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.
Kiora Mara, nice to read your blog about how technology influence the children's learning. I found that children's learning were impacted by the way you demonstrated and explained to them the appropriate stragegies to cater their interests. Relating technology to their learning gives you understanding of how important technology is, to early childhood setting.
ReplyDeleteYeah you are right,that children will view and share their findings but keep for years to come. This is great when you relate this to New Zealand curriculum. because students develop a range of outcomes, including concepts, plans, beliefs, technological models and fully realised that implementing technology to their learning is vital.
Just some concerns of the fact that we were told by Ann in class that we suppose to write on how technology impacted the children's learning but not to focus mainly on what happened it maight turned into a learnings story.Anyways all good.tino pai
HI Mara! Great to see a blog :) I found it great how you explained to us what the children were doing throughout the process and the way in which the older children explained to the younger ones how to use it. Its allowing children to learn from each other at the same time learning themselves! It sounds like the children were really interested in the camera and the way in which it worked and the pictures they could take. Perhaps you could explain more in depth in your other blogs the learning they are gaining from these technologies? The process of course, is an important part and you have that well covered in your blog however it would be great to hear more about how you see children's learning while using this piece of technology. :) It would also be interesting to see how you would extend this interest further for children, such as when we watching that dvd in class and it showed us the way in which the teachers extended the children's interest by making books of the photos children made. Great blog :)
ReplyDeleteYes Mara, children develop their confidence in acquiring new knowledge when they use the digital camera and I also think that the using of this camera outdoors connect the children to the natural environment as well as taking pictures of children’s moves at the monkey bar. I believe while they take pictures, they also learn to visualize a movement which is learning through imitation. So I think the children who used the camera benefit from taking pictures and advantage from copying other children’s movements. As you mentioned a good opportunity for the using of camera is to re-visit their learning and I think the using of the camera to bring back the memories contribute a huge impact on the children’s development. This is in terms of developing their cognitive thinking when children trying to think back about the pictures they have taken or developing their language skills when asking a lot of questions about what had happened before. I also think that children are developing their photographer skills when you demonstrated how they zoom and not blurring pictures. Nice reflection Mara..ka pai!
ReplyDeleteHi Mara. Sorry I actually read your second blog before this one.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I noticed you extended the technology on this blog by letting children not only use cameras to take their own photos, but extending it to computers or lap tops where they can actually transfer data from the camera onto the laptops. It's great that you are letting children do these things on their own. It also encourages them to be competent and confident learners which is what our early childhood curriculum is all about. I believe there was more learning going on in this experiece and you could write more on the learning and development these children gained. such as their social skills, and language skills, their fine motor skills. IT's good to see that you wrote about what the children did in this activity but you could write more about what the children learnt more. Also what have you learnt from this experience Mara? What would you have done differntly?
Mara! You’ve made some very good discussion about the operating and the using of digital cameras. This is a very common technology tool that mostly used in early childhood setting. Digital camera sometimes can be used by children as a set of binocular to see things, people or other objects. It is also very good that you intent to make the full use of all of the functions available on the camera, and I’m sure the children were interesting. There would be many vocabulary words that they may not have been familiar with. Some knew a lot about digital cameras, others not so much, so there would be much that children could share with each other. Children learn through communicating their experiences with others. Allowing children to work collaboratively provides opportunities for them to test and write about their ideas, justify and share their thinking. Digital cameras are easy and fun to use, and they offer teachers nearly unlimited opportunities to engage children and to incorporate technology into their curriculum.
ReplyDeleteVery nice blog Mara!