The Mathematics, Science, and Technology Experiences and Understandings of a Young Child - Case Study Example

Assignment 1: The mathematics, science and technology experiences and understandings of a young child This template must be used to complete this assignment Section 1: Child’s mathematics, science and technology knowledge Child’s Name: Date: Observation 1: What is the context? (Who is present, what are they doing, what happened prior to this etc.) Maymay and her mother, Misss Wu. Daily routine about time and numbers practices after mid-day rest. What did the child/children do? (write a detailed observation, or include photograph or sample of learning with details of what happened, how the child created the sample etc) Maymay just woke up from her midday rest. Her mother was getting her dressed. She pointed at number “3” on the clock. It shows she is ‘beginning to read time on a digital clock’. When asked what time it was, she said 3 o’clock, it shows she is ‘beginning to understand numeral- number relationships’ and the time was 3.05 pm. When asked what should be done at 3 o’clock, she said cake. It shows she ‘recalls the sequence of events’. What learning/ development/dispositions/relationships did you observe? How does what is happening in this observation link to the Learning Outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework? Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators. Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work. In this observation Maymay noticed and predict the patterns of regular routines of numbers and activities and the passing of time. A study by Varol and Farran (2006) indicated that humans develop the sense of numerical magnitudes depending on the cognitive systems that emerge by the age of five. According to Varol and Farran (2006), when children are around the age of two, they begin to learn how to count despite lack of understanding of the cardinal meanings of the numbers. Observation 2: What is the context? (Who is present, what are they doing, what happened prior to this etc.) Maymay, her mother and grandmother. Family entertainment time after dinner. Her father was talking to his friends, and Maymay was looking at her grandmother play games on iPad. What did the child/children do? (write a detailed observation, or include photograph or sample of learning with details of what happened, how the child created the sample etc) Maymay looked at the images and sounds in the iPad. She then watched her grandmother touch and slide on iPad for a while. Her grandmother stopped working on the iPad and went to the kitchen for close to two minutes. Maymay moved her right hand and tried touching the screen in the same way her grandmother had done. Although the iPad was locked automatically and she could not type the password to unlock, she slid her fingers on the screen and tried to touch the numbers on it as should be the case. She noticed that the input was wrong. After two more attempts, she pressed the “home” button and went to her mother. What learning/ development/dispositions/relationships did you observe? How does what is happening in this observation link to the Learning Outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework? Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners, children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials. In this observation, Maymay experimented with different technologies and engage in learning relationships. Maymay also used trial and error to unlock the iPad. Maymay tried to create patterns by sliding her fingers on the screen of the iPad. The observation is consistent with a study by Varol and Farran (2006) that investigated the problem-solving skills of children between the ages of 1 and 5. According to Bette Chambers, children who are younger than 5 years can understand the multiplicity of a range of items without counting. In which case, they tend to solve a set of problems through trial and error (Bette Chambers 2010). Other significant information Maymay’s parents and grandmother commented that Maymay likes the clock on the wall. Thus, looking at the clock, teaching her about time and numbers are important daily activity designed by her mother for her. Also, Maymay saw a lot of times her parents and grandmother use ipad and iphone, she is quite familiar with touch screen, in order to ensure Maymay use technologies only under supervised, they set password for their phones and ipads. Analysis Outcome 4: Children also predict and generalise about aspects of the world using patterns they generate or can identify and communicate them using mathematical language and symbols. Children manipulate objects and experiment with objects through trial and error. Children apply reflective thinking to determine reasons why things happen and what can be learnt from the experiences. According to Varol and Farran (2006), children are inherently interested about objects and shapes around them. They explore the shapes and other objects. Varol and Farran (2006) noted that by exploring the objects, children learn to count and measure. Summary of mathematics, science and technology strengths, interests of the child Maymay has strengths in identifying patterns. Maymay has interest in numbers. Maymay has strength in measuring, counting and mathematical thinking. Section 2: Design and justify an investigation to further your knowledge of the child’s understandings and interests What is the experience? Adult-guided play/learning: Watch Maymay play to plan effectively for her current and future learning. An informed understanding of play, by assessing the processes, that link learning and playing can enable practitioners to observe what occurs in play-learning contexts in order to understand a child’s numeracy strategies1. What is the learning focus? (be specific about the learning you want to find out about, dispositions and/or relationships and interactions that are the focus of this experience) The focus is on developing play in Maymay’s curriculum. Maymay should be assessed while playing. Information gathered will help determine further her interests. Why am I planning this experience? (link to specific observations and/or family information- check the assignment question) Watching Maymay play will facilitate understanding her interests. By observing her play, her developmental levels can be assessed. Observing Maymay play makes it easy to determine the strategies she uses to solve her problem. Observing her play also make it easy to determine the mathematical and technical skills she needs to develop. Forman and Hall observed that in order to understand the children’s interests and assumptions, their assumptions, expectations, reasoning, thinking and beliefs should be assessed while they play (Forman and Ellen Hall 2009). According to University of Sydney (n.d.), infants learn about shapes and time sequence depending on the activities they are used to noticing at certain times. They also dictate their observation to teachers. What resources do I need? A range of resources should be provided that reflect Maymay’s interests. According to Maymay’s parents, she likes the clock on the wall. She also likes an iPad and iPhone. Toys that resemble a clock, iPad and iPhone should be provided to her during her play. Others include a book, cardboard boxes, papers, paint, pens and scissors. This reflects a strength-based approach. Community Child Care Victoria suggests that strength-based approach to curriculum depend on a child’s resources of interest and used them to study the child and improve her experience (Community Child Care Victoria 2010). When is the best time and place for this experience? The best time for the experience is after her mid-day rest (at 3.00pm). This is since Maymay;s mother has made it a routine to teach her about time after her midday rest. The best place for the experience is an indoor environment, preferably the living room. The indoor environment provides an enclosed space to assess Maymay as she plays. It also provides a close up and interactive space that invited conversations with the child. Community Child Care Victoria (2010) remarked that indoor environment promotes an opportunity for sustaining conversation with the child as she plays. The environment is also suitable when a child uses digital technologies to play. Indoor environments also provide spontaneous open-ended interactions, exploration and discovery, which increase a child’s self-belonging and confidence in learning (Christine 2006). Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. How will I interact with the children to scaffold their learning? I will use routines and Maymay’s play experiences to interact with her and to build attachment. I will actively support the inclusion of other people in the play, help Maymay to recognise when play is constructive and build inclusive learning. I will engage in shared conversations with Maymay to stretch her thinking. I will create a learning environment by providing the resources for learning to help Maymay explore objects, create shapes and solve problems. Kalliala suggested that play needs time and space, support as well as material and mental stimulation (Kalliala 2005). Section 3: Evidence of the investigation. An assessment of Maymay took place at 3.15 pm. Focus was on discovering how she could make an intelligent use of her past experiences to create an action plan, reflect on an action, recognise causes and effects and apply meta-cognitive skills. Maymay’s play with a picture book, an iPhone, iPad and clock. The activity was based on her individual interest. By participating in the play to try and show her how to unlock the iPad, it stimulated collaborative interest; as she went on to request her mother and grandmother to also help her. The activity took place in her parent’s living room, which provided access to other resources such as iPhone, clock, book, cardboard boxes, papers, paint, pens and scissors. After playing with the iPad, Maymay was asked to choose which of the items she could play with. The open-ended activity facilitated a problem space for the child. Although she was given a book, she insisted on having the iPhone and the clock, which she appeared to read number “3” and “4”. This shows that Maymay is interested in interpreting numbers. The context also provided an opportunity for participation and knowledge acquisition. Play provides an opportunity for understanding a child’s interests and that a child’s opportunities for learning are found in the pedagogical framing of the play and the learning environment (EQI 2009). Section 4: Your reflection of the investigation On reflection, I learnt that constant observation of a child can facilitate understanding her interests. This is significant since the information can be used to respond to the child’s learning needs with the right curriculum. To this end, I critically observed that teachers should plan a curriculum based on the child’s strengths as well as adjust the direction of their teaching to fit the interests and preferences of a child. Hence, in my view, instead of focusing on the weaknesses of a child, the curriculum should be based on the objectives that a child has interest in, in addition to the child’s abilities that the family uses to improve the child’s learning. For instance, Maymay’s parents had commented that their child loved the wall clock, iPhone and iPad. Results of the investigation proved that Maymay chose these items for play. At this stage, I learnt that building a collaborative or participatory learning with a child is essential. For instance, when Maymay used trial and errors to unlock the phone, she asked to be helped. Instructing her boosted her confidence and sense of belonging, which stimulated her experience in learning through play. I also observed that a curriculum should be developed to build on a child’s unique strengths and interests. Hence, curriculum planning should be based on the child’s ongoing interests to ensure that her understanding and skills are integrated in the experiences and activities that reflect her cognitive concerns. It was also critical to observe that experiences and the environment should be matched with the child’s interest to develop her interests. The environments provide a child with opportunities to make choices and decisions based on their interests. I also learnt that open-ended experiences enable children to develop problem-solving skills and to initiate and direct their own learning. In regards to scaffolding, it was substantially observed that educators should provide a supporting learning environment by providing the right resources based on a child’s learning experiences as well as encourage others to support the child. Reference List Bette Chambers and other, Effective Early Childhood Education Programs: A Systematic Review, (Johns Hopkins University School, 2010), http://www.bestevidence.org/word/early_child_ed_sep_22_2010.pdf Christine Macintyre, Enhancing Learning Through Play: A Developmental Perspective in Early Years Settings, (London: David Fulton, 2006) Community Child Care Victoria, Self Guided Learning Package Child-Centred Curriculum Planning, (Community Child Care Victoria, 2010), http://www.psctas.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Child-Centred-Curriculum-Online-Package1.pdf Douglas Clemens, Dialogue on Early Childhood Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education: First Experiences in Science, Mathematics, and Technology (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1999), http://www.project2061.org/publications/earlychild/online/experience/clements.htm EQI, Early Years Education Good Practice Guide, (Education Queensland International, 2009), http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/SECInstitutes/EducationInstitute/Offices/Documents/GPGEnglish.pdf George Forman and Ellen Hall, "Wondering with Children: The Importance of Observation in Early Education," Early Childhood Research and Practice 7, no. 2 (2005), Marjatta Kalliala, Play Culture in a Changing World, (New York: McGraw Hill, 2005) p 139. Filiz Varol and Dale Farran, "Early Mathematical Growth: How to Support Young Children’s Mathematical Development," Early Childhood Education Journal, 33 no.6 (2006): 381-387 University of Sydney, How Concepts, Unit 1, (n.d.) Read More