To me showing gratitude is very important, and a daily activity that I participate in to support me to understand who I am, why I do things, how I treat others, and my perspective on life. Gratitude is very important to understand, receive, and share with others, and can be done in a variety of ways.
This concept is one of my favourites to share and teach children, and feel it is very important for them to learn. It allows me to get a better understanding of the children on a deeper level, and incorporates their lives, into the classroom, therefore, making the environment unique, authentic, and personal. It also allows the children to experience a sense of pride, and happiness while sharing their stories, and experiences.
For such learning opportunities, is it very important to ensure that as an Educator and role model, you are exposing and implementing the actions and behaviours you would like your children to learn, and use.
With support and ideas from a few of my classmates during an in class activity, we have created a small Learning Experience for children on the topic Gratitude with the great help of technology.
Age Group
4 to 5 years of age
Purpose
To provide the children the opportunity to discover and share things they are grateful for, while positively incorporating technology in and outside the classroom.
Objectives — ELECT Document
Cognition 4.3 – Representation: Using a variety of materials to build with and express their ideas.
Emotional 2.5 – Regulating Attentions and Behaviour: Increasingly expressing emotions appropriately.
Social 1.7- Empathy: Sharing emotions, communicating, and expressing feelings with adults and peers.
Hook/Plan
Ask the children what they think Gratitude is along with have a brief discussion, and what the children are grateful for. Write down the definition and their answers on chart paper, for all to see.
Read a book about Gratitude, to provide some more examples for the children, follow up with questions about the book, to ensure the children understand the topic.
Share what the activity is, as each child can use the classroom iPad, to take a picture of what they are grateful for in the classroom.
As an extension, we will send the children home with the task to take/bring in a picture of what they are grateful in their lives. The children individually will have the opportunity to share and show what they took a picture of on the iPad, with their peers, and explain why they choose it.
Once each child has the opportunity to share their pictures, the Educators will print the pictures and create a wall that displays all the gratitude the children have.
Materials:
Chart paper
Markers
Classroom iPad
Copies of home pictures
Display board of all pictures
Teaching Strategies — Performing Task Analysis
-Take a picture of the items you are grateful for; in the classroom and outside the classroom, (home, neighbourhood),
-Stand up and show what the picture is to your friends in the class,
-Explain what the picture is and why it was chosen,
-Help create a display board with all the children’s photos.
Discussion Questions
What do you think gratitude looks like?
What do you think gratitude feels likes?
Why is gratitude important in our lives?
How did using the iPad help you show gratitude?
I tried this activity out myself, and below I have added a couple pictures that I am Grateful for. Enjoy!
My beautiful sisters & Grandmother
My precious Bella
Technology in Early Childhood 