Blog 5 - Final reflection!

Throughout doing these blogs on technology. I feel I have learned a lot about my own personal teaching and philosophy, as well as the different forms of technology both digital and non-digital and the impacts they have on children.

Through doing these blogs I have been able to reflect on my on teaching style, the way in which we incorporate technology in our centre and also at the same time think more in depth about the learning children can get with the different modes of technology that are in and around our centre. I have reflected a lot o what I believe in relation to technology. I feel I am a lot more open minded about technology in early childhood and hope to incorporate these changes into my actual practice.

The comments I have received from others in my group have been positive and interesting to read and reflect on. It has been an interesting experience to hear about how they feel about technology and how in some ways I have opened up their minds more to the technology I have discussed. Through their comments I have been able to gage a deeper understanding of technology and the affects it has on children and us as teachers. “Early childhood education is a dynamic field to work in, and you need to reflect on practice to incorporate change.” (O’Connor & Diggins, 2002. p.13).

Reading the comments on each of my blogs I was able to see that what I had to say had an impact on those in my group both from gaining new knowledge from my blogs but also extending on what they already knew about these technologies, I found the comments insightful and really informative. I liked each of the girl’s personal take on the selected technology. It allowed me to then think further about what I had already previously written and reflect more on this to benefit my own learning experiences.

Technology in our early childhood centres allows us as teachers to extend and develop our curriculum. If we use technology in the right way, we can expand on children’s learning. By looking at the children and making sure the program and curriculum allows for individual learning as well as group learning. Te Whāriki states that it is important children are able to develop “confidence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 88)

Technology in early childhood should incorporate children’s wellbeing, it should be developmentally appropriate for children to use and interact with. As well as being appropriate the technology we choose to have in our early childhood centres should be also suited to individual children, not all children learn in the same way. Cultural aspects should also be taken into consideration.

Using technology in early childhood allows children to express themselves, they learn about what they are able to achieve through trying new experiences and technologies to help further their understanding of the wider world. “As teachers we should help children nurture their creativity, to help them express their individuality, to support and scaffold them through this process of discovering what they are capable of” (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Technology enables children to be able to extend their knowledge about the wider world and experience things that they may not otherwise experience at home for example. It broadens their horizons and opens up their imaginations to something more in this world. Smorti (1999) talks about the fact that as educators we need to be able to broaden our understanding of technology and extend out knowledge and skill base. With this knowledge and skill base we are then able to talk about what we know and have learned and apply it to our teaching of children.

Technology is a fun way for children to be able to learn. There are so many different ways in which children can learn through the use of technology. They are constantly being challenged to expand their knowledge and thirst for life. Smorti states that it is important children have opportunities to develop their confidence in technology as this then allows them to gain more knowledge and skills. Giving them a greater understanding of how fun it can be working with technology. (Smorti, 1999)

If you take into consideration children’s interests in the centre, learning experiences for children can be an exciting. MacNaughton & Williams, talks about teachers facilitating learning by creating a learning environment and offering learning experiences that are relevant and interesting to children. (Spodek & Saracho, 1994, as cited in McNaughton & Williams, 2004, p 87)

Through learning with technology children are able to develop their social skills further they are able to interact with one another on different levels and work together in a way that benefits them all. Santrock talks about the fact that Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner believe that children learn better when they are learning together amongst and with their peers. (Santrock, 2009). Which I truly believe in.

The word technology can mean so many things, the automatic assumption is to think of digital technology such as computers, cameras etc when in fact it is so much more. Through doing this course it has allowed me to reflect on what technology actually is and the different ways it is shown throughout our centres.

Going into my centre now I am constantly thinking about the higher meaning behind the resources we use. I am more open minded in respect to technology and the benefits it has for not only the children in my centre but also myself as a teacher. According to Smorti (1999) technology is a range of different activities that serve to have a greater purpose; they have meaning and a cause.

Reference List.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice.  New South Wales, Australia: Pearson Prentice Media.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

O’Connor, A, & Diggins, K. (2002). On reflection: Reflective practice for early childhood educators. Lower Hutt. Open Mind Publishing.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

Santrock, J. W. (2009) Lifespan development: international student ed. (12^th Ed.). Boston, Ma: McGraw Hill

Blog 4 - Hyperlinks to comments.

http://malusooaemalelagi.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/butterflies_14.html?showComment=1332060114624

http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/my-very-first-blog.html#comment-form

http://marasandysblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/digital-camera.html#comment-form

http://malusooaemalelagi.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-2-exploring-telephones-skills.html?showComment=1332280142113

http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/drawing-using-crayons.html?showComment=1332281402240

http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/children-in-kitchen.html?showComment=1332392632169

http://yadragasblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-2-building-blocks.html?showComment=1332394724123


http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/exploring-cameras.html?showComment=1332413119872


http://marasandysblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/books.html?showComment=1332491215938


http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3.html?showComment=1332492372219


http://yadragasblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3-computer-in-early-childhood.html?showComment=1332578433846


http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/take-my-picture.html?showComment=1333251261143

Blog 3

At the moment there is a big interest and focus in Lego at my centre with the 4 year olds, we have all the Lego in 6 different trays according to the colour. So one tray has all the red Lego, one has all blue Lego etc. We also have laminated Lego sheets that have different things on such as cars or planes that children can make, they show what they will need to make each thing and step by step instructions how to make it. So they have inspiration from these but also have the opportunity for free expression to make what they want. "Children who feel free to make mistakes and to explore and experiment will also feel free to invent, create, and find new ways to do things." (Kohl, 2008)


We also take photo's of children's creations both for their portfolios but also if it is something they have made themselves we take a picture, print it and laminate it and bind it into the book, and just keep adding more as the children create more and this stays with the Lego.  Smorti (1999), states that "Technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems and environment." (pg. 5)

Children are constantly exploring and experimenting with the Lego, problem solving to ensure they get the desired result they are after. They are thinking of ideas they would like to make and putting these into practice. refining them as they go through the process of making it. Reflecting on it as they go. A lot of children discuss with their friends what they are making and often they combine their ideas to make something together. which is really create both from a creative aspect and language aspect. Te Whaariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), states that young children need to be able to set and meet their own challenges, this is seen by the way in which they create their own personal ideas, it also states that children need to be ready to make mistakes, and be allowed to experience the pleasure of feeling like capable and competent learners! (p.87).


The Lego they use is quite small and often quite intricate work, this helps to develop their fine motor development more as they work with the different sized pieces as well as their hand eye co-ordination. They are able to take what they see on the picture and make it a reality. They are counting the pieces needed, recognising shapes and colours and also learning how to make them all fit together. They are learning through the process, and working hard to get a end result.


We use the lego more for the four year olds rather then with the three years olds, the younger children prefer the bigger blocks (Duplo) they find them easier to handle and are more comfortable working with these. According to Te Whariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), the environment should be stimulating and acknowledge the comfort “threshold” is different for each child. (Pg 51)     

Children are learning through trial and error, they are learning about such things as weight, such as if they are building a tower and if it falls they work to see what the problems, a lot of the time it is because the blocks are not evenly placed meaning one side is heavier then the other, this again is incorporating the maths aspect of learning into this activity. They are learning about balance, weight, counting, and subtracting. Teachers roles when children are playing with lego is merely to observe really, to ask questions, to give them positive feedback and obviously be able to support them where necessary, such as some children struggle pulling apart lego, or are unable to find apiece so we help look for it. Te Whàriki states, that with our support "children are able to gain confidence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world. They are setting and solving problems while looking for patterns and classifying things for a purpose". (Ministry of Education, 1996)

Children are proud with the end results they achieve, they are quick to show their creation off to the teachers and their friends. Often we have a "presentation" of sorts at mat time. Where children are given the opportunity to come up at mat time and show us what they have made. They tell us what it is and what it does. Often other children will ask them questions about it to which the child will answer them. Children are filled with a sense of pride and appreciation that what they have made is valued and respected by both the adults in the centre and children in the centre. 


Documenting these creations also is a way for children to recall and show us what they have made before. They are able to read the learning story about how they made it and see the end result and its something they can keep to look back on and reflect on, as unfortunately they are not able to keep what they create as the Lego obviously needs to stay at kindergarten. So having children take photo's of their creations and us as teachers writing about it and putting it in their portfolios is something they are able to always have. 


If down the track they make something else, they again can do the same, take a photo, put it in their portfolio and reflect on it and compare it with any other creations they have made in the past. Combining both technologies to get a great end result we are promoting and at the same time nurturing children's learning and creative expression.  “In developing creative practice, we are nurturing imaginative approaches to how we work with children. In practice which fosters creativity by contrast our focus is mainly on ensuring that we encourage children’s ideas and possibilities and that these are not suffocated” (Edwards & Springate, 1995)








Reference List

Edwards CP & Springate KW (1995) Encouraging creativity in early childhood 

            classrooms (ERIC Digest). Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Early 

            Childhood Education (ED3899474). 

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He Whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.

Smori, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

Blog 2

The second technology I chose to look at was paint! Painting in my centre is provided in different ways and forms, the paint we always have out is the paint in our easels, this is there all day until tidy up time. On the tables we set up various different ways of using paint.


Some examples are: we put paint in little pots with ear buds in instead of paintbrushes, we set up water paints with small paintbrushes, where children have to wet their paintbrushes to then use the paints. we have paint in trays that are provided with foam shapes or stamps for children to explore. These all range from a number of different colours and textures, some is standard poster paint, some is glitter paint, some metallic paint and we also have fluorescent paints. Children are constantly being exposed to the different ways in which we can use paint and the results they can get. Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996) states, “Children learn through play – by doing, by asking questions, by interacting with others, by setting up theories or ideas about how things work and trying them out and by the purposeful use of resources. They also learn by making links with their previous experiences. (p 82).


Each learning experience provides different learning outcomes for children, both for our younger children in the afternoon session and our older children in the morning sessions. For example, the 4 years prefer to have smaller brushes to do more intimate paintings to create pictures with details, however the 3 year olds like the big brushes and the foam shapes because it allows them to do big swishes and swirls and just explore the paper with the paint. They find the smaller brushes to frustrating to use mostly, they can't get enough paint on their page, it doesn't have the same effect. It's ok every now and again but generally the easels with the big paintbrushes and big paper are the favourite for the 3 year olds. So we make sure a range of different choices for children are available taking into account their age and stages. 


Children are constantly learning through painting, they are learning about different brush strokes and how these show up on the paper, they learn about how their work looks if they paint fast as opposed to slow, they experiment with different letters and numbers they know. Such as more or often than not they learn to write their name as this is something we try promote, so they can take responsiblity for their own art work, this in its self gives them a sense of achievement. They learn what works for them and what doesn't. They are learning new skills all the time. Painting allows children to learn fine motor skills and hand-eye co-odination whichever painting activity they choose to work with, this only increases further as they grow older, leading the pathway to school where they are required to hold pencils and such.


Children no matter what age and expressing themselves through paint, they are experimenting and seeing a cause and effect, they are learning to mix colours, they are learning about colours also. At my centre we provide mixing palettes, so children can mix the paints! Elkind, (2004). states that “We encourage true play by making certain we offer materials that leave room for the imagination – blocks, paints, paper to be cut and pasted and that children have sufficient time to innovate with these materials”  (pg.41). Painting allows children the freedom to create what they want, whether it be just lines, circles or a picture of a person or flower. They are learning how to be creative. To experience a range of different ways of expressing themselves. They learn what works and what doesn't. 


It is something they can look back on and be proud of, they can show it to people, it can lead to conversations about the picture, more importantly it gives them the chance to put meaning to it. Most importantly though it is fun for children! They get to do what they want on that paper, they decide the end result, even if it is just 3 lines on a page they are content with it, they had fun doing it, and the next day they may come and do 5 lines and so on until it leads up to a picture of something and so it goes on. Their learning is constantly being extended, their imagination becomes broader and eventually they get to see things in different ways. Each child is different in the way in which they define something. That is what makes it's so fun and leads to interesting conversations, there is no right and wrong! It helps builds up that child's self esteem knowing what the created is fine just as it is! There are no expectations.


The New Zealand Curriculum states, "In the arts, students learn to work both independently and collaboratively to construct meanings, produce works, and respond to and value others’ contributions. They learn to use imagination to engage with unexpected outcomes and to explore multiple solutions." (Ministry of Education, 2007).



Reference list.

Elkind, D. (2004). Thanks for the memory: The lasting value of true play. In D. Koralek. (Ed.), Spotlight on young children and play (pp.36-41). Washington: NAEYC.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He Whariki matanga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.


Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Blog 1

Hey everyone, first blog.. finally!
(really sorry had planned to get my first blog up on Thursday)

I chose to look at the carpentry table at my centre. Children are often interested in creating new things there, even just being able to hammer a nail into a block of wood seems to satisfy them. They are exposed to such things as hammers, saw's, and more recently power drills all of which are supervised. Te Whaariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), talks about the importance in exploring the physical environment and how it is important that children gain increasing motor and manipulative control and skill in using tools and materials safely.


Children are able to choose different materials to use in this area, such as different sized nails and also recycled things such as bottle tops, cardboard and crafts. We also have a registered builder come in every fortnight to  help children build projects for the centre, such as a bird house, pirate ship, fire engine etc. Children are involved in the whole process and because of this children are quite comfortable around the tools in the centre and know how to use them and be safe around them.


I find it interesting watching children in this area, some children like to just make holes in the wood with the drill, or saw part of a piece of wood or hammer a nail in a piece of wood just for fun, they like the novelty of it. Other children go to the area with a project in mind, they want a creation at the end of it, to talk about it to have it on display to have a sense of pride in what they can achieve.


This leads to many discussions with children, sometimes they have an idea but can't quite visualise what it actually looks like or how to start, so then we look up images on the computer or look at books to help them get a better picture of what they want to do. Other times children bring in things they want to build such as a toy aero-plane and they use this as a basis of what to do. "It is important teachers facilitate learning by creating a learning environment and offering learning experiences that are relevant and interesting to children." (Spodek & Saracho, 1994, as cited in MacNaughton & Williams, 2004, p 87)  When children have made creations we often take photo's of these with the child and note what it is and add it to our kindy carpentry book full of children's creations so children are able to look back on there creation or perhaps gain ideas from looking at others work. It evokes conversation and gets children interacting that little bit more.


Children's interests are important, if children aren't interested in what you are doing they get bored and it loses its appeal. We try incorporate these interests any way we can, we build on them by providing material and resources to help children extend these interests further. the carpentry table is often full of new resources for children to use. It gives them inspiration, builds on their creativity and allows them to make their own choices. Te Whaariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), states that adults should plan activities, resources and events that build upon and extend children’s interests (p 83)  


Throughout children learning in this area, i find a hands off approach works well, you are there to observe, and help where needed to supervise the safety while using tools positioning yourself where you can see and intervene if needed but at the same giving them space to be creative. I feel this allows for better creative expression in children. "Positioning is the process of placing oneself near other individuals, groups or objects in ways that support children’s learning and that maintain children’s safety. Careful positioning of people can enrich children’s planned and unplanned learning experiences” (MacNaughton and Williams, 2004. pg 135)


Children are always thinking when using the technology in this area, they are creating new experiences for themselves, they are learning to problem solve, they are learning about how things work and why they work. They are gaining a greater understanding of the wider world and how things are made and created. They can take what they learn home to share with family and friends. a lot of the children that are really interested in carpentry at the centre take this knowledge home and create things with their family. They are constantly learning new skills, building on the ones they already have and finding new ways to express themselves. 


Children gain a sense of pride from what they are able to achieve, they learn their limitations and work through them. Using these tools allows children the freedom to express themselves, they are extending their knowledge by enquiring, exploring and asking questions. they work hard towards an end result, they enjoy the process and show great determination and perseverance throughout. The end result often then drives them to think bigger and so their imagination expands and their ideas become more detailed with greater meaning as they move throughout the process. "Te Whaariki states, that in order to participate in this world, our children will need the confidence to develop  their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills." (Smori, 1999)

References.

McNaughton, G & Williams, G. (2004). Teaching young children. Choices in Theory and practice. Australia

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He Whariki  matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.


Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.