Change is in the air

Since my last blog post there have been many changes to my situation. I have resigned from my position as Head Teacher at Manaia Kindergaten. It was time!  I had been at Manaia for 10years. I continue to love the kindergarten, its community and the teaching team, but it was time to refresh my batteries and experience new adventures.

 I am currently working as a relieving teacher for the Northland Kindergarten Association. It has been the best professional development I could have hoped for and I highly recommend that others do the same. If you have a teaching job and just want to explore other ece's - talk to your management about a few days of professional development to visit other kindergartens or centres. Don't pop in for a few hours - take 3 days and visit 3 different centres. At the very least, do that.

As I move from kindergarten to kindergarten I am being asked to provide some ICT support - which of course I am happy to do in the context of the day. I am amazed how much ICT comes up in my practice - particularly trying to capture children's voice. I don't need to encourage children to share their stories, children I am new to are eager to tell me their stories. I video, take photos and type their words onto the photos when appropriate. Wherever possible I try to use the kindergarten's cameras, iPods and iPads. I have been surprised at the technology kindergartens have and how they are using it.

My interest has been spiked. What 'latest' technologies do early childhood centres have in new zealand and around the world? And how are they using their technologies?

How about you and your ece?
What do you have in the way of digital technology and how confident do you feel you are using it?
Are the digital technologies offering you and the children the extended learning opportunities you had hoped for?

Please be honest and if you want to remain anonymous you do have that option when posting a comment.




 PS: Another change in the air - its election year. Lets make that count!! More on that later.

When the computers go down!

The beginning of the 2009 year at Manaia Kindergarten, began at first with a bolt of fresh air. We had lovely sunny days and 8 new families at kindergarten. Our roll call topped 23 after a week or so of low numbers. It took just a day for new children to begin to explore the digital world. The cameras came out and newbies were recording their first few days through photography... photographing their first impressions of mat time, photographing the environment and new friends, photographing interests from home and sharing the photos at Kindergarten.

And then the computers went down...

Our two computers we use to create movies, upload to the blog, and email - just crashed.

I felt like we had lost a limb - In the light of our ICT project and new families excited by the possibilities, the lack of two vital computers seemed crippling.

Fortunately at Manaia we do have more than two computers and the laptops were shuffled around to accommodate. Some movies were uploaded on home computers, and we stumbled forward.

But the experience brought interesting reflections. I 'needed' to solve the problems that arose - loading photos so that we could access them again in a logical manner when the computers returned (this took a week), then re-downloading software such as Photostory and Comic Life, discovering, finding, reloading missing plug-ins, sorting codec's (which I still don't understand - never needed them on my mac)... As a problem solver I found it hard at first to move on. If you have ever watched somegreybloke, here he is expressing some of the frustration I felt.. "The Internets gone down" (warning: some inappropriate content - the first minute or two is quite relevant!! PS a new window/tab will open)

You'll be pleased to hear the children at Manaia Kindergarten continued to learn!! A downturn in technology did not equate to a downturn in learning. But it did occur to me - as education becomes more and more entwined in technology - what will happen when the computer/internet goes down? Will WE be able to switch off and learn/teach the old way? Is it even possible!! And can technology cause mass disruption in an education setting? Or is that just scare mongering?

Check out the possibilities via this news caste


- and how this may be played out for young professionals or not so professionals (ok - prehaps a little over the top! warning content may offend)
Certainly a far cry from beginning 2009 with Wisdom!!

These scenarios are good for a laugh - however have you experienced significant downtime with technology in your education setting? Are the above questions relevant? What are your thoughts?

What does Blogging offer children's education?

Once again the teachers of Manaia Kindergarten, along with other Early Childhood teachers who are part of the ICT ECE PL Program, spent a great Saturday presenting and sharing ICT initiatives and resources to 180 ECE teachers from around the North Island. And once again we found it inspiring and motivating with the added element of meeting new people and new theories and ideas.

One resource we like to promote for Early Childhood centres and schools, is blogging. This is a FREE resource and provides children/students with a new medium for self expression, story telling, celebrating achievements (be it final results or showcasing their determination and enjoyment of learning), and to teach others what they themselves have recently learned. Blogging provides a number of positive elements that traditional forms of writing, self expression and teaching are unable to offer.

The first is that blogging provides an authentic audience. It is not just the teacher who assesses children's learning. It is not just the Mums, Dads and Grandparents who smile with pride at their children's progress proudly displayed on the kitchen fridge (although both the afore-mentioned are naturally and vitally important). There is however, a world of bloggers, blog readers, children and educators who are addressed, considered, and valued by children who blog. And the idea that there are people out there and are interested, is easily accepted by the C generation. For young children, their own learning and achievements are the central parts of their world and they naturally accept that their learning and achievements are central parts of your world too!! They are all eager to share accomplishments with you.

I have not noticed children blogging for comments. Checking the blog (or checking with teachers) to see if comments have been left on their posts is not the first port of call when they arrive at Kindergarten. The swings and sandpit still rank high as the activities of choice! However they are stoked, chuffed, overjoyed when a comment is left by a loved one, by friends and actually by anyone who shows an interest in their contributions. Both known and unknown commentators are valued as comments invite children into the global conversation and recognise children's contributions on a level playing field.

Those interested in education, of students achieving goals, for those who value displays of determination - you are given a unique opportunity to encourage, to respond, and generally to contribute to individual children's learning, and to communities of children at schools, at home and at kindergartens around the world.

So my challenge for you is - Have you left a child an encouraging comment on their blog this week?


Manaia Kindergarten
Hunter Park Kindergarten
Geraldine Kindergarten
Whangarei Heads Primary
Parua Bay Primary

The Benefits of Technology in Education

Having recently attended ULearn08 in Christchurch, and presented at this inspiring conference, I again came home excited about the future of education. The possibilities seem to expand with every passing year and I am amazed as I reflect and realise that actually the possibilities for us as a kindergarten continue to expand. Everytime our children assess their own learning, and challenge us with questions and responses to technology, we are amazed by their own expectations and desire for learning. Here are some real life examples:

Digital Dexterity
A few years ago a young boy came to me with his completed work of digital art and my expectation had been that I would either type his name at the bottom, or print the picture and have write his name himself on the paper page. It was with renewed expectation about children's mouse skills that I appreciated how he wrote his name in green digital ink on the digital page. His very matter of fact satisfaction with his newly developed skill paved the way for himself and other children to extend their own possibilities.

Learners as Teachers
One four year old girl had just finished making her PhotoStory3 movie and she wanted to change the colour of her text on the movie. A few runs through that process with the adult teacher and soon this four year old was teaching her friends. When introduced to other programmes they recognised a difference in the programme interface and wanted to explore the slightly different method of changing the colour of the text. The pride in this young girls face as she taught her peers, and her matter of fact satisfaction when her friend also acquired this skill took us all to a higher level of expectation and possibilities.

A young blogger expects Web2.0 capabilites
A four year old leaned out the window at Kindergarten and said "Hey Beverly, I left a comment on the blog" - and she had! This same girl wanted to see on the computer, the school she was to attend when she turned five. When the website was downloaded by an adult teacher, the four year old searched the page and said "Hey, where can I leave a comment?" - unfortunately the school had not yet entered this young girls world of Web2.0. When she finally arrived at school on her 5th birthday, this new entrant handed over the kindergarten business card and said "This is my blog address, you will be needing that!"


What are the benefits?
You might read the above examples and wonder how they answer such a question. These are but small instances highlighting the impact of ICT on children as they assess their own learning, explore with fascination and expectation at what computers can do for them. This expectation goes with them to school. They have a level of expectation about their learning that is best supported through the use of ICT in education. Technology is an invaluable asset when we begin to explore what ICT can do for us and our students, and when we begin to view education as a collaborative, relevant, living opportunity.

Also Read:
What are the benefits of Technology in Education? Practical processes children use when engaging with technology including a list of links to kindergartens and schools who blog about their technology learning and their open exploration of education in all areas.

Are you - Generation C ? ...........................You could be!

"It's not that children are interested in technology. Its that they are interested in what technology can do for them"

We are talking about the new generation. This could mean YOU.
"Generation C is not age defined but means those who are CONNECTED, COLLABORATING, CONTRIBUTING, COMMUNICATING"
Matt Headland, MTV
Quote from interview on Radio New Zealand's National programme

As an educator you are sure to have Generation C students. You could join them. Get connected, take the risk and contribute, collaborate - get communicating with new technology. Its the only logical way ahead for education.

ULearn08 - 21Century Shift - Joan Dalton

What a dynamic speaker and a presenter of challenging thoughts. We all know that education is on the brink of huge change - Joan has visualised this in a very practical way. Looking back to the beginning of the 21century in 30years time what will we think of the classroom with four walls, one teacher and a set curriculum... when technology can connect the world, the students, the experts, each of any age or position in life. Young children teaching artists, primary children teaching the young mums and dads, students learning what they want when they want it because the resources will be (and in many cases already are) at our finger tips. "The world has changed, learning is limitless!" - J.Dalton

You will need high tolerance for experimentation and trial and error - risk takers will lead the way knowing that failure is ok - through trial and error we learn.
As teachers we need to facilitate and be language masters and inquirers. Lets grab the world of possiblities and get rid of words like "but...". "I Want you to...", "I'm going to give you some information that...." These comments assume the power stays with the teacher. We need to use a language of possibilities, the language of invitation , the language of inquiry and inclusion.That way we help children to self instruct - and maybe with these tools children will not lean towards self destruction.

Give yourself license to play - encourage play with possibilities
Believe in yourself.
Be wise - wise of mind, wise of heart, wise of soul.

A Whole New Mind - Daniel Pink

Return to NZ - Still connected to the network

What a fantastic experience I had in Italy and the Uk with my family. It was great to see we were still able to pick up where we left off - all together. Our physical network has been made stronger and we are still connected - emailing, skyping, sharing blogs. They are not that far away...

One thing I noticed while chatting late at night with my neice and interacting with my nephew, being involved in his correspondence schooling - is that technology in education is not a theory! It is real, it is happening, and the children are involved, engaged and using the technology in anyway they can.

Today I am sitting in the ULearn08 Christchurch auditorium. What I saw in my immediate family in Italy and the UK - is being talked about here in New Zealand in this keynote presentation. My nieces 14yrs and 16yrs are part of the technology network. I wander what guidance they have had to use these networks to create networks, to help them put their best foot forward in the social online globe, how are they using this technology to learn, grow, share, colaborate, prepare. I am hugely impressed by their abilities with technology - my hope is that their teachers guide them in a trustworthy way to gain the best for them. I am also incredibly proud of my 10year old nephew who is making fantastic leaps forward in his use of technology, putting his best work online, sharing his knowledge with others, networking with others in the online New Zealand correspondence community, extending his community by responding to the professionals who have been inspired by his blog, knowledge, and leadership in the online world of education... he is putting his best foot forward and creating his learning community.

Manaia Kindergarten Presentation

We at Manaia Kindergarten, are working towards a keynote presentation for CORE Eds ULearnO8 Conference. We are sharing the platform with other like minded professionals across the education sector. Our aim is to share with others what we are doing at Manaia Kindergarten, and hopefully inspire others in their ICT journey.

So what are we doing at Manaia Kindergarten? Well check out our blog for starters. Our aim was to build community - check out our Kindergarten blog and see if you agree that this tool is achieving this aim. At Ulearn we have 15mins to capture the excitement that is happening in our community... If you want to know more, at this stage , come along to ULearn. Just 15 mins - that's a challenge!

And then I came across this today in my professional reading - The Machine is Us by Dr. Michael Wesch. It is not altogether new (2yrs old is old on the web) - but I find it interesting as it succinctly (in 4mins) tells the story of what is happening with as a result of digital text. It is powerful! It makes you think. It sketches an inspiring exciting future. And it is succinct! Succinct is good. Succinct is powerful. It also encourages me to believe that the task ahead of us is possible, as much as the research we began (2yrs ago) has been powerful -it has been possible with the use of powerful tools... digital text.

Explore more of Michael Wesch's ideas here on the ICT ECE blog.

Ken Robinson

This talk from Ken Robinson may be a few years old - but definitely a good watch. What seems like an obvious way forward for education, seems to be a new idea for so many. Sir Ken Robinson, doesn't so much give a definitive view on what education should look like, but rather poses some reflective questions about education today. I have felt for some time that early childhood is on a good road. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the school system followed the lead of Early Childhood Education, by following children's interests, strengths and the tools that come so naturally to them, as a vehicle to teach them many of life's necessities. And along the way wouldn't children develop a passion for learning, because they are learning about things that interest them. And wouldn't it be great if assessment did not consist of a hall filled with rows of desks, shuffling papers, tension, stress, and a pass or fail. But rather wouldn't it be great if children could be encouraged through positive assessment practices, and scaffolded by teachers who are passionate because there are sharing their strengths and interests. Because isn't it that which is important - the knowledge, skill and passion TO LEARN - and not the actual data we throw at them? Because the data we feed them today, will probably not be the data they need for tomorrow...

Here's Ken Robinson's take from TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design)

Also check out Ken Robinson's views on National Standards