20th August 2012
Reflection 3
Using the camera
Today I was taking a photo
of a new child for the front cover of their portfolio when S approached me and
asked me what I was doing? I explained
to him and he asked if he could take some photos too. I gave him the camera and told him he needed
to keep his hand through the handle attached to the camera in case the camera got
dropped. S took a couple of photos and
went to give the camera back to me. I
told him he could keep the camera for a while and when he had had enough to
bring it back to me. This seemed to please him as he had a big smile on his
face and he took off quickly to start taking photos of his friends.
A short while later he
returned the camera to me. He then asked if he could have a look at the photos. I asked the office lady if she could download
them for me onto a USB stick. She did
this and I plugged it into our digital photo frame. S stood and watched as his photos
appeared. A group of children gathered
around and he proudly told them “I took this” S began telling us about the
photos and who was in them. I asked him if he wanted me to print them out. He said “yes” very eagerly. Once the photos were printed I asked him to
tell me what was happening in them. I
wrote down the story he told me. S was
so excited by the pictures he raced off to show another teacher.
When S asked if he could use
the camera I thought this was a great opportunity to let him take photos as the
children always see us taking photos so why shouldn’t he be allowed too also. I was a bit concerned about him having the
camera by himself but after ensuring the chord was wrapped around his hand I
felt a lot better. I think by allowing
him to go off by himself he was able to make decisions about what interested
him without the interference of myself.
Using ICT can increase the conventional ways of teaching and open up new
and different ways of learning (Ministry of Education, 2007).
When S asked if he could
look at the photos I was about to show him on the camera when I thought about
using the digital photo frame instead. This
was an ideal way for him to see the photos as well as sharing it with everyone
else. I had never thought of doing this before but seeing the impact it had on
all of the children and especially S I realised I had made the right
decision. As the children gathered
around and S began to tell his story I was delighted to see what learning was
going on. Not only was S sharing with
them his story but the other children were also contributing with their
comments to him and one another. This
showed me the use of social skills the group of children were using. Katz & McClellan (1999)
state that social approach skills are central to social participation and
success with young children, as these skills help peer acceptance and
contributes to ongoing discussions amongst peers.
Printing the photos off and getting
S to recall the story behind them while I wrote it down was a way for him to
express himself and become creative about his photos. Recalling can reinforce a
child’s ideas and help them review their own learning (McNaugton &
Williams, 2009).
This learning experience has
made me see another avenue of telling a story.
Through the use of ICT technology the child has become the teacher. He
has told a story about what was happening in the centre and what he had learnt.
Kay, this is just awesome, fantastic learning documented well, not only did S learn about using the camera to create a story he also received feedback from his peers. Firstly they gathered around him to hear his “story” and but not least S was able to verbalise and receive comments from other children. His value was raised in their eyes, (Bronwyn, Wednesday 22nd August, 2012). Jalongo (2007, cited in Reineke, Sonsteng &Gartrell, 2008) suggests learning comes from the healthy blend of both internal and external motivation. That this is fundamental to the social context of the classroom, as both teacher and classmates contributes to stimulating the child’s interest in an activity, this is a good example of how you gave encouragement for S to explore his interests, that he was able to have the camera to use for a little longer was reinforcing his engagement. Within this social context, his achievement was acknowledged. As Jalongo (2007, cited in Reineke, Sonsteng &Gartrell, 2008), refers to acknowledging achievement, encourages motivation beyond the specific situation. The New Zealand curriculum (2007) aims to develop a broad range of literacy in technology to equip children to participate in society , that means they need to be able to be informed citizens and able to participate in technology related careers.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good example of a child’s self review, how often do we do that, look at our own work with pleasure? Are there other opportunities for S to use the camera; is it practical for a small book to be made of his story to be put in the child’s self review folder at the centre? create a story just for the pleasure of revisiting the experience, or to show other children how to use the camera, where S becomes the expert!
Bronwyn (22/8/12). Personal communication. People, places, things and events class.
Ministry of Education, (2007). New Zealand curriculum. p 32. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.
Reineke, J., Sonsteng, K., & Gartrell, D. ( 2008). Nurturing mastery motivation: No need for rewards. Young Children. November. National Association for the Education of Young Children. .89-96
Hi Kay,
ReplyDeleteWhat a good use of technology. While I was reading you reflection I was wondering what S. pictures looked like? This would have been a great learning experience for S. You recognised the potential of those teachable moment we get, you encouraged S. allowed him/her to explore, experiment and learn how to use the camera himself. This recognition of potential learning is dependent on teacher knowledge, and an important element of this is the knowledge in areas such as technology. We have a responsibility to teach (Cullen, 2003), and you used the opportunity to do that, by providing S with the opportunity, giving him/her the tools, the time and learn how to use the camera. Have you thought about providing S with more opportunities like this, and make the camera his/her little project with you? You could encourage him to take different pictures that interest him and maybe create an album he could share with others. Technological activities provide the perfect vehicle to achieve the important longer term, sustained projects that are seen as necessary for children (Ministry of Education, 1996). Technology is not only a way of knowing, it is also a way of doing, and hands-on practical procedural knowledge is an essential element of technological literacy.
A very thoughtful reflection Kay, learning about how to integrate technology into our practice you helped me to think deeply on the matter. By using digital technology we can save children’s time and allow them to take their learning to a higher level (Ministry of Education, 2007). In this example the child’s learning was multifold as the child learnt how to take the photos and then how to load photos on a computer and print them. It was a good practice to boost the child’s self esteem and encourage him to take responsibility for his own learning. It is a valuable idea to let children make their own learning stories rather than just a teacher’s perspective on their learning. Carr (2001, as cited in Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, & Farmer, 2008, p. 61) suggests that integrating children voices in learning stories help children and families to build positive relationships and develop sense of belonging. Your reflection is a great example of letting go of our fears and allows the children to take control of their learning. Digital technology is part of their life and as an educator it is our role to integrate it into our curriculum to scaffold their learning. Children need to express themselves through multiple creative ways (Edwards & Springate, 1995).
ReplyDelete“Children develop the knowledge that playing with ideas and materials, with no objective in mind, can be an enjoyable, creative, and valid approach to learning” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.84). I was thinking, what he saw as important to him when he was using this piece of ICT. It was great that you showed the child the safety precautions before using the camera as sometimes we can become complacent with small but very important safety rules.
ReplyDeleteI can almost feel the excitement that S was feeling when, one, he could see the photos he took coming up on another piece of technology, and two, his friends, seeing his master pieces on this screen. This must have raised his status with his friends as well as his own competence in his social context and within himself wow what an awesome experience for S. “Children are engaged within a creative ecosystem that provides opportunities to engage with other children and adults. People respond to their ideas and actions and sometimes challenge or extend their thinking (Ongan & Ap 2005).
I enjoyed reading this reflection Kay as it is showing me that these fears we have as a teacher, a mother, and as an a adult, around children and technology are becoming less and less more controlling which in turn allows the children to have a more in-depth experience that they necessarily may not have had because of OUR fears, so well done Kay. I haven’t tried the digital photo frame yet to show the creativity of technology with the children so I definitely will try this. Thank you for sharing this reflection with us awesome