Cameras at my centre clinks to staff as it is part of our uniform. Recently some children have started showing interest in the cameras as well. They like to click pictures and then look at them. One child (R) in particular is mad about cameras and loves to walk around clicking pictures. She then with the help of the staff, looks back at those pictures and talks about them. Today as R came in the morning with her dad, she came to me and asked for the camera.
.jpg)
The thoughtful and meaningful use of ICT in early childhood education services can support children to "grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make valued contribution to society" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 88). This was very much evident in R's use of the camera. She was exploring and enhancing her knowledge of technology. She was also very confident in using the camera and show pictures to her dad. She was engaged with the camera for a very long time. This incident was an eye-opener for me because at her age I would not even dream of touching a camera leave alone using it. According to Ellis, Railsback and Scoter (2001), unlike some adults, children are unafraid of technology but are confident to try out new activities and because they find the work so interesting, most children have longer attention span when using any form of technology.
Like it or not, these playful technological experiences will have significant implications on children's future. Therefore, it is the role of early childhood teachers to to look at the children's experiences through a "technology lens". This will no only foster technology education in children but also make them confident users of technology.
"An understanding of material properties, uses and development is important to understanding how and why the products work the way they do" (Ministry of Education, 2007, para. 7). For children to get a better understanding of how things work, teachers should not only provide physical guidance but also plan a child's return to the activity and to continue monitoring their interactions (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008). When children's experiences are documented and revisited, they will be able to recognize their own competence and the way it has developed overtime. And what better way is than through the use of a camera.
The following video clip shows us how the camera is utilized to revisit children's learning experiences. Please click on the following link to view the video.
Exploring the world through the eyes of a camera
The following video describes views of people who think why we should use digital camera in education.
Why do we need to use digital camera in education?
REFERENCES
1. Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008).Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Melbourne:Thomson.
2. Bolstad, R. (2004). The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education: A review of New Zealand and international literature. Retrieved from, http://www.nzcer.org.nz/research/publications/role-andpotential-ict-earlychildhood-education-review-newzealand-and-intern.
3. Donohue, C. (2003). Technology in early childhood education: An exchange trend report. Child Care Information Exchange, pp. 17-20.
4. Ellis, D., Railsback, J. & Scoter, J. V. (2001). Technology in early childhood education: Finding the balance. Portland: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
5. Hatherly, A. (2009). ICT and the greatest technology: A teacher mind. Retrieved from, http://earlyyearsliteracymath.wikispaces.com/file/view/ICT+and+the+greatest_technology+a+teacher+mind+Ann+H.pdf
6. Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
7. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna ö Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
ka pai Neelam another good and detail reflection about digital technology.yes I agree that cameras are good way of keeping our memories alive. we can always remind the lovely movements of our life through photos and albums. I love to my grandparents and I always have regret that we have no photos of my grandparents. I also agree with you that parents and as educator our aim is to help children to become competent and confident learners. it is essential in today's world that children have confident to use the new technology. Photography has no age boundaries. Children of any age can enjoy it and with the prolific use of digital cameras and mobile phones every day, photography doesn't have to be an expensive family pastime. when we give cameras to children we open a door for them to explore and develop creativity skills (Kids with cameras, 2009). when we provide cameras to children we get an opportunity to see the world from their perspectives. it also gives us an idea that what is important for them (Dewar, 2010). Neelam you are right as educators we need to revisit the activities to enhance the children's interest.cameras are not only beneficial for children but it is also a great tool for teachers. it is part of our job. Every centre, teachers use cameras to document children's learning. During my practicums in different centre's that some centre's are in poor areas and don't have access to many useful technologies. I think government should help those centre's to buy these useful resources. I have also notice that in some centre's teachers won't allow children to have access the cameras. I think they might have fear that children will break those cameras. But I observe children are careful while using cameras. I have found a really amazing video clip on you tube using cameras. it beautiful explain how teachers facilitating children's learning. To look this video clip you can follow the below link:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cly0QJZfSP0
Well done Neelam very good reflection about digital technology using a camera. I believe through cameras we can keep all our memory alive. Last year when I went India my daughter looked at my grandparent’s photo and she asked me mom who they are I said it’s my grand dad, and grand mom. I was really happy when my children saw that photos. Presently we are in technology world and all the children to become confident and competent learner (Ministry of Education, 1996). Educators should encourage Parents to give camera to their child and explain them to explore and develop technology skills. Neelam in your reflection you talk about educators need to revisit the activities to enhance the children's interest. That’s right camera is a intrigral part of early childhood set up. I think when teachers work in early childhood centre, the management should provide camera to each teachers. In My centre babies room we have some fake camera when babies use this camera I will try to catch this picture. Well done Neelam. Ka pai
ReplyDeleteKiaora Neelam! I enjoyed reading your reflection on cameras. I agree cameras are very useful tools to capture our memories for future. Has there not been any camera invention, we would not have known how our childhood was like. My family being away, I am able to connect to them at any time through technology that is through cameras, Skype, face book, emails and more. Therefore technology holds a huge value in my life and I am sure it is the same for everyone else. We live in the world where technology is part of everyone’s lives and it is essential for our children to learn how to use them. I agree that if children do not develop the technological skills, it will hinder their capabilities. Children capture their discoveries with this exciting technology and they extend on their findings to build their learning skills. They become the rightful owners of their own findings; develop their communication skills, social skills such as sharing and turn-taking, numeracy and problem-solving skills (Ministry of Education, 2007). And yes children become motivated lifelong learners with digital media. Some children have such extensive interest in photography that they work as professional photographers. I have a child at my centre who loves taking pictures. To support and extend on his interest, his parents bought him a camera. He has a portfolio of all the pictures he has taken so far. This child is already seen as a photographer. I believe that educators should scaffold children’s learning and extend it to next level so they become more advanced in creating new products. In centres, cameras are important tool for both children and teachers to document children’s learning and then revisit to extend that learning. It is beneficial for teachers to reflect on their practice as what needs to be improved for their growth and development (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008).
ReplyDeleteThe following YouTube video shows a toddlers using digital technologies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XUS4utYZRA
Neelam, I really enjoyed your very detailed reflection on cameras. Indeed cameras are just an amazing technology allowing us to capture irreversible moments and to relive them. As a child, I was always fascinated with cameras and I can remember my family owning a Polaroid camera providing instant photos. It was just amazing. The camera world has come so far and they are attached to so many electronic gadgets such as computers, videos, mobile phones, IPods and so on. When children start to explore with cameras, it can open up a whole new world for them. The child in your centre showed a great interest in camera and she was attended by her dad who showed her the operation of the camera. Piaget’s (1955), constructivist’s theory argue that children need to have “hands-on” experiences in activities in order to effectively learn and figure out meaning from an experiment. Also it highlights that children’s success in learning is significantly dependent on how engaged they are in the learning process. To extend or optimize the learning experiences with cameras and photos, it is very important to allow children to be actively engaged in the picture-taking process. An interesting and informative reflection, Thanks
ReplyDeleteI found an interesting article about cameras and implementing the use of digital technology, here’s the reference: Good, L. (2005). Snap It up! Using Digital Photography in Early Childhood. Childhood Education, 82(2), 79.