Reflections on personal blog site
The children were playing pretend in the sandpit making cakes and muffins using plastic spoons, whisk to mix the dough, and the microwave to cook their muffins. This is a child’s initiated interest and we needed to extend this learning using technology in baking. The problem we have here is how to make muffins using the above mentioned technology. This will be discussed in a deeper conversation using open-ended question to extend children’s learning in technology. (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Docket, Farmer, 2008).
We began to discuss the type of technology required in this activity such as a whisk and an oven. The purpose of the whisk is to mix the ingredients together for a very short time. The electric oven is used to bake the muffins and would take only 20minutes to bake them.
Children worked together in measuring the ingredients into the bowl, counting the numbers of dry ingredients as well as counting cups of liquid used in the recipe. They hand mixed the mixture using the whisk and each child of 14children took part in whisking the mixture. Children’s interest is so intense and everyone took turns pouring the mixture into the baking tin and even tasted the mixture. One child said, "whisking is fun because it’s new and fun." “My mother used the whisk to mix the eggs” said D. The whisk mixes the ingredients faster than the normal spoon, it is reliable and anyone can use it. The mixing requires strength and concentration to do the job done. It is important to focus on what you are whisking and you all did very well in this task. With experimenting technology, “children promote cognitive development by observing, reasoning, measuring and using their investigation in problem solving” (Katz, & Chand, 2000, p. 2). "Our next task is to bake them in the oven however you are not allowed to go near the oven for your safety because the oven is extremely hot. Do you go near the oven at any time?" I asked. “No” they said. "Why not?" “Because we might get burned and go to the doctor” N said. "You are absolutely correct no child is allowed to go near the oven at any time because it is extremely hot."
In my opinion it is crucial to foster children’s learning about technology because children enable to develop essential skills through experiencing of technology and their usage. Children “investigate the issues and used the understanding gained, together with design principles and approaches” to extend their own practice and learning (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 32). Children engaged in this activity enhance practice critical thinking skills, creativity and imagination skills, language skills and more (Fleer, & Jane, 2011). It also helps children enhance understanding about technology when working together in problem-solving (Ministry of Education, 2007). It is important for children to be aware of their own safety when using technology at any time.
However back in my days, technology did not exist and we did not have the utensils so the spoon was used to mix baking ingredients, though it was not an easy task as it makes it harder for the ingredient to mix properly. It takes a lot of time and strength to do it well. The oven back then was another big challenge because we used the size 44gallon cut in half, used one half to make an oven and the other half to flatten up for a lid. So it takes up an enormous amount of time and energy before you can even start your baking. Nowadays technology is at the tips of our fingers and it altogether changes our life style. (Smoti, 1999).
The disadvantage of technology is that even though things are easy to make nowadays but if the power is off we are unable to use the oven. The whisk is faster but using spoon takes time which is best for exercising of hands and the body as it is also extremely important. However no matter what we think of technology nowadays at the end of the day it is here to stay.
Reference
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Katz, L. & Chard, S. (2000). Engaging Children’s Minds: The project Approach, 2nd edn, Connecticut: Ablex Publishing Company, Stamford.
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia
Ministry of Education, (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum framework. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.
Reference
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Katz, L. & Chard, S. (2000). Engaging Children’s Minds: The project Approach, 2nd edn, Connecticut: Ablex Publishing Company, Stamford.
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia
Ministry of Education, (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum framework. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.
Hi Tuluiga, It was interesting to read your reflection on microwave and whisk. I personally feel the importance of these two items in my kitchen especially during baking and when I am running out of time. In other words the use of these two technologies had made our life much easier and faster. Despite the fact that we used technology for baking with children, baking itself is a great learning experience for them. It is interesting to note that baking with children can teach them about Maths, Science and Language. This is also greatly in line with Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996) which promotes ‘exploration’ with a variety of learning experiences that can be connected to the home environment. Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer (2008) also encourage the use of real resources as it help children reflect on real life experiences. Therefore, food technology is an important part of ECE daily program. As early childhood teachers it is our duty to provide children with these meaningful experiences.
ReplyDeleteMinistry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (5th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: engage Learning.
Hi tuluiga, a very good reflection of the use of technology in centres today. I really liked the way you carried out a group experience for the children and used whisk as a technology to mix the ingredients together. It was interesting when you began to question the children about the oven as the children already knew about the oven and its functions. I think if we as teachers will use technology and also tell children about what it does and how it makes our work easier is indeed a good learning experience for them. Vygotsky also agrees with me as he said that learning could not happen with interaction (Claiborne & Drewery, 2010). Indeed because of your discussion you were able to know what the child knew about oven and got to know what he knew about the whisk, that it made their mixing process easier and made their work faster. I do agree that technology has disadvantages like power familiar that you mentioned which is indeed an issue in our centre today earlier. This caused us to stop most of our work in centres as everything is electrical and runs with power. But yes technology is here to stay and children are growing up in this technological world with rapid increase of digital and non digital devices. Hence teachers should always be there educating children about technology.
ReplyDeleteClaiborne, L., & Drewery, W. (2010). Human development: Family, place and culture. Auckland. New Zealand: McGraw Hill.
Hi Tuluiga,
ReplyDeleteTechnology has advanced a lot. It seems to be an essential part of our everyday lives as it reduces human efforts and makes our work simpler and efficient but half of the time, we don’t even realize it. As Bhavna mentioned above, I could never think of a whisk being a technology. Technology is even evident in children’s everyday play and activities like mentioned above that the children were using the whisk in the sand pit to pretend they were baking. I believe, that it is through such interests of the children that can become valued learning experiences. Getting the children involved in such activities which reflect their interests highly motivates them and encourages them to go further. I agree with you in saying that, although there are advantages and disadvantages associated with technology, it is here to stay and will bring about more changes as time goes. It is our role as teachers to include the use of technology in our practice with children so that they are up-to-date with it and its usage. This will enhance their learning according to the new era of technology. “Te Whariki states that in order to participate in this world, our children will need the confidence to develop their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquire new knowledge and skills” (smorti, 1999).
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.
Hi Tuluiga. I enjoyed your reflection. I agree that the kitchen is full of children’s learning and development environments. As another comment said, I didn’t notice that a whisk is a technology tool. It must be already there since long before I was born. Thinking back to my childhood, I think even “electric whisks”/handheld food processors were already common in most households. But it is technology. Once I was baking and my electric food processor was broken in the middle of beating egg white I had to use a whisk and it felt like it takes forever.
ReplyDeleteChildren today are surrounded by so many resources in their upbringing. Similar to what you said in your blog, I believe we as teachers need to encourage children how to balance their technology use. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the research article but I once read that many children don’t spell very well compare to older times because of typing on keyboards and that teenagers have less patience to wait for things to be done because they live in a fast-paced convenience society. I think the key for this is balance. I found an interesting article, How to Balance Children and Technology (Burnside, 2011). What I like about the article is that “understanding of core concepts like authenticity, self-love, connectedness, gratitude and presence in tandem with their children’s inevitable foray into a fast-paced and ever-changing technological world. Parents must not only teach these concepts but also model ways for their children to integrate them into life experiences and relationships.”
References
Burnside, A. (2011). How to Balance Children and Technology. ModernMom. Retrieved September 2, 2012, from http://www.modernmom.com/blogs/annie-burnside/how-to-keep-a-balance-between-children-and-technology