3rd Redflection IPOD

Third Reflection: IPOD System

The Ipod Stereo system has transformed our Mat times at Flying Turtles Preschool.  In terms of organisation, keeping all the music files in good condition, as well as being able to manage and locate music files with ease.

While this digital device is mostly used by the teachers, it has been beneficial to the children by providing easy access to the music that is used to inco-operate music and participation for the children during mat times, clean up song, and during play.  To support this reflection I Questioned some of the teachers in the centre and their thoughts about this digital device. How do you feel about having the Ipod in the centre? Majority of the teachers agreed that the Ipod was an effective device and that it stored all their music files in folders.  With the teachers names for individual folders of music as well as listing favourites and Mat time songs.  This meant that finding songs during mat times was always easy, took less time and titles of the songs were in view during shuffling.  One teacher still preferred to use the c.d's instead of the Ipod and ejecting the c.d to change to another rather that using the Ipod system. She mentioned that she felt incapable of using the digital device and wasn't confident working it. 


The Ipod plays music for the children to sing along with, jump, dance and use actions that match with the music that is playing.  It is also great for storing reading c.d to support teachers reading.  So thinking about linking this decide to children's learning and development.  So Children learn to recognise sounds and rhythm of music. They need to focus their attention to the music, stop and listen wait for cues to begin again during mat time. With this in mind the Ipod supports children's learning through music allowing them to participate in a group mat time activities, and adds to support their learning through developing ways to express themselves through music.  'Te Whariki' confirms that a variety of music can be used to express a feeling of mood, situation, and culture.( Ministry of Education, 1996) It can also be a form to inform, excite, amuse, delight, comfort, children. ( Ministry of Education, 1996 ). Music can also provide the opportunity for "children to develop confidence in moving in space, moving to rhythm, and playing near and with others". ( Ministry of Education, 1996, p.86).

After reflecting on the purposes, and teacher aspect of the Ipod.  I decide to find out what knowledge children in the centre have on the device.  I gathered some children around the music area, after playing with instruments and exploring movement and dance.  I removed the Ipod from the dock and gave each child the opportunity to use the device, play around with the buttons, and show the children how to use the Ipod.  Three out of five in the group said they already knew how to use the device.
They were able to use their own knowledge to show the others how to change, skip and play the music. This was Vygotsky's social learning theory in action, as Vygotsky (1978) theorised that children learn culturally relevant concepts and practise as they observe, and participate in the everyday lives of their families and communities.  ( Arthur, Beecher, Dockett, et al. 2008) The children each listened to the music with the headphones, as they begun to know how to use it and decide they would skip to the music that liked and those who hadn't use the device before would become excited when a song come on that they knew.  They would pull the ear plugs out and tell each other the song.  This gave me and idea of a game to play using the Ipod.  The children would humm the tune of the song that was playing and the others children has to guess the song.  This was a great game to play with the children as our group of five increased to 7 then 9 then eventually our group ended up with 12 children in a circle playing and enjoying the guessing game.  The first to guess right got to wear the ipod and choose another song to play.  The next game we played the children had to listen to the sond and begin to act out actions or movements to give clues about the title of the song.  For example they would quack, moo and snort for 'Old Mc Donald' had a farm.  Again the children showed much enthusiasm with the game and learnt to be patient with each other and to take turns.    This is like a secret thing, to use and know one can hear the music but you, explained one child. I like it very much said another. My mummy has one mentioned 'G'.  So the children had the chance to explore and use the Ipod and share their experiences new and old with each other in the group. This supports that 'interactions with adults and peers within these communities support children as they co-construct understandings, create and exchange meanings, and develop shared understandings of their worlds' ( Arthur, Beecher et al 2008, p14 ) This technological device linked with the 'essential learning area' of enabling children to recognise that different technologies may be used in various places and settings'. Home and centre.  It also allowed them to use the 'technology' for different purposes as they explore their world, and learn different ways to communicate using technology.( Ministry of Education, 1996,)

photo of the technological device in our centre.

References :

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4^th ed.).  Victoria, Australia: CENGAGE Learning.

Ministry of Education, (1996).  Te Whariki, He Whaariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna O Aotearoa, Wellington:  Learning Media.