating memory, spatial ability, visual
attention (Thorell et al., 2009).
•
Social interaction - In preschool education, young children often engage in cooperative
social interaction when playing digital activities (Christie & Johnson, 2009).
Suppose materials for play and learning (including digital activities) are designed to indulge
the interests and abilities of children, as well as their instinct to learn. In that case, students are
more likely to develop and strengthen their initiative, attention, industriousness, and love for
learning (Kalogiannakis & Papadakis, 2020). However, not all digital activities are developmen-
tally appropriate or meticulously designed to enhance the procedure according to which young
children play and learn (Hirsh et al., 2015).
While much of the available literature on digital technologies in ECE focuses on the role
and use of computers by young children (Nikolopoulou & Gialamas, 2013), during the past
few years, there has been an increase in research and descriptive literature about the use of
other kinds of ICT focusing on the rising popularity of smart mobile technologies and mobile
applications (apps) (Papadakis, 2020a).
The intuitive nature of mobile touch screen tablet devices reduces the mental and spatial
demands needed to use and navigate the device (Papadakis & Kalogiannakis, 2017). These
devices allow incredibly young children to interactively engage intuitively with actions as simple
as touching, swiping, and pinching (Lovato & Waxman, 2016). The iPad and other tablets
are viewed as tools that increase student learning and achievement due to their multi-sensor
properties and various accompanying applications (Dittert et al., 2021). The touch and swipe
actions needed for touchscreen tablets remove the complex spatial knowledge required to
associate actions with the mouse or keyboard to the screen’s actions. These reduced cognitive
demands should increase attention to content and promote greater and more immediate learning
with mobile tablet devices than desktop computers. There are five specific affordances or
benefits associated with the use of tablets, such as portability, affordable and ubiquitous access,
situated just-in-time learning opportunities, connection, and convergence, individualized and
personalized experiences