Paint
“Technology is about helping people and solving problems”
(Smorti, 1999, p.5).
This is related to my second blog about paint, a non-digital
technology. Paint is very useful in all of our lives including children.
Children in my centre a very creative and love painting, it is their way of
telling a story and using their imagination.
Technology is about problem solving, designing, re-designing,
finding solutions, and thinking about process (Smorti, 1999, p.7). In my centre
children often paint about something that they have seen, heard or have done in
or outside of the centre. They draw their parents, their pets their friends, or
shapes and figures that are of interest to them. Children explore with colours
mixing them and using paint to explain their stories to us.
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| Finger paint |
I believe this is part of technology as it involves critical
thinking for children, were children develop their emotional, social and
cognitive development this is linked to “Learning through the arts is
beneficial in its own right and contributes to children’s development in all
areas of learning” (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2006, p.xv1).
I believe in my centre as technology plays a small role, I
wanted to introduce a Paint activity that will also encourage children to see
the process behind it, so we made our own paint. I believe technology is an
invention not an analysis of what you create or have created (Smorti, 1999,
p.6). When we made our paint children worked together and talked about the
final solution and problems that we had on the way. This is linked to “In technology,
students explore how people intervene in the world by developing products,
systems, and environments to expand their possibilities” (Ministry of
Education, 2006, p.13). I believe experimental learning encourages children to
develop their enquiring minds, where they can experiment and be able to see the
end result and praise themselves. This is how they build confidence in
themselves.
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| Paint |
I believe if children are presented with the knowledge of
what technology is and how it works this can be easily adaptable by teachers
and children in the centre, children need to be exposed to technology and the
process of creative technology at an early age. This is linked to “Since it has
been established that early experience is important for development, it is now
necessary to establish in more detail the particular qualities of experience
that is required” (Smith, 1998, p.94).
Technology will be learnt by those who see and hear about
technology in their environment, if we use process technology for example my
paint activity then we are encouraging children to adapt to change, be more
welcoming to other technologies to come to the centre. Te whariki says “A child
learns to talk in a setting where adults talk to children and to each other. A
child learns to explore in a setting where exploration is valued and possible.
Learning is about the way in which children perceive and deal with their environment”
(Ministry of Education, 1996, p, 19).
Here is a video that teaches how to make paint, if you are
interested it is a great way to start introducing technology in a centre by
allowing children to know that what we are about to do isn’t science but
technology.
Reference
Retrieved from: http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=child+with+paint+on+hands&start=85&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=760&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=cpm97cE8riihYM:&imgrefurl=http://kiddiewink.com/&docid=FZLAPgMTq_Z8SM&imgurl=http://kiddiewink.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/fingerpaint-680x320.jpg&w=680&h=320&ei=jV84UK3wMsifiAfq4YGYCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=929&vpy=4&dur=80&hovh=154&hovw=327&tx=239&ty=97&sig=101586902518276814607&page=4&tbnh=88&tbnw=186&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:85,i:24
Retrieved from: http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=child+with+paint+on+hands&start=85&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=760&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=cpm97cE8riihYM:&imgrefurl=http://kiddiewink.com/&docid=FZLAPgMTq_Z8SM&imgurl=http://kiddiewink.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/fingerpaint-680x320.jpg&w=680&h=320&ei=jV84UK3wMsifiAfq4YGYCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=929&vpy=4&dur=80&hovh=154&hovw=327&tx=239&ty=97&sig=101586902518276814607&page=4&tbnh=88&tbnw=186&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:85,i:24
Paint Retrieved from: http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=paint&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=760&tbm=isch&tbnid=Jrhl_nbe877HJM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ntp.co.nz/services.aspx&docid=zzdEvv62vI_IsM&imgurl=http://www.ntp.co.nz/images/paint.jpg&w=380&h=316&ei=_l44UJSXN4nNmgXdkYDYCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=621&vpy=201&dur=504&hovh=171&hovw=208&tx=95&ty=81&sig=101586902518276814607&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=197&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:140
Isenberg, J., &
Jalongo, M. (2009). Creative thinking and
arts based learning: Preschool
through fourth grade
(5th ed.). Columbus Ohio, United States of America: Pearson
Ministry
of Education. (1996). Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whāriki: He whāriki
Mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa .Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media
Ministry of Education.
(2006). The New Zealand Curriculum. Draft of consultation 2006.
Wellington, New
Zealand: Learning Media
Smith, A. Understanding
children's development (4th ed.). Wellington, New Zealand. Bridget
Williams books Ltd
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology
in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.
I love paint and the arts and I agree that it fosters children’s emotional needs, cognitive development, imagination and creativity development. However I was finding it hard to connect it to technology. My understanding of paint being technology was long ago they would have used some form of die/paint to communicate with, for example cave drawing. Though when making your own paint I did notice and agree that it helped develop problem solving, critical thinking, and working together developing social skills and talking through the process. On the other hand I was still struggling with the concept of this being a form of non digital technology. It wasn’t until I read your findings in the Technology in Early Childhood by Sue Smorti, (1999) that I learnt it was the process behind the creation of paint being the form of technology not the product of paint, because all forms of technology came from a creative idea and “it is the ‘doing’ that is important, rather than the ‘product’ (Smorti, 1999, p.6).I have never tried making paint before the YouTube clip will come in handy.
ReplyDeleteGood work Ash!
ReplyDeleteI too believe that paint is one of the important part in our lives. It not only brings out child's imagination and also gives him/her chance to show there ideas to the world which otherwise becomes difficult for some shy kids to express in words. For them activities like yours helps ,through which they can explore colours and broaden their horizon of creativity.
Its true that this is the part of technology as painting is a process which starts with imagination, critical thinking and finally producing impressions on the paper or canvas. However, I think as a teacher it becomes our responsibility to think upon the age group we are dealing with for this kind of activity.
I also strongly agree with what Te Whariki says "Talking to children and giving them their own space for exploration helps to enhance learning and thus widen their perception to deal with the environment"(Ministry of Education, 1996, p.16). Painting involves all these as through their painting children not only talk to themselves but also to others.In addition to this they look around, explore their surroundings and therefore become more vigilant about environment.In all it is good to do these kind of brainstorming activities with the children for their overall development.
It is a good reflection on technology learning. Ash, you illustrated how we teach non-digital technology with children through painting. Smorti (1999) states that technology is about design, new thing, creativity, and process (Smorti, 1999). Painting, with it fluid outpouring of bright colours, is an activity that delights young children, thus evokes their imagination (Essa, 1992). Paining as as applied to two-dimensional modelling art refers to the creative process. Teaching technology, the most important is to encourage children being creative. Technology is related to flexibility, divergent thinking, and openness to new ideas. Through the painting activity, children experience the process being creative; they can experiment, enjoy the sensory experience. Smorti (1999) argues that technology does not always result in a product, but it is the process as much as the product that is important of young children (Smorti, 1999).
ReplyDeleteI like the video which you pasted on how to make paints. It is amazing. I just used this way to play with the children in my home centre last week. They love it! It is important the children learn technology while they are having fun.
Ash, you choose a good topic to show us the technology. Children love painting and this is a basic activity in the centre. Te Whariki Strand 4 Goal 4 said that “Children discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive; they develop an ability to be creative and expressive through a variety of activities” (Ministry Of Education, 1996). Children using their imagination to draw everything what they can see. White said that “There are so many things that inspire children to draw, especially things from the living world” (White, 2008, p. 94). I believe that if children want to do the painting, we should not do it for them or not let children just copy teacher’s pictures, and otherwise children’s imagination was limited. We should encouraged children to create their own picture. I believe “creative” is an important part of teaching technology. “Technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments” (Smorti, 1999, p. 5).
ReplyDelete