Already before starting school educational disadvantages in the fields of reading and media socialization can be identified in Germany. Generally affected are children from less educated families and/or with migration background. Therefore, in September 2010 an exceptional intervention and research project KidSmart – media competenceby entering school was initiated in the area of early childhood education. This is a cooperative project between IBM Germany, two Universities (TU-Dortmund/PH-Ludwigsburg) and the City of Dortmund; Germany). Within this project, media-pedagogical work corresponds with preparation for entering school. The intention is to create a counterbalance to passive media use by creative media work.  The scope of the project is to fight against early educational disadvantages. All the involved kindergartens and all-day schools are therefore chiefly situated in socially less developed districts with a high percentage of migrants (70 %). The project is focused on supporting children from socially disadvantaged families and with migration background.

International studies have shown that media clearly play a key role in children’s lives. The few investigations which analyze the media use of kindergarten children, demonstrate that toddlers are already using a huge – even convergent – media ensemble. But kindergarten teachers and parents are often overburdened and not able to support children in selecting media contents consciously and critically. They cannot succeed in encouraging the usage of media (especially electronic) in creative and productive ways. Therefore, the KidSmart project tries to offer both: scientific and pedagogical monitoring with academic guidance and local practical support by student teachers of the University of Dortmund.

The target group consists of this trisection: Kindergarten teachers, preschool children and finally their parents. For three years, they will be accompanied continually in three phases from kindergarten to the first level of primary school:

Phase 1:

• 21 kindergartens
• about 175 kindergarten teachers
• about 300 children age 4/5
• 17 students

Phase 2:

• 32 kindergartens
• about 300 kindergarten teachers
• about 450 children age 4/6
• 14 students

Phase 3 (9/2012 – 6/2013: in planning):

• 6 all-day schools
• kindergarten teachers
• children age  6/7
• students

 The participating kindergarten teachers develop, in cooperation with students, media projects on everyday topics which are based on the kindergarten curriculum of that region of Germany. The full range of media should be used: from book across digital camera to hybrid medium computer.

Project objectives in the area of research:

• complete and authentic compilation of media reality in kindergartens with special focus on gender aspects and cultural diversity
• creation of sustainable conceptions in reducing educational disadvantages with special focus on gender aspects and cultural diversity
• building research networks in university education
• Project objectives in the area of intervention:
• teaching of media literacy and media-pedagogical skills of kindergarten teachers and student teachers in terms of advanced training schemes
• offsetting educational differences by integrative measures for media education
• involvement of parents by active media work
• (educational political) networking between family, kindergarten, school, university and industry

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