This paper describes how a group of preschool teachers participating in a design workshop sketched ideas for how ICT (information and communication technology) can be developed in relation to preschool practice. The design process, which was modelled on creative research methods and future workshops, is presented in detail. The main findings, based on a data-driven analysis of verbal and written statements and design sketches, show that ICT is mainly conceptualised as either a possibility in the support of specific competences (such as language development) or a threat to, for example, the notion of real communication and also to well-established conceptualisations of preschool practice.
Keywords Preschool Teachers, Future Workshop, Design
THEME AND OBJECTIVEIn times when digital media are ubiquitous, and more and more children use an increasing variety of digital media at an earlier age than ever before, such media are still new phenomena within many formal educational settings in general, and in preschool practice in particular. Even though there are testimonials of benefits from using digital media in preschool, from research as well as practice, the actual use of information and communication technology (ICT) in preschool is limited. This article addresses this complexity, by investigating Swedish preschool teachers' conceptualisation of digital media, in order to better understand what possibilities, and obstacles, preschool teachers experience in using digital media in their everyday pedagogical profession. The assumption is that it is of uttermost importance that pedagogical staff within formal educational settings develop a critical understanding and an adequate use of such media, in order to better meet the needs and expectations of young children.In this vein, a workshop with twelve preschool teachers was conducted in January 2014, focusing on how ICT in general, and tablets in particular, can be used and developed to support the development of young children. The introductory literature review will therefore focus on what qualities ICT brings to preschool (and early childhood education) practice, rather than elaborating on studies concerning the challenges of implementation (Howard, Miles, & Rees-