Reference

Barnes & Noble. (2013). The importance of art in a child’s development. Retrieved from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/maryann-kohl-importance-of-art/379002442/

 

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

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum for English- medium teaching and learning in years 1-13. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. Available online from: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum

 

Naeya. (n.d.). technology and young children. Retrieved from: http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children

Ding Dong

As discussed in the other blogs, technology has played a big role in children's learning and development. Technology is used for a range of purposes. Based on children’s learning, I have noticed their interests of music and the range of instruments. I have noticed that the children are really familiar with the routines in the centre. The use of the bell is to signify ‘Clean up time’ and ‘lunch time’. To respond to this interest, I set up some bells outside for the children to play with.  Each bell made a different sound.  “Does this bell sound the same as this one?” “No” some of the children said. All you could hear was ‘Ding, ding, ding, its lunch time!’ Children initiated those links to the use of the bell in the centre and what it is used for. Children supported each other in listening and identifying if the sound of the bells made the same or different sound.  There was no initial technology used but I responded more by making our own bells.

 

Here I used a variety of things to make our bells with. I set out paint and glitter and children chose what colours they wanted and designed it however they wanted.  When the bells were dry, I introduced the laminator to them. the laminator is used to preserve an item so it initially does not get damaged. We usually use the laminator ourselves, but doing it with the children exposes them to new material. Children gain new knowledge to form ideas of how it gets from paper to laminate.

 

I explained to them that the laminator was for our bells and it was so their bells did not rip. It went through one way and came out the other end. After that, the children used the hole puncher to put their bells through. Using the glue gun, they were able to glue the strings together. Glue gun is really cool to use instead of normal glue but with supervision, as it is hot.

 

Through this activity, children learnt to use a variety of technology that were used for different purposes. I feel I provided an activity where children experienced “an environment where they learn strategies, for active exploration, thinking and reasoning.” (Te Whāriki, 1996, p. 88).  

 

The significance of having a variety of resources offers opportunity for children to discuss, explore, and make sense of their world around them. By offering materials for children to discover, children become curious explorers and this is important for their learning and development of experiencing an environment where they are affirmed as individuals. Understanding the material properties and its usage is essential to understanding how and why things work the way they do. (New Zealand curriculum, 2007, p. 34).  Children are making those distinct connections and links with the wider community and the material world through the usage of technology.

PAINT EXPLOSION

Using technology can benefit children in a number of ways. Using technology offers children the skills to be able to participate within society as informed citizens. (New Zealand curriculum, 2007). We live in a rapidly interactive media age where technology is a normal part of a growing society where technology is used everywhere for a number of reasons. It has shifted the way we communicate, think, delivers ideas and it has become “the tools of the culture at home, school, work and community”. (Naeyc, n.d.). Technology has become tools for communication, collaboration and how we manage our daily lives.

 

By providing an environment that offers challenges, children can then begin to develop concepts and build their confidence in themselves as capable learners acquiring new skills to solve practical problems.

 

The use of technology is not limited to just electronics, but on the basis that everything that we use is technology. In our centre, the use of technology is by the teachers. We do not have an active computer for the children to use but this can be seen as a teaching opportunity for teachers and children to work together.  This allows opportunities to build relationships and maintain on-going communication between teachers and children.

 

Another piece of technology we use is paint and paint brushes. We use paint as a mean of self- expression for the children. All children have different ways of learning, and painting is a great expression to show who the child is about.  Through painting, children are able to pick up on essential skills such as communication. Children may find painting easy to help communicate ideas and express how they are feeling. Here they are able to document actual experiences. “Art goes beyond verbal language to communicate feelings that might not otherwise be expressed.” (Barnes & Noble. 2013., ¶ 4). 

 

Painting is the process of testing possibilities and experimenting rather than being told what to do. “Art is a process, not a product” (Barnes & Noble. 2013., ¶ 9). Using paint brushes to paint also supports self-control in making the desired mark on the paper; developing their fine motor skills.  In the centre we like to ensure children experience an environment where they can work alongside their peers to socialise and work together. Through painting, children learn to appreciate difference and each other’s work.

 

One activity that we set up was the use of water balloons and paint. We pinned sheets of cardboard paper outside on the fence and filled the water balloons with paint and pinned them to the cardboard. The children then had to use darts and aim to pop the balloons. The children had some challenges throwing the dart, as it was their first time using the darts. It was a good exercise and challenge for children. “Children develop strategies for actively exploring and making sense of the world by using their bodies, including active exploration with all the senses, and the use of tools, materials, and equipment to extend skills”. (Ministry of education, 1996, p. 86). Children had to concentrate on their aim and built on a number of skills such as developing fine motor skills of gripping. Majority of the children needed help in holding the dart the right way to ensure that when they threw it, it wouldn’t go back and hit one of their peers.

Through this activity, tuakana-teina relationships were encouraged where the older children were encouraged to support their younger peers with supervision of the teachers. Some of the children who knew had to hold the dart, showed other children who were unsure.

 

‘’Children’s development occurs through active participation in activities. Collaboration with adults and other children plays a central role in this development” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 64).

Technology Cha Ching!

The significance of using technology allows children to engage in experiences where they gain an understanding of how things work and why. By doing this, children have an open mind to evaluate different approaches of doing something.

Through my observation in the centre, I have noticed that we have an area that is set up with computers and keyboards for children to play with. We also have computers that the teachers use but not for the children.

 

Technology is not restricted to electronics, but we have other means of technology that we use on a daily basis. The camera is used daily to take snap shots of children's work and record what they have done. The importance of this technology reflects the children's work and it is visual learning. Children then have evidence of their work and it offers opportunity to discuss what happened on that day. Their learning is captured and they feel that their learning is valued. "Children experience an environment where they make “his or her mark” to their learning. Ministry of education (1996). Significance of using the camera allows children to create their learning and by capturing it, displays their contribution to the centre and their own understanding of what the camera is used for.

Through observation with the children, I have noticed that we have done a number of activities that involved flowers. Children were given pen and paper to outline their perception of their flowers.  

We extended further on this learning by providing dye and fabric for the children to paint flowers using stencils. Children were given rollers that they put in the dye and placing the stencils on the fabric, they would then paint the design.

We also built a garden vegetable box outside the centre for the children to plant vegetables and whatever they wanted. The children used a variety of garden tools to dig up the ground and plant the seeds. The significance of using the tools allows children to manipulate and discover new things. They were able to identify what each tools purpose was. The experience was really hands on because children were growing the plants from scratch so they could see the process. They made a valued contribution to group work and they value the essence of working together through this activity. All moments were captured with the camera to show the process of how they did the gardening.

 

This is a before and after shot of how over time, the plants grew.

Teachers demonstrated how to do it, and children followed.  This experience also links to children's play in the sandpit and our effort to promote healthy eating. Through this activity, children will have “positive attitude towards eating..” and have the knowledge to keep themselves healthy. (Te Whāriki, 1996, p. 48).