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| Children playing with the iPad together. |
The children at our centre love
playing with the iPad.
Lately as the children were engaging in using the iPad I had been focusing on
how it affects their behaviour and social development. The one thing that I
noticed was that using the iPad was encouraging social and group play among
children. When one child gets
the iPad, his peers come and sit around him and start conversations with him
about what his doing.
When I first observed this, I thought the child with the
iPad would get defensive and move away to play with the iPad alone. However I
was completely wrong, the children would play together as a group and talk
about what they should play and/or watch next on the iPad.
Children in our centres today have grown up in a world of
technology which might be quiet different to how we grew up. When I was growing
up there was no iPad’s or computers in classrooms except for the ICT room. Today
children have the iPad available for use which enhances their learning and
development.
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| Children busy searching for things. |
Having an iPad creates more opportunities for spontaneous learning
as children can have the iPad in-front of them and search or look for things as
the topic arises. If we make full use of computers and iPad’s in our centres,
it can be used to enhance the teaching and learning process among children
(Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003). Using the iPad enables us, as
teachers to create an environment where the children are able to experience stories and symbols of their
culture (Ministry of Education, 1996). The culture that children are growing up
in is made up of technology such as, iPad’s and phones. Technology has a major impact on children’s
live; it has become an essential part of children’s everyday life (Ministry of
Education, 2007).
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| Children learning via the games on the iPad. |
I found it challenging at the start to implement the use of
technology, in my teaching practice as I grew up being told that technology is
not for the use of children. It took me a while to break out of this norm
because that’s what I had grown up believing. Therefore in my personal life, I
believed to keep the use of technology separate from children. However as I
observed the children in my centre, I learnt that using technology with
children benefits their learning.
In my centre we welcome the use of iPad’s as we are aware
that digital technology is a crucial part of the children’s future. I believe,
as teachers we need to step into the digital world of technology as it is a
part of children’s everyday life and it will help us to understand and nurture
children better. I learnt that using iPad’s and other technology as a learning
tool, can promote just as much social interactions as dramatic play (Tsantis,
Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003).
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| Children socializing with peers through the use of iPads. |
For some children, technology is their medium of working
together with their peers (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003). It can
help children who might be shy, lacking confidence or have not yet developed
social skills to make friends and/or work as part of a group. Using an iPad can
give children the power and the confidence that they require in order to
communicate and work alongside and with their peers. Using an iPad, enhanced
the interactions between children as they were engaging in conversations
regarding the games, programmes and the range of activities (apps) available through
the iPad.
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| Musical app available on iPad |
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| Educational games on the iPad. |
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| A writing app on the iPad for children. |
References:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te
Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington, New
Zealand: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington,
New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.
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.
Hi its iveti here just finish reading your reflection and I understand the experiences you have come across. I have seen children focus on new technology which catches their interest. As a teacher we can help the children with using the ipad by monitoring and viewing the right sights on line in a educational way. This will support and enhance their learning development
ReplyDeletecarry on from last paragraph.............. and growing experience in solving problems,develops children's understanding of how technologies can help them and others(Ministry of Education, 1996. p. 96). I believed that we need to step into the digital world of technology especially myself still holding on to the old traditional pysical world.When I find myself in the middle of technologies I felt uncomfortable and scared if I will delete or make mistake. Thank you for sharing your experience in technology that we need to step out and paticipate in this generation preparing them for future technology.Well prepared teachers who recognize the power and limitations of technology, are needed now more than ever(Naisbitt 1982,24).
DeleteHello Komal, it is really good to see that your centre uses the ipad as a learning technology tool. I really like the way you shared your view about children working together with the ipad in building relationships. I agree with you given the experience that I have had with children using the ipad, although my centre does not have an ipad. However, one of my previous practicum centre's I have been too has an ipad that children use. I believe that children initiate turning taking using the ipad. I agree with you that this allows children to communicate with one another and working in a team to solve problems (Ministry of Education, 1996). As stated in Smorti “Educators in early childhood are to scaffold children’s learning in this area we need to broaden our understanding of technology and continue to extend our own knowledge and skill base (1999, pg. 5).
ReplyDeleteI like how the focus on your use of technology was encouraging social and group play and how the iPad affects their behaviour and social development. I see social play as a huge contribution to a child's learning in ways of conversations, forming friendships and a development of language (Ministry of Education, 1996). Your observation of the children reacting totally opposite to what you thought did encourage social and group play. These conversations they had open doors so much imagination and interaction. It was good to see that you didn't intervene and let the children take control and experience their learning resource.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your personal experience, It can become a little over whelming with all the technology being invented, Smorti state in order to participate in this world, our children will need confidence to develop their open perspective as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills (1999).
I like how your centre provides an ipad for children use as a learning tool. In my centre, there is only computer for children to play with. Compare computer with ipad, I will prefer an ipad. Because computer is bigger than ipad, children can only stay where the computer is. With ipad, children could carry it to somewhere they feel comfortable with. However, ipad covers a wide range of learning opportunities for children. Ipad can offer a variety of activity choices and adaptable learning tools which support teacher to design curriculum base on the diverse children’s needs (Blagojevic, 2003). To be able to adapt the learning tools to scaffold children’s learning, educators need to broaden their understanding of technology and extend their own knowledge and skill before they can scaffold children’s learning.
ReplyDeleteOverall, your reflection have showed me that ipad encourage children to learn in a fun way which learn effectively.