I love technology as much as the next person, and it definitely has its place in early childhood environments. However, technology for young children should be interactive, purposeful, support learning & curiosity.
So, what about “taking photos”? I know we take photos of children engaged in play & experiences as part of our documentation and “evidence” for families.
However, I have observed educators requesting children to stop & pose, even following children to capture images.
Does this present a risk?
A risk for both parties – for children to disengage from the momentum of play & discovery and for educators to “disengage from engaging”?
A risk to place emphasis on the end product rather than the process of learning?
A risk for children to perceive having their image taken every day is normal?
A risk for us to become paparazzi like in our behaviours and only see what’s on the surface rather than a deep understanding of a child’s play, personality, needs, development, that we would experience when we are truly engaged.
These are things for us as educators to consider, discuss, reflect upon and ensure we have a balance, an understanding or agreement as to why we take images, when we take them and how they are used.
Do we want to be like the lady in the image- present and experiencing the moment… or looking through the lens?
