Today I choose a few children to help me make “cooked play-dough.” I had the instructions ready and the children helped to get all the ingredients ready. The children followed instructions while I supervised and watched them mix the ingredients together. They got a chance to measure, pour, mix and use their hands to massage the dough after it was left to cool down. Because we were using a stove to cook the play-dough, I was very careful to supervise the children and I stirred most of the time while the pot was on the stove.
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| The ingredients we used to make our play-dough. |
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| The ingredients the children followed |
I am able to notice that with this non-digital technology, children were able to practice their mathematical skills. The children had to measure the amount of ingredients. When the dough was being mixed in the pot, the children got to estimate how long it will take until the play-dough was ready. Children were also able to identify the different shapes and forms of the ingredients and how heavy or light they were. With technology come mathematical skills, because at the end, children were confident to understand and notice the different weights and shapes of the ingredients, as well as developing mathematical terms such as milliliters and so forth. It states in Te Whāriki, that “Development of mathematical vocabulary and concepts helps children communicate complex ideas such as weight, shape and volume” (Ministry of education, 1996, p.97). This comes to prove the importance of mathematics in children’s development.
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| Children learnt how to correctly measure ingredients. Also learnt about objects and its mass. |
Children were able to practice and develop their social skills. The children were passing objects around; they were having conversations at the same time. They used respectful words such as please and thank you. They were able to work together and that is how the product became a successful and complete product. Te Whāriki has its goal where it states that “Children experience an environment where they are encouraged to learn with and alongside others” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.70). Giving children this positive environment to work in develops a positive outcome. I have noticed that with this technology experience, children made not only a successful product, but they developed and practiced social skills, and communication skills where they were able to develop “The inclination and ability to listen attentively and respond appropriately to speakers” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.76).
The learning and development children have gained from technology, whether it be a digital or non-digital experience prepares them for school, for instance, Te Whāriki states that children moving from early childhood to school are likely to “have developed some initial strategies of active exploration in the wider context of the biological, physical, and technological worlds” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 83).
Reflecting on my actions, I have to state again, that with the activities we do with the children daily, we may not notice it but technology is already there. When we create something, when we cut, glue, paste and stick objects those are all parts of technology. When we create something that helped solve a problem, that is technology, and that happens in our centers daily. As an educator, I need to encourage and provide more challenging ideas for the children to be able to use their problem solving skills, and all their other skills put together to bring about a better learning environment for them. After all, our future and the children’s future will depend on technology.
References:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o
Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington , New Zealand
Media.
Smorti, S. (1999, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.
Really great blog! I like how they you enabled them to make the playdough as it is something they get to experience through the process of making it but also the experience that comes from playing and exploring with it afterwards, being able to see a finished product. You made some great links to the literature and went in depth about the learning they were getting from this experience.
ReplyDeleteChildren in my centre sometimes do baking but never assist with making playdough, I am the one that makes our playdough in the centre so it has given me something to think about in regards to involving children in this process and also maybe explore different ways of making it also as I make ours with boiling water from the kettle.
A great way of using the playdough with children is if you have different colours, experiment with mixing two different coloured playdough together to see what colour it turns, I make our playdough two colours and by the middle of the week the children have mixed it all together so it is a completely different colour. Children really enjoy seeing what happens :) Also on a side note black playdough I find is very interesting to use with children. They react quite differently to it then other colours.
Hey Ou
ReplyDeletePlaying with children in the kitchen was a very interesting activity to focus the children’s learning to develop their mathematical skills as you have mentioned Ou. I believe while the children were engaged in making mixes for the play dough, they developed their experiences such as family or cultural experience while working in the kitchen. I believe the children learned helping skills, sharing skills as well as motivating themselves in cooking skills. I think your using of the kitchen to promote technology in the centre and for the children’s learning, is a valuable development that you have emerge into the children’s routine. I like it Ou.
You were really true how we do not recognised technology that we have been used with the children in our daily activity, but they were already there. As I have studied through the use of technology, I have noticed and recognised this as well. Ka pai Ou, you noticed this too. And I believe that it is our responsibility to notice, recognised these learning and promote them.
Thanx Ou..I have comment on all your 3 blogs..Good luck
Talofa Oh nice to see observed a new experience in this activity. Using playdough is another way of non digital technology. yes,children in this activity experience mathematical skills becuase they measure,they weigh and estimate the ingredients.I know that mathematics is related to technology while doing counting and measuring.Great idea to observe this activity.I agree with you that technology involves when matematical skilss is practiced. When children have confident to understand differnet weigh they are more vocabularly and the new concept really helps children's communications skills.
ReplyDeleteChildren were able to practice and develop their social skills. The children were passing objects around; they were having conversations at the same time. They used respectful words such as please and thank you. They were able to work together and that is how the product became a successful and complete product. Giving children this positive environment to work in develops a positive outcome. True Ka pai oh.Good and a relevant literature becuase with technology children were working along side with their peers and teachers in this activities.
The learning and development children have gained from technology, whether it be a digital or non-digital experience prepares them for school. I agree with you together with the literatures.
Reflecting on your actions, is great so that you can reflect to see if its work well or not.
Kia Ora O’u
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read your blog and find out some interesting learning that you have shared with the children. Great and Kia kaha! Working with the children to make play dough was an experience that I have learned in from one of the kindergarten that I work with during my teaching practice. It is an awesome way to express and acknowledge the children’s learning in sharing and comparing each others thoughts and opinions.
It is really true that children making play dough help the children to activate knowledge in different parts of their learning. Mathematics and science are the most outstanding research that will define in using this non digital technology. Children can relate their work through science and mathematics in finding colours and measurements as you defined earlier. Learning new experience with the children will enhance the learning and build confidence in their group or self learning. Hands on is the other relevant experience that children easily recognize and remember of what their learned.
Interesting blog O’u, Ka Pai!!
Yes Ou, there are lots of learning that children gained from using non-digital technology, such as play dough. Somerset, (2000) explains play dough as a modelling material which is so true.
ReplyDeleteEach child perceives the world in a unique manner, and expresses what is felt in ways that are satisfying at that particular time. The soft consistency of play dough and its soothing texture aids social play, a suitable substitute satisfaction for handling body products, and a release from tension, destructiveness, anger and irritability. The texture of play dough is also an aid to identifying with adult’s work and a mean of dramatizing. The modelling, building, painting and constructing give expression to experiences and to feeling and help to interpret events in life. The appreciation of colours, texture or shape is developed early in life through liberal experimenting. This early experience can lead to later aesthetic enjoyment of arts and crafts. The effort of a child to express through action, the inner life of the mind has to be respected by adults.
Great blog! Tino pai.