 |
| A sample of a Camera |
Everyday I am always using my camera to take photos of children. I noticed that after taking the photos of the children, they always requested to have a look. I noticed the children’s sudden interest and curiosity in digital camera’s so I wanted to focus on the children’s interest. I decided to give children an opportunity to explore digital cameras.
Our centre has five cameras so I had to take only five children. The children were given a camera each. Some of them fiddled around with the camera and figured out how to operate it on their own. I later took the time to explain and demonstrate to them how to turn it on, take pictures and zoom in the camera. I believe that giving children an opportunity to do things for themselves helps them to build their confidence and independence. In Te Whāriki it supports the importance of children learning to experiment with things as it is an important and valued way of learning (Ministry of Education, 1996).
 |
| Children going to take photos.
The children and I walked around the outside area taking different pictures of objects that inspired and interested them. There was a lot of conversation going on between myself and the children and amongst the children themselves. From my observation, I believe that children interact more when they are doing something that they want to do and know how to do.
|
 |
| Examples of the images photographed by the children |
 |
I explained to the children that after taking photos, we teachers download them to a computer and use the photos for their learning stories, and one child suggested that we use their photos to make a book. With my instructions and supervision, the children downloaded their photos onto the computer, and they choose which photos they wanted to print. Each child told a story about the pictures they took, and it was typed, printed, laminated and bind together.
 |
| What the children's book looked like. |
The next days mat time I decided to give the five children the chance to report back to the teachers and the rest of the children about their experience and what they made. I prefer to do this because children are able to revisit and remember what they have experienced and they are also able to share with others.
Reflecting back on this activity, I am able to notice that the technology was not focusing on the children being able to take photos only, but on children being able to make something out of the pictures that they photographed. Sue Smorti (1999), states that “Technology is also a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments” (p.5).
Children had also gained different skills from this experience. They were able to problem solve, because when some of the pictures could not fit on a certain page, they had to figure out a way for it to fit. This links to Te Whāriki, where “Children develop confidence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88).
I provided children with an opportunity to experiment with modern technology such as the camera, computer and printer. These children are growing up in a generation where they need to computer literate. I believe that giving them the opportunity to experience this at a young age is a great advantage because their future will depend on it. With links to the New Zealand Curriculum, it highlights the importance of children’s experiences in early childhood and how it prepares them for primary school (Ministry of Education, 2007).
With this activity, there was alot of communication going on. Children were talking to each other, complementing on each others photographs and asking questions, I believe that working together not only develops children's social skills, but also their language skills.
References:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o
Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington , New Zealand
Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington , New Zealand
Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.
Hi, Curiousity in children is such a interesting thing. Camera's it seems a common theme in all our centres! I liked how you allowed them each to have a camera to explore with.and that you gave them guidance in how to use them. Photos are such a great tool to evoke conversations. I find some of the most in depth conversations I have had with children have been over photographs they have ither brought to kindy or that they have in their portfolios. Its an ongoing memory!
ReplyDeleteMaybe next time it would be nice to take them on a little excursion somewhere, when I did my excursion project for the outdoors I had a lot of children ask me to take photos of different things while we were out, a rubbish truck, a bird, the zebra crossing etc ..they really enjoyed exploring somewhere different, well not necessarily different but having a camera allowed them to see things they may not normally see like when they walk to kindy with their mum in a morning for example.
Photos allow you to see things you had never really seen when you took the photo, i find at my centre children like to try think about where certain photos were taken especially if they have been taken in the centre. We have a hunt using photo clues. (another fun game!) getting children to take some photos around your centre, printing them off then making a game out of it. sort of like seek and find. They love it. :)
I think that early childhood centres should have more cameras in their centres, we only have one per teacher so we have 3 including my own personal camera. It would be great to be able to allow children to explore more! Which made me think of something else! at the moment we have a puppet in our centre, each day someone gets to take him home and we ask parents to take photos of their child's time with the puppet then the next day at mat time we see a slideshow of the photos taken and then they get put in their portfollio with a description about what they did together! :)
Keeo up the great work :D
Hi Ou
ReplyDeleteIt is really good to give the children an opportunity to use the camera themselves so that they become autonomous learners. Developing the children to be individual is an important aspect in the children’s learning. This will foster them into an emerging progress and their independent abilities.
It is good to help them out with these skills so that they become confident with the using of the camera and be more competent. It is motivating to see how you encourage children to become good in using this technology and be good in literacy. This is one of a huge topic that us adults need to improve because literacy skills is important for children to have. They need to know how to read, speak and write so that they can be developed more competently with these skills. And also they have to be computer literate as you have mentioned, which is a kind of important matter for children to understand how to read different technology that they use in their everyday life learning.
Good work Ou
Malo lelei tehine Tonga
ReplyDeleteYes O’u I totally agree of what you define on the useful of digital camera in the learning environment of the children in the early childhood setting. As you said that digital camera gives children knowledge of wanting to explore more and find out more information in relating to their learning. In my centre teachers also used cameras to record and photograph children while they interact or intervene with each other in an activity or a pretend play. Digital camera is very help not only for the children but especially the teachers to reveal their interactions and reflect to it.
Having children to practice using digital camera is very easy nowadays than what we have the olden days of using film cameras. As a photographer I experience the relevant of the new technology of the digital camera to take monumental moments of any special occasions. It is also helpful to speed the outcome of the children’s learning in all areas.
Great blog and nice photos, Malo!
Malo lelei tehine Tonga
ReplyDeleteYes O’u I totally agree of what you define on the useful of digital camera in the learning environment of the children in the early childhood setting. As you said that digital camera gives children knowledge of wanting to explore more and find out more information in relating to their learning. In my centre teachers also used cameras to record and photograph children while they interact or intervene with each other in an activity or a pretend play. Digital camera is very help not only for the children but especially the teachers to reveal their interactions and reflect to it.
Having children to practice using digital camera is very easy nowadays than what we have the olden days of using film cameras. As a photographer I experience the relevant of the new technology of the digital camera to take monumental moments of any special occasions. It is also helpful to speed the outcome of the children’s learning in all areas.
Great blog and nice photos, Malo!
sori O'u re do this one for Ann :):)
Hi Ou! I believe of what you said that giving the children the opportunity to do things on their own is helping them to build their confidence and independence. In the New Zealand curriculum, it says that children learn to be innovative developers of products, self-confidence and well-being, as well as developers of systems and discerning consumers who will make a difference in the world. Using these digital technology tools for children’s learning encourage them to develop new skills. We use photography as a means of communication worldwide to sell things, to tell stories, capture memories, evoke passions, make new meanings and inspire the imagination. Children as photographers take pride in their work. It is purposeful, informative and creative. The digital camera presents photographers with new tools, and new challenges for taking great photos. This is a very good technology tool and effective product for young children’s learning. Ka pai Ou!
ReplyDelete