Investigating Technology

Blog 4

Our centre Manager had bought some battery and solar operated calculators from the warehouse for the children to use in their play. After morning tea, I noticed that T was engrossed in her play with the new calculators. I went and sat opposite her watching what she was interested in. She was busy calculating something and after that writing it on the paper next to the calculator. I got curious and asked her what she was doing. She told me that she has to go and do some shopping so she is calculating the money. There were two big calculators so T gave me one and asked me to play with her. I smiled and said, “that’s very nice of you.” She started pressing the button on the calculator and asked me to press the same number on my calculator as well. When I was pressing my numbers, I called out the numbers. Then she got the little black calculator and compared that with the big digital one. She showed me the two different sizes of numbers on the two different calculators. She was comparing the sizes of the key pads on both size calculators and at the same time calling out the numbers. After a while, J and A came and set next to her, she offered them the little black calculator. I praised her for sharing the calculator with them. They all laid their calculator and compared the sizes of the numbers appearing on the screen.                

In this experience, T was developing an understanding of how things work. She was also showing her interest in ICT and was problem solving. Groves and Stacey (1998) as cited in Talay-Ongan and Ap (2005) states that “ research on the use of hand- held calculators in early school years has shown that calculators promote children’s development of quantitative and problem-solving skills” (p. 230). Children involved in this play were recognising everyday applications and using ICT to support learning. According to (Smorti, 1999) “technology is about helping people and solving problems” and in this context T recognised the calculator as a tool to support shopping and engaged the children in numeracy concepts. Additionally, in joining alongside the children, supporting and responding to their play with the calculator as a form of technology, I helped the children learn in that communication, language, and literacy was also focused in this role-play. O’ Hara (2004) suggests that “the incorporation of ICT into curriculum enables children to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to make effective use of new technologies (learning about ICT) and to able to transfer these capabilities to support learning in other areas of the curriculum” (p. 6). Te Whāriki also says, “each programme should be planned to offer sufficient learning experiences for the children to ensure that the curriculum goals are realised” (Te Whāriki, 1996).

By allowing and encouraging children to use the calculators, this can help them to be more active as learners. It places numeracy and mathematical ideas into experiences that they can relate to and enjoy when it is available as a tool to support their self-initiated play. Talay-Ongan and Ap (2005) suggests, “the calculator can thus support children’s creative development of mathematical images and ideas” (p. 231).  

Reference List

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa                 .Wellington: Learning Media.

O’Hara, M. (2004). ICT in the early years. New York, NY:Continuum.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999. 

Talay- Ongan, A., Ap, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). Child development and teaching young children.            Southbank, Victoria: Thompson Social Science Press.