There is an idea coming from the preschools and ateliers of Reggio Emila that technology should bend to children's ideas, rather than the way it usually is, where computers serve pre-made content that dictates to children how it can be used.
Working together with kindergarten and preschool teachers Mary, Mary, Elaine and Lisa, we've been experimenting with new (to us) ways of using technology. Here are some of the things the children have been messing about with.
In the Rainbow room the four/five year old children have been thinking about the forest and nature, and they have also been coming to the studio to make things to transform themselves into super guys and animals, as they do every year. We combined these two ideas and showed the children how they can transform themselves into an animal on the computer, and then add a habitat, too. I love the way the children laugh as they play around with the pictures on the computer, showing pure delight.
"Look at me fly! Does anyone want to watch me fly?"
First the children chose an animal they wanted to transform into, and then took photographs of each other in animal poses. Then we printed and cut out the photos, and each child used permanent markers to turn their picture into the animal. Next we scanned these back into the computer and put them against a background of whatever habitat made sense.
Racoons in the forest
squirrels in the forest
poisonous water snake in a creek
A fierce lion in the jungle
Working together with kindergarten and preschool teachers Mary, Mary, Elaine and Lisa, we've been experimenting with new (to us) ways of using technology. Here are some of the things the children have been messing about with.
In the Rainbow room the four/five year old children have been thinking about the forest and nature, and they have also been coming to the studio to make things to transform themselves into super guys and animals, as they do every year. We combined these two ideas and showed the children how they can transform themselves into an animal on the computer, and then add a habitat, too. I love the way the children laugh as they play around with the pictures on the computer, showing pure delight.
First the children chose an animal they wanted to transform into, and then took photographs of each other in animal poses. Then we printed and cut out the photos, and each child used permanent markers to turn their picture into the animal. Next we scanned these back into the computer and put them against a background of whatever habitat made sense.
Racoons in the forest
squirrels in the forest
A fierce lion in the jungle
It has been said that Sabot children are content creators….thanks, Anna, for this brilliant bit of evidence to that effect. I have no doubt that " Does anyone want to watch me fly?" will be part of my mental rolodex from now on!
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