Using a camera at my centre is essential in everyday interaction with the children, where we as educators are constantly trying to capture moments of spontaneous play (Ministry of Education, 1996) and planned learning experiences in which children are taking part in. At times, the educators in my centre like to encourage children to take responsibility of their own learning and their peers by allowing them the opportunity to use the camera by themselves and take photos of what they consider, moments of recollection. In our centre, our children love to have the responsibility to do things on their own, as well as taking control of their own learning and their peers.
For myself as an educator, I feel that through allowing the oppportunity for children within the centre to make use of the centre camera, we are enabling them the chance to capture what they feel is significant to them, as well as making their point of views possible, in terms of acknowledging their thoughts and feelings through visual format. The Te Whaariki Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1996) suggests that through providing children with the chance to experience a variety of materials, in this case, assorted types of technology, we are extending on their knowledge and use of diverse materials, permitting them to be subjected to an environment which encourages their exploration, through problem-solving and finding countless ways to be creative and expressive.
Through observing the children’s interests in using the camera, their learning and development is immedicately triggered once actively using the centre camera. I feel that is essential for us as educators to support and encourage children’s interest in using the centre cameras, building on this by making the experience fun and challenging for them. For example, in my centre, the children engage in turn-taking, where they take turns throughout the day to capture photos of their peers as they play and learn together. When the staff and I get together at the end of the day, we like to see the different photos that the children capture, the way they capture it and what they take photos of. It is interesting to see what the children are interested in, where we take these into account and build on this through organizing learning experiences that will expand on their interests. Arthur & Beecher (2008, p. 13) suggests that through exposing children to the use of different technology materials, we are enabling them to be “active agents in their learning” and are constantly being made aware of a world that is and will be a part of their everyday life.
Unlike other forms of technology, I feel that using a camera not only allows a child to have an individual responsibilty, but also encourages children to be involved in social interaction through taking photos together, solving problems together through questions and answers, as well as understanding how to use it and it’s different functions (Santrock, 2010). Talay-Ongan & Ap (2005) states that by facilitating children’s learning through the use of technology, they are becoming aware of a variety of ways in problem-solving, which overall contributes to their self-confidence and well-being. By using a camera, children are able to become competent and confident users, through recognising it’s different functions and it’s purposes, where this can also have an impact on their learning and development, by enabling them to become confident users of technology itself. To extend on this, I hope to keep on encouraging children’s use of the centre cameras, extending on this through asking them open-ended questions about what they have taken photos of and why they have taken photos of it and to help them revisit their past experiences of taking photographs by looking at the photographs they had taken.
Reference List
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). New South Wales: Harcourt Brace.
Google image. Image of kid with camera. Retrieved from http://www.recmin.org/Updated%20Articles%20and%20Testimonies/Images/FR03%20Kid%20with%20Camera.jpg
Google image. Image of children playing with cameras. Retrieved from http://www.edytaszyszlo.com/uploads/2008/09/crewcuts.jpg
Google image. Image of cartoon camera. Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVk5nhwoUMCe85dehvgKr0bx41uvNXl3DUUCsgtXrMYIEJghJRaH4sEud54mrLJnh5BIDZRqnXGU0ZvEkmA-l82mtAuHQ3o8Dsvwr3MtNwrfn4yG_aephDuq_boyT59LGFf6zN6RSir0/s1600/CameraClipArt.jpg
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whaariki: He Whaariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum (pp. 84-90). Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.
Santrock, J. W. (2010). Lifespan development: international student ed. (12th Ed.). Boston, Ma.: McGraw Hill.
Talay-Ongan, A., & Ap, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). Child development and teaching young children. Southbank, Victoria, Australia: Thomas Social Science Press.
Comment
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting blog on cameras. I believe that cameras play vital part in our lives these days and without the knowledge of how to use them, you are more or less isolated. Very interesting blog to read, I agree with you that camera does give children some sort of initiative. I think it is important to help children to find interest in them, as they are often curious of buttons and lenses! I agree that camera also gives children an opportunity to collaborate with others, and to give them an opportunity to problem-solve by themselves. I like the fact that you are hoping to extend children’s interest in cameras, and to discuss with them the use of camera. I think this gives them opportunity to talk about their interests, and increase their self-confidence at the same time. I believe that using technology from a young age helps with children’s cognitive development, and that it should be encouraged if the child is interested. Ka pai Gina!
Hi Gina, I really like the way how you outlined the benefit of allowing children to use cameras at the centre. I agree with you that allowing children to use the camera to take photos of what they consider, moments of recollection that it enhances children to take responsibilities for their own learning and taking control of their own learning. Children will be involved more in the learning process. On the other hand, from looking at children’s photos, teachers also are able to develop better understanding of children’s interests and provide better support for their learning. It was also great to see that you and your colleagues are aware of children’s photos and working together to expend children’s learning. Ka pai Gina! In your reflection, you also mentioned that children are able to interaction and working with others when they are using digital camera together, as I have never thought about it. In my point of view, I had often seen that children had less social interaction when they were using digital resources. However, from reading your reflection, I develop awareness of how to provide opportunities for children to work with others when they are using digital cameras.
ReplyDeleteGina, you are so clever at using the camera to understand the children to see what the children are interested in so that you can expand on their interests. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that your centre approach which children take turns to use the digital camera to capture photos throughout the day. This gives a big boost to empowerment for them increasing responsibility for their own learning and care. It also can help the children gain about self-worth, confidence and enjoyment (Ministry of Education, 1996).
You said you and your colleagues would see the photos that the children capture at the end of the day. But I prefer you or your colleagues to see the photos with the children before they go home. The reason is you can discuss with the children and asking their questions such as ‘why did you take this picture’ or ‘what was your peer doing then? Through the dialogue interaction, I believe you can understand more the child’s world.
Reference
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
I do support your idea of every centres should have access to this digital technology. Children’s learning depends heavily upon using cameras where connecting links with families/whanau and the wider world are affirmed and extended. When teachers take children’s photos, they document on the events that occurred and they go through the planning process. This method provides children the opportunity to learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things as suggested in Ministry of Education, (1996). Teachers normally take pictures of significant events like a trip to the local marae, they will observe, listen and ask questions to discover children’s ideas in order to resource children’s learning. This can lead up to the point of involving the families in their children’s learning through storytelling, conversation or sharing their authentic experiences (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, (2008). Children also learn to express their feelings when they experience joy and fun during an activity. Using cameras in the centres are the learning opportunities that happen every day in children’s lives (Scholl, 2005)
DeleteReference List:
Arthur, L., B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed). Melbourne, Australia: Thomson L.earning
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki matauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Scholl, M. (2005). Social Studies in action. Young Children, 62(4), 1-5.
Hi Gina! After reading all the blogs, I noticed that the majority of us reflected on either computers or cameras. This is so right because these are the two main digital technological equipment that most centres are using. The camera is obviously an important tool for teachers and children. The camera supports the learning of children by allowing children to initiate their own play with the camera according to what they want. Te Whāriki states that this is how children “discovered different ways to be creative and expressive” (MoE, 1996, p. 72). The camera also allowed the children to document their own learning and then later share them with families and friends. This piece of technology allowed us to see things from children’s level. This information will help children as well as us teachers to make sense of our world (MoE, 1996).
ReplyDeleteGina, it is so good to know that the camera promoted good social interactions with other children. The children developed their language skills to be able to express their ideas to other children as they took turns to use the camera. The camera is proved to be a very useful tool in supporting and advancing children’s learning and development. Malo Gina!
References
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whārikimātaurangamo ngamokopunao Aotearoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.