Saturday 25 August 2012

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.

 
 

4 comments:

  1. Wow! Prior to reading this did not think know that a pair of scissors has so many advantages. I loved the way children used paper to trace over the play dough as I have not experienced this before. It takes a while for children to become experts with the scissors, with experience and exposure they begin to do this really well. I must admit that even until now i am unable to cut with two fingers I need three for full support. Patricia I must say your reflections has made me look deeper into my practices and utilize the approaches similar to yours. Tino Pai!!

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  2. Trish, I must say that I am amazed by your reflection because I have been underestimating children’s capability to use scissors. I remember when I was young, my mum used to put the scissors in a cupboard and we could not reach that cupboard. I was never exposed to using scissors until I was about 10 years old. I grew up in the Island so my teachers always used to cut the papers for us because they thought that we will cut our fingers and we did not know how to use the scissors. I think that we should allow children to use scissors so that they can learn to be creative in their own way and sometimes children do like to take control of their own actions. Your reflection has inspired me and I would like to provide similar activities to the children in my centre. Ka Pai! I have really enjoyed reading your reflections.

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  3. 01/09/12
    Reading this reflection brings back memories about how my four year old son which had an awesome experience with a pair of scissors cut my table cloths and curtains because of his excitement with a pair of scissors. I agree with you that children also learned new skills and experience confidence with using non technology tools and resources. They also produce new ideas and link them to people, places and things just like how they link their shapes to their favourite cartoon character. Children learned a lot with using a pair of scissors just line how you explained in your reflection, and I agree that it takes a while for a child to be perfect with holding the scissors and cut. Over all a perfect reflection, kapai.

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  4. Hi Trisha! What a lovely experience that you've had with the children. I’m assuming that children were engage in parallel play while working along side other. That advantages of children focusing during play will helps foster problem solve and creativity. This is a rich creative activity for the children and I’m please to hear how you supported that. Smorti (1999) defines technology as a “creative purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments. Knowledge skills and resources are combined to find solution”. It was amazing to hear how this group of children extended their own learning. Kapai! for making a conscious effort to letting the children take ownership of their own creativity by not interfering during their play. You have provided children with great amount of resource that encourages them to be creative. “Children develop the knowledge that trying this out, exploration and curiosity are important and valued ways of learning” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 84)

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