Laptop
Logic
10/08/12
A
laptop is a personal computer for mobile use (Wikipedia, 2012). When the laptop
is brought into the centre the children’s eyes widen and their curiosity often
gets the best of them as they want to push every button, the screen and want to
find out more.
“Research has confirmed
that for many children the computer is a catalyst for information, sharing,
language development, and decision making”
(Tsantis, Bewick &
Thouvenelle, 2003, p.7).
Within
my centre we have two laptop’s which are used for teacher’s paperwork, but it
is also a valuable piece of technology that we can use with the children. With
the use of the laptop we are able to explore a vast range of knowledge such as;
searching about children’s interests, watching video clips, playing educational
games and finding different activities to set up for the children. These
different activities can help enhance children’s language, literacy, hand and
eye coordination, social skills and knowledge (Tsantis, Bewick &
Thouvenelle, 2003).
Laptop’s
can be used in a variety of ways and highlight different learning areas. For
example within a particular experience when using the laptop children were curious
about the different letters on the keyboard and which letters their names
started with. We used word to type each child’s name and then printed them from
the printer so that the children could trace their names with crayons. Through
this experience children are learning about literacy and that the different
symbols on the keyboard are letters and can create names.
As technology
is changing and many children are exposed to a range of different technologies
every day, I feel that it is important as teachers to firstly learn and be
confident with using the new technologies as their knowledge can effect what
and how children are learning (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003; Arthur,
Beecher, Death, Dockett, & Farmer, 2008). Some teachers in my centre are
reluctant to use the laptops because they have little awareness of how to use
the laptops and what different things laptops can be used for. By using this
piece of technology with the children I am also able to role model and show the
teachers within the centre how to use and what to do on the laptop
(MacNaughton, & Williams, 2009). Ministry of Education (2007), suggests
that children need to develop a broad understanding of technological literacy
to enable them to contribute in this worlds society as “informed citizens”. It
is also important to gain a basic knowledge of technology as when children go
into the work force many of the jobs or careers today require some basic
knowledge of technology (Ministry of Education, 2007).
I
feel that it is important for children in our centre’s to learn and experience
using a laptop or computer as this technology is around them almost every day.
Within centres teachers should be making children aware of how to use these
technologies and also the dangers of them and how to keep themselves safe.
Centre’s can be controlled environments where children can learn about internet
safety and rules can be put in place to protect them from dangers. As we have
just started using laptops with children I will talk to our centre manager to
see if we have a net safe policy or any policies around using laptops with
children. With the help of the other teachers we will create a procedure and
experience where we will talk to the children about being net safe. By doing
this I believe we are able to prepared children for their future as technology is
forever growing.
Interesting
links about net safety:
J Internet safety - Link for parents
J Cyber safety - Link for children
J You can also find more information on net
safe
Read more: http://www.netsafe.org.nz/
Reference List
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S., & Death, E. (2008).
Programming and planning in early
childhood settings (4th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Harcourt
Brace.
Google. (2012). Children on laptop.
Images retrieved from https://www.google.co.nz/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=677&q=children+using+laptop&oq=children+using+laptop&gs_l=img.3...2178.8731.0.9154.27.19.1.4.1.2.338.3170.5j5j8j1.19.0...0.0...1ac.ULqir_TIGic#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=children+on+laptop&oq=children+on+laptop&gs_l=img.3...21077.21669.0.21803.3.3.0.0.0.1.260.504.2-2.2.0...0.0...1c.TCJ0DI0idBk&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=3ff679664997b861&biw=1366&bih=677
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice
(3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki
mātauranga ngā mokopuna Aotearoa: Early childhood
curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum.
Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Tsantis, L. A., Bewick, C. J., & Thouvenelle, S. (2003). Examining
some common myths about
computer use in the early years.Young Children, 58(1), 1-9.
Wikipedia. (2012). Laptop.
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop.
Ngaire I really enjoyed reading about how you are going to work with your team to allow your children to be more involved in technology and using the laptop. Having a set time during the day when it is quite you could think about when its sleep time and some children are awake or wake up early, as a good time to sit down with these children and teach them about using the laptop and how you have to look after it. From my past experiences with using computers with the children at first they are going to be very interested and all want a turn so to teach them or talk to them about the computers and how we use them first will help the children to understand that we need to respect our laptop. These experience are so important for children and I’m glad to read that you are going to make it an important within your centre.
ReplyDeleteNamaste Ngaire, I really enjoyed reading about the learning experiences you create in your centre with children using the laptop. I like how you talk about the children’s curiosity getting the better of them when the laptop comes out because it is so true! Children learn so much through touching and having those hands on experiences with their peers and other adults. I enjoyed reading about that particular experience you had with children recognising the letters that were in their names you supporting them by typing and printing out their own names. I think for this experience it would have been cool for you to get the children to trace their names and maybe put them up on the wall for children to recall on the experience they had using the laptop to create something. By putting it up in the centre every time the child sees it, it will spark that memory and they can feel good when they see it. I like how you have a range of information if we want to read on further.
DeleteI found this link so interesting it’s in regards to children and technology and I thought you might like it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFp6EXhMf3k as it gives the opinions of balance of children using technology and how much is too much.
Ngaire, I think it is awesome how much you allow your children to explore with the lap top. I really enjoyed this blog as it has encouraged me to allow the children within my centre to have a go at this kind of stuff also. I completely understand the area of teachers being not confident enough to use them which hinedrs the childrens opportunities. As the youngest member of my teaching team I think i am the most confident with computers as i have grown up with them and i think we forget that the new generation are almost even past the point of lap tops and are transitioning towards touch screens and so on which is personally out of my depth and I too am learning with the children in this experience. I think this blog outlines the competence and the ' give it a go' attitude that children have already built in. You have really inspired me to encourage the children to explore more with tecnology and to keep in mind that technology is not irreplacable.
ReplyDeleteKia ora Ngaire,
ReplyDeleteI like how you encourage the use of the lap top within your centre, and allow the children to be apart of using it. I also agree that the laptop has many benefits that can help support the children's learning and knowledge, such as; watching videos, finding out answers to their questions and following their interests.
I think its great that you are not only encouraging the use of laptops with the children, but also with the teachers, who are less confident in using them. I think it's important for teacher to also be confident in using the laptop, as technology is only getting more and more advanced.
It's great to see that you are going to talk to your manager so you can put together a net safety plan for the children. Maybe you could also talk to your manager about arranging a time for the teachers to learn some tips, and programs that they can use on the laptop with the children, so they too can become more confident.