Lisa Terreni is a senior lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington's Faculty of Education, teaching in the early childhood education degree programs. She has been involved in early childhood education for many years, as a kindergarten teacher, a senior teacher, and a professional development adviser for the New Zealand Ministry of Education. She is also an artist. Lisa's research interests focus on exploring how visual art can be used to enhance young children's thinking, communication, and multiliteracy skills. She also has a keen interest in social and cultural diversity and how teachers can meet the needs of diverse communities. Her master's in education research focused on children's and teachers' use of an interactive whiteboard for visual art in a kindergarten setting. Her current PhD research is examining early childhood access to and use of art museums and galleries in New Zealand.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS, in New Zealand and internationally, are increasingly using information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance learning opportunities for young children in their care. The types of ICTs being used in early childhood settings often include computers, digital cameras, video cameras, and DVD players. The Internet is also being accessed by teachers to assist inquiry-based learning or to find information that builds on children's learning interests. Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs), a relatively new type of ICT, are now being used in some early childhood programs in New Zealand, and this new technology has the potential to add a new dimension to children's visual art learning experiences. This article explores how ICTs, such as IWBs, can add new possibilities for both teaching and learning in the visual arts in early childhood settings.

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In this article, we examine how teachers in two kindergartens, one in New Zealand and one in China, used the stimulus of a fictional story combining mythical creatures from Māori and Chinese culture to enhance young children's sense of place and cultural identity. Sociocultural understandings about the role of collaboration and cultural tools in meaning-making informed the research design. Teachers' documentation about the children's learning throughout the project was analysed and focus group interviews were conducted with teachers and parents. Findings demonstrated that story-telling provided an effective stimulus for children's learning using a range of multi-literacies. It was also helpful for exploring and connecting children, teachers and families with significant aspects of the cultural backgrounds of the children. The research also revealed that teachers engaged in intentional teaching practices to achieve these outcomes but experienced challenges (pedagogical knots) as they used the story. Nonetheless, we argue that the use of storytelling can be a powerful tool for fostering greater understanding for children, teachers and families of their own and others' cultures.

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