Glitter Art
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| Image 3, 'glitter art' by Reuben Paterson, inspired the children at Kindy to create their own |
S has just finished her glitter art; she has been working on
this piece of art for the past week and it is now completed. S looks at me with
a smile across her face “can I take it home?” I remind S that the art is for a
large collage to go in the Kindergarten. I suggest that we either photocopy it
for her to take home or she could start another piece of work and then decide
which one will stay at Kindy and which one will go home. S thinks for a moment and
then decides she would like to photocopy it.
The technology in this experience is the photocopier. I
believe this was a significant experience for S because of the knowledge and
confidence she displayed throughout. At one point S said to me “coz this is how
we did it for my dog, remember?” It took me a few moments to think back and
then I recalled that several months ago S had made a colourful picture on a pin
board of her dog at home (Tui); because S was unable to take the pin board home
we had taken a photocopy of it for her. Now, here we were again using the same technology to capture another piece
of work that was important and meaningful to S!
This prompted me to consider how the technology (the
photocopier) was enabling S to capture and retain her creations. What learning
had happened for S in the first scenario when we copied her art work of ‘Tui’?
What learning was happening for her now?
Te Whāriki (1996) proposes that an early
childhood “programme allows ample time….for the repetition and practice of
developing skills” (p. 61). An environment that makes allowance for time such
as this contributes towards children’s sense of belonging; they see themselves
as capable and competent within the environment. As S openly recalled her prior
experience with the photocopier, she made links to previous experience and
recalled how she had used the machine then. It became clear to me that S’s
sense of belonging was being nurtured throughout this the repeated experience.
Using technology to represent creative discoveries is a
concept promoted by the Exploration strand in Te Whāriki. In direct reference to the links between creativity and
technology, Te Whāriki suggests that children be provided with
opportunities to characterize their creative experience using a range of media
and technology (Ministry of
Education, 1996). The technology in this
experience was the photocopier, S was using the photocopier to represent her
creative piece of work (glitter art).
How did I support S throughout this experience? When S had
decided to make a photocopy of her art we went into the office. I asked S “S,
you’ve used the photocopier before, haven’t you?” she nodded and told me where
it needed to go (“you gotta lift this bit up”). Arthur, et al, (2007) suggest, if educators wish to
support children to develop their technical skills, they need to find a balance
between helping children and doing things for them. Throughout each step of the
process I asked S what she needed to do next, this gave her the opportunity to
affirm what she did know and what
more she needed to learn. It also allowed me to intervene when appropriate
rather than assuming I could do it for her.
Natalie your reflections have been very informative in regards to technology. I was particularly intrigued by your reflection titled “Glitter art”. It was great to know that S was able to recall on a previous experience of using the photocopier with you, to extend her learning. I agree with you that S’s “sense of belonging was being nurtured throughout this repeated experience”. This shows that she has built a strong relationship with you and is comfortable coming to you for support.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you asked S what she needed to do next rather than just assuming. I should have used this technique with the children in my reflection “I know how to do it”. It definitely is a great way to see what S already knew and what she needed help with. It also allowed her to take responsibility for her own learning because she was able to work out for herself the process of using the photocopier without being told what to do. Keep up the good work.