This Reflection looks at another non-digital device, 'hot glue gun'.
I have chosen to reflect on this device mainly because of the context that I am working in. This pre-school caters for ages 4-6 years old. Unlike the culture of other centres the 'hot glue gun' remains accessible at any time for the children to use. There does not have to be an adult or teacher present for children to use this device. The teachers all feel that the children are responsible and know the expectations and rules in regards to the use of this device. The children are regularly informed and updated at the procedures, rules ect, regarding this. This is linked to the learning outcomes that children develop " an understading of the routines, customs, and regular events of the early childhood education setting'. (Ministry of Education, 1996. p60). The children also have cold water on standby should glue get on their hand, they should immediatlely call for a teacher, if they need 'first aid'.
Most times there is a teacher facilitating and supporting children, or the child will commonly invite a teacher over to the hot glue gun area to show their work, or explain their ideas. So children have the freedom to create some really amazing and interesting things, without having to wait for a teacher present to be able to do so. It always facinates me, how children show their creativity by construction, glueing objects together to make a meaningful object. Some of these creations have stories to tell and the children use their imaginations to think about the connection to their story. There are always a wide variety of collage and construction materials for the children to explore, manipulate, and investigate.
Some photo's of their works:
This child is thinking about her creation and desides that some hair is needed.
The finished creation.
This is Maia the evil witch. Eating biscuits is what she loves to do. She has magical powers and can turn people into stone! (By R.W)
Their very own unique hair clips.
'Te Whariki, The Early Childhood Curriculum says that "children experience an environment where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive." this could involve "familiarity witht the properties and character of the materials and technology used in the creative and expressive arts; ( Ministry of Education, 1996. p.80 ).
'I like making stuff with it'
'I like glueing all the different peices together'
'I like it because It it dry fast so I can take it home to show my mum and dad'
'I don't like it because sometimes I burn my finger, if I'm not careful'
'You need to make sure, you use the iceblock stick to press, instead of your finger. That's being safe suggests another child'.
It is evident that the Hot glue gun is a fantastice peice of technology, it is widely used in my centre, and the children have so much fun, using their creative minds to solve solutions, and make products, constructions that are meaningful, 'technology is about helping people and solving problems'. (Smorti 1999).
This reflection made me think about my childhood experiences and I have no knowledge about the hot glue gun, as I cannot recall it being a device used when I was young. I do however remeber using paste and pva which are both still used in the centre. But I do recall pasteing objects using pva and they would later fall off the paper. The hot glue gun seems to be a common choice in this centre for children's creative objects as the glue is stronger. So through discussions and sharing interactions with children about this device children developed 'an understanding of material properties, uses and development is essential to understading how and why products work in the way they do'.( Ministry of Education,1997. p 32) In relation to this, our discussions revolved around why the glue when hot was the time to place the materials into the glue and then when the glue cooled down that was when the objects would be set in place, and cannot be shifted. I enjoyed working and discusssing the hot glue gun with children in the centre, it brought about many social interactions and discussions, looking into the device into more detail explaining its uses for creativity, making things and for its many glueing purposes. As Morrison (2009) mentioned to us that "technology is a tool that can provide another way for children to learn and make sense of their world'. I believe that by using this technological tool the children have engaged its use to help create things that support their ideas, learning about themselves, their imaginations, capabilities as well as making connections with the wider world and the objects in it. "Children develop the ability to represent their discoveries, using creative and expressive media and the technology associated with them". ( Ministry of Education, 1996. p88).
References:
Ministry of Education, (1996). Te Whariki, He Whaariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o
Aotearoa, Wellington: Learning Media.
Aotearoa, Wellington: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.
Hi Summer,
ReplyDeleteTumeke! Great reflection on hot glue gun Summer. It was fantastic to read the reflection on “hot glue gun” on how your centre does not have an adult or teacher present for the children to use this non-digital device. It was really great to know in your hot glue gun reflection that the teachers are confident of their children. They believe that the children are socially competent, are responsible and know the rules on how to use the hot glue gun. I agree for the main points you have mentioned in your hot glue gun reflection that children should be informed with the rule and procedure of how things work. The learning outcomes are that children develop “an understanding of the routines, customs, and regular events of the early childhood education setting” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.60). In this blog reflection of non- digital device I really appreciated the way you teachers are aware of the children’ safety is by putting the cold water beside the hot glue gun. This non – digital technology reflection has given ideas of how teachers facilitate and support the children in these kinds of activities. In your reflection Summer I also enjoyed reading how the children invite the teachers in their work not only that they show their creative displayed work to the teachers. It was great seeing the pictures of the children’s creativity and how they created their product by using the hot glue gun which also had a story behind it. Well done. Summer of how you give opportunities to the children of collage of construction material to explore, manipulate and investigate. Children use a variety of technology for different reason as they discover their world (Ministry of Education, 1996). In my work experience I have noticed in some of the places in the early childhood setting the children are not encouraged to be confident in using hot glue gun and the teachers are the ones who does the things for the children. I believe and agree for the reflection you have written that children should be give chance of risk taking where they learn about the abilities to do their work on their own and also learn about their own safety.
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ReplyDeleteHi Summer,
ReplyDeleteKa pai! Very well written blog reflection on hot glue gun. It is indeed very informative reflection about technology and hot glue gun. Yes it is true we children need proper supervision, role modeling, supporting and facilitating while using glue gun. I feel this is bit risky and challenging learning experience for children but risk and challenges are the part and parcel of their life and also important for their holistic development.“Risk and challenges are part of everyday life, part of children’s play and necessary to their development and learning” (Greenfield, 2003, p. 37). Your 2nd reflection is also very valuable for me in writing my reflections. You have also got good links to literature to back up your discussions. Summer you have also explained non digital technology very well in your blog. It is amazing to see that the how technology provides opportunities and experiences for children to explore the world around them. “Children learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.82). Children were very creative and I can see their creativity in your photographs. "To create means to make a thing which has not been made before" (Barnhart & Barnhart, cited in Isenberg & Jalongo, 2006). It is also good to see that children were fully engage in the learning experience and you were using questioning teaching technique with them. Questions make different demands on children’s cognitive skills, their language skills and their need to go beyond what they already know (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004). Tumeke Summer!
Talofa Summer
ReplyDeleteIt is an honour, taking this early childhood cause, not only for me to learn how to teach young age children but also to examine various resources and technological devices used by children. Glue gun is one of the newest devices I had first known from my practicum last year. When I saw children engaged with sticking different shells on their card board, I felt so uncomfortable because I saw it connected from the plug and the glue looks hot. After my three weeks practicum from that centre I learnt that, glue gun is one of the most useful resources in a centre because it really holds well when stick to any object. The children were also confident in holding the glue gun and avoid burning when used. Glue gun helps children to plan and solve problems, develop creative and technical skills, (Talay-Ongan & AP, 2005). I was laughing when you said about how you recall your childhood experience with pva paste and had no knowledge about glue guns. My days back in the island, if we want to glue something we had no knowledge of glue guns or pva paste but we used sticky white paste from breadfruit tree when we cut the stem. Ka pai Summer!
Kia Ora Summer,
ReplyDeleteA great reflection written on glue gun. I have read your reflection on glue gun and it was good to know that in your centre the teachers are not always present for children while they are using the glue gun. It seems that the teachers are very confident with their children when they are using this non- digital device. Teachers believe that children are socially competent and responsible on how to use the glue gun. In your reflection I also have the same opinion that children should be informed beforehand as how things work and what rules they should follow. Te Whāriki states that “children develop an understanding of the routines, customs, and regular events of the early childhood setting” (Ministry of education, 1996, p.60). Through reading this reflection it gives me an idea that teachers are very aware of the children’s safety by putting the cold water beside the glue gun. The picture of children’s creativity in your reflection was awesome. Summer, in your reflections you had clear links to literature to back up your discussions. In your reflection it was also great to see how technology provides experiences for children to explore the world around them. It was good to see that you were using the teaching techniques such as asking questions to enhance children’s learning. Asking questions to children make different demands on their cognitive and language skills (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004). Ka Pai Summer.