Recently we
received an old computer keyboard at the centre for the children to use, this
was not plugged into anything at was just the keyboard with the cord cut off. Technology is about helping people solve
problems (Smorti, 1999) and although this is not plugged in as I said before it
is still enabling the children to explore this technology. Because this was
something new it was popular among the children when used in the family corner
that we have set up outside on the deck. One thing that I did notice is that no
child asked me what this was, they all seemed familiar with this piece of
technology and I believe this could be because they see the keyboard in the
office at preschool or most of the children are familiar with computers and use
one at home. We do not currently
have any computers for the children set up in the classroom but obviously they
are familiar with this piece of technology through play at other places.
I spent some time in the afternoon over a couple of days observing the children near the family corner area while they were playing with
the keyboards. While I was there the overall game that I
saw was that the children would sit on the chair and take turns at typing as if
they are at work or in an office.
The child with the keyboard had a friend that seemed to be some sort of
assistant and the other children would cook the food and bring it to the workers. the scenarios varied slightly but the main idea stayed the same. Through this activity I could see that
the children were participating effectively with each other and this is helping
them to understand the world around them( Ministry of Education, 1996). As I said
earlier the children were very familiar with the keyboard and how to operate
it. This can also help them
prepare and develop skills for later in life as they are role playing scenarios
that they may have seen before from their parents or even on TV. Through this
it will help the children to participate in society and will help them be able
to get technology related careers( Ministry of Education, 2007).
one other important thing that I also noticed was that the children that took turns at using the keyboard some of these children just
pressed random buttons to really taking notice of the letters and numbers.Although some other children actually took the time to look at the
different symbols, numbers and letters and were able to recognise letters
associated with their own name. I
think that even though this isn’t a working computer keyboard it can better meet the social, physical and
learning needs of young children (Tsantis,, Bewick, & Thornton, 2003 ) as the children are still learning a great deal from looking at the
keyboard and engaging with the other children. Each of the children can also share their own ideas and experiences that they have had with keyboards and computers so they can help teach each other new things.
Reference list
Ministry of Education.
(1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki
mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington,
New Zealand: Learning Media
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Cirricilum. Wellington,
New
Zealand: Learning Media.
smorti, S. (1999). Technology
in early childhood. Early
education, 58 (1), 1-9.
Tsantis, L., Bewick, C., & Thornton, S. (2003). Examining some
common myths about computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web, November 2003, 1-9.
Simone, Keyboards seems to be an interest in a number of early childhood settings as I noticed that Emily wrote about keyboards for one of her blogs as well. I think it's good that you have the keyboard close to the family play area as children like to role play. Children use keyboards to imitate what they have seen other people doing such as their parents or in banks or offices (Somerset, 2010). It was great to read how some children had letter recognition such as letters in their name. Literacy is all around us and especially in technology. children gain experience in using communication technologies such as computers and calculators which links to technology and the communication strand (Ministry of education, 1996). I agree that keyboards are fantastic for children to play with and they don't have to be connected for children to benefit from them. They are still learning skills such as literacy, numbers, turn taking and also language as they communicate with their peers when role playing.
ReplyDeleteHow can you extend on this learning experience for the children?
I also looked at the uses of keyboards in our centre for one of my blogs and so I agree that they are very relevant to this topic and are very important for many different aspects of a child’s development. My belief is that the biggest skills that can be learnt from the use of something like a keyboard are literacy skills. Children become literate when they are provided with a literacy-rich environment, including resources and interactions (Hamer & Adams, 2003). I also experienced the fact that most of the children seemed to already know what a keyboard was and how to use it. You mentioned that they must have gained this knowledge from their lives at home and I think you are correct. Have you thought about getting hold of some other pieces of digital technology for the children to play with, such as, old mobile phones, or computer mice?
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea because children were able to explore something that they have seen before but may not have had a chance to use it before. It was interesting to read that all the children seemed familiar with the keyboard as they had seen it before. Do children have the opportunity to use computers at all? It would be an awesome extension on this, even if they had the opportunity to explore the keys on a laptop and watch the letters come on the screen. Your blog entry showed that it was a great learning experience for children as they were able to role play real life experiences. Stewart (2011) says that role playing “gives children a chance to play out events that they have observed or experienced in real life” (para. 1.). It was great to see children working together, interacting and contributing to the play. They would have been developing some great relationships.
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it interesting how the children didn’t need to ask what it was or what to do with it? Children seem to automatically know what technology is nowadays, which is a sure sign that technology is everywhere around us not just in the centre but at home and in the community. I loved how the children role played what they thought linked to a keyboard e.g. an assistant and workers. Technology is a purposeful and creative activity which can help to meet needs and provide opportunities for children (Smorti, 1999). Keyboards are not something I have taken much notice with in my own teaching practice but I can now see how valuable they can be for children’s learning. From developing literacy and numeracy skills to helping children understand the connecting links between the early child hood setting and other settings relatable to them e.g. home, parent’s workplaces (Ministry of Education, 1996).
ReplyDeleteSimone, after reading yours and Emily’s blog about keyboards I can see how effective using this piece of technology is and I will look into my own practice and use what we have got in a more valuable way from now on. Do the children in your centre have access to a real computer?