Cook Island Dancing

Okay how can I explain this, technology in the centre is so huge and very exciting and very interesting for me to know and understand.  First class for people, place and things we talked about technology strait away I thought here it comes I’m goner be stuck on the computer, and struggle creating something using the computer, but through the discussions it was said that technology is not all about digital device its using our everyday tools like pen, crayon exploring in the sandpit and playing on the playground.  (Smorti, 1999) States that “technology is influences from the different culture or society in which we all transpire from”.  So now I have a different understanding to what technology is all about.

This week is Pasifika week so it is a huge celebration for all high schools around Auckland and also the Pasifika community. So this whole week children in the centre are learning the Cook Island dancing and the different greetings in other Pacific Island languages.  Today I did some dancing with the children and they really enjoyed themselves.  They were all fully engaged in the whole process of shaking their hips side to side and dancing to the music that was playing on the CD player.  Children learnt to get their locomotion on the move and swing their hips to the beat of the music.  The children shared their prior knowledge and skills to teach their peers and to build on their relationship with each other through dancing.  Ministry of education, (1996) propose that “children develop a sense of awareness of own special strengths, confident and that these are recognise and valued as meaningful learning” (p.68).

Children was also teaching me how to do the hula and showing me some dance move using their hands.  It was a really great experience for me because this will be my first time teaching young children how to dance and I really enjoyed myself.  I developed more ideas on how I can make this learning experience more fun and interesting for the children.  The children and I had some really interesting conversations together during this learning experience.  I felt like a young child today because there was so much laughter and communication going on and I see the children really enjoying themselves and having fun.  It made me think to teach a traditional dance we need to use traditional resource.

pate

I realise while facilitating this learning experience that I am teaching the children a dance using a CD player I am restricting their learning to engage in the real equipment by using a technology device.  The real equipment will give them more chance to develop their fine and gross motor skills to further enhance their learning development.  They would have been taught to use their drumming skills to strum the drums (pate)  base (pa’u) and learn the traditional way of learning the Cook Island dance which is to put on a hula skirt (pareu) and have mum and dads sit on the side and support
and give you feedback on your progress.  It is so easy to just use a CD player all you do is find a song that gives you what you need, slot it in the CD player and push play, as for the real equipment it will require more people and more time to prepare just to do a dance practice for the children.  Traditional activities became classics because children use this multisensory experience to develop and practice beginning concepts and skills (Linda A. Tsantis,2003,p.7).

I see that technology is taking away children's chance to use their initiative to implement their ideas and skills.  Its is putting limits on children learning and development by giving them an easy way to learn.  Handons experience is most useful for children age 0 – 5 it gives them the experience to develop their skills to reach their stages of development.  Technology is taking away children ability to engage in the natural environment and enjoy touching the grass and playing in mud.  Children should be given an opportunity a choice to live their life and chose how they like to learn a specific skills. “Using many materials for different purposes enables children to recognise that different technologies may be used in various place and setting”(Ministry of Education,1996,p.95).  

Linda A. Tsantis, C. J. (2003). Examining some common myths about computers in the early years. Young Children on the Web. November 2003.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga o ngā mokopuna o       Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education.