In and out digital worlds. Hybrid-transitions as a space for children’s agency: case-studies from Early Years settings in Boston and London

Farini, F. and Scollan, A. (2018) In and out digital worlds. Hybrid-transitions as a space for children’s agency: case-studies from Early Years settings in Boston and London. Invited Presentation presented to: European Sociological Association Research Network 04 (ESA RN04): Sociology of Children and Childhood Conference, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Lisbon, 23-25 May 2018.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Invited Presentation)
Abstract:	Introduction: Whilst psycho-pedagogical research has explored how technology impacts on child’s development (Siraj-Blatchford, 2006; Morgan&Siraj-Blatchford, 2013; Levin, 2013; Marsh, 2010), the implications of the use of digital technologies in educational settings for children’s agency remains an under-researched area. Problem: This contribution introduces the concept of hybrid-transitions as a theoretical tool the social dimension of a child’s movement from immersion in digitally-enhanced experiences generated by educational technologies to participation in non-digitally mediated interactions. Hybrid-transitions are dense social spaces where children’s agency (James, 2009; Baraldi, 2015) is observable as authorship of narratives based on digitally-enhanced experiences that evolve into shared narrative through interaction with peers or adults. Methodology: The discussion is based on data produced through participant observation (Fine, 2003) taking place in two settings. The first setting is a pre-kindergarten in Dorchester, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Boston. Children enrolled in the settings are between 2 and 5 years old, many from Hispanic/Latino background. The observations concerned the use of a software for the development of communication skills for children age 4 to 5 with English as second language. Two PC were software-enhanced, allowing four children to work at the same time during 30 minutes sessions; eight children were observed over two weeks. The second setting is a nursery in Barnet (London), providing for 25 children age 2 to 4. Five children age 4 were observed for one month using software-enhanced tablets during 15/20 minutes activities designed to support them in building vocabulary. The researcher took field notes and audio-taped children’s interactions during the use of digital learning technologies and while re-joining the other children in a group. Results: Observations suggest that the experiences enhanced by digital technology become the pivot for children’s production of interlaced narratives (Norrick, 2007; 2013; Stone&Bietti, 2016). During hybrid transitions, digital experiences are shared via personal narratives linking ideas, experiences and emotions. It is argued that interlaced narratives, and their interactive co-construction, represent a form of agency within the peer-groups. However, data evidence divergence between children’s agency and the network of relationships and expectations constituting the context of children’s action (Bjerke, 2011; Wyness, 2014; Leonard, 2016). Hybrid-transitions eludes adults’ curricula-driven agenda and children’s agency becomes the blind spot of the adult. Conclusion: It is suggested that adults’ working in digitally-enhanced educational settings tune into hybrid-transitions as an opportunity to appreciate spaces of agency that children co-construct while moving between digital and non-digital worlds.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Early years education, digital technology, hybrid-transitions, narratives, young children’s agency
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1139 Early childhood education
Creators:	Farini, Federico and Scollan, Angela
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:	Faculties > Faculty of Health & Society > Applied Social Studies & Sociology
Date:	23 May 2018
Date Type:	Publication
Event Title:	European Sociological Association Research Network 04 (ESA RN04): Sociology of Children and Childhood Conference
Event Dates:	23-25 May 2018
Event Location:	Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Lisbon
Event Type:	Conference
Language:	English
Status:	Published / Disseminated
Refereed:	Yes
Related URLs:	Conference
References:	Baraldi, C. (2014). Children's participation in communication systems: A theoretical perspective to shape research. Soul of Society: A Focus on the Lives of Children and Youth, 18, 18: 63-92 Baraldi, C. (2015). Promotion of Migrant Children's Epistemic Status and Authority in Early School Life. International Journal of Early Childhood, 47(1): 5-25 Bjerke, H. (2011). It’s the way to do it. Expressions of agency in child-adult relations at home and school. Children & Society, 25(2): 93–103. Fine, G.A. (2003). Towards a peopled ethnography developing theory from group life. Ethnography, 4(1), 41-60. James, A. (2009). ‘Agency’. In J. Qvortrup, G. Valentine, W. Corsaro, & M. S. Honig (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of Childhood Studies (pp. 34–45). Basingstoke: Palgrave. Leonard, M. (2016). Sociology of Children, Childhood and Generation. London: Sage. Levin, D. (2013) Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood: Teaching Children in the Media Age. Boston: NAEYC Marsh, J. (2010) Young children’s play in online virtual worlds. Journal of Educational Research, 8(1) Morgan, A., Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2013) Using ICT in the Early Years: Parents and Practitioners in Partnership. London: Practical Pre-School Books Norrick, N. (2007). Conversational storytelling. In D. Herman (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Narrative. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 127-141 Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2006) A curriculum development guide to ICT in Early Childhood Education. Nottingham: Trentham Books Wyness, M. (2014). Childhood. London: Polity. Stone, C. B. and Bietti, L. (2016). Contextualizing Human Memory. An interdisciplinary approach to understanding how individuals and groups remember the past. New York: Routledge.
URI:	http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/10318

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