Positive Recognized Objective Subjective Significance

To support my unstructured activity for the children, I disclosed the Smorti (1999) reading with Whaea ‘C’.  The idea of technology being “a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities” and “helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 1999, p.5) caught her attention.  And just like me, she thought that technology only referred to digital and electric appliances.  Boy, were we wrong or what?  

 

A small group of children were at the table experimenting with different craft resources.  ‘R’ and ‘C’ bring together paint, brushes and a large sheet of paper to their seating area.  They sit quietly designing colourful patterns.  ‘T’ likes to create with feathers, ice-block sticks, coloured paper, glue and crayons. She shares her ideas with her peers, by saying each step out aloud.  ‘P’ gathers together some materials, but finds herself thinking about what she could create.  ‘P’ asks ‘T’ what she is designing.  ‘T’ answers ‘P’s question with her own question, “what animal wears feathers?” “A bird”, says ‘P’, “but, um, where will your bird, live?”  Receiving no answer from ‘T’, ‘P’ decided on what she will create.  She sorted through her materials and replaced what she did not need.  She collected some twigs, cotton balls, laminated leaves and a medium sized plastic bowl, from the trays.  ‘R’ and ‘C’ asked ‘P’ if they can help her.  Nodding her head, ‘P’ gave them instructions to follow.  ‘T’ asked ‘P’ what she was designing.  ‘P’ answers ‘T’ with her own question, “what do baby birds live in?”  ‘T’ answers, “A nest.  My bird lives in your nest”.  They both giggled, and continued working on their creations.  ‘P’ dresses the bowl with the leaves, and asks ‘R’ and ‘C’ to add the twigs, and together they glued the cotton balls inside the bowl.  I could hear them talking about where their nest and bird should go, then the whispering began.  ‘P’ went over to the window and returned to ‘T’ with a smile and more whispering.  They merged their creation together by placing the bird into the nest.  ‘R’ and ‘C’ are by the window calling for ‘P’ and ‘T’ to join them.  I smiled, because I soon realised that they wanted to put their creation onto one of the tree branches outside.  They approach whaea ‘C’ with their proposal and she supported their idea by walking with them to a tree branch outside.  Whaea ‘C’ also took a photo of their creation sitting on the branch.  She printed it out and ‘R’ and ‘C’ asked her to glue it on their art piece.

 

The whole process of their creativity was great to watch.  Why? Because they helped and involved each other by contributing and developing ideas (Smorti, 1999).  There were constructive dialogue to find answers within their group and Whaea ‘C’. Through “Communication Skills: children gain an increasing ability to convey and receive information, instruction and ideas ….. listening, speaking, and using visual language in a range of contexts” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 96).   Whaea ‘C’ saw the importance of meeting the children’s learning needs through their engagement of resources and their peers.    Observing their creative art from the beginning is just as important as the product, because their time and effort highlighted their development (Smorti, 1999).  Through linking contribution to mathematics: “children develop mathematical problem-solving strategies in, for instance, dividing and sharing resources, turn taking, and estimating times (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 96).  Smorti (1999) agrees that “technology is thus an important area of the early childhood curriculum … along with mathematics and science within the principles, strands and goals of Te Whāriki” (p. 5).  Keeping the words of Smorti (1999) in mind and following the children’s lead, Whaea ‘C’ identified the value of technology in their learning, therefore, changes her perspective in providing hands on experience through unstructured activities.