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.

The Radio CD Player

The New Zealand Curriculum (2007), states that it aims for individuals to develop a broad technological literacy that will equip them for future so they can participate in society as informed citizens. In my centre the one and only piece of digital technology which the children love the most and enjoy playing around with is the Radio CD player. The Radio CD player has to be the only digital technology which the children are able to play and explore with. As any other sort of digital technology which other centres provide for their children, is unavailable for ours, which is why we are working on this and trying to bring more digital technology into the hands of our young children.

What I have noticed the children doing with the Radio CD player is pretty much learning how to use it. They press all the buttons the Radio CD player may have, and try to play and listen to all the songs in the CD case. They may not get time to listen to every song in one day, but they always have the next day to come back and continue on where they finished off.

 

What I love most about watching children play with the Radio CD player is that they learn quite fast on how to work it. It’s really interesting to see children fiddle with all the buttons and because they are pressing them over and over again, they are learning how to work it without the help of a teacher. They learn what button is to play music, skip, repeat, pause, stop and what button to press to change the CD. Children are very intelligent and to think if they were introduced to something new it would take them a couple of days to learn how to use it, but with children it takes them just a couple of hours.

Children learn to use technology for different purposes as they explore their world (Ministry of Education, 1996). There are a few things children can use the Radio CD player for; they can use it to play music, where they can dance and have a party with their friends. Research has shown that music, movement, and dance are ways to enrich the brain which strengthens and provides a unique form of cognitive stimulation (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2010). Children can also use it to play stories where they can connect the headphones and listen to during quiet time. They can turn on the radio and tune it to a radio station where they can hear about the news and what is happening in the community. Children enjoy playing and learning how to work the Radio CD player, as it is something they have control of. They get to pick what music they want and play it when they want which is something they have an advantage of.

Children also learn about the history and how the Radio CD player evolved and helped to replace the Radio/Cassette tape player. But to think that people have changed their technology to modern ones, the Radio/cassette tape player is still around and people still use them. Children learn about technology as a field of human activity, experiencing and exploring historical and contemporary examples of technology from a variety of contexts (Ministry of Education, 2007). These days the Radio CD player is being replaced with new technology where you no longer need a CD but a USB to connect to the radio to play music and also MP3 players and IPods which come with its own speakers.

 

 

Non-digital Technology Which Is Used In The Centre Is The Almighty HAMMER!

 

Through observation, in my centre I have noticed one area in which children have participated in using non-digital technology on a daily basis. This area is the carpentry table and the piece of technology children use is the hammer. The hammer is a non-digital technology and it is a tool children enjoy using. As stated in Smorti (1999), the hammer is a type of technology which helps people to solve problems. With this tool children are able to hammer in nails to pieces of wood and other materials to build, construct and create, objects, sculptures, pieces of art and other sorts of tools and technology.

What I have noticed children doing with the hammer is that they do not learn how to use it first. What they do is that they just grab the hammer closer to where the handle and the head of the hammer join, and they bang, bang, bang away onto every piece of wood on the table. If children find it difficult hammering the nails onto wood, they are provided with plastic bottle lids which help with keeping the nails up. This makes it easier for the children to hammer the nails onto the pieces of wood, and slowly learn how to control the hammer and focus on the nail.

 

With some children they don’t really worry about what they are making,  but what they get to do with the hammer, nails and pieces of wood is much more interesting to them. They get the pieces of wood and hammer them together with the nails and they keep piling wood on top of wood till they are finished. With other children, they really enjoy constructing and creating things, so they would work with a teacher and build something that they want. As stated in Somerset (2007), children set out a definite objective in mind and carry out the plan through to achievement. This is true as in the past we have had children who built tables and chairs, which are currently being used in the centre. We encourage all children to come and participate at the carpentry table and to have a go at using the hammer, and maybe constructing something they can be really proud of. This helps children develop the capability in solving practical problems which contributes to self-confidence and well-being (Ministry of Education, 1996).

The learning children develop from this is that they become a person who can do things alone and develop a sense of autonomy or accomplishment (Somerset, 2007). When hammering nails into wood, a child is altering things and feels some kind of control over them, where initiative is stimulated and the concept of self grows (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008). Children are also learning about what a hammer can do for them, such as fixing a problem; this problem can be anything that they can find in the centre or at home. They can learn that a hammer can fix a loose nail popping out and hammer it back into place on a fence, table, chair or bed and that these things can also be built using a hammer. The use of technology is that it enables children to understand the different purposes of many materials and the various places and settings it may be used (Ministry of Education, 1996). The history behind the hammer is that it has evolved through the years and changed in time. Halvorson (2007), states that, many years ago people used rocks and stones as a tool to construct and fix things, but to this day in many cultures rocks and stones are still used instead of the hammer. Children are learning to understand how technology was used by different people and in different times and how it has evolved and is still evolving (Ministry of Education, 2007).