Improving documentation and enhancing engagement
Improving documentation and increasing family engagement at Network Child Care Services Offering child care services to over 1,800 children across Toronto, Network Child Care Services is a non-profit organization licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Established in 1991, Network has expanded from its roots as a home-based child care service to providing high-quality child care services and programs to...
Updated Android Educator app – what to expect
The updated Android Educator app is here! We are excited to share that the updated Android Educator app is now available for Android users! With a new design and several features that were not available in the old app, we think you are going to love it as much as we do! What to expect with the Android Educator app...
Streamlining communication processes
The Learning Enrichment Foundation is a community-based non-profit in Toronto, Canada. It supports the local community in meeting various needs through employment training, immigrant settlement services, language training, and youth programs. It also has 24 early childhood education and care centres serving 1855 families. LEF is one of the largest childcare providers in the City of Toronto. A need for...
Standard Operating Procedures in ECE
When successfully managing multiple ECE learning services or programs, there are initiatives you can implement that will make the difference between success and chaos. Leading with purpose and building culture and systems are both areas that can have a positive impact on your organization. It is a vast topic! If you recently attended the webinar hosted by Melony Gibson and...
Documenting children’s learning – slow down!
Documenting children’s learning – are we rushing the process? When documenting children’s learning, it can sometimes feel like we are racing against the clock to gather information, turn it into a story, and hit publish. We rush to provide the evidence that we have noticed, recognized and responded to the learning. Early childhood educators have a lot of boxes to...
Teamwork in child care – building stronger teams
Fostering teamwork in child care has never been more important than it is now. Building strong early childhood teaching teams has far-reaching implications for educators, children, their families and your organization. However, there are record numbers of early childhood educators leaving the sector. With so many educators moving to other careers, it is increasingly difficult for organizations to foster a...
Help is at your fingertips
How to Find the Help You Need Do you sometimes find when you are using Storypark that you have a burning question to ask or a problem to solve? Thankfully, Storypark is relatively straightforward to use, but figuring things out through exploring or trial and error costs you the one thing you don’t have a lot of. Time! Did you...
Less can be more when documenting children’s learning
There are two schools of thought around the aesthetics of documenting children’s learning. Some educators prefer to create colourful borders and backgrounds using various programmes and apps, which they then upload as an image to a child’s Storypark profile. Others believe the beautifying of stories in this way takes time and focus away from the photos and actual content of...
Stop the cobwebs and ghouls
Is it time to stop the cobwebs and ghouls? Tessa McStravick asks this question and offers some non-spooky alternatives for Halloween. One October, walking into a department store, my friend Ani came across a human skeleton seated on a bench at the entrance. She had her two small children with her and she wasn’t too pleased to find that the...
Planning and documentation in nature-based settings
Planning and documentation in nature-based settings Planning and documentation in nature-based settings are crucial if you want to embrace and support an emergent curriculum. But for many, the idea can bring up perceived barriers and challenges that can prevent you from moving forward with bringing nature and technology together. Dr. Claire Warden recently presented an online workshop that explored planning...