This
provocation experience incorporated technology by making use of binoculars to
gain insight of the world around us. It also incorporated social studies
because the learning experiences brought out how the people and things help
them revisit their past experiences (Ministry of Education, 2007). Children
were interested for short periods of time but would move away from the learning
experience of using the binoculars and then would come back ask if they could
use them again. Children started searching through their funds of knowledge and
started explaining to me where they have seen a binoculars being used. Majority
of the children knew what the binoculars were and how to use it. They
understood the smaller side is used to look through. They could identify the
literal environment like for example the trees and the different teacher’s cars
in our centre. “Look *Melissa’s car is right near to my face” said *Ron.
A child
told me that she used binoculars when she went on holiday to Africa and saw the
monkeys and lions in the forest. She exclaimed that the texture of the
binoculars was cool and that she has one but not as cool as the one I brought
in. Another child told me that he saw a man using binoculars when he was in
Fiji. One that specifically intrigued me was another boy saying he could see a
koala in the trees just outside our centre and that they were hiding. Altogether
the children could see the chickens and that they were trying to escape from
the coop. “Look they the chickens are
trying to escape” said *Oneal. Lastly, another boy said that the binoculars was
actually a telescope and could use it to look at the moon. I enjoyed learning
the depths of the different children’s knowledge they had and I found out new
things about them and how good some of them are at using their imagination
(Fleer & Jane, 2011).
I brought
in the binoculars because the children were very interested in what the sheep
and other farm animals were doing just outside the centre. They would
constantly look to try and see but with no success they would say, “I can’t see
what they are doing”. I tried to help them bring the lens of their wider world
in closer. I wanted them to see clearly what the animals were doing and what
the animal’s environments looked like (Ministry of Education, 1996). I found
that bringing them in for that purpose only lasted a few minutes. This learning
experience brought forward that different children in the centre have been
exposed to different things. When bringing things such as binoculars into the
centre, it brings about the sharing between child and teacher and they also
relive the different events that took place in their lives (Ministry of
Education, 1996).
I believe the
provocation was successful and that the children were really intrigued by the
use of the binoculars. They took care of the binoculars especially when I said
that I had borrowed them. More importantly, I think they enjoyed not having any
boundaries on how to make use of the binoculars in the centre and that they
could explore with them and have as much turns with the binoculars as possible.
Ministry of Education (1996) emphasises how teachers should allow children to
develop self-confidence when we provoke their thinking and we allow the
learning experience to explore new aspects of children in the centres.
In summary,
I would have liked to support their
learning with more in-depth open-ended questions and allowed time for them to tell what they saw and why they enjoyed the activity so much that
they would return every time (Ministry of Education, 2007). I would also try to
find out ways we could extend on the use of the binoculars maybe for instance
trying to track down a telescope and see if they realise the differences
between the telescope and the binoculars.s
References:
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.
Ministry
of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He
whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning
Media.
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for
children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.
*No real names used
I really enjoyed reading your provocation on the use of binoculars as they are not something I would have thought about introducing to the children within my center. It has personally helped me to think outside the square when introducing different types of technology to children. Despite this, something I did recognize to be of interest to think about and articulate more understanding about as a teacher was brought to my attention through your statement “Children started searching through their funds of knowledge”. Although you discussed that children had seen binoculars in use and a few had the opportunity to use them themselves, how did the children learn appropriate skills linked to using binoculars? Did you allow time for discussion about what children know, what they want to learn to do with binoculars and incorporate fun activities to help children enhance these skills? From what you have written in your entry, it sounds like the children you have worked with on this provocation feel confident enough to explore the binoculars further and therefore this is something you could work on extending through answering some of the questions I have included above. Once children have built up the confidence to use the binoculars appropriately and can maintain the skills needed to see things at a range of distances, you could organize a field trip which incorporates a child friendly quiz or bingo relating to current topics of interests. For example: If the current interest of children within the center is transport, you could organize a field trip to the airport look-out, separate children into smaller groups with a teacher and get the children to work together to use the binoculars to find answers to questions such as how many planes can you see on the tarmac? The provocation you have used is a great starter to endless opportunities available by using binoculars and I hope that some of my above ideas enable you to think more in-depth about the experiences you can provide to children.
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