Blog 4 Personal reflection

Blog 4 – Personal Blog

As I read my group’s comments regarding the important of using digital and non-digital technology in children’s leaning, I have identified some relevant ideas and techniques for furthering my teaching around the children. But first I foremost acknowledge the important of using blogs to communicate and share opinions with each other about their findings and add comments to enhance each others learning. Wang (2008) defined that “blogs engage people in knowledge sharing and reflection and they often attract a large readership” (p. 34). Therefore, blogs are very helpful to communicate and engage readers in a sustained conversation.

In some techniques that I found and learned from sharing knowledge and understanding with my group blogs, was motivated and encouraged me to the directions that I am heading for. As Carr & Kemmis, (1983), Manouchehri (2002), Burnett & Lingam (2007) cited in Yang (2009) encouraged that “teachers to take a stand through questioning and challenging others underlying assumptions, which is a way for teaching practices to be improved and for the conditions in which schooling takes place to be made more just” (p. 1). Occasionally, some comments enhanced me to look beyond of what I already known and extended more on some advice and suggestions that they have given me. Additionally, some of them defined questions to establish and motivate my learning of how to work with children in using different technologies. Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer (2008) described that “ responsive educators plan environments that respect children’s competencies and emerging social skills and nurture a community of care” (p. 354). Relevantly, learning to use technology in children’s learning, is enjoyable and rationally for enhancement of their leaning.

Moreover, I discovered some meaningful and meditative comments about technologies that helped me to improve children’s learning in different areas of their learning. Te Whāriki acknowledged that “children experience an environment where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 80).  It also shows out some similarities between the common technologies that my group was using in their centre. They also expressed their feelings and knowledge difference experiences that they have, to gain my perspective in working with children.  They also gave me courage to increase and stimulate my understanding in using of the computer skills, suggesting different variety of books and digital cameras to catch their monumental moments of children’s learning.

The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) comprised that “learn about technology as a field of human activity, experiencing and/ or exploring historical and contemporary examples of technology from a variety of contexts” (p. 32). In overall, children experienced different variety of technologies in their learning with the helped of a knowledgeable teacher, which have skills in technology to satisfy the children’s longing in technology’s skills. With the approaches of showing and explanations give children a boldly feelings and also feel competent to face reality in their finding and using digital and non-digital technologies in their learning environment. The use of technology techniques nowadays emphasized the speed up of the educational system for the current generation for congruous their learning.

In fact, children gaggle their knowledge if they used digital technology unwisely. Technology helped children to germinate their learning but it can also be dangerous to some important research if abusing is occurred. Young children feel secure if they have good guidelines to use and access computer, digital cameras and other sort of digital technologies in helping to solve problems and the processing of their certain learning. Teachers also use technology to support children’s learning as Smorti (1999) suggested “technology is about helping people and solving problems” (p. 5). At last, accepting good advice and encouragements from my group motivate my perspective of working with children in using different technology techniques in children’s learning.

References:

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early

 childhood settings (4^th ed.).  Melbourne, Australia: Thompson Learning.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Early Childhood Curriculum TeWhāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga 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, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.

Wang, H. (2008). Exploring the educational use of blogs in U.S. education. US –China

            Education Review, 5 (10), 34-37.

Yang, S.-H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice.

Educational Technology & Society, 12 (2), 11-21. Available online from http://www.ifets.info/journals/12_2/2.pdf

Hyperlinks for Faaea

Faaea

http://yadragasblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3-computer-in-early-childhood.html?showComment=1333088160489#c3809294191035887122

 http://yadragasblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-2-building-blocks.html?showComment=1333089768199#c1977719290266833559

Hyperlinks for Emma

Emma

http://emmasblog26.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3.html?showComment=1333086638996#c3750109074023515662

http://emmasblog26.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-2.html?showComment=1333086820248#c9201786408954947042

Hyperlinks for O'u

O'u
http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/children-in-kitchen.html?showComment=1333076171769#c236550049154760335


http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/exploring-cameras.html?showComment=1333076779762#c8615376725530325357

http://oh676.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/my-very-first-blog.html?showComment=1333076939574#c2809054353002829056

Hyperlinks for Toelau

Toelau

http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3.html?showComment=1333074853687#c7501608515758529640


http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/take-my-picture.html?showComment=1333075310429#c1580721269999477570

http://wwwtoelausblogcom.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/drawing-using-crayons.html?showComment=1333075478595#c907364894456221508

Hyperlinks for Malu

Malu

http://malusooaemalelagi.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-3-significance-of-using-cameras.html?showComment=1333074257609#c4728853625607184526

http://malusooaemalelagi.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/blog-2-exploring-telephones-skills.html?showComment=1333092338035#c5300021362160553421


http://malusooaemalelagi.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/butterflies_14.html?showComment=1333074614941#c8327888701329299950

Books

BOOKS

Books are the most important tools in the educational life of a child. Books have been used in so many years from generations to generations as a technical instrument to promote and reframe children’s learning. According to Hamer & Adams (2003), “the ideal time to begin sharing books with children is during infancy, starting as young as six weeks” (p.91). Therefore, children start their learning from story books since they were babies such as bed time stories, bibles stories and comics cartoons. Books can be used in any area of learning.

In cooperatively with children’s learning, books are the best non digital technology tool that parents commonly used in the first two years of their children’s life. Parents found a secure bond of relationship with their children as well as an easily way to communicate with them. Linking to Te Whāriki, it simplest defined that “children gain experience in using communication technologies such as crayon, paintbrushes, pencils, calculators, books and computers” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 97). Thoroughly in children’s learning environment, books are the keywords of discovering findings, researching knowledge and language skills through comparing, pretending, sharing and talking through their learning play.

Nevertheless, at mat time, a child will be picked a book to for the group to read. Before reading the story, the teacher at first always asks questions about the different parts of the book to extend and check the children’s memories. Amazement the children notified each parts and it used. During the story, children recognized and realized the pictures were showing in the book. In the contents, some pictures emphasized their characteristics by its colours, interested in the pictures as well as some the colorful contents were seen in the book.

Children also have drawn their attentions at what they have seen in a book. Then they continued by sharing knowledge with peers when they have free play by explaining to each other about what they just learned from mat time. Smorti (1999) stated that “technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments” (p. 1). Therefore, some of the children make up their own stories and performed superhero plays in related to their stories. 

In addition, children also used their portfolios as books to store and keep their daily works to share with the teachers, parents, peers and whanau when they visit the centre. Friedman (2005) expressed that “nothing sparks children’s desire to learn more than investigating things they already know and care about” (p. 1). Looking back of what we did earlier this week, it brings up some good ideas of what we might do to extend and initiate their past learning with their comments to refine a continuity chapter of their learning. I helped them to pint out their photos were stored in the computer and laminated, put in a binder folder to make a book.

In the processing of this activity I noticed some of the children were really interested in collecting of their own photos to make a book of their own. In relation to the New Zealand Curriculum, “students learn how functional modeling is used to evaluate design ideas and how prototyping is used to evaluate the fitness for purpose of systems and products as they are developed” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 32). Significantly, an excitement expression sprouts out on the children’s faces as they enjoyed examining each page of their books. I deliberately discovered some interesting moments in the continuity of the children’s learning from one level to the other by using different technologies to manage a successful outcome.

References

Friedman, S. (2005) Social studies in action. Young Children on the Web, November, 2001, 1-9.

Hamer, J., & Adams, P. (2003). The New Zealand early childhood literacy handbook. New Zealand:  Dunmore

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whaariki matauranga mo Nga 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, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.

computer

COMPUTERS

After lunch, when the toddlers were having an afternoon nap, the young children or the near five as we called them were waiting quietly for their afternoon session. Before the session start, the children reminded me of what we have discussed earlier about the photos that have taken to be viewed in the computer. I gathered them around the computer table to watch and explore, while I was uploading the photos from the camera into the computer. Te Whāriki emphasized that “children developed the ability to represent their discoveries, using creative and expressive media and technology associated with them” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 88). As children explored the processing of their findings through technology, many questions were asked related to the new information that they just discovered.

Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle (2007) described that “ whenever new technology is introduced into society, there must be a counterbalancing human response the more high tech it is, the more high touch is needed” (p. 8). Children were really intended to try this new technology system to explore, support and experiencing some new skills in their learning. When the photos were all uploaded, the children were taking turns to use the mouse for moving one photo at a time.

Children interact really well through sharing and giving opportunity for peers to have turn. In confirmation, Tsantis Bewick & Thouvenelle (2007) confirmed that “guidelines for computer use in the early childhood classroom encourage social interaction, and it is a catalyst for information sharing, language development and decision making” (p. 7). However, while the children were interacted in their learning, I overheard the children’s conversations about where and how they caught some good shots and then shared each other of how to control the mouse on the needed photo. The communications continually while they keep viewing on each photo.

The New Zealand Curriculum comprised that “in the technology practice strand, students examine the practice of others and undertake their own” (Ministry of Education 2007 p. 32). Therefore, while other children were looking at the photos, the other group were counting and discovering the letters and numbers were on the keyboard. Some of them, especially the girls, typed their names on the screen and continual on helping out others by showing and pointing out the letters of their names. Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Famer (2008) defined that “children can learn by watching what others do and repeating what others say” (p. 90).

In addition, children not only learned from each other but also to recognize numbers and letters were on the keyboard. The children also interested in discovering their past findings   that were storing in the computer. Some of them recognized and remembered some former students were in primary schools. Children also have a self confidence in controlling the moving of the icon and scrolling the mouse up and down directions.  As I observing, I started to notice that eye contact, focus and concentration are the key threads of the successful outcomes that were accomplished the children’s learning.

Therefore, the using of computer in an early childhood setting is an important and helpful tool for educators to scaffold, extend and explore children’s learning in a quick and fast way of teaching in the new technology system that we have nowadays. Smorti (1999) defined that “technology is about helping people in solving problems” (p. 5). Computes also helped not only to undermine the children’s learning but to contrary and can enhance as well as to augment the children’s learning experiences. In the current system of the children’s learning, children easily emphasized the new technological way of teaching than before hand teaching in more learning area.

References

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early

 childhood settings (4^th ed.).  Melbourne, Australia: Thompson Learning.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whaariki matauranga mo Nga 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, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.

 Tsantis L., Berwick, C,. & Thouvenelle, S. (2003). Examining some common myths about

 computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web, November 2003, 1-9.

Digital Camera

Digital Camera

As the children were examine the digital camera that was used to take photos of different moves that they were performed on the monkey bars, their curious thinking start to ask quite few questions about the operating and the using of a digital camera. Some children were desperate to know why we use cameras and wondered where they are coming from. I explained and demonstrated them simple information that they wanted to know, before they take turns to practice the using of the digital camera.  

At first, while they were practicing, a group of children squashed in trying to figure out the right way to hold the camera, others suggested that to turn on the camera first, while the girls were too busy posing around waiting for the shot to be taken. In solving the matters, the older children showed the little ones the differences in between the two sides; as the back side for viewing the photo shot and the front side for the lens. The facing of the front side of the camera in the right direction which showed their understanding of what they have just done. Some of the children pointed out not to move around when a shot is taken otherwise the outcome of the photo will be blurred or out of focus. Somehow, some of them ignored the suggestions and carried on of what they are willing to do. In each photo, children defined different outcomes of their shots but it did not matter to them whether it was a good or a bad shot because of the thought that, taking photo was just for a fun experience but some children expressed as a seriously new learning experiences.

Children also found out the when the green light is on that means the camera is ready to use. They also discovered the pressing of the zoom button is to bring a close up shot and to zoom back to include more people and things in a photo. As I observed the children in their momentum experiences, I noticed that some children wanted to look back at the photos that they have taken. I also showed them the button to go back and forth for viewing their photos.  As they looked back at different shots that they have taken, children learned that the using of a digital camera to take photos is a good opportunity to keep and catch a good moment of what they saw and discovered in continuity of their learning as well to look back to see and check of what their learning occur at the time.

As Te Whāriki citied in Smorti (1999) explained that “as part of a world revolution in communication, technology, work and leisure, children will need to develop confidence in themselves and be able to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills” (Smorti, 1999, p. 8). Therefore, while the children are experiencing the useful of a digital camera, at the same time they also acknowledged some significance findings of taking photos. It is good to view and share their findings but keep for years to come. The New Zealand Curriculum also stated that “in the technological practice, students develop a range of outcomes, including concepts, plans, briefs, technological models and fully realised products or systems” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 32). Through practice, children learned and gained confidence in their hands on experience as well as through investigations children learned how to work corporately with peers in searching and discovering their findings. In now a day, children’s learning outcomes speed through technologies experiences. It is a useful tool for children’s learning.

References

Ministry of Education. (1996). Early Childhood Curriculum TeWhāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Smorti, S. (1999, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.