PART 3: Final Reflection




Through this experience of learning about technology and what it is, it has made me realise how important it has become for us human beings, as we use and need it every-day. When we first started this course, we were asked the question, ‘what is technology?’ and the only things I could think of was computers, cameras, radio’s and anything that was digital and needed electricity. I did not think that the things we used practically every-day such as, pencils, pens, paper, tables and chairs were referred to as non-digital technology. This may be because I grew up not knowing the actual knowledge behind technology and what it was. The simplest definition of technology is that anything that was created to help people, solve problems and meet the needs of individuals is technology (Smorti, 1999). In saying this, technology is anything that humans created to improve their way of living.

 

After reading the feedback I received from the members of my group, I have learnt about the many things technology provides and what learning opportunities it promotes in the centre with the children as well as the teachers. For example the different skills developed in the carpentry table, such as hand and eye-coordination as well as the children developing ideas and using their imagination in creating an object or tool. Alone with the CD player where the children are able to explore and experiment with the buttons and develop working theories about the things that surround them (Ministry of Education, 1996). Where children are also appreciated and responded to in interactions while working with coloured pencils which help them build a form of self-confidence and sense of pride (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Through reading the blogs I have also learnt about the different types of digital and non-digital technology that is available at centres for children to use and explore, as well as knowing that not all centres have the same form of technology available.  In saying this, I wanted to answer the question which one of my group members had asked, such as why is the CD player the only digital technology children have access to?. To answer this question it is also hard for me to explain, as I wish there was more digital technology available for the children but because my centre is privately owned, staffs are unable to get donations from individuals in order to provide more digital technology.  However from reading my group members blog they had mentioned about cheap and second hand digital technology that is available in all places of New Zealand which I have mentioned to the staff at my centre.

 

Overall from the start of this course and to the end of this blog assignment I have learnt about the many digital and non-digital technologies which are available for all individuals.  I believe that children should be given the chance to explore and experience the different types of tools, material, resources and technology to develop the understanding of how things work and what they are used for (Ministry of Education, 1996). The significance of technology is so that children grow and develop in an environment which provides many learning opportunities which promotes and enhances their different developmental learning skills. I believe that children and teachers are all learners and so being in an environment surrounded by different types of technology, provides many great learning experiences and further contributes to the growth of children in becoming competent and confident learners of the developing society in which we live in (Ministry of Education 1996).

Feedback to: Kristina

Feedback on Camera

http://mztina.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/people-places-things-and-events.html

Feedback on Ding Ding

http://mztina.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/as-discussed-in-other-blogs.html

Feedback on Paint

http://mztina.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/paint-explosion.html

Feedback to RACHAEL

Ipad feedback

http://cook294.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/how-my-centre-uses-digital-technology.html

Ipod/CD player feedback

http://cook294.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/music-through-ipod-cd-player-and.html?showComment=1378278813949#c2601258051704445947

Crayon Feedback

http://cook294.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/using-digital-technology-alongside-non.html?showComment=1378280795446#c6523412550443296857

Feedback to : Sarah

Feedback for Digital Camer

http://saraahjoan.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/digital-camera.html

Feedback for Ipad

http://saraahjoan.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-ipad-computer-at-my-centre-is-one.html

Feedback for Crayons

http://saraahjoan.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/in-my-centre-popular-and-frequently.html

Feedback to : Pooja

Feedback on Laptop

http://poojakiranprasad1.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/experiences-with-laptop.html?showComment=1377659166695#c8388749275198068950

Feedback on Camera

http://poojakiranprasad1.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-digital-camera.html

Feedback on the Water Tap

http://poojakiranprasad1.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-water-tap-is-it-technology.html

Reference

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Thompson.

Halvorson, K. (2007). Evolution of the hammer. Retrieved from Slideshare,  http://www.slideshare.net/pilot_kris/evolution-of-the-hammer

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 whaariki 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) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.

Somerset, G. (2007). Work and play in the early years (4^th ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Publications.

Talay-Ongan, A., & Ap, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). Child development and teaching young children.  Victoria, Australia: Thomson Social Science Press.

Coloured Pencils

In the centre, another non-digital technology the children use is the coloured pencils. The coloured pencils we have come in all ranges of colours which the children use every day to draw, colour and create art. Children use the coloured pencils all throughout the day, drawing pictures of objects, food, places, people, animals and pictures of themselves. The children in my centre are very creative, and when it comes to drawing they are true artists. Through the use of coloured pencils (Somerset, 2007) says that children develop fine motor skills as well as hand and eye co-ordination. Children put such detail into their work where they colour and make their plain piece of paper stand out with bright vibrant colours with pictures of all sorts of things they love and take interest in. Language that indicates the subtleties of visual arts works such as lines, shapes, colour and texture can be introduced to children when it is linked to what they are observing or making (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2009). When children are drawing or colouring in their pictures, I take great interest in the way they are colouring in and comment on their work. This lets them know I am interested in what they are doing and paying attention to the way they are colouring in, such as seeing the different shades of colours they are using on the picture they have drawn. Technology is a useful tool in early childhood learning environments that employ emergent curriculum approaches and the use of technology in early childhood settings enables teachers to easily tailor the curriculum to meet individual children’s needs (Talay-Ongan & Ap, 2005).

 

With the coloured pencils, children can also use them for writing, where they may write their name or write a massage for their friend or family. Te Whāriki (1996) states that children gain experience in using communication technologies such as crayons, paintbrushes and pencils. By using coloured pencils, children are able to express thoughts and feeling through their drawings. When children have written their messages or drawn their pictures, they would go and show a teacher and start talking about what they have made. With some children who are shy, teacher would ask them what they have made on their paper. Children are experiencing an environment that provides opportunities for them to develop language skills as they interact in meaningful conversations with teachers (Ministry of Education, 1996). We enjoy asking children about what they have drawn or written as there may be a story behind it. When children have told us about their picture or story we record what they have said and document it through learning stories which are placed in their folder and displayed in the room along with their picture or writing. Art is important for the young children’s development as they offer unique avenues for exploration and representation, to our way of thinking, art encompasses seeing, looking, perceiving, and making new cognitive connections (Talay-Ongan & Ap, 2005).

Drawing and writing is a form of communication as in the past people did not have pencils or pens, so they would have drawn with rocks and other tools. As technology has evolved we have as well. We no longer use rocks or ancient tools to draw or write to represent stories, as humans wanted to improve the form of communicational tools and so they did (Smorti,1999) by developing pens, pencils, paint and other tools to draw and communicate with.