Abstract
This qualitative study examined emerging inquiries and dialogue of five- to six-year-old
kindergartners (9 boys and 9 girls) taking place around computers as they engaged in a
mapping project in a technology-rich classroom in the U.S. Discourse analysis of young
children’s conversations in a technology-rich classroom shed light on their perceptions
of computer-based technology as a learning tool. Key findings revealed: (a) cumulative
talk patterns among the children evolved into exploratory talk; (b) children’s thinking,
questioning, and talking was purposeful, reflective, and autonomous; (c) children’s speech
and dialogue influenced their emergent technological literacy skills; (d) peer collaboration
and teacher input scaffolded student development; and (e) students discovered personal
preferences in using various tools.
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