100% parent involvement at Killara Park Preschool
KU Killara Park Preschool has embraced innovation. They have worked closely over several years with Dr. Kate Highfield, an early years and technology expert, and they have thought a lot about how technology can fit within their play-based philosophy. “My diverse, multicultural families are loving Storypark because a picture tells a thousand words. The photos really help them understand...
Moving from rostered duties, to a key child approach
To duty roster or not to duty roster, that is the question? During my 14-year teaching career, I have taught in a learning service WITH assigned duty rosters, and am currently working in a learning service WITHOUT duty rosters. When I started in my current learning service and was told there were no rosters I felt a little uneasy. “How...
Electronic portfolios in early childhood education: Parent-teacher communication
By Amanda Higgins A three paper thesis Submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Education Victoria University of Wellington 2015 Abstract Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are a new phenomenon in early childhood education (ECE) and there is minimal existing research available on their use and effectiveness as a learning...
Alternative job description for early childhood teachers
You must have a warm, smiling face that makes every child feel special and loved. You must be able to laugh at jokes that you don’t understand, or you don’t find funny. Child humour can be a confusing minefield to navigate. You will preferably have a little bit of quirkiness. If a child requests that you be the captain of...
Mentoring advice part two – Leadership
Recently we asked you to share with us the one piece of advice or lesson learnt from a mentor that has influenced your teaching the most. In the second of our articles on mentoring, we focus on leadership advice. There are some great words of wisdom here, we hope that one or two of them strike a chord with you, and...
Stuck for teacher gift ideas?
There is truth in the old saying “it’s the thought that counts”, and when it comes to buying something for the teachers who hold a special place in your child’s heart, rest assured a gift that has been carefully thought about means more than you can imagine. It’s getting close to that time of the year when we not only...
Avoiding end of year teacher burnout
It’s important to try and enjoy the festivities. Enjoy the celebrations with the children you work with, try to see the magic and wonder of the holiday season through their eyes, but at the same time finish the year without burning out. Here’s 7 tips from experienced teachers to help you at this crazy time of year. Teachers are...
Supporting effective transitions to school for children
This blog post is from Zoe Roles, teacher and preschool dean of St Mark’s Church School. It shares her experience using digital tools to support children’s transitions to school and the exciting results she’s seeing. “Transitioning into school has always been an aspect of teaching that I have found really frustrating. Children walk into the classroom having had very few connections...
10 tips to keep your children safe online
Sharon Carlson of CORE Education is an experienced teacher and specialist in the area of cybersafety and digital learning. This blog post written by Sharon draws on her years of experience and the latest practices in ECE. Internet capable devices have become part of our life, assisting us with so many of our daily tasks. Children are born into this world...
From apprehensive to addicted – Part 2
Part 2 in Hailee’s story about implementing Storypark The Implementation Whilst Hailee did introduce Storypark quickly, it was not without thought into the processes that would make it work for her centre. All stories are approved by Hailee and she keeps a particular eye on photos and videos to ensure that there is nothing inappropriate being posted. “The teacher who...