Technology is about helping people and
solving problems, it’s not just mean for digital technology, and also included
non-digital technology in our life. “Technology is a creative and purposeful
activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of
products, systems or environments (Smori,
S., 1999, p.1). All of the knowledge of solving problems could be a part of the
technology.
Teachers
always make monthly plans for children. And we made a focus on food recently. That
was a good chance to show how can we use food in different ways. It’s really
excited because children can make their own food. This could be their first
experience of cooking. The cooking experience also helped them with their
communication skills, problem-solving skills, social and co-operative skills.
Teachers can plan activities that extend children’s interests. Equipment should
be provided for scientific, mathematical, and technological learning (Ministry
of Education, 1996, p.83). So I prepared the tools for them, just like bowls,
eggs, volume-cup and spoons.
Through
the processing of making muffins, children followed the instruction very well.
They helped me to measure the oil and milk, and they helped with adding
ingredients into the bowl. They use the spoon to mix the ingredients one by
one. It’s so good to see children sharing the things together and they showed
me a beautiful conversation. Child A said to child B:” Be careful don’t get the
flour on your new T-shirt”; and another child asked me:” Excuse me, may I have
a turn please? I want to help you”. It’s lovely to see children being gently
and nicely talking. It’s a very good experience of learning communication skills, co-operation akills and
social skills.
The
most important part of learning technology in this activity is how they helped
me to measure the volume of oil, milk and flour. First, I read them the
instruction of the receipt; Second, I showed them how to read the volume on the
cup; and then, children started to measure the ingredients. They were very
carefully doing that, although the milk bottle was too heavy for them. Children
pulled the milk out to a smaller cup first, and then measure it by the volume
cup. That’s a really good idea. It’s also a good learning to transfer the milk
from a big heavy bottle into a small volume cup.
Children
also learnt to break the eggs. One child just broke the egg by his two hands.
Obviously, it didn’t work very well. Another child said we might use the spoon.
She asked me to hold the egg for her, she use the spoon knock, knock, knock on
the shell gently. She knocked the egg three times and broke open the egg
successfully. Children develop and test
ideas and solutions as they explore and make sense of their world (Ministry of
Education, 1996, p.98). I saw children were thinking. They solved the problem
by themselves.
As
a teacher, I should create a nutrient and supportive environment for children.
I always follow children’s interests and opinions. Give them more opportunities
for them to think by themselves. I am the role to assist them to solve the
problem or make the decision, but I don’t want to instead of them. “The
experience of cooking processed a technological system, developed, used and
adapted by early childhood service to meet children’s learning needs. It’s a creative
and purposeful activity to produce food” (Smori, S., 1999, p.2).
Here is relevant video on Youtube for you to have a look.
Reference:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o
Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning
Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New
Zealand Curriculum. New Zealand: Learning
Media
Smori, S. (1999)
Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10
Lovely pictures, and they are relevant to your topic very well. It is a good idea about your first cooking pictures, wore plastic hats to keep food hygiene. Is that from your centre pictures? Fantastica!
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that cooking can bring a lot of learning experiences to children. I like kitchen area for children as they can learn math, science, language, well-being, strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning. I think cooking is very popular in every centre in non digital technology. In addition, cooking in the centre provides a family atmosphere for children, because they always see their parents do cooking at home, promote their belonging in the centre. Fantastic! Paki Paki….. Yea!
I totally agree with that technology is about helping people and solving problems. From the learning experience of cooking, I do believe that children would develop communication skills, problem-solving skills, social and co-operative skills, apart from those, I think children also enhanced their physical skill such as eye-hand coordination like pouring the milk in the bowl.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way of how the children using their own theory/strategy in transferring the milk from a big heavy bottle into a small volume cup and cracking an egg with spoon which were shown that children have well knowledge of solving problems. As you said, as teachers should give more opportunities for children to think by themselves. I think that using technology is a good way to help children to think and to solve problems.
I also agree with that teacher’s role is to assist children to solve problem and make decision rather than doing it for them. Therefore, we need to be available for children all the time and always to place ourselves where children can easily access to.
Cooking is a fantastic activity for children. During the process of cooking, children can learn and practice a whole range of skills. Cooking enables children to have some understandings about food, such as where foods come from.
ReplyDeleteLink this to your activity, I think it is a very good idea to encourage and support children to use cups to measure the different materials, such as oil and milk. As a teacher, we should create an interesting environment for children to explore. Let them to find out what they want to know through their individual ways. As Te Whariki states that through exploration, children learn useful and appropriate ways to find out what they want to know.
I agree with your opinion, as children’s thinking and skills should be recognised. For teachers, our role is to encourage and support children to find out their own ways to solve problems, as we should give them more opportunities to think by themselves.
Yes, Muffins cooking is a really a good experience for children to work with technology. In this cooking process, children know the names of ingredients, and know how to follow the instruction to do things. It involves measuring mathematic skills and literacy skill, also it helps children to develop communication skill through conversations. I am glad children use this opportunity to try things out, I really like the idea that the child use spoon to break the egg, It was interested and I may try it later on. Also, when children work together, they learn sharing and turn-taking, which help to develop their social skills. It is good reflection.
ReplyDeleteAbout the structure of your reflection, I personally think that if you start from the scenario of muffin cooking may be more logical?
Technology is not just about digital technology. There's so much to in non-digital technology as well! It is a great way to experience non-digital technology through cooking. I have a passion cooking with children as well. Like you described, children can develop many skills in cooking. It's such a fun and valuable way to learn! Yes, we can cook food in many ways. Even different cultures cook food differently. All kinds of technologies can be involved while we use different tools and equipment. Children can develop working theories during cooking therefore make sense of the material world (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.90). Learning to manage different tools and equipment can provide children with confidence in and control of their bodies (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.84).
ReplyDeleteI loved the part that child A said to child B:” Be careful don’t get the flour on your new T-shirt”. Lovely to see the social competent conversation.
Just a piece of advice, it would be fabulous if you could include a little bit more analysing.
Overall, kai pai!
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
ReplyDelete