Reflection One: Evaluate
how ICT (Information and Communication technology) is used at your centre to
promote children’s learning and development.
Stop:
One way that we promote how information and communication technology
is used at our Centre is the process of teaching children about their culture traditions and
customs. Last week we celebrate the Samoan language week and Independence week,
so we have been doing activities with the children that represent the Samoan
culture and customs. We made a Samoan tuiga with
the children or a crown for the girl to wear when she dances, and we have been
explaining to the children about the process of making it and its significance
importance in the Samoan culture. Language and culture is slowly losing in our
Pasefika cultures here in NZ so it is very important that we still educate and
teach children about these important customs and traditions passes down from
older generations to our generations. “Learning Samoan language and culture
empowers Samoan children to know they are of Samoan heritage, to uphold their sense
of identity and belonging, and to advance the knowledge of their language and
culture” (Mckenzie, 2010, p.1).
Think:
I chose to talk about passing down
knowledge and cultural traditions from our Samoan culture to the children
through our experiences to show my understanding of information and communication
technology through the process of cultural practices rather than material and electronic
devices. The knowledge and understanding that we have as Samoan teachers and we
passed it down to children is also ICT which promote children’s understanding
about their background and cultural traditions and customs. “Technology is a
creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities
through the development of products, systems or environments” (Smorti, 1999,
p.5). The language is one significant value that is slowly losing away not only
for the Samoan language but other Pasifika languages. For the purpose of the
Samoan language week, we emphasize on the important of children learning basic
Samoan words especially the Samoan children. Cavaluzzi mentions that “learning
one’s heritage language and culture is crucial to developing a sense of self,
that language is a symbol of cultural and personal identity” (Cavaluzzi, 2010,
p.3).
Although we do things differently
back in the Island and customs and traditions are stricter there, it is just as
important to show children the basics of how things should’ve been done in our
culture. Te Whariki mentions that
early childhood centres should reflects and supports the holistic way children
learn and grow through cultural as emphasized (Ministry of Education, 1996).
Change:
Technology are not just about
digital devices, but it “influenced by the culture or the society in which it
occurs” (Smorti, 1999). The process of teaching children how to make a tuiga
(Samoan girl’s dancing crown) from scratches is in my understanding technology
because it is a purposeful activity to create the tuiga (Smorti, 1999). I would
still encourage and emphasize more on providing children with these technology
process experiences especially the process of creating cultural experiences
with children.
Reflection two: Evaluate
how digital devices are used at my centre to promote children’s learning and
development.
Stop:
My Centre does not support or allow
the children to use digital devices at all unless one of the teachers is using
it to show children something. We have a few digital cameras available for the
teachers to use daily to capture and record children’s activities/experiences
and what is happening in and around the Centre. Teachers used these photos for
their daily reflections, learning stories, program planning and teacher’s
program evaluation for improvement and development of children’s learning. Each
permanent teacher at my Centre have been given a laptop from the Centre to use
for work purposes only, and these are sometimes used by the teachers to extend
upon children’s interests or showed children a video, pictures, programs
relevant to children’s program. This is only mostly used for the near 5 program
with near 5 children. We also have a radio available for mat time stories and
children’s fun sing along songs and dancing experiences.
Think:
Although most of early childhood
centres now uses digital devices and allowing children to have full access to
these for their daily experiences, I do not support this. I like the way my
centre does not allow children to have access to these technology devices
because it is taken away most of the children’s time to play, explore and it
also exposed children to experiences that are inappropriate for their age group
(Greenfield, 2003). Some parents commented that they give their children ipads,
games, phones or laptops to make them settle and quiet at home. This is where
technology takes over and my value for play is replaced. I strongly valued play
to be very important in a child’s developing abilities as it mention “children
learned and experienced new things, exploring new ideas and activities through
play” (Oliver & Klugman, 2002). This is becoming less and less in
children’s life and technology devices are taking over.
I have mention the disadvantage of
why I don’t like having digital devices for the children but I also like the
way that these technology devices is making teaching a lot easier and
communication between parents and teachers about children’s learning and
development faster and simple. Parents like to see evidence of what their
child/children are doing and these are captured in these photos through
learning stories and centre’s programs. The other digital devices are being
used appropriately such as the radio to change story times from reading to
listening to it on radio and children would love changes rather than hearing
the same voice over and over (Stephen & Plowman, 2013).
Change:
As I have mention earlier, I do not
support having digital devices being fully available to the children as I
believe it is taking away children’s time for outdoor play, relationship
building with others, bonding and quality time with other children, teachers
and parents. I wouldn’t change anything
about how our Centre uses digital devices to promote children’s learning, but I
would only recommend having an online site available to the parents where they
can view and see what their child/children are doing every day. This gives teachers
the chance to use and put the digital devices available to them to promote
children’s learning to whanau and also form partnership and relationship with
whanau and parents.
Reflection Three: Evaluate
how non-ICT/digital tools or devices are used at your centre to promote
children’s learning and development.
Stop:
Every morning the teachers at my
Centre set up variety of different activities at different learning corners of
the Centre for children to choose what they want to do and play with. For example,
setting up the play dough at the kitchen area, paintings activities, art and
crafts activities, outdoor activities such as having balls out for children to
play with, bikes, hula hoops and moon hoppers, setting up a few tools in the
sandpit, and making sure all other non-ICT tools are available and in reach of
children when they want to play with them such as puzzles, books/library area,
carpentry resources, leggos and etc. We sometimes facilitate experiences that
are teachers initiated and we also encourage children to use their initiatives
to create their own experiences as well. All these activities/experiences and
resources are available to the children all the time and they can choose their
area of interest to play at.
Think:
Our centre offers and provides a
variety of experiences and resources available to the children to promote and
enhance their learning and development, and it is our job as educators or
teachers to guide and support them. This is shown through children’s work and
play every day. One area of interest that is always famous with the children is
the play dough area, and this enables children to learn so much as they
interact and build relationship with other children, initiating their own
experiences through play dough such as cooking, baking and etc. This is giving
children the chance to express their ideas and thoughts through play and
allowing them to be themselves and be comfortable in their own space. I believe
that facilitating teachers initiated activities for children is something that
teachers should planned and set up always. Children are known as curious being
but teachers should be able to set up activities for children to extend and
expand their curiosities over and their imaginative skills to make sense of
things around them (Ministry of Education, 1996). Digital/technology devices
have taken over some of children’s quality learning and exploring time, and
this starts from home as we have been told from parents. I am happy that we
don’t have these tools available to the children at my centre such as ipads and
laptops for children to play with as I believe will not only keep children from
exploring the outside world and having fun, but also cause so much difficulties
with children fighting over wanting them. Our learning environment is all about
hands on experiences in the indoor and outdoor, and these not only gives
children the chance to explore with all their senses but also allows them to be
competent learners and confident in their bodies, around others and in their
surrounding environment (Greenfield, 2003).
Change:
I believe that we have provide
enough non-ICT resources to develop and enhance children’s learning in our
learning environment, although we do not support giving children ICT digital
resources to use, maybe it is also good to look into these and do some research
on the advantage of having these available to the children for a change. We
could look into other preschools that are using these digital devices every day
in their learning environment and why they valued these to be used by the
children.
References:
Greenfield, C. (2003). Outdoor play - the case for risks and challenges
in children's learning and development. Safekids News, 5.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā
mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand:
Learning Media.
Oliver, s. J., &
Klugman, E. (2002). Playing the day away: The importance of constructive play
in early childhood settings. Child Care
Information Exchange, (145), 66-70.
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.
Stephen, C. & Plowman, L. (2013). Digital
technologies, play, and learning. Early
Childhood Folio, 17(2), 3-8.
