I had 6 children sitting around me while we were doing is and everyone was having a go touching some and finding out something new about a volcano.
On a normal computer it can be a struggle to get 6 children around a computer screen as certain screens have anti glare cover built in that stops you from seeing what is on the screen unless your are sitting right in front of it, you also have the problem that only one person at a time can work the mouse to click on an item.
With an iPad 6 children can be sitting around it in a circle and all can see what is going on and they can all touch the screen and have a go.
From a professional side of things I find that an iPad increases a child's participation as it is something new for then to play with and look at. Some children may have an iPad at home but they still want to play and join in as they can relate this item to home and the home to centre connection is established or further cemented.
Te Whaariki strand communication says that " children experience an environment where they develop non-verbal communication skills for a range of purposes" (Ministry of education, 1996) while using an iPad I child uses there fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination to point things out and touch things on the screen. There is no need to talk as body language comes into play.
Even though children might be playing a game there are certain things that can be learnt when playing with an iPad. Fine motor skills in pinching the screen to enlarge and shrink, muscle development in swiping and hand and eye coordination in following and looking for the correct items to touch.
I believe that technology in a centre is vital to help the child connect with the outside world and learn the different ways that they can source new knowledge.
I love how the children all want to know what I have on my iPad and if they can use it. There is rules that they normally have to stick to and I don't bring it out for anything and everything. During project time we use it to look at videos about what we are learning to give the children a different format to take in new knowledge. Some children learn better through watching and listening not just listening and sitting on the mat listening to a teacher talk can be boring and some children can tune out so a video helps to give those children a connection to what we are talking about.
Hey Nat
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said that iPads are really great for supporting child development. They can be used in so many different ways, taking pictures, playing vidos, accessing google, email and gaming. What i have come to find is that when children are playing games they become really engaged and if working with more than one child it becomes a very social activity as they disscuss and talk about whats happening, or helping each other on the iPad. Different games can support differnt aspects of development. Tsantis, Beswick & Thouvenelle ask the question "Does this software programme help create learning opportunities that did not exist without it?" (2003, pg5). I think this is a really question that could spark a good conversation. I think some learning can be created from using iPads that may not have existed before, but i beleive more importantly that its a differnt medium to use to our advantage and enhance multi-literacy learning.
thanks chloe
Nice reflection Nat,
ReplyDeleteWas nice to read how the children enjoyed using the iPad to check out volcanoes. It was good how you had it there for them to use, does your centre not have their own iPad?
I wonder how the children would research something if you weren’t there. I believe it is still good to have an open mind to all different forms that are available to find out about a topic, and if a centre only has a computer or laptop then they are able to make it work best for them.
I agree about an iPad helping the children with hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills. You could leave the iPad out for the children to explore, with some apps which support these skills thus providing the children an experience to explore and possibly acquiring new knowledge and skills on their own accord.
Te Whāriki suggests that in order to participate in this world, children will need the confidence to develop their own perspectives, as well as the aptitude to acquire new knowledge and skills.
Chanelle :-)
Hey Nat,
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome idea to use an iPad to look up current events like that. It is most definitely one of the fastest methods. Seen you are using your own iPad, do you think the centre will invest in getting their own for the room since they are able to see what the benefits are of having one in the room are?
Te Whāriki (1996, p. 98) suggests that children need to “use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world”. Instead of waiting to get home to watch it on the news or read it in the newspaper, they were able to learn about the current event there and then which would have been very exciting for them.
Just a little bit of advice for you when you do your next blog, check your grammar before you post it as I am also finding that spell check does not always pick up everything. And for the requirements for this assignment, we need to post videos or photographs that relate to the experience.
:)
Hey Nat
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, nice of you to share your iPad with the children at the centre, especially for them to learn about what is happening in the world around them. I am sure some of this would be relayed to their parents who would be most impressed with their current events knowledge!
It is good you have rules and you are there to supervise the use of it. We need to be aware that children are fast learners and you would not want them to access anything inappropriate or personal to you.
You spoke of non verbal communication but I think having the iPad with a group of children would have been beneficial for their language development too. Ministry of Education (1996) states that the development of language helps children to make sense of their world and I believe you encouraged this as you learnt together about different parts of a volcano and of the one that had recently erupted.