“There is an increasing awareness of the technological world that we live in, a world that people have created and changed through technology” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5). One of the main technological tools that are used in my centre is the digital camera. I believe that this is a common tool that is being used by teachers in the centre to capture memories of children's experiences. Today's society children are adapting to new technology appliances and are well capable of acquiring new skills in learning to use them. In my centre children are welcome to use these digital cameras if supervised by an adult. In several centres that I have attended I have witnessed young children use cameras on their own and capturing images that interest them. Now generation, young children are able to learn how to use the controls on the camera and are also aware of taking good care of it.
This technology could
also become a learning tool for children. Children are able to explore how to
capture an image and review it in the camera which keeps memories of their
pictures. It also motivates children to think of what interest them most to
take photos. One of the examples in my centre was a child who was using the
camera in the outdoors, I asked her if she could take pictures of anything
green that she notices in the surrounding, so she was able to identify the colour
green as she would go around the outdoors looking for obstacles that were green
and took pictures. This could also be another way of enhancing young children
to learn and explore. I noticed that she took the opportunity to become an
independent learner by taking control of her own learning
and recognizing things that captured her attention and interested her. As stated in Smorti “Technology is about helping
people and solving problems” (1999,p. 5). I believe that technology could
become a solution to problems that are difficult to fix or to find, more importantly
it becomes a regular tool of everyday use which supports and assist children to
take control of their learning at their own time and space and in advance
allows them to learn and develop new skills where they could acquire daily.
Te Whariki states that “Children
experience with some of the technology and resources for mathematics reading
and writing” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 78). This expresses that children
are able to access these learning areas by using technology as a learning guide
and tool. In my centre children are able to access the computer in playing
games that assist children with their literacy and mathematics. This application
provides children with an environment that is fun and enhancing and also
promotes partnerships and turn taking. Children are also able to develop social
skills and sharing and as well as helping one another (Smorti, 1999).
As educators and
facilitators, I believe that we need to enhance our knowledge and skill base in
the field of Early Childhood Education where we need to extend our learning
ability of technology (Smorti, 1999). By doing this we will be able to provide
our young children with a better and use of understanding of how technology
works and teaching children ways in which we could assist to improve their
mathematical and literacy skills. Nevertheless, this builds their skills and
knowledge to learn at the centre and taking what they have learnt back home and
sharing with their families. This also provides children with the initiative of
their own learning as they become confident and competent independent learners.
References
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
References
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999)
Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10.
I really like your blog Veronica, good job. I agree with everything you have said because we do the same thing at my centre. Children are allowed to take the camera and take photos of things that they are interested in. I believe doing this enhances children’s learning and encourages them to develop their interests even further. Giving children the opportunity to follow their interest, makes the curriculum more meaningful as it is based on the children’s interests (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008). Using technology such as camera’s, also creates a link to the children’s home environment as most children have already experienced using camera’s at home (Ministry of Education, 1996).
ReplyDeleteIn the last paragraph you talked about educators needing to extend their knowledge and skills in order to learn about the use of technology. I strongly agree with this because teachers’ computer skills and abilities, directly impacts how effectively children’s learning needs are being met through the use of technology(Tsantis, Bewick & Thornton (2003).
Hi veronica its iveti here we too use the camera at our centre and we surely capture the experiences that the children have each time they are exploring, Using alot of material for different things enables children to know how we can use technology in different ways in different places (Ministry of Education 1996)
ReplyDeleteI agree with the quotation made in your first paragraph how there is an increasing awareness of the technological world we live in, and I have experienced this firsthand in my personal life as well as through my practice of teaching (Smorti, 1999). I like your definition of a digital camera and how in today’s society children are adapting better to technological materials rather than non technology. I like how you’ve allowed the children in your room to experience this use of technology and then defined it as “taking control of her own learning” and capturing the moment’s that caught her attention and interest.
ReplyDeleteI agree in your last paragraph that we need to enhance our own knowledge and skills to extend our learning ability of technology (Smorti, 1999). This allows us as educators to relate better with the children in their world. I also like how you’ve pointed out taking what they’ve learnt home and sharing it with their families. Connections to home are essential to a child’s learning.
I like how you centre provides a camera for children to take photo of things that they are interested in. We have a camera for teacher to use, but not for children to use. Children are allowed to use camera, but do they allowed to connect the camera to the computer so that they can see their photos in the computer. I think it is a good idea to extend children’s technology skills by allowing them to connect the camera to the computer; children can share the photos that they took with their friends. As they share their photos, it can also boost children’s communication skills. I also like how you give a child a task to achieve by using the camera, which makes the learning more meaningful. As Beaver, Brewster, Green, Neaum, Sheppard, Tallack and Walker (2008) point out children need to engage with activities and experiences in order to learn effectively.
ReplyDeletecontinue on my first comment.......I like the way you ask question and allow children to use and experience how to use camera at your centre.You given her opportunity to explore.You taken notice and helping her to take the opportunity to become independant learner.It is nice to see how you follow and observed and support the little girl and how far her learning using technology. She also recognising things that captures her attention and interests.Children's capability in involving practical problems contributes to self-confidence and well-being(Ministry of Education,1996.p.94).
ReplyDelete