Children with the use of ipads
At my centre I have recently noticed
that we have two ipads that are used with the children. As one
teacher brings it out, the children are very interested in it because
it is something new and different. When I saw how much the children were
enjoying having a turn on the ipad I was quite surprised. I thought it
would be too hard for the children to use and interact with but once
they saw what the teacher was doing they were very capable and also
getting the hang of using their finger to click and drag things on
the screen.
The children love exploring and playing
with the ipad because it’s a new device we have at the centre.
Sometimes at mat time the children ask for an ipad story
instead of the teacher reading the story to them. I was abit
surprised when they would rather listen to the story on the ipad
instead of the teacher’s voice but then again I understand because
the ipad is still very interesting for the children. I recognised that once
the children knew how to use the ipad, they were showing the other
children how to use it with their fingers which showed social
interaction and learning between the children. The children were developing their fine motor skills and social skills with the ipad which is important because “social learning
comprises the principles and strategies for interacting successfully
with others (Epstein, 2009, p.4).
Technology is involved in our everyday
lives today whether it’s at the centre, school and at home but also
the different types of technology whether it’s digital or
non-digital. It’s here to stay and the children at the centre will
be growing up with technology being already there and will be using
it more often when they grow up. “Technology is about helping
people and solving problems” (Smoorti, 1999, p.5). I agree with
this statement because ipads can also help children with special needs because you can download helpful apps. I understand it is always going to be there but I also think that
children need to learn how to solve problems on their own without
the use of technology.
Technology has always provided a faster
and more efficient way to teach children new skills and some people
say that ipads could be the best new learning tool. An ipad allows children to engage in
activities such as being able to create, challenge their thinking
to problem solve and communicate and make connections (Carter, 2010).
The use of technology at my centre is
mainly used as a tool to deepen children’s learning and
understanding about technology but also for teachers and families.
Using the ipad with the children allows the staff and child to learn
about the new technology together but also encourages the child to
start making predictions about what will happen next in the story and
activities they are doing together. I think it is important for
children to learn about technology so they don’t fall behind with
what is new but also because they are growing up with all these new
things that they need to know how to use it safely. In my own personal view ipads can be very helpful and useful for children but it all depends on how the adult uses it with them.
Yes, Ana‼ You are right! Technology is involved in our everyday lives…no hiding, no running..it will not work! It has been great to read posts like yours because it is opening my mind to this new techno world we live in. I still feel insecure about this shift from real, natural world to the digital one though. The ipad in particular, as you said, it is becoming very popular among children and might as well become a regular teaching tool in early childhood education.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how we talk about seeing children as competent and capable learners as in Te Whaariki yet, many times, we doubt their capabilities. One of our readings ‘Examining some common myths about computer use in the early years’ talk about the assumptions we have regarding technology and its many positive and valuable learning outcomes. It was very useful for me, I’d suggest it for you. It brought to light how I the conflicting ideas that I have arise from my own personal concerns about the use of digital technology.
Just one suggestion: perhaps you could research some educational apps that are relevant to this group of children to make their learning even more meaningful.
Hi Ana,
ReplyDeleteI found your reflection very interesting as we too have iPads for the children to use. i however was not at all surprised by the interest the children showed in the iPad it is the most popular activity at our centre. We had aa big problem with children fighting over the iPad so we introduced a cooking timer that we placed on the table and once it rang it was the next child's turn. this works great and i realized that the iPad was also helping the children to learn to share and how to learn to wait. we too have children with special needs and we use it with one of our children who have english as a second language we downloaded a flash card application which teaches words and this children has come leaps and bounds in his language skill.
once you have the iPad for i while you will see just how much learning the children will gain but be careful as we have realized that the same children will spend all day sitting at the table waiting for their turn and not trying other activities we sometimes have to use the "sorry but the iPad is charging" excuse to encourage the children to experience something else lol. but it all come's down to Balance and ensuring that although the learning can be great for the children so can playing with block's and as teacher we need to ensure at the children have varied experiences at our centers
Ka pai Ana excellent reflection
Hey Ana
ReplyDeleteI think you are really lucky to have access to ipads in your centre. The fact that the children are so quick to pick up how to use them and find them so interesting is great for their development. Te Whariki states that children should have the opportunity to learn strategies for exploring the world and gathering information, which in this day and age largely means being able to use a computer/ ipads/phone, and the internet. However you bring up a good point about the children who lose interest in other activities and focus only on the ipad. Te Whariki also states that children should be able to learn about the world around them through experiencing it which needs to be done in person rather than digitally. The use of certain times and limits on the ipads help to allow a balance between the real and digital world for those children who would love to focus on just the one. You bring up some really good points in your blog especially about how the adults are responsible for haw the ipads are used. Teachers need to be very aware of what’s happening with the children in their centre and that is a detail we all need to remember.
Kia ora Ana,
ReplyDeleteThis was a interesting read, Your children showed that they are very confident and capable learners (Ministry of Education, 1996) with the use of this piece of technology. I think your children are very lucky to be given such an opportunity to discover the wonders and learning of the Ipod.
I agree with your comment that young children need to be given the opportunity to discover and learn about technology so they don't fall behind with their learning because we are living in an technological era. And we are seeing that technology is advancing very fast, and we as a people need to be able to keep up other wise wel fall behind.
There is an article by, Tsantis, Bewick, and Thouvenelle (2003)which talks about the common myths of computer use in early childhood education, which i think will be a good read for you. It discusses the common myths that teachers may have, which may interfere with the effective uses of computers in ECE as a educational resource.
All in all a great effort Ana! Ka pai