ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the challenges and benefits of using online communities to enhance children's learning. It explores how practitioners might use digital media in their daily interactions with children and as part of their own professional networking activities. The chapter discusses the role of technology in establishing links between children's homes and early years settings. It offers examples of these themes in practice through a detailed case study of how the Leicestershire Early Years Writing Project used technology to build communities of practice among practitioners, parents and children. Recent technological developments such as the growth of mobile devices and ubiquitous connectivity have led to significant changes in the way we communicate. Practitioners are beginning to recognise the potential for social media to provide opportunities for sharing and learning with like-minded peers around the world. Parents' engagement in their children's learning is paramount, and technology can strengthen the three-way relationship between parents, schools and learners.
