Task One; Part 1

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:

Cavaluzzi, M. (2010). Promoting cultural & linguistic diversity: Supporting bilingualism in the early childhood classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/spring10_diversity.pdf

Greenfield, C. (2003). Outdoor play - the case for risks and challenges in children's learning and development. Safekids News, 5.

Mckenzie, R. (2010). Core education: Tatai aho rau. Retrieved from: http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2015/05/tautua-nei-mo-sou-manuia-a-taeao-serve-now-for-a-better-tomorrow.html

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.