At
our kindergarten teachers can sit with children and have lunch with them, when
children saw teacher M eating her lunch with chopsticks; it really interests
them and aroused lot of questions in their mind. Teacher M is a new student teacher at the
kindergarten for 5 weeks. Child A asked me “why is M eating with sticks”? Child
C added “I eat with fork”. I explained to the children these sticks are called chopsticks
and Asian cultures usually use them to eat their food, they use it instead of
knife and fork.
Smorti (1999) says that “technology is about
helping people” (p. 5) and “technology is influenced by the culture or the
society in which it occurs” (p.6). Clearly use of chopsticks is technology and
it is helping people to consume food and it is influenced by Asian culture.
I
consulted with teacher M to gain more knowledge about chopsticks, as she is Chinese
and might have more understanding about it. She told me that the English name
“chopsticks” comes from Chinese word “chop chop” which means quickly (Parkinson,
2013). She showed me her chopsticks
which were made of stainless steel and explained different kind of chopsticks
and shapes. After few discussions with teacher M, she suggested that she can bring
5 pair of plastic chopsticks which she has at home and children can explore
them. I thought it will be a wonderful experience.
To begin
with I provided children with five little bowls, as we have five pair of chopstick. I set
it up at a table and in the middle of the table I put a big tray in which different
materials such as soft cotton balls, sponge pieces, wool strings and wooden Sushi
were kept. The idea was to let children have a go at picking up lighter materials
from the tray into their bowl and when they use it on the real food it will be easier
for them. Through exploration with chopsticks children
will develop fine motor skills and also develop working theories of material
world (Ministry of Education, 1996). The skills that children will be using
also help them to understand the physical properties of the materials (Ministry
of Education, 2007).
I am
not very competent using chopsticks, I asked teacher M to demonstrate the
proper techniques to the children. The technique
of chopsticks is to hold both of them between the thumb and forefinger of your
dominant hand and use them as an extension of your fingers to pick up food .They
can be used as tongs in a sense. Through this experience I learned and polished
my chopsticks skills and I can associate it with the Māori concept of AKO where
I am learning and teaching at the same time (Clark & Grey, 2010).
Below
you tube video clip demonstrates how to hold chopsticks.
Through
some research I also find out that the benefits of using chopsticks instead of
a fork include stimulating brain development, cultivating good handwriting
habits, and improving self-confidence. In using chopsticks, children need to
focus and concentrate on picking up food gracefully and peacefully which helps
stimulate brain development, instead of jabbing their fork at their food. Using
chopsticks uses 30 joints and 50 muscles of the body and is similar to pencil
holding and writing grip which will teach proper handwriting habits (Edison Chopsticks,
n.d.).
Children’s
experience with chopsticks (a technology from other culture) allowed children to
explore and use their fine motor skills and provided children with lots of
learning opportunities. During lunch time couple of children asked for the
chopsticks and it was really fun to watch as the food was running away from
them. I reassured children it won’t run away ones you mastered using chopsticks
and we had lots of giggles at lunch time that day. We will surely revisit this wonderful
experience and hopefully with real food.
References
Parkinson, R. (2013). Chopsticks. Retrieved from
Clark, B., &
Grey, A. (Eds.). (2010). Āta kitea te pea - Scanning the horizon:
Perspectives on early childhood
education. North Shore, New Zealand:
Pearson.
Edison Chopsticks.
(n.d.). Welcome to edison chopsticks. Retrieved from
Ministry of
Education. (2007).The New Zealand curriculum. For English-medium
teaching and learning in years
1-13.
Retrieved
from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents
Ministry of
Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā
mokopuna
o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Leaning Media.
Google Images. (n.d.) Chopsticks [Photo] Retrieved from
https://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=camera&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44342787,d.dGY&biw=1366&bih=705&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=nsNTUZ-HAZDTkgXZjIE4#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=+chopsticks&oq=+chopsticks&gs_l=img.3..0l10.9407.10399.0.11171.14.7.0.0.0.0.252.711.4j1j2.7.0...0.0...1c.1.7.img.4AhOMsTJOTM&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=6856ad5ed2801cfd&biw=1092&bih=564&imgrc=000G6eP7orqV5M%3A%3BGD2IpUq6DGXXRM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.robsworld.org%252Fchopsticks3a.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.robsworld.org%252Fchopsticks.html%3B294%3B290
You Tube. (2007) How to hold chopsticks [Vedio] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m94My4XkZTo
Hi Pam,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all the interesting facts about chopsticks. I had no idea that eating with them contributed to so much development (maybe we should all start using them instead of our forks and knives).
Your post shows how cooperation and active discussion among teachers can enhance children’s learning opportunities (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). If it wasn’t for your interest in the chopsticks and your desire to learn more, the children at your centre might have missed on this exploration. I believe that because chopsticks are so normal for your student teacher, she might not have thought that the children would found them and their use fascinating. Thanks to this experience the children would have gained knowledge and understanding of a tradition valued in a different culture and so very different from their own (Ministry of Education, 1996).
There is a way to help children to learn using chopsticks faster. People tend to put elastic and a piece of paper at the top of the chopsticks to hold them together, which makes it easier for children to use. Maybe you could try that next time. Here is a link to a video about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1viLScEkcKA
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Pam, this is a good example of how culture impacts technology (Smorti, 1999). It was interesting reading about the benefits of using chopsticks in preparation for learning how to write. The number of muscles people use when eating with chopsticks is incredible. Using chopsticks ensures a good workout while eating; the best of both worlds. This learning experience gave the children the opportunity to become familiar with the materials and properties contained in the chopsticks as well as making connections between the home life of the teacher and the centre (Ministry of Education, 1996). Have you thought of using chopsticks as drumsticks with the drum being a large coffee tin sellotaped over the ends? Maybe chopsticks could be used in a relay game where each child has two bowls and transports items between the two bowls. The items could be anything, for example, marbles, feathers or pipe cleaners. Another use of chopsticks could be as paint brushes adding another dimension to how children use technology to express themselves (Ministry of Education, 1996).
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how an unfamiliar tool can trigger a lot of questions from the minds and mouths of the young. I believe they hunger for the answers to satisfy their curiosity and understanding of how the world works around them (Brownlee, 2007). It is great that you enhanced your learning by investigating with questions of inquiry with a fellow student in your centre. Great approach, as you also enhanced mine too. Your partnership with the student developed and facilitated the children with hands on experience - hand eye coordination, understanding how their body works (Somerset, 2000). You showed initiative with learning to use chop sticks alongside the children. Your approach of modelling the fine motor skills is of great importance in learning together as a community (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).
ReplyDeleteWow, all this great information you found about the many benefits of using the chop sticks, is amazing – it all connects to how the mind and body can function together (Ministry of Education, 1996). It is definitely an art that requires grace and perseverance. I personally learned to eat with chop sticks alongside my siblings. It was a lot of fun, along with frustration but the challenge was too good to ignore. As highlighted by Somerset (2000, p.6):
“Children who are given early opportunities to develop bodily skills and co-ordination of hand and eye gain a sense of mastery over their environment and confidence in their own ability”.
After reading your blog, I looked at my right hand. I brought the top of my thumb and four fingers together then I picked up a pen, which was good. So I tried picking the same pen up with using just my fingers. Honestly, it was just weird, because without my thumb working with my fingers, there really was no stability. I decided to do the same experiment using chop sticks. I just couldn’t do it. Try using one chop stick instead of two. You have a go!
What a wonderful learning experience, as it gives the children an appreciation that all cultures do not use the same utensils to eat with. I thought it was a creative idea introducing the children to chopsticks by giving them soft cotton balls, sponge pieces wool and wooden sushi. I am sure it was empowering for the children as they learnt that they too could pick up an object with chopsticks. This was exploring and discovering technology first hand, from another culture (Ministry of Education, 1996)
ReplyDeleteAs the children were so keen to extend this experience to using the chop sticks to pick up their own lunches, I was wondering if this cultural experience could be extended further by giving them the opportunity to pick up some rice, as this would test their powers of concentration and would show them that young children from other cultures have different challenges to them. You could also make sushi rolls to give the children the experience of tasting different flavours to those they taste at home (Ministry of Education, 1996).
According to Montessori, “children learn best through active involvement in their physical and sensory environment because, in her view, sensory learning was the foundation of all other learning” (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009, p. 402).
References:
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Pam, I thought your chopsticks blog was really great. I had not thought about chopsticks being technology before, I just thought how really tricky they were to use. I bet the children had a real sense of achievement once they had mastered them, which would also add to their confidence and sense of empowerment. Also I thought that it was a really good idea to link your technology to another culture as this also helps children to form links with home (if of that culture) and with others, if of another culture (Ministry of Education, 1996). You used the teaching technique of demonstrating through using a special tool to teach a new skill (MacNaughton & Williams 2009), also you did it in a developmentally appropriate, and fun way. By asking another teacher to show you how to correctly use the chopsticks, you showed the children that teachers are also learners and how they work together.
ReplyDeleteUsing the chopsticks would provide an opportunity to help the children to begin to develop ‘positive judgements on their own ethic group and other ethic groups’ (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 66). Perhaps you could expand on this through exploring this culture further with the children.