Entry 4

Food technology in our centre

7^th October 2010

Food technology is a huge part of our programme at my centre. Weather we are making playdough for play or cookies for afternoon tea the children regularly ask to cook and are involved in the process as well as the finished products. Many of the children have became experts in this area of technology, they show their expertise by being able to mix the ingredients, knowing the steps involved in recipes, levelling off dry ingredients, sharing their knowledge with others, and knowing the names for tools (measuring cup, sieve etc). The children will often ask if we can do some cooking, making playdough is their favourite because they get to pick the colours and play with it right away. We also make with help from the children make messy play recipes such as uncooked finger paint, sand cement, and slime.    

Recognised learning: Smorti (1999) explains how technology is an innovative and focused activity intended to incorporate desires and opportunities by developing products. Smorti (1999) also says talks about the learning involved in cooking by stating

  It is a purposeful activity- to produce food. Children

  use their knowledge about processes and problem

  solving (technology), science, reading, mathematics.

  They use: physical skills (e.g. holding bowls and spoons, mixing),

  social and emotional skills, and language (they can describe

  what they are doing and they talk to each other).

  They also use the resources provided (ingredients,

  implements, process cooking cards, and maybe educato

  rs as a sources of information). (p. 6)

Cooking also involves children using their senses for example touch, scent, and taste. Te Whariki also talks about how children must develop an awareness of and delight in discovering smells and tastes which are different. Te Whariki also suggests children should be able to use all their senses which are extended by using different tools and materials (Ministry of Education, 1996). Day (2007) also talks about how cooking allows children to see the transformation of materials and how cooking shows children how nothing is permanently bound by its structure or appearance. Te Whariki also makes reference to similar processes by explaining how children must have opportunities to experience how things can be changed such as from cold to hot or soft to hard. Te Whariki also suggests that children interact with equipment which allows them to do so for example egg beaters and ovens (Ministry of Education, 1996).