Personal reflection

Through doing this blog assignment, I have learnt a lot from it. Before I did not how to define technology, I though technology are all about the things that with electric such as computer, calculator, phone, ipad, telephone, TV and etc. I never thought about that pen can be technology, books can be technology, and scissors can be technology. As Smorti define technology is about helping people and solving problem (1999, pp5). Why pen is technology? Because in old days, people used stone to write on the floor, but now we have pen to help people to write things down on the paper. Why books are technology? Because in old days, books only have words in black, but now a day, books are colorful and contain pictures to support reader to understand the readings. Books are made up with very good quality and different materials.

Through doing this assignment, I gain a board range of knowledge about the benefit of using different technology in children’s learning by researching articles about technology and reading my other group members’ reflections. It changed my mind of technology tools are for adults only. Technology can be educational for children if used in an appropriate way. As McManis and Gunnewig (2012) identify that whether traditional or newer educational technology plays an important role in children’ learning when it is based on research, child development theory, and developmentally appropriate practices.

Computer is the most popular technology tool that common used in the centre, because computer covers a board of learning opportunities for children, such as support and increase children’s skills in the social, cognitive, language, literacy, writing and mathematics realms (McManis & Gunnewig, 2012). Based on the feedback that I received from my group members about the computer technology, they all agreed with me that computer has positive influence on children’s social development. For example, when children using computer, they share and help one another, ask for and provide information and explanation and collaborate to solve problem.

In my CD player reflection, I have a very good idea of using CD player from the feedbacks. She mentioned that her centre is using CD player as a tool to celebrate and acknowledge the different cultures by playing different culture music with different language. I loved this idea of using this technology to encourage children experience other culture. As promoting this experience for children, it will enable children to feel positively about the diverse culture and it also avoids the limitations of stereotyping and to value diversity within children (Beaver, Brewster, Green, Neaum, Sheppard, Tallack, & Walker 2008). As Te Whaariki believes children should be encouraged to understand and respect the different cultures which make up our society (Ministry of Education, 1996).

From the feedbacks in my e-book reflection, one of them said that having technology in early childhood can encourage group play and promote social interaction as much as dramatic play. I agree with her, because e-book is interesting and attractive technology software for children to engage with and motivate them to want to read more (Landoni, 2009).

Overall, technology covers a wide range of learning opportunities for children. Therefore, I will use technology as a tool to facilitate children’s learning based on their interests.

Hyperlink

Hyperlink

Comments one:

http://komalranii.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/fun-with-computers.html?showComment=1365244026574

http://komalranii.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/non-digital-technology.html?showComment=1365243915810

http://komalranii.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/learning-with-ipad_22.html?showComment=1365287273391

Comments two:

http://meganlaupa7.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/the-real-life-touch-of-play-dough.html?showComment=1365287545684

http://meganlaupa7.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/electronic-stories.html?showComment=1365206150311

http://meganlaupa7.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/going-shopping.html?showComment=1365206303481

Comments three:

http://ivetinamomo.blogspot.co.nz/#!/2013/04/musical-play-and-exploration.html

http://ivetinamomo.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/computer-technology.html?showComment=1365329740081#!/2013/04/computer-technology.html

http://ivetinamomo.blogspot.co.nz/#!/2013/04/utencil-equipment-in-technology.html

Comments four:

http://veronicatavo.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/digital-camera.html?showComment=1365332274301

http://veronicatavo.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/music.html?showComment=1365333548016

http://veronicatavo.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/blog-post.html?showComment=1365335273386

 

Story book

Date: 29^th March 2013

In my centre, we had a book corner for children. Children can read a book any time they want. I have done some observation in the book corner for few hours in the other day. I had noticed that children are not very interested in reading books by their own. Although some children want to read a book, they just look at the picture and finish it in a very short time. It is hardly for me to see a child to sitting down to read a story can last five minutes. I believe it is because there is no teacher to supervise children to read the story, children find it hard to understand the story by their own, and therefore, they just look at the picture in the book instead.

Compare to the past thirty years, books was technology. Because children books was not common used in the centre before thirty years. Children books are common used within a centre now, and they are colorful and made of different materials. Some children books are well designed in 3D version, things pop up from the pages when you open the book. Compare to now generation, I believe children books are non technology anymore, because there is e-book for children to use.

E-book as defined by Wikipedia, “An electronic book is a text and image-based publication in digital form produced on, published by and readable on computers or other digital devices” (Wikipedia, n.d.). E-books provide children with the opportunity to use technology both in ways that will prepare them for our modern society. Children are motivated and engaged by the multiple form of technology that surrounds them, so why not use e-book to motivate children to learn (Literacy Matters Today, 2011). Children books may have some benefits that e-books currently don’t have, such as they can provide children with the opportunity to touch and feel some of the books involve texture, but e-books promote children with the opportunity to exploration things in a new way and have a new experience that books typically do not, such as in the form of animated illustrations and recorded narration. However, e-book engages children in reading and motivates them to want to read (Literacy Matters Today, 2011).

Children books require an adult to read the story for them, but e-books can be access by children themselves. Children found it hard to understand the story if there is no adult read for them, but e-books have audio narration, sound effects, animations and links to dictionaries, etc, which helps children to read the text and visualize the meaning and comprehend more easily for children (Grimshaw, 2007).

 

Reference list:

Grimshaw, S. (2007). Electronic books: Children’s reading and comprehension. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 583-599.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). E-book. Retrieve 29^th March 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book

Literacy Matters Today, (2011). The bebefits of digital books for children. Retrieve 29^th March 2013 from http://literacymatterstoday.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/the-benefits-of-digital-books-for-children/

CD player

Date: 12^th March 2013

 

CD player is another very common technology tools that are used in the centre, so does my centre. In my centre, children can access the CD player whenever they like. Children have been taught how to use the CD player by the teachers, so if children want to play a CD or a story book, they need to go to the teacher ask for the CD and play it by themselves. When I was a child, there is no CD player for children to play with, not even use in a centre. Teacher usually sang to children.

On the other day, I observed a child was sharing two of her favorite CD that she brought from home. First CD was a story. Child A was using the CD player to play CD for her friends. Child A held the book up to show her friends just like what teacher usually does. Child A was very familiar with all the functions of the CD player, she knew how to pause the story and she knew how to stop the story. After Child A finished play the story and played her the other CD which is the action song CD. She said to her friends. “All of you need to do is listen to the song carefully and do the actions right, or follow me”. I was surprise by child A, because she can remember all the symbols’ meanings such as the button for play, stop and pause the CD. I remember it took ages for my mum to remember the meaning of all the buttons when we got our first CD player.

In this observation, child A was using technology as a tool to share her favorite CDs with her friends. These children have developed the ability and confidence to using technology in their play. As Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Matauranga māngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa states that children develop the ability and confidence to use technology when children experience an environment for active exploration (Ministry of Education, 1996).  In our society, there are more than sixty percent of jobs that require technology skills. Therefore, children will have a hard time to fit in this technology society if they do not have the opportunity to learn to use technology (Taylor, 2000). The experience of using this technology tool provides children with the opportunity to enhance their communication skills and language skills, such as when children responding to what they have heard from the song and do the relevant actions. According to McManis and Gunnewig (2012), they believe a group of children working with technology together can be a powerful type of learning for them, especially for children’s language and social skills development. This technology experience also promotes children with the opportunity to become more independently. Children can read a story without an adult’s support and they can listen to the story through using technology, it also leads children to solve the problem when there is no one can read a story to them.

Reference:

McManis, L., & Gunnewig, S. B. (2012). Finding the Education in Educational Technology with Early Learners. YC: Young Children, 67(3), 14-24.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopunao Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Taylor, H.H. (2000). Technology: A key to the future. Head Start Bulletin 66(1). Retrieve 12 March 2013 from www.headstartinfo.org/publications/hsbulletin66/cont_66.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              

Computer

Date: 5^th March 2013

 “We live in a world dominated by computer technology, and computers have begun to appear in early childhood classrooms” (Mohammad & Mohammad, 2012, pp 97). In our centre, we have a computer for children to use. I observed two children were sitting together and using the computer on the other day. One girl was trying to use the drawing software to create a picture, and the other girl was sitting by the side and attempted to teach her friend how to use this software. Girl A moved the mouse and selected the ocean background for her picture. Girl A asked girl B “Now, what can we draw on it?” Girl B suggested, “What about a mermaid?” Girl A replied, “I don’t know how to draw a mermaid.” “I know, you don’t have to draw it, you just click there, and the mermaid will come out. Let me show you.” Girl B took the mouse and moved it to click the icon for the mermaid.

I still remember the first practicum I had been to, I was so surprises that centre provides a computer for children to use and children were so familiar with the computer and knowing exactly what they were doing. I was surprises because when I was at this age, I am not even having a computer at home not mention to in the center. Even in now generation, computers are everywhere in the world, but in my country, it is not common having a computer for children to use in early childhood centre.

Smorti (1999) states that “technology is thus an important area of the early childhood curriculum (pp 5)”, because Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Matauranga māngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa also states that technology is the essential learning areas in early childhood (Ministry of Education, 1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Matauranga māngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa believe that children are part of a world revolution which involve communication, technology, work and leisure,  children need to develop confidence to being able to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills (Ministry of Education, 1996).

In this scenario, these girls were using computer technology to create a picture instead of using a pencil to draw. As Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory believe that children will construct new knowledge and concepts by engaging in hands-on experience or “concrete” experiences (Beaver, Brewster, Green, Neaum, Sheppard, Tallack, & Walker, 2008). Computer technology can be one of the concrete materials for children to construct knowledge. There are still people thinks that computer has negative impact on children’s social and emotional development, because they believe that when children are using computer, they are more likely getting less interaction with their friends. However, in my personal perspective, I believe that computer can boost children’s social and emotional development. As you can see the example that I provided above, children were sharing the computer and having a conversation. Through sharing the computer, it increases children’s opportunity to interact with others, such as sharing their ideas and creations or supporting their friends and work co-operate with their friends. As Mohammad and Mohammad (2012) identify that children build higher levels of social interaction when they working with computer. Through this observation, I can see that children’s physical development has been fostered as well. As we all know that use computer require us to look at the screen and use our hands to move the mouse in a controlled at the same time, so does the children. All these actions can improve children’s fine motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination (Mohammad & Mohammad 2012).

Moreover, technology is the one of the learning areas in The New Zealand curriculum. The New Zealand curriculum states that student needs to develop a broad of technological literacy, because it will support student participant in society in their future (Ministry of Education, 2007). Children learning computer technology in their early age is prepare for school life, such as learning the different part of the computer, how the computer works and some basic computer skills.

Reference list:

Beaver, M., Brewster, J., Green, S., Neaum, S., Sheppard, H., Tallack, J., & Walker, M. (2008). Child Care and Educaiton. (Level 3). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Ltd.

Smori, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

Mohammad,M., & Mohammad, H. (2012). Computer integration into the early childhood curriculum. Education , 133 (1), 97-166.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopunao Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.