Applying the TDC Framework to Parent Workshops

 





Introduction

In the Oklahoma City metro area, young children have access to library technology programs, but many parents lack guidance on using digital tools intentionally for learning. My technology integration plan focuses on parent workshops at the Belle Isle Library, Warr Acres Library, and Patience S. Latting Northwest Library. These workshops aim to help parents use technology purposefully to support early literacy, numeracy, and STEAM development. The plan is guided by the Teacher Digital Competency (TDC) Framework (Falloon, 2020), which emphasizes not just skills but safe, ethical, and intentional use of technology.

Stakeholders

To design and implement these workshops, I would first engage:

  • Parents and guardians, who are primary learners and implementers of technology at home.
  • Library staff, who facilitate sessions and provide ongoing support.
  • Early childhood educators and specialists, who guide curriculum development and ensure content is age-appropriate.
  • Community organizations, for outreach, resources, and program evaluation.
  • Children, as indirect stakeholders, benefit from improved parental guidance and enhanced learning experiences.

Engaging a broad range of stakeholders ensures inclusivity and leverages trust, expertise, and resources within the community.

Alignment with Current Projects and Goals

The workshops will integrate with existing library programs:

  • Storytime
  • Makerspaces
  • STEAM activities
  • Coding initiatives like Fiero Code

Embedding parent guidance into familiar routines ensures training complements existing programs. This approach encourages intentional technology use, rather than passive engagement, while supporting children’s early learning goals.

Capacity-Building and Collaborative Learning

Workshops will be:

  • Hands-on and interactive, allowing parents to explore educational apps and guided learning strategies.
  • Structured around TDC principles, emphasizing safe, ethical, and purposeful technology use.
  • Sustainable, with professional development for library staff so they can continue the program independently.
  • Reflective, enabling parents and staff to discuss challenges, share strategies, and reinforce learning together.

Outcomes and Feedback

Effectiveness of the workshops will be assessed using:

  • Parent attendance and engagement
  • Pre- and post-workshop surveys measuring confidence and understanding of guiding children’s technology use
  • Observation of children’s engagement with technology during library programs
  • Feedback from librarians and community partners
  • Follow-up surveys or interviews to track whether parents continue intentional technology use at home

These outcomes focus on both access and meaningful use, addressing the digital divide and ensuring that technology supports learning, not just entertainment.

Model for Change: Teacher Digital Competency (TDC) Framework

The TDC Framework (Falloon, 2020) provides a holistic view of digital competence, including:

  • Technical skills and knowledge
  • Ethical, safe, and intentional use of technology
  • Integration of digital tools to enhance learning

Applied to my parent workshops, TDC supports both digital leadership and capacity-building: librarians and educators model effective technology use, while parents gain practical strategies to guide children’s learning. Unlike frameworks such as SAMR or PIC-RAT, which are more conceptual, TDC offers hands-on guidance for real-world application in the community.

Conclusion

Bridging the digital divide for young children requires more than providing access to devices; it requires equipping parents to use technology intentionally. By implementing TDC-informed workshops at the Belle Isle, Warr Acres, and Patience S. Latting Northwest Libraries, parents can become empowered facilitators of early learning. Over time, these workshops can:

  • Increase parental confidence and engagement
  • Foster active learning at home
  • Support literacy, numeracy, and STEAM development
  • Reinforce libraries’ role as hubs for digital equity

This plan offers a clear, actionable path to ensure that technology access translates into meaningful educational growth for children in the Oklahoma City metro area.








References

Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: The teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68, 2449–2472.

Chiong, C., Ree, A., & Takeuchi, L. (2019). Parent mediation and young children’s technology use. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 19(3), 339–361.

Aslan, S., et al. (2023). Impact of multimodal AI systems on parent guidance in technology use. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(4), 1625–1650.

Metropolitan Library System. (2024). Children programs. https://www.metrolibrary.org/explore/audience/children

Comments

  1. Carmie BealMarch 26, 2026 at 9:33 AM

    Hi, Lauren

    I really enjoyed reading your plan because it focuses on something that often gets overlooked. It focuses on helping parents actually understand how to use technology in a meaningful way, not just giving access to it. In my experience as a teacher, I’ve seen that when parents feel confident with technology, it makes a huge difference in how students engage and succeed. Your idea of targeting parents through workshops is practical and impactful. I also like how you’re connecting the workshops to existing library programs like Storytime and STEAM activities. That makes everything feel more natural and less overwhelming for families, which is important. When learning is built into something they’re already familiar with, participation is usually much higher. Using the Teacher Digital Competency Framework is a strong choice as well. I think the focus on safe, ethical, and intentional use is exactly what’s needed, especially with younger children. One small suggestion I have would be to maybe include something parents can take home, like a quick guide or short videos, so they can revisit what they learned. Overall, your plan feels thoughtful, realistic, and something that could truly make a difference for families and students.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How People Learn II Week 3

     Hello Everyone,      This week, I created an infographic in Canva that focuses on Processes That Support Learning . To begin, I created a free Canva account and summarized the key ideas from the chapter, connecting them to the insights of Gura , Rivero , and the ISTE Standards . The infographic highlights how educators can support learning by giving students opportunities to be creative , imaginative , and innovative designers of their own knowledge. I really enjoyed designing the visual itself, but figuring out how to embed it into my Blogger post was definitely the hardest part. Even though it was challenging, I’m proud that I learned something new—and I hope I remember how to do it again in the future!   Your paragraph text by Lauren Thomas
Read more

Bridging Digital Gaps in Early Learning: Lessons from Research/ WK 2

Image
  Local libraries are a major source of education and technological access for families with little children in my neighborhood. Children have access to computers, toys, and books at the Warr Acres, Belle Isle, and Patience S. Latting Northwest Libraries, but there is little parental supervision of technology use.   Children may interact passively with technology , as many parents are preoccupied or allow screen time as a break. There are currently no parent workshops  focused on helping families make deliberate use of technology, despite libraries offering programs like story time and STEM activities.   This presents a clear example of the digital divide extending beyond access to technology into digital skills and usage patterns (Van Dijk, 2017; Turner Lee, 2018). According to research on digital readiness before COVID-19, there were gaps in students' digital skills before the epidemic (Van de Werfhorst et al., 2018). Gender, socioeconomic ba...
Read more