Chalk Art - Non-Digital Technology

At early childhood centres children explore through various types of non-digital technologies. One of the technologies that children get to experience at the practice frequently is chalks. Te Whāriki states “children gain experience in using communication technologies such as crayons, paint brushes, chalks, pencils, books and computer” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.97). Chalks can be used to construct different kinds of art works and children of all age group engage in chalk activities.

When I set up the outside environment in the mornings I usually leave the chalk container by the deck area so children can explore through this non-digital technology. I assume that children enjoy drawing, writing and scribbling with chalks. I have observed that a group of three preschool girls were writing numbers on the concrete with chalks and adding it up. I also noticed that this two and half year old girl was drawing a smiley face. I approached her and said “that’s a lovely picture of a smiley face ‘I’”, she looked around with a big smile on her face and said “that’s my daddy’s smiley face”. Through this experience of chalk art children develop several skills as well as they get to express their ideas. Children should experience an environment where they develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills. They also develop an ability to express their feelings and emotions in a range of purposes (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.74).

When children explore through chalk they develop and gain a variety of skills. Children develop their fine motor skills and they also express their thinking, knowledge and imaginations. When children draw or write with chalks they develop on their concentration. Through this experience children can be creative in many ways and experiment with colours, lines, forms, shapes, texture and designs. Children also get to express their feelings and emotions. The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) advocates that “technology makes enterprising use of its own particular knowledge and skills, together with those of other disciplines. Graphics and other forms of visual representation offer important tools for exploration and communication” (p.32). As educators there are numerous art ideas that we can do with chalk such as grating chalk and gluing it on paper, drawing on a piece of paper with chalk then wetting it over with different coloured dye and crushed chalk with string designs. I feel that children find it really interesting drawing with wet chalk and I personally enjoy writing with wet chalk as well.

As an educator I feel that we don’t have to guide and direct children all the time. We should provide learning opportunities for them and stand back and see what they come up with. MacNaughton and Williams (2009), suggests that “facilitation can be understood as a very non-directive and low-intervention teaching technique through which the adult establishes a learning environment and then intervenes and interacts with children only when it is seen as absolutely necessary” (p.81). As early childhood teachers we should think about our practice and see how we can improve our ways of doing various things. Reflective practice allows you to search deeper within yourself on how you can extend and encourage social and emotional development using conversation and real life connections for children (Yang, 2009).

References

Images: Retrieved 21/03/12 from Google Images www.google.co.nz

McNaughton, G., & Williams, G.  (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3^rd ed.). Melbourne,Vic.: Addison Wesley Longman.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, He whāriki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Āotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. New Zealand: Learning Media.

Yang, S-H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational technology & society, 12 (2), 11-21.