REFLECTION ON MY PERSONAL BLOG
I will start my reflection with blogging. Blogging is one area of the Information and Communication Technology that is new to myself. When I started making this blog, I did not have any idea how to start. I did not know my way around it. I asked one of the student to help me go around the blog. My deepest appreciation to her because I learned and moved on.
Upon getting to know blogging, reading the post and comments is very interesting. Student teachers posted nice and interesting topics to ponder upon. I can see different designs of blog according to individual's choice. Photos and images are nicely presented to represent ideas and stories that are happening in the centres. Different perspectives and ideas to adopt or not to adopt.I can read some few jokes as well as interesting comments. Reading the blogs can relate to PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS, and EVENTS because of the children and teachers involved, the different settings or centre environment, different things and equipment used to facilitate learning, and the happenings occured.
I believe that I learned working together with other students through blogging and it is a tool to build a relationship among other student teachers. Shared work and activities with a common purpose are the foundation that forms the cornerstone of community (MacNaughton and Williams, 2004). By reading the blogs posts , it helps encourage, facilitate, and scaffold me and other teachers by collecting resources or ideas to support flexible and open ended learning for children. It provides an environment in which all participants have equal access to knowledge, space , and time.
The significance of people, places, things and events in children's learning and development is about relationship around the wider community. Children are shaped by their experiences within their family and their cultural and social networks. These influences are also influenced by events and ideas that are maneuvered by national and international society. Children's learning and development occur through network from the child to the family and to the wider world around him/her. This learning and development draws on the belief of Bronfenbrenner which describe that the child learns within the context called "ecology" (Santrock, 2008). Bronfenbrenner's ecological model extends beyond the child within a family. The child's learning occur within the family's community within the wider world.
As teachers, we are great influences to children. We have the responsibility to provide a safe learning environment for them. Effective practice of teaching is when we demonstrate or show children the importance of relationship, social engagement, and social interactions. Children's learning takes place through complex sets of relationship (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, and Farmer, 2008).
In the centre, we will allow children to participate in a range of social setting for them to develop sense of responsibility, respect, and trust for other people. An example is to let them work together to develop relationship. We respect children's cultures and let them know that they belong. By letting children play and work together, they develop sense of responsibility for the welfare of others and confidence to explore the environment and make sense of social and physical world (Ministry of Education, 1996).
References:
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett. S., and Farmer, S. (2008).Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: CENGAGE Learning.
MacNaughton, G., and Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). French Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.
Santrock, J. (2008). Life-span development (9th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Working with others to explore the environment
17 September 2010
Today I took the toddlers F, L, and P for a walk in the neighbourhood. They are the oldest among our toddlers. We stopped under a pine tree and had a look around. L and F saw some pine cones on the ground. "Look" said L and the three children went to investigate the pine cones on the ground. The children started picking the pine cones and helped each other to put them in the plastic bag that I provided for them. They were really keen to bring with them plenty of pine cones. F was holding the plastic bag and get it ready for L when she find some. Sometimes L hold the plastic bag and let F pick the cones. P helped to pick as well. They were happy and excited to spend a little time outside. It was time going back to show their cones to the other children. They were proud and happy carrying the plastic bag of pine cones. They put the cones on the table and happy to show their friends. They started to say "mine" then I suggested that we count them. We started to count the pine cones in English and Maori. "One, two, three, four, five.....Tahi, rua, toru, wha, rima." They wanted to keep their pine cones but I made a suggestion that they approved. We are going to paint their pine cones next time and it is time we go and put them away.
What's happening here?
Exploring and experimenting usually happens in the play area in the centre , but it is also significant to gain experience of the neighbourhood (Somerset, 2007). The nature scale of the environment is important to take into account. The children feel intoxicatingly free and unconfined. If children are given experience to the outside surrounding, they can find objects, insects, plants, and things that interest them. The children become wise and spiritual in understanding our ecosystem and our place in it and this is related to Bronfenbrenner Theory of learning and development suggesting educators to move their focus from child alone to the family and the wider community because these are important factor to children's learning and development (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). Te Whariki says that "Children develop confidence in working with others to explore the environment and make sense of the social and physical world" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 98). Through working together to put their findings in the plastic bag, F, P, & L will develop confidence in their ability to develop relationship (Ministry of Education, 1996). In this experience, F, P, and L used their body language to express that they can work together as a team when they go outside.
What's next?
Children really wants to see outside the box and over the fence. It was so obvious that they wanted to participate in this kind of learning environment. We will go out and see places around the neighborhood often and maybe we can bring more children and ask parents if they want to have a walk with us.
References:
Gonzales-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki, he whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Somerset, G. (2007). Work and play: In the early years. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Children experience creative media and technology
One day when I was taking photos of children playing, young F wanted to have a go with the camera. She was curious about the camera. I talked to her that she can take photos with me next time. Today I took the digital camera with me and I borrowed another camera for her. F started to focus the camera to different angle. She was holding the camera nice and firm. Teacher F was trying to helped me to show F the part she was going to clicked to take photos while I was taking the photos of her for a learning story. F have a very good fine motor skills. She chose to take a photo of her cousin D, the leaves, the red car. She zoomed the lens and was fascinating of the outcome of what she was doing. She was so confident and stood like real photographer.
What's happening here?
Upon recognising F interest, I encouraged F to work with the digital camera. I gave F the chance to explore the possibilities of using this technology that she always see from teachers using to capture their play. I just recently allow her to use this equipment and she is building a great curiosity on how this equipment is working.
Links to the curriculum:
Belonging, Goal 2; Contribution, Goal 2; Communication, Goal 4; Exploration, Goal 3
F will develop the confidence to express her ideas and creativity through the new technology. She will recognize that she is capable of acquiring new skills and become familiar with technology. This experience help her to understand her abilities as a competent learner. F sees herself as a great contributor, competent, confident learner and help teachers to take responsibility for her learning. Her awareness of the activities of teachers in the centre is just showing clearly how she plan ideas to have a go to discover how and why teachers use the camera. F story also illustrate her confidence in using the digital camera. By letting her use this equipment , I enhanced and expanded her learning experince in photo taking; I let her use the resource for her learning (Smorti, 1999).
What's next?
Now that she experienced the camera, F is becoming interested in taking photos and it is my duty as an educator to give children a chance to discover things for themselves. I discovered that other children were looking and interested in what F was doing so next time we will involve the other children as well.
Reference:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki, he whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.
F focused the camera to the leaves and liked what she saw.
F had a go with the car....
Tried a focus into another angle...
F concentrated her focus into her cousin D...
What's happening here?
Upon recognising F interest, I encouraged F to work with the digital camera. I gave F the chance to explore the possibilities of using this technology that she always see from teachers using to capture their play. I just recently allow her to use this equipment and she is building a great curiosity on how this equipment is working.
Links to the curriculum:
Belonging, Goal 2; Contribution, Goal 2; Communication, Goal 4; Exploration, Goal 3
F will develop the confidence to express her ideas and creativity through the new technology. She will recognize that she is capable of acquiring new skills and become familiar with technology. This experience help her to understand her abilities as a competent learner. F sees herself as a great contributor, competent, confident learner and help teachers to take responsibility for her learning. Her awareness of the activities of teachers in the centre is just showing clearly how she plan ideas to have a go to discover how and why teachers use the camera. F story also illustrate her confidence in using the digital camera. By letting her use this equipment , I enhanced and expanded her learning experince in photo taking; I let her use the resource for her learning (Smorti, 1999).
What's next?
Now that she experienced the camera, F is becoming interested in taking photos and it is my duty as an educator to give children a chance to discover things for themselves. I discovered that other children were looking and interested in what F was doing so next time we will involve the other children as well.
Reference:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki, he whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.
Feeding the Birds
5 October 2010
Today is a lovely day and the children are all outside enjoying this glorious day. The teachers were busy supervising them as well. Its time for my morning tea time so I went to the kitchen. I found out that there were plenty of expired bread from the fridge. There were some fresh ones as well. I was about to put the old bread to the rubbish bin then I realized that I can use this for activity for the children. I took the old bread outside where the infants and toddlers were busy playing. They saw I was holding a plastic bag of sliced bread. I explained to them that it is an old bread and only good for the birds. We started to feed the birds and the children really loved this experience. The children started to imitate the bird's sound "tweet..tweet". Everybody wanted to have a go to feed the birds until we ran out of bread. The younger children was trying to eat the bread and we know it was time for their morning tea time as well. I went to get some more fresh bread so that they can feed the birds and themselves.
What's happening here?
Te Whariki says that " Toddlers have opportunities to help take care of animals and living things appropriately". Children experience respect and developing their sense of responsibility for the well-being of both the living and the non living things (Ministry of Education, 1996). From this experience, children will learn to look after animals. They will learn that birds need food as well just like people. When children observe, touch, see, and smell, they are learning. They use all their senses to acquire learning (Ministry of Education, 1996). Learning is a never ending part of their lives and it is our responsibilities as educators to provide activities for young children in our centre. By imitating the sound of the birds, the children may wonder what other animals may sound.
Being outside encompassed a sense of freedom watching the birds. Their emotional, spiritual, and personal well-being will be related to the living things around them (Greenfield, 2007). Beyond all doubt young children learn from action as well. Children not only see things or events but they want to act on them in order to learn (Greenman, 2005).
What's next?
Children will be given opportunities to see how other animals live and eat through the computer or books. Children may also learn about other animals that are native to New Zealand and from other countries. They may also learn about classes of animals like reptiles, mammals, and others. Children will learn the different sounds that other animals produce.
References:
Greenfield, C. (2007). Outside is where we need to be: A guide to providing optimal outdoor environments in early childhood settings. Manukau City Social Sciences Department, Manukau Institute of Technology.
Greenman, J. (2005). Caring spaces, learning places: Environments that work. Redmond, W.A: Exchange Press.
Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whariki, He whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Today is a lovely day and the children are all outside enjoying this glorious day. The teachers were busy supervising them as well. Its time for my morning tea time so I went to the kitchen. I found out that there were plenty of expired bread from the fridge. There were some fresh ones as well. I was about to put the old bread to the rubbish bin then I realized that I can use this for activity for the children. I took the old bread outside where the infants and toddlers were busy playing. They saw I was holding a plastic bag of sliced bread. I explained to them that it is an old bread and only good for the birds. We started to feed the birds and the children really loved this experience. The children started to imitate the bird's sound "tweet..tweet". Everybody wanted to have a go to feed the birds until we ran out of bread. The younger children was trying to eat the bread and we know it was time for their morning tea time as well. I went to get some more fresh bread so that they can feed the birds and themselves.
What's happening here?
Te Whariki says that " Toddlers have opportunities to help take care of animals and living things appropriately". Children experience respect and developing their sense of responsibility for the well-being of both the living and the non living things (Ministry of Education, 1996). From this experience, children will learn to look after animals. They will learn that birds need food as well just like people. When children observe, touch, see, and smell, they are learning. They use all their senses to acquire learning (Ministry of Education, 1996). Learning is a never ending part of their lives and it is our responsibilities as educators to provide activities for young children in our centre. By imitating the sound of the birds, the children may wonder what other animals may sound.
Being outside encompassed a sense of freedom watching the birds. Their emotional, spiritual, and personal well-being will be related to the living things around them (Greenfield, 2007). Beyond all doubt young children learn from action as well. Children not only see things or events but they want to act on them in order to learn (Greenman, 2005).
What's next?
Children will be given opportunities to see how other animals live and eat through the computer or books. Children may also learn about other animals that are native to New Zealand and from other countries. They may also learn about classes of animals like reptiles, mammals, and others. Children will learn the different sounds that other animals produce.
References:
Greenfield, C. (2007). Outside is where we need to be: A guide to providing optimal outdoor environments in early childhood settings. Manukau City Social Sciences Department, Manukau Institute of Technology.
Greenman, J. (2005). Caring spaces, learning places: Environments that work. Redmond, W.A: Exchange Press.
Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whariki, He whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Having fun on the tyres
6 September 2010
I noticed that children really like to stay outside rather than inside in our Montessori school. Children enjoy playing the mini slide where they learn how to climb and struggle to get their place in this equipment because it is too small for my liking. I thinked these children need some new things for them to explore, enjoy and play. One weekend, I asked my husband to go to his mate who have a tyre shop and ask for old tyres. I collected 5 tyres and took it with me in the centre the following Monday. I set up the mini slide and connected the tyres to the landing spot which was the mini trampoline. The children played in the mini slide then jumped in the trampoline and continued crawling to the connected tyres. The children enjoyed these activities and their new tyres with the supervision of teachers. R who is learning how to walk was crawling his way to the other tyres. The children does not crowd anymore in the mini slide because they were interested with the new equipments, the tyres. D is contently sitting and trying to sit herself in the hole of the tyre smiling. T was trying to stand walking on the tyres and controlling her balance. The other children were busy climbing the slide and made their way to the trampoline and continue crawling through the tyres using their arms and legs.
What's happening here?
I noticed that children really like to stay outside rather than inside in our Montessori school. Children enjoy playing the mini slide where they learn how to climb and struggle to get their place in this equipment because it is too small for my liking. I thinked these children need some new things for them to explore, enjoy and play. One weekend, I asked my husband to go to his mate who have a tyre shop and ask for old tyres. I collected 5 tyres and took it with me in the centre the following Monday. I set up the mini slide and connected the tyres to the landing spot which was the mini trampoline. The children played in the mini slide then jumped in the trampoline and continued crawling to the connected tyres. The children enjoyed these activities and their new tyres with the supervision of teachers. R who is learning how to walk was crawling his way to the other tyres. The children does not crowd anymore in the mini slide because they were interested with the new equipments, the tyres. D is contently sitting and trying to sit herself in the hole of the tyre smiling. T was trying to stand walking on the tyres and controlling her balance. The other children were busy climbing the slide and made their way to the trampoline and continue crawling through the tyres using their arms and legs.
What's happening here?
In Infants and Toddlers programme, children should have equipment for them to crawl as long as it is safe. Allow children to venture on the climbing and learning to balance their step (Somerset, 2007). T was learning strategies and making sense of her play by using her body. T and the other children are also developing locomotor skills, their manipulative skills, co-ordination and balance. R was developing his curiousity and was motivated for physical activity and was allowed to develop his skills in his own pace. Help was provided with these activities only if they were needed but children were given freedom to explore their world (Ministry of Education, 1996). These play equipment provides a motive for large muscle activity and their fine motor skills. The children were learning social skills and starts learning to take turns or to be patient and learn to wait for their turn. Outdoor play should provide freedom for children to move and explore and the equipments should not use to entertain but rather for children to explore (Gonzales-Mena, 2008).
What is next?
I learned that children are very eager and excited with new things around them. As a teacher, I need to be more aware of activities or things I can use outdoor for children's learning and development. I need to research and read for more outdoor activities especially the Montessori approach activities. Recycleable stuff from the community can be use as tools for children's learning and I can collect some more boxes from the supermarket to make tunnels for them to explore. I can scan around from places like the offices from the neighbourhood if they have papers for recycle for children to scribble on.
I learned that children are very eager and excited with new things around them. As a teacher, I need to be more aware of activities or things I can use outdoor for children's learning and development. I need to research and read for more outdoor activities especially the Montessori approach activities. Recycleable stuff from the community can be use as tools for children's learning and I can collect some more boxes from the supermarket to make tunnels for them to explore. I can scan around from places like the offices from the neighbourhood if they have papers for recycle for children to scribble on.
References:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki, He whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Gonzales-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
Somerset, G. (2007). Work an play: In the early years. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Federation.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Information and Communication Technology in Montessori
In our school computer is included as part of the resources to the children within the aspect of information and communication technology. However debate continous within the Montessori community as to the importance of computers, particularly if they take over the real things or the real experience for children(Isaac, 2007).
In the case of feeling textures of fabrics, leafs, or shell, smelling a flower, etc, can not be replaced by seeing only thru the computer images. Although , children can learn about technology everyday by making technology available to them in the practical life area such gadgets like scales, grinders, graters, telephones. Tape recorders, digital cameras, Cds are also objects related to the everyday technology for young children in our centre.
In our school computer is included as part of the resources to the children within the aspect of information and communication technology. However debate continous within the Montessori community as to the importance of computers, particularly if they take over the real things or the real experience for children(Isaac, 2007).
In the case of feeling textures of fabrics, leafs, or shell, smelling a flower, etc, can not be replaced by seeing only thru the computer images. Although , children can learn about technology everyday by making technology available to them in the practical life area such gadgets like scales, grinders, graters, telephones. Tape recorders, digital cameras, Cds are also objects related to the everyday technology for young children in our centre.
Save our children from bad people
ATTENTION!!!Do not join the group currently on Facebook with the title "Becoming a Father or Mother was the greatest gift of my life" It's a group of pedophiles trying to access your photos. This was on Fox News at 5. Please copy and post!!! Let's keep our children safe!! .
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Welcome everyone, Kumusta! Mabuhay!
Hello everybody welcome to my blog......new to me! From now on I will be following you. Cheers!!!
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