Last week, the preschool children were intrigued by me when I did the paper cuttings. They were curious about it and asked many questions. On the way home that day, I thought about organizing some activities to extend children’s interest in paper cutting. The next day, I brought a PowerPoint about Chinese paper cutting and showed to the children at mat time. This PowerPoint interested the children and they asked many questions about the slides and paper cutting. O asked: “Is that boy your son? (there was a boy in one of the slides)”. I told him: “No, it’s not my son. He is a pupil cutting paper with his primary school teacher.” C asked: “Chinese kids like paper cutting? When I answered: “Yes”, she nodded her head. Then S asked: “Ummm, what’s that for?” I told them: “We cut the paper then use them to decorate our houses.” H said: “It’s cool. I like it.” On that afternoon, I set up the art table with many pieces of square paper and scissors and some children joined me. By watching me and following my verbal instruction, each of them learned to fold a square piece of paper into a small triangle. After that, every child started to use scissors to cut some shapes into their folded triangles. After cutting, they unfolded the triangles. Different patterns appeared on their square paper. They all felt amazed at the paper cutting art. A told me: “I like it. I’ll take them home to show my mum.” S told me: “Look at my one, Virginia. It looks like a butterfly. See, it is flying (She was holding it in her hand flying it up and down).” J said proudly: “Look at my one. Many diamonds on it.” Then we stuck some of the paper cutting on the windows to decorate our classroom.
This activity not only provided the children with an opportunity to enjoy art creativity and aesthetic experience but also promoted children’s appreciation towards Chinese culture and Chinese people’s wisdom. As Singham (2006) argued, New Zealand is a culturally diverse country, educators should strive to offer educational experiences in which students learn to understand, embrace, and appreciate cultures that are different from their own. In addition, this paper cutting activity offered the children an opportunity to use scissors for creativity. Technology is about how people use tools to create and change the world (Hjorth, Eichler, & Khan, 2007). Actually, the children used their tools, the scissors to create art work then used them to brighten our classroom. During the process of using scissors, the children made their own design and verbally appraised their art work. As Smorti (1999) argued, centres should use a process approach to technology and encourage children to design, make and appraise their work. Besides, the paper cutting activity extended the children’s cross-cultural learning on how Chinese people use technology to create and change their life.
I wrote a learning story about this activity and reflected my culture-orientated practice. The children showed their strong interest in other cultures. I will continue to promote the children’s curiosity and new interests in Chinese culture. This activity was affirmed by the centre manager and other staff. At the following staff meeting, we developed a multicultural learning programme. We will have a culture month to celebrate different cultures at the centre. During the culture month we will celebrate some festivals, do a range of arts activities, dress up in different cultural costumes and cook different traditional food. And we also planned to invite some families to join us to share their family, race and culture. References:
Hjorth, L., Eichler, B., & Khan, A. (2007). Technology and society: issues for the 21st century and beyond. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Singham, M. (2006). Multiculturalism in New Zealand - the need for a new paradigm. Aotearoa Ethnic Network Journal, 1 (1), 33-37.
Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in early childhood. Early Education, No.19, Autumn.
It was great to see the children were so interested in the experience to learn about different culture. It looked so difficult task for me to cut the paper by creating patterns.
ReplyDeleteIt was really awesome you initiated children’s learning by introducing your culture’s strengths and skills based on children’s interests and levels. It is a good example how we scaffold children’s learning in the context of diverse cultural environment. It is linked by Te Whāriki children can experience the symbols and patterns of their own and also other culture (MOE, 1996). It will offer children with diverse a cultural learning opportunity to learn and explore.
Poor Joo. Don’t feel difficult. My centre’s children are amazing in it now because it is easy and magical. The children decide to cut any shapes they like (dots, waves, triangles…) into the folded triangle paper. Then when the paper is opened into square, they will find the final pattern is different from the original shape they had cut into the triangle paper. I realize why we say the best way to appreciate and value other cultures is to experience them through hand-on participation. No worry. I’ll show you in the next class. I’m sure you will find out how easy it is and why children are interested in it.
ReplyDeleteIt was good to know that you introduced and contributed your own culture to your practice. Children must be very interested to learn about Chinese culture.
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