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 med
ia 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 (4th 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.
Yes Mara, the using of the computer for children to develop their turn taking skills is vital. This will also help the children to understand about perseverance and being able to be patient and wait for his or her turn. It is interesting to read about how you write about how computer encourage the social interactions of the children and develop their language skills. I believe the children are also develop their physical skills when they use their fine motor skills in moving the mouse and be able to think logically while they thinking about what to click and where to press.
ReplyDeleteRe-visiting their past learning using the computer is an important part of the children’s learning process to take them back to their learning that they have done before and repeat their learning so that they improve on it.
It is also good to read about how the children’s language develop through the use of the computer, I think it will be also good to write down the computer terms and try to make a game out of it as another way of developing the children’s language development.
Ka pai Mara..nice work
Hi Mara,
ReplyDeleteafter reading your blog, I was pleased that you gave children an opportunity to experience HIGH TECHNOLOGY. I believe children are use to camera's because they probably interact with it on a daily basis like teachers taking pictures of them or their parents taking pictures of them and so forth. You took them to a much higher level of technology and I can just imagine their excitement when about to touch a lap top. Sometimes we are always worried whether the child would break or damage our lap tops but how will they know how to care for it if we dont give them a chance to use it. As a result of you letting them explore the lap top, they developed their fine motor skills as you mentioned, and also social interactions. I am sure that children have alot to share and talk about with either their friends or parents. Great blog Mara.
Yes Mara, the using of the computer for children to develop their turn taking skills is vital. This will also help the children to understand about perseverance and being able to be patient and wait for his or her turn. It is interesting to read about how you write about how computer encourage the social interactions of the children and develop their language skills. I believe the children are also develop their physical skills when they use their fine motor skills in moving the mouse and be able to think logically while they thinking about what to click and where to press.
ReplyDeleteRe-visiting their past learning using the computer is an important part of the children’s learning process to take them back to their learning that they have done before and repeat their learning so that they improve on it.
It is also good to read about how the children’s language develop through the use of the computer, I think it will be also good to write down the computer terms and try to make a game out of it as another way of developing the children’s language development.
Ka pai Mara..nice work
Hi mara goodto read your block and I'mmpressed by the way children in your centre have conversation about what they saw and technologyisinvolvedin the scene.You are very right that children's language were developed with the use of computer. Yeah computer has a huge impact on children's learning becuase without conversation and language children's understanding of technology were not developed. Great that you considered the use of computer in the early childhood setting.Yes it is very true to the teachers and educators to extend the children's learning through using of computer which involve technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that computer nowadays are the fast ways of teaching in the new technology and it is very true becuase it helps solve peoples problems. In this stage you are true that children not only learned but also regonise numbers which is very great that they developed their numeracy and literacy in this activity.The childres's past experiences are of their data sotred has to remenbered becuase of technology in using computers. There are succcessful outcomes from children's learning in using computer in this activity.--Tino pai.
Hi Mara! I’m glad that you have a great experience of uploading the photos from the camera into the computer. Without that knowledge or an understanding of adults, children will limit their learning and will not be developing new skills. Good experience!
ReplyDeleteSelf-esteem as well is an important issue of playing in the computer. It increasing proficiency at computer games and may afford players a temporary sense of mastery, control and achievement that they had lither to felt themselves to be lacking. Such artificial rising of self-esteem may lead to interactions with computer games becoming a substitute for social relationship. Computers are more likely to be valuable instructional tools when teachers are personally comfortable using them. Computer is useful not only for the children but for teachers as well. This technology tool can meet the promise of its potential to enhance the teaching and learning process.
Great blog Mara!