ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we visit three early years mathematics classrooms in two schools to observe how the teachers are using technology in their mathematics teaching practices. In the pre-school setting, we visit Sharon's classroom where her four-year-old students are avid and natural users of technology for learning mathematics. We see how Sharon combines technology-based lesson activities with non-technology-based components and observe how the students move between these activities with ease. Then we meet Ashleigh, who teaches a combined Year 1/2 class. She also provides a variety of digital and non-digital activities for her students; however, her school context is not as technology-rich as other classrooms we have visited for this book. Despite these limitations, Ashleigh demonstrates considerable creativity in the ways in which she uses the technological resources at her disposal. Finally, we visit the classroom of a special needs teacher, Rebecca, who uses technology to individually tailor the learning experience for each of her high-needs students. In this learning context, Rebecca has to give substantial thought to the apps that chooses, as most are not specifically designed for this particular learning context. Despite the differences observed in each of the classrooms, we also observe commonalities with both schools prioritising the professional learning needs of their teachers and also recognising the importance of communication with parents in relation to technology use for learning.
