Wednesday 14 September 2011

Hammer, Hammer, Hammer

I watched 'B' and 'T' work on the carpentry table side by side. Both 'B' and 'T' had the same interest of tools. They both chose a hammer each and straight away began to use it to their advantage. Although 'B' and 'T' had the same interest of tool, they did not have the same the concept of creativity. 'B' chose a rectangle piece of wood, two gold round tin lids and nails. He hammered the two tin lids onto the piece of wood and created two wheels. As for 'T', she also used nails to join two piece of wood together to create a box.

I went home reflecting still on this tool. Asking myself What is important about a hammer? What is it's purpose? Is it a useful tool? Questioning myself led to realisation that I have little knowledge about this technology. I know that a hammer is a tool that is very useful  to deliver an impact to an object, mainly nails. It is also to yank nails up using its claws on the opposite side. There are other ways this tool is used for but this is the only use of hammer I know is common.

The hammer was designed for a specific purpose. One of those purpose is to be popular with builders. Exposing children to the hammer will help them to develop knowledge and skills of how shelters were put together. A hammer is a essential tool to have.  It has a great impact on our children's learning because this will open our children's mind to what is out there in our society. The hammer has been around for years but it has upgraded from a rock head to a steel head. The technology has upgraded for the better. It has been magnificently well designed and well developed. Providing this tool will foster children's learning physically and cognitively. It will help build children's strength within their arms and they will be able to control every blow at their own pace. Children will gain awareness of different strokes.

I do reccomend this tool to be used if it's a interest of a child. After searching and seeking for more information about hammer's through the internet, I came across so many different hammers that were created. Not only did it have different shapes and sizes, but also different names for each hammer and it's purpose. It is good that the hammer don't require power. It is a physical tool for all who are interested in building something.

This is a good introduction to the significant use of this technology. I know learning of this tool will benefit children as well as adults.
Te Whaariki states, " using many materials for different purposes enable children to recognise that different technologies may be used in various places and settings" (Ministry of education, 1996, p.95).
Exploring using a hammer will give great pleasure and satisfaction for children. Being able to hit something without been told not to is a good way of unloading stress or bitterness. Learning will enhance if children are willing to learn.



  

  

3 comments:

  1. Ka pai Faa! I really enjoyed how you reflected your own thoughts and values of a hammer, as how are we meant to extend children's interests if we do not value the technology in the first place? I thought it was awesome how you explored the emotional benefits for children as they use hammers as well. I think that this particular scenario could provide a wonderful opportunity to get out into the wider community so children could observe what an important tool that hammers are. Places you could go might be a building site where you could observe hammers at work or even to a hardware store; this could lead on to children discovering even more tools. As you said there are many different variations of hammers, wouldn’t it be cool if children could see a nail- gun? This could open- up the idea of using electric tools for construction. Who knows, you could be empowering a child to be a future Carpenter as they realize the positive impact it has for communities!

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  2. Hi Faa, this is a very great reflection on technology. A hammer as an essential tool in our daily life has helped us a lot and made our life easier. Before our discussion about technology started, I simply took a hammer as a tool. Reading your reflection set me thinking that the value of a hammer is not only a tool, but a technology which embraces the intelligence of people who invented it. The scenario in your reflection is fantastic. What about planning a project about hammers to extend children’s learning about technology?I believe that through research for different kinds of hammers, children can gain some knowledge of how hammers developed from a stone one to different shapes of mental ones, and then to highly advanced technological nail-guns, which are taking the places of hammers in a builder’s hand. To have some real life experience, children can to taken to a hardware shop to see different hammers or to a construction site to watch a builder using a nail-gun.

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  3. Fa,
    I like how you have reflected on as simple tool and through a little research have seen how complex such a simple tool can be. These types of ‘simple’ tool have always fascinated me. I can’t help but wonder who created them and what were they trying to achieve at that very moment when they though, “I need to make something to bang sharp objects into another with.” Then the hammer must have gone through several adjustments and fine tuning to become what we commonly see today.
    Even things like scissors are quite amazing tools to ponder who invented this, why, how, what did the first pair look like, how have they changed over time? It would be interesting to challenge preschoolers to see how we could cut paper if the scissors suddenly disappeared one day. I wonder what creative inventions or techniques they would come up with.
    It is nice to hear that the children have a variety of resources with which to create their construction. I think providing inspiring resources in an important factor in provoking their creativity and thinking.
    Ka pai.

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