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.