Neke neke hi! neke neke hi!

I notice today a few of the boys outside shifting one of the carpentry tables. (All the boys are 3 to 4 years old.  As I observed them I asked, "He aha o koutou mahi?" "What are yous doing?" "I neke tera mahi teepu ki hia?" "Where are you taking that carpentry table"  " We want to jump over there!" J says excitently.  "I want to jump too!" B says.  Surprisingly I said "Ae, kei te pai kia tupato" "Yes thats okay just be careful" .  I watched how they twisted and turned this way and that way.  Having little rests in between.  Talking with one another, and waiting for each other until they had carried the carpentry table where they wanted it to be placed.  This took about a half hour of constant communication with each other and a little bit of support when they needed it.  I did not want to interfere as much , so I wouldn't stop the learning.

Mitchell (2007) says “It is through children being allowed to learn firsthand, through their own interests and discoveries, that learning occurs” (p34).   Each boy showed an interest in the same thing, they all showed co-operation and great communication skills.  They discovered that they could do anything if they put their minds to the task at hand.

Helm, J., & Katz, L. (2001) supported all of the learning outcomes in this task that the boys had accomplished. The boys  challenged themselves as this was shown by their facial expressions.

The tools of technology are sometimes not always little gadgets and hands on resources but sometimes ourselves can be that piece of technology.  As the boys lifted, carried and communicated the boys had use their own initiative to access a table and solve a problem for their own pleasure.  

There were a lot of learning outcomes and one that mainly stood out was co-operation by all.


The Ministry of Education (1996) supports where 'the programme should provide different perspectives and the balance between communal, small-group and individual activities to allow opportunities for interaction and co-operative activities' p.65.

references


Helm, J., & Katz, L. (2001).   Young investigators the project  approach in early years. New York: Teachers College Press.

Mitchell, L. (2007). Using technology in Reggio Emilia-inspired programs.Theory Into Practice, 46 (1), pp. 32-39.

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