Blog Number: One.
28th March 2011
Over the last couple of weeks there has been a large interest in insects, this particular day one of the children brought in some crickets in a container. We talked about what we though the crickets would eat and how they would live in the wild. We went to our library and got books about insects to find answers to our questions. ‘G’ then suggested “why don’t we look on the computer like last time Niria”. We went over to the computer and started it up the children were excited about this. First i explained to them what to click and how to search, we got into goggle and then i wrote the words down on a piece of paper so the children could type them into the search box. Through doing this i am supporting their early literacy skills and letter recognition we found out a lot of information, which i read back out to them,we discussed our finding and documented them to display in our science area. Through documenting our finding we were able to recall what we had learnt on the Internet, and bring it all together from the children’s different viewpoints.
After a while one child said to me can we go to the pictures one. I knew what they were referring to goggle images as this is a site that we have used previously. I took them to goggle images and we typed in crickets again. We scrolled though the images of all the different crickets and various other insects, and the children discussed their experiences with crickets. From here they started talking about what sound they make. I then decided to go on you tube so they could hear a recording of what they sound like, the children thought this was great. Through this the children are gaining an appreciation of playing with ideas and materials with no specific objective in mind can be an enjoyable and valid approach to learning (Ministry of Education, 1996)
While we were doing this one child saw on the side bar a picture of a coyote and clicked on that, a recording of their call started playing. I had to leave the children for a few minutes (but was still able to see what they were doing) and when I came back I heard G and Q discussing how they get the video to play, I heard G say that they need to press the triangle, while Q said that they needed to press the pictures, between the two of them they were able to get the video playing. This example demonstrates co construction were the two of them were building knowledge together (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004). The process of going through different insect and animal sounds went on for quite some time before the children had to get ready for mat time.
I felt this was a great learning experience for the children as they are learning more about the Internet and how to use it. This was through me scaffolding their learning and them co construction their learning together, Te Whāriki supports the use of technology and states that “children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.98).
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Through this experience children are learning new skills to research using current technology to further their knowledge for later learning. As Rosen & Jaruszewicz (2009) states that “acquaintance and experience with digital technology can afford young children the opportunities to develop technology skills and fluency that will be required in their further” (p, 126).
Reference list:Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he Whāriki mātauranga mo ngā mokopuna o
Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: learning media.
Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: learning media.
Kia Ora Niria
ReplyDeleteI can see from your blog that you followed the children’s interest and supported their learning. Your own confidence with the use of information and communication technology enabled you to enhance the children’s learning. The children were definitely developing early research skills during their time at the computer. It was great how you wrote down the word cricket for the children so the children could then type the word cricket themselves. By doing this you were also fostering children’s knowledge about how to use the keyboard. The children were able to not only see images of the insects and animals but the sounds as well which shows how the internet is a valuable learning resource. The children were also using hand-eye co-ordination as they manoeuvred the mouse and arrow to get the video to play. You ensured the children were able to revisit this experience thorough the documentation on the wall.
The children look like they are really concentrating on what is happening on the computer screen. There was an interesting interaction going on between G and Q who appear to have some knowledge of how to get the video playing on the computer, I wonder if they have the opportunity to go on the computer at home. Hatherly (2009) asks the question whether as teachers if we are conscious of the “funds of knowledge that children bring with them?” (p.7). This could be your where to next, perhaps you could ask the children if they use the computer at home and how they use it. In addition, you could ask the children’s parents how the computer is used at home.
You made me think about my own use and knowledge of the computer. I will have to visit the You Tube sight as I have never visited this site. What are your thoughts on teaching children to be cybersafety? The NetSafe kit for ECE has great information on how to teach children to be cybercitizens especially the Hector’s World free online learning resource. I enjoyed reading your blog and I learnt something new that I can use in my own practice.
Tino Pai mahi Niria
Hatherly, A, (2009). ICT and the greatest technology: A teachers mind. Early
Childhood Folio (13). 12-16.
Kia Ora Niria,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your blog about researching the internet about crickets. As I started to read about your experience I loved the way you followed and extended on the children’s interests in crickets.
This experience involved the people (Niria and the children), the place (the centre), the thing (the cricket), and the event, which was this research experience. This was extended by you Niria in the way in which you were able to be flexible and extend the children’s learning through the books and the internet, two forms of technology. This experience shows how the people, places, things and events were the curriculum for this learning. Bolstad (2006) suggests that digital technology may be empowering children to develop new ways of thinking. In this experience I can see how the children could be formulating their own thoughts to find the answers to their questions about topics that they are interested in using technology.
I liked the way you empowered the children to lead this experience from following their interest, through to scaffolding their learning with the internet. After reading your blog I can see that you value and respect the children’s ideas, thoughts and interests through the way that you involve them in discussing this experience. Well done.
Niria you have documented the children’s learning from this experience which fosters opportunities for the children to revisit and recall this experience. This is an important inclusion to the curriculum because it can prompt children to want to repeat this experience from the reminder that it provides.
Great reading Niria, I always thought you were a wonderful teacher.
Reference:
Bolstad, R. (2006).Zooming in on learning in a digital age. A literature review. (pp. 11-17). Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press.
Niria I really like the way that you have used ICT such as the computer with the children to learn more knowledge about the crickets. If you think back to the good old days we would have been searching encyclopaedias or the library for information! I think the very cool thing is that now when children have a real interest in something we are able to follow their enthusiasm very quickly so as not to lose their interest where as years ago without the technology that we have today possibly children would have lost interest do you think?
ReplyDeleteThe internet provides such a significant source of multimedia resources therefore information is now easily accessed at the touch of our finger tips. The down side would be that is that access is available to everyone and anyone therefore we have to insure the safety of our children at all times when we take them exploring on the World Wide Web.
I liked the way that you facilitated the children’s learning by going onto YouTube to show the children the sound that crickets make. You are encouraging them to develop strategies to seek and actively explore the technological world to make sense of the real world that they live in. I think it is so important to encourage children’s curiosity for the natural and living world. I did a similar activity with cicada’s, as the children were finding the shells on the trees in the outdoor environment, we would sit in our tree house and listen to the sound of cicada’s in the nearby trees outside the centre and this sparked a real interest with the children.
I liked the way you are supporting and guiding the children’s learning by showing them research skills using technology but that you were able to back up the children’s learning by taking them to your library to look at books as a means to also find answers. As educators it is important that we are able to introduce a wide variety of technology skills to children for their future learning. Technology has become a major influence in our daily lives therefore it is our responsibility that we not only introduce technology but we keep up to speed with the latest technology so that we can offer our children an environment that reflects the world we live in today.
I loved the way you encouraged co-construction so that the children were learning together all about using the internet. Not only were the children learning about technology you were providing an environment that encouraged the sharing of knowledge with and alongside others.