Kanak-kanak & Gajet

Article ini ditulis oleh :

 Assist. Prof. Dr. Putri Afzan Maria Zulkifli                                                           Deputy Dean, Faculty of Early Childhood Studies, UNITAR                                  http://www.ukm.my/wadahict/kanak-kanak-gajet/

 May 7, 2015

Beberapa tahun dahulu, kita semua mengalami era di mana ‘Bibik menggantikan Ibubapa’ dalam proses pembesaran anak-anak. Kini, fenomenanya agak berbeza sedikit. Fenomena yang menimpa bukan sahaja pada masyarakat di Malaysia, tetapi juga masyarakat di luar negara, di mana ‘Gajet menggantikan Bibik/Ibubapa’.

Ramai yang mengakui, senang jika ada Ipad, sebab ianya memudahkan mereka melakukan kerja rumah, mudah bagi mereka mengawal tingkah laku anak jika berada di rumah kawan sebagai contoh, ataupun di kedai makan. Tetapi, ramai yang tidak sedar, kesan yang boleh memudaratkan anak-anak kecil ini. Adakah anda tahu, bahawa rangsangan yang berlebihan dari penggunaan gajet ini boleh mengecutkan otak anak anda, terutamanya kanak-kanak yang berumur bawah 3 tahun? Gajet yang dimaksudkan ini juga termasuklah penggunaan televisyen, dan apa sahaja yang di tonton dan terhad dalam sebuah kotak.

Kenapa?

Kajian menunjukkan anak-anak di bawah umur 2 tahun yang di biarkan menonton rancangan di TV akan mengalami efek negatif yang lama pada perkembangan bahasa, skil membaca dan ingatan memori jangka pendek. Kesan menonton TV pada 2 tahun pertama juga akan mengganggu tidur dan tumpuan anak-anak apabila mereka meningkat dewasa. Kajian di Malaysia yang ada dilaporkan dalam sebuah mesyuarat ECCE Council baru-baru ini menyatakan bahawa 10 tahun dahulu, kadar masa fokus bagi pelajar di dalam kelas adalah 13 minit. Hari ini, kadar masa fokus telahpun jatuh pada hanya 4 saat. Ramai guru yang mengadu tentang permasalahan mengawal anak murid dalam kelas, dan inilah antara puncanya; terlalu banyak didedahkan dengan pelbagai jenis gajet, tanpa pengawalan yang serius.

Rajah di bawah menunjukkan perbezaan antara otak yang normal dan otak yang mengalami rangsangan gajet yang berlebihan tetapi rangsangan stimulasi sensori yang berkurangan. Buat pengetahuan semua, 3 tahun pertama pertumbuhan otak adalah sangat penting kerana saiz otak adalah dua pertiga saiz otak dewasa. Jika anak-anak mengalami masalah kurangnya stimulasi sensori seperti yang dilihat dalam rajah (ruang-ruang kosong), maka sangatlah rugi besar bila mana sel-sel otak tersebut mati begitu sahaja.

Sebelum anda salah faham, permasalahan ini bukanlah pada apa yang anak-anak lakukan sewaktu menonton televisyen atau sewaktu bermain gajet, tetapi apa yang mereka TIDAK LAKUKAN sewaktu dalam proses tersebut, yang mungkin berjam-jam lamanya (jika tidak dikawal dengan baik). Perkembangan anak-anak adalah berlandaskan pada bagaimana aktifnya mereka berinteraksi dengan ibubapa atau penjaga dan juga sebanyak mana mereka melihat interaksi ini berlaku. Menonton televisyen atau bermain gajet hanya melibatkan efek 2D yang bukan realiti.

Kajian ada melaporkan, kebiasaannya, ibubapa akan bercakap dalam 940 patah perkataan per jam apabila anak-anak ada bersama mereka. Itupun jika ibubapa tersebut prihatin dan rajin bersembang. Apabila TV di pasang, bilangan patah perkataan ini jatuh hingga ke 770 per jam. Semakin kurang perkataan yang di sebut, semakin kuranglah pembelajaran perkataan baru. Semakin kurang jugalah kosakata yang boleh disimpan dalam lexical database otak kita. Antara sebab ramai anak yang lambat bercakap juga adalah di sebabkan oleh kurangnya perbualan antara ibubapa dan anak-anak.

Doktor Christakis yang merupakan Direktor pada Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development in Seattle, juga melaporkan bahawa anak-anak yang di bawah umur 3 tahun akan berkemungkinan besar mengalami masalah fokus di sekolah kelak jika diletakkan di hadapan televisyen berjam-jam lamanya. Malah, dalam kajian beliau mendapati, setiap 1 jam tontonan sehari akan menyebabkan 10% masalah fokus, 2 jam pula akan menyebabkan 20% masalah fokus, jika dibandingkan dengan anak-anak yang tidak didedahkan langsung dengan televisyen. Apa bezanya televisyen dan pendedahan pada gajet yang berjam-jam lamanya dalam satu hari?

Jika betullah kata-kata “you are what you eat” maka, apa yang berlaku adalah “otak anak-anak adalah sebagaimana apa yang dipaparkan pada mereka“. Artikel ini bukanlah bertujuan untuk menyalahkan teknik keibubapaan anda, tetapi untuk kita sama-sama fikirkan cara yang boleh kita perbaiki untuk membantu rangsangan positif pada anak-anak. Bukan tidak boleh menggunakan gajet atau menonton televisyen, tetapi adalah lebih baik jika anda sentiasa bersama anak-anak dan berkomunikasi dengan mereka untuk menstimulasikan otak mereka. Gajet atau televisyen bukanlah babysitter buat anak-anak anda. Adalah tidak adil jika anda menyalahgunakan teknologi dengan cara ini. Rata-rata kajian menyarankan kurang dari 2 jam pendedahan pada gajet atau televisyen setiap hari bagi menyeimbangkan pertumbuhan otak anak-anak anda. Adalah lebih baik jika anak anda yang berumur bawah 2 tahun, langsung tidak didedahkan dengan gajet.

Hibiscus Day - National Flower

Our special topic on the Hibiscus in conjunction with our Malaysia Day.  Every child brought in some fresh Hibiscus and these were some of the activities carried out.

1.  Look,  touch the flowers and learned the parts of the flowers.  The children learned that the hibiscus is not only red, but there are also white, yellow, pink and cream coloured hibiscus.

2. Draw and label the flowers.

3.  For the younger ones ~ colour the flower.

4. Pre-reading

There were also maths activities such as counting and making a chart.  A day full of learning with the Hibiscus!

Farm Animals Play

In the theme 'Farm Animals',   the children were brought outdoors to 'play' with their toys.  They were given cut grass, soil, water and blocks.  the children then grouped the animals according to their habitats  ~ ducks & geese in the water;  sheep, goats and cows with the grass,  pigs and hens in the soil pen.   Some children went on to contruct 'homes' for their animals.  

 

Study: Children Are 800% Worse When Their Mothers Are In The Room

Taken from :  http://www.momnewsdaily.com/study-children-are-800-worse-when-their-mothers-are-in-the-room/

A study out of the University of Washington Department of Psychology has revealed that children are 800% worse when their mothers are in the room. If the children are under ten, the percentage doubles to 1,600%.

The study followed 500 families and measured Neediness, Whine Crying, Shriek Screaming, Attempted Slapping, Forgetting How To Walk/Use Words, and Acting The Fool.

Professor of Marriage and Family Psychology, Dr. K.P Leibowitz gave us insight into the study. “What we found was that children as young as eight months-old could be playing happily but upon seeing their mother enter a room were 99.9% more likely to begin crying, release their bowels, and need her immediate attention. The .1% was a vision-impaired child but once he heard his mother’s voice he began throwing things and asked for a snack despite having just eaten. Truly fascinating.”

Paul Olsen, a father of three and study participant, was shocked by the study’s outcome. “I always wondered why she couldn’t get anything done. She’s literally their kryptonite and magnet at the same time. They’re pretty good for me, though.”

The research found that despite using the same disciplinary methods, 100% of the children were more responsive to instructions spoken at a normal voice level if they came from someone other than their mother. To receive similar behavioral results, the women in the group had to raise their voices to that of someone being attacked by several large animals.

“I didn’t need a study to tell me this,” said study participant and mother of four Lisa Powell in a sit-down home interview. “My kids act half their age the second they catch my scent. It’s why I’m now a high functioning alcoholic,” she slurred while pinning sensory tables and first day of school picture ideas.

Dr. Leibowitz is working on a spray that masks a mother’s natural pheromones to offer some relief but in the meantime recommends families invest in a bathroom with a working lock.

.............Yes, we have seen this happening in our schools.

Are Tablets Good For Children?

Found this interesting article written by Prof. Plowman & J. Hancock : http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3tsyrd

1. Isn't screen time bad for children?

Jointly written byProf. Plowman & J HancockExternalUniversity of Edinburgh

As a parent, seeing your child spending lots of time playing on tablets, phones and other devices can feel worrying. Many of us feel that being active, playing outside or reading a book is better for children's development.

While physical activity, reading and other more 'traditional' activities continue to play a very important part in children's development, most parents and carers do rely on screen devices from time to time to engage their child while they’re busy with something else. This is not a problem in itself, just as long as children’s time is made up of a balanced range of activities.

Parents sometimes worry that time spent playing on screen devices may be stunting important development in areas such as social and communication skills. However, as devices and technology have evolved to be more intuitive and creative, they have opened up a world of possibilities for children who previously may have been frustrated by the constraints of their abilities and their environment.

2.  Empowering children to communicate

How technology can help

Many young children don’t yet communicate by reading and writing but are full of ideas that they want to express. This can be a really frustrating stage for them, but using technology in the right way can empower them to get their ideas across. This can be especially true for children with communication difficulties.

Technology like video-calling on a tablet or phone can support social interaction and communication skills as it makes it easy for children to show people the things they want to talk about or to describe facets of everyday life to family and friends. By doing this they're also learning to take turns, to take account of their conversation partner and to explain things in a way that’s understandable for somebody who isn't in the same place.

If others join in with apps and games or taking and viewing photos they become shared experiences and can provide stimuli for children’s own questions, stories and imaginative responses. Some nurseries and schools encourage young children to take their own photos to show their families and these can become a focus for talking about their day away from home.

3.  Help your child learn through technology

Professor Lydia Plowman has researched the way children learn through apps and games. In this video she explains what parents can do to do to unlock the learning benefits of technology for their child.

4.  Guided interaction

How to help your child learn through technology

Almost any game, app or website can provide a positive learning opportunity for your child if you think about ways of supporting their play.

Being there is key

Effective guided interaction is about finding ways of supporting your child’s play and learning with technology. It’s more than helping out when they get stuck, although sometimes that’s all that’s needed. Guided interaction often comes naturally: showing interest, asking questions, making suggestions, providing encouragement, praising achievements, just being nearby and helping children to deal with their frustrations. All of these can build confidence and support your child’s play and learning.

Turning virtual fun into real-world skills

Guided interaction also involves thinking about ways of extending children’s learning beyond the screen. For example, if the virtual game involves sorting objects into different categories, you could follow up with a real-world game in which your child helps to sort the washing. By doing this, you have helped them to relate what they have experienced on the screen to everyday life.

Getting children involved in your online tasks

Letting your child get involved in everyday tasks such as online shopping, checking the weather or looking up directions can also be great for giving children a sense of purpose and developing their know‐how about how to find out about things. These everyday tasks can also be great opportunities for talking with your child about the wider world and developing their general knowledge, for example, talking about what their favourite foods are and why, where the food in the shops comes from, or different kinds of weather.

5. How to find good apps for children

'Educational' apps

The apps, games and websites that are promoted as ‘educational’ are not always the best ones for supporting learning. The fact that they’re interactive doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re much better than an old-fashioned workbook with its right and wrong answers. Children may enjoy these products for a while but then get a bit bored, and we now know that they are not the most appropriate or engaging way to learn.

Free apps

Treat so-called ‘free’ apps with caution. Some will expose your child to adverts. Others are designed to wait until your child is engaged in a game or storyline and then demand payment before they can go any further. This can lead to frustration as young children don’t understand why they can’t continue. Sometimes it’s better to make a small payment up front if the app promises no further purchases. However, the CBeebies Playtime and CBeebies Storytime apps are free to download and completely free of adverts or in-app purchases.

Choosing the right app

Choosing an app needs the same kind of thought and care you would put into buying anything else for your child. Don’t rely only on the star rating, but read the user reviews and check the privacy policy if you’re worried about the personal information that the app might be collecting. If you want your child to enjoy learning, to develop curiosity, and to think about things creatively then provide them with a range of games and apps. Open-ended games that become progressively more challenging and encourage children to explore and have fun are more likely to establish a love of learning and to lay the foundation for their future development.

6.   Moderation is key

Experts agree - not before sleep.

Keep your eye on the balance

While physical activity, reading and other more 'traditional' activities continue to play a very important part in children's development, most parents do rely on screen devices from time to time to engage their child while they’re busy with something else. This is not a problem in itself, just as long as children’s time is made up of a balanced range of activities.

There is a lack of concrete evidence to show any harm done by moderate screen time, but the one thing that most experts agree on is that it’s not a good idea to be exposed to close-up screens before bedtime because the light they emit may cause problems with sleep.

Ramadan Theme 2015

The Ramadan theme was done in June, when school reopened for the whole month of Ramadan.  We increased our hafalan, zikir, collected money (Ramadan Charity Jar) to give to the orphans and needy; and learned the beautiful names of Allah.  We held our Ramadan Camp for the 6 years old and Ilm Camp for the 5 years old.   The children were brought to the nearby masjid - Masjid Darul Ehsan Piasau to learn to perform the zuhur salah in congregation.  

Here are some of the work done in this theme. 

1.  Ramadan Calendar

2.  Why we fast.

3.  What is sahur?

4. Deeds that are encouraged in Ramadan.

5. Dates and its benefits.  

6. Zikir

Farm Animals - Chicken Rice

In the theme 'Farm Animals' , the children learned that meat and eggs are from hens. Chicken rice is a typical food - so we asked parents to pack CHICKEN RICE for their break time.  Photos show the children enjoying their chicken rice.

The different types of chicken rice.

Pendekatan Reggio Emilia

Dipetik dari kertas kerja Dr. Rebecca Berlin, Chief Strategy Officer, Teachstone Training LLC, USA yang dibentangkan di konferens ECCE International Rendezvous 2015 di Kuala Lumpur pada 4 Ogos 2015.

Sejarah Reggio Emilia

Diasaskan oleh seorang guru atau pendidik bernama Loris Malaguzzi di sebuah bandar bernama Reggio. di daerah Emilia Romagna, Italy  selepas perang dunia ke2.  Malaguzzi dengan kerjasama ibubapa  melahirkan sebuah sistem untuk mengasuh serta mendidik kanak-kanak di daerah itu.

Pendekatan Reggio Emilia
Aspek penting untuk menjayakan pendekatan ini ialah :

• Peranan kanak-kanak
• Peranan alam sekeliling
• Peranan pendidik/guru
• Permerhatian dan dokumentasi
• Peranan projek

Falsafah dan Teori  Pendekatan Reggio Emilia

1.  Seorang kanak-kanak berperanan sebagai seorang 'protagonist', 'collaborator' dan 'communicator'

2.  Guru adalah seorang rakan kerja, pengasuh, memimpin dan penyelidik

3. Bekerjasama atau 'cooperation' adalah asas sistem pembelajaran ini.

4.  Alam persekitaran merupakan 'guru' yang ketiga.

5. Ibubapa merupakan rakan atau 'partner'.

6. Alat komunikasi adalah dari hasil kerja yang telah di rekod atau 'documentation'.

Peranan Kanak-Kanak

• Merupakan seorang penyelidik
• Meneroka alam persekitaran dan membuat penemuan baru.  Pembelajaran berasas kepada minat atau ingin tahu terhadap sesuatu perkara,  bukan mengikut skedule yang telah ditetapkan tetapi secara spontan.
• Minat serta keinginan tahu adalah faktor utama kurikulum dan seorang guru dapat mengenalpasti apa yang diminati oleh kanak-kanak.

Peranan Alam Persekitaran

• Merupakan 'pendidik' yang ketiga (the 'third' teacher).
• Sekolah adalah dinamik atau berfungsi sebagai 'organisma yang hidup'
• Organisasi alam persekitaran fizikal amat penting.
• Dalam sekolah, ada sebuah 'studio'  - dimana terdapat tanah liat (clay), cat, bahan-bahan untuk menulis.
• Struktur fizikal sekolah penting. 

Perana Guru/Pendidik

Peranan seorang guru dalam pendekatan RM adalah sangat kompleks.

Guru adalah seorang:

• pelajar
• penyelidik
• pakar rujuk
• yang memimpin
• pemerhati
• pendengar
• merekod hasil kerja kanak-kanak dan pembangunan kelas
• yang meransang
• yang dapat berbincang dengan guru lain dan ibubapa
• yang mengeratkan pertalian dan hubungan diantara rumah, sekolah dan komuniti.

Peranan Projek

• Ada projek yang boleh diselesaikan dalam jangkamasa pendek (short term) dan ada yang menggambil masa yang panjang (long-term).
• Sebuah projek dijalankan atas minat kanak-kanak bukan ditentukan oleh guru.  Projek tidak dirancangkan terlebih dahulu oleh guru tetapi di hasilkan berdasarkan minat kanak-kanak (child-led project approach).

Early Childhood Care & Education International Rendezvous 2015

Date : 4-6 August 2015, Kuala Lumpur

There were about 60 delegates from all over the world ~  USA, Austria, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius Island, Eygpt, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Iran, UK, Australia and Malaysia.