Children and Digital Technologies. Dialogue Perspectives for Exploring Cultural Heritage in Early Childhood Centers

Within our early childhood centers, we carry out educational projects that, starting from a holistic view of the individual and an idea of human ecology, promote the comprehensive and integrated development of children. We operate within a concept of the child that sees the latter as an integral part of the natural, social, cultural, and anthropological context to which he or she belongs, in a relationship of balance and reciprocity among the different elements. Based on this vision, we take on the responsibility of guiding children in forming a critical mind that can use media consciously, viewing the latter as tools that amplify the possibilities of knowledge and offer additional languages to accompany discoveries and experiences. With this objective in mind, we propose the use of devices, apps, and digital resources to guide the discovery of cultural heritage, especially in relation to the artistic and local dimension, understood as knowledge of the history, culture, and traditions of the context in which the early childhood center is a part. This choice stems from the belief that, on one hand, the early childhood center represents a place of exchange and encounter, a container of relationships, experiences, and new knowledge, and a promoter of local traditions and culture. On the other hand, it is believed that art, in its various forms, engages all the senses of the child and strengthens their cognitive, socio-emotional, and multisensory skills. Within our early childhood centers, we carry out educational projects that, starting from a holistic view of the individual and an idea of human ecology, promote the comprehensive and integrated development of children. We operate within a concept of the child that sees the latter as an integral part of the natural, social, cultural, and anthropological context to which he or she belongs, in a relationship of balance and reciprocity among the different elements.