Date 7th April 2011
I was sitting with a group of girls assisting them in their creations with a variety of tools, at the art table. As I was sitting assisting and observing I realised from class MIT discussions that they were using a variety of resources and tools associated with the concept of technology. The children were busy little bees working on making cards for their mums. To extend on this I suggested we find other tools they can use to complete their cards. I asked them what we could use and they replied with a wide range of tools. They asked for patterns that you make with hole punches, staplers, and cello tape dispensers to use for the envelopes. I observed and watched how the children used this form of technology to explore and develop their creative expressions. This furthered my thinking about technology and how technology has evolved for the use of children, not just adults.
So here they were busy in the process of creating at the art table and I was able to extend on the variety of tools they were using by finding the resources out of the cupboard, and discussing concepts of technology associated with them. Wright, (2003) acknowledges that teachers need to engage and facilitate children’s learning at the art table.
During this activity I realised from class that technology is everywhere we look and how it can be useful for children, however it all depends on our own personal interpretation of technology. Over time resources have evolved to make people’s lives easier. In today’s day and age technology has had a significant chance and opportunity to evolve and improve over time.
As educators we must recognise the increasing awareness off all aspects of technology and how we foster the use of all forms of technology within centre life. We are living in a society and world where people have created the use of technology. The world has changed through the uses of technology and the impact we have had in the evolution of technology. Our children need to develop their own perspectives while continually extending and developing their knowledge and skills in their technology experiences in art (Smorti, 1999).Children should have the opportunity to enquire, explore, problem solve and experiment actively with a range of resources in their environment. Te Whāriki (1996) has highlighted that children should develop the familiarity with the properties and the use of materials as well as technology which can be used in creative and expressive arts. This promotes and ensures that growing experience and problem solving together develop children’s thoughts and concepts how technology can help them and others (Minsitry of Education, 1996).
I must admit while writing this post I have had to step out of my own thinking, while developing the concept that technology is not only associated with the use of ICT. We all in some way or another have our own personal beliefs of technology, and what we associate with technology as being technology. On review and literature I have read, Smorti (1999) simplifies that the term technology is about helping people and solving problems. She further su
ggests that technology can be a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and experiences through the use of products, resources or environments.
ggests that technology can be a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and experiences through the use of products, resources or environments.Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He Whariki mautauranga mo nga mokopuna O Aotearoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999, 5-10
Wright, S. (2003). The arts, young children, and learning. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Kia Ora Nikola
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting blog, I too am amazed at the technology that surrounds us even when we don’t realise it. I have read an interesting article which I feel will be very useful towards using such technology in your centre to enhance learning. Terreni (2010) reflects on how over the years both educators and children have been quick to utilize the educational benefits of new technology available to them, from pencils and chalk to scissors to ICT technology. Technological art resources which you used with children is an effective and attractive way to enhance learning opportunities for children thorough such form of technology. I found it interesting how the resources provided in the art experience supplied it with the potential to add a new dimension to children’s visual art learning experiences. I enjoyed the way you incorporated children’s understandings of such technologies into your experience. Children’s lives today are full of so many high tech technology resources, such low technologies as scissors and craft products are sometimes misunderstood as uses of technologies by children. I wonder if you could further children’s interests in creativity and artistic expression through some high tech technologies such as ICT? Is this type of technology readily available at your centre for children? This will bring new possibilities to young children’s visual art experiences. Nikola thank you for sharing your blog with me it has highlighted many aspects of technology which we experience in our centre each day and their importance towards children’s learning and development.
Terreni, L. (2010). Adding new possibilities for visual art education in early childhood settings: The potential of interactive whiteboards and ICT. Vol 35 (4), pp. 90-94.
(Recommended reading as above).
Thank you Krista for this reading, i look forward to reading this article
ReplyDeleteNikola I really enjoyed reading your blog on technology at the art table. Art is one of my passions and I love to explore this area with the children. You are right in suggesting that through our class discussions we have learnt to think outside the square when we think technology. We can now look at the art resources that surround us and associate them as being technology, such as crayons, scissors, paper and paint. Art is a very big part of an early childhood environment; it is where children are able to freely express themselves to explore their ideas using different materials. They also learn a lot about the environment that they live in.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way in which you extended the children’s learning by supporting and guiding them in sourcing a wide range of different tools to enhance their cards. It is important that we are able to facilitate the learning of our children by encouraging them to learn to think and problem solve for themselves. I think it was lovely that you talked to the children about finding more resources to improve their art and were able to observe the children while working to better understand their thought patterns. Gonzalez-Mena suggests that it is important that children know that we respect and value their work but to do that I think you need to understand the process and then the product do you?
I agree that we need to be constantly providing opportunities where children can explore with different materials and technology. Creative technology, as is all technology, is rapidly changing all the time with new materials and resources constantly hitting the market. Technology has meant that we can provide children with more resources that enable them to develop and expand on their creative imagination. A cool way for the children to expand on their creative learning could be for the children to increase their technology skills by creating a collage or painting a picture that they could turn into a canvas using digital media?
I found your discussion interesting Nikola because like you I think we all tend to associate technology with ICT. People, Places, Things and Events has broadened our knowledge on technology which can only enhance our thinking and teaching.
Ka pai Nikola
I really enjoyed reading this blog Nikola, and looking at the photo’s of the children busy creating cards for their mums. I liked how at your centre there are many different types of resources available for the children to create their own masterpieces.
ReplyDeleteWhat age group do you work with?
And yes technology has come a long way with making a lot of resources available for children’s use.
I have discussed with my team members at work about what they think is technology and only a few have said “basically anything that makes our lives easier”, I’m sure a lot of us take for granted that pens, crayons, cello tape, paper, etc are technology and after discussions and reading various readings and other classmate’s blogs; I too agree with your comment about “we all in some way or another have our own personal beliefs of technology and what we associate with technology as being technology”.
It was good to see you did a blog about this Nikola.
Kia Ora Nikola,
ReplyDeleteToday I read your blog post regarding “What do you see as technology?” I was able to relate to your thoughts about technology being around us everywhere but for me when I started this course I thought of technology as ICT.I liked the way the class discussions (your theory) has influenced your teaching practice through providing an awareness of technology in the environment around you to view technology in a broader way.
In this experience you used many different teaching techniques with the children. Asking questions, suggesting, observing, and for me the most important in my teaching practice empowering and respecting the children to lead this experience from their own interests. Dunkin & Hanna (2001) suggests demonstrating a positive regard for children through respecting their ideas and feelings fosters children’s sense of identity, this is an important factor for children’s self confidence and self esteem.
I liked the way you provided more technology tools to extend this experience, and involved the children through their ideas about what they needed. Siraj-Blatchford & MacLeod-Brudenell (1999) suggest that technology provides children with ways in which to solve problems. It also suggests that children at the age of five should be able to select and explore with materials and equipment that require skills like cutting, joining, folding and building for a variety of purposes. This experience supports the development of these skills through the use of technology.
Where to from here? Well Nikola following the children’s interest is the best way for me in my teaching practice. Maybe you could display a few photographs of the cards the children made for their Mum’s in the art area to see it this promotes the children to want to repeat this experience again. Ka pai Nikola.
Reference:
Dunkin, D., & Hanna, P. (2001). Thinking together: Quality adult: child interactions (1st ed.). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.
Siraj-Blatchford, J., & MacLeod-Brudenell, I. (1999). Supporting science, design and technology in the early years. (pp. 64-77). Buckingham, United Kingdom: Open Press University.