Forget for a moment that what proved to be a learning experience for children, was more so my own. Given the ICT component of this project, I must admit that originally I was nervous. An online blog? What is that? I’ve mastered the art of e-mails and not to mention, The eMIT web portal - but an online blog? Obviously, this was my first time to the world of internet journaling. I have since learned that millions all over the world engage, interact and share through this very medium. However, the questionings of uncertainty in my mind paints a picture of a learned journey that started out rocky at first. To begin with, I had to get through the myriad of technicalities that go into creating a blog. It took a few attempts for me to become confident especially because I thought everybody seemed to be on track except me. It was a challenge at first, but perseverance upholds its worth when I finally succeeded for the third time. It surely was a time of trial and error and it was worth the discipline and patience put in. I can say I definitely came a long way with this piece of technology: from knowing nothing about its operation to now operating and working on blogging. Hurray! The computer technology is a real blessing and it’s a useful resource for young children and teachers (Tsantis, Bewick, Thouvenelle, 2003) to get familiar with.
Writing learning stories was one thing and a minor pressure but to have other students read and comment on my work added a different type of pressure that I was not used to. Usually, the lecturer or tutor is responsible for providing feedback on your work. This I am comfortable with, however knowing that another set of eyes, that being of my peers, would be on my work proved to be risky stuff! Of course this quickly wore off once we all became familiar with each other’s blogs and commented in like so manner. My thoughts on internet privacy have not always been positive. However, as a result of this project I now have a more informed view of the online environment and accept the fact that it will remain an ever growing issue. Now, I welcome and accept the internet as a very powerful medium when communicating globally. The internet is a wonderful source of information for personal interests and a cheaper means to communicate long distance with friends and family. Search engines like Google is where I turn to for help with grammar and many other points of information not readily accessible through other ways. Smorti (1999) emphasized the need to broaden our understanding of technology so we can appropriately scaffold for children’s learning.
So much learning, so much to absorb. Online blogging has afforded me a creative and practical outlook on technology, and what this could mean for children especially if they are to be exposed to ICT increasingly. Additionally, my outlook on technology has broadened – what traditionally was thought of as technology can also apply to the humble work of woodworks. This is also a form of technology. And what about the communication technologies? I further challenged my thinking to classify pencils, crayons, whiteboard and marker – all classify as communication technologies.
Having different technological tools for the children’s play adds another dimension for their learning (Ministry of Education, 1996). For example, the children’s use of carpentry tools during a bird house project meant that they could mimic their elder counterparts who build big houses. Mini hammers, instead of plastic hammers gave the children a sense of reality, and also an air of importance. One such comment from my peers Hester and Emily also agreed with this, noting that real life tools build self-esteem and confidence in children as well as developing their gross motor skills and fine skills.
A number of comments on my blog resonate in agreement that an interactive learning and play environment for the children is afforded when technologies are made available to them. One in particular, mentioned that interaction between children, as seen in my woodwork technology blog, facilitates excellent practice of social skills as they work together. I refer also to how Raja reminds us that it’s not the final product that is important, but the process that the child goes through is all true to the engaging factor of technology. Mavis made a good point about children’s excitement with the camera. A highlight was seeing the children explore their world through the lens of technology – lots of laughs and giggles were enjoyed by all. Documenting experiences such as these through the online environment opens possibilities for ongoing creativity with ICT and provides an excellent medium through which teachers can engage and discuss their children’s progress in this field.
REFERENCES
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whᾱriki: He whᾱriki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Ᾱotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999, 5-10.
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.
Well done Elisapeta. You certainly perserevered with initial difficulty and have mastered a new technology. You make a good point that communicating via techology like email and blogging is a cheap way of keeping in touch with family and friends overseas. I'm also interested in the potential for new forms of technology to build relationships within ECE centres eg Cathy's use of skype to include grandparents living overseas. Good stuff!
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