Moniques technology journal

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Final blog reflection.

Final blog reflection.

Throughout the classes for technology and through researching I have learnt that technology can also be non-digital. It’s made me more aware of what people perceive as technology and that in actual fact everything ever invented and whatever is still yet to be invented is technology in some form of way. I have learnt from reading other blogs that ipads are a really neat way for children to learn. I would love to incorporate this into my room as we are not allowed to use ipads with the under threes. If it is age appropriate it will be more beneficial to the children’s learning and development. “For technology to be developmentally appropriate, it should be responsive to the ages and developmental levels of the children, to their individual needs and interests, and to their social and cultural contexts” (McManis, & Gunnewig, 2012, p. 16).

While reading the comments for my painting blog there was a common theme coming through in the three comments that I have reflected on. They all in some way noted the fact that I give children the opportunity to freely explore with the paint. I always give children the option of choosing and having a say in the process of exploring and creating. I love seeing the children get messy as I know that they are having fun and if I was a parent I always say that if my child is messy at the end of the day I know deep down that they had fun during the day with using messy opportunities. “Children need to have the chance to try out, to experiment, to explore, to practice, to extend themselves, to be free to do things the way that they want “(Penrose, 1990, p. 96).

Leigh what an awesome idea that you let me know about with the lights and the magnets. Im definitely going to have to organise something to have a chance to allow the toddlers to have more of an experience. Rachel admitted that she has never used magnets, I am glad that I have inspired her to try this out and give the children that opportunity to explore a new material. It’s amazing what children will do with magnets and they definitely need to be exposed to this. “Children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 98).

Katie the radio definitely allows the children to blow off steam as they can do anything that they can imagine or desire to do. They can express emotions and be part of a group or individual activity depending on how many children want to dance or play musical instruments throughout the day. Teachers are said to “fulfil their own personal musical roles and responsibilities effectively when they function as motivators, planners, observers and facilitators” (Isenberg, & Jalongo, 2010, p. 174).

Technology for me is quite a hard concept to grasp as I don’t see myself as a technological person. It does feel challenging and overwhelming when you don’t know how to use it (Fleer, & Jane). However after broadening my own horizons with technology I have come to the conclusion that everything is technology. It all had to be invented and made. I am definitely more positive about using technology and use it positively in everyday practice. I am opening up to allowing the children to teach me something about technology. Such as how to use certain things and to be open o different and new ideas that come by.

Reference list.

Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.

Isenberg, J., & Jalongo, M. (2009). Creative thinking and arts-based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5^th 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.

McManis, L. D., & Gunnewig, S.B. (2012). Finding the education in educational technology with early learners. Young Children, 14-24.

Penrose, P. (1998). Taken another look: Tirohia anō (2^nd. ed.).(pp. 10-37). Auckland: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.

Friday, 5 April 2013

hyperlinks

Monday, 25 March 2013

Non-digital blog- Painting

Painting

In my centre after morning tea the children are given the option to go outside or stay inside and do a creative art activity. Many of the children enjoy painting for their art. For messy free play a lot of the time the children are given the opportunity to explore and create with paint. I asked the children what colours of paint they wanted to use and what colour paper they wanted to use. The children felt engrossed with this opportunity as they were slapping the paint with their hands onto the paper. They were mixing colours by moving, rubbing and squeezing their hands together as they were enjoying the textures. The children got really excited when they realised that by mixing the different colours together, they created new ones. I noticed that the children’s approach changed in a positive way as they purposefully started creating new colours and telling me about their experience, what it might be and what they did with their hands, paint or what they had actually created when they had finished exploring with their pictures.

By giving the children the choice in paint colours, this enabled them to make choices for themselves and become more independent. Paint is not digital technology, however I believe paint enables open and exciting opportunities to create and explore. Using their senses and motor skills and being able to interact with roles models such as; myself, other teacher, and more experiences peers and being able to participate successfully by freedom of choice (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2009). “It is the doing that is important, rather than the product” (Smorti, 1999, p. 6). Through positive painting experiences, I believe children can learn a range of different skills. All the skills being acquired and practices support the various elements of development such as; cognitive, social, language and hand-eye co-ordination (Somerset, 2000). Children learn working theories in spatial awareness through knowing how things can be moved in space and ways in which spatial information can be represented (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children all sat around a table next to each other. The children had their own piece of A4 paper each and they know that they can only do art work to the extent of their paper to ensure that they do not upset other children or perhaps ruin other peers art work. Using paint as a technological tools allows for children’s individual graphics and other forms of visual representations to be embraced as it offers important tools for exploration and communication (The Ministry of Education, 2007). Through creative thought and development children create a world of their own or rather rearranges the things in their world in new ways which suits or pleases them, through any form (Isenberg, & Jalongo, 2009).

I learnt that children get a joyful experience out of doing painting as they learn through; laughing, creating, socializing, experimenting and becoming freely and actively involved. Te Whāriki, (1996), explains that children gain familiarity with different properties and materials and technology which is used in the creative and expressive arts as they are entitled to learning different ways of being creative and expressive. The children are being given an opportunity to learn next to one other and socially interact with them and myself as the teacher. I am freely available to be able to ask open-ended questions and be able to answer their questions in return. As a teacher I am, “offering a variety of contexts, teachers help their students to recognise links and develop generic understandings” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 32). Vygotsky describes the zone of proximal development, which is where “the teacher or more competent peer can provide assistance so that a child can move beyond the level that could be reached on his/her own” (Isenberg, & Jalongo, 2009, p.112). Project work offers children different opportunities to explore concepts and be able to follow their own interests fuelled by their natural curiosity and motivation (Clark, 2007).

Reference list.

Clark, A. (2007). Changing classroom practice to include the project approach. ERCP, 8 (2), 1- 10.

Isenberg, J., & Jalongo, M. (2009). Creative thinking and arts-based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5^th 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 Media.

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

Somerset, G. (2000). Work and play in the early years (5^th ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Publications.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Non-digital technology- Magnets

Magnets

In the room we offer a lot of different toys that allow the children freedom of choice if they don’t want to play with the toys set up for them. I would say the most popular is the magnets and the white board. The children create pictures with the words and letters and build with the magnetic sticks. The children can sit at the table or choose a space on the floor if they want to be more relaxed. Magnets are said to fascinate children because of the interesting properties that they contain. “To children, the forces they possess; pushing and pulling on each other, sticking to some objects but not to others, provides endless questions for children to ponder” (eHow, 2013, para. 1). The children are able to ask questions, share resources equally and respectfully and communicate what is happening for them and what ideas they have whilst engaging with the magnets. “Technology is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5). I can facilitate and scaffold children’s learning when help is required.

Magnets are a different type of technology that provides children with some experience with resources for science, mathematics, literacy and problem solving skills (Ministry of Education, 1996). It does feel overwhelming and challenging if children don’t know how to use it (Fleer, & Jane, 2011). Manipulative materials are of definite shapes and sizes as children are attracted and fascinated for long periods of time over problems of their own that they choose to spend so much time on, it’s the growing ability of hands and intellect (Somerset, 2000). Children are able to learn more about colours and colour recognition, they can count objects and relate them to the represented magnetic numbers. Children can learn the first letter or all the letters within their name depending on their age and developmental stage. Magnets allow the children to build something without it falling or breaking easily. Magnets are technology as it gives children, “an understanding of material properties, uses and development that is essential to understanding the how and why products work the way that they do” (Ministry of Education, 2007). Children can use questioning and develop confidence in and control over their bodies whilst investigating and experimenting ideas (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children gain a wider vocabulary of what constructive play includes and looking at how things fit together with the different shapes and sizes (Ministry of Education, 2013).

I learnt that children really use their concentration skills when designing, playing and manipulating with magnets. Children are excited about colours that they can match and mix with other magnets. I learnt that children engage quite happily alongside others and are willing to share if need be. This genuinely leads into the children doing something together and combining their work together, this happens quite well but sometimes children do need a bit of encouragement (Ministry of Education, 1996). Children like the magnets because they can put them together and pull them apart over and over again and the magnets never change its purpose. The children can revisit or recreate experiences that they have previously done and think of new ways to represent the same thing. The teachers main role I believe is to make suggestions and help the child’s interest but I must not do the task for the child as they need to challenge themselves and do the manipulating and thinking for themselves (Somerset, 2000). This altogether requires co-ordination of the eye and finger muscles and the recognition of differences in sequencing (Somerset, 2000).

Reference list.

eHow, (2013). Learning about magnets for children. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/way_5266863_learning-magnets-children.html

Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.

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.

Ministry of education. (2013). Appendix 3- planning. Retrieved from http://www.lead.ece.govt.nz/ServiceTypes/Playgroups/Appendix3/WhatYouProvide.aspx?p=2

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

Somerset, G. (2000). Work and play in the early years (5^th ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Publications.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Digital blog- the Radio

“Technology is intervention by design: the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems that expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities. Adaptation and innovation are at the heart of technological practice” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 32). During the day the children are allowed to use a radio. The radio is usually used a lot at mat times. We listen to stories, music, different sounds and we can dance and sing. A lot of the children take interest in the radio as they can dance, sing, read along with books and use musical instruments. What the children want to do is up to them. They are encouraged to do what they want to do, but through my observations the majority of the time the children want to dance and sing. The children enjoy dancing and singing with each other as they are able to imitate, come up with new ideas and learn to accept different ideas and thoughts from watching others. These radio times can be quite loud and full of energy and the children start to talk and exchange ideas, imitating other, shouting, singing and discovering what they can and can’t do. The children always show excitement and enthusiasm.

By allowing the children to interact and explore with the radio which is digital technology, allows for new and exciting learning to happen as the children are tested to use their imaginations and to come up with new ideas and concepts. “Technology emphasises creative and productive aspects of problem solving” (Smorti, 1999, p. 6). I believe through children listening and being exposed to the radio allows the children to get a feel for different cultures, people, places and animals that are in their existing world. The radio can be seen as a thrilling, amusing, sad, serious, frightening, entertaining motivating and more importantly an educational piece of technology. Children are experiencing and being exposed to being able to develop strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children can communicate through verbal and non-verbal cues. As they discuss or show what they are doing or learning or what they already know about something. Children are engaged with gross motor skills if they are dancing as they move and jump around. This allows for respect of spatial awareness of others. The materials used along with the radio need to be age appropriate and used in the right context so that knowledge and skills can be learnt in context (Ministry of Education, 2007). The radio promotes language and cognitive development as children are affirmed and seen as individuals as they all have their own differing ideas and concepts that will come out through being able to openly express themselves (Ministry of Education, 1996).

I have learnt that the radio is a different type of technology that allows the children to express themselves and the way that they perceive and identify things that are in their lives and things that are introduced to them. The teacher who is watching the children with the radio should always be close at hand to supervise and help the children if and when assistance is needed. Children can make sense of the world by the use of tools and equipment, giving the opportunity to combined physical activities, music, language and problem solving skills together (Ministry of Education, 1996). The use of technology in the early childhood program must not be a goal unto itself: the purpose is not to teach children how to use radios; they can do this as they get older, appropriate use of technology in the classroom is to expand, enrich, implement, individualize, differentiate, and extend the overall curriculum. The curricula goals will change with age, and differ from program to program (Wardle, 2008). Appropriate uses of technology uses balance and enhances the use of essential materials, activities and interactions, becoming part of the daily routine” (NAEYC, n.d., p. 5).

Reference list.

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.

NAEYC, (n.d.). Technology and Young Children. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

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

Wardle, F, (2008). The role of technology in early childhood programs. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=302