INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY USE – CO-VIEWING & RE-ENGAGING
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Evidencing our work with technology in the classroom is about balance ; a balance between keeping up to date with the latest research , and undertaking our own context-based research , through reflection , practitioner enquiry and action research .
MEET DR KATE HIGHFIELD
Dr Kate Highfield is a senior lecturer at Swinburne University . She spent the last decade as a teacher educator and researcher at Macquarie University ’ s Institute of Early Childhood and at Charles Sturt University ’ s RIPPLE ( Research Institute for Professional Practice , Learning and Education ). Kate researches children ’ s use of technology and is passionate about enabling educators to use research in their practice .
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY USE – CO-VIEWING & RE-ENGAGING
By Laure Hislop , KU Professional Learning Consultant
‘ Young children and their families need relationships with mindful media mentors who are positive , enthusiastic tour guides and curious co-explorers in the digital age .’ ( Donohue 2017 p . 23 )
Relationships matter , and children learn best when adults are fully present with them and responsive to their ideas and questions . Co-viewing technology can be used to strengthen the adult / child relationship by engaging in a shared experiences , using technology together to support learning .
What we are already doing ?
A digital documentation platform called Storypark has been adopted across KU services as a tool for reporting to families and sharing the rich learning experiences afforded to children in KU services .
This digital documentation platform allows children , families and educators , to view the learning that has occurred at a centre level , and return to the documentation to re-visit the learning . Storypark has changed how teachers and families communicate . When we continue to document learning about individual
children , families are sure to engage with this innovative approach , and then to revisit the documentation . This reflective practice strengthens educators , and family relationships , and helps scaffold children ’ s learning while providing insight into a child ’ s learning potential .
Storypark supports the idea of allowing children the opportunity to re-visit learning , allows experiences to be shared , and concepts and ideas challenged and / or refined .
Children love to revisit their work . They want to see photos of what they have done and love revisiting their Storypark posts .
This innovative use of technology is proving to enhance family engagement . The better we document and the more we personalise the story , the more we strengthen the family relationships and the closer we come to joint engagement with families . Creating a true partnership , where families understand and have impact on what is happening in the classroom , and where education and care environments come to understand what is happening at home .
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