Emergent Curriculum (Planning) at Next Generation

http://www.nextgenerationchildcare.co.nz

ICT can be defined as “anything which allows us to get information, to communicate with each other, or to have an effect on the environment using electronic or digital equipment” (Siraj-Blatchford & Siraj-Blatchford, 2003)

• Next Generation were involved in the Ministry of Education ICT Pilot Project

• In 2005 our love affair with ICT began…

Sub Questions Will providing opportunities for teachers to increase the level of ICT competence

strengthen the reciprocal communication and relationships in our centre for children, whanau and the wider community?

How can we strengthen levels of communication and relationships in our centre for

children, whanau, teachers and the wider community through the use of email? How can we strengthen levels of communication and relationships in our centre for

children, whanau, teachers and the wider community through our website? Will a parent evening be a successful way to further strengthen levels of reciprocal

communication in our centre?

Our Research Question How can we strengthen levels of reciprocal

communication and relationships in our centre for children, whanau, teachers and the wider community through the use of ICT?

“It has been about understanding who the critical partners are in a child’s life and developing these relationships.”

“It has been about developing new ways of working with new

technologies to achieve the best outcomes.” “We believe ICT use can promote collaboration, cooperation and

positive learning experiences between children and adults.” “It’s about adults learning along side children learning.”

Gen Z: Child of our times By Greg Dixon Saturday May 3, 2014

They’re the kids born totally wired, the first generation who will spend their whole lives in a world where the planet’s accumulated wisdom is available instantly at the touch of a finger.

"Generation Z are well and truly digital natives, having been born into a world with the technology already so advanced and ingrained in daily life," says Dr Philippa Smith, executive director of the World Internet Project New Zealand (WIPNZ), the Kiwi end of a biannual global survey done here through AUT's Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication. "They are unlikely to have experienced a life without some form of new media technology around them. If they don't have it at home, they are certainly surrounded by it everywhere else. It's difficult to escape - and perhaps to live without." "They're the instant generation."

Dubbed by alphabetical necessity "Generation Z", they have been raised in a world of instant information and instant gratification - at the touch or pinch of their pudgy little fingers.

What sparked the idea?

• Discussion at ‘Our ICT Journey’ staff meeting sparked ideas about how we could use ICT in our programme

• Sophie had her laptop downstairs, looking at pictures of snails online and her grandparents skyped her. She answered and all the children crowded around the computer, fascinated by what was happening.

What we did to record the moment? • Photographs • Learning Stories that were then blogged • Videos • Discussions with staff to get ideas

Initially Sophie, her grandparents and the children. Since then we have involved all staff and children at all centres. Ideas for ways to use Skype have since evolved to include: • Skyping upstairs to downstairs • Skyping between centres • Skyping parents and whānau whilst at home and work • Skyping staff whilst they are away • New centre/old friends

• We had a child with grandparents in Canada • I went on practicum to a Kindergarten in Dargaville • We had a family of three children go to Ireland for a month over

Christmas • Babies centre – upstairs/downstairs • Parents while they are at work and away • New centre/old friends • Communicating with an ex staff member who now works in Australia • Canadian Skype project – links in with our current topic The Treaty

This experience enabled the babies to see what the toddlers were doing and vice versa “expanding experiences and understandings of people, places, events, and things” (MoE, 1996, p. 21).

Video of Skype session

Blowing kisses

This experience is enabling the children to experience a “widening social interaction, and development of a sense of others” (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996, p. 21).

Video of the downstairs perspective

Zara was on practicum for a month at Selwyn Park Kindergarten in Dargaville. Upon returning to Next Generation Roman said to Zara, “We haven’t seen you for a long time, but we saw you on Skype!”

This type of interaction is giving the children “increasing competence with techniques for communication and with tools for symbolising and representing, and increasing ability to use logic and abstract thinking” (MoE, 1996, p.21).

Fagan and Coutts (n.d) from Core Education discuss a number of studies in relation to ICT in ECE and conclude that “ICT can enrich or transform the everyday learning, roles and relationships experienced by young children and ICTs work well in supporting communication and collaboration, creativity, socio-‐dramatic play and learning to learn (metacognition)” (pg. 2).

• Helping with transition • Social, relationships and communication • Cooperation between centres • Learning new skills • Links to the outside world • The MoE (2012) state on their website under the heading ‘suggested equipment

for children who are under two years old’ that skype can be used as part of the “interests and passions of your children and community”. They also state, “ICT provides huge potential for family engagement with children’s learning” (para. 5).

Our Skype video penpal project has been a huge success so far! Our students here in Toronto, Canada have enjoyed sending messages back and forth with their new friends in Auckland, New Zealand. It is an opportunity for students to see how kids their age live in another part of the world. Students have been sharing information about their climate, their hobbies, their favourite things, and even what they like to eat for breakfast! Videos have often led to further inquiry among students as well, as they often want to learn more about a particular bit of information shared with them. For example, our Canadian students were very curious about the kiwi fruit shared in one of the videos, which led to our tasting of the kiwi fruit and learning about other types of fruit from around the world. We are very excited about this project and look forward to sharing more Skype video messages with our new friends!

Laura Newell Kindergarten Teacher

Brandon Gate Public School Peel District School Board

Toronto, Canada

• In early childcare it is about the educators providing children with surroundings that promote their learning holistically. At Next Generation we incorporate all aspects of Te Whāriki within our teaching programmes. This allows us to look at the big picture and incorporate all children’s individual needs.

• I work in the under two centre and recently we have started Skyping the over two centre, where the children

move onto when they turn two, so we are privileged to be a part of the children’s lives for sometimes up to 4 ½ years. We also have siblings in both centres so when we Skype some of the children are able to see each other during the day. The excitement and overwhelming buzz on the children’s faces is priceless.

• As well as this they get to see their friends that have turned two before them, this also provides the

children with enjoyment and the opportunity to keep their friendships established before they turn two and join them in their new adventure.

• Giving children the opportunity to Skype incorporates Te Whāriki in many ways:

• Exploration Goal 3 where “children experience an environment where they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking, and reasoning”.

• Communication Goal 4 supports Skype by “children experience an environment where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive.”

• Belonging Goal 1 supports Skype by “Children and their families experience an environment where connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended”.

By Kath Andrews

• Professional Development • Networking with all centres • Developing our use of technology further through iPads,

webcams, pro scopes and cameras – • “Photographs can support and serve as prompts for high-

quality discussions and increase children’s confidence in expressing their views. As children take photographs, they interact with their peers and others in new ways” (Blagojevic & Thomes, 2009, p. 15).

It’s about smooth integration rather than a topic on its own. Like anything else in our centre Skype has become a tool to use on the journey of learning not the sole lesson.

The doors to outside are always open, the children can go in and out as they please. We feel the environment is the third teacher.

Or this

But it is embedded within our emergent curriculum

• Close up segment on technology in ECE settings. Is it appropriate?

http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/techno-toddlers-video-4972341 • Ipad use in early childhood settings http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10829371

• Blagojevic, B., & Thomes, K. (2009). Young photographers. In D. Koralek (Eds.), Spotlight on teaching preschoolers. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

• Dixon, G. (2014). Gen Z: Child of our times. Retrieved May 5, 2014 from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11247694

• Fagan, T., & Coutts, T. (n.d). To ipad or not to ipad. New Zealand: Core education. Retrieved from http://core-ed.org/sites/core-ed.org/files/Fagan-Coutts-iPad-research.pdf

• Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō nga mokopuna o Aotearoa/ Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

• Ministry of Education. (2012). Basis of design. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.lead.ece.govt.nz/ManagementInformation/ICTInfrastrusture/ICTInfrastructureNetworking/BasisOfDesign.aspx

• Ministry of Education. (2012). Suggested equipment for children who are under two years old. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://www.lead.ece.govt.nz/ManagementInformation/EstablishingAnECEService/EstablishingACentreBasedService/FurnitureFittingsEquipment/SuggestedEquipmentForLicensedECEServices/SuggestedEquipmentForChildrenWhoAreUnderTwoYearsOld.aspx