At my centre we are very
fortunate to have a “Smart Board” that is large enough for the children to
operate and share their learning development with their peers. As the Smart board is new in our centre it
has become a learning experience for both the teachers as well as the children. As I observed the children today I was really amazed
at how confident they were at operating an advance technology from clicking on
file then choosing new document to clicking on “X” in the corner to close down
a page. Te Whāriki states that in order
to participate in this world, our children will need the confidence to develop
their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new
knowledge and skills (cited in Smorti, 1999, pg 1).
I felt a sense of how much Technology
as become prominent in our centre and how fast moving we are in society and the
world for that fact. I noticed that the
children were confident at opening a new document, recognizing the keyboard
with the different letters, spelling their name, and even using their fingers
for writing out their numbers. This
became a “WOW” factor for me as looking back through my own personal journey we
didn’t have computers back in my time, or even a Smart Board that allows you to
change what you want with just a touch of a button.
My thoughts were that by
placing the children in a technological environment this enhanced their literacy and writing skills,
and also helped developed their hand and eye co-ordination and recognition of sounding
out the letters to their names. The
New Zealand Early Childhood literacy Handbook states that the planned
environment provides the broader framework for supporting literacy, including
the literacy resources, routines and activities (Hamer and Adams, 2003, pg 37).
I feel that the children who
are based at my centre are born into a native technology age, where mobile
phones, plasma (TV), ipads and even some vehicles all run by a touch of a
button. I believe that I am a immigrant
to this age and realise that I have been left back in time, as I do not have
the knowledge or I need the knowledge to catch up to a moving technological
society. This has made me aware that I have
to be technological savvy, in other words allowing the children to teach me
what they know and making it a learning process for both myself and them. Te Whāriki states that growing experience in
solving problems together develops children’s understanding of how technologies
can help them and others (Ministry of Education, 1996 pg 58).
As an Early Childhood
Educator how do you see your level of competence in Technology? Do you find that as time goes by we will
eventually be moving into an age where paper will no longer be required and
there will be one gadget that has everything?
This does make me nervous as I feel that the day will come when we will
no longer require nature as a form of play and children will only be focusing
on their ipads.
However, I feel that
it is my job as an Early Childhood Educator to provide opportunities for all
children to be exposed to technology; it will help them to be fully informed or
prepared when growing up in a community or society that will offer them with
future prospects of making technology inclusive and viable for all. Therefore, they become confident and competent
at a young age allowing them to face their future able and ready. The New Zealand Curriculum states that the
aim is for students to develop a broad technological literacy that will equip
them to participate in society as informed citizens and give them access to technology
related careers (Ministry of Education, 1993, pg 32).
Smorti,
S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10.
Ministry
of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He
whāriki Mātauranga mo
ngā
Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington,
New Zealand:
Learning
Media
Hamer
J & Adams P. (2003). The New Zealand Early Childhood Literacy
Handbook: Practical Literacy Ideas
for Early Childhood Centres. Dunmore Press
Ministry
of Education. (2007). The
New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington,
New Zealand: Learning Media
Picture of Smart
Board
Talofa lava teine:)
ReplyDeleteEven though technology are increasing tremendously today but when we're working with children , we learn from one another. I believe learning is a two way tool, like a give and take relationship. When we use this teaching strategy in our everyday practice we find our job easy for us and the children will also find it easy as well, just like when we use technology. You mentioned that you feel like that your behind in the technology field, that's probably how the children felt when they first started using technology, but once we get use to it we become to rely on this technology. Therefore we tend to increase our knowledge when using technology and we find ourselves confident and competent in our teaching, and we pass that on to the children. Children then will carry that confident and competent with them when they step out into the wider world. Maama noiho :)
Tino pai rawa atu Linda. According to your questions, for me as an early childhood educator if I will score my knowledge about technology from one to five, I will rate myself with 4 and if you were asking this question before I studied early childhood education, I would rate myself with 1. Just by looking at this it shows me that my technology skills had developed and what you have feared about young children, from what I have witnessed recently; my answer would be “yes, there will be a time where children will no longer need a pen, but their ipads”. Even though I had my answer to your worries and agreed with you to introduced children to technology but at the same time I came up with a question. Is technology will lead children to laziness? If yes, how are we going to prevent children from becoming lazy?
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, I liked the way how you said technology feels alien to you, me too. I used to feel confident using it, but the technological advances have come so quick that I cannot keep up and sometimes wish I didn't have to. I agree with you that it is becoming extremely scary the amount of reliance we put on technology. I wonder if there is anything we can do to not only increase the children's awareness with technology, but also show them how to acomplish similar things without the technology? For example, before computers we used typewriters and before compact discs there were records? It could be a great opportunity to introduce tamariki to past technologies and help them develop skills which will help them be proficient in both?
ReplyDeleteKia Orana mama Linda
ReplyDeleteTechnology is scary and I know what you mean, it’s taking over our everyday freedom to engage in the natural world. For the past three years we have been studding to be a qualified teacher and for the past three years computers, laptops has become our best friend it has helped us to complete a task but it has also taken away our freedom to use our thinking skills and getting out into the community to research and making use of the local library. It’s excellent that children are exposed to this technology but yes you are correct “it’s our job” as teachers to provide them with opportunities to engage indoor and outdoor technology. It’s our job to make their learning experience fun and enjoyable. Smart board is a really advance technology not even I can use a smart board so it must be a really good experience to be learning something with the children.
True-Ta-Ru I know what you are saying just the word Technology scares the hell out of me four. For me growing up we did not have technology. It was all natural.I often think to myself what same characteristics do i have with technology. The only thing that springs to mind is that we are both foreigners (aliens)to each other. for example even though you are nice to it but one push of a button and you could lose everything and you have to start all over again Hence the reason why it is taken me so long to put up my posts but hey I will get there i don;t know when but hopefully before the due date. I use to wonder if i had technology in my day there would be no stopping this chicky but at this time and age i am at a stand still and scared. Its true what they say the common belief is that children know more about computers than adults and teachers.My son is transpiring into a little know it all..... which scares me. This could become dangerous or it could be a good thing, Tamariki already have the passing of the smacking law on their side and look where that is headed.Mmmmmmm Makes you wonder?......
ReplyDeleteHi everyone
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comments and feedback. In regards to Kalo's question Is technology will lead children to laziness? If yes, how are we going to prevent children from becoming lazy?
Personally, I feel it will only because I feel that children now a days are born into a technology age. People around the world are looking at ways of making life easier, however, I don't agree with this philosophy as I feel that children need to have that hands on experience where they are able to do things without technology, as I also feel that technology is important but it's not the all in all.
Therefore, I think that it is our job as teachers to include activities that are not connected to power (my version of non technology). I guess there is no right or wrong way of technology its just how you feel is important to you.
Rachael that's a excellent suggestion of introducing past technologies to the children, for example the telephone showing the children photos will help them to see where we have started to where we are today. This will give them a wider perspective of how technology has increased.
Thanks again for your positive feedback and reflections.
Lyn