Stereo

Stereo

At the preschool we are always using the stereo throughout the day for music sessions, mat times and outside when the children ask for some music. Music is a huge part of my preschools daily activities and all the children enjoy it. 

The children ask for music to be put on frequently and will dance along to the music and have a good time with their peers. We also have karaoke and children perform shows where they stand up and sing along to the music or we might plug the microphone into the stereo as the children like using the microphone. By watching the children at my preschool you can see how the stereo is a major influence in our environment as the children are exposed to music and they are confident to get up and sing songs that are playing on the stereo and experiment with making up their own songs. (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Through the use of the stereo it allows us to play music which the children learn to develop to move to the rhythm of the music, co-ordination, moving around in a space with their peers (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children are also learning actions to words and the confidence to move and dance to music.

I have noticed that our preschool is starting to introduce the iPod in conjunction with the stereo, as technology changes the preschool is changing to keep up to date with technology. By using the iPod gives the teachers and children more options and more freedom but also makes it easier for them to find songs and rhymes.

A stereo is part of technology as it helps us to be able to listen to music as a group or individually. It allows us to listen to the radio, use the microphone or choose our own type of music or story book that we want to listen to. Ministry of Education (1996) states that children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world

When I am using the stereo I often let the children push the buttons and explain what each button does. Some of the children already know about how to use the stereo as some must use them at home and are familiar with using this type of technology. By talking to the children about how to work a stereo and what the buttons do is developing their understanding about how and what the buttons and stereo do. The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) states that an understanding of material properties, uses, and development is essential to understanding how and why products work the way they do (p.32).

I feel that the tape recorder/ stereo has been a huge part of my growing up, as my sister and I played tapes and listened to music all the time. I have now stepped into the children’s world of technology and am using iPod and iPhone for my music. I can see how technology has changed over the years and how we as teachers need to keep up with technology, as it is an important part of early childhood with children gaining new knowledge and skills (Smorti, 1999).

Reference List

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) Technology. Retrieved from: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/Learning-areas/Technology.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.

Balance Bike

Balance Bike

Today the children wanted to get the balance bikes out and ride around the bike track. They got the bikes out of the shed and talked amongst themselves about which bike they wanted as some were smaller than others. I watched as a group of boys were going up the ramp and they were using their legs to get them up the ramp. As they came down the ramp they steered the bike around the corner in the direction that the bike track goes.

I watched the boys do this over and over again and watched how they needed to do a number of different things at the same time to get the bike to go. Balancing on the bike while moving which is also known as dynamic balancing and is good for motor development (Bullard, 2010).  They needed to move their legs to make the wheels turn and the bike move. Steering the bike is another important part of riding a bike so they can move in the direction they want to move and stop from crashing into things. By children riding bikes builds on a number of different skills such as co-ordination, physical skills, muscle strength and spatial awareness (Bullard, 2010).
 I can see how a child can gain so much confidence when they ride a bike, and how they use their body to help with the whole process. Ministry of Education (1996) states that  through exploration children develop increasing control over their bodies, including development of loco motor skills, non-loco motor skills, manipulative skills, increasing agility, co-ordination, and balance (p.86).

I have seen how bikes have changed over the years and the balance bikes shows how technology changes and evolves. The balance bike is technology as it is a tool that can be used to get us from one place to another and quicker than walking.The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) states that technological practice is about innovation and adaption and that's what has been done with the balance bike. It has been adapted from the two wheeler bicycle as it has no pedals and focuses on balance rather than the peddling. These balance bikes are also made out of wood which is another adaption.

I thought about how important it is to have bikes in early childhood centres as some children may not be fortunate enough to have a bike at home. I also see at my preschool how the younger children are learning from the older children.This is where tuakana-teina relationships provides opportunities for the younger children to learn from the older children (Clark & Grey, 2010). The younger children  may learn to ride a bike faster if they are around older or more experienced peers than if they were to learn alone. My last preschool I worked at did not have bikes and I can see the enjoyment that children get from them and the skills they learn well riding them.

The bike track at preschool provides children with the opportunity to ride  bikes together, follow rules and experience different surfaces such as the stones, ramp and also the tunnel. 

Reference List

Bullard, J. (2010). Creating Environments for Learning (Chapter 17, pp. 326-251). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Clark, B., & Grey, A. (Eds.).(2010). Perspectives on early childhood education: Ata kitea te pae- scanning the horizon. Rosedale, North Shore, New Zealand: Pearson Education

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).Technology Retrieved from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/Learning-areas/Technology.

The Bike Track

The ramp to go up

The ramp to go down