Final Reflection

This course has been fantastic in opening up my eyes to a new perspective and the importance of teaching infants, toddlers and young children about the ways in which the world works through social connections and the technologies and events that affect them.  I began this course with a strong belief that children’s social interactions with people and places where more important and vital to children’s learning and development than their understanding and use of digital technologies. I had this mentality that children should not be using digital technologies to learn as it was detrimental to their development. Since extending my own learning and understanding in this area, I have now come realize that through having a positive perspective and a sound understanding of the digital technologies I wish to use with children, I am able to help children extend their cognitive development, social and cultural awareness, enhance their thinking skills and prepare them to be citizens who can work and be involved in the ever changing economy and wider world (Stephen & Plowman, 2013).  I have developed the understanding that it’s not about whether digital technologies themselves are good or bad, but whether they provide appropriateness and value to children’s learning through how the teacher or user applies it to the learning environment (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003).

By applying a provocation and exploration opportunity of camera’s into the learning environment of my toddlers, my own understanding of technology continued to develop further through observing that toddlers are capable and confident individuals who will explore new things and apply their current knowledge of something to an activity when given the opportunity to. My provocation and exploration activity with the camera helped me to realize that for toddlers to gain a deeper understanding of camera and to feel confident using them, they required small group or one on one interactions. By interacting with children in small groups or one-on-one, I am able to provide “warm, accepting, empathetic, and genuine” interactions with children which makes them feel emotionally responded, therefore enabling them to feel comfortable and supported to explore things that are new and strange to them (Gonzalez-Mena, 2011, p 65). 

After getting feedback from class members on my provocation and exploration opportunities, I realized that there are endless options for extending and including more people into the learning and use of digital technologies while still providing one- on –one or small group interactions with children using digital technologies. One member offered the idea of allowing the pictures taken by *Faith in blog entry five to be shared during a mat time or placed around the room so that other children can see her work or may even become interested in taking pictures. This member made me consider what could be possible if more children were involved and that by sharing one child’s work a project opportunity may be a possibility. If this provocation was to be extended to a project, children would be given more opportunities to work with other people which would develop their social-emotional skills including resiliency, cultural awareness and self- regulation (Helm & Katz, 2011).

 A second member of the class expressed the importance of involving families into the learning process. She said that it is possible to encourage parents to allow children to use a camera at home over the weekend and then bring the images into share with others in whatever means they chose to do so. I realized that by providing opportunities like this, children are able to share events and cultural aspects of their life outside of the center with their peers and teachers when they return. Children will gain an insight to the world they don’t know and other ways of doing things. Learning in this way will help children to develop their self-esteem and feel respected by their peers while helping other children to develop their curiosity and wonder about the world outside of which they currently know (Talay-Ongan & Ap, 2005).

References:

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2011). Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Teaching Children in Diverse Settings. New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill.

Helm, J. H., & Katz, L. G. (2011). Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years. New York, NY, USA; Washington, DC, USA: Teachers College Press and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Stephen, C., & Plowman, L. (2013). Digital technologies, play and learning. Early Childhood Folio, 17(2), 3-8.

Talay-Ongan, A., & Ap, E. A. (2005). Child Development and Teaching Young Children. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.

Tsantis, L. A., Bewick, C. J., & Thouvenelle, S. (2013, November). Examining Some Common Myths About Computer Use In the Early Years. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web, 1-9.