A Little About Me

About 10 years ago, while obtaining my master’s at Erikson Institute, I developed an interest in children’s technology and media while watching my  nieces and  younger cousins utilize new devices seamlessly. That interest emerged into a passion and has become the center of my professional career. My love for children’s technology and media has blended with my concern about issues related to culture and diversity.

The combination of these areas influence my work as a researcher, writer, and educator and I am consistently asking critical questions to move the field forward. Whether I am working with educators on integrating technology in their setting, teaching children and youth about design principles, or sitting on a development team, I enjoy translating research to practice in order to provide guidance on the design and use of technological tools that will support children’s growth and learning.

I hope you enjoy my site and find something here that is useful with you. Feel free to explore and contact me with any questions and suggestions.

Amanda LaTasha Armstrong

(she/her/hers)

Supporting Diversity and Technology Integration in Educational Settings

“Educators can create an atmosphere where children feel open to exploring and learning about these [technological] tools to build their curiosity, exploration, and creativity…[and] help children use technology to connect to the world…Creating these authentic experiences will help children discover the meaning of being a digital citizen and a young connector in the 21st century.”

~ “Connected Educator – Connected Learner: The Evolving Roles of Teachers in the 21st century and beyond” in Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years, Armstrong (2015)

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“Children use adults—including educators—as reference points for how to react to others. Understanding one’s own preferences and biases is helpful in determining whether social bias toward certain groups is being perpetuated in classrooms. These biases and preferences may be influencing children’s interactions with peers in their classroom as well as educators’ selection of the activities, projects, books, and images they present in the classroom.

Educators can become more aware of their own biases by dialoguing with other educators and sharing their stories related to their own cultural identity.”

~ Edutopia, “Bias Starts as Early as Preschool, but Can Be Unlearned“,  Armstrong, (2019)

 

Conversations with Developers


“What We’ve Learning about Creating Diverse Characters”, Dust or
Magic Institute on the Design of Children’s Interactive Media (2017)

 


“Using Formative Research to Inform Design of Serious Games” in Project Briefs: Reaching Underserved Audiences Session, Games for Change (2019)
Panel with: S. Reid, A. Armstrong, M. Burns Ortiz, R. Saouma & T. Schrader