Interactive Maths Site P – 11

In my search to find teachers to follow I stumbled upon this maths site useful for teaching maths concepts from pre school up to year 11, I had a little go at the early years and it appeared to be useful to keep in mind.

http://au.ixl.com/promo?partner=google&campaign=1030&adGroup=Keywords+-+Jobs+%26+Education+-+Early+Childhood+Education&gclid=CJ_Zsub97r8CFcQHvAodYyoAUg 

Keeping maths fun is one challenge teachers face, if the class gets bored no one learns. With the help of sites like this we can use ICT’s to engage our children in learning. Each child could work at their own level and progress as it suits them not have to wait for the rest of the class or be left behind whichever the case may be.

 

Play Based Learning in the Early Years

Children’s engagement in play is essential for their learning and development. Evidence suggests that play supports children’s development of language and cognition, physical skills, an understanding of art, science and technology, as well as supporting their social and emotional development,  Vygotsky, Piaget and many other theorists have supported this play based learning (Berk, 2005). Play-based learning environments help children develop positive attitudes toward learning and offer ideal opportunities for adult and child interaction and social interactions.

Play is a context for learning that provides children with a means to express their own personality, enhance their curiosity and creativity (DEEWR, 2009). Personal expression during play can help children make meaning of their world, and develop links between prior learning and experiences and new learning. Children actively construct their own understandings during play, they recognise their agency, meaning their own capacity to initiate and lead learning.

 

 

Berk, L., (2005). Infants and Children (5^th Ed). Pearson, USA 2009).http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

 

 

 

Vygotsky and Social Learning

Learning cannot be separated from its social context, Vygotsyy’s view that ‘Learning is enhanced when children interact with others who assist and support them in the learning process’  is central to this social learning. Teachers taking Vygotsy’s view will plan their curriculum so that it extends children’s knowledge and scaffolds their learning, in the Zone of Proximal Development. I believe young children very much learn from their social context and that planning experiences within their zone of proximal development gives teachers the chance to use scaffolding to enhance a young child’s skills and development. A link to view some information on  Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory.

Well actually maybe not just for young children as I think the scaffolding provided for us to complete our weekly learning path activities has challenged my ZPD and made it possible for me to complete tasks I could not have done on my own.

My ICT Learning Journey

Well in the past week I have tried to do more new things on my computer and internet than ever before in my life. Some have been easy others not so, it really is an ICT learning journey for me at the moment. I have been looking at various sources of information in the search for some answers as to Why use ICT’s in teaching. I found some of these answers Why use Icts in Teaching . At the start of last week I could not have even created this blog page and worked out how to write on it, or worked out the feedly thing and how to follow others blogs. So I guess there is some hope that with perseverance I may work all of this out.

I do believe that Ict’s are an important part of life today and that children these days will be more exposed to it than when I went to school. Teachers I guess can either try to ignore it or give it a go and use to extend the learning of the children in their class. The internet is a valuable tool for teachers these days, with an almost never ending source of resources available. As I begin with week two of this journey I hope to learn more and remember it, and hope I start to feel a little less overwhelmed by all of this.

Hi All

My Name is Sandra Kohler I live at Felton outside of Toowoomba, I am studying my Bachelor of Education with a major in Early Childhood. I am studying quite late in life compared to some I turned 40 at the start of this year (still can’t believe I am that old).  I expect to finish my degree in sem 2 2015. I am married and have two children a girl aged 14 and a boy aged 4, yes a big gap.  I am studying full time half on campus in Toowoomba and half online, I also run a cafe that my husband and I own. I began my degree after working in Child Care for most of my life it seemed like the natural next step for me.  It all started with a cert3 in Childrens Services alot of years ago and worked as an assistant i then did my diploma of Childrens services and worked my way up from Assistant to Group Leader to Director. As I did not have the oppotunity to go to uni when i finished school i am having a go now.