In the outdoors the infants and toddlers have access to motorbikes to ride on to help increase their muscles and physical development.
Ministry of Education (1996) explains how it is important for toddlers to have access of a variety of equipment that will further enhance their fine and gross motor skills. I understand the children use these as a source to get around with. I see how it helps them to develop their gross motor skills, coordination skills and balance. When I started observing the children using this non digital technology tool, I noticed some of them could not get onto the bikes properly. They tried getting on backwards and got frustrated when they wondered why they could not balance properly and soon tumbled off. Smorti (1999) talks about how technology is used to solve problems and help people. I recognised this was a challenge for the children learning to ride the bikes and they needed to develop the right skills to be able to get on the bike correctly and be able to ride it. The children have taught me that they all learn in different ways in their own time.
By actually watching the children I realised few of the children could not manoeuvre the bikes to go to where they wanted. Watching the children bang into the walls and obstacles in the playground allowed me to realise not all children were able to manipulate the bikes to go where they wanted to go. I helped the children when they got stuck by talking to them about where they should go next and how they would. I do not like to tell the children what to do and do the problem solving for them.
After awhile of practicing I learnt the children were able to find their sense of direction and had more confidence in controlling the bikes to go where they wanted. “Through the technological knowledge strand, students develop knowledge particular to technological enterprises and environments and understandings of how and why things work” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p.32). I believe through these bikes children are able to learn about movement and as the children like to turn the bikes over to examine how the wheels work by spinning it around. Santrock (2009) says “the key skills in learning to walk appear to be stabilizing balance on one leg long enough to swing the other forward and shifting the weight without falling” (p. 130).
I feel this piece of non digital technology is a good learning aide for the children who are crawling or just beginning to walk as, it helps them develop strength in their legs, while providing them with a sense of security. “They gain confidence in and control of their bodies” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.82).
A challenge I found with this non technological tool is that a lot of the children who were just beginning to walk needed help getting started to ride the bikes as they hoped on them and expected to just go. Ministry of Education states “growing experience in solving problems together develops children’s understanding of how technologies can help them and others” (P. 96). The staff and I needed to spend some one on one time helping the children learn what to do with their feet and how to steer the bike once they were able to use their feet to push them around.
Reference List:
Ministry of Education, (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Santrock, J.W. (2009). Lifespan development (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 15-10.
Websites:
Squido-Motrobike. Retrieved 15 March 2012 from,
Traceyssimpleshoes. Retrieved 15 March 2012 from,
Children’s motorbikes for all. Retrieved 15 March 2012 from,
Milestones-of-babies. Retrieved 15 March 2012,
Toddlertricylces. Retrieved 15 March 2012 from,
Kia Ora Ellisha,
ReplyDeleteAs an infant and toddler teacher, I can relate to the challenges that you have discussed in this reflection. Balance and coordination is a very hard skill for infants and toddlers to master, and it is great to be able to read how you learnt this and how it can affect the children during their play and learn time. It is excellent to read you thinking about all of the different problem solving skills children have to engage in as they use these non digital pieces of technology. I wonder what other pieces of non digital technology these children use that often test or encourage their physical movement and development? It is often a very simple tool, which aids your teaching skills. You have gone really in depth with your learning as well as tracing the piece of technology right back to the groundings of its creation. Keep it up Ellisha!
Hey Ellisha
ReplyDeleteWow what a great reflection Ellisha you have clearly explained all the children’s learning, from this experience but not only that you have gained understanding of how this technology is so helpful for children’s learning and development. I really liked how you stated you don’t like to tell the children what to do or how to do it, this is a great teaching technique as it allows the children to explore the piece of technology and learn how to do it on their own. Does your centre have bikes that have more that 2 wheels to help the younger children use the bikes? You have a large amount of links in you reflection that associates well to your thinking and learning. I really thought this reflection was interesting to read and I have gained a lot of information myself from reading it, well done Ellisha :)
Kia Ora Ellisha,
ReplyDeleteWell done on a well reflected non digital learning experience. You included a range of learning that the children were able to extend from. I liked how you saw a challenge and you figured out as a team how you would overcome this. You also described the challenges the children had to encounter which at that age can be difficult to find solutions to. I wonder if there is other equipment and activities you could set up to foster overcoming difficult tasks. I agree that in these situations taking less of a teaching role is vital to be able to problem solve by themselves. It’s great that you revisited and practiced riding the bikes with them so they could become familiar and develop their physical skills. Is there other non digital technology in your centre that supports their coordination and balance skills? Your experience was clearly written which made it easy to picture. Well written reflection Ellisha, cannot wait to read your next. Keep up the good work!
Hi Ellisha
ReplyDeleteI found your reflection on the use of motor bikes with infants and toddlers very interesting. I really liked the way that you reflected on your own personal learning as well as the learning the infants and toddlers gained through this activity. This showed me that you really thought about what you were learning while this activity was happening. I really liked the way you let the infants and toddlers firstly have the chance to figure out by themselves what they were going to do and how they would try to solve their problem before you intervened. I thought that it was great that you and your colleagues are taking the time to work one on one with the children to help develop their skills in regards to where their feet go and steering the bike. Is there any ways you have noticed how you could further enhance the infants and toddlers motorbike experiences? Is there any obstacles or activities you can further develop from this experience? Overall this is a great reflection and I am looking forward to seeing your next one.