Cup Cakes, Yummee!!!

A cooking experience is always captivating for children especially on a rainy day. The children were looking forward to baking their cup cakes for morning tea. Apart from an enjoyable experience, there were many learning outcomes achieved by the children. The boys and girls eagerly participated in the baking activity and it is through these learning experiences that children and educators discover new interests and abilities. For example Joseph was confident in using the camera and he captured these special moments using the digital camera. The children also learned skills of working with their peers by taking turns and respecting their spaces.

Cooking and Baking, categorized as Food Technology, is an important area of the technological curriculum. Children develop an understanding of cooking and baking processes, preparing and presenting food (Manukau Institute of Technology, Course Notes, 2010). The children followed the recipe, thereby developing an understanding of “process cooking” (Smorti, 1999). I also provided an electric hand mixer, which led to discussions of how mum previously had to use a wooden spoon when baking and now it is much easier to mix the ingredients using an electric mixer. The children were eager to have their turn with the electric mixer and some needed me to guide and help them hold it. Theorist Lev Vygotsky affirms learning in a social environment when support is provided by more experienced peers and teachers (Santrock, 2008).

Strand 1 Well Being of Te Whariki states, “children develop self- help and self-care skills for eating, drinking, food preparation,” (Ministry of education, 1996, p.48). Strand 3 of Te Whariki states, “children experience an environment where there are equitable opportunities for learning, irrespective of gender, ability, age, ethnicity, or background; they are affirmed as individuals and are encouraged to learn with and alongside each others,” (Ministry of education, 1996, p.64). The children then individually spooned the mixture into the cup cake trays, chose sprinkles to decorate their cup cake and we then baked them in the oven.

Smorti, affirms that using a process approach to technology supports the doing as more important rather than the product (1999). In this activity there was an end product and the children were excited to see the baked cup cakes and then enjoyed them for morning tea, this builds their self-esteem and self-confidence. They know their contributions are recognised and valued as they try out new equipment during experiments and share their ideas, (Ministry of education, 1996). 
Te Whariki affirms that children’s development takes place during active participation, each child should be allowed to “make his or her mark,” (Ministry of education, 1996, p.64).

Kiddies Express, Choo Choo!!

"I'm the Train Driver," said Bailey.

During our exploration of the different modes of transport, we had been enjoying learning activities such as art & craft, music, reading books and stories in relation to transport on land, rail, air and sea. We had also used videos on transport to extend children’s learning. After morning tea, a group of children were busy in play, making a pretend train. They innovatively turned the wooden boxes around, arranged them in a row, to make their pretend train. They were all different age groups and I was captivated at their thinking and problem solving skills.

"Choo Choo," said Bailey

Technology emphasises creative and productive aspects of problem solving (Smorti, 1999). We sometimes use the wooden boxes as tables, and they turned it around to enable them to sit in the carriages. Bailey took a chair and positioned it at the front and said “I’m the train driver.” All the children hopped on board, “choo choo,” they said on board our kiddies express.

The children developed their skills in materials technology as they used wooden boxes to design a pretend train. It is a practical invention as they could sit inside the so called carriages. Strand 3, Contribution of Te Whariki, supports children learning with and alongside others (Ministry of Education, 1996). Working in groups encourages “co-operative learning” (Mindes, 2006, p. 112). Through this approach, children learn co-operative problem solving behaviours, they also learn to listen to other’s point of view, share their own ideas and discover solutions to problems (Mindes, 2006). Strand 4, Communication of Te Whariki, supports children using materials and technology in creative construction and expressive arts (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children’s learning in this activity is affirmed by Piaget’s cognitive theory, which acknowledges children as being capable of constructing their own knowledge and finding their own ways of making sense of the world around them (Santrock, 2008).