Is Digital Documentation Taking Over?

Vasiliki Rombos
Mar 2, 2017
2 min read

The rapid influx of digital technology has introduced the world to 3D TVs and cars that drive themselves. All these advancements have surrounded digital natives as they grow up and learn more about the world. But how has the technological world impacted their childcare and schooling?

Allow me to introduce HiMama! HiMama is a digital documentation tool that allows educators to share information virtually through their program. Developed in 2012, HiMama is credited for its efficient and easy way of sharing daily childcare updates with families. Rather than having to access three different programs to complete an update for one child, HiMama lets you do it all at once. With HiMama, educators can post everything from attendance, feeding and sleeping charts, to daily activity updates, and developmental milestones!

When this program was introduced to my Children and Technology class by guest speaker Steven Bonnay, I was completely awestruck! I hadn't heard of any program like this before. Currently, I work as a part-time ECE assistant, and I see the full-time staff in my classroom struggle with finding time for documentation on a daily basis. Programs like HiMama would save educators time, adding more opportunities to interact with children, and increase communication with parents (Parnell & Bartlett, 2012).

Image free from Wix (2017)

"Mobile devices and the documentation that they enable have the potential to change the way we assess students of all ages" - Parnell & Bartlett (2012)

So how does HiMama work exactly? As educators

update a child's profile throughout the day, and parents can access it from wherever they are, thanks to the HiMama application available for their smartphones. Sometimes pick-up time in childcare centres can be busy. Having an easy and portable way for parents to receive updates on their child removes the stress from educators who are unable to talk to everyone at the end of the day. It also helps strengthen children's home-school connection (Parnell & Bartlett, 2012). By looking at the daily updates, parents can ask their child more specific questions about their day,

giving them the opportunity to share their learning and reflect on experiences (Parnell & Bartlett, 2012). HiMama allows content to be shared with other relatives, approved by the parents, or kept private between the family and the educators (HiMama, 2013). These photo and video updates can provide parents with great memories of their child's development. Over time, their child's collected updates will become a digital baby book, something the family can look back on and share with other relatives!