Reflection of blogging, other bloggs visited

Blog, Blog Blogging

Blogging! It is just a mystery why it was ever called this. It was a mystery how to start. It seemed rather confusing, and it is as though some how I stumbled through it all. It took perseverance and courage to get familiar with it. However, as with most things the more you use it the easier it gets. It was great to have the support of the younger students, who seem to whiz around the computer world with very little hesitation. Truly I am a digital immigrant. So when I get stuck I look for a digital native. (Prensky 2001a)

I heard this a couple of years ago when I was involved in a research project over three years called the ECE ICT PL programme run by CORE. This was a project to encourage the use of ICT within ECE sector. The concept of being an immigrant helped me immensely to understand a few principles. Like applying a scaffolding type of learning by finding the natives to give me support and tips. In other words, find the natives who speak the computer language, who have the confidence and competence gained by being born in this ICT world. It was a young class colleague who just gave me some quiet tips. This helped me to be patient with myself and keep trying.

ICT one expects it be quicker. Then when hours are spent hours just working out how to upload a photo, it feels frustrating. The trick is to remember when you need to do it again, how you did the last time. I used the Help option at times. Well, that really felt like a foreign language. But if I patiently looked at the information I could interpret it.

In 2007 my centre was accepted to be part of the ECE ICT PL project. CORE Education and the Ministry of Education in response to the Foundations of Discoveries 2005 a framework for ICT use in ECE facilitated this. It involved 60 services producing 56 action research reports.

Throughout this course and this assignment, it has been refreshing to recall some of these things that I discovered while doing this project.

I have enjoyed getting to know my class colleagues more. It is so good to see other teachers in practice and how the have approached children’s learning with technology activities.

I have a very big feeling that there is a whole worldwide cyber space universe out there. Just so much more I could be doing to enhance children’s learning. I do believe that as I become more confident and capable my practice will improve, and children's learning enhanced. (Ministry, 2005 p. 9) I am inspired by the comment from Jill Hammond,

The Sky ‘s the limit. Make sure you the teacher are not.

References:

Prensky,M., (2001) Digital Natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5. Retrieved from http://www.twitchspeed.com/site/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.

Ministry of Education. (2005). Foundations for discovery. Wellington: Ministry of Education

Hatherly, A., Ham, V., & Evans. L. (2009) Effective learning in Early childhood Education? The impact of the ECE ICT PL Programme: A synthesis report.

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ece/79138

Blogs I have commented on

1. http://miriammit.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post-invention-of-bird-feeder.html?showComment=1302773938577#c722754149097714771

2. http://nicolerussek.blogspot.com/2011/04/super-hero-fridge-magnets.html?showComment=1302918415572#c2817868728511182020

3. http://ladybug-veronica.blogspot.com/2011/04/e-is-mowing-lawn.html?showComment=1303447883925#c5671397894773478505

4. http://amosgallagher.blogspot.com/2011/04/technology-we-have-around-centre.html?showComment=1303452738430#c2807684672812622250

5. http://miriammit.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post-4-treasured-gifts-for-easter.html#comments I raised an interesting point here.

6. http://rainmit.blogspot.com/2011/04/discovery-about-light.html#comments

7. http://libyjose.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog2-memories-are-forever.html?showComment=1304417359822#c5358732485761249742

cutting and gluing

cutting and pasting.

D (almost 5. girl) was at the collage table. She had made a crown for “princess day”. I sat down to see what she had done. Her crown was finished and she was moving onto another task. She found a piece of paper on the table that had been folded in half and glued. She picked up the scissors and stated cutting. She managed the scissors confidently, and started cutting straight. She stopped, then about 2cm away from the first cut, she started cutting straight again. She then turned the corner and said, “I cut a square”. D then started spreading some glue all over the paper she had just cut from. Then placed the square she had cut out onto the paper. She continued spreading the glue around. I asked her “what else are you going to stick on the glue?” She looked around and saw the black triangles left over from someone else’s crown. She put two triangles in place. I showed her how she and made a loop at the top of the paper. She could thread something through there and then she would be able to hang it up. D looked around a all the collage things on the shelves. She found a ribbon. With some guidance, and using the scissors to poke the ribbon through we were able to then tie the ribbon. She was so excited. “Look Mum”. Her mother was grateful for the little gift. She praised and thanked D.

Smorti (1999) writes a definition of technology as a “creative purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments. Knowledge skills and resources are combined to find solutions.” This was one of those activities that evolved as D went along. She was fully involved was thinking through the activity. I made a conscious effort not to talk too much, or suggest too many ideas. I just let her move at her own speed, and hurray up

Children will design, make and appraise their work. D was so proud to give her creation to mum.

Reference:

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 199

Turn taking

W, X and Y are became friends really quickly during the morning session. For some reason all at once they wanted a turn at the computer game Pacman. X knew how to play it as he had played the game at home with his cousin. They started a discussion, with raised voices, of who was going to go first. X was keen to show them all how to play. Y had his fingers on the keyboard first. W sat on the chair first. I noticed what was happening. I interrupted their discussion. “Wait a minute let’s stop and think. How can we make this fair?

“Take turns,” said Y.

“You are right. How about you all get a chair each. Now X , do you know how to play this game? “ I asked

“Yes my cousin has it at his house,“ replied X

“ X can you show W how to play. Y you watch and listen. When pacman dies it’s Y turn. Then when Y turn, then the same for you. Your turn is finished when Pacman dies, and then it’s X turn.

I it’s W turn. When it’s not your turn you have to keep your hands off the keys. You can point to the screen, but don’t touch the keys or the mouse.” watched for a time from a distance to make sure they understood the “rules”. I suggested if it wasn’t their turn they were to fold their arms or sit on their hands. This quickly seemed to work quite well. They did very well and sustained fair turn taking for approximately 45 minutes when it was time to finish for lunch.

Collaborative learning and scaffolding that took place between the boys was a pleasure to watch. They did work together respecting and listening to each other. A good example of equal opportunities and a sense of belonging. Here the children are experiencing an environment where there are equitable opportunities for varying abilities and encouragement to learn with and alongside others. (Ministry 1996 p.64)

The computer often attracts groups of children, which gives opportunity for children to learn alongside others. While they are playing these games on the computer they are learning how to use the “tool for inquiry that will be practical for other explorations.” (Ministry, 2009 p.5)

The turn taking “rules” came from a seminar I attended at a Ulearn Conference in 2008. Jill Hammond used powerpoint presentation of how to manage computers junior classes. It was a model of the teacher the doer and the observer. It seems to work quite well. One of the issues is when it’ not your turn don’t touch the mouse or the keys. You give verbal instructions and point on the screen. I fund it so hard not to take over the mouse. It is the same when helping children with puzzles. I just want to put the puzzle piece in place for them. If they are to learn they must do it themselves.

http://juniorclasses.wikispaces.com/Workshop+Presentations

References:

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whaariki, he whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington,New Zealand: Learning Media

Ministry of Education. (2009). Kei tua o te pae assessment for learning: Early childhood exemplars: Information and communication technology.