Children are drawn to technological tools. Technological “toys” are available for children of all ages. Children’s innate interest in technology should never be used to replace active play, but it can be used positively in different ways.

Appropriate use of digital media in a program for children from birth to age three means that it is presented as part of the program, without replacing what is already successfully in place.  Until research is published regarding the effect of technology use on very young children, a limit of two to three  nursery rhymes presented with technological tools should be adhered to in each MGOL session. Parents can be reminded that children learn best when playing WITH the adult in their lives, and this applies to using technology tools as well.

When handled with careful consideration, in moderation; in ways that fit in with the program’s intent and don’t overwhelm, that enhance but don’t replace, and that encourage parent/child interaction, digital media is appropriate for use in a Mother Goose on the Loose program. 

In Mother Goose on the Loose the librarian is a facilitator rather than a performer. The facilitator's goal is to encourage parents to be a child’s first and best teacher by modeling actions, giving them songs to sing, showing them how to use the tools available to them, and explaining how to access those tools at home or in other places outside of the library. This agenda can apply to the use of technology as well as to the use of books and musical props. Integrating technology into our programs in a well-thought out way serves an important purpose. As educators, we are providing a model for parents to use technology with their children in age appropriate ways.

Digital media should not replace books; rather it should be used to expand and enhance what already exists, in moderation. Here are a few examples.

MGOL Examples:

• Using a Smart Board for enhancing programming.
  • For instance, when singing a song about colors, show the color mentioned. If the song is about red, the entire smart board can turn red. If the color in the song is switched to blue, the smart board can turn blue.
• Using a playlist on an iPod for playing songs during library programs.
• Using an iPad during MGOL sessions to expand songs.
  • For instance, when singing about the sounds animals make, show a photograph of the animal on the iPad and give children the opportunity to hear the sounds that each animal actually makes. The children can be invited to mimic the animal sounds. This gives children the experience of hearing and making actual animal sounds rather than reciting words that represent animal sounds such as “Moo, moo, moo.”
• Creating movements to go along with recorded music.
  • For instance, try dancing a jazzy version of “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” from Toddlers Sing. Once the children learn all movements from weekly repetitions of the rhyme, invite parents to use their phones to make a video and show it to their children at home.
• Handing out colored scarves and waving them to songs or videos.
  • While showing a video of "Puff the Magic Dragon, lead the children in waving scarves to the song.
• Projecting images from the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL- a database that contains picture books from around the world) onto a screen. This allows children to see small details in picture book illustrations that they might otherwise have missed and enables them to decode storylines for themselves via the illustrations (especially in wordless books), experiencing narrative skills long before they have learned to read words.
• Using apps or recordings for sound effects.
  • Use the app “Fake a Bell” to make bell-like sounds.