by Author Ali Harmer

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Can anyone make this bit of Tech?

Can someone make my idea for a piece of early years technology into a reality please?

Discussion of technology use in the Early Years is in its infancy with strong opinions on either side. Some say it’s “too much too soon” and others point out that depriving a child access to the digital world is irresponsible. I think they’re both right and fortunately young children are competent, quick learners who ably let us know if something is not good enough.

I do feel technology’s a bit “Wild West” at the moment. We focus on what is possible to achieve  rather than what is needed. Occasionally the two overlap but currently for someone under three years old I’ve not come across any tech that is as good as an interested, engaged human being.

But I have an idea originating from the need to engage a child with eye contact, movement, expression and generative, high quality music:

A perspex (?) flat screen (about 40cms wide and 60 cms high) that sits between me and a child so I can see the child through it. As we touch the screen paint colours appear (like Bloom but without the looping) and sounds are created through touching the screen (programmable X-Y like Thumb Jam).

Can the screen be a speaker too? Or the speaker could fit in the base.

We paint, we play, we vocalise and we react to each other. It’s multi-modal, makes beautiful sounds. You get a haptic response and a human one.

I want one! Who can make it?