Blocks
Blocks as Technology
One of the favourite resources
in our room is the blocks. We have a block area where our wooden blocks of all
shapes and sizes are located. The children love this area and spend a lot of
time building their creations here, whether they be big or small. One thing
that I have noticed is that the children are currently loving the sound that
the blocs make. They have been building high tower to push over to hear the
thump as they fall, banging to blocks together to hear the bang as they knock
or hitting them against something else to see what noise they will make. “Children
need an environment where they can express themselves in an open and free way (Ministry
of education, 1997, P. 63).
Another way we use
blocks within our room is putting our big blocks in the sandpit. These are big
soft rubber blocks that can join together to make different things. The
children love using these blocks to create castles and forts, their imaginative
play sparking from this (Ministry of education, 2007). Research shows that
blocks have many more significant values. For example they help improve
children’s speech and social skills as they interact with others while building
and they help children with their hand eye coordination skills as they place
block on top of block (Dewar,2012).
Rachel Keen (2012)
states “Teachers need to design an environment that encourages problem solving
from a young age”. That is exactly what the block area does. It gives children
the opportunity to solve how to make the blocks balance on top of each other,
to solve how to make their tower taller and wider (Dewar, 2012). Ministry of
education (1997) talk’s about how teachers have to build an environment that
allows children to solve, explore and make sense of the world around them. I
find that by having blocks set up in different environments each day we meet
this goal set as a block could be anything that the heart desires.
When first starting
this assignment I would not have believed that a block could be classed as technology.
Where do you plug it in? But after reading Smorti (2012) that states technology
is anything that help someone and helps problem solve. Even looking at the way
that the block came about is technology on its own. Originally developed from a
tree turned into different shapes and lengths for stacking and building. Then
melting plastic and moulding it into different shapes and colours for stacking
locks. It’s amazing how far technology has come with one simple toy and how
before my first people, places and things class I was blind to how this was
done.
I believe now that
blocks fit strongly under the title technology as they help children explore,
discover and solve the world round them. They are a vital resource for every
centre as thy offer so much for children and are a crucial learning tool. Through
my journey of technology so far I am stating to really understand just how
important technology is and what it really means.
References:
G, Dewar. (2012). Toy blocks and construction toys. Retrieve
from: http://www.parentingscience.com/toy-blocks.html
Ministry of
Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He Whāriki Mātauranga mo nga Mokopuna o
Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum.
Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early
Education, 19, 5-10.
Kia ora Katie
ReplyDeleteI really like your reflection. I like the fact that you have noticed that the children like the sound of the blocks falling. I have not really thought of this before as I work with toddlers and they can get quite rough sometimes, so we ask the children not to knock them down. This is a new bit of information that I have learnt about allowing children to knock over blocks. “ Blocks are the one way toddlers develop fine motor skills and explore concepts like early math, geometry, problem solving and cause and effect” (About.com, 2013, para. 1). I agree with you that blocks could be anything. It’s amazing what some of the children come up with and how it creates many interacting opportunities where verbal and non verbal communication can be learnt and understood. The children are encouraged to discover and develop different ways of being and showing their expressive and creative sides (Ministry of Education, 1996).
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKia Ora Katie
ReplyDeleteI like how your centre has a special block area for their exploration. Within my centre we have a special block area partically for the huge wooden blocks, within that area we have big images of certain famous buildings that are predominantly seen within New Zealand such as Sky Tower, Marae and Harbour Bridge.These Images allow children to creatively produce and reconstruct New Zealand structures, which enhances their basic motor skills; that improves their hand and eye coordination, control of their bodies, balance, and overall strengths (Dow, 2010).
Kia Ora Katie,
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome topic that you have touched on in your blog. I believe that blocks are an awesome way to provide an activity with open-ended learning opportunities! Block play can help children to learn about many different curriculum areas. For example, mathematics, through shapes, sizes and colours. Blocks also help the children involved to learn about and develop the confidence to deal with trial and error (Ministry of Education, 1996). It is great that you allow children to explore with the blocks in their own way as this is providing opportunities for children to develop “the confidence to choose and experiment with materials, to play around with ideas and to explore actively with all the senses” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88).
Kia Ora Katie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog and it has changed the way I view blocks in my centre as I now consider them to be a form of non-digital technology. Your blog has helped me to change my practice when it comes to children’s interaction with blocks as the children at my centre enjoy throwing and hitting the blocks against the wall. I have started to view this type of interaction in a more positive light as the children are just using their exploration skills to form an understanding of how things in their world work (Ministry of Education, 1996). I agree with you Katie that blocks are a great form of technology as they help children to illustrate and implement their many ideas (Ministry of Education, 1996). In my centre, I am going to try and incorporate more block play into children’s learning experiences as it furthers their motor skills, cognitive and social development (Somerset, 2000).