Painting non –digital technology

In my early childhood centre children explore different types of non- digital technologies.  Technology is about helping people and solving problems (Smorti, 19990). Technology helps children to develop creative and critical thinking skills (Ministry of Education, 1996). One of the technologies that children develop to experience every day in the early child hood centre is painting. Painting comes under creative play. Through creative play or painting children express their hidden feelings and expressions. Te Whariki states “children gain experience in using communication technologies such as paint, brushes, crayons chalks, pencils, books, and computer” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.97).

It was a nice sunny day and my head teacher had said to me that the babies are learning about painting so I decided to do a learning experience with using painting today so that the babies can explore through this non- digital technology. I went into the cupboard where we keep the different paints, paper and brushes and I chose four different colours to put in to the clean paint tray. I found paper, brushes and feathers. I put the colours in the paint tray and then put it onto the table with the papers, brushes and babies. Essentially anything that could be dipped in to the paint and be printed on to paper to form different pictures.

I put some feathers for the children to pick up and dip into the paint. While observing the children using the equipment on the table to make colour pictures, I noticed a couple of babies were dipping the brush i to the paint and then onto their fingers and faces, they also dragged the brush down the paper to make some designs. I also coloured the baby‘s fingers and we did finger painting. “Educators can support children’s learning by being available to give assistance when needed and to provide physical or verbal support” (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, & Farmer, 2008, p.329). Through this experience of painting children develop numerous skills and also express their hidden feelings and expressions. Children experience an environment where they develop verbal and non- verbal communication skills. Children develop ability to express their feelings and emotions in a range of purpose (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.74).

Through this children can explore their knowledge through painting. “Children develop the confidence to choose and experiment with material, to play around with ideas, and to explore actively with all the senses” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88). Through this experience children can be more creative in many ways such as colour texture, experiment with colours, test of colour, and colour of the brush. “Technology makes enterprising use of its own specific knowledge and skills, together with those of other disciplines. Graphics and other methods of visual representation offer important tools for communication and exploration” (The New Zealand Curriculum, 2007, p.32).

It was great fun for the children. I also enjoyed these experiences with the children. As a student teacher I felt we should provide different learning opportunities for them and observe them further to see what they do. As a teacher facilitating children’s learning, I used support by observing the way children approach a specific task and how they pay attention to the resources that are made to them to take the next step up from the previous task and take on a few challenges (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). Reflective practice helps challenge and change your thinking and gain new skills for teaching and your practice becomes more fulfilling as you realise you are providing more appropriate learning opportunities for the children (O’ Connor & Diggins, 2002).

To see a video on children doing painting, click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vREA24Rn8I

References:-

Images: Retrieved 15/04/12 from Google Images www.google.co.nz

McNaughton, G., & Williams, G.  (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Melbourne,Vic.: Addison Wesley Longman.

     Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He whāriki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Āotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. New Zealand: Learning Media.

O’Connor, A., & Diggins, C. (2002). On reflection: Reflective practice for early childhood educators. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Open Mind Publishing.

Smorti, S. (1999, Autumn) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 19.