Just Kidz Early Childhood Education

Opening sequence (background music): title of the strategy, Connected Ako: Digital and Data for Learning, appears with graphical images of a puna (spring). Transition to moving icons of punas that represent the 6 areas of mahi in the strategy.  

Question appears on the screen: How is learning with technology expanding enquiring young minds? 

Transition to footage of the story. Interview style format mixed with background images of students and educational environments.  

- [Rakhee Osborn, Kaiako, Just Kidz, Henderson] Just Kidz is an ECE centre in West Auckland. We cater for children from babies, all the way to school age. The Monarch Butterfly Program actually came about when children were in the playground and we had like a butterfly fly through the centre. Of course, that sparked lots of interest with the children, and, then the teachers could research, and it went from there. After we found that the children were interested in the butterflies, we were gifted a Swan plant, which brought more interest and the children had fun capturing their own moments with using the iPad and the tablets. 

- [Sean Xiao, Kaiako, Just Kidz, Henderson]So, technology is actually another tool that we can use to facilitate the learnings. We can just draw on those ideas to really have an engaging environment for the children. 

- [Rakhee] We used the tablets to watch the life cycle of the butterfly, have a look at different butterflies around the world and New Zealand butterflies, which we printed and displayed on the wall. Technology allows us to do way more than we could 20 years back when I first started teaching. When a child would come up to me with like an interest or something, I would have to go to the library and sometimes, you might not get those resources straight away. Where nowadays, it's easily accessible, and we can just expand their learning straight away in real time. 

- [Sean] There's no denying that this is a state-of-the-art technology era. So, everybody has to use technologies to work. From early years, this is the kind of idea that they can just grasp from using the technologies here at daycare centre for the future of learning as well. 

- [Rakhee] I think that the technology in the classroom, has really impacted on the children's confidence. They've learned to be independent and capable to use resources to actually research and find out the answers themselves with support with the kaiako. We use Educa, where families can access children's learning stories and see their development online. It's a good way for children to be able to do this at home as well. 

So it's got a very in-home connection with the daycare. 

- [Sean] Educa is actually not only for us as teachers to write learning stories on, it's also for the parents to really look at what learning is happening at this daycare centre. 

- [Zoheb Shah, parent] So it's almost like a Just Kidz Facebook-type thing. And the teachers here have, you know, they've put in comments and stories and little shenanigans that she’s been part of. So it's cool. 

- [Rakhee] I think it's really good to have extra expanded whānau, they can actually join the program and they can be involved if they're overseas. They can have a look and see what the family's journey is. 

- [Andrea Spraggs, parent]  Having it has been very helpful 'cause we definitely share it with grandparents and even my sister's quite interested in keeping up with his learning and stuff too. So she likes looking at all the pictures and stuff on it. So yeah, it's very helpful. 

- [Rakhee] So in the future, I feel like it would be nice for children to be able to access and research using technology at home and I feel this will impact and help them in the future on their next journey through to school. 

Closing sequence (background music) with graphical image of the puna.  

Onscreen title appears: Connected Ako: living, learning and working in the digital world.   

Final screen shows logos of the education agencies. Top line showing agencies leading this work which will develop workplans based on the strategy: Ministry of Education (MoE), New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Bottom line showing the broader education agencies who have contributed to the strategy and will use it to inform and guide their own plans and decisions: Education New Zealand (ENZ), Education Payroll Limited, Education Review Office (ERO), Network for Learning (N4L), Teaching Council, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) and Research Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ)