Blog 6

My Final Reflection

Finally I am done with my blogging. This was a real challenging experience for me as I have never heard about blogging before. I was not able to create my blog but once I learnt to create my blog I did not know how to post my blog. I made a hell lot of mass to my work. I got some help from my classmates and do really appreciate their help. I was too nervous to post my first blog but when I posted it I lost my blog. I appreciate my lectures help as it took her minutes to solve my problem. I am now able to blog and finally completed my assignment. This blog of mine might not be a good one but regularly using the blog will develop my skills and built my confidence. I have not only extended children’s learning but I have also gained knowledge about technology. I did receive some comment from my classmates which is very useful and was encouraging for me.

It is interesting to read other students blog and the different types of technology been identified. It was good to see how children’s learning was promoted about technology in early childhood environment.

Children go through childhood receiving information through television, books, computer screens and electronic games. Most of today’s children have not lived in a non-computerised society and therefore are curious and knowledgeable about technologies of today and tomorrow. Children learn more and are keener to do so when they are having fun in the learning process. Technology can cater for so many needs of the children such as improve their language skills, develop gross motor skills, develop literacy skills, enhance creativity, learn to solve problem and children can access information and investigate. There are greater opportunities for grouping children resulting in a more social nature to learning. Technologies provide an opportunity for children to communicate with children and the educators as they will be able to develop their confidence and become competent learners. (Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. 2003) Educators must use new technologies in ways that promote the benefits of these technologies towards learning whilst limiting the issues associated with them. Society is constantly changing and children are immersed in this ever changing world. In order for children to learn in this world there has to be educators who take responsibility and utilise new technologies to teach new knowledge. Until this is realised and acted upon, education will fall behind in producing effective learning for children now and into the future. (Smorit, 1999) REFERENCE LIST Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn        1999. TsantTsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003). Examining some common myths about computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web, November 2003, 1-9.

Blog 5

Blog Contribution

Two class contribution

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

http://tamarwk.blogspot.com/2011/03/welcome-to-blogging-for-people-place.html

Contribution to other student’s blog

http://bumblebeesonam.blogspot.com/2011/03/fascination-with-camera.html

http://hestersmitspot.blogspot.com/2011/05/turn-taking.html

http://kidzsavvy.blogspot.com/2011/04/photo-taking-technology.html

http://monika-prasad.blogspot.com/2011/05/technology-has-gained-acceptance-in.html

http://rehanahassan78.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-first-leap-pad-educational.html 

http://pritipratap.blogspot.com/2011/04/having-fun-with-cars-it-was-lovely-day.html

Blog 4

Enthusiastic about the Vacuum Cleaner

02/05/2011

Today our centre manager (K) bought a new vacuum cleaner. It was my turn to do the vacuum I picked up the old vacuum and my centre manager told me to put it in the shed and use the new one. Child (Z) was interested to see what’s inside the box. (K) told her it is a new vacuum cleaner. (Z) said “Now we have two of this machine”. (K) said “That is a real old one but this one is a latest model and it will not only collect dirt but if someone drops water or milk or any liquid this vacuum cleaner will suck all the water and dry the mat immediately. (Z) “Mum’s vacuum does not dry water on the mat” I explained her that there are many different types of vacuum cleaner and our old vacuum did not have that function”. (C) another child said “We have this machine at home but it is silver and it is also bigger that this one”. (J) is (C) older brother said “Mum and dad use this when they go in the afternoon to do the cleaning”. I turned on the vacuum and they all looked at me as because it was a bit louder than the old one.  (Z) asked me if she could help me do the vacuum. I said to her “(Z) do you want to have a turn” and she said “can I please Razia”. Razia “Good girl (Z) good manners let me finish this and then you can have a turn”. I gave the vacuum to (Z) to have turn. The other children did also want to have a turn. It was heavy and bit bigger for children to use so (K) turned on the old vacuum cleaner as it is small and lighter. Some more children came to the mat and wanted to have a turn to use the vacuum cleaner. I made them all sit in a corner. Each child came up one at a time to have a turn to vacuum. Children were very excited to vacuum. I then turned on the music and the children moved to the beat of the music while vacuuming.  (K) told the teacher that the old vacuum cleaner does not need to go in the shed but it can be kept. Children can use that vacuum cleaner to help teachers to vacuum.

Technology is surrounded around us in our everyday life and new technologies are invented to improve and make things easier. Vacuum cleaner is another technology that we use every day at home and at the centre. Vacuum cleaners are very convenient to cleaner or collect all dirt and dust rather than sweeping. Technologies have invented new things to improve the old ones for example the old vacuum cleaner did not have the functions available to dry the water on the mat whereas the new one has. While using vacuum cleaners children gain knowledge about the use of vacuum cleaners and how it works. They are able to differentiate between a broom and a vacuum cleaner as they can also learn that vacuum cleaners need to be plug to power where as a broom or sweeper does not. They learnt to share and take turns as we only had two vacuum cleaners and they were about more than twenty children wanted to have a turn. Children are able to develop some housekeeping skills like cleaning dirt and dust. They also develop hands on experience. We have decided that we will bring or ask parents if they can bring one if they have something different from the one in the centre to show them to the children to extend their knowledge about different types of vacuum cleaners.  Some of the different types of vacuum cleaners are handheld vacuum cleaners, wireless vacuum cleaners, sweepers, commercial vacuum cleaners and bag less vacuum cleaners.

Blog 3

Experiencing the use of Microwave

04/04/2011

It’s was lunch time and we were all sitting at the table eating our lunch. I had pie for lunch and so did child (A). She looked at me and said “(R) why are you not eating your pie”. I told her that it is hot. Child (A) said to me “My pie is not hot”. I asked her if she wanted to heat up her pie. She said “Yes”. I went in the kitchen and (A) followed me. While I was using microwave to heat the pie (A) was looking at me. I asked her if she was fine. We went and sat at the table to have our lunch.

After lunch (A) tried to heat up some buns made of play dough in the toy microwave at the family corner. She called out to me and said (R) “I am not able to heat up this bun can you help me?” I explained her that this one is a toy microwave and the one in the kitchen is a real one which can really heat our food.            

I also explained her how it works. Microwave is another type of technology in our kitchen which helps us heat our food evenly throughout and also it is convenient. We can also use microwaves for baking and cooking. While using microwave children will learn to heat up their food having assistance from an adult. Children will increase their cooking skills. They are able to differentiate between hot and cold. Adults can make children aware of safety issues.  

She told her friends the difference between the two microwaves. We have decided to use microwave technology with children in our centre by helping children to heat their lunch. We have also decided to do cooking with children using microwave for example making popcorns. Children develop skills where they learn to keep themselves safe. They are able to participate and take the risk without having a fear of getting hurt.

(Ministry of Education, 1996)

Reference list

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Blog 2

Future Photographer’s

01/04/2011

It was a rainy day so we stayed inside after morning tea. Some children were on the mat constructing a train with Lego and were talking about trains. I went near them keeping in mind not to disturb them. I took some pictures for my learning story. Child (G) who was also sitting on the mat reading a book. He came to me and said (R) “are you taking pictures”. I replied to him “Yes, I am taking pictures of those children playing with Lego. He asked me “What are going to do with these pictures?” I replied to him that these pictures are for the learning story which I will put in their portfolio”. (G) said “Are you not going to take my pictures”. I said to him “Yes, do you want me take your picture”. He said “Yes, but can I have a turn”. I took his pictures and gave the camera to him. He wanted to see his pictures which I took. He asked me to show him how to use the camera. The other children surrounded me and they all wanted to have a turn. I made them sit down and told them that everyone will have a turn to use the camera. I showed them one by one how to use the camera and they enjoyed taking pictures. After they finished taking the pictures I showed them the pictures they took.I scaffold children as to help them to learn to operate the cammeras. (MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. 2004).

Cameras are also a technology as it is a device that enables us to take pictures either still photographs or moving images. Technology is improving each day and new things are introduce. Today the advanced technologies have introduced new and better tools or equipments to make things easier for people. In olden days people used to carry some film rolls but today people use digital cameras. Digital camera allows us to take lots of pictures depending on the size of the SD cards as the card has the storing capacity. Images could be displayed on the screen immediately and unwanted images could be deleted to free the space. Digital images can be downloaded on computers   for storing and sharing images on the internet, Skype or face book. If there was no camera technology and photography the development of TV and cinema would have been delayed. This would mean no TV and films which would be very unexciting.

Teaching children to learn to use camera as this would extend children’s learning to use another technology. They will be able to capture images of natural and manmade beauties. Children can learn to become creative and in pursuit of excellent photography’s. Photography teaches us to think spontaneously and imagine the outcome of the pictures. Young children having interest in taking pictures might become professional photographers in future.

Children learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning at the same time children start to solve problems, classify things, they begin to use information, and they start playing with ideas and explore them actively. They develop working theories for understanding natural, physical and material worlds. Adults are to extend children’s play without making too much of intervention but to support and enhance their learning to become confident and competent learners. This is very important as whatever a child plays with is all regarded as a learning resource. (Ministry of Education, 1996)

Reference list

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Addison Wesley Longman.

Blog 1

Young Computer Operator’s

28/03/2011

Child (A) started our preschool and likes to play with one of the teachers only. I encouraged her to play with her peers but she would not play with the other children at the centre. I did also give her our good resources but she would only spent few minutes and back to one of the teachers. I talked to her mum about that and to know what she likes to do. She told me that she likes to spent time on the computer. I talked about this with the other teachers at the staff meeting. We agreed to give children an opportunity to use the computer as this will also increase their ICT knowledge and at the same time we introduced another technology in the centre. There was an old computer in the staff room so we decided to put that computer near the book area for children to use. Every morning the computer is turned on and there are pictures of children of our centre which I have set up as a slide show. Child (A) and I use the computer every morning. She likes to type the alphabets on the word document and print the document. The other children did also showed interest to use the computer. I helped the children to use the computer and print whatever work they did on the computer. They feel free clicking to the different option available and waited to see what happened. They try to scorll the page up and down.  This also helped me to settle child (A), also she was now comfortable to play with and alongside her peers.  

Are young children ready to use computers? My question was answered when I actually gave children an opportunity to use computers. Young children are developmentally ready to explore things out. One of the strands of Te Whāriki Exploration goal 1 states that “The knowledge that trying things out, exploration and curiosity are important and valued ways of learning” (Ministry of Education, 1996. P.84).

Computer is a modern technology used by humans in every aspect for their life. It has bought fundamental changes in people’s life as well as it has influenced the way of communicating, gathering information and data storage. Computers are widely used today and acquiring computer knowledge is the need of the modern life. Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003)

(Smorti,1999) defines technology to help people and solve problems. “Technology is also a creativity and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments” (Smoriti, 1999. P.5)

While exploring computer children learn to seek information, and at the same time they interact with other children. Computer technology develops children’s gross motor skills; enhance their math skills, increase creativity as well as their self concepts. It also helps children to learn to solve problem. Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003)

Launching computer technology to the children of our centre helped us settling child (A) in the centre environment and she was also comfortable playing with and alongside her peers. It did also helps teachers to build relationship with children while working together on the computer as children did needed that support. Teachers scaffolding children to help them to move to a level higher as this helps children to increase their competence. MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2004). I feel proud that we introduced computer technology in our centre to facilitate children learning.  We now have to select an appropriate software.

Reference List

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

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn
       1999.

Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003). Examining some common myths about computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web, November 2003, 1-9.