Reflection Two:
Technology with Blocks
I was in the block area and I
noticed C designing a building with the big blocks and he informed me that he
was making a house with a garage for the cars. C then said now he can put the
cars in the garage, but D said there is no door. C then went and got the blocks
in the shape of a ramp and put them on the side of the garage and lined the
cars up and one by one drove them up the ramp into the garage he made.
C is” using a process approach to
technology (similar to our current approach to the creative arts in early
childhood), it is the ‘doing’ that is important, rather than the product”.
Children will be encouraged to design, make appraise (DMA) their work”.
(Smorti, 1999, p.6).C is taking risks by using problem solving skills and his
recalling skills from out in the community to design how the house with a
garage looks and how he can get the cars inside the garage. “As students
express and interpret ideas within creative, aesthetic, and technological
frameworks, their confidence to take risks is increased” (Ministry of
Education, 2007, p.20).
I feel C was very confident in
designing his project and gave it get thought when it came to getting the cars
inside the garage. “Knowledge, skills and resources are combined to find
solutions; and there may be more than one solution to the problem. Technology
is influenced by the culture of the society in which it occurs” (Smorti, 1999,
p.6). C listened to D advice about there being no door and solved the problem.
C was proud of his building and shared it with other children and communicated
to them how the ramps where to be used. “Children develop familiarity with the
properties and character of the materials and technology used in the creative
and expressive arts” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.80).
As I observed and listened to C, I
feel he had a lot of fun making his house and garage and he achieved what he had
planned to make in his mind by problem solving. Listening and observing C make
his building was very important as C was exploring and expressing his own ideas
of how the house and garage should be constructed. “Encourage children to share
a thought or an experience. It is important for staff to listen so the children
learn that what they say is important to others. They need to know that their
thoughts and comments on the world matter” (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009,
p.75).
When I was young I didn’t think of
a child building with blocks was using technology, it was a child putting
blocks on top of each other and making a pattern. I thought technology was a computer,
camera , phone digital items. My view
on building with blocks has now changed, and relies that all manmade tools are technology.
Teachers need to learn more about
technology so they can teach and pass on their knowledge to the children.”Technology
is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 1999, p.5).
Letting the children problem solve
by using their recalling skills from their community helps them to be creative when
using tools.”Technology is also a creative and purposeful activity aimed at
meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or
environments” (Smorti, 1999, p.5).
To extend on children’s creativity
learning in technology I would add in more accessories to the block area. This
will let the children develop further in construction and take photos so the
children can look back on what they have made. This will help the children to
re-construct and improve on what they have made.
Reference List
MacNaughton & Williams, G. (2009).Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and
practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki
mātauranga mō ngā
mokopuna o Aoteraroa:
Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington,
New Zealand: Learning
Media.
Media.
Smorti,s. (1999). Technology in early childhood.Early
Education, 1, 5-10.
I enjoyed reading your reflection about ‘blocks as technology’ Denise! In our centre building with blocks is one of our most enjoyed, on-going activities. Much like you, I would never have considered this to be a technological experience prior to the ‘People, Places, Things and Events’ course. I have observed other teachers extending the children on their process approach to technology by encouraging the child to draw and articulate their design before attempting the next stage in their construction. Upon talking to these teachers they explained their reason for this task was to give the child an opportunity to share their ideas, present a concept and be able to work out possible solutions (Ministry of Education, 2007). I liked this method and would like to implement this within my practice, to help advance the children’s technological developments, pehaps you could consider this also? Another idea that had been presented to me by a primary school teacher was where she had the children evaluate the final product’s construction process. She asked many questions although there was one that stuck in my mind which was where she asked is there anything they would do different, and why? I found this a meaningful way for the child to identify their construction problems and to look at multiple solutions for the future. I feel that this challenges the children to recognise that the final product does not have to be the finished product; there is always room to revisit and refine ideas (Ministry of Education, 2007). It was great the way your reflection revealed how you empower the children through your listening techniques and enabled them to take valuable risks in their learning (Ministry of Education, 1996). Well done!
ReplyDeleteTino pai, Denise! You seem understand the nature of technology and use your knowledge and skills in your practice to support children’s learning in the area of self-confidence, problem-solving, and relationships. I also agree with you that building with blocks is a part of diverse technological education practices. According to Fleer and Jane (2011), there are many difference approaches in technology education and one of them is discrete technology which includes building. Discrete technology is about design and teachers can support children to experience discrete learning experience when they invite children to challenge and problem-solving in the area of design. I believe when you were working with the child, you were forming meaningful knowledge about what the children was doing. And I think that is very important teaching skill, as “co-construction of meaning is … bring young children’s voices and perspectives more powerfully into the curriculum … relies strongly on children’s active expression of their understanding, feelings and experiences” (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009, p. 228). Keep up your good work, Denise!!
ReplyDeleteReference
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Addison Wesley Longman.
What a great non-digital technology related experience you have observed and shared with the children Denise! The children are developing their problem solving skills, and communication skills as they work together to create their garage. “Technology is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5). I agree that it is the process not the product that is important when it comes to technology and children’s learning (Smorti, 1999). It is wonderful that the child felt comfortable to, and was able to share his perspective and describe what he was making to you (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). Children need to develop confidence to express their ideas and know that their ideas are valued (Ministry of Education, 1996). It is great to see you have incorporated digital technology to extend on the experience by suggesting you could take photographs which will enable the children to reflect on their experience and recreate it if they wish to. Well done Denise!
ReplyDelete