Peer feedback for Rachael

http://rachealclark.blogspot.com/




Feedback for Rachael

Refection Two

Rachael, must have been a change for you to see a very capable and competent "T" being able to switch a computer on and know exactly what to do. I guess as you said in your reflection that the children you work with generally, are not allowed to use computers.  A change for the better I think, to give you an option of working with the older children.  They were able to show that their capabilities in high technologies was very knowledgeable.

I thought "T" had a really good idea of wanting to search on the computer the differences between a beetle and cicada, when I would have gone searching for a book for this information.  Computers are an asset for children as you've suggested, they were able to problem solve an issue that they required to do a bit of research on. Smorti states that "technology is about helping people and solving problems (Smorti, 1999).

As Bronwyn Glass (Botany Kindergarten) stated in her talk "you learn by doing with computers" and I think this is an adults fear, not a child's as noticed in your reflection.  "T" has obviously learnt by this method and been watching an adult who has been a good role model for hi.


Reflection Three

Rachael, Your photograph of the little boy using the diggers going up the ramp caught my eye straight away.  What an awesome conversation these three boys were having in the sandpit, working together as a team collaboratively.

"J" obviously was bringing his home connections into his imaginative play.  He knew that his dad used planks of wood to put the digger up onto a truck.  So he had thought about this and put these thoughts into action.

All the boys were using low technologies in a positive way that enhanced their learning experience in the sandpit.  Working together as a team to find solutions to the problems that arose and making other choices to further their playing interests.

I agree, with you that there are many different forms of technologies surrounding our day to day lives that we take for granted without realising it.  Technologies have always been there, but until having to think seriously what this actually is has broadened  my knowledge on this aspect of curriculum.

Peer Feedback for Joanne

http://joannesblog2013.blogspot.co.nz/



Peer Feedback for Joanne

Reflection Three

Joanne, what a lovely pictures you attached to your reflection. The outdoor environment covered in a bed of pink blossom leaves.  The pink just automatically drew your eye to the photograph.

Isn't it funny that "T" spoke using language that sounds very like a parents voice "Its everywhere", "look at the mess".  I wonder if this has been said to "T" at home, who then begun instantly cleaning it up.  "T" was certainly role modelling the tukana/teina concept here when the two younger children decided to copy and start cleaning up too.  They all worked well together collaboratively using low technology to problem solve the solution of clearing up you outdoor centre area.

I wonder how long it took the children to clean up the outdoor environment?  I noticed in the two other photographs the children had done a great job of using the broom, shovel and dust pan to pick nearly all the pink blossoms up, quite a hard going activity for young ones.  Well done, kia kaha children.



Reflection Two

Joanne, your title for this reflection clearly shows that a child can process and led their own learning experience.  Give them the time to think through their thoughts and they will come up with an idea to solve an issue quite easily.

When J asked to draw her farm and retrieved the coloured pencils, maybe it was the bright colours that had attracted her attention to the low technology product.  J  was able to visualise her thinking by putting her thoughts onto paper in the form of drawing.  The freedom to express herself creatively through the use of coloured pencils.

It was nice that J wanted to share her drawings with her family and was able to take her picture home with her.  I wonder if she has been for a visit to a farm, maybe this could be an extension of her interest of farm animals.  An introduction of "Old MacDonald had a farm" or some plastic animals set up for her to play with might further her interest in farm animals too.

Peer Feedback Natalie

http://natsworld2013.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/reflection-3-20082013.html


Feedback for Natalie's Reflections


Reflection Two

Natalie, the awesome transcript drew my eye to this reflection about the spade.  The boys were certainly engaged in the use of low technology being the spade. 

Working together as a team, using communication effectively to make an experience an achievable goal they were heading towards.  Taking the led in their own learning experience and problem solving where necessary to get the job done quicker.  Great to see children in the outdoor environment engaging in physical activity that promotes gross motor skills.  Sometimes we forget that there are many different types of technologies that can be used and with our world becoming such a fast pace one often take the outdoors for granted.

The sandpit I feel is always an area of curriculum that children are drawn to.  I hope this does not change with the way the world is heading using high technologies, it could soon be one area of play that fades out.



Reflection Three

Natalie, your awesome photograph of this lovely piece of artwork drew my eye to this reflection straight away.  Beautiful colours and design work in shimmering effects.

I think the photocopier is a little piece of magic for children especially as mentioned in your reflection it made S feel so much better that she could still have a physical piece of her art work.  Processing her thoughts clearly showed that she was able to problem solve the issue of somehow being able to take her art work home still.  Smorti states that "technology is about helping people and solving problems" (Smorti, 1999).

All children want to take their end products home of what they make during the day and I loved how you explained that her special piece of art work as for a large wall display.  Providing the use of technology for S to photocopy her artwork and letting her use the machine herself was a great teaching strategy in taking her mind off from the fact that she wasn't able to take her original artwork home.

Peer Feedback Erika

http://erikasblog2013.blogspot.co.nz/


Feedback for Erika's reflections

Reflection One

I just loved the photograph and your transcript of the two boys talking in this reflection.  It reminded me of the mitre 10 advertisement on television with the two kiwi boys asking an Australian boy to help them out over the weekend.

Both boys were really engaging in their use of tools and collaborating together in their building on the carpentry table.  I like that the two boys were outside engaging in low technology use, it seems maybe the age could have had a part in this.  It's nice to see children outside in the natural environment whilst technology has become such a big part of early childhood education sometimes we forget that there are many other types of technologies.  Do these boys engage in high technology use, or are they still quite young that they prefer to use low technologies, I wonder?

They certainly were totally absorbed in what they were doing with the hammer and saw, working proactively leading their own experience.  As I look at the photograph of the two boys I can see that they have built a good relationship together and trusted each other in what they were trying to achieve.


Reflection Two

Erika, I can relate to this reflection really well as in my kindergarten they also still use a stereo system that is played daily at the request of the children, maybe not Katy Perry but certainly a lot of Irish music.

I agree, about using the correct words to access technology terms.  This creates a better understanding of what the technology is that children are using and how it functions.  As Smorti states "technology is about helping people and solving problems" (Smorti, 1999).  This is exactly what the children in your centre are doing, they want to dance so by having you put the stereo on, solves there problem.  They want to dance, dance and dance some more, through the use of high technology to express their feelings through music.

What next?  As you've mentioned what will the children say when music needs to be played through the use of an ipad?  I don't think it will make much difference where the music comes from as long as they can still hear it and able to dance along with it.

Final Reflection - 2nd September 2013

Final Reflection

The feedback I received back from my peers was all positive and quite assuring that my ability as an educator to facilitate when necessary children's learning experiences are heading in a positive direction.  By just observing and letting children led their own experiences through the resources chosen by themselves, allows them to take ownership of their learning.  Te Whariki states that children develop awareness of their own special strengths, and confidence that these are recognised and valued (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

The suggestions of furthering my chosen technology choices from my peers have all been noted and in the past week a couple of these have taken place.  Especially the suggestion of Joanne's where she mentioned that the children could use water as a substitute for paint and bigger brushes to use on the fences and outdoor equipment.  The kindergarten has professional paint rollers and the children decided to fill up the water trough and started to literally dunk the rollers into it to use for painting the fences and the playground equipment.

Erika's mention of furthering a group of boy's interest in the use of tools was another experience that has been implemented through the use of hammers and saws at the carpentry table.  We have a male mentor that comes in once a fortnight and makes items of interest that the children have discussed what they would like to see in the environment.  Role modelling the proper techniques of the use of tools gives the children a greater respect for the outcome of their work when involved with working with the male mentor.  The New Zealand Curriculum states that "an understanding of material properties, uses, and development is essential to understanding how and why products work the way they do (Ministry of Education, 2007).

Smorti states that "technology is about helping people and solving problems" (Smorti, 1999).  When technology is used creatively with a purpose it can meet the needs and expectations through a product, plan or surroundings.  Children are able to experience and enjoy the many advantages available to them in using low and high mediums of technologies.  Whatever they choose to engage in offers them a chance of discovering new knowledge and skills that can be developed further.  Using the knowledge and skills from technology children are able to find many ways of coming to a solution.  Smorti states that "it is the doing that is important, rather than the product" (Smorti, 1999). 

Meaningful experiences are created for the children from the use of varying types of technologies of their choosing.  When incorporating these types of mediums they are often making connections and expressing life experiences that they can relate to.  Interacting with their peers enables many opportunities for the use of low and high technologies that are proactive in relationship building.  Learning to share and negotiate for turn taking of technologies is a way of problem solving and communicating.  Te Whariki states that children develop "the capacity to discuss and negotiate rules, rights and fairness (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Through the use of all of the technologies available to children in early childhood settings they become aware of one's abilities through persevering and resiliency that they are capable and confident learners.  Children with the learning of new knowledge and skills are able to contribute to the planning of the day to day curriculum.  Encouraged to work together collaboratively with peers and educators by problem solving and exploring new possibilities.

Reference List


Arthur, L. & Beecher, B. & Death, E. & Dockett, & Farmer, S. (2007).  Programming and planning in early childhood settings. Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early Education, No.19 5-10

Somerset, G. (2000). Work and play in the early years. Waitakere, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.

Feedback for Peers reflections

Feedback for peers reflections

http://erikasblog2013.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/normal-0-false-false-false-en-nz-x-none_26.html

Reflection Three

I really liked the set up the children had playing in a mock office. Maybe they've seen their parents with an office at home set up this way too and were making these connections in their role playing experiences.

 Working together collaboratively as a team, but I could see by reading your reflection that D certainly was taking the position of leader and delegating the jobs.  To take this interest of office work further for the three children it might be possible for them to actually use a digital camera themselves if permitting and take photos they would like and print them off using the computer as they were doing in their role playing.

Great reflection, good idea about continuing role playing in further aspects of their day to day play at your centre.




http://rachealclark.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/reflection-1-090813-yummy-yummy-i-have.html


Reflection One

When I saw the words yummy, yummy and the lovely picture of the cupcakes, I just had to choose this reflection to read.  Great activity for the children to be involved in, I agree that the recipe cards work well.  This I have in my own centre and they work well with the children as they physically have a visual to use to follow instructions.  It does include literacy skills and maths concepts as you've mentioned, great way to put these into the children's learning on a daily basis in an activity that they are going to enjoy doing.  I hope this continues at your centre, and maybe the children could help make more of your recipe cards so that baking can be done on a regular basis.

Carry on with the baking I say, well done with the preparation of using recipe cards, a system that works well with children.




http://joannesblog2013.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/reflection-one-8-august-2013.html


Reflection One

A blast from the past.  What a cool idea of bringing this old electric typewriter from an interest of writing letters.  As children have no fear in learning new things or having a go at using new equipment, it looks like they picked up very quickly how to use the typewriter.  They have learnt by doing and engaging in problem solving their way through to finding out how to use the electric typewriter rather easily.

If the interest continues on writing letters, maybe a post shop could be set up so that they could write letters to their peers in the centre and post to one another.  A trip to the post office could be another way of continuing the interest as well.

Great reflection, what item from the past will you bring in next to spark the children's interest I wonder?






http://natsworld2013.blogspot.co.nz/


Reflection One

Wow, what an awesome feeling it must have been for you for A to approach you in the way she did and this comes from having built a good relationship with her in the first place.  As you've typed in your reflection A has obviously been around someone that plays music from their computers and has realised that maybe she could ask for a song to be played this way too.  A has through problem solving made a decision to ask you for help and to have music played on the laptop this way as well. 

This could be a start of a new interest for A by wanting to listen to music this way, it can be a great social interaction experience and maybe by introducing different types of music could further her interests in dance as well.  Putting actions to the music that A is listening to is allowing her gross motor skills to be developed and certainly her social skills as well.

Great reflection, keep empowering A to express herself freely through the use of music and movement.

REFLECTION THREE - THE PAINTBRUSH

REFLECTION THREE - THE PAINTBRUSH - 20 AUGUST 2013

Children are given the opportunity to use paints everyday at the kindergarten with varying colours with many different paint brushes.  Painting is used indoors and outdoors with different types of paper, boxes and various craft items supplies along with many types of paint brushes.

Through the use of the various paint brushes available the children are able to create many styles of art work.  By using a paint brush children are able to use the paint in ways that they have chosen to do so.  It could be put on paper, boxes thickly, thinly in whatever form of painted patterns they feel like at the time of using the paint brush.  Holding a paint brush to engage in creating in a painted form is easier for a child to do than using their hands as they develop with age (Somerset, 2000).  Allowing a child to engage in painting using a paint brush in their own way and time forms a sense of ownership of the work being an authentic process rather than a pre-determined outcome.  Putting the paint in places that they want to with the paint brush makes it an original piece of work where they have freedom of choice.  Te Whariki states that children develop "skill and confidence with the processes of art and craft, such as cutting, drawing, collage, painting, printmaking, weaving, stitching, carving and constructing" (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

Using the paint brush to engage in painting all forms of creativity allows the children to explore and express their thoughts through this type of medium in low end technology.  It gives them an outlet as to how they are feeling and an opportunity to show this in painted form to enable them to tell a story on paper in a way they feel comfortable to show their experiences (Somerset, 2000). Children are learning fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination through using a paint brush.  As the child develops these skills through growth the paintings become more visually clear and start to represent objects clearer.

Observing the children paint using different type of paint brushes was an experience watching their faces seeing how the paint emerged on the paper through the use of a brush.  There were children who chose to use big strokes, little strokes and some wanted to mix all the colours of the paint up in one pot.  By the expressions on their faces they were amazed at what they could do with the paint brush and how they were putting the paint on the paper.  They were taking pride in their work and a sense of ownership of what they were achieving through painting.  When a peer came up to see what they were painting the child would happily explain in their own words what they had painted with joy in their voice.

I feel that as long as you put out a different variety of paint brushes and varying colours children are always drawn to the easel or craft table.  They enjoy putting paint on and seeing what they can create even if the paint runs down the sheet of paper.  Children are just happy to see what they have done with a paint brush and some paint, they have such great imaginations they literally see what they are talking about to their peers and educators, it's just true bliss for them.  As an educator this should be encouraged and to let children explore with this enthusiasm they have for paint on a daily basis.

REFLECTION TWO - THE STEREO

REFLECTION TWO - THE STEREO - 16 AUGUST 2013

Everyday at the kindergarten the children participate in music and movement.  The stereo is used to provide the sound for their music opportunities.  Knowing that the stereo is there for their own use at any opportunity provides a sense of ownership over what music they want to listen and dance to.  It provides social interactions and the building of relationships in a group setting.  Te Whariki states that children develop "an increasing ability to play an active part in the running of the programme" and a "sense of belonging, and having a right to belong, in the early childhood setting (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

Through the use of power the stereo system is able to produce the sound of music the children are wanting to hear and provides the opportunity for the participation of social interactions.  By having this piece of equipment available for the children to use allows a child's natural curiosity towards sound to respond to music in their own way.  A freedom to explore sound and movement in a safe, secure place by listening to the music being played in response to what they are hearing (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, Farmer, 2007).  Participating in music and movement develops confidence in their own abilities to move their bodies in a social setting with their peers.  Listening to music and moving along with it enables children to use their gross motor skills when they are providing actions to go along with the sound coming from the stereo system.

Music is a great form of stimulation to encourage children's senses and foster cognitive development.  Used in a social setting to build relationships among their peers builds a sense of co-operation by respecting each others perception of movement to music (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, Farmer, 2007).  Being able to express themselves freely in social settings with their peers provides that sense of trust and caring within the kindergarten.  Te Whariki states that children develop "a feeling of belonging, and having a right to belong, in the early childhood setting (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

Hearing the music being played everyday that the children choose gives the environment the sounds of laughter and joy.  This is what I hear every time the stereo is used for music.  You will be guaranteed that by just switching the stereo system on for background music or if a child asks to have music played their will be a line waiting for their turn to choose something.  This has shown that music is a big part of G kindergarten's curriculum and is being used as a learning tool of the children's choosing to further their interests.  They are in control of their own learning and take ownership of this by creating opportunities to explore music that supports cognitive growth and encourages problem solving.  Smorti states that "technology is about helping people and solving problems (Smorti, 1999).  Being able to express yourself through dance listening to music is done differently by each child through body movements that are unique to them.  Everybody's perception of what they hear from the music connects to the body causing the use of actions differently. 

I believe that by allowing children to play music of their own choosing sparks their curiosity for other areas of interest to follow through from.  What a better way for children to guide their own learning being supported by educators who follow their lead.

REFLECTION ONE - THE SPADE

REFLECTION ONE - THE SPADE - 12 August 2013

Walking into kindergarten this morning I happen to pass the sandpit area where a group of boys were working together in a group digging holes with spades.  They kept talking amongst themselves about making it bigger so they could sit in it.  While they were working collaboratively as a team they were problem solving the issue of how to get the hole bigger to enable their bodies to sit in the hole.  Te Whariki states that children develop "the ability to make decisions, choose their own materials, and set their own problems" (Ministry of Education, 1996).

 

The use of the spade to dig the holes were enabling the children to create the hole they wanted. The New Zealand Curriculum states that "an understanding of material properties, uses, and development is essential to understanding how and why products work the way they do" (Ministry of Education, 2007).  By discussing and sharing their thoughts they were able to work together finding ways by doing and making it happen.  Smorti states that "technology is about helping people and solving problems (Smorti, 1999).  Using this piece of equipment was enabling the children to move the sand in a way they had chosen to, therefore making the outcome of digging easier.  Choosing to use a spade instead of their hands allowed the hole to be dug deeper to accommodate the different sizes of each child as they differed in height.  So by exploring the use of this piece of technology the children are capable of problem solving the deepness of the hole to dig by measuring it with their own bodies to see if it needed to be dug further.

The children are learning to work together co-operatively through problem solving, listening to others and discussing ideas on how to achieve their goal of making the hole big enough for their body.  Through the interactions in a social setting they are learning how to be responsible for their own actions physically and verbally (Arthur, Beecher, Dockett, Death, Farmer, 2007).  The building of relationships is strengthen through the co-operative play and essential to children's development and wellbeing.  Children are able to develop skills to respect others points of view while learning to socialise in different settings.

Engaging in gross motor skills and exploring the possibilities of how the sand can be used in different experiences through the use of low technology means.  They are able to construct and build with the sand that develops hand-eye co-ordination during the use of the spade digging.  These actions with the spade put the child in control and challenges their strategies on how to determine the end product.  This therefore creates on experience that has been executed from start to finish from the children's interest in the sand using a spade and problem solving the outcome through teamwork.

I learnt by observing this group of boy's who can at times be rather robust during their time at kindergarten found an interest through the use of low level technology to socialise and have fun while doing so.  They were able to communicate one another's thoughts quite clearly and respect everyone's input which at times for this group can be a challenge within itself.

By engaging in a more physical activity that they had initiated it seemed to calm their minds as they all had to respect and support one another using equipment where they were trying to create a product through problem solving.  It was more about communication then running around the playground.  Te Whariki states that children develop "the expectation that verbal communicated will be a source of delight, comfort, and amusement and that it can be used to effectively communicate ideas and information and solve problems (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Watching their faces when eventually they had to lie on the sand and try to put the spade into the hole so it could be dug even further was a challenge filled with laughter and fun.