Reflection One: Using the Laptop
Reflection one
15 August 2012
This morning I put the laptop outside on the mat to show the toddlers different kinds of outdoor games with rules and how it is been played. The children showed an interest watching the games on the laptop. Child H was the first one to approach to me to tell that he knows all the games which I showed him in the laptop and also told me that his favourite game was soccer. I asked H,” what else he can tell the children about the soccer game? H said, “I know how to go on the games on this laptop”. So I asked him to show me and the other children how to go on the games and how it is played on the laptop. H went on the laptop with no hesitation and with confidence and showed the children about using his ICT skills which had surprised me. I find with allowing the children access to computers they are able to build confidence in using it to answer their own or others questions “Children experience an environment where their play is valued as meaningful learning and they develop an expectation where they take responsibility for their own learning and also their spontaneous play is recognised” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.84).
The area I had the activity was emotionally safe for the children to play. The boys were comfortable playing soccer games on the laptop for a while with their rules and by pressing the buttons on the key board. I was surprised to see how H and K played the soccer game and showed the younger children how to use the laptop. They followed the game rules by watching how the game was played on the laptop. "Children experience an environment where they gain confidence in and control their bodies" (Ministry of Education, 1996, pg.86). The children interacted with each other and shared their play experiencing the outdoor environment. The learning here was developing physical, social, reasoning and language skills. Here H and K are sharing and experiencing these skills together. While observing the children on the laptop I have noticed two different things, the first being the different levels of social competence children have when using the laptop. They also know how to use the keyboard letters and keys as well as how to move the mouse around. This shows that these two children have some sort of ideas and knowledge of how to use the laptop at home. The second aspect I have noticed is the children’s engagement in the laptop was soccer games only and they are completely engrossed in. Child H enjoys participating in ball games and he likes to share his interest and experiences with K. H engages himself with activities that is challenging and allows him be creative and exposes his ability towards others. Smorti (1999, p. 5) suggests “technology is about helping people and solving problems”
This experience had made me sit back and think the speed in which technology grows, the children will likely become supports to our learning Therefore, I believe educator’s role is to scaffold and encourage children to explore more about the use of technology in their centers. According to Smorti, (1991), the use of technology will develop children’s creativity and they explore and discover knowledge and skills.
mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning
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Smorti , S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No. 19 Autumn 1999, 5-10.
Hi Nirupa,through reading your reflction, I have found out how important technology can be for our children. Children tend to learn through observation. I agree to what Te Whaariki and Smorti (1999) as they speak about children's development in relation to development as Te Whaariki states about children's learning environment (Ministry of Education, 1996).
ReplyDeleteIn reading your reflection Nirupa, I can see how children enjoyed and being excited to see and explore something new. I believe it gives them great opportunities for provocations, dialogue, sharing information as peer learners, questions. There are lots of learning outcome I can see there. For example, teacher and children can builds a close relationship while interacting with each other. There can also be a good communication opportunity and question and answer time too. Te Whaariki (1996) states that children experience an understanding of problem solving better by the help of technologies so that they can help others too (Ministry of Education, (1996). On the other hand we can see that children can just become lazy and never like to read their books or learn their time table but just rely only on the use of technology.Sometimes children does not go outside to do something else but rather sit and play game and forgot to do their homework.But in the end,I should say this is the day and the time of technology and we cannot deny it. The power to control our children in using it is in our hands as parent. One thing I learn from your reflection Nirupa, was children enjoying playing games. I wonder whatis the learning outcome? Where to next?
ReplyDeleteHi Nirupa upon readiing your reflectgion I have come to know how much the children know about technology. I believe that at this early age the children are really competent and capable of giving things ago. This enhance their confidence and also their social skills where you mentioned that the boys were interacting with each other and showing each other how things work. On the other hand I also believe that sometimes just sitting and playing games on the computer make children lazy too and hinders their physical development. Which I have come to and I would like to throw some highlights that do you set boundaries for the children for using computers as reaseach or just playing game? Afterall I really liked your reflection where the children at your centre are encouarged to use ICT for problem solving and also building relationship with peers and teacher in other words ICT is a means of commuincation which I believe. Awesome reflection
ReplyDeleteHi Nirupa. It’s good to read all the benefits you have stated about children learning to use ICT and how it affects their development. I also do believe that children that need to know about technology and well done for exposing it to them at such an early age. However, we should ensure that we set limits for them while they using computers to play games. I think we can do this by telling them how long they can be on the computer so they are not totally engrossed in it and have time to do other things.
ReplyDeleteAt home, my I give my children to play games on the computer but it is like a treat for them. And they know that they have to stop when I ask them to or else they do not get to use it. Sometimes they get so glued to computers and TV that they do not hear when I call them or tell them something. They are not aware what is happening around them. So here I see a disadvantage in technology. Even I get so glued to my laptop sometimes when surfing the internet on websites like You-tube, salefinder, facebook and the list goes on. It is hard for me to stop sometimes.