Reflection two
Technology in the
culture
My centre often provides
cooking session for baking. But I planned
a very new menu for our children to introduce technology in food and
culture. It was noodle salad. I prepared lettuce, tomato, avocado,
cucumber, and carrot. I encouraged
children to use bread knife to cut vegetables into small pieces. Carrot was hard for children to cut, so I
did. Then, I added noodle and home-made
sauce into those chopped vegetables. Then,
it was time to eat. I first showed
children how to use chopsticks properly.
Children attempted to imitate me.
Some children couldn’t pick any noodle with chopsticks, some managed to
hold a little. I know it takes a lot of time and practice to use
chopsticks. I was impressed by some
children’s persistence in learning this new technological skill.
I think it was a very
productive learning experience for the children who are not using chopsticks in
their home life as the activity clearly showed “culturally framed technology”
(Fleer & Jane, 2011, p. 193). It was
certainly a challenge for some children who are not allowed to use knifes at
home or do not use chopsticks for eating.
But I encouraged them to try. In
fact, people have been using knives
as tools to help in food preparation since the Middle Ages which is a period
from AD 500 to around 1500. People in the
Middle Ages used knives with narrow blades and pointed ends to spear their food
and then eat it which was quite dangerous to use at dinner tables. Over the time, in the late 1600s, table
knives became blunter and wider, a shape that made them more useful in catching
the food. (Answers, n.d.). People in
China started to use chopsticks since 1766 BC and the food was cut into tiny pieces, making
them easy to manipulate with a chopstick (About.com, n.d.).
I believe using knifes and chopsticks helped children enhance their technological capabilities. Also, as a teacher, I’m proud I was able to provide technological literacy to the children. According to Fleer & Jane (2011), technology is everywhere in our lives as we use it every day such as building, tools, digital devices, and medicines. We need technology to be efficiently working on the daily basis. I think kitchen utensils are something we use every day with children, so it is easy item for teachers to introduce and explain about technology to the children.
Smorti (1999) also
confirms that cooking process is a technological activity which could be used
by early childhood educators for the purpose of fostering children’s learning
experience. Children improve their
knowledge about “processes and problem solving … physical skills … social and
emotional skills, and languge … educators as sources of information” (p. 6).
Te Whāriki claims that children should
be provided learning opportunities in which they use many different materials
for different purposes so that they enhance their understanding different
technologies can be used in culturally diverse places and settings (Ministry of
Education, 1996). Also, Smorti (1999) points out that
“technology is influenced by the culture or the society in which it occurs” (p.
6).
I believe more and more
non-Asian people are using chopsticks these days and people view chopsticks as
a technological tool not as a simple cultural item. I think all these changes and challenges show
how closely we are all connected with technology. I agree we cannot function properly without
support from technology. That is why
early childhood teachers should consider technological system in their
knowledge and teaching for the purpose of supporting children’s confidence and
competence. We need to help children
explore technology more positively and actively in their learning
experiences.
Reference
About.com. (n.d.). Chinese food. Retrieved from http://chinesefood.about.com/od/restaurantdining/a/chopsticks.htm
Answers. (n.d.). When were knives, forks, and spoons first used?. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/when-were-knives-forks-and-spoons-first-used#ixzz2ODgNV0Gs
Fleer, M., & Jane, B. (2011). Design
and technology for children. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson
Australia.
Google Images. (n.d.).
[Children with chopsticks]. Retrieved from https://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=666&bih=728&q=children+with+chopsticks&oq=children+with+chopsticks&gs_l=img.3...2569.10251.0.11687.24.14.0.10.10.2.213.2107.4j8j2.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.7.img.UO9oG5dz1-c
Google Images. (n.d.).
[Noodle salad]. Retrieved from https://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=666&bih=728&q=children+with+chopsticks&oq=children+with+chopsticks&gs_l=img.3...2569.10251.0.11687.24.14.0.10.10.2.213.2107.4j8j2.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.7.img.UO9oG5dz1-c#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=noodle+salad&oq=noodle+salad&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5l7.60692.67691.0.72416.35.21.0.0.0.6.207.3291.6j10j5.21.0...0.0...1c.1.7.img.8xOUz9dWL6M&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44158598,d.cGE&fp=fb11a9873e6b03a7&biw=666&bih=728
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te
Whāriki, he whāriki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood
curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999).
Technology in early childhood. Early
Education, 1, 5-10.
Interesting facts about how the shape of the knife blades evolved from the 1500’s to 1600’s. “Technology is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 199, p.5). This is clearly evident in how the shape of the knife changed to suit the needs of the people. Cooking is such a good technological experience for children as there is so much learning that can occur. I liked the fact that you introduced chopsticks to the children, demonstrated how to use them and then gave them the opportunity to use them. “If staff are adding cooking implements from a particular culture into the program it is important that children are told the correct name and the correct use of the implements” (Mac Naughton & Williams, 2009, p.221). This broadens children’s knowledge about the culture and avoids misunderstandings that could be offensive or hurtful to other children and adults (Mac Naughton & Williams, 2009). I think it will be great if you provide other opportunities for children to practice using chopsticks so that they have opportunities to master the skill. Technology whether digital or non-digital most definitely makes life easier. I agree with you that teachers need to provide technological experiences for children in the early childhood education centres. Te Whāriki states that in order to participate in the world, children will need to develop their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills (Ministry of Education, 1996). Technology thus plays an important part in the curriculum and teachers need to embrace it.
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ReplyDeleteTino pai Shin! I really like how informative your reflections are. You described in detail why cooking is considered a technological experience as it involves a process to develop a final product (Smorti, 1999). You also considered the technology we use to cook the food, or to eat the food as technological equipment. Technology is products and designs that aid in making our lives easier (Fleer & Jane, 2011). Therefore the cooking equipment that we use is also considered as technology because it helps us throughout the cooking process and the eating! I have learnt that technology does not just consist of digital products, it is so much broader, and you have helped me to understand this further! “Technology is everywhere and we use it everywhere, it is science put into action to solve problems and make humans lives easier” (Fleer & Jane, 2011). I like the way you incorporated your culture within this technology experience and empowered the children to try something new. This can be linked to Te Whāriki; “Children feel confident in taking some responsibility for enquiring and for testing some ideas to solve problems” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.94). I really enjoyed reading about this experience of yours with the children. And you’re cooking sounds delicious!
ReplyDelete“Technology is influenced by the culture or the society in which it occurs” (Smorti, 1999, p. 6). This is an excellent example of technology that is shaped by culture Shin! I have only recently discovered what non-digital technology is and that it is influenced by culture so it is very beneficial for me to see your perspective of it through this reflection. You have provided some useful facts about how the knife has evolved over many, many years to help people eat food more easily. This is a great way to show how technology really is a purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs (Smorti, 1999). It is great to see that you have identified the children’s learning in this experience and can see the benefits of incorporating technology and technological literacy into the children’s everyday lives. Perhaps you might like to provide children with chopsticks at regular kai times to foster their developing skills, and put chopsticks and other cultural items which promote technology from your culture into different areas of your centre such as the family corner.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Shin, your reflection on how your cooking experience relates to technology. I have recently understood the meaning of what is a non-digital technology tool through reading a variety of literature and I believe this quote gives the perfect meaning to what non technology is “technology is about helping people and solving problems” (Smorti, 199, p.5). I like how you gave the example of how the knife changed over the years to better suit the needs of the people, this relates to how technology is not just a product but a necessity for helping others. Cooking provides many opportunities for technological experiences. Like you, I also chose a cultural aspect of how technology is implemented into culture, “technology is influenced by the culture or the society in which it occurs” (Smorti, 1999, p. 6). Your cultural cooking experience was well supported by this quote. I believe your cooking experience is a form of technology, as it allows children to experience developmental skills while offering a creative and challenging learning experience. Teachers need to provide meaningful and valuable environment that supports technology because it provides opportunities to support and enhance children to problem solve, use imagination and being creative individuals. The ability to represent their discoveries, using creative and expressive media, “children use a variety of technologies for different purposes as they explore their world” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p, 98).
ReplyDeleteReference List:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smori, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.
Shin, I really enjoyed reading your reflection, you have put a lot of detail into how cooking is technology. I like how you have brought your culture into the children's cooking experience.Yes it takes a long time and very challenging to learn how to use chop sticks,I am still learning. The children are been creative, problem solving and they are learning technology through a different culture's way of cooking and how to eat the food by using chop sticks."Technology is influenced by the culture or the society in which it occurs" (Smorti,1999, p.6).
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about how and when people started using knifes to eat and to improve on what they have to were we are today. As you explained, and the children using knifes and chop sticks in there cooking experiment. "Children develop, the ability to represent their discoveries using creative and expressive media and the technology associated with them" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88).