A three fold technology experience...

Today we saw Monarch butterflies flying above us; I asked the children where they thought they had come from. One of the children reminded us that they were around the corner in the garden. So off we went to investigate.

                                                                            

 

 

As we walked through the gate the monarch we had seen in the playground came and settled on the plant, I asked the children who were so excited to see the butterfly what was the plant called. A child replied “a swan plant” “what do they do with it?” another replied “eat it” why I asked, “cause they hungry” replied another.  “Where do they go?” asked a child, I stopped for a moment and looked down, very slowly and quietly, I suggested the children look where I was looking. To their surprise they spied some chrysalis, one child asked “what are they?” another child said “their house” “what do they do in there?” asked another. The children all looked at me, I replied “maybe they sleep” then another child said “they change into a butterfly”  “Oh” cried the children.

The children wanted to stay for longer but our day was ending and I knew the warm weather was leaving us soon and so would the butterflies. I asked the children  how  could we keep looking at them after they were gone. The children were sad that they would be going  soon and said  "we could catch them". I suggested that the butterflies might be sad too if we caught them, so is there something else we could use. A child pointed to my little bag and said "your camera Kathy"so that was exactly what we did. After we took the photos I down loaded them onto  the laptop and the children chose which ones they wanted to print, then we laminated them, the children were fascinated with this. The children now have a series of photos that depict a monarchs life cycle and they can see anytime they choose.

In our centre each teacher has a camera and I carry mine in a  bag just in case of a teachable photographic moment. Each teacher has varying beliefs around the use of the camera, so not all children use them consistently at the centre. Personally I don't believe it to be a problem, I ensure that the children have instruction on how to hold the camera making sure the safety strap is on their wrist and if they need help I am available. Smorti highlights technology and science as intrinsically linked and that introducing the technology is about us as teacher's changing attitudes, and that you don't have to be a scientist to use it.  Mac Naughton & Williams (2009)  highlight empowering the child by  providing opportunities for them to develop and experience control over their own lives. It is from here  the learner then becomes the starting point and they bring their skills and knowledge from home and other environments that would enhance this experience (Bronfenbrenner cited in Santrock, 2009; Ministry of Education, 1996)

 

The laminator was certainly a new piece of technology for them and was not well known,the children watched fascinated as the paper went into a pocket of plastic,  I then got them to feed the pocket through .The children were very excited when it came through the other side and even more excited when they saw the colours get brighter one child said "oh it's been washed".

It was within a short period of time that the children experienced three instances of digital technology Fleer  & Jane (2011) identify these as camera, laptop/computer  and I would surmise the laminator. The use of these met the immediate and future needs of the children and provided new  technology experiences (Smorti,1999). Throughout this facilitated experience the children developed understanding in action by being involved throughput the whole process (Ministry of Education, 2007). Te Whariki, he whariki mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa, our New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum describe this as "curriculum, it is the total experiences activities and events whether direct or indirect ...designed to foster children's development (Ministry of Education, 1996, pp. 10)".

I would never have surmised that children receive so much pleasure out of interacting with technology and how knowledgable they can be and how this contributes to my learning.I still remember being seen and not heard and certainly not allowed to use anything that was electronic. In my day this was limited to electric jugs, dishwashers, wringer washing machines, stoves Polaroid camera's and radio/stereos and it wasn't necessarily the norm for families to have these.How times have changed and it is young children teaching us oldies how to interact with technology, who knows where we will be in another twenty years time.

I have included this for your enjoyment

Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and Technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.

Mac Naughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices of theory and practice (3^rd ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna ö Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Santrock, J. W. (2010) Lifespan development: International student ed. (12^th Ed.). Boston, Ma. McGraw Hill

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early education, 1, 5-10.

 

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