Now as most of you know I am a bit of a bookworm, which is
why the reading area of the centre is a big thing for me. I feel books are an
integral part of a child’s education and they represent a major leap forward in
our technology and information base world-wide. I have noticed that children
love to sit one on one with a teacher or in small groups and read stories,
often over and over again if it is a favourite. Books to me represent
technology on two levels. One is the means we have for creating the books
themselves, from the written language and art to the paper and ink which form
the books physical body. The other is the information contained in the books
and the ability for anyone with the right skills to access that information.
I observed at a mat time that the teacher before reading a
story would go over the different parts of the book. The spine, front cover,
author and artist were some of the areas pointed out. While children learn the
physical aspects of the books they can also see how it is put together. Books
combine creative process and a purpose which are two of Smorti’s key aspects of
technology (1999).
The other reason I feel books are so important is the
information contained in them. Most cultures had a history of the ‘storyteller’
in their culture or ‘wise man’. These people were the ones who memorised the stories
of their particular tribe and passed them on to their people. Te Whariki makes the point that children
have the right to “experience the stories of theirs and other cultures” and
also to develop non-verbal skills such as body language and literacy (Ministry
of Education, 1996). Hieroglyphs and pictograms helped to cement a written
history so that details did not get changed or forgotten in the aural
traditions, but with the invention of books and the written languages of so
many cultures we gained access to more knowledge than one person could ever
remember. We now have the luxury of stories and poems that are completely
fictional because they can be written and stored in ways that are inexpensive
and semi-permanent. The internet has made the information more accessible
across the board but without the original written word and books, we would
still be very restricted in the knowledge and history we could access during
our life. Paul Lai uses a poem by William Carlos Williams, which starts with “so
much depends on” to illustrate the point that libraries with both digital and
non-digital technologies are essential to the facilitation of knowledge (2012).
I use the fact he was able to use the poem for his point because Williams was
able to record it in a format we can all access.
When children read or listen to stories it uses their
imagination to create the visuals in their mind. They develop listening skills
and basic reading skills, and they can create stories of their own. Many
stories in early childhood have morals or focus on certain behaviour in children,
using the story to help build the moral groundwork for the children. Cultural
stories and beliefs can be passed on to the children, and the use of rhythm and
rhyme in many children’s books helps to increase their language skills. There
are many benefits to reading with children and teaching them the basic reading
skills.
Overall I think books are a huge resource throughout the
world. While some people feel they may be becoming less important as the eBooks
are becoming more prominent, I feel that while easy computer access is helpful,
the hardcover copies are more durable and hands on for the children. They can
feel the book and turn the pages and it is more satisfying than clicking a
mouse. Also if some unforeseen event where to hit the technology and take it
down for any period of time, a book can’t be deleted or changed quite as easily
as a digital record.
Smorti,
S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10.
Hey Rachel,
ReplyDeletewow what a excellent reflection i too think that books are very much technology as i come from a culture were books did not play a big part in our history because if something was important in our culture it was passed down from kaumatua to kaumatua (Old Man) the written word was not something that we did. how ever NOW i feel it is extremely important it make life easier because we can now tell stories to our children and they can read about their culture through books and see pictures that can excite them. it is much easier now to pass on knowledge through books and as Smorti suggests technology should make life easier and i believe books do.
As for the digital age of E books and internet i feel they are no the same i am not an avid reader how ever i grew up with a bedtime story every night and i looked the smell of the pages and the sound the pages make as they are turned. it is for this reason that although the Ebook make it easier to access information i also feel that real books have more charm and a quality that can never be achieve through EBOOKs.
Excellent reflection Rachel
Tino pai Rachel,
ReplyDeleteWow what a great read Rachel. I for one would never have expected to use books as technology. You are so right with the cultural side of things where stories were told and not written. They were passed down from generation to generation as in the Tongan culture. Over the years I have been told different stories of how things came to be in Tonga, and the funny thing is that some stories have changed and people have different interpretations, which is why I believe that once it is written it is cemented for the next generation to come and that they won't have the same problem I have growing up.
I am a big fan of reading to children. Somehow when children are fidgety and can't seem to sit still during mat times, when I pull out a book that the children enjoy I manage to get complete silence because children love to follow the reading as it plays with their imagination.
Awesome stuff Rachel
What a good reflection, Rachel! It is always pleasant when we make meaningful connections between our professional practices and ourselves! I am very sure that you will instil a love of books and stories in the children you work with. It was very good how you pointed out to the fact that book is technology in its origin (a product with purpose) and they are also a tool for teaching and learning in general as well as technology learning.
ReplyDeleteKei Tua o te Pae Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars #17 might be a very good reading for you. It is about fostering literacy so it focus on the oral, verbal and written domains as well as the symbols and technologies in which they are represented. It suggests that ‘when episodes are documented and revisited, children will be able to recognise their own literacy competencies’. I think this quote will inspire you to have many more ideas on how to support literacy and technology side by side.