I was
holding the camera when child A approached me and asked me if he could use
it. I asked him if he knew how to use
the camera and he indicated to me that he did not. I felt that this would be a
good opportunity to develop his technological learning. Fleer and Jane (2011),
state that teachers should incorporate technological literacy into their
teaching practice so that children have opportunities to enhance their
technological learning, independence and creativity. I then asked him to sit
next to me so that I could show him how the camera worked. I
showed him how to turn on the camera and how the picture he was seeing on the
screen would be the photograph he was taking.
I explained that he therefore needed to point the camera in the
direction of his subject and make sure it was on the screen before taking the
photograph. I then showed him which
button he needed to press if he wanted to take the photograph. I also explained to him that the camera had a
memory stick which saved all the photographs and showed him where it was
located in the camera and what it looked like.
I spoke to him about how the camera was fragile and expensive and that
he needed to be gentle when using it. I
told him that he had to make sure the lanyard was around his neck when using it
as this would prevent it from falling to the ground if he accidentally dropped
it. I also told him that it was a good
idea to get people's permission before taking their photograph as sometimes
people didn’t want their photographs taken and that we had to respect their
decision. He then walked around the
playground asking his friends if he could take their photographs and when they
agreed he did. After he had taken a few
photographs, I asked him if he would like to print some of the photographs he
had taken so that he could share them with his family. He happily agreed. I showed him how to remove the memory stick
from the camera and how to download it onto the computer. He was thrilled to see his photographs appear
on the computer screen. I then asked him
which photographs he wanted to print and showed him how to select the
photographs and which button he needed to press to print them. He did this with a bit of scaffolding from me
and waited patiently at the printer for his photographs. He was delighted with his photographs and
couldn’t wait to share them with his mum. According to the Ministry of Education
(2007), it is important to encourage children to use technology so that they
develop foundational technological literacy and are therefore better equipped
for technology-related jobs in the future.
Child A showed an interest in the camera and
I responded to this by showing him how the camera worked and then giving him
the opportunity to explore this technology.
Today digital technologies are becoming part of the way we work and play
(Mishra, Koehler & Henriksen, 2011).
I therefore believe that teachers need to use opportunities that arise
to allow children to explore and familiarise themselves with these
technologies. By allowing him to take
the photographs, showing him how to download them and then how to print them, I
gave him the opportunity to see the different stages involved in the process
from start to finish. I believe that
this was a good learning experience as it was a way of introducing him to
in-depth investigation. Engaging in in-depth study of a topic is better than
studying a variety of brief topics as children gain a deeper understanding (Clark,
2007). He showed an interest in the
camera and by showing him and allowing him to use it and take photographs, I was
letting him follow his interests. According to Gonzalez-Mena (2011), when a teacher follows the interest of a
child, the child’s learning is more meaningful as they are constructing their
knowledge and finding meaning in their experience instead of just passively
receiving the information from the teacher.
Before
letting him start using the camera, I spoke to him about why and how we needed
to take care of it. I did this because I
believe it is important for children to respect equipment and take care of it so
they develop an appreciation. I also
spoke to him about asking people for permission before taking their photographs
and printing them as some people may not want him to take their photographs. According to The Ministry of Education (2009),
children’s photographs should not be taken and published without the consent of
the child and the parent. I felt it was
important to educate him on the correct protocol when he was taking photographs.
The importance of this was brought to my attention during a talk from a Net
Safe expert in class and I felt it necessary to impart with the child so that
he would start developing good cyber safety habits. “Technology is centre stage
in our lives and interaction” (Mishra, Koehler & Henriksen, 2011, p.22). I therefore feel it is important for teachers
to embrace it and teach children not only how to use it but also about the
responsibility that goes with using it.
References
Clark, A.
(2007). Changing classroom practice to include the project approach. ERCP, 8 (2), 1-10.
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2011). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (5th ed.).
Boston, Ma: McGraw Hill.
Ministry of Education: (2009). Requirements for ICT security in ECE
services. Retrieved from:
Ministry of Education. (2007).TheNew Zealand curriculum.Wellington,
New Zealand: Learning Media.
Mishra, P., Koehler, M.J., &
Henriksen, D. (2011). The seven trans-disciplinary habits of mind: extendingthe
tpack framework towards 21st century learning. Educational Technology, 11(2), 22-28.
Tino pai Ashona! I found the way you responded to the child, by showing him how the camera worked, provided an essential aspect of the technological process by verbally providing instructions. I believe this is a great way to assist the child in using the tool meaningfully and creatively by taking away any frustrations that may occur without your scaffolding. It was fantastic the way that you were mindful to mention the respect of other people’s wishes and privacy when taking photographs. This is something that I have not considered in this situation. Where you mentioned being respectful of property, I strongly believe this is an important factor for children to practice. I really liked how your reflection provoked a lot of discussion within my centre. We discussed how digital technology is an area that we as a team, would like develop further within our centre and become a part of our everyday routine. A challenge within our centre is that some of the teachers are learners themselves with digital technology and have many fears to overcome. In my experience I have noticed that many of the children have become these teachers’ teacher! It is important for teachers to develop their skills in this area, because we are preparing the children for jobs that do not exist yet (Fleer & Jane, 2011).
ReplyDeleteWell done Ashona, I found this experience on children using the digital camera very useful because it made me reflect more deeply about how I could extend children’s interests in using the technology. I liked how you went through the process of taking the photo, downloading the photo and the printing the photo with the child, next time when the children use the camera in our centre I will introduce your idea to them as I believe it well supports the importance of using all the processes of using the technological tool of the camera. I agree with your statement “Fleer and Jane (2011), state that teachers should incorporate technological literacy into their teaching practice so that children have opportunities to enhance their technological learning, independence and creativity”. I believe a digital camera can be a passage for the child’s creativity (Perry, n.d.). It would have been interesting to see how that child would have responded if you just passed him the camera and not show him what to do, I think sometimes we can be surprised to see what children curiosity can create. We need to encourage the children to explore and discover their world first, and then if they are struggling we can provide them with the extra support. I believe more importantly we need to help inspire a child to be competent and capable in their own learning, which you created by printing their photo. We need to plant a seed of inspiration in a young learner so they are able to grow through exploration, challenges, problem-solving, curiosity, and meaningful learning experiences to become a passionate learner towards technology as it becomes a vital part of their lives (Weisbrot, 2011).
ReplyDeleteReference list:
Perry, M.(n.d.). Kids learning through digital cameras. Retrieved from: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11532/1/Kids-Learning-Through-Digital-Cameras.html
Weisbrot,M. (2011). Shaping the future: Teaching kids to use digital cameras. Retrieved from: http://www.ultimatephotoguide.com/articles/tips-techniques/shaping-the-future- teaching-kids-to-use-digital-cameras/
Again, this is another wonderful example of how you facilitate and scaffold children’s learning in regards to the use of technology Ashona! The role of the teacher in children’s effective use of technology is vital (Fischer & Gillespie, as cited in Can-Yasar, Inal, Uyanik & Kandir, 2012). I believe you took another step in showing the child that there is a memory card inside the camera and explaining its use – many people only think about the basics of camera such as the button we press to take the photo. I also feel you thought very deeply about the situation as you took into consideration the other children’s feelings about having their photo taken, and the importance of showing respect towards them - you explained this clearly to the child taking photographs. This is a very important aspect for adults working with children, but I do believe children should understand the concept too, so they can develop an understanding of their own and other’s rights and to see things from another’s viewpoint; some children may not want their photo taken (Ministry of Education, 1996). I agree it was very beneficial to enable the child to experience the whole process involved in digital photography, as it would deepen their understanding of what is involved, further. Teachers tend to take over experiences to save time or do not identify certain parts of processes as learning opportunities, when in fact they are valuable experiences the child is missing out on. Well done Ashona.
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