Final Refection: Goodbye Fellow Bloggers

As I reflect back on the creating of my blog and coming to understand people places things and events I feel that I now have the knowledge to share with my colleagues, that a blog is not something to be afraid of, instead it can enhance the way in which we deliver and share information about our centre and the fantastic experiences, not only my centre, but other centres are providing for the children of today. My first realisation was this course wasn’t about the computers and electronic components, it was about how to deliver our findings. Technology is everywhere, in every aspect of life and children are immersed and using tools that make life easier and more manageable every day. Technology is never stagnate because even if we find or develop equipment that supports an activity, technology is evolving daily to further inform and make better what we already have. The importance of people, places and things on children's learning and development has been bought to my attention in more meaningful ways. Planned and Spontaneous events that take place in the centre have helped inform me as an educator in providing for children the opportunity to explore their world outside of the centre especially if they are in full time care.

Looking through a technical lenses you can discover new ways of describing your work. Over all for me, it has been the way in which we deliver our findings. When I first started this degree I couldn’t even type. Then came the Internet, although I was good on goggle, then emails, now a blog. With the help of some class friends to get me started I felt some of the frustration children must feel when all you want to do is have a go yourself, but well meaning people don’t allow you to learn by experience because you are to slow, or they feel frustrates because it’s just quicker for them to do it. (Smorti, S. 1999, p.6) states “it is the doing that is important, rather than the product” Being the learner you can actually feel yourself pushing yourself and growing in skills which is a great feeling identifying with the wonderment and pride of achievement children must feel when they master new activities.The class blog and the sharing of experiences has almost been like a data base of ideas that we can now implement in our own centres.

Sometimes ITC is overlooked in centres and my centre is one of those that finds it easier to find an excuse for children not to use computers and cameras, citing that they are too valuable to allow children to use. (Tsantis, l. Bewick, C. & Thouvenelle, S. 2003, p1) states “some myths are so convincing that they become subtle obstacles or obvious barriers to using computers in the early childhood area". On reflection I feel it is the teachers own insecurities with technology that is the real reason so as a team I hope to build on teacher child involvement and together work on providing the children and teachers with more confidence with computers. Te Whariki suggests as sighted by Smorti (1999) if educators in early childhood are to scaffold learning for children we need to broaden our understanding in the world of technology and continue extending our own skill base.

Well one more skill I can tick of as achieved, maybe not mastered, but definitely in the positive experience basket. I bid you all a goodbye, not long to go now, thank you for sharing your journeys, ups and downs and

sometime bewilderment. I'm going to miss you all and perhaps we can create a blog of class memories and the memories we are going to create as we step forward into a safe and prosperous future.

Reference List

Reference list.

Arthur, L. Beecher, B. Death, E. Dockett, S. & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings 4th edition. South Melbourne, VictoriaAustralia: Harcourt Australia Pty Ltd.


Early Connections (2010). Early connections: Technology in early childhood education. Retrieved September 14, 2010 from http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/techconnections.html


Friedman, S. (2005). Social studies in action. Beyond the journal.Young children on the web, 1-5.

Jackson, D. (2009). How do i learn to inspire and support my primary education students' creativity indesign and technology. Educational journal of living theories, 2 (2), 257 279.

Ministry of Education. (1996) Te Whāriki He whāriki mātauranga moo nagā mokopuna o aoteatoa early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning media Limited.

.
MacNaughton, G. & Williams, G. Techniques for teaching young children. Choice in theory and practice. Australia: Pearson Education Australia.


Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.

Tsantis, L. A, Bewick, C. J. & Thouvenelle, S. (2003). Examing some common myths about computer use in the early years. Beyond the journal.Young children on the web, 1-9

One man's junk

Does technology ever die or do we re direct it into a new life and maybe not the life that was its original beginning but none the less a useful life. The way we listen to music has gone through many transformations over my life time and each time the method of bringing music to people has got smaller. Record player, cassette players, CD player, and now MP3 players.

If we go back to the first, the record player, they are basically obsolete now but that is where my centre has given new life to old. We have an old record player in our centre to use as a spinning wheel so the children can create spiral paintings using multiple colours to produce some really cool pictures. I know there is a lot of controversy over should children be allowed to use or should I say miss use technology for purposes other than what it is attended for and are we replicating positive practice but as far as I am concerned I feel it is a inventive way to recycle a piece of equipment that would otherwise been thrown away. This aligns with the belief  “thinking of alternative uses for familiar objects” (Jackson.D, 2009, p. 267)

”Children learn through social interaction with adults and other children. Their learning reflects a recurring cycle that begins in awareness and moves to exploration, inquiry, and finally utilization. Children learn through play. Children's interests and "need to know motivate learning”(Early connections, 2010). I did ask the children if they knew what it was and they all said a record player, I brought in an old record from home and asked if they knew what it was. Not one had the right answer but I did get a “black frisbee”, “a plate”, and a lot of “arrrrrrr I don know”.

Te Whāriki states children develop the attitude that not knowing and being uncertain are part of the process of being a good learner (Ministry of Education 1996, p.84). We put the record onto the player to see if it would work but the needle on the player was missing. I provided the connection between records and the record player but that is as far as the children’s interest in the records went as they were more interest in when it was their turn to paint. So one man’s junk is a daycares treasure, we will continue to use the record player for art and hopefully continue to find new life for outdated pieces of equipment as the speed of which technology changes, only ever seems to increase.

This is the way we brush our teeth.

One technological wonder that most of us consider we cannot live without is the tooth brush, and might I say thank goodness for that. That furry feeling you get when you haven’t cleaned your teeth is horrible. August encompassed oral health week and was the perfect opportunity to have the local dental nurse come along to the centre and talk to the children about the importance of cleaning your teeth. "being part of a community confirms children's sense of belonging" (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004, p. 230). (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer (2008) emphasise the importance of children engaging and collaborating in community experiences” "children learn about the processes, concepts and practices that are valued within their community (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008, p. 37).

The dental nurse brought with her a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste for every child in centre that day and various pieces of equipment to show the children what she may use when checking the children’s teeth. The children also got to view a short DVD of a child having some dental work done on their teeth. “It doesn’t hurt” she assured the children and explained how she could put their tooth to sleep if she felt it was a particularly large hole. I thought to myself “yeah right” I wonder if school children still call it the murder house.

Historically the approach to teaching was more of a focus on educators planning specific skills for children to learn. Today the focus of social construction of knowledge is recognised, and the significance of children learning about their community is an important part of experiences necessary that contributes to a child's holistic development (Arthur, Beecher, Death,Dockett&Farmer,2008).

Te Whāriki states "children have extensive prior learning and experiences which provide starting points for further learning" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 83). The next day some of the children still were asking questions about the dental nurse so we set up the projector and used youtube to Google dental clinics and small clips of looking after your teeth. By using the projector it enabled a larger group of children to become involved in the thoughts of others and became an activity that drew the children in, it is a subject that all or at least I hope all children will experience and have their own knowledge and views on.



Pikelets anyone

Once a week the children in my centre get a chance to help cook their own afternoon tea and on this particular day they had chosen pikelets. Being a mixed age centre the experience is offered to any interested children regardless of ability. There is a selection of easy hands on recipes to make their choice from and our life not too hard. This week it was my turn to facilitate the cooking and I always find the mother coming out in me when its around hot equipment and had to remind myself to allow the children a supported opportunity to flip the pikelets over. Te Whāriki states “Children develop confidence that they can participate and take risks without fear of harm” (Ministry of education 1996 p. 52) “Educators in early childhood are to scaffold children’s learning in this area we need to broaden our understanding of technology to continue to extend our own knowledge” (Smorti 1999, p.5).

There is no doubt about technology making life easier when it comes to cooking with the children. Once the eggs were broken into the bowl inclusive of a little egg shell that P managed to add, T added the sugar. They then all got to use the electric egg beater, those eggs got a good beating once eight little hands had had a turn.

“It’s like marshmellow Erin”

“No it’s all fluffy like the clouds”, P corrected S.

“Why has it all changed colour?”

“Because when you were mixing it you have trapped air in the eggs and sugar and that has caused the mixture to change its appearance”.

As we added the dry ingredient and milk the children could see another change take place in texture.

Once mixed the children added spoons full of mixture to the heat and we could see another change, bubbles started to form in the mixture as it cooked, that’s when they were ready to flip them over.

So many aspects of learning occur when we cook, mathematics, the science of cooking, language and social skills all interlinking and supporting each other.

Smorti (1999) suggest that often technology is similar to the current approach to creative arts, it is the process of doing rather than the product.

The wheels go round

After months of refurbishment and improvements to our bike track the children can now be cool kids that wear lids. The actual process in creating the bike track was of great interest to the children. When the digger came in and the workmen donned  their safety hats, the children worked alongside them in the sandpit, hats on shifting sand from one spot to the next. Te Whāriki (1996. p.98) states “children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world” This was the perfect time to introduce safety and the importance of keeping ourselves safe with links to the wider community, but this time the community was in our own back yard. Through the use of digital cameras we were able to capture the change in the outdoor area.

Through digital media we were able to keep the parents updated with progress taking place through a digital photo frame so the children could share what they were experiencing outdoors and the changes they could see happening with family. The children's learning stories are also enhanced by using photos to give visual display and description of everyday happenings. When the official opening of the bike track came we had an open day with the local newspaper there to spread the news of our outdoor facilities. The track is complete with road markings and pedestrian crossing to promote road safety in the community.

Since the opening we have had the Franklin council road safety zebra, Zeb, visit and talk to the children about crossing the road and where it is safe to cross. Friedman (2005) suggests the desire for children’s learning is often initiated by investigating things they already know and care about. The best feedback we have had is from one parent who said they were in the street about to cross the road and M said “No Dad we need to move up to the crossing to be safe”. “children develop awareness of the connection between events and experiences within and beyond the early childhood education setting” (MoE 1996, p.56)

What was once old is now new and there is never enough time nor bikes to share around, but I can honestly say it has been a great investment to the centre to bring our outdoor area into the twenty first century with a purposeful theme, all documented for the children to share with family and friends.