Final Reflection

Over the course of this project I have come to realise that technology is a lot more complex than I thought it was. When we first began this project my idea of technology was mostly that digital technology was technology. The concept of non-digital technology was completely foreign to me. Now thanks to Smorti I understand that technology can not only be non-digital items it can also be a process rather than an item. “Technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments.” (Smorti, 1999).

At first I disliked the idea of using a blog for the project. I’m not a big writer; I don’t keep a journal or make lists so it sounded difficult to me. However I have come to realise that the nature of blogging allows for short posts that talk about your personal ideas and opinions. This method of sharing my thoughts allows for others to read them and comment on them in a safe environment and for learning to occur through the sharing of information. As it is a personal blog there is room for information to be wrong or biased, however that is where the viewers and commenters come in. They have the ability to voice their own opinions and to speak up if they see mistakes or gaps in the writer’s knowledge (Yang, 2009).

I think the use of technology in an early childhood centre is important. As this project has shown me, technology is everywhere. It would be impossible to create a centre without having some technology in it. What is important for us as teachers is to recognise the technology for what it is so we can use it effectively and teach the children about it. Te Whariki states that children should have the opportunity to develop the skills to use technology in numeracy, literacy and the arts. (Ministry of Education, 1996).

Technology in the centre is important, especially digital technology which is on the rise currently. Every month there is new phone/computer/ipad on the market it seems. Our technology has come a long way in the past few years and we need to be able to incorporate its use into our centre in a way that allows the children to gain the skills and knowledge of how to use it safely. We also have to ensure we maintain a balance between digital technology and other play. Some children can become a little bit obsessed with a game or activity and we need to give them the opportunity to play outside and do physical activities to make sure they are not missing out on skills they need to learn.

Most of the new technology such as the ipad and iPhones are valuable resources for a centre; however for centres that do not have access to them they are not an essential resource. They are tools which teachers can use to extend learning and develop some fine motor skills in the children. From the simplest digital technology (clocks, radio, and television) to the most complex, technology is a resource we can use, not a necessity. In the world we live in, children need to learn the skills to access these resources as they are becoming more and more common in schools and the workforce.

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. 

Yang, S.-H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice.  Educational Technology & Society, 12 (2), 11-21.  Available online from http://www.ifets.info/journals/12_2/2.pdf