Singing & Dancing Along Time...with the computer
26/08/2011
It has been a practice at the preschool where I am working, the use of video is very popular both among the staff and the children. Clearly I have observed that it is used frequently and relied on heavily for singing and dancing along activities.My question was how does this enhance children's learning? and is it a good practice to use it every single day at the center? These are one or two questions I often asked myself whenever I saw the projector screen came on. How many times I have wondered why and ponder about it, it is in use every single day. If it is not use during the morning, it will be during the afternoon.
That morning, when I arrived, two boys child D and child C were sitting at the computer going through some videos on You Tube. There was a selection of videos that was saved onto the school computer so the two boys were selecting the ones they were wanting to watch. Child D was moving the mouse and clicking one video at a time. They both choose a music video song that has been so popular over the radio and television since the last two years by Justin Bieber, a song called "Baby, Baby, Baby Oh" and they began dancing and singing along to it. I was impressed and amazed at how they try to copy the way the artist sing and move. I did joined a little and so were other children around.
One thing I have come to notice is that I have seen teachers using computers in a passive way which I would describe as being almost like a babysitting device. As quoted by McNaughton and Williams that teachers should...be sensitively attuned to children's abilities, interests and strengths, and remain accessible enough to provide appropriate scaffolding (McNaughton & Williams, 2008, p.370).
I reflected on this practice and I feel that the computer along is not enough to teach the child anything as much. I wondered if this was because the teacher is unsure of how to use the computer and could perhaps feel out of her depth. I feel it is vital that we teachers need to be there to scaffold the children in order to enhance their learning development.
Reference
MacNaughton,G., & Williams, G. (2008). Teaching techniques for teaching young children, Choices for theory and practice. (3rd ed). Australia: Pearson Education Australia.
*image is from my practicum centre
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ReplyDeleteThe fact that the children use the computer to choose what video songs they want to watch in order to copy the dance moves is really good. However, I also agree with you that the teachers being there to scaffold their learning is even better. When teachers engage with children using the computer to extend upon their knowledge and skills, it becomes a useful educational tool rather than a babysitting device (Lee, Hatherly & Ramsey, 2002; Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003). This can be done by the teachers extending further upon the children's interests, for example, hosting a dancing competition within the centre, or getting the children to teach the teachers and other children what they already know. You could even get a dance teacher or someone who is pretty good at dancing into the centre to teach the children some moves too - there are so many possibilities. Any of these interactions can then be video recorded and downloaded by the teachers and children onto the computer or dvd's for the children, whanau and teachers to watch and revisit the learning taking place. In regards to the teachers computer competency, it is important for them to broaden their "understanding of technology..." and extend their own "knowledge and skills" in order to effectively scaffold and extend the children's learning (Smorti, 1999, p. 5). “When teachers feel they don’t need to be familiar with computers or engaged in the process of helping children reflect on what they are learning while using the computer, the value of the technology is seriously diminished” (Tsantis, Bewick & Thouvenelle, 2003, p. 4).
ReplyDeleteWow it sounds like the children had fun listening to the music and trying to follow the dance moves. I think this is great as it is a great way children can express themselves even if it is through copying dance moves, but through copying dance moves to begin with could lead to the child coming up with their own ideas on what they could do and how they can do their own dance moves. I do agree with you that sometimes computers are seen as a babysitting device and that is where teachers need to be more engaged with children at computers so that computers don't become a babysitting device.It was great that the children felt confident and competent enough to move around the computer to find the songs they wanted to listen to. To extend on the children's interest in dancing, the children could learn the dance moves to the song they like or make their own dance routine to a song they like and video record it. That way the children can watch it back and dance along to it. It sounds like the children really enjoyed themselves, Great Job Lorraine!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool experience for the children to be apart of. I think it's great how you have let the children express themselves to music by letting them choose songs that they want to sing and dance to. They can choose whether they want to copy the dancing style of the singer or make up their own moves. I believe music is very important for children to engage in it helps them express themselves and express their emotions and feelings.I agree with Tamelia in how you could extend this interest by letting the children make their own dance routine and video record it. This will help them feel they are capable of making something meaningful to them. It will also help them feel confident. Well done Lorraine!
ReplyDeleteSerena,
ReplyDeleteWow Lorraine, you and the children in your centre are so fortunate to have a computer with a projector there are endless opportunities for learning I wish we had one at my centre. The fact that D and C have learnt and now know how to access which video they want to watch and play it on the projector shows me that they have the skills and confidence to use them.
"Graham and Banks argue that research about what actually happens when computers are available to children in early childhood education settings is needed in order for practitioners to make good judgements about how, and when, to use computers with young children. In such studies, practitioners generally feature in a passive supervisory role. Research of this type often leads to recommendations about the roles that adults could or should play in order to support and scaffold children’s interactions. For example, guidance to help adults to create collaborative environments around the computer, to ensure that all children have adequate access and support to use the computer, and to ensure that children’s computer interactions are meaningful and have a learning purpose." (Ministry of Education, 2004, p.14).
I myself believe that this type of technology definately has a place in early childhood learning with the guidance of teachers and at times that are appropriate. The management of this resource should be worked in with an all round view on exploration of both the indoors and outdoors as equal parts of early learning. Great resource could be very handy for children when videotaping themselves in play and playing video back or pictures from camera. Awesome.