Abstract:

This study aims to analyses the contribution of technologies, in particular smartwatches and exergames, in the development of motor skills during the age of development. Through the analysis of some scientific contributions of the literature, we investigate the relationships between motor skills and digital competences of children within the school context. In an increasingly digitalized world, technologies are parts of the school, particularly in Physical Education. This new opportunity expands teaching and creates connections with other disciplines. Teachers have to select the tools proposed, according on the objectives and learner’s age.

Introduction:
The digital devices are spreading fast and this can be considered a worrying phenomenon, especially for children. In 2017, Common Sense Census study revealed that the spread of smartphones and tablets has grown from 63% to 95% and 40% to 78% respectively over 4 years. Therefore, mobile devices are present in 98% of homes where a child under 8 years of age lives and 84% of them have been using a mobile device since early childhood (CENSUS, 2017, p. 22). In Italy and Bulgaria, there are still few data on this subject, but the survey conducted by Telefono Azzurro (2012) reports that 38% of children under 2 years of age have already used a mobile device for playing or watching videos (Ripamonti, 2016, p. 147).

Methodology:
The current study wishes to verify the contribution of technology to the physical and psychological development of children. Within the school environment, technologies can lead to a great opportunity: in fact, they contribute to expand disciplinary education by leveraging pupils' interests and skills. Research focuses on technological devices that are commonly designed for physical activity, such as smartwatches, pedometers and active video games (exergames). Three specialized scientific databases have been used to identify the articles: ERIC, Ebsco Urbis Integrate Research, PubMed and from here, articles published in national and international journals have been selected. The keywords used for the research were: technologies, motor skills, motor development, physical education, primary school, body, motor activity, exergames, digital devices.

Revision:
Technologies enable an expansion of disciplinary teaching, helping to structure connections with other disciplines, and stimulating the interest of students. Besides there is a link between everyday technologies and the chance of catching up with the technological innovations of these recent years.

Discussion:
Physical Education at school suffers from a worrying devaluation. On one hand, institutions do not invest in this subject, neither with equipment nor with the qualification of specialized teachers. Secondly, teachers downgrade Physical Education to a recreational moment looking down to the development of the child. This very behavior can have a not good impact on students’ psychophysical development processes, especially while they are fording the most sensitive phases of their development.

Conclusion:
Smartwatches and pedometers can be used to assess the reliability and usefulness of certain physical education programs, in order to monitor the amount of physical activity children do on a daily basis. Exergames, on the other hand, seem to be a potentially innovative strategy to promote the development of executive functions and basic motor components.

Keywords:

Technologies, infant-primary school, motor skills, physical education, exergames.