While getting a DVD ready to play on my lap top children slowly gathered around.
“What you doing?” A asked,
“I’m going to play a Dora DVD on the lap top, have you watched any shows or videos on a lap top before?”,
“No, but I have a Dora video at home I watch on my TV” A replied.
“Has anyone here seen a lap top before?” I asked.
J said “yeah it’s a puter, aye”.
The other four children did not respond.
The DVD was about Dora and friends helping Santa deliver presents to children around the world. As the video played several more children gathered around the lap top. On several occasions I had to ask and remind children who were sitting up near the lap top to sit down on their bottoms so that those sitting on chairs behind them could also watch the DVD. The children were very attentive and focused in on the show.
When the DVD finished L asked me where Santa was, right now. I told her that he was at the South Pole getting presents ready for Christmas.
"Santa brings me lots of presents and we give him cake too" said L.
D joined the discussion and mentioned how he and his brother had received a water slide as a Christmas present and how much fun it was. He also mentioned how he, his brother and mum had gone and brought his dad a present, not for Christmas , but for his birthday which was last week.
I brought my lap top into the centre so that I could introduce to the children a new means of technology that they were not yet familiar with. There are no computers or laptops accessible for the children at my centre. Te Whariki acknowledges technology as a legitimate means of global reform and recognises educational foundations that support technology, require children to acquire a range of skills they need as lifelong learners (Ministry of Education, 1996). Playing the Dora DVD had been prompted by observations of children taking an interest of Dora in books held in the centre library. I also thought the educational approaches embedded within Dora the explorer adventures were also appropriate and fun. “Cartoons and comics are not only creative in nature, they also provide the enabling environment that allows children to explore and play without restraint” (Alaba, 2007).
Although there was some disruption caused by children’s standing in front of the table it was also an opportunity to remind children of common ground rules in which, when abided by, encourage children to want to learn and play alongside each other (MoE, 1996).
Children were able to make links with family and the home through the playing of the DVD in the lap top. I think this also contributed to their ability to remain attentive and focused. “connecting links between the early childhood education setting and other settings that relate to the child, such as home, or parent’s workplaces contribute to children’s development” (MoE, 1996, p.56).
I will add a lap top or computer to our centre wish list and keep my fingers crossed. In the meantime I will continue to share my laptop with the children because I think they will enjoy it and because of the potential learning to be experienced.
Kia ora Carolyn..
ReplyDeleteI love Dora too! I think she is so cool.
What a great opportunity to make a connection with ICT and the wider world by watching a DVD! This is really amusing as some would believe that there is no interaction what so ever when children are watching a DVD, with a teacher like you though, it sounded like you made the effort for an interaction session that connected the children's experiences with one another and also with outside the centre. Tumeke Carolyn! I learnt a new thing today!
Hi Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteSounds like the children really became involved in the DVD. I know what that wish list is like, my centre has a very long list. Sometimes I think it is management that is afraid of ITC so its easy to ignore the increasing value children develop from having access to computers etc.
Kia ora Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for bringing in your own equipment. In this way you are able to show the other teachers and management how positive and useful technologies can be. I also like the way that you see it as a good learning experience for social interactions as well. Some teachers might see the children's bustling and crowding as a reason to NOT have a computer but you are using it as a teaching experience.
Keep up the positive outlook, ka mau te wehe!!!!
Hi Carolyn
ReplyDeleteI am sure the children would have appreciated your generosity in sharing not only the "Dora" DVD with them, but also bringing in your personal lap top to enable them to have this experience. I commend you for what you have done and I hope that Santa would fulfill your wishes this Christmas.
It is so wonderful to have teachers contribute so much in a centre. You brought your laptop to share with the children!! I think that is very nice of you. Also, you continued to interact with the children when the children are watching a DVD. I think that this is what children needs teachers to do. Some teachers would probably just put on a DVD or a movie and just walk away to do other things. But you continued the interaction. I think that it is wonderful. I assume that the children really enjoyed the DVD and the interaction.
ReplyDeleteYes children just love DVD. I like the ways you interact with children. Perhaps after watching a chapter of Dora, we can ask children some questions to recall their memory.
ReplyDelete