Blog One - Cellphones
By: Michelle Wheatley
Date: 22.03.2013
I have been working at my centre for
over 18 months now and slowly we are getting a little more technology
throughout the rooms within the centre. The older two rooms, preschool (4 year
old children) and the kindy room (3 years old) have a lot more digital
technology than our infant (under 2 years) and toddler (2 year old) rooms.
However very slowly we are gaining a little more technology throughout the
rooms.
Recently an LG technician has come
into our centre and given us a little under 100 LG smartphones(These are only
display models from stores around Auckland). The phones were distributed
between the four rooms in the centre. Our infant room was luckily given 12 of
these phones, so that each of our infants were able to have one each and not
fight over these new toys. I gave one cellphone to a little girl who is just
under 18 months old. She took the cellphone from my hands and instantly slid
her thumb across the phones screen just like she would be unlocking an iphone.
I was a little overcome that an 18 month old knew how to unlock a working
phone. Then she placed the phone to her ear and starting talking to someone on
the other line. As I kept handing out these phones and eventually looked at all
the children they were either talking to someone on the phone or taking photos
of others or themselves.
The children have
continued to use these cellphones over the last week and a half. As I watch the
children they started with only some children taking photos of themselves but
all using the phones to talk to someone. But now they are all using phones to
take photos of themselves or of others in the room. They have been used in
family play situations, carried round in little handbags and pockets, used to
play games on like an iphone or ipad. I am loving watching the children learn
how to use these phones in their own unique way. At first I wasn’t sure as when
I was a child phones weren't readily available like it is these days for our
young children. Ministry of Education (1997) states that "Children use a
variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their
world" (p.98). The children are developing a sense of exploring their
world through the technology of a cellphone. Talking to one another , talking
to us through the cellphones or even talking to their parents to help a child
settle within the centre.
The children have
been using the phones to communicate one on one with us in the room. Because
some of our children are very quiet, I have found this to be a really good tool
when settling a child or when we are role playing with children. The children
have been able to express how they might be feeling or what they might need.
"Children often express themselves more freely when they're pretending. It
may feel safer to talk about how a teddy bear is afraid of the dark, than how
the child is. Pretend play is also a chance to take on different roles and to
act out what different people might say, think or do" Early experiences
Matter, Communication skills. (No Author, No date). Retrieved from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/pageserver?pagename=ter_key_social_communication&addinterest=1157.
After the children
have seen us on the phone they usually copy us and try to attempt to repeat
what we may have said on the phone. The children's language has increased since
receieving these phones. I think that because we have been role modelling to
these children how a phone is used, and what language we are using on the phone
it has become a big interest in our room. Mac Naughton and Williams (2009)
states that "The ways that you communicate, solve problems, and relate to
others form a powerful model for how children and others...will behave.
Children tend to do what adults do regardless of what adults say" (p.129).
I am looking forward to continuing to watch these children grow and develop through using the technology that has been provided to us by LG.
Hey Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing such an interesting blog about the use of technology with infants in your room. How awesome of LG to bring in 100 smart phones to your centre..I was wondering, did one of the teachers contact LG to see if they had any phones to donate or does someone at your centre have a connection to an employee at LG, I would love to inquire about getting some display phones for my centre. Its wonderful to hear that technology of this kind has been used as a settling technique for children where you state "I have found this to be a really good tool when settling a child" what a great idea! As I work with pre-school aged children who are very competent when using technology its amazing to read that children as young as 18 months pick up the phones and know exactly what to do with them. Its great that you recognize the benefits of pretend play with this sort of technology and that when the children are using the phones to talk into them they are also developing important language skills, "Children play with words, sounds and meanings in many ways, playing with language is an effective way to master it" ” (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2007, p. 86), role-modelling how the phones work and the appropriate conversation is such an effective teaching technique to enhance language skills and confidence with communicating and interacting with others (MacNaughton & Williams, 1998).
Awesome work, keep it up!!
References
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Thompson.
Macnaughton, G., & Williams, G. (1998). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hi Bex,
DeleteTo answer your question Bex the LG guy just came into the centre on the off chance of wondering if we would like some of these display phones. They have been a good technique for talking to our children in every single room.
Thanks Bex
Hi Michelle thankyou for sharing an amazing moment of technology for very young children. I work with older children so this a learning moment for me. It is great to see that you are responding to teachable moments and that you thought outside the square. It can be so easy to remain within the ideas that we know work. Had you thought about possibly bringing in an ipad? this could change the social intereaction and would be interesting to observe the technology and the childs abilities such as you observed with the phones (Mindes, 2006; Smorti, 1999). Having an intentional outcome such as this would expand the childrens possible outcomes and would build upon what has already occured (Fleer & Jane, 2001; Ministry of Education, 2007). I believe you have supported the childs social cultural learning environment by acceppting the donation and deciding that this high form of technology is not just for older children or adults, good on you (Santrock, 2009).I too am amazed at how the very young interact with the technology around them but my response is founded in that there were no such things as mobile phones when I was a toddler.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to your next blog
Wow Michelle!
ReplyDeleteI read you blog in amazement that an 18 month could pick up a phone and recall the actions of someone they knew. Thank you for recording this moment in your blog. Really makes you think that we should always look at our children as competent confident learners (Ministry of Education, 1996).
Your blog also showed me the beauty and care that you have as a teacher to recognise the different temperaments of children (Santrock, 2009). I too have used that same technique you used with older children. I have always found that quieter children will talk more readily through a puppet or phone. Fikani (2007, cited in Isenberg, 2010) states that puppets are a great vehicle for children to risk take and build confidence in speaking and I would suggest that phones are in the same zone. Like you said phones offer that cover and safety. Although I loved your Early experience matters quote and will definitely using that one myself.
This blog entry really shows the passion you have for children Michelle. I’m going to ask you to think where your new knowledge of technology is going to take you next. How do you feel about Kathy’s dilemma about getting the right balance of technology and other forms of play? Do you have a different philosophy to your other teachers in your room?
But beautiful beautiful first Blog thank you.
Hi Michelle
ReplyDeleteLucky you getting donated all those phones, and what an awesome opportunity for the children to explore this type of technology. I share your surprise that a child so young is already familiar with such technology, and it shows the importance of challenging these preconceived notions around the use of technology with children and remembering that every child comes into the early childhood centre with prior skills, attitudes, and knowledge(Ministry of Education, 1996) . It’s great to see the different types of learning occurring through this one experience, with the increase of language and self-soothing, as well as extending their understand and knowledge around this particular piece of technology. Modelling the using this technology was also a great way to help promote pro social behaviour within this age group (Gonzalez-Mena, 2009). I look forward to reading more!