adminShepherd Chimururi : Cool Lifestyle Correspondent
“No mummy, you don’t say kubaya ka two, when operating a mouse you say double clicking,” these were instructive words of the confident four-year old Philip Bvute to her mother who had accompanied him to school. For a moment a wave of silence engulfed the classroom packed with students and parents as technology defied the generational gap.The event was the e-learning Day for Early Childhood Development children and their parents. It was held at Sheali e-learning and ECD Centre based in Chitungwiza recently with the objective to give children it was a platform to showcase their computer operation skills in front of their parents and guardians. For parents it was meant to give them a two-dimension insight on how their children were taught through the use of latest electronic teaching aids like dvds and make them witness their children displaying computer skills. Computer based colouring, drawing, counting and puzzles solving are some of the activities that children did.
The day started with the Principal Alice Fore welcoming the parents.
“We introduced e-learning at this school as an answer to the call by Ministry of Education to incorporate it at every stage of learning. Children learn using their senses. In learning it is generally assumed that the sense of sight accounts for about 75percent and hearing 13percent while others senses account for the remainder.
Simply put a child who watches a video of trumpeting elephant gets a clearer and lasting image than a child who has seen a still picture of an elephant. Why? Reason is simple — it is because there is combination of both audio and visual element. It is easier for the child to then imitate how the elephant walks, eat, drinks water or trumpet.
“e-learning helps children to develop holistically what we call PIES. Physically there is hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills (finger dexterity as they control mouse and type on keyboard) Intellectually clear images are formed and improves their problem solving capabilities through games and puzzles. Emotionally e-learning motivates and helps them to develop persistence in working, gives them joy when winning, challenges them to soldier on. Socially e-learning helps children interaction and cooperation among the children through turns taking.”
The climax of the day’s programme came when each child was asked to demonstrate his or her computer skills to parents. This exercise saw children assuming the role of the teacher by showing their parents how to open programmes, giving an explanation of what it is all about and doing the execution. Regina Kamungeremu who came to witness her son Junior was really full of praise.
“This event really opened my eyes because I never really understood what ECD children would be doing on computer. It was a pleasant surprise to see my son operating a computer so efficiently at that tender age something I can not do,” she said.
Besides ECD children, there were demonstrations by some primary school children who do computer lessons at Sheali. Nickson Musango a grade five pupil had this to say: “I used to go and play games at internet café, but now I am learning new things like how to type and design. My target by end of year is to be able to use the photoshop software. I like to do my designs and change backgrounds.”
Online Reporter