Responses

Responses to entries 1, 2 and 3: http://bmaninder.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/entry-one-two-and-three_70.html?showComment=1434927018025
http://michellekoria.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/task-one-part-1.html#comment-formhttp://nokileti.blogspot.co.nz

Group Blog Project

Evaluate how ICT is used at your centre to promote children's learning and development.

Information and communication technology can be defined as any form of technology that is used for sharing information (Ministry of Education, 2012). Some examples of Information and communication technology that is used at my centre are the use of laptops, computers printers; email, fax machine, internet, digital camera and telephones.

However the predominant ICT tools the teachers use in the Montessori setting are the use of laptops. Each teacher has their own individual laptop and they use this during their non contact times writing children’s portfolios, emailing or using facebook to correspond to parents about children work, and interests. Through this correspondence parents and whanau are also welcome to contribute their thoughts and perspectives on how their children’s learning can be extended in school and vice versa (Ministry of Education, 1996). However some parents are quite busy at work and often they do not respond back to the teachers which sometimes causes frustration by the parents. Further more there are some parents who come from the pacific and operating ICT tools is a challenge.

The administrator and the head teacher’s role is to inform and update parents on what is happening at the centre and most communication is done via email. The communication with families and whanau sometimes includes planning, upcoming events, children interests and how can it be supported, excursions, festival celebration’s, and other cultural events.  Teachers also use mobile phones to call or text parents and whanau if there is need that is urgent or to simply communicate how their child is doing, or what is expected from the parents. An example of the expectation is parents taking turns to do the laundry each week.

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has opened up new opportunities to share information with families and whanau in different and exciting ways.


Telephone is another means to communicate and it is present in all the rooms. This makes it easier for  teachers to communicate to the parents if their child day is going well or if their child is not feeling well.

Benefits of ICT to children learning and development.

There are various ways children benefit from the use of ICT at the centre.  It encourage creativity in children seeing their world in different views, it encourage communication and participation in the centre and makes learning more interesting for the tamariki.

Sometimes we use video clips from YouTube to extend their learning and I found children thoroughly enjoyed it.

Researches indicate that ICT can provide opportunities for children to develop skills and attitudes such as communication, collaboration exploration and reflection, literacy including visual, digital technological and information literacy.  Furthermore it develops relationship skills necessary for effective participation which will benefits not only in the classroom but also to their future lives (Stephen, & Plowman, 2013).      

My next step is to verbally update parents when they drop their kids in the morning and when they pick them after school consistently on what is happening at the centre, and to remind them to check their news letter that has been sent through their respective email or facebook. For those parents that find it a challenge to use ICT tool to also remind them consistently and also print out a copy of the newsletter for them to take home.

Entry 2 Entry Two

Evaluate how digital devices are used at your centre to promote children's learning and development.   

Children at Montessori do not use any digital device or any technological device for their own amusement, play or exploration directly. Only teachers use digital devices such as computers, laptops, radio, and camera to extend on children’s learning. For example,  children have been interested in insects and bugs lately, the teachers usethe laptop which is connected to the sever to show children about a particular insect children are interested in such as butterflies. Using you-tube video clip from the internet to show children the butterflies and its life cycle from caterpillar to pupa and when they turn into beautiful butterfly.

Teacher also uses the camera, which is the predominant digital device in the centre. Camera’s  are used to take photos or short videos regarding children’s learning and experiences daily. These photos are included in children’s portfolios and sometimes sent to parents email with consent before publishing.

 

My Head teacher who is a fully trained Montessori mentioned that digital experiences shouldn’t take the place of real hands on activities and there is nothing that digital technology can offer to better this. As a head teacher she tries to limit children’s exposure to technology because she wants the children to interact with the real world first when children are under her care. Teachers ensures that if digital technology is used it should be accompanied by teacher supervision and ensure that it promotes their learning (Stephen, C., & Plowman, L. 2013).

Stephen & Plowman (2013) also mentioned that there are worries that screen based digital technologies are used as a babysitting tool which denies children adult company, along with anxieties about addiction, physical inactivity, passivity and lack of verbal and social development. However if used is should be meaningful and purposeful for the teachers and children.

For example there are few Asian children attending our centre and they can’t speak any English at all. So the teachers use the Internet to download some of the children cultural language to use to reach out to these children. These are simple words like washing hands, come here, sit down and so forth.  Digital technologies allow teachers to find culturally and linguistically appropriate words, activities, music, and stories for every child when there may be no other ways to obtain these resources (Uchikoshi 2006; Nemeth 2008; as cited in National Association for the Education of young children, 2012).

Benefits of using digital devices in children’s learning.

The use of digital devices in my centre significantly influences on the children learning and development. The use of cameras particularly in capturing children’s photos or video recording children’s learning has been the most effective tool in documenting children’s learning and parents likes to see visually what their child is capable of doing when in the centre. Parents, whānau  also enjoy seeing their children visual representation of what they have been learning in preschool and also gives them the motivation to give feedback and contribute on children’s learning and development (Ministry of education, 2005)

When children look through their own photos it reminds them of their own learning and development. Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer (2008) support the use of photographs because its an effective learning strategies that shows children learning and development.

Next step is to ask my head teacher if children can be given the opportunity to take photos of anything that interests them and print the photos using the printer  for their own learning. Camera is a concrete resource and children are able to manipulate it in ways that it can be meaningful for them. Using digital tools helps children to locate, evaluate, manipulate, manage, create and communicate information from different sources (Ministry of Education, 2005).

Entry 3: Evaluate how non-ICT/digital tools or devices are used at your centre to promote children's learning and development.

The vast majority of the resources and activities used at these centre are non-ICT. The Montessori approach focuses on practical life skills type of activities for the children. I found from my observations that children are engaged in these Montessori activities/resources for a long period of time. Once they master this activities the teachers guide them to the next stage of hand on activities. This activities do challenge children to problem solve themselves, develops their curiosity and social interactions skills amongst themselves and the teachers.

The majority of the resources in this are concrete resources in which children can see, feel and touch. For example, In the Maths area we have colored beads and Cuisenaire rods where children get to experience counting, skip counting and linear counting. The Cuisenaire rod is made of wood rods of varying color and lengths.

Benefits to the children learning and development:

This makes Mathematics visible for the children where they can see, feel and count. Mathematical manipulatives are frequently used in the first step of teaching mathematical concept, which are of concrete representation (The Centre for Guided Montessori studies, 2011).  From my observation Children become very good at traditional arithmetic when they are allowed to manipulate this Cuisenaire rods overtime.

We also have the practical life skills corner, where children practice, spooning, pouring, textures papers, writings, cutting, pasting, coloring and drawing. This area focus particularly in the development and formation of the hand. For example spooning grains. The purpose of this exercise is for children to develop skills of spooning which helps them to feed themselves and holding the pencil while drawing or writing which benefits them when they move to primary school.

Benefits of these to the children learning and development. 

This exercise indirectly helps children in their eye hand coordination movement and also develops their concentration. Practical life exercises also aid the growth and development of the child’s intellect and concentration and will in turn also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking (The Centre for Guided Montessori studies, 2011). 

Much of the fine development skills in children comes from encouraging them in self help task when interacting and engaging with life skills materials. As children adept more on using utensils, pouring, drawing and cutting their ability to use their hands and fingers grows (Gonzalez-Mena,  & Eyer, D. W. 2014).

On that note Te Whāriki mentioned within the exploration strand, children exploring and engaging with different expressive technology such as textured paper, drawing and the use of scissors develop understanding of how these types of technology can be used to express their ideas and discoveries in creative ways (Ministry of Education, 1996).

References:

Centre for Guided Montessori studies, (2011). Montessori primary guide. Retrieved from http://www.infomontessori.com/practical-life/introduction.htm

Gonzalez-Mena, J., & Eyer, D. W. (2014). Infants, toddlers, and caregivers : a curriculum of respectful, responsive, relationship-based care and education. New York, NY McGraw-Hill, [2014].

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. 

Ministry of Education (2005). Foundations for Discovery: Supporting learning in early Childhood education through information and communication technologies: A framework for development. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2008). Ka Hikitia. Managing for success: Maori Education Strategy 2008-2012. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (2012). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf

Stephen, C. & Plowman, L. (2013). Digital technologies, play, and learning. Early Childhood Folio, 17(2), 3-8. 

hahahaa

Entry 1:
Information, Communication and technology. True Montesori do not use ICT.

Kia ora Mary.

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