CHILDREN and COMPUTERS

I noticed a group of children sitting at their computer table in the corner of the room; they were showing interest in a programme for children on the computer. The children were not fighting over who was going to have their turn next, there was one child that had control of the mouse the rest of the group were sitting their pointing to the screen.

There was no teacher at the computer table but looking at them from the other side of the room. The group of children at the computer didn’t share the mouse of the computer but they were not fighting over the mouse too. Some children in that group looked happy just standing there observing what was happening. These children would tell the boy with the mouse to click on the images shown on the computer, they were telling this boy what he had to do, and this boy controlling the mouse was new to our centre. I was amazed by this group of children, they were helping the child be familiarised with the program that was on the computer. The children didn’t take control of the mouse but let this boy take control, they were teaching our new boy about the computer program through their words, and they supported him through instructions from their knowledge and their experiences. “growing experience in solving problems together develop respect for differences and an understanding of their roles, rights, and responsibilities in relation to other people” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p 96).

Having computers present in an early childhood education setting gives children the opportunity to explore the features of the technology. It also allows children to take control of their actions. Having a computer in the centre can also help children welcome new children in their environment so the new children will feel that they belong in the environment. I know we only have one computer in our centre for the children, but it made the children problem solve this situation by sharing and also by given others a chance to explore the technology. Children taught me a valuable lesson that day and it was to sit back and give them space, things may work out different from how I think children taught me that they also have their own way of how things work. “Te Whariki states that in order to participate in this world, our children will need the confidence to develop their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills” (Smorti, 1999, p 5).

 

The computer is an amazing technology in the centre, it helps children discover programs on the computer for their learning, and they can identify the main functions on the screen. They can also take control of the mouse and have their eyes on the computer watching the cursor move. This technology can also help children develop words that can encourage them to ask questions to extend their learning. This technology has number and matching games that can also help improve their memory and also help them to count. This piece of technology shows a lot of images that relates to children’s every day life, for example, vehicles, trucks, animals, birds’ things that children are exposed to on a daily basis and this helps them find out the purposes of these things. “Technology is also a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments” (Smorti, 1999, p 5).

 

Reference List

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

 

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

 

 

CHILDREN and CAMERAS

 

“Using many materials for different purposes enables children to recognise that different technologies may be used in various places and things” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p 95). In my centre we have one camera. I noticed that the children run up to me after I take a photo of them or things they make. The children would ask me if they could see the photo that I had taken. I was surprised to see that children knew that you could see the photo after you have taken it, I wasn’t sure children knew that cameras can view photos, because when I was young the cameras that I was exposed to had a film instead of a memory card, and it did not view a photo you had to wait for the film to be developed in order to see what you have taken.

 

 

 

“Growing experience in solving problems together develops children’s understanding of how technologies can help them and others” (Ministry of Education, 1997). I gave the children the opportunity to take photos with the camera, they had to share this one camera amongst them, I noticed that they took turns taking photos of each other and then they would run back and look at the photos, children learnt to share this one piece of equipment and shared the photos for their other friends to see. I then uploaded the photos to their computer and children asked me “how does the photos on the camera go on the computer” and one child said “the memory card holds the photos” their knowledge of this piece of technology surprised me; these children are also exposed to technology at home.

 

With the childrens photos that I uploaded to the computer, I gave them the chance to edit their pictures. Because we don’t have the technology to show the childrens photos to the parents, we print the photos out and display it on the walls where the parents and children come through to drop the children off. To me it was a good idea because the child and their family member walk in together and the child can talk with the parents with what he or she took pictures off. This is also a good chance for the parents to see what their children are interested in as some parents need to go work and don’t have that time to sit down and view their Childs pictures.

 

“Technology is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 1999). Having children interact with this technology they can experience how it functions and find out how it works. Children can learn to problem solve and see what would happen if they push certain buttons. Not only can they develop an understanding of the camera they could also teach and show other children and their families how it works. Technology can help create new experiences that children can also relate to other places in their environment, it can help children build and ask questions that they can find the answers to with the help of us teachers and also find knowledge from their own experiences. Ellis & Van Scoter (2001) states “studies highlight the opportunities for language use and interaction that technology offers children” (p.9).

Growing up I wasn’t exposed to the electronic technology we are lucky to have today if we can provide the experiences of technology and its benefits to our children it can take them a long way in life, they would also find it very useful as our children are really keen learners that want love to learn and find new things.

 

 

Reference List

Ellis, D., & Van Scoter, J. (2001) Technology in Early childhood Education: Finding the
              Balance.Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

 

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

 

CHILDREN and SCISSORS

“Children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore the world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p 98).

 

One morning at my centre, I noticed children holding scissors in their hands, there was paper, cardboard and play dough on the table next to them. They also had felts and crayons in the middle of the table. Some of the children had put their play dough on paper and traced the shape of their play dough and used the crayon to trace it. They then took the play dough off the paper and used the scissors to cut the shape out. Each child had a different shape to cut out because their play dough formed different shapes. The children’s scissors went side to side along with their paper; their cutting wasn’t a straight line but swirly, pointy and bumpy.

 

The children were focused that they didn’t talk or look at anything else but their paper. After cutting their shape out, the children looked at the other children’s shape and they tried to cut it exactly like the others. Some of the other children started to describe their shape and related it to their favourite cartoon character Ben Ten and they started extending it to Ben Tens magic hero powers, they then started to cut out Ben Ten watches and colour it green. “Children gain an increasing ability to convey and receive information, instruction, and ideas effectively and confidently by listening, speaking, and using visual language” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p 97).

 

The children can use scissors to make their own creations; there is more than one way to use a scissors. Children built their own creativity with this technology. The scissors helped the children cut their shapes out and it also challenged children by the shape on their paper. Scissor cutting can also help the child take control it makes children focus and help them with their hands and eye co-ordination as well as their fine motor skills.

Children also started having conversations with each other about their work after they used the scissors; they also made connections with cartoon characters they are all familiar with. It helped children take control of their own learning and extend on it using their own imagination. Children discovered how it works they also know that scissors is for cutting, this piece of technology can help children solve problems for example, it can help children cut their food wrappers, it helps children cut papers and pieces for their art work, children can also use scissors to cut their own cello tape. “Growing experience in solving problems together develops children understanding of how technologies can help them and others” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p 96). Scissors can help children explore different materials, they can find out which material the scissors can cut and materials the scissors will be difficult to cut this can make children explore other materials in the centre. Teachers can also talk to children about what is appropriate to cut and what children can’t cut, teachers can also tell children the reasons why. Teachers can also teach children about being safe with scissors so they are also aware of others especially their peers.

When children go home to their families they can help them out cut photos to paste on the wall or even help their families wrap up presents. It’s important for us adults to implement the purposes of this piece of technology so that children have a good understanding of this resource.

 

Reference List

 

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.