Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Reflection of Learning
I have found this assessment challenging but enjoyable. I think that because it has been a new and exciting experience for many of us we have forgotten to provide critical feedback. I know that I haven't received critical feedback, but I have enjoyed sharing some of our challenges. It was good to know that others were learning by trial and error and having to ask for help. Experiencing the process of trial and error for myself has made me realise that, while children need instruction to use new technology, it is the exploration of its uses that provides the opportunity to realise the potential of these tools.
I also got lots of ideas and knowledge from reading the blogs of other students. This shows how useful these types of electronic 'chat rooms' can be for professional development of teachers. They can be used to generate discussions, invite critique and share knowledge and information.
In relation to the learning outcomes for this course I have gained an understanding of the significance of technology to children's development. These are the cultural tools of this generation. They are a part of all of the environments that influence their lives. This poses new challenges and fears for parents, educators and society as children gain access to broader communities in ways that were not available to them in the past. However technology is not only here to stay it is also rapidly advancing into children's worlds. It was really valuable to learn about the services and information that Netsafe provides that can help us address our fears and overcome challenges.
Several students added posts to our course blog that referred to the reluctance of teachers and managers to use technology themselves, let alone allow children to use technology in their centres. I can understand how they feel. Until I did this course I didn't really understand the significance or benefits of much of today's technologies and was daunted by safety issues and lack of skills. I have found that it doesn't take as much effort as I first thought to use and reap the benefits of this type of technology. For example, I can see great benefits for the revival of whakawhanaungatanga amongst communities. For example facebook has allowed me to make connections to my extended whanau and iwi all over the world. I know that it won't be easy but I am excited about implementing my new understandings and technology skills in my practice.
I also got lots of ideas and knowledge from reading the blogs of other students. This shows how useful these types of electronic 'chat rooms' can be for professional development of teachers. They can be used to generate discussions, invite critique and share knowledge and information.
In relation to the learning outcomes for this course I have gained an understanding of the significance of technology to children's development. These are the cultural tools of this generation. They are a part of all of the environments that influence their lives. This poses new challenges and fears for parents, educators and society as children gain access to broader communities in ways that were not available to them in the past. However technology is not only here to stay it is also rapidly advancing into children's worlds. It was really valuable to learn about the services and information that Netsafe provides that can help us address our fears and overcome challenges.
Several students added posts to our course blog that referred to the reluctance of teachers and managers to use technology themselves, let alone allow children to use technology in their centres. I can understand how they feel. Until I did this course I didn't really understand the significance or benefits of much of today's technologies and was daunted by safety issues and lack of skills. I have found that it doesn't take as much effort as I first thought to use and reap the benefits of this type of technology. For example, I can see great benefits for the revival of whakawhanaungatanga amongst communities. For example facebook has allowed me to make connections to my extended whanau and iwi all over the world. I know that it won't be easy but I am excited about implementing my new understandings and technology skills in my practice.
Expanding Systems of Influence
This reflection was inspired by our conversation in class today about how people, places and things become reference points for children to gain new understandings of concepts, knowledge, and interactions.
H was in the process of transitioning to school and had just spent the morning in her new classroom. She arrived at our centre in her new uniform and with her new school bag. We asked her to share her experience at mat time. I am in the preschool room so I knew that this would be beneficial for all of the children in my room. Among other things she was excited to tell us that she knew the songs that they sing at school. Then she opened teh floor for children to ask hr questions. The children know that there are six different questions that are asked at sharing times to prompt good discussion. They used these to get some pertinent information from H.
Where do you put your school bag? "In my locker like the one I have here."
What did you do there? "I sat on the mat."
When did you go? "I went in the morning with my brother and my sister."
How did you go there? "My mum took me."
Who are your friends there? "I have a reading buddy. Her name is E."
Why did you go there? "Because I am going to school when I turn five on my birthday."
After mat time the children gathered around her to look at her new lunch box and books.
Research has identified that successful transition to school is crucial for children's emotional well-being, social confidence and future learning. By sharing pre-visits with her peers at pre-school H gets to practice "border crossing" into ever extending environmenal systems (Hartley, Rogers et al, cited Meade, 2010). These "borders" are illustrated in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory of Development which holds that children's development reflects the influence of several environmental systems (Santrock, 2008). Te Whariki acknowledges this by requiring that "The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.42).
H was able to discover some points of reference for processing her new school experience. She found similarities in pre-school and school culture such as mat times, lockers for her bag and familiar songs. According to Fabian and Dunlop (2006) it is important for children to have strong connections between school and early childhood settings. By allowing H to share these experiences with our preschoolers, she also becomes a connection to the' world of school' for them.
This clarified my understanding of how the interaction of people, places and things becomes a significant aspect of a child's holistic development and has prompted me to put more effort into implementing and developing our transition to school procedures.
H was in the process of transitioning to school and had just spent the morning in her new classroom. She arrived at our centre in her new uniform and with her new school bag. We asked her to share her experience at mat time. I am in the preschool room so I knew that this would be beneficial for all of the children in my room. Among other things she was excited to tell us that she knew the songs that they sing at school. Then she opened teh floor for children to ask hr questions. The children know that there are six different questions that are asked at sharing times to prompt good discussion. They used these to get some pertinent information from H.
Where do you put your school bag? "In my locker like the one I have here."
What did you do there? "I sat on the mat."
When did you go? "I went in the morning with my brother and my sister."
How did you go there? "My mum took me."
Who are your friends there? "I have a reading buddy. Her name is E."
Why did you go there? "Because I am going to school when I turn five on my birthday."
After mat time the children gathered around her to look at her new lunch box and books.
Research has identified that successful transition to school is crucial for children's emotional well-being, social confidence and future learning. By sharing pre-visits with her peers at pre-school H gets to practice "border crossing" into ever extending environmenal systems (Hartley, Rogers et al, cited Meade, 2010). These "borders" are illustrated in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory of Development which holds that children's development reflects the influence of several environmental systems (Santrock, 2008). Te Whariki acknowledges this by requiring that "The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.42).
H was able to discover some points of reference for processing her new school experience. She found similarities in pre-school and school culture such as mat times, lockers for her bag and familiar songs. According to Fabian and Dunlop (2006) it is important for children to have strong connections between school and early childhood settings. By allowing H to share these experiences with our preschoolers, she also becomes a connection to the' world of school' for them.
This clarified my understanding of how the interaction of people, places and things becomes a significant aspect of a child's holistic development and has prompted me to put more effort into implementing and developing our transition to school procedures.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Mobile Phone Maths
Every morning we have a numeracy mat time and activity as part of our programme. I noticed that G had been bringing her toy mobile phone in to play with, and many of the children were interested in playing with it as well. For the rest of the week I used the idea of mobile phones for our numeracy activities. As our programme is structured and follows themes that have been decided upon by teaching staff I look for every opportunity to extend children's interests. This makes teaching more effective because it allows children to learn through activities that are meaningful to them (Arthur, Beecher et al, 2005).
Having homeschooled my own children for ten years and been a remedial reading teacher aide, I am absolutely passionate about teaching children in meaningful contexts. My own personal experiences match those of Margaret Brennan (Brennan, 2000, p.177) who has based some research on the recognition of the place of cultural tools in achieving intersubjectivity in her work with children. This simply means recognising the importance of understanding or sharing children's perception of the cultural tools that they use, such as language and technical artifacts (Vygotsky, 1978; 1986 cited Brennan, 2001). Brennan's research was focused on representational play that developed out of children's television watching, but is equally applicable to any technical media/communication tool. She found that these types of tools provide home learning experiences that can be represented and recreated, extending their thinking in the same way that other representational play does. Rogoff ((1998) found that each generation modifies the tools of past generations, so the important finding of Brennan's research is that unless teachers are able to accept, value and appreciate the diverse ways children will appropriate cultural tools. If we don't we will fail to recognise the opportunities that today's tools offer children to create shared learning moments with their peers and with adults.
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