Blogs I have commented on

Elsie's blog comments

http://fangelsie.blogspot.com/2011/09/fathers-day-gingerbread-man-and.html#comments

http://fangelsie.blogspot.com/2011/09/laptops-and-cameras-as-tools-to-enhance.html#comments

http://fangelsie.blogspot.com/2011/08/cherry-bytes-childrens-laptop-labs.html?showComment=1314094069348#c875367207106614622

Luana's blog comments

http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/2011/08/reflection-3-pulleys.html?showComment=1314609876840#c587348448466899096

http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/2011/08/little-machines-that-help-us-clogs-and.html?showComment=1314415049301#c7106339317249519836

http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/2011/08/digital-technology-in-early-childhood.html?showComment=1313661127391#c7658043162744882394

Carly's blog comments

http://carlys-space.blogspot.com/2011/09/little-puddings.html?showComment=1317117029619#c4545261380524852269

http://carlys-space.blogspot.com/2011/09/you-tube-it.html#comments

http://carlys-space.blogspot.com/2011/08/dancing-dynamite.html?showComment=1314094561504#c4898769419870886081

Nina's blog comments

http://ninalovesjesus.blogspot.com/2011/08/information-and-communication.html?showComment=1314683113810#c5746511746832982377

http://ninalovesjesus.blogspot.com/2011/08/childrens-learning-in-food-preparation.html?showComment=1314095345259#c4346314130720338156

http://ninalovesjesus.blogspot.com/2011/08/construction-technology-in-early.html?showComment=1313659930513#c5378182094286808020

Where to next by Rosie

Hi Rosie,
In addition to the benefits you mentioned I found this information :
Photography (digital) in a study by Carr (2006) empowered the children to choose what they thought was important.
Photography is also a form of expression  when used in a recall situation in which children discuss what they photographed. Lastly it offers the child another language to use. Carr goes on to say that photography is a visual language that children use to register and develop their interest.

Cheers,
Luana



Einnars,J. (2005). Playschool in pictures:children's photographs as a research method. Early Child Development and Care,175(6),523-541

Greenfield,C.(2004).Can run,play on bikes,jump the zoomslide, andplay on the swings:Exploring the value of play.Australian Journal of Early Childhood 29(2),1-5.http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/

Where to next?

Hello all

Nice to be back blogging again. After a very inspiring session with Bronwyn from Botany Downs Kindergarten, I was inspired to suggest blogging to my centre. Now that I have the knack of blogging it surely has proven to me that it can be great fun. Blogging is a form of documentation and is an up to date report of where we are at. Using blogging in early childhood can be viewed as a learning tool for both the teacher and the child, but I do agree with Bronwyn in saying that the portfolio takes precedence over blogging.

After consulting with the centre manager whether any thought was given to start a blog for the centre, I discovered that the thought process was there but never implemented. Me

ntion was made, however, that the centre does have a website. Due to the context of the centre and the socio-economic environment, the centre manager mentioned that not all the parents would be in favour of a blog site or that not many would not understand what blogging is all about. This then hampered the request for ethical permission. Another disadvantage was that not many of the families had access to the internet. Time management seemed to be a factor too - the centre is small but busy, there was not enough time to update the blog as often as it should be. This would mean that it would an added job to the busy schedule of the staff. Having mentioned these reasons for not wanting to start a blog, I do understand where the manager was coming from, but thought "What a pity". I did offer my services to start the blog under her approval and request the necessary documentation and ethical persmission, but I am only there for a short time through my sustained practicum and I do not think it will continue in the future.

Gaining new technical skill can enhance children's work on a particular project. As children become older there is a wider range of techniques they can use to express their meaning to others. It is also important to teach children the technical skills of 'getting on' with each other, such as how to handle conflicts, problem-solving and develop relationships. Teacher demonstration of these skills is an important part of how children can learn them

(MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Computers, digital cameras, video recorders and many other, are increasingly being used as 'demonstrators' of specific skills, especially literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrating how to use a computer can be a time-effective way to allow children to process information when processes demonstrated are well sequenced and organised (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Over the past week we have been experimenting with the digital camera to begin the process of deconstruction with the children involved. The children were asked to take photographs of when they thought children were enjoying playing/working or photos of things they thought were not fair. We then used these to talk with individual children and small groups about why these photos are not far and how they would like to see things change. Photos can highlight diverse perspectives on the context life and begin to engage children with the idea of multiple perspectives.

The use of digital cameras is a great way to document children's project work and the learning they gained from it. Immediately printing printing photos taken of children's work allows teachers to discuss what has happened. Transparencies are made of digital photographs and using an overhead projector, projected to all children revisit the moment. A classroom book is made up of prints of photos that can be used to help children sequence the learning that has occurred during the project and support emergent literacy learning. Once the staff have indentified significant moments in a given project and explored ways of interpreting these, they can organise the documents for display to others via the child's portfolio. Captions are added to pictures or transcripts of children's learning via learning stories.

Reference:

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices

in theory and practice (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Person Education Australia.

Rosebud's first blog

Hi Rosie ,

Although you mentioned that the children  in your centre have simple but effective access to technology , I feel that that they are doing very well with having  internet access  and utube.What a bonus!  I showed two boys what dinosaur skin looks like by googling it , and this them to  replicate the idea on paper .Of course we use other forms of  technology like the photo copier and  laminator, printer.

The camera is a great piece of technology and easily manipulated. Even little ones know the simple mechanics of looking through the window and clicking the button , although sometimes the little finger gets in the way! Whats even better is that we can show them how to download the photos onto the computer and print them all in a matter of minutes, enabling them to capture some special moments in the sandpit or whereever.http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/

After having spent a week at my centre I can honestly say that it is humbling to see the other extreme of early childhood with regards to locality and funding. My centre is small and private. The staff are very welcoming and I cannot speak more highly of the centre director.

I have noted that the use of technology is simple but effective. There is a computer which is linked to an overhead projector. This is used daily at mat times for music and dance and story time. The children are allowed to use the computer and the skill of the older children in the class is very high. They know how to access the internet, find and locate the songs and stories on Youtube. There is internet safety in place and the searches are monitored by the teachers.

All be it a small amount of technology, it is still put into practice and the children are confident enough to use the computer at any time. During quiet time, the are allowed onto the computer to try out literacy and numeracy games.

During the on coming weeks, I would like to introduce the use of cameras to the children. The aim is to increase their interest and allowing them to have fun through experimentation. I will trial this as a project approach staring off with children taking photos randomly. After printing these photos, we will then discuss what has happened and what we could expand on further. I believe that through doing this I am encouraging language, social skills, creativity and appreciation of others work (Clark, 2004).

This project will be treated as in in-depth investigation by the children through choice of topic, that will be worthy of their time, attention and energy (Katz, 1994b, as cited in Clark, 2004). Knowledge is a fixed notion of truth waiting to be discovered. Learning is viewed as possession that is necessary and results in social standing. "Knowledge is not absolute, immutable and external, but rather relative to the developmental interaction of man with his world as problems arise to present themselves for solution" (Clark,2004, p2).

Katz & Chard (1993), as cited in Clark, 2004 refers to the project approach to indicate that it is one important element of an early childhood curriculum. The project approach, based on Dewey's ideas, is a way of working with children so that they might come to deeper understanding of the world they live in (Clark,2004).

Through creating meaningful opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge children have acquired through direct instruction will incorporate project work into the curriculum. As the children make careful observation through their project work, they will have reason to use literacy and numeracy symbols to represent and communicate to others what they are learning about. What each child chooses to communicate to others is meaningful to her or him (Clark, 2004).

A further advantage of the project approach is that is offers children to develop desirable dispositions or habits of mind toward learning, toward themselves and toward others. All young children have active and lively minds. To make sense of experience, investigate it, care about others, relate to them and adapt to their physical cultural environment are dispositions with children to nurture (Clark, 2004).

Reference:

Clark, A. (2004). Changing classroom practice to include the Project Approach.

Early Childhood Research and
Practice. 8.2 Fall 2004. Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v8n2/clark.html.

Hi Rosie,

I did not realise it a to be a common belief about children knowing more about using the computer than their teachers created obstacles or barriers to using computers in early childhood. I myself see it as an advantage because sometimes we can be learners too.Indeed in this ever changing world, we need technology to enhance learning,  enhance friendships and broaden  our horizons.
http://unknown-luanasspot.blogspot.com/

How does technology and ICT benefit children and early childhood educators?

The world we live in is changing rapidly through the use of technology. "Te Whaariki states that in order to participate in this world, our children will need the confidence to develop their own perspectives, as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills" (Smorti, 1999, p5). Technology is therefore an important area of the early childhood curriculum within the principles, strands and goals of Te Whaariki. As early childhood educators, it is our duty to broaden our understanding of technology and continue to extend our own knowledge and skill base (Smorti, 1999).

Technology is about helping people and solving problems. Technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments. (Smorti, 1999).

Conflicting opinions and professional disagreements have produced a multitude of beliefs that have evolved into full-blown myths. The common belief that "its okay if children know more about using the computer that the teacher does", does little to promote the potential educational benefits of computers to either teachers or children. These myths create obstacles or barriers to using computers in the early childhood setting. (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003).

I question these myths, as I advocate strongly for the use of technology and computers to be used in an early childhood setting. The appropriateness and value of information and communication technology (ICT) skills is of utmost importance in today's ever changing world of technology. It is expected of us as early childhood educators to stay abreast with ICT.

ICT can be defined as anything which allows us to get information, to communicate with each other or to have an effect on the environment using electronic or digital equipment. The vision for ICT use in early childhood education has been directly drawn from Te Whaariki's aspiration statement:

The thoughtful and meaningful use of ICT in early childhood education services can support children "to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p9). What this means for ICT use in early childhood education is that learners in ECE services should have the opportunity to experience:

• enhanced learning opportunities through the meaningful use of ICT.
• which will enable them to enhance their relationships, and
• broaden their horizons by exploring the wider world (Ministry of Education, 2009).