Building blocks seemed very simple
when I first looked at them. I mean they’re blocks of wood, what’s that got to
do with technology? But as I watched the children play with them I realised
that while they may seem like a simple resources they allow the children to
freely express their creative building talents at any age. There are no
connecting bits or movable parts but the simplicity itself is advanced.
Building blocks come in a range of different shapes and sizes to allow for free
flowing creativity. But each shape is carefully balanced and designed to be
safe and light enough for the children to use. Many of the more ‘advanced’
building equipment for children has been designated for ages 3 and up because
the increases in connectivity and design possibilities are too difficult for
many of the younger children to figure out. The plain old building blocks
require less fine motor skills but still help the children develop gross motor
skills as well as learning about balance and weight and creating something
beautiful with their imagination.
Smorti states “Technology is about
helping people and solving problems” (1999). The blocks have been designed to
allow children of all ages to safely begin their own problem solving processes
as they learn how to build and create new structures. While most of the
children in my centre have no trouble with Lego pieces or other different
building materials there are a few who still find them difficult to use.
Building blocks are the stepping stones for children to learn the basics of
building so as their fine motor skills and creative skill grow they can move on
to more difficult tasks and challenges.
An activity I have tried with some of
the older children is using pictures of buildings made from blocks and seeing
if they can recreate them or create something similar. We have a resource for
this and the children enjoy it but often find themselves frustrated with the 2
dimensional pictures becoming a 3 dimensional building. This activity often
ends up with the children asking for the help of the teachers and I find asking
questions to get them to find the answers is the best way for them to complete
it themselves and feeling proud that they have completed it by themselves. One
of Te Whariki’s goals is for children to develop spatial awareness and how 2d and
3d objects are connected, so I feel this resource is really aimed at this goal
(Ministry of Education, 1996).
I don’t know where the idea of blocks came from but
I assume it was an upgrade from wood and stones found in the outdoors. They are
basically a small version of building supplies for a house in that they are
balanced and easy to handle. New shapes have come out over the years, from the oblong
and long wood pieces to the half circles and triangles now in play. Colours are
very popular and people have added letters and pictures to increase the child’s
learning. Different materials have been used from plastic to soft materials for
young children. However overall we keep coming back to the same basic design of
the wooden building block. A staple resource for most early childhood centres.
My main realisation from this activity is that if we
look hard enough, we can come to understand the objects and activities around
us in a way we haven’t before. Blocks used to be just blocks of wood to me. Now
I can see their potential for children’s learning and the design that has gone
on to making these simple blocks to enhance the learning of the children in our
care.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga ngā mokopuna Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Smorti,
S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI can see that you were surprised at how technology surrounds us in ways that were previously unthinkable! I used to play with blocks as a child and as I read your post I got really amazed that, it is only now that I think of blocks as technology.
When children are playing with blocks they have the opportunity to be curious, to use their imagination and creativity. They have to exercise their problem-solving skills in order to create their new product. These are all linked to technology according to Smorti. You have used a resource that is clearly linked to this concept.
I would suggest that you include technology as one of the teaching and learning areas in your planning. I have just started doing that because I want to make sure that I am addressing this area as much as all the others. I believe that it will foster teaching and learning in technology among teachers and children more effectively and consistently.
Kia Ora Rachel,
ReplyDeleteBuilding blocks are one of my favourite activities to do with children because it's fun and it caters for all the young children that I work with. When I think about technology, it is one of the less sophisticated toys that involves a lot of learning and something that I understand. From my experience with building blocks, i have seen the change from how two year olds play with these as they begin to attempt to make building structures, to becoming four year olds and making more complex building structures.
I think that with this technology here, it's about the process rather then the final product (Smorti, 1999) because as you say children learn how to create something using their imagination and problem solving skills.
I like how you have used this resource to show the process using this technology and the learning taking place, over just trying to get the finished product.
One thing I found quite interesting with your approach in using this non-digital technology is how you used photos to help scaffold children's learning. This is one idea that I want to try with my children at my centre to further challenge and extend their learning.
Kia Ora Rachel,
ReplyDeletei LOVE blocks it has always been one of my favorite parts of the centre i think this comes from my childhood as a child i loved making forts and cubby houses i felt a sense of freedom and accomplishment when building and love seeing that same joy in the children's faces when they play with blocks.
Much like our peers in our group i too am amazed that i never viewed blocks as technology until recently and much like you i do not know where the origin of play blocks have come from however i do know that from these simple wooden blocked the evolution of lego has come into being as again technology is growing.
great reflection rachel lots of food for thought thanks