REFERENCE LIST

Arthur, L; Beecher, B; Death, E; Dockett, S & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4^th ed.). Victoria, Australia : Thomson.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4^th ed.). New York : McGraw Hill Companies Inc.

Hutchins, T. & Sims, M. (1999). Program planning for infants and toddlers: An ecological            approach. Sydney, Australia: Prentice Hall.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (2^nd ed.). Malaysia : Pearson Education Australia.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo ngā mōkopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Ltd.

Porter, L. (2003).Valuing children. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(2), 1-8.

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19, pp. 5-10.

Tsantis, L.A., Bewick, C.J., & Thouvenelle, S. (November 2003). Examining some common myths about computer use in the early years. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web (November 2003), 1-9.

Reflective Blog Post on Personal Blog

The feedback that I have received from other students in the class has shown me that the activities that I am doing with the children are good and I was congratulated by one person for following the interests of the children. This is something that I always try to do in my centre so that I do not miss any important teachable moments. Several people agreed with my comment in the concrete volcano post that using trial and error and making mistakes is okay and it is a valuable idea for children to learn. This made me realise that even though projects and activities do not always go to plan, there are still things that the children will learn from these unplanned occurrences. I have not received any feedback on further comments I could have made or further links to literature that I could have made, but myself I feel that there was probably more I could have added. However with the word limit this was not always possible. From the people, places and things class I have learnt how important outside influences can be for the learning of a child. There are many events and people that can influence children as well as different environments. This is why I feel that as teachers it is our job to ensure that these influences have positive outcomes on the learning of children in our care. I also think that it is important for teachers to continue professional development and improve their skills so that they can help young children to learn about technology. Porter (2003) stated that teachers are already good at teaching children and therefore do not need to gain any further skills. This is a statement that I do not agree with, because children can only learn what they are shown and taught and if staff do not continue to improve their skills as our world becomes more technological, there will be a negative affect on the learning of our children. I have also learnt through this course that although it is important that children learn how to use today's technology, it is also paramount that they are taught how to keep themselves safe while using it. Te Whāriki states under goal one of the well-being strand that "Children develop increasing knowledge about how to keep themselves safe from harm" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 52). This means being safe in all areas of their life and their learning, including when using computers, the internet, digital cameras and other aspects of technology. I found our class with netsafe very valuable hearing about the Hector initiative which helps to keep children safe from harmful images that they may accidentally see on the internet. Overall this topic has been very enlightening and has made me realise how important it is that children are exposed to technology and learn how to use it confidently, competently and safely. I have begun to advocate for the children in my centre to have access to the internet for educational purposes and also for a digital camera that is just for the children to use. Fingers crossed!! :)

Computer Whizz

At my centre the 3 and a half to 5 year old children have a computer in their classroom. The computer gives the children access to games that help them to learn math skills, problem solving skills and literacy skills. They can also watch interactive DVDs that help with recognition, recall, language and literacy skills. However there is no internet access or other programs for the children besides games, which could be because "...myths contribute to teachers' reluctance to move beyond basic awareness of computers toward integrating computer technology into teaching and learning" (Tsantis, Bewick, & Thouvenelle, 2003, p. 1). One child had just moved into this room from the toddlers, and he noticed another child playing on the computer. He watched from a distance for a few minutes before moving off to play. As soon as the child moved away from the computer, the new child came back and stood watching the screen again. I asked if he would like to have a turn on the computer and he seemed a little unsure, but he said yes and climbed up onto the chair. He wasn't sure what to do, so rather than stepping in I asked another child if she would come and help. She gladly showed the boy what to do and some scaffolding took place while he followed her instructions and figured out how to choose a game and open it up. This is a really important way for children to learn because "The support of adults and more competent peers provides the necessary assistance or 'scaffold' that enables the child to move to the next level of independent functioning" (NAEYC, 1991, as cited in MacNaughton & Williams, 2004, p. 331). From the aspect of people, places and things, this reminded me that children can influence each other's learning too, not just adults. If a child sees one of their friends doing something they are more likely to want to take part themselves (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004). I encourage children to use the computer if they are interested because it can help with the development of computer awareness and literacy skills (Tsantis, Bewick, & Thouvenelle, 2003). I believe that it can also help with the development of fine motor skills, cognition and hand eye co-ordination among other things. Technology is such an useful tool today  and through the computer children can access other technological devices such as using digital cameras, printers, scanners, USB sticks and the internet. These are things that I would like to introduce to the children in my centre more frequently, which is why I am advocating for the children to have internet access and a digital camera of their own. I have learnt from creating this blog that there are many skills I can still teach the children at my centre. Watching how quickly they can pick up skills on the computer through peer scaffolding has motivated me to teach them new skills that will help through the rest of their lives.

Budding Photographer

Last week I was taking some photos of the children's playdough creations, when one of the two year old boys asked to see the photo that I had taken. I showed him his photo and some of the photos of the other children as well, which he found very interesting and for some reason pretty hilarious. He wanted to hold the camera, so I asked if he would like to take some photos. He very enthusiastically nodded his head, so I showed him how to push the big button on top to take a photo. He held it up and pushed the button several times, but the photos did not show up on the screen. Unfortunately this camera needs the button to be held down, so I tried to show him this action, but he could not seem to make it work. This was a good way for him to practice problem solving with technology, because assording to Smorti (1999) "Knowledge, skills and resources are combined to find solutions; and there may be more than one solution to the problem" (p. 6). In the end I helped him to hold down the button so that the photos would work, but I think partly due to my interference he soon lost interest. I found it quite interesting that this child would become so interested in what was on the camera, because the cameras are used all day long and photos are a constant occurrence, which are put on the wall at the end of each day for parents to see. This opened my eyes to the fact that we are taking photos of the children every day, but they don't really get the opportunity to see what is on the camera or what it does. Under goal 3 of the exploration strand in Te Whāriki it states that "Children develop the ability to represent their discoveries, using creative and expressive media and the technology associated with them" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 88). I feel that the staff do this when creating learning stories, taking photos and displaying the children's artwork, but the opportunity isn't really given for children to do this themselves. However this is something that I aim to rectify, by encouraging children to take some photos each day and asking them for ideas of how and where to display them in the centre. This will at least provide an opportunity for the children to get more involved with technology and be able to represent their own discoveries using technology as suggested in Te Whāriki. It will also help to get children involved with planning, because according to Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett and Farmer (2008) "When their interests are incorporated into the curriculum children are more likely to engage in a wide range of experiences" (p. 313). This is why I felt that it was so important to help this boy extend on the interest he was displaying in the camera at the time. People, places and things definitely have a big impact on how things are done, but in this case people was the biggest factor for me. It is so important that we listen to children and take their cues (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004). Especially when planning for their learning with technology.

Creating a concrete volcano

The children at my centre have been showing an interest in volcanoes lately, so we decided to make a volcano with the children. Rather than making the usual sand volcano, we chose to have a go at making concrete as a new material to build with. This involves using sand, flour and water and mixing it together until it forms a sticky, dough-like substance. The children helped to measure out the ingredients and mix them together to see what it would create. Through technology, they were able to practice skills that they use in all areas of their day such as waiting, turn taking and sharing (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). We then poured the cement onto some cardboard and the children helped us to shape it into a volcano. This activity was production and process technology because it allowed the children to see how we can turn raw materials such as flour, sand and water, into a product similar to concrete. According to Smorti (1999) technology is "...a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments" (p. 5). The children's needs were met because they were able to develop a product that helped them to extend on their developing interest.
A few days later our concrete had not set because there was too much water in it. We let the children play with it once more and then it had to be disposed of. Although the outcome of the activity did not turn out as we had planned, it was great that the children were still able to go through the process of creating something new. I think it was good for the children to see that sometimes things do not work out as we expect, because this is a part of life that children will experience quite often. Te Whāriki states under goal one of the exploration strand that "Children develop the knowledge that trying things out, exploration, and curiosity are important and valued ways of learning" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 84). Even though things do not work out sometimes, it is still okay to try and explore. This is a message that I think children can benefit from in all areas of life and technology. It was especially good for the children to see that adults can make mistakes too and that we are still learning with them. It also presented a great opportunity to try the concrete making again to see if we can get it right next time. Although this activity was facilitated, it was something we did based on the interests of the children, so it is the sort of things that would happen quite often and spontaneously. I think that the children learnt a lot from this area of technology and it was something that they thoroughly enjoyed because sensory play is a favourite with most of our children. There was very little adult interference or intervention, so the children were able to explore to the full extent of their abilities, which I think helped them to have more appreciation for this production and process technology.