Final Reflection

While reading everybody’s reflections, I realised that everyone has differing viewpoints and opinions on technology.  I am in two minds about technology as I believe there does need to be a balance of technology and free exploration as stated in one of the comments from my peers.

After reading through the comments left from my group, I noticed that there were positive comments and some not so positive ones which was okay as it gives me a new way of looking at things and gives me areas that I could change and work on.  Everyone has their own opinions and I have mine so I fully understand where Morgan and Jody are coming from about the YouTube clip. I was unable to add every small detail into the description but I did allow the children to explore the poi’s first and then added the YouTube clip to enhance the children’s learning.  I appreciate where Morgan is coming from when she says to slowly scaffold by adding the music first then the video. With Jody’s feedback about videoing the children while they are dancing with the poi’s, this is a great idea and one that I had never really thought of and I will definitely be trying to incorporate this in my centre. 

Throughout my reflections the girls have given me some constructive feedback that I can use to help to further extend the children’s learning development.  Katy gave me some good feedback on the leaf painting about how I could use the leaves to do rubbings and many more ideas which I can use, especially when I work with the older children.  Natalia also pointed out that I can link into my reflection (using the camera) to an area of Te Whariki, which is Relationships.  This triggered my memory as I hadn't really thought of that when first writing the reflection and thinking about the experience. I was given a lot of feedback which I will be able to think over and use as a way of improving my teaching and more ways to scaffold this principle. Te Whariki states (1996) “adults provide “scaffolding” for the children’s endeavours – supports and connections that are removed and replaced when and where they are needed”  

After having a lot of class discussion and talking with my peers and work colleagues I now have an understanding of what technology is and how it can be used in early childhood education.  I believe that technology it is important as it is constantly evolving at a fast rate each year and that children are being brought up surrounded by technology. Isenberg & Jalongo (2010) state “Computers are a part of everyday life for children and can promote creative and imaginative experiences”(p.292) However, in saying that, I do think that they need to have a balance of being able to explore the natural environment.  I see many benefits of technology – especially the non digital experience, as this can be used to problem solve and as a tool to assist in an experience.

I will be looking at different ways I can provide more opportunities that include both non digital and digital experiences after reading the literature on technology and having done this paper.  It has opened up my mind and allowed me to look at technology in a way that isn't all just about computers and electronics. Smorti  (1999) states “technology is also a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments”

References

Isenberg, J., & Jalongo, M. (2009). Creative thinking and arts-based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5th ed.). Columbus Ohio, United States of America: Pearson

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Natalia

Reflection 1 capturing priceless moments

http://nataliaspicklebag.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/capturing-pricless-moments.html?showComment=1365315104329#c3119590831417985813

Reflection 2 Speed Way

http://nataliaspicklebag.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/speed-way.html?showComment=1365315028418#c8454885529633865664

Reflection 3 – Growing our future

http://nataliaspicklebag.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/growing-our-future.html

Jody

Creating a vegetable garden

http://jodylovesadrian.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/creating-avegetable-garden-i-started.html?showComment=1365304568534#c1897320559750228207

Construction in the sandpit

http://jodylovesadrian.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/construction-in-sandpit-throughout.html?showComment=1365304433966#c4716683858711292539

Say Cheese

http://jodylovesadrian.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/say-cheese_30.html#comment-form

Katy

The Laptop as a tool for belonging

http://katylcaius.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/the-laptop-as-tool-for-belonging-inour.html?showComment=1365298841724#c8925507879148511052

The Use of pens in early childhood education

http://katylcaius.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/use-of-pens-in-early-childhood.html?showComment=1365298966270#c5033627140785257478

Introducing the Ipad

http://katylcaius.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/introducing-ipad-today-child-brought_31.html?showComment=1365299080916#c6145231503607095950

Morgan

How handy….. an iphone 5

http://morganmatich.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/how-handy-i-phone-5.html?showComment=1365314161494#c8452848039956513874

Leap pad

http://morganmatich.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/what-is-leap-pad.html?showComment=1365314056747#c778181212195111823

I climbed aboard a pirate ship

http://morganmatich.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/i-climbed-aboard-pirate-ship.html?showComment=1365313977542#c6440028267803986619

Leaf Painting- Reflection 3

The other day we used leaves as paint brushes to do some painting. The children loved to use a different tool to substitute the paintbrush. I believe that this is technology as it is a tool that assists with an experience. The leaf is the tool as it is something to use instead of a paint brush, and the children are learning about the different way the paint goes on when using this different tool. It was especially helpful for the babies to learn about the different texture and what they can do that is different with the leaf, compared to a paint brush.

As Smorti sates “technology is also a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environment” (Smorti, 1999). I think this statement relates to using the leaf as a painting tool as it’s from the environment and it is used to make a creative experience purposeful through the learning of different textures and problem solving of ways to use this leaf to paint. I was able to see the different ways that the children were trying to use the leaf.  The younger ones would scrunch it in their hands with the paint on the leaf and some of the older children held it like a paint brush and would stroke it on the paper.  It was interesting for me to see that some of their techniques turned out better than others and how they would try different ways of using the leaf.  I see this as a great learning experience because not only are the children problem solving but it is giving them a natural resource to paint with that has many different textures which make different patterns.

I didn’t realise that this tool could be a part of technology, but after listening to the class discussion and reading Smorti I now understand that it is a tool that assists painting.  

I believe that this leaf is being used as a tool which is a non digital piece of technology  because it is enhancing children’s learning and understanding of new ways that they can use for painting, and at the same time giving them many more learning opportunities that they gain from using a new tool to paint with. “Natural and everyday materials have specific, nonplay purposes. Children decide how to use them, employ imaginative and divergent thinking,” (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2010). This quote clearly describes how the leaf, as a piece of natural and everyday material, can be used as a tool to enhance the children’s learning.  It applies to all ages and the children themselves decided how they would use this new tool to paint with.

Te Whariki states “using many materials for different purposes enable children to recognise that different technologies may be used in various places and settings” (Ministry of Education, 1996). I think that this backs up using a leaf as a paint brush as it is a new tool that enhances the children’s thinking of new and different ways of doing a regular experience.  

In the New Zealand curriculum they talk about different strands, one being the Nature of Technology.  This links to the technical experience that I encountered in my centre where the leaf was used as a tool to substitute the paint brush which enhanced a new learning opportunity for the children.  “Knowledge and skills are learned in context. By offering a variety of contexts, teachers help their students to recognise links and develop generic understandings. Students should be encouraged to access relevant knowledge and skills from other learning areas” (Ministry of Education, 2007).

References

Isenberg, J., & Jalongo, M. (2009). Creative thinking and arts-based learning:

Preschool through fourth grade (5th ed.). Columbus Ohio, United States of

America: Pearson

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.

The Use of a Camera- Reflection 2

In our centre we have 2 cameras that we use to take photos of the children throughout the day. The camera catches the children’s learning and developing through a picture whether it be crawling, walking or catching a ball. I’m currently working with the infant and toddlers and we always have our cameras close by so that we can catch the children in the moment. Once we have photographed the children at play we have a wall that displays all the photos of the exciting things that have just happened. Recently we are focusing on outdoors play.  We were doing many different things, for example putting a hoop up and getting the children to shoot the balls through. We have had a lot of water play and many other learning experiences. The staff captured all these experiments and then put the pictures all over the wall. The children love to go up and look at the pictures and it also allows the older ones to show their parents when they come to pick them up, Smorti states “That early childhood educators are indeed providing children with opportunities to explore technology” (Smorti, 1999)

I think that it is great to have technology where we are able to capture the children’s learning through it.  I believe that ICT is helping the children to be able to revisit their learning through the pictures and being able to show the family and friends what has been happening throughout the day. The NZ curriculum describes technology as “Technology is an invention by design: the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems (technological outcomes) that expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realizing opportunities” (Ministry of Education, 2007)

I see this piece of ICT as a great use that enhances the children’s learning as they are able to always refer back to the photos and I noticed that once we had taken the photos, and they were on the wall, the interest of the children looking at the photos was amazing.  Even our young children that are only crawling go up and laugh and love to look.  Other children that might have been away can come in and see what has occurred, and as the children are so young they are able to look at the visuals and gain knowledge about new experiences that have taken place. “The ability to represent their discoveries, using creative and expressive media and the technology associated with them.” Ministry of Education, 1996)

For myself as a teacher, I think that I can use this vital piece of technology to help extend the older children’s learning even further in the future.   By giving them the camera and watching how they use it, not only are the children learning through the use of the camera, but myself as the teacher, is able to see the children as capable and confident learners when a new challenge is introduced to them, as Te Whariki states “feedback to children on their learning and development should enhance their sense of themselves as capable people and competent learners” (Ministry of Education, 1996)

References

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.

YouTube - Reflection 1

The other day in my centre I put out some Poi’s for the children.  I then went onto the laptop and searched in YouTube and found the Poi E song and had it playing at the children’s level so that they were able to watch the video clip and listen to the song. I love using the laptop to find songs as the children try and copy the video clips and start to learn ways to move their body.  As I work mainly with infant and toddlers, it was good to be able to see the older children engaging in watching what others were doing, not only on the laptop but also their peers, and them trying to copy what actions they were doing.  “Technology is intervention by design: the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems (technological outcomes) that expand human possibilities by addressing  needs and realising opportunities.” (Ministry of Education, 2007)

I see this video clip as a way to enhance not only my teaching but the children’s learning development.  As toddlers love visual learning experiences, by giving them this visual piece of equipment they were able to use it and copy the moves rather than having another teacher or myself in front of them with just the music. While I watched this, I noticed how they were very interested in the clip and they all wanted to be right next to it. Te Whariki states “Children gain experience in using communication technologies such as crayons, paintbrushes, pencils, calculators, books and computers”.  I think that this use of You Tube by downloading a song is a good way for the children to have social interaction and communicate through their dance.  The choice of this type of material is very wide and varied and can offer a lot to the enhancement of the children’s day to day activities.

I believe that the children were having social interactions through the video clip as they were all brought together and they were sharing with each their dance moves. They were enjoying dancing together as peers and the laptop was an added advantage use of ICT to help enhance this social interaction with the children.  “Like Piaget , Vygotsky was a constructivist, but Vygotskys is a social constructivist approach, which emphasises the social contexts of learning and the construction of knowledge through social interaction” (Santrock, 2008) which I believe is shown in this reflection of the children dancing together.

I think that technology is of great use in Early Childhood and I can see how it can be of benefit in enhancing children’s learning through many different ways, whether it is an example of using the laptop to assist the children’s learning or by me being able to look things up on the internet to source more resources.  I will definitely be looking at more ways that I can use technology within my centre, however I do believe that the children should have natural explorations that can also enhance their learning development.   I believe that having a good balance between both the use of natural resources and ICT resources will be beneficial in children’s learning development.

I understand that ICT can help to support part of the children’s learning development shown here in the reflection, as the laptop was a support to enhance the children’s learning more. Children are being surrounded by ICT as it is a way of the future that is here to stay, so I can see the importance of introducing it into the centre and having an open view about the use of it.

     

References

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-Span Development (11th ed.). New York, NY McGraw-Hill.