When the technology disappears

In spite of the view that young children are more tech savvy and confident and advances have been made in design and usability, children still need guidance and support from others who are more capable. Educators are experts at supporting and facilitating play and learning, but some educators are not as comfortable with providing support for digital play and learning for a variety of reasons. This essay provides links with the concepts of co-viewing, co-use, joint media engagement and media mentors. A distinction between face-to-face (i.e. proximal) support and ways of supporting interaction that are more remote in terms of time and space (i.e. distal) is discussed. The concepts of ‘active presence’ and ‘remote presence’ are considered and connections with the proximal and distal dimensions of guided interaction are described. While support is often provided through spoken language, i.e. the adult engages the child in conversation about what they’re doing, connects it to their experiences and finds ways of extending the learning beyond the screen, an adult’s presence is not always possible, required or desirable. The essay discusses the importance of knowing when to step back as the right thing to do and explores ways of providing support that don’t depend on face-to-face presence or spoken language.