Friday, 24 August 2012

Growing Potatoes

20th August

At kindergarten the children have a strong interest in gardening; the process of planting, harvesting and enjoying what they have grown. A couple of weeks ago we contacted Mitre 10 as they were promoting the Tui garden challenge, as a part of this they visited kindergarten and donated buckets, soil, potatoes and plant food.

The children’s curiosity in growing potatoes was enhanced by the book “The Potato People” by Pamela Allen. In that story a young boy makes a person from a potato, however as time passes by the potato begins to sprout “horns”.

We discussed with the children about what happens to the potatoes as they begin to sprout, and worked together to prepare ours for planting. As the children’s potatoes did not yet have horns it started a few questions about what we should do now.

The ladies who visited from Mitre 10 explained the process to us, and the children were eager to start. The first step was to wait for the “horns” to sprout – we had to find a warm dry place for the potatoes to rest. The children agreed upon putting them on the windowsill and letting them rest there for the sun to help them with their “horns”.

During this early stage of beginning to plant I just felt we were promoting the children’s awareness to follow a process, and work together to find solutions to their questions. Ministry of Education (1996) suggest the learning environment should be one which assists children in their quest for making sense of and finding out about their world. We should provide active and interactive learning opportunities, with opportunities for children to have an effect and to change the environment (p.43).

Until starting this assessment my understanding of technology was that it was anything digital, computers, cameras, cell phones – the list is endless really. However I now have a new understanding, and after looking into this term I have learnt that “technology emphasises creative and productive aspects of solving problems and answering questions” (Smorti, 1999, p.6).

Not only aspects of solving problems and answering questions but children need to develop their own perspectives as well as the capacity to continue acquiring knowledge and skills (Ministry of Education, 1996). 

I feel as the children questioned the ways in which the potatoes grow and sprout their “horns”, they were acquiring knowledge; not only knowledge, the children also discovered creative ways to answer their questions. Smorti believes when using the process approach to technology “it is the doing that is important, rather than the product” (1999, p.6)

Our potato “horns” are still not quite ready; however I don’t doubt the children will gain significant knowledge in the process of planting, ultimately enjoying the finished product after we have completed the planting process.

References:
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki matauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10. 

Images retrieved from:
 


 

 

3 comments:

  1. Hey Chanelle

    I saw your post and just had to read it to see how you were going to integrate technology and potatoes together, well done! I gained a deeper understand of technology as a process and not just an electronic device.

    Ministry of Education (2007) suggests that technology is associated with the transformation of materials and food is considered to be one of these technological areas. I would never have understood what that meant by just reading it but you have put it into context for me.

    I like the way the community was involved by inviting Mitre 10 in to talk to the children and give them the technological knowledge and language that perhaps the teachers may not have had.

    Ministry of Education (1996) suggests that when children participate in active enquiry they develop their confidence in offering ideas and it enhances their understanding of a topic. I feel you gave the children this opportunity to find out about the process of planting potatoes and it will be beneficial for them and their understanding of the physical world and where food comes from.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey girl
    What a cool activity chanelle, I would have never considered food/ growing plants technology, so I learnt alot from your post! I discovered that Smorti 1999, talks about growing plants and how the process we go through is important, which involved talking with the children when going through each stage of the process, sounds like this was what was happening at your centre.

    The children would have gained new and valuable ideas and knowledge of growing plants and how they can change, or as the New Zealand Curriculum puts it "transformation of energy, information and materials" (pg32). They were able to find out how the potatoes will transfrom and grow horns, then participate in puting their potatoe on the window sill and wait for them to change.
    This is an activity that I would really like to try myself!!

    Chloe x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Chanelle!

    Awesome post! Its great to see how you did something different to high tech technology (camera's, computers) and used food, still manageing to incoperate technology with it. I agree with Amanda and Chloe, I didnt realize or think that potatoes and technology related, but now I see how they do :).

    After reading Smorti (1999) it talked about how cooking, growing plants and learning about the procceses of what you can do with food and how it is all linked in with science and technology. I think this is great what you did with the children, using food as a technology tool. Its cool how you made this experience fun for the children but at the same time you were teaching them the step by step porccess of how this pototae was going to grow and develop and how the "horns would expand/grow".

    I love any activities to do with food and so do children, as it is very enjoyable. This is something cheap and fun to do and I am going to try this out at my own centre.

    Thanks for the awesome idea- Jess :)

    ReplyDelete