Reflection three Mosaic

Reflection three

Date: Wednesday 22.08.2012

                   

The teachers at my centre noticed that the children were interested in cutting, gluing and displaying items.  We also noticed that the children were using different medium to test how glue was responding.  The teachers also discussed among each other for working on extending the children’s interest of gluing.  We first started the project by providing the children with glue buttons, leather, stones, as a collage onto a pre-draw pictures for example a butterfly.  The children showed a lot of interest in this and this also allowed the children and teachers to bond with each other.   One of the teachers and I were outside with the children and there was a small table on the deck.  Some of the children were bringing water and the rags to clean the table.  I suggested the idea to the teacher that can we transform this old table into the new table by mosaicing it.  The teacher agreed with the idea.  We told the children’s and they were really excited about the idea.  They were saying “teacher than we can eat on the table at morning tea”.  I said, “Yes, you all can.”   With the help with the children and other teachers we clean the table and we started to break the tiles for our table.  We asked the children to choose the colour of the tile.  They chose dark blue, light blue, red, white, and black tiles.  I explained the children that mosaic is like a puzzle you keep on joining the pieces until the puzzle is solved giving you a final master piece.  As soon as the edges were dried the children started gluing the small broken pieces of tile on the table.  The children picked the tile and put the glue at the back of the tile and glued the back of the tile on the table.  Slowly all the vacant place on the table was full with all the beautiful colours.  We left the table for drying and next day we started the grouting.  I also explained the children that grouting helps the tile stick together. Some children were saying “teacher it looks like mud and it is yuk” and some were saying “no it is not yuk”.  I was really excited to do the mosaic on the table with the children and I learnt a lot about the children and their families too with conversation we had.  The children were teaching me how to do it and at the same time I was teaching them as well.  This is how I build a very good relationship with the children.   All children, even the very young, are considered to be social beings and children are viewed as active agents in the construction of their own learning (Santrock, 2009).  “The project approach aims to provide children with opportunities to engage in depth learning of events in their worlds as they create meaning through interactions with physical and social worlds” (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2008, p.232).

In doing this the children were learning about the process that is, how they were able to design something new by putting different ideas together.  (Smorti, 1999) suggests that “using a process approach to technology it is doing that is important rather than the product” (pg.6).  This experience provided the children with opportunities for co-operative learning experience, pleasure, challenge and a sense of achievement.   This also provided children with opportunities that they can master their learning at their own rate.  This was evident when the children back next day and asked me “teacher is it dried so that we can start gluing again.  Through this experience children can escaped into a wonderful world of adventure (Somerset, 2000). They experiment, explore and learn about themselves in captivating experience by doing it by them self.  Young children feel a sense of emotional satisfaction when they are involved in making art, whether they are painting, modeling with clay, drawing with crayons (Somerset, 2000).   “Children develop skill and confidence with the processes of art and craft, such as cutting, drawing, collage, painting, print-making, weaving, stitching, carving and constructing”  (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 80)  By using different colour tiles provided opportunity to make independent choices and decisions (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).  This builds children’s self esteem by giving them opportunities to express what they are thinking and feeling.

I believe that small group activities also help children practice important social skills like taking turns, sharing and exploring with materials.  Children develop control of large and small muscle (Koster, 1997).  The arm movement required for gluing on the table builds coordination and strength.  Making art also helps children develop eye-hand coordination (Koster, 1997).  The children learn to coordinate what they see with movements of their hands and fingers.

I believe that creativity as a non digital technology and it is very important element in the lives of children as it helps them develop and foster life skills in imagination, and a positive self-image. (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2010). 

Reference List:

Gonzalea-Mena, J. (2008). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (4^th ed.).  Boston, United States of America: McGraw Hill.

Isenberg, J., & Jalongo, M. (2010). Creative thinking and art-based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5^th ed.). Columbus Ohio, United States of America: Pearson.

Koster, J.B. (1997). Growing artists: Teaching art to young children. Albany, NY: Delmar.

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

Santrock, J. W. (2009). Life-span development (12^th ed.).  Boston, Ma., United States of America: McGraw Hill.

Somerset, G. (2000). Work and play in the early years (5^th  ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Playcentre Publications.

Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in early childhood. Early Education, 1, 5-10.