Class and Blog Contributions

Two class contributions:

http://tamarwk.blogspot.com/2011/03/fostering-adults-learning-about-and.html#comments

http://tamarwk.blogspot.com/2011/04/children-as-competent-confident.html#comments

Five class blog comments:

http://farmerjules.blogspot.com/2011/04/can-we-make-biscuits-please.html#comments

http://nikolastechnoblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-do-you-see-as-technologyand-where.html#comments

http://cathyyoung2011.blogspot.com/2011/04/lets-find-out-together.html#comments

http://padma-technology.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-perspective-of-technology-im-going.html#comments

http://lisastechlog.blogspot.com/2011/04/using-technology-to-make-feijoa.html#comments

Fostering Children’s Learning Through the use of Cameras and Digital Photo Frames

Thursday 28th April

As digital cameras become more and more inexpensive and increasingly available at home and in school, young children have more opportunities to experiment with this technology as a learning tool. Using digital cameras in the early childhood classroom isn’t just about taking pictures, it involves using such technology equipment to make ideas visible, to communicate and collaborate with each other, while helping children to explore and understand their world around them (Blagojevic & Thomes, 2008).

Children in my centre thrive on the use of digital cameras, they have consistent access to these technology tools and are very familiar with how to use them. Children have become fluent in their use for exploration, expression and learning with digital cameras (Boardman, 2007).

Here a child takes a picture of different characters in a book spontaneously and independently using the digital camera, with such resources available to children it is amazing to see the type of self directed learning that occurs. This child ended up making a book and developing her own theory to how the story was told, it was truly incredible and directly meaningful to her.  

The use of digital cameras in the classroom promotes the child’s voice as a significant source of information regarding learning. Whether it is snapshots of children’s achievements or children in charge of the camera, they both provide joint conversations, information for the child while also providing the educator with valuable information to reflect upon about the child and their learning aspirations. It can also influence the teaching method needed to enhance learning (Boardman, 2007).

For example here children take photos of the outside playground, they each take turns capturing a part of the playground which is of interest to them. From these photos I was able to gain knowledge of what the children’s interests were, soon enough everyone wanted to see their pictures and with one camera this was proving to be difficult. So I placed the memory card into our digital photo frame where all the photos were flicking through on a slide show. It was inspiring to see the conversations which occurred as a result of the change in technology use. Children were questioning “why do you like this part”, and “how do you play in their”, “I like to play in there this way”, children explored their ideas and theories of what takes place within the centre environment.
 

Photographs can support and serve as prompts for high quality discussions, language use and increase children’s confidence in expressing their views.  Blagojevic & Thomes (2008) suggest that as children take photographs they “interact with their peers and others in new ways” (Blagojevic & Thomes, 2008, p.67).

Early childhood curriculum Te Whariki also supports the idea of children self directing and assessing their own learning as it states children are “competent, confidant and capable learners” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.9).

Using the digital photo fame also serves as a reflection tool for children when a week’s worth of photos are uploaded. This permits children to revisit previous or present activities or interests which they were involved with. To compare and contrast their ideas, review the processes and potentially come to new understandings about an experience while viewing themselves from an external viewpoint (Trepanier-Street, Hong & Bauer, 2001).

Digital images also provide a “window into learning” for parents when displayed, as photos have the potential to prompt children’s memory of learning experiences undertaken throughout the day, week or month. Photographs can provide useful information to families about the centre’s programme while also being an excellent communication tool between children, parents, whanau and educators (Blagojevic & Thomes, 2008; Arthur, Beecher, Death, Docket & Farmer, 2008).

There are many advantages associated with using digital images to document and asses children’s learning, it provides children, parents and educators the opportunity to directly be involved in the child’s learning. While also capturing the critical component of the child’s voice within experiences and interactions. 

 References

 

Blagojevic, B, & Thomas, K. (2008). Young photographers. Young Children, 63(5), 66-72.

Boardman, M. (2007). I know how much this child has learned, I have proof!: Employing digital technologies for documentation processes in kindergarten. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(3), 59-66.

Ministry of Education. (1996) Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o  Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.

Trepanier-Street, M., Hong, S., & Bauer, J.  (2001).  Using technology in Reggio-inspired    long-term projects.  Journal of Early Childhood, 28, (3), 181-188.

Technology Resources for Infants

Tuesday 19th April

Using digital technologies with infants can be rather limited due to developmental appropriateness of available resources. Although these are restricted I encourage the use of technology with infants where I can. Infants in my centre have consistent contact with low tech interactive technologies such as battery operated resources. This provides them with the opportunity to bring something which is inanimate to life by adding battery power and promotes sensory information (Mitchell, 2007).

 

This type of technology use with infants can be linked to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development where in the sensorimotor stage children’s cognition develops through movement and sensory exploration of the physical world. Infants explore technology resources through sight, touch and sound, this highlights the use of such technologies in infants learning to coordinate sensory information (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).

Low tech technology can be used to promote aspects of sensory integration as resources provide the opportunity for children to combine and integrate information across their sensors, which is critical towards the development of perception. Infants continuously construct new knowledge and understanding when they accommodate new sensory information. They begin to relate what they have learned about one object through one sense such as touch to what they have learnt from another such as hearing. Interactive toys as sensory stimulation can be used as a repetitive experience supporting the foundation of healthy learning pathways in the brain. Research suggests that such sensory experiences for infants provide a strong base for further cognitive development (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008; Wang, Kinzie, McGuire & Pan, 2009).

Interactive toys can also be used to facilitate interaction and play between infants and their peers along with educators (Walton-Hadlock, 2008). From my own experiences I have found technology developed resources are an effective way to promote participation in interactions or experiences. For example children use a musical bus as an interaction tool, child A points at the toy and waits for child B to make the interactive toy go, when this occurs both children start moving their bodies to music. This resource has facilitated the interaction between two infants where they both used their understandings and communication skills to reach a common goal while exploring their sensors and body movements. Children are here seen as "active explores" they interact with the world around them to satisfy their learning needs (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Interactive toys can be considered as a type of assistive technology, where resources are used to promote learning and development. Such resources provide infants with an attractive activity which stimulates many of their sensors (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). Books are an example of a resource which has developed dramatically through technology over the recent years. This particular book provides this child with sensory stimulation through sight, sound and touch.  

Interactive technology used in infant toys is specifically designed to promote education while they play. Such resources are intended to support children develop their bodies and minds through interaction with these toys.

If we step back for a moment and really take note of what is available for children in our centre’s we are soon to realize how much resources develop in order to meet the changing developmental and learning  needs of each generation and discover how much technology no matter what type it is influences the learning needs of children. Such resources also reflect the technological world we live in.

Although technology can bring such richness to children’s learning, I do feel it is important to acknowledge the fact that it cannot replace the need for children to be present among other children and adults for personal interactions. Research suggests that when the need for these encounters is honoured by educators, the use of such technology in promoting learning is effective in many ways (Mitchell, 2007).

References 

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4^th ed.). Boston, United States of America: McGraw Hill.

Ministry of Education. (1996) Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o  Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.

Mitchell, L. M. (2007). Using Technology in Reggio Emilia-Inspired Programs. Theory Into Practice, 46 (1), pp. 32-39.

Walton-Hadlock, M. (2008). Tots to tweens: age-appropriate technology programming for kids. Children and Libraries, 6(3) 52-55.

Wang, F., Kinzie, M., McGuire, P., & Pan, E. (2009). Applying technology to inquiry based learning in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 381-389.

Video Recording with Children and its Endless Possibilities!!

Tuesday 12th April

Throughout the years educators have been quick to utilize the educational benefits of new technology available to them, from pencils to chalk to overhead projectors and to date video cameras. Information and communication technology are increasingly being used to enhance learning opportunities for children as these technology components are central to their daily lives (Terreni, 2010).  

Recently I have noticed a group of four year old boys consistently playing in the block area for   various periods of times constructing block towers and busting them down, well this is what I had assumed. I decided to ask the boys what they were building one morning when I noticed them in the area again. Child A responded “we are trying to make a massive castle to put our animals into, but all the blocks keep falling down” child B adds that “we have tried lots of ways but it won’t get tall enough for our animals, it always falls down”.

I questioned the children to why they think the castle could be falling down, child B suggested   there were just too many blocks, at this point children begun to discuss their own theory’s to why it was falling down.  I recommended we use the centre video camera so we could record the building process to the point where it was falling down, where we could then watch it. Children were eager to try this strategy, child A wondered if he could record it, I was  happy to encourage this so child A videoed the other children involved building the tower. Inevitably the tower fell down and we played it back, as we watched the process of the children stacking blocks child C suggests that we “try not standing the blocks up” and “lay them down”. I agreed this was an excellent idea and the boys started building their castle again by using more blocks and laying them down, this was successful and the children were ecstatic.

Without the use of technology much of the conversation, ideas and continued learning may not have happened, video cameras provide opportunities for children to visualise and reflect on their thinking, processes and behaviour. With such digital video technology capturing, storing, browsing, revisiting and creating of documentation of children’s work is convenient and enhanced (Hong & Trepanier-Street, 2004; Mitchell, 2007). 

Instant revising of video recordings provides children with a rich problem solving context that invites and promotes thinking and reflection while constructing knowledge. Digital technology is a value tool towards scaffolding children’s learning, the intent of revisiting is to recall experiences as a platform for new ideas, questions, conversations, discussions and further exploration (Hong & Trepanier-Street, 2004). Early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki also emphasises the importance of such discussion and reflective skills as it states that children will be “encouraged to talk about their play and to develop reflective skills” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.85).

Reggio Emilia educators in recent years have introduced the concept of documentation and revisiting which is both a process and product that seeks to represent children’s learning. Documentation through the use of a video camera provides a way for children to revisit their experience and to extend their thinking. I have found this is also a valuable tool for myself as an educator to better understand children’s thinking while gaining further understanding of an experience and my role within it (Hong & Broderick, 2003).  

As a result of this experience and new learning’s children are now regularly involved with using the video camera to reflect and extend on learning, it is readily available and children are truly thriving off each opportunity to use it.

 Children enjoy videoing themselves while role playing.

A child video's another child dancing.

References

Hong, S. & Trepanier-Street, M. (2004). Technology: A tool for knowledge construction in a Reggio Emilia inspired teacher education program. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32 (2), pp. 87-94.

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Wha-riki. He whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

  

Mitchell, L. M. (2007). Using Technology in Reggio Emilia-Inspired Programs. Theory Into Practice, 46 (1), pp. 32-39.

Terreni, L. (2010). Adding new possibilities for visual art education in early childhood settings: The potential of interactive whiteboards and ICT. Vol 35 (4), pp. 90-94.