Computer with Children
In our preschool room, I often watch children playing games on it, such as making cakes, catching fish, or looking at the centre photos which recorded their learning experience and happy hours.
When the little mouse taking the little hands up and down to choose different shapes and ingredients to make cakes and catch fish, I realized that how skillful the children are. They learn all the ingredients’ names and the process for making a cake. They learn math concept such as more or less and counting from catching fish, which also help to develop eye-hand coordination skill and fine-motor skill as well. They felt sense of achievement when they won the game. When a group of children were sitting around the computer to look at the centre photos, they were actually revisiting their previous learning experience and happy hours they had. All these benefit from computer, and are important for children’s learning and development.
“Technology is an important area of early childhood curriculum along with” (Smorti, 1999). Computer as a high-tech product is used by children every day in centre, and become an important part of their learning. Te whāriki states that children experience with technology will develop their knowledge, skill and attitude (Ministry of Education, 1996).
The children are bringing up with a high-tech society, and have the rights to enjoy the benefit of technology. They should have the knowledge and skills to connect with the society, to catch up all the updates, therefore to become confident and competent learners. While children use computer and enjoy its benefits, they also gain the appreciation that technology brings up, which is not only for children, as the computer makes our life lots easier, we all should appreciate the benefits that it brings us.
But I also noticed that not all the children are confident to use computer, some even can’t control the mouse properly. What’s beyond that? Is the family economy can’t afford and the child didn’t have opportunity to practice? Or parents have some concern of the negative? Or the parents haven’t realized the significance of computer application in this society?
I am thinking, if the computer connects with internet, children will learn more through the computer, such as listening to the story online to enhance the reading skill, and gain the sense of research, which will have the lifelong benefit. For example, if we read the book The Mouse-deer and the Crocodiles, children might be curious about Mouse-deer, then we can go online to do some research, which will absolutely foster the good habit of research skill, but there will be a big Net Safety Issue beyond that for educators to consider.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa .Wellington: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999.
It is really interesting to look at your reflection on children using computers. You reflected on the different perspective of children using computer. For instance, as you mentioned that children could revisit their learning by looking through the photos from computer. I totally agree with it. As in my centre, every time when children look at their photos from computer, they would be excited to talk about what they were doing or singing.
ReplyDeleteThere was a useful learning outcome that you mentioned was that teachers could encourage children to do the research with using the Internet, which could foster children's good habit of research skill. In my opinion, it's quite important for children getting to know how to do research which can develop their confidence in self-help skill (Ministry of Education, 1996).
Regarding to Net Safety Issue, us as teachers need to consider carefully. Whether children obtain benefits from computer would depend on how the teachers/parents educate and guide the children. Therefore, teachers should assist Children to use the computer in an appropriate way.
Computer is important for children to use. Our life really need computer now, as we need to use computer to work and search information, study etc. So everyone needs to have a good computer skill for our life. As you said that children should have the knowledge and skills to connect with society, to catch up all the updates, and then to be a confident and competent learners. That is why children can access to computer early.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I think that computer can help children’s social and cognitive development. As children will develop an ability to communicate with their peers, when they playing the same games. So I think that using computer can help children to develop their relationships building skills.
Also children’s cognitive development will be improved. During playing games or creating pictures, children will use the numbers, colours. These enhance children’s understandings and cognition.
I completely agree with your point about eye-hand co-ordination. I never thought of this co-ordination practice in computer-using before. Good point! Morally, computers do provide us with countless information. Nowadays we can find children's games or programmes in a wide range of areas. Hence computers can be an useful tool for teaching if the teachers can use then right.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point linking children's stages of computer skills with their family background. Parents' opinion sure can be the main cause of children's behaviour and development. Establishing and sharing understandings between teachers and parents are essential factors in early childhood education, in this case, computer using. Do parents want their children to learn and be using computers? If parents do not want to enhance it, how would you negotiate? If parents do want to enhance the computer practice but are lack of these resources at home, how can you support the children and the family? Perhaps you may like to extend on these for further thinking.
Overall an interesting reflection with in-depth thinking. It got me thinking about a few new ideas. Kai pai!
Computer skill is become a part of our work and study skill in modern life. Most children now experience a range of technologies as part of everyday life (Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E., 2008, p.12). Computer is widely used in our early childhood centres now. Children always have opportunities to play computer games at home. Computer has a strong connection with our life.
ReplyDeleteIt’s an excellent way to share the pictures with children on the computer, and children always excited about the computer games. Children learn these high-tech even faster than adults.
Through your experience, children should have a practice on using the ‘mouse’. It’s a good point. Some of the parents don’t let children use the computer at home, they don’t want children get on the net. Although the Internet is not safe enough, we still need give children opportunities to learn to use a computer. How children developed decided by how the adults guide them. We should can set up rules, but do not limit their opportunities of learning.