#kinderloop

[beibina]

Weltraum - unendliche Welten. #kinderloop https://www.instagram.com/p/CL6IEnEsKPm/?igshid=1crth0didovgr

[strickparadies-blog]

Kinderloops 9.99€ Bei Interesse einfach direct schreiben. #kinderloop #kinderschal #Schal #rundschal #affeloop #eulenloop #autoloop #Elefantloop #Tiere #kinds

[jouregio]

Kinderloop voor hoop organiseert activiteiten in Party centrum it Haske

Kinderloop voor hoop organiseert activiteiten in Party centrum it Haske

13-12-2019 JOURE – Op maandag 30 december staat in het Partycentrum it Haske het goede doel centraal. Onder de vlag van Kinderloop voor hoop wordt er een filmmarathon en een bowlingmiddag georganiseerd. De opbrengsten van deze speciale dag komen ten goede van KWF kankerbestrijding.

De filmmarathon begin om 11:00 uur in de ochtend en zal om 21.30 uur ten einde komen. Het programma ziet er als…

[jandevos-blog1]

Gezelligheid en prestaties bij de MidZomerLoop

De op vrijdagavond 30 juni te houden MidZomerLoop is bedoeld als een kleinschalige, maar vooral gezellige hardloopwedstrijd. Het woord 'wedstrijd' is daarbij niet helemaal op zijn plaats, maar als men persoonlijk een strijd wil aangaan om een bepaalde afstand hardlopend af te leggen dan wel eerder gemaakte tijden wil verbeteren, dan is dat prestatief gezien toch een wedstrijd, maar dan voor jezelf. En daar gaat het om bij deze loop, lekker verantwoord bezig zijn met bewegen. Daarvoor zijn er 2 afstanden bedacht namelijk 10 km (voor gevorderden) en 6,3 km voor minder gevorderden. Sinds 2014, dus nu al voor de vierde keer, is er dezelfde route. In de afgelopen jaren zijn er natuurlijk diverse tijden geklokt en parcoursrecords geboekt. Ook dit jaar zal er aandacht besteed gaan worden aan enthousiaste lopers die een parcoursrecord willen gaan breken. Op de 6,3 km bij de heren was Jochem Loos verleden jaar de snelste met een tijd van 22.21. Bij de dames ging het verleden jaar op die afstand niet zo hard. De snelste tijd tot nog toe was in 2015 en staat op naam van Mariska Brittijn met 25.51. Bij de heren op de 10 km staat de tijd al drie jaar omstreeks de 37 minuten. Alleen de seconden maken hier het verschil. In 2014 was Hans Wesseling met 37.11 de snelste, een jaar later maakte Martijn van der Ster er 37.15 van een afgelopen jaar was het record voor Peter Biewenga met 37.02. Op de 10 km bij de dames was het Liselotte van de Berg die alle voorgaande tijden verpulverde. Eerder kwam men nooit onder de 40 minuten, maar in 2016 raffelde zij met een supersnelle 39.16 het parcours af. Slecht ca. 3 minuten langer dan de winnende tijd bij de heren. Hopelijk zijn de recordhouders er dit jaar ook weer bij om er een spannende strijd met het horloge van te maken. Tijdens de 6.3 km loop wordt men verder bij het start/finishgebied via een live-verbinding met een verslaggever achter op de motor op de hoogte gehouden van wat er vooraan bij deze afstand gebeurt. Ook bij de kinderloop (t/m 12 jaar) zijn er natuurlijk tijden geboekt. Op de 1.8 km voor jongens was vorig jaar Maxwell Bayer met 6.59 de snelste. Het opvallende daarbij was dat Maxwell daarna doorleuk ook nog eens een 6.3 km ging lopen, waarbij hij zelfs 21e werd. Bij de meisjes was Esmee Creyghton in 2014 tot nu toe het snelste met 7.51. Al dit geweld met tijden is natuurlijk leuk, maar nogmaals, daar gaat het bij de MidZomerLoop helemaal niet om. Als u als loper het maar naar uw zing hebt en lekker kan hollen over een leuk parcours met een hoop gezelligheid en een barbecue na. Hou die datum dus vrij.

[dehoogevener-blog]

Klaar voor de ……… start, de Cascaderun kan beginnen

Klaar voor de ……… start, de Cascaderun kan beginnen

Hoogeveen – De startnummers en functionele hardloopshirts voor de Cascaderun, Unicef Kinderloop en de GigaG Cascaderun kun je ophalen op zaterdag 1 april a.s. tussen 9.00 – 17.00 uur in de Burgerzaal van het Gemeentehuis aan het Raadhuisplein 1 te Hoogeveen.

Voor degenen die op zaterdag 1 april a.s. verhinderd zijn, worden de volgende mogelijkheden aangeboden: Cascaderun deelnemers: de…

[kinderloop]

Kinderloop + Mamabear = Awesome!

So imagine our delight when we found out that while we were over in San Francisco exploring the US market and demo'ing Kinderloop to many interested parties, 500 Startups was organising Mamabear, one of the biggest family tech conferences in America!

Of course we went and boy what a fabulous day! We met some amazing people showing off their innovative technology solutions aimed at the younger market and got to hear all about the growing economic powerhouses of the Mum blogger from the likes of Sheila Dowd and Beth Blecherman. We also got to chat and compare notes with fellow like minded business startups such as CareLulu and KiteReaders.

Probably the highlight of the day was chatting about Kinderloop to both Robert Scoble and Randi Zuckerberg, the former wearing his Google glass and getting excited about how it could be used within the Kinderloop, child care environment!

The past three weeks we have had some solid feedback into the US market and its trigger points, we have welcomed new centres in California, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and England and we are working with them to understand their needs. We are meeting some awesome people who are going out of their way to help us, we very much appreciate all the help you are giving us as there is a long way to go...

Interesting fact to finish on... did you know that the Mama Market is $2.1 Trillion Strong…and GROWING! Phew!!

Kind regards to all, Dan Day, Kinderloop Founder & Dad

[newagencythe]

New Kinderloop 'explainer' video

We always enjoy working with early-stage startups — for every budget and time constraint there's freedom to be inventive and think outside-the-box that we don't always get from established brands with bigger budgets.

When set the challenge to deliver a great animated 'explainer' video for Kinderloop's new landing page we collaborated with their team and ours to produce an informative message focusing on conversion-to-trial on a budget that would barely get most animation studios to take a brief.

Here it is...

[kinderloop]

Child care is evolving

Child care is evolving, and most care providers and parents agree the changes are for the best. What are some of the latest trends in child care and what should parents be looking for when making an all-important child care decision?

1. Child Care Is Catering to Budget-Minded Families

More parents are taking a careful look at child care costs, and decisions to reduce hours or even pull their kids out of organized programs entirely due to job losses or expenses are affecting child care providers as well. As a result, more providers are offering flexible hours, keeping rates the same or even reducing them in some cases, and working out pay arrangements for struggling families to encourage families to stay. Special programs or fees are also being scrutinized as providers scramble to find ways to lessen costs while maintaining a quality care program for kids.

2. Child Care is Now Early Education

No longer is child care for young children simply babysitting. Child care centers have mostly transitioned to centers for early education, where young tots are involved with early learning. The trend to learning centers is partly due to high parent and school expectations; it's also attributable to research that shows that kids are capable of learning early academics and other skills that previously were not taught until later. Care centers often offer formalized early education curriculum, and staff receives extensive training in instruction geared for preschoolers.

3. Drop-In Child Care is More Common

It's no surprise that drop-in child care is on the grow. What may come as a surprise to some is that these facilities typically offer high-quality, safe, and affordable care options. The drop-in care facilities focus on fun activities for kids and often include mealtimes and special theme events to provide parents with a worry-free evening or time away from kids. Gyms, recreation centers, churches and even schools are getting into the act of offering Parent Nights Out or similar events. Look for this trend to continue with even greater flexibility in the future.

4. Corporate Child Care is Raising Quality Bar

Corporate child care is raising the bar in terms of quality child care. An increasing number of companies are either offering (or considering) in-house child care centers as a perk for attracting and retaining top employees. In addition, more companies are partnering with child care centers to offer discounted rates or even special hours for employees. Some developers are even focusing on including a child care facility as part of master planning of new areas, knowing that having a quality child care center nearby will make the area more desirable for both employers and employees alike.

5. Technology is Changing Provider/Parent Connection

An increasing number of facilities offer parents the piece of mind of being able to check on their child while at daycare as desired through videostreaming of classroom activities throughout the day. Other providers regularly take photos of children and send to parents, post daily or weekly blogs or e-newsletters online for parents to view, or even exchange emails or text messages throughout the day. The technology provides parents and providers with another tool for staying "in touch" and bonding with activities and events planned for youngsters.

6. Most Child Care is Becoming Safer

While no system is absolutely fail safe, and occasional stories will continue to occur about child pornographers or sex offenders found to be working around children, the truth is that most child care providers are increasing measures to protect children in their charge. Increased security concerning picking up of children, additional background checks and screenings being done on prospective employees, and more surveillance and monitoring (both overt as well as the covert varieties) are helping to increase safety. Training and more thorough checklists is also helping to keep kids safer on field trips and outings.

7. More Child Care Options Exist

Parents today can consider a wider menu of child care choices, and many families are choosing to use a variety of care options based on current needs. Some families may use a nanny for an infant, an in-home provider for a toddler, and then switch to a care center for a preschooler. Some families use one type of care during the school year and then another for summer months. Occasional care service options can include babysitters, drop-in care, specified parent night out nights, and even child care co-ops. Options do abound in most areas, although sometimes you have to really seek them out.

8. The Internet Can Help You Find Child Care

Word of mouth or driving around a neighborhood used to be the most common way to find child care. Today, however, many families, especially those who have moved to a new community, rely on the internet to find quality child care. Many websites offer free listings of child care; most states have a child care site for review as well. Web-based babysitting and child care services are on the increase, and parents can type in a zip code and find providers who meet the specifications designated. Entrepreneurs are increasingly advertising availability for child care as well. Of course, nothing replaces reference checks.

9. Communications Are More Frequent, More Useful

In today's instantaneous, "tell me now" society, communications between child care provider and parent continue to strengthen. Where once a month newsletters used to suffice in addition to daily greetings and goodbyes, child care providers are using a variety of tools to provide parents with ongoing information about their child's day. Some providers create websites where they post monthly menus, weekly day-by-day activities, and even behavioral reports. Others provide parents with a daily update that is then emailed (written during naptime). Even with technology, face-to-face communications is still the best.

10. Child Care Caters to Time-Crunched, Working Parents

Have you noticed how more and more child care centers are offering enrichment options for tots to participate in while still at child care? Parents nowadays are busier than ever, yet want their child to participate in an array of activities at the same time. The solution for some is to sign kids up for optional fee-based ballet, karate, soccer and gymnastics classes that kids participate in during the week while still in care. The instructor comes to the facility rather than the other way around. This type of option may not be for everyone, but it works for those who are very busy or have long commutes each day.

11. Vacation Destinations, Kid-Friendly Hotels Offering On-Site Care

In order to entice parents to stay at a particular hotel or area, many resorts and tourist-based communities have added on-site or close proximity child care. While some facilities may have pricey fees for kids to participate, others are free and include crafts, special movie nights, field trips and more. As tempting as it can be, make sure you thoroughly check out the facility and are comfortable with the rules, safety procedures, staff training, health practices, and activities planned for the kids. If everything checks out: have fun!

12. After-School Programs and Care Provide Child Care Flexibility

Choosing a quality after-school care program can have a tremendous impact on your child's academics, self-esteem and overall happiness. Many daycares transport school-aged children from school back to the center, provide a healthy snack, and then start kids on their homework, so that it is mostly done by the time parents arrive. Some schools have on-site programs as well to avoid kids going home to an empty house until parents get off work.

Thanks to About.com for the info.

[kinderloop]

Is it me or is my internet connection slow?

It happens to most of us at some time or another. We try to logon to the internet or into our Kinderloop and it seems to take forever or we are uploading a file or photo and it simply times out. So why do our internet connections fluctuate so much during the day and across the week?

Causes of slow internet connections

Well to begin with, Australia’s internet speeds are pretty slow - when compared with global speed rankings we come in at #44 at 5.8 megabits per second (Mbps), the #1 slot is taken out by Korea with average speeds of 21.9 Mbps.

So an increasing number of Australians are signing up to plans that theoretically provide maximum speeds of 24 Mbps. Therein lies the problem, because these are theoretical maximums and your actual internet speed can be effected by any number of factors, including:

The type and age of your modem.

The quality of your WIFI connections.

The distance of your modem from the nearest internet exchange.

Whether your service provider uses copper-based ADSL connections or the newer fibre connections.

The plan you signed on for with your provider.

Whether you use ADSL or the newer NBN.

The quality of the connection between your home and the exchange.

Concurrent uploads or downloads.

Traffic at the server.

Available capacity on national and international cables (the latter for O/S websites).

Traffic agreements between service providers.

Time of day (12-2pm, 7pm to 9pm is the most congested).

Even the weather, yes the copper cables are affected by rain!

And the biggest and the least known is that electrical interference from appliances/items can have a huge affect on both your internet and Wifi!!

Basically, the cause of your slow connection is due to extreme internet congestion within Australia or overseas and quite possibly that dodgy electrical item being used by a neighbour, causing slower speeds. This is what happens when lots of people try to access the internet all at the same time.

Let’s hope that the NBN rollout helps the situation, because the existing Australian copper wire connections are unlikely to cope well next year if the streaming video giant, Netflix hits Australia and then local equivalents like STAN also take a piece of the action. 

So if you have the occasional slow connection and can’t logon to your secure Kinderloop server, my advice is to put the kettle on and give it some time. If you have a mortally slow connection all of the time, then its best to contact your provider and find out the best deal for your location and your budget and maybe if its happening at the same time each evening, get yourself an AM radio, tune it to a very low frequency and wander around, you will hear the static of an interfering electrical object and can subsequently deal with it.

[kinderloop]

A world first for Kinderloop and Big fat Smile

Call of the Wild

Did you know the wingspan of an albatross is this big?’ says James MacDiarmid, stretching his arms out to demonstrate the immense size of the seabird. ‘The wingspan is six feet… that’s as tall as me!’ says James, who in November and December last year visited the land of the albatross: Antarctica. Back on the mainland after spending two weeks with a team of scientists, oceanographers, marine biologists, tree dwellers and educators on the Spirit of Mawson Australasia Antarctic Expedition (AAE), teacher James popped into Barrack Heights preschool in January to meet the children who had followed his journey. ‘They all knew exactly where I’d been as they’d all experienced the awe and wonder of Antarctica alongside me. They were full of questions about the temperature, the wildlife and what life was like aboard the ship.’

Capturing imaginations

James had been working on an entirely different project in his role as a curriculum consultant for Big Fat Smile (a not-for-profit communityowned organisation servicing the Illawarra) when he briefly mentioned his upcoming Antarctica trip to staff at Barrack Heights Preschool. The preschool had been trialling an app called Kinderloop and recognised the technology could be used to follow James’ Antarctic journey in real-time through videos and photos. Kinderloop is a secure network that allows families to remotely view children’s learning and content uploaded by educators. ‘Big Fat Smile suggested I take the app with me to stream my experiences back into Barrack Heights Preschool for the children to watch and discuss. I would take a photo of an animal or science activity and that would be uploaded for the children to observe, ask and formulate ideas about,’ he explains. It also created an opportunity for James to later visit the preschool in person, providing children with an opportunity for deeper thinking or to ask burning questions about life on the frozen continent.

Preschool director, Fay Gowers, told Rattler it was an ‘exceptional opportunity’ for the children and staff of Barrack Heights to follow the expedition and learn side by side. ‘The children really enjoyed the journey which allowed them to learn many new things and experience an opportunity many adults can only dream of.’ Barrack Heights is a suburb of the City of Shellharbour just south of Wollongong. The demographic across the Illawarra is very mixed, with pockets of 

affluence and disadvantage. Traditionally, this part of the Illawarra has a blue-collar history with heavy industry forming the backbone of this community. Barrack Heights Preschool was purpose-built in 1983 and is part of Big Fat Smile network of 40 community preschools. Fay explains that educators would check Kinderloop daily with the children to see the photos sent through, but says they also observed the children sharing knowledge with each other.

‘By making the photos available to parents via Kinderloop the children could also continue their conversations with their parents at home. It was really very easy to facilitate. Even just a few years ago pulling something like this together would have been difficult. ‘We were entirely amazed by the children’s reaction when James came to meet them. They’d already seen many of his photos but his conversation had them captivated for well over an hour. ‘Once the slideshow of photos started, the children were enthralled and totally engaged in what they saw and the information he was describing. They had prepared questions to ask James and were able to remember them without prompting. James describes the experience again and again as ‘wondrous’. And Antarctica is an environment which enchants children and adults alike with awe. ‘A lot of footage I chose to show to the children is of wildlife—animals in particular engage a child,’ he says. ‘That’s where my wonder comes into play. Since I was a young child I have enjoyed animals. It was a great privilege growing up on a farm and as I have travelled around the world I have experienced great wonder in going into the natural habitats of animals. ‘On this trip I was able to get very close to animals (on land and sea) including a yellow-crested penguin, fur seal, sea lion, elephant seal and even a whale. ‘I showed the children footage of a penguin returning to its den and audio of a 700-kilogram male sea lion roaring. They were fascinated. Sea lions are a great source of fascination. I think even the word sea lion fascinates children because of the word ‘lion’. They know how majestic and powerful a lion can be. He says his favourite experience was being in a small zodiac (inflatable boat) with a group of marine biologists and seeing a southern wright whale of at least eight meters in length. ‘We got so close that I was able to put half my body in the water (wearing a dry suit of course) to take video footage. We could see the whale’s teeth as it took in plankton from the surface of the ocean.

‘I can now take that footage back into the preschools and share the magic of that experience with them. However, I am not going to show them just yet, as I don’t want to bombard them with too much wonder or they might disengage.’ He says he was ‘blown away’ by the 

children’s questions, which ranged from what he ate and where he slept on the ship to how he avoided seasickness. The biggest challenge, he told them, was being on the boat for days on end and experiencing big swells that confined the team to their bunks. James has always had a passion for environmental advocacy and the great outdoors. He grew up in Australia’s Snowy Mountains and worked as a teacher in Sweden at several international schools. While there are some parallels between the Australian and Scandinavian education systems, he says, they are poles apart when it comes to learning through nature. He has noticed the children of the Illawarra are blessed with a rich natural environment on their doorstep, but which sadly very few children visit with their families and/or educators. ‘They might live 10 minutes from the beach or Lake Illawarra but rarely go. What is so fascinating about Scandinavia is that it’s in the arctic. They have five hours of sunlight a day during winter and nine months of the year they are engulfed in snow and yet every single day in the schools I worked in I saw children outside doing their lessons. We don’t see that in Australia despite having vast lands and year-round sunshine.’

A part of scientific history

The journey came about following a series of serendipitous events and chance meetings. An avid rock-climber, he actually met the co-expedition leader (Dr Chris Fogwell from the Climate Change Resource Centre at UNSW), while hanging on a rock. Enthused by this chance encounter and inspired by the expedition that would retrace the steps of Sir Douglas Mawson, and conduct important climate change research, James submitted a YouTube application and won a coveted berth aboard the expedition’s ship. The ship, a Russian icebreaker, later made global headlines when it became trapped in heavy ice on Christmas Eve. Luckily, James was no longer onboard, although he says this would have been ‘an adventure in its truest form’. ‘It’s funny that many people on the expedition are rock-climbers and adventurous by nature.’ While at sea, James did some handson oceanography and marine biology alongside scientists, some of which he has been able to share with the children at Barrack Heights. He was also joined by two other educators (primary and secondary teachers) on the ship and together they plan to develop lesson plans based on expedition science.

So what next?

Even though he’s back on the mainland, James told Rattler he is still in touch with his expedition colleagues and is excited to see how the educational program will evolve. He will continue to work with the staff and children at Barrack Heights preschool and several more preschool visits are planned. There may also be another adventure in the pipeline. ‘I met a fellow doctoral student from Massachusetts who is a glaciologist. We got talking on the ship and I mentioned my interest in glaciers. Next year he’s going to the North Pole, and he invited me along. If I can make this happen, then we want to extend the program to 40 Big Fat Smile preschools and potentially primary schools in the Illawarra too.’ Something tells me this story has an adventure-packed sequel. ★

[kinderloop]

The changing face of child care - a UK perspective

Cause change and lead; accept change and survive; resist change and die. Ray Norda

Change is a constant presence in all of our lives, but sometimes I feel in early years we have to deal with more change than most.  In England in the last five years we have seen the introduction of a whole new statutory framework, a large consultation on that framework three years later, numerous introductions, additions and detractions from the framework, various changes to the assessment elements of the framework with further changes expected imminently and general confusion over which documents are current at any given moment.  Most of these changes have been introduced suddenly, with little real dialogue with the profession and often with little support.  This has left a situation where childcare providers and others working in the Early Years Foundation Stage are in a constant state of change for what often feels like change's sake.

I think this leaves us with a huge problem.  If as Early Years practitioners we are constantly having to adjust (even slightly) our practice and we don't agree with the adjustments, feel frustrated by them, or are just too tired to keep up, it is understandable if we stop seeking out, or start actively resisting, change.

But- and it's a huge but- it means that most of us are missing the one change which could vastly improve our practice, develop our setting and most importantly better support the children and adults (both staff and parents). We now have a fantastic digital platform for linking families and observing and assessing children in our settings, thanks to the amazing Dans at Kinderloop.

Kinderloop provides many opportunities for improving practice. Even if we simply compare the 'old way' of recording learning with that offered by Kinderloop, we can quickly see what an amazing tool it is.  We used to take the pictures, upload them to a computer, print them out, cut them up and stick them in a learning journey (which takes long enough before you account for finding the camera cable and ensuring enough ink and paper are in the printer to achieve your task).  With Kinderloop, a couple of clicks and you have posted your photo and observation.  You don't need vast amounts of post it notes to record observations, or marathon 'sticking in sessions' as I used to think of them, you save time, money, resources and improve links to parents and the wider family.

In the last five years we have also seen a huge explosion in the accessibility of the internet, the introduction of the first iPhones in 2007 and the increased availability of Blackberrys and other devices at a similar time has meant that our accessibility to, and use of, digital platforms such as Facebook and Twitter has risen in a way that we probably would never have imagined as we played snake for hours on our Nokia handsets in the first decade of this century. So why are there not settings hammering at the door to get on board? 

I guess fear for one.  I admit (with much embarrassment) I used to be something of a technophobe, fearing the amount to which technology was 'taking over our lives'.  Until I realised technology needn't take over my life if I embrace it and make it work for me.  It's futile to try and deny the impact technology has on our lives; what I realised I had to do was inform myself, move on and pick the bits of technology that enhanced my life.  That is things which: made my life easier in some way (thanks to notes in my phone, I'll never forget my shopping list again); connected me to people I live apart from (thank you facebook); enhanced by professional life (thank you Twitter) or gave me interesting ideas (thank you pinterest).

In burying our heads in the sand and refusing to accept the world has changed, we have become an industry seriously lagging behind others in embracing digital change.  And with that we lose all that technology has to offer us, all the opportunities it brings to actually make our lives easier, the chance to grow our knowledge and pick the parts of technology which work for us.

Some brave settings of course are embracing technology and these are clearly the leaders in our field. They are taking all that technology and Kinderloop has to offer and using it to improve experiences for children and families, which at the end of the day is probably why most of us chose to do this work! So as a sector let's recognise this is a change we can control and embrace, because as the quote above says  'Cause change and lead; accept change and survive; resist change and die.' 

Thanks to our English Superlooper Hannah for your wonderful words. @EYofExcellence

[kinderloop]

Kinderloop in a Home Child Care setting

Home child care providers usually have some type of daily communication with parents.  The format of that daily communication varies greatly though. Some prefer to just give or receive a verbal update at drop off and pick up times, some use a written daily journal in a notebook, others send a quick email off in the evening to parents to let them know how the day went and some send a daily or weekly summary.  At a recent training experience I attended, the group of 25 child care providers shared their thoughts on how they communicate and the opinions varied greatly.

I have been the mom dropping off my child in a home child care.  The first day care my daughter was in we used a daily written journal, where the care provider wrote in just the basics of day -what she ate, when she slept, her general health and mood. First thing in the morning I would write in it to say how long she slept, if she’d eaten and if there was anything out of the ordinary.  The second care provider my daughter went to communicated with a daily email to keep us in the loop of how our daughter’s day was going.  Once or twice a week she would attach a couple pictures too.  Oh how I lived to get these emails!  It was the highlight of my day.  To feel like I knew what was going on in her day, and to hear if things weren’t going well was such peace of mind.  I could call or email back to offer suggestions or reasons why things may be going the way they were which made me feel like I could still contribute to her well-being and helped out the care provider. Then, to see a smile or see her happily engaged in an activity with some peers was so comforting.  She was ok.  I was ok. 

When I started my own home child care just over a year ago I wanted to give parents that same peace of mind.  I started to send a daily email giving a brief description of what their child did that morning, what they ate, how their general health and overall mood was, and what time they fell asleep for their nap.  I also included anywhere from 2-4 pictures of their child engaged in play.  They LOVED it! 

My only problem was that at times I couldn’t attach the pictures, or my computer would freeze and I would have to send things all over again.  It started to become very time consuming.  I was writing these as the children slept.  When you have 5 children and 5 families to connect with, it was taking anywhere from 45 mins to sometimes an hour and 15 mins if I was having technical difficulties.  By the time I was done the children were ready to get up and I hadn’t felt like I had any time to myself to catch my breath. 

Then, a friend of mine introduced me to Kinderloop.  I was instantly excited about having a secure, easy-to-use, professional way to communicate with parents.  As an independent home child care provider it is important that I demonstrate to parents that I am a passionate, professional and dedicated child care provider who values an open relationship.  Kinderloop has provided me with a safe and secure way to continue to include parents and extended family and friends in their child’s day, and it is easy and fast to use. 

It is also important that I show to parents that the activities and daily routines that I plan for the children are purposeful and meet developmental goals for each child.  That their children’s development in their social, emotional, physical, cognitive, communication, language and literacy domains is being fostered and scaffolded in each of their daily experiences.  Kinderloop provides me with the option of applying tags to each of my posts which highlight which developmental domain or learning skill is being worked on in the picture it is attached to.  This then provides me with the opportunity to search for pictures and posts depicting all the experiences their children had in a particular area, highlighting how they have developed over a particular time frame.  This is what every centre based and home child care is required demonstrate.  How amazing that I can do it all at once, saving me amazing amounts of programming time!

Currently Kinderloop has a fabulous App for Iphone or Ipad users.  I am a BlackBerry user and I take pictures either with my phone or camera, download them to my laptop and send the daily Kinderloop posts as the children sleep each day.  Even though this seems time consuming, using Kinderloop has cut down on the time I spend communicating with parents each day to anywhere from 25-45 mins.  This to me is a much better use of my personal time and I anxiously await the release of the app for android users like me!! 

Parents are increasingly busy and their time is precious.  Many prefer to communicate through email or text message anyway, and have a mobile device or computer with them at all times.  So this quick, immediate and inclusive method of communication and documentation works well for everyone.  They do say a picture is worth a thousand words right?!

Sandra Zito RECE www.power-of-play.net

[kinderloop]

Technology in Childcare, an Australian perspective

You guys know this only too well, In EC we are so time poor. What all educators want is to provide a learning environment for the children that is optimal for the children's learning and development. I say we should be doing this for the educators as well... This is where Kinderloop comes in. We all have responsibilities of documenting, planning, recording, assessing and evaluating. With one simple and very easy to use program, Kinderloop allows you to achieve all these things, and more through a secure loop that links families and educators together to create a holistic approach for managing our requirements under the National Regulations and NQF, with ease.

  With our experimentation with Kinderloop we have learnt lots of do's and don'ts, but now, we have figured out how to make it work for us. Not all services will use kinderloop in the same ways. I have seen this just by seeing how services are using it in our BFS services.

  What does Kinderloop allow you to do:

* (The obvious) Capture moments now (photographic, video and text) and record instantly or  come back to record when time suits you best.

* Allow all educators, no matter what qualifications or position held in the service, to contribute to the development of all children (primary educators are not the only educators who are able to record learning for the children).

* Develop secure relationships with families - help to eliminate the 'guilt factor' of child care.

* Save time and money - less printing, more posting! This is sustainable.

* Be innovative - exploring new ways for recording & documentation, while spending time on the floor with the children.

* You don't need to be tech savvy.... anyone can use it!

* Capture spontaneous moments that are not planned for to allow you follow up at a later date.

* Have accurate, up to date information on the children.

* Forces you to have an ipad, which allows educators to access the internet instantly to assist the children's learning & development. EG: We have an electronic copy of the EYLF on the ipad that we can access immediately, and we use google with the children to research for their play.

* Can document as much or as little as is needed.

* Give you an edge over other service providers - Look what we have the centre x down the road doesn't! :)

Nicole, DIrector Woronora Heights Childcare

[kinderloop]

Child care and social media, is there a risk?

Social media is changing the landscape of personal and professional risk. 

Using blogs, social networking and personal websites to communicate is now common place. Much of the appeal with social media is the relative anonymity and the speed with which information can be shared. Users can impart their views on any subject to a worldwide audience with the click of a button. However, therein lies the risk with social media. Content posted on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and blogs can damage the reputation of a business and attract claims of defamation or unprofessional conduct. 

Remember, Kinderloop is unlike any other social media as its a closed loop specific to your and your setting. Your Kinderloop is your Kinderloop, no-one else but invited and linked parents can see the posts!

There is a common misconception that social media only poses a risk to its users. Some people believe that if they are not using web-based technologies themselves, they don’t need to worry about the risk. However, this is not always the case. There is a growing list of examples where businesses have been significantly impacted by comments posted online by employees, clients or others. Common ways in which child care centres may be negatively impacted by social media include:

• Allegations that you or your centre has damaged a person’s reputation by making disparaging or defamatory comments

• Breaching a client’s privacy by posting images or comments about them or their child, without their consent

• Individuals working in your centre posting material on sites such as Facebook that portrays them in an unprofessional or controversial way – e.g. offensive jokes or photographs, excessive alcohol use or the like

• Theft of an individual’s personal details or confidential business information

• Clients or others posting negative comments about you or your centre. 

A proactive approach to managing social media risk can help prevent claims of defamation or unprofessional conduct against you. It can also help you to maximise the many benefits of marketing your business through social media. Key messages to share with your employees, including casual staff, are outlined below.

• Take care when making comments about anyone, including employees, colleagues, clients or other service providers. Although you may not believe your comments to be inappropriate, take the time to reflect on how they may be perceived by others. Remember, the relative anonymity afforded by some social media sites is no excuse for unprofessional behaviour.

• The rules governing client privacy equally apply to web-based technologies. Carers and supervisors must always gain the client’s express consent to what information will be used, and how it will be shared. A client’s personal information should not be shared online, except in accordance with the centre’s Privacy Policy. Ensure your Privacy Policy addresses social media. 

• Avoid falling victim to identity theft by limiting the amount of personal information you disclose on social media sites. Passwords should be changed regularly and created in a way that is difficult for someone else to predict. 

• Maintain secure access to all smart phones and computers. Regularly update passwords and develop clear procedures for people to follow when using these devices. 

• Activate password-protected screen savers on all computers and ensure employees always log off before leaving.

• When sharing information via social media, ensure you set high privacy or security settings and think carefully before divulging your home address or other personal information.

• Maintain security of any social media accounts set up in your centre’s name. Strict control of what information is added to your Facebook page or who is moderating blogs is essential for protecting your good reputation. 

• No longer can it be said that an employee’s actions outside of working hours are not relevant to his or her employment. There is an increasing trend of employers monitoring the online behaviour of their staff and potential recruits. Again, take the time to reflect on how your actions may be perceived by others. Remember, once you have posted your entry online it is very difficult to completely remove.

• Consider including specific conditions in employee contracts and policies relating to social media use. For instance, consider specifically prohibiting comment about employment and client matters and acting in a manner that may negatively impact on the centre’s reputation, whether through personal or business use of social media or otherwise. This will greatly assist you to deal with any breaches and to implement disciplinary action against staff involved. There was a recent case in another industry where an employee disclosed details of a client’s condition, as well as making derogatory comments about the individual. The fact the employer had a strong written policy and contractual clauses prohibiting the employee acting in such a manner assisted in defending the termination of the employee. 

• Periodically scan online content related to your centre. Take the time to consider how you will respond to any negative posts before the situation arises. While people may post negative comments about you or your centre, the best way to prevent this from occurring is to commit to good, open communication. Carefully explaining to clients the model of care, the fees structure and the rationale behind the rules you’ve got in place to achieve quality care are all essential for effective communication.

Thanks to Guild Insurance for their keen thoughts on this subject.

[kinderloop]

Kinderloop helps lose that guilty feeling...

Oh yes, guilt will always be a major factor in any parent's return to work. It's a nightmare. You feel terrible. You beat yourself up for making the decision to leave your child. Are you going back too soon? Will it affect your child's confidence, development, happiness, trust… the list goes on.

And it's not just working parents who suffer. There are also many kids who go to child care part time to give mum or dad a break and to get them used to being with other children, being in a different, more structured environment, learn social skills and routines.

It's OK. Your child is OK. You deserve some time out and now a study in the USA says that day care might actually reduce the risk of emotional problems in some children. Well at least it might for children who are more at risk of developing emotional problems.

The researchers focused on the children of parents suffering symptoms of depression, but then show us a mum who hasn't felt like she might be on the verge of depression at some point or other.

Even if it's not depression, it could be general busyness, work-related stress, career frustration, family issues, relationship stress, physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion…the list goes on. They say that babies can sense stress in their mums even before their mums register their own stress.

So it's hardly rocket science to see that removing a child from a stressful situation and putting him or her in a safe and secure environment like child care to hang out with other children is no bad thing.

Children in the USA showed less separation anxiety, social withdrawal, and fewer emotional problems in general.

We have found that Kinderloop is helping parents with this stress and anxiety, by giving parents the ability to be updated through the day with moments of care from their provider, they start to de-stress and feel more comfortable with the situation at hand, this in turn leads to better overall communication with child care worker and parent.

The happier and more relaxed you can make yourself, through whatever means, the happier your child will be.

Thanks to Care For Kids for the inspiration.

[kinderloop]

The Kinderloop story...

Thanks to the lovely guys at The Currency Network for giving us an opportunity to tell our story, it was a fun morning...

More can be seen by following this link:

http://ccynet.com