“Click, Click”
Visual impact is an innovative way of teaching. It is based on the concept that children are able to connect the pictures more easily. For example, children are more inclined to see more cartoons or animated movies and are able to recollect the story more easily than trying to recollect a section which they read a day back.
For this reason, I have introduced digital photography into my teaching techniques. From people, places and things in class, I have learnt that technology is so important in the early years of learning to explore video/graphics based techniques. I have also understood more clearly that children will be more competent and confident when they have access to technology from their early stages. According to Smorti (1999), it is quite important that we need to enhance our technical skills so that we can help the kids in providing better and simple ways of learning. This will lead to improve their skills in accepting new challenges and problem solving techniques.
I asked the children if they had used a camera before. They said ‘No’. I suggested that they take snaps of their surroundings by themselves. They were very excited about using the digital camera and I gave them the camera to use. I taught them how to operate and focus the camera towards an object and to press the ‘click’ button when they were ready. It was interesting to observe the children taking turns. Te Whāriki states that our children need the confidence in the fulfillment of improving their own skills and knowledge (Ministry of Education, 1996).
While D was taking the photos, his mother came to pick him up. She was surprised and said to him “what are you doing with the camera?” stating that this is not a children’s toy. I explained to her that D was using the camera under my supervision and the reasons why he is allowed to use it. By looking into D’s amazing work she was thrilled with the way he had learnt to use the technology. Te Whariki highlights that “children develop the ability to represent their discoveries using creative and expressive media and the technology associated with them” (Ministry of Education, 1996. p. 88).
The learning that had taken place for the children was incredible. I thought about the way I had awoken the children’s interest and imagination by teaching them how to use a camera. This opportunity allows them to build a familiar contact with the technology while increasing their interest. Playing plays a key role for children in practicing the newly acquired skills, gradually builds the children’s capability to face new social roles and as well as some challenging tasks. Moreover, they can resolve complex issues which they really would not (Talay-Ongan, 2005).
However we need to use the technology as weapon in shining the children’s learning which has been proved with digital camera (Gibbons, 2006). Children can view the world in their own way using digital camera. They can also capture some beautiful photographs in and around their location. By doing so, they can have a look at their photos which have been taken by them. Smorti (1999), mentioned that “Technology is a creative and essential activity aimed at meeting the needs of opportunities through the development of products systems and environments” (p.5).
References:
Gibbons, A. (2006). The politics of technology in early childhood in Aotearoa/New Zealand: fitting early childhood educators in the ICT grid. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(4), 7-14.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa .Wellington: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.
Talay- Ongan, A., Ap, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). Child development and teaching young children. Southbank, Victoria: Thompson Social Science Press.
Hello Jawa,
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I like that your concept is clear about the visual things, that visual impact is an innovative way of teaching. I agree with you that children are more inclined to see more cartoons and animated movies and can easily relate them with their real life. Yes it is true that children learn more at their early stage so we should let them explore technology in their day to day life. TeWhaariki states that technology grows experience in solving problems together develop children’s understanding of how technologies can help them and others. You are right, I also agree with Smorti (1999) that it is very necessary that we have to sharpen our technical skills so that we can help the children to perform better in future. I realised that we as an early childhood teachers encourage children to explore because through exploration, children learn useful and appropriate ways to find out what they want to know and begin to understand their own individual ways of learning and being creative.
Hello Jawa
ReplyDeleteI am agree with your statement about Visual impact is an innovative way of teaching. It is based on the concept that children are able to connect the pictures more easily. I agree it is so amazing what children are capable of when given the opportunity. I think this situation sounds like a good way to create a home to centre familiarity through the use of technology. The digital camera is brilliant it cuts down time and expense and allows the children to see instantly what they have taken a photo off. I think it’s wonderful that you allowed the children in your centre to take their own pictures and explore the use of all the buttons and what they do. There are really endless possibilities with this interest and that is what is so good about technology. Talay- Ongan & Ap (2005) discuss the importance of these tools stating “Children’s technological capabilities are most directly influenced by their early experiences at home and play” (p226). The photo's that are posted on your blog is a proof in itself that children are smart in taking the photo's, they are well focussed.
Good Work!!
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ReplyDeleteKia ora Jawa Didi
I really enjoyed this blog because I appreciated the way in which you actually introduce the camera to the children, especially how D mother commented that a camera was not a toy, meaning at home D may not have had the opportunity to explore camera. I liked that you had such competent images of children as active learner using technology and actually providing them another means of capturing precious memories digitally. Your initiative to introduce children to digital photography would have had such a positive impact on children viewing themselves as capable learners and also enjoying the sheer joy of using the camera themselves. I would suggest that you maybe with time even support them to print the pictures and make an album. It would be great to keep that album as a memorabilia for you and the children if the journey into the world of digital photography. Furthermore I absolutely agree with you and Smorti(1999) who states that technology open up creative avenues for learning opportunities for children. Well done didi
You provided the real camera to children responded their needs and showered them how to preview the photos and they were able to do this by themselves, good job. I think those are awesome ideas. You absolutely built up children's understanding about using the camera and promoted the use of technology in your setting. It helped children to see the environment through camera lens using different angles, sizes and close-ups. By providing a camera to use individually would encourage children to take photos which are important to them rather than others. Furthermore, I believe those photos would be helpful resource in children's future learning as they would be to revisit and refresh their memories. Children learn and develop when they experience an environment where they are offered opportunities to develop different ways to be creative and expressive (Ministry of education, 1996). It is great that early childhood teachers apply this philosophy into daily practice. I believe in such experience children will be learn better than what we are expecting because children are confident learner. They learn from things, places and people around them (MoE, 1996).
ReplyDeleteMinistry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.