Tech Teachers Playshop

PLAYSHOP

March 22-29 

What is a Playshop? 

Playshops are educational and interactive activities that encourage creativity and collaboration among others. Each playshop is unique, it can include any subject areas such as math, science, art, literacy and technology based. Playshops are ways children can use their prior knowledge to further develop their understanding and strengths. Each child is involved in the activity by sharing their ideas, interacting with their peers and finding common grounds to create something uniquely different.

To learn more about playshops visit All rigor and no play is no way to improve learning


Click here to view a short video of Tech Teacher's Playshop.

Materials

In Progress

This lab work was completed over a period of two weeks. During the first week, we were given the opportunity to explore the materials and come up with creating something with the materials we were given or had. Materials that were incorporated into this playshop project were reusable and recyclable materials. From these materials, the Tech Teachers decided to create "string telephones". From the idea of creating string telephones, we began to look through our materials to find duplicates, for example, cups (2) or toilet paper rolls (2). From there we would use various strings we had in possession and began to attach each pair of cups, boxes, and other materials to the string to form into string telephones. Other telephones we have made also included other materials such as foil, paper clips, etc. To make the string telephone look colourful and creative we used markers and colourful strings to create designs.

Below are our string telephones for show

End Results

Story Park Documentation

STORY PARK

Apple Store

March 1, 2017

Story Park is an online documentation that can be accessed through their website (Click here) or their app found on the Apple Store (iPhones, iPads, etc.) or on Google Play (Android).

This online documentation or ePortfolio could be used by Educators, parents, teachers, and others who are part of the child's life. Storypark is used in a way that supports the involvement of the child's life by connecting them with those in the community or those they interact with.Each documented post per child can include the skills and key areas the child focused on during a specific play.

Each documentation or ePortfolio per individual child is at a low cost. An advantage with this online documentation is that the progress of the child's development can be taken with them once they leave the childcare center or the school. It can be shared and accessed by many people if the parent, educator, or teacher provides the accessibility to others. Another handy thing about this app/website is that it can be opened anywhere, updated, and viewed.

What can be posted on this app/website?

On Story park, you can post videos, photos, notes, portfolios, and other developmental documentations about an individual child.The parents and educators have an opportunity to preview the child development during a weekly or daily basis by commenting on a post made by the child’s educator. For older children, they can have access to the document and post their own learning and experiences.

Website Click Here (Computers, Laptop, etc.) 

Reference

Storypark. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.storypark.com/ . 

HiMama - Documentation

Feb 15, 2017

During an hour or so of class, we had a guest speaker come in and talk about the positivity of technology for young children, parents, and educators and walked the class through a web page/application called "HiMama". "HiMama" is user-friendly, for educators and parents - it is used a substitution to children documentation during programming.

HiMama is a substitution to the centre’s program documentation, it allows for educators and parents to engage in individual children’s learning growth. Allows for continuous communication, memory reminders and connecting families with the centre. Not only does HiMama support documentation it allows for communication, engagement, technology involvement, and it saves time. When educators are able to save time on documentation it means educators would have more time to engage with the child's learning and experiences throughout the day.

The online document HiMama allows educators to have access to every individual child's section for inputting and updating the professional development the child is building on a daily or weekly basis. The application is used to document the child's activity engagement, what they have eaten, the time they have slept, etc. This then is informed to the parent(s) that have access to an HiMama account for their child. Educator(s) and parents at the center have quick and updated information based on what the child is currently working on.

For further information based on HiMama access the website and or video below! 

Below are how the application looks like for parents and educators in the apple or google play store. Also to access the website click here

This is what the app looks in the Apple store (iPhone, iPad, etc.) and should be similar to on Google Play (Andriod) - This is for educators and the center staff to use. 

This app is for parents to use and access their child's progressing documentation. 

Reference

HiMama.(2017). Retrieved from https://www.himama.com/

HiMama. (2014). Child Care and Day Care App for Documentation, Reports, Daily Sheets - HiMama Overview. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcRw4TIx58