Author Bio:
"Jennifer is a freelance writer with a passion for travel, baking, and
all things cats. When she's not writing, she can be found exploring
fascinating and exotic destinations with her husband and young daughter,
or unsuccessfully trying to learn how to crochet."
The
purpose of the camera has essentially gone full circle. Camera obscuras dating
back to 5BC were primarily used for educational purposes – for the charting of
solar patterns, for example – but for the past few decades, as they’ve been
incorporated into the commercial sector, they’ve mainly been utilised by
tourists cataloguing their travels, by parents creating memories of their
children, and by students capturing their youthful misdemeanours.
Today,
however, we’re starting to see cameras once again used for learning purposes; beyond
the stunning photography of recent National Geographic expeditions, or the latest photography taken from space, there
are numerous projects helping us make sense of our own lives, and that of our
children. One recentexample is that of Surf Excel’s Kids Today project, which
aims to discover more about how children learn through
the use of camera equipment.
Early
learning is a rather controversial subjecteven among child development experts
– one that’s full of contrasting views and beliefs. Some believe that children
learn by example, whereas others believe that natural progression and
advancement is built in – something that’s with us from birth. Until now, there
hasn’t really been the technology available to prove that one or the other is
categorically correct – there hasn’t been anything which allows us to see the
world through a child’s eyes, to learn more about how children learn new
talents, learn social skills, or learn about the world in general.
To assist
them with the project, Surf Excel commissioned the creation of a unique piece
of equipment – the EyeView Camera – which gives us what we’ve been looking for:
Essentially an insider's guide to how children learn. The camera, which fits around
a child’s head much like a headband, films what kids see as they play, as they
socialise, and as they rest. While, for example, GoPro cameras have enabled
even amateur enthusiasts to capture real life as it happens – and have been
particularly good for filming underwater and sports activities – finding
something to suit rather than obstruct a child (which would interfere with the
purpose of the project) required special consideration.
The smart
design means that children can wear the camera without it impacting upon them –
they can’t see it nor particularly feel it – so the images seen are, perhaps,
the most natural images that can be taken of a world seen through children’s
eyes. Beyond what this can tell us about learning and development, there’s a
sense of scale, speed and challenge that static shots watching children play
couldn’t have passed on – making the footage particularly fascinating.
With the EyeView
camera, we’re starting to see more and more patterns in the way that children
new skills and interact with the world around them. So far, the project has
confirmed the idea that children’s learning revolves around the influence of
their family and friends; time spent playing and socialising, and the ‘free’
time they’re allowed. Footage of kids learning by falling down, communicating
with others, and repeating physical motions until they’re masteredthem, emphasises
the importance of unstructured activities for a child’s development – alongside
traditional, structured educational play – and reminds us of the utter
persistence and easy fascination kids employ when dealing with the objects
around them. Without the use of technology, what we understand about how children
learn and their development would be much more speculative, and far less
concrete. Technology such as the EyeView camera is making so much more possible
than we ever thought.
Mail me for Guest Posts in dilipstechnoblog.com (dilipgeoffrey@gmail.com)
