Reflection: 3
22 August 2012
(Google image)
‘Communication
technology’
A whiteboard is a traditional form of technology and it is
an inexpensive way of teaching and learning. In my centre it is commonly used for the children to
explore, experiment, and be creative with colourful whiteboard markers. Today when I was outside with the
children I noticed a two year old toddler M was busy on the white board. She was making lines, circles and dots
and then joining them in shapes.
Two other toddlers came with chalk in their hands and started to draw on
the whiteboard. M followed them
and did the same but when the chalk did not work well she again got her
whiteboard marker and got busy in her drawing.
I came closer and asked, “can you tell me about your drawing
M.” She smiled and pointed towards
a round shape with a stick, “my flower, and a butterfly fluttering on the
flower.” I was amazed with her
description and acknowledged that those lines were making sense to me now. After observing M the other children
got the board markers too and started to draw while they were sharing their
ideas with each other. Ministry of
Education (1996) states, “growing experiences in solving problems together
develops children’s understanding of how technologies can help them and others”
(p. 96).
I learnt from the YouTube video about technology, provided
by our lecturer in one of the class power points, that the word technology was
first mentioned in 1829 but this term only became familiar in 1952 (Manukau
Institute of Technology, 2012). It
made me realize that technology was always there to help us but most of us were
not familiar with it. I think the
saying “out of sight out of mind” fits perfectly here. Whiteboards and markers have been in
use for teaching and learning for a long time and part of my childhood
schooling too. I remember we used
to be fascinated when teachers worked on whiteboards and students were not
allowed to use them. We often
tried out things when no one was there to see us. I am glad that early childhood centres are using whiteboards
frequently as they are saving a huge amount of paper from wastage. It’s a very innovative technological
tool that allows children to draw over and over and improve their drawing and
later writing skills.
In the example, the whiteboard and marker technology became
a learning and experimenting tool for the children. The children were developing their own working theories by
playing with ideas to work with chalk and then board markers. They were able to develop an
understanding that markers are working better on the board so they started to
use the markers rather than chalk on it.
According to
Ministry of Education (2007) technology provides, “an understanding of material
properties, uses, and development is essential to understanding how and why
products work the way they do (p. 32).
The whiteboard became a communication tool for M to draw and convey her
thoughts and ideas and it helped me to understand what she wanted to
express. The other two children
also learnt by doing and observing what is the best way to use a whiteboard. Smorti (1999) explains that one of the
differences between science and technology is the search for a practical
purpose as well as the study of how things might be.
My
early childhood course readings and my own and other blog fellows reflections
are helping me to understand the advantages and uses of technology in
depth. The more I am learning the
more I am appreciating technology and its benefits in our everyday life. I will keep up with my own learning
that in turn help me to enhance the children’s knowledge about technology too.
It seemed that this was a teachable moment Saira that could have very easily been overlooked. When we see children being creative sometimes we want to see clarity in their creativity for us to understand it however "Children are not focused on shapes, proportion, lines or perspective: their focus is the experience" (Brownlee 2007, p.19) it is not until we have conversations with the children that we can see and have clarity of what they were thinking when they were being creative on such a piece of technology such as the whiteboard. I just think that we can so easily not just overlook this tool but even recognize it as technology. As you have said, this piece of exploratory technology has been around for quite some time and I think that because of this it definitely has its place in the technology world, to take notes, to help solve problems, to do presentations, to write down strategic plans and strategies and now to produce artists such as M. I enjoyed reading your reflection and it has helped me to see how the whiteboard has its place in the technology world.
ReplyDeleteHi Saira,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you reflect on yourself, well done for recognising white board as technology, it is so easy not to think of it that way, I guess now that we are learning technology we are lot more aware of what technology looks like in ECE. I love how technology is making our life’s easier in so many ways. White boards are great for children who like to draw and write, it gives them a sense of independence as they do not have to come to us, asking for anything, it allows them to explore be creative and experiment in so many different ways. According to Clements & Nastasi (1993) The use of technology such as white boards helps children gain confidence in writing as it increases their motivation to write more allowing them to be more explorative, more enjoyable and less restricted. I liked how M was using the whiteboard to be creative, and attracted other children’s attention. Children this age are developmentally within Piaget’s preoperational stage. This means they are concrete learners who are very interested in using newly learned symbolic representation, communicating, writing, drawing, socialising, and technology is helping them do that.
Wow another great experience with the use of technology that I never thought before of as technology. I think the children in our centres are showing us how technology can be used to solve problems and become creative. Using the chalk on the white board displayed how this child solved her own problem through experimenting with the chalk and marker and came to the conclusion that chalk didn’t work as well as the marker on the white board. As stated by Smorti (1999) “Technology emphasises creative and productive aspects of solving problems and answers questions” (p.6).
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have learnt from all of this is that I definitely don’t know everything and it has been valuable working alongside children and learning from them how technology involves our everyday lives. I think it is important for us to understand that we don’t always have to have the answers and that we can learn from the children in our centres. It is also important for children to see that they have knowledge that can help us. Together we can make discoveries through exploring and being creative using technology. This will help us develop knowledge about technology and the understandings of how and why things work (Ministry of Education, 2007).
Another activity that might interest you and the children is working with wet chalk and a black board or black paper. The colour changes as the chalk dries.
Saira,
ReplyDeleteYou have captured the children’s exploration in your reflection. These children are finding out what they like to do, and this is generating knowledge as competent learners, (Ministry of Education, 2007). Trialling chalk and experiencing what effect it has on the whiteboard, then allowing the children to decide what to do with the knowledge. Standing back from the process to allow the children to decide helps them to think about possibility (Smorti, 1999). This fits well with the strand of exploration and contribution. I am seeing more and more learning happening in group situations, and recognising how this contributes to social as well as individual learning. The social aspect of discovery appears to add to the experience, as children share their ideas and develop understanding. As well as strengthening hand eye co ordination, drawing extends the imagination.
This piece of technology, the whiteboard, has advantages over a fixed interactive board. It can be repositioned into other areas of the centre, for example in the family corner to increase literacy, in the art area for active group drawings or taken outside to be near another activity. I can picture it being used beside the sandpit for children to experience drawing live art; drawing their peers playing in the sand. Captured on camera for their portfolio and you have a budding artist in the making.... possibilities..!
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand. Learning Media Limited.
Smorti, S., (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early Education.19 (Autumn). 5-10.