{"id":6,"date":"2026-05-14T12:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T09:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/veerarenfors\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:31:08","slug":"digi-society","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/veerarenfors\/digi-society\/","title":{"rendered":"DIGI SOCIETY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Digitalization in Early Childhood Education<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am trained as a Bachelor of Social Services, and throughout my career so far I have worked as an early childhood education teacher in daycare centers. Digitalization has changed working life in almost every field, and early childhood education is no exception. Over the past ten years, I have been able to observe how the use of digital tools has increased in the daily life of daycare centers, and how it has also changed the ways work is carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early childhood education, digitalization can be seen, for example, in the documentation of activities and children\u2019s records, communication, and pedagogical planning. Previously, many documents existed in paper form (such as children\u2019s individual early childhood education plans), but nowadays several different electronic systems are used for creating plans, recording attendance, and communicating with guardians. These applications and software programs have improved the flow of information between homes and daycare centers, and information can now be shared with families almost in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel that digitalization has brought many benefits to my work. Sharing and storing information has become easier, and cooperation with colleagues and other professionals, even those located farther away, has become smoother thanks to remote meetings and online training opportunities. In addition, teaching children digital skills has become more emphasized, and these skills can nowadays be seen as important civic skills. Of course, digitalization has also brought challenges; learning to use new systems can take time, and technical problems may create additional challenges during the workday. Furthermore, not everyone has the same level of digital skills as I do as a so-called digital native. However, when working with children, the most important thing is genuine presence and authentic interaction, which cannot happen while staring at screens. Overall, I believe it is important that technology remains a supportive tool in early childhood education work, but it should never replace genuine human interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digitalization in the Future and Its Risks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development of technology and digitalization is already visible in many ways both in personal life and in working life. In working life, remote work is increasing, and artificial intelligence is already being utilized almost everywhere. It makes work easier and can also improve efficiency. Some tasks can already be handled completely digitally. Therefore, artificial intelligence can also be seen as a threat to certain jobs and professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In personal life, many services nowadays operate through electronic transactions and online services. Social media is used by almost everyone, and social media platforms also serve as a business card for companies. For example, when I research a company, I often look at their Facebook or Instagram pages, and based on them I may decide whether I want to use their services. Online platforms can be used for banking, doctor\u2019s appointments, and keeping in touch with friends. However, I also think about elderly people and their risk of being excluded from services if everything becomes digital and they do not have the necessary skills to use these services. It is important to ensure that services remain equally accessible to everyone. The digital society and technological development also involve risks related to data security and privacy protection. Identity theft, data breaches, and various online scams are increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GDPR and Its Effects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early childhood education work, following data protection regulations is important because sensitive information about children and families is handled in the work. GDPR has increased professionals\u2019 awareness of the responsible and secure handling of personal data. It has also introduced new and clearer practices for storing, maintaining, and sharing information. Data protection better safeguards people\u2019s privacy, and nowadays people have better opportunities to know what information is collected about them and how it is used. On the negative side, data protection practices can be seen as complex, and even small mistakes in handling personal data may cause problems. Overall, I believe GDPR has increased awareness of data protection and also encouraged people to think about how much information is collected about us on the internet and social media without our knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ChatGPT and the Use of Artificial Intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked artificial intelligence questions related to my work in early childhood education. I asked how an early childhood education plan is created. ChatGPT\u2019s answer was correct and comprehensive. I also received a link to the Finnish National Agency for Education\u2019s website regarding the national core curriculum for early childhood education. My second question concerned changes in learning support in early childhood education. In this case as well, the AI\u2019s answer was correct. The responses were clear and based on factual information, so at least in these cases I could trust the AI\u2019s answers. However, when using artificial intelligence, it is always important to remain critical and verify facts. Sometimes the answers given by AI can be completely incorrect, but as an everyday tool I think it works very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing this assignment has made me reflect on the significance of digitalization in my own life and in working life. I had not previously stopped to think about how much it has increased in my everyday life over, for example, a ten-year period. The development has been enormous. Nowadays almost everything can be handled on a phone while sitting on the couch at home. Digitalization constantly enables more possibilities for us, but it also has its disadvantages. As I mentioned earlier, genuine human presence and interaction with others may suffer, and some people may be excluded from services because their digital skills are not sufficient. I hope that in the future online services will better take into account those customer groups who need more support in using these services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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