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is a daycares treasure, we will continue to use the record player for art and hopefully continue to find new life for outdated pieces of equipment as the speed of which technology changes, only ever seems to increase.
Erin, I love what you have done with the record player! It really is a history, maths and art lesson all in one! I agree that it may not be 'right' with some people and their opinions about misusing resources but lets look at this in the present, current, fast-paced, technology world. Nowadays it is all about technology in one form or another, music does not come from a record player or the old radio but through computers, iphones, ipads, itouch, nanos, mobile phones, playstations, nindento's, car radios etc the list goes on. The record player is obsolete and to see it being used to develop children's learning is a very postive step. You wouldn't go back to using the typewriters of old to publish work nowadays so why is there controversy around using technology as it is supposed to when it is outdated? Everyone has a right to their own opinions I suppose. I think you have come up with a very novel idea for the use of the record player and also promotes discussing history and how the record player was once used. This could lead on to many different areas around history and questions eg, "what did you used to listen to when you were a girl mum - in the olden days?" Maths concepts also arise out of an activity like this through spiral patterning and smaller and bigger concepts. Then looking at art, mixing of primary and secondary colours opens up conversation, discussion and learning in another area. Have you thought of putting paint in blobs onto the paper, then spinning it to see what happens? I would be interested in knowing what other types of things you have found to do with the record player. It makes me think about what old things have I got lying around that could be used/recycled to promote learning experiences for my preschool children. Ka pai Erin I enjoyed reading your blog. Deb
ReplyDeleteErin, this looks like so much fun! I want to have a turn! What a great way to recycle this artifact, I think you would be hard pressed finding a record with the latest music on it in a store nowadays. You have given this outdated piece of technology a new lease of life!
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important in this day and age to be installing a culture of reusing and recycling in to the young children we teach.
Thanks for the read of a great reflection!
Amanda X
What a great way to get the children involved and working alongside their interest. What makes a great educator is when they can notice, recognise and respond in their practice according to the childrens interest. Erin, you were able to notice the fact that the children did not have much knowledge about the records when you introduced it to the children, even though it was a good intention but the children did not respond as much as you wanted to so you decided to change things a bit. So you recognised that it was time to change things a bit and responded by implementing different ways of keeping the children interested yet using the same resourse that you started off with. Ka pai and well done on being able to implement what we learn at course in to your practice.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin, I can remember the Easter Show having an activity similiar to this and it was my favourite thing to do when we went to the show. What a fantastic idea, recycling an old record player. I would like to do this in my centre.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect example of one mans trash being another centres treasure. The opportuniites for a history lessson are endless.
Very interesting Erin. I was thinking that how many children have seen a real, usable old man's junk? How would you extend children's interests in technology? Does your centre provide different digital devices to children?
ReplyDelete