REFLECTION TWO : Digital Camera

With every activity, or even when children just arrive to the centre, to when children are engaged with other children during play I am always there with my camera capturing ever y beautiful, movement, laughs, tears, funny moments that occur throughout each day at my centre. During one morning, I was building blocks with another child until I heard two girls having quiet an interesting conversation. Girl A was asking Girl B what she was doing, Girl B answered; “I’m Fa’afetai! Duurrr, I’m taking photos of the other kids playing cause I like it when they laugh” It was very interesting to realise that children pay a lot of attention to what teachers do in the case they tend to follow. It was also delightful to see that Girl B was using different kinds of materials surrounding her to pretend play about what her camera seemed to look like. However, despite the pretend play of the camera, Girl B definitely knew how to work a camera; she knew all the different buttons that needed to be used when I gave her my camera to play around with. As Isenberg and Jalongo (2010) quotes, “children live firousciously…they animate inamate objects…” (p. 35).

It is very obvious to see how much technology has changed throughout the years, and seeing young children being able to work with cameras as well as other technological devices such as ipad’s, laptops, ipod’s and so on. However, in saying this teachers and educators should be encouraged to keep up to date with the new technologies to be able to extend the children’s learning and development through technology. Smorti (1999) quotes, “if 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” (p. 5).

In a few early childhood centres, technology has only been seen as computers only, however throughout the years, the use of other forms of technology has become more predominant; these include digital cameras, digital videos, as well as electronic instruments. The digital camera can be used effectively with children as it enhances their learning and development. As Scoter and Ellis (2001) states, “the setting, the purpose, and the developmental stages of the children will help decide the best choices for a particular situation” (p.20). With the digital camera, children are able to learn different ways of how to use the camera, in such ways of how to zoom in and out, how to edit a picture, how to use the setting menu as well as being able to identify what kind of images interest them. Scoter and Ellis (2001) also believe that children are able to identify and are capable of telling a story just by seeing different kinds of pictures or images from a digital camera. As well as this, children are able to dictate or write captions that match what the picture is saying for them. To enhance children’s learning and development, the digital camera is a significant type of technology as children are able to share their stories, and their learning with other students, parents and community members via photos.

As children are able to share their learning, findings, and photos with their teachers, parents and family; educators are encouraged to show feedback as well as support towards the children’s work. As the Ministry of Education (1996) quotes, “feedback to children on their learning and development should enhance their sense of themselves as capable people and competent learners” (p. 30). The digital is very much encouraged throughout my centre, and children are able to experience these wonderful technologies that are able to enhance and improve on their learning and development. Moreover, although children learn through various ways of experiences; technology such as the computers, digital cameras or digital videos has substantial potential to encourage and support different ways of teaching children (New Zealand Curriculum, 2007, p. 36).

 References

Isenberg, J. P., & Jalongo, M. R. (2006). Understanding children’s creative thought and expression.  In Creative thinking and arts-based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (4 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall (pp. 3-37)

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

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

Scoter, J.V. & Ellis, D. (2001). Technology in early childhood education. Retrieved from: http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/byrequest.pdf

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.