Kinderpedia enables Waldorf Sophia School to create a harmonious combination of Waldorf pedagogy with modern, digital technology
"Kinderpedia came along at the right time and facilitated all the functions we were performing in other platforms in an integrated and easy-to-use application. The app has been well received by teachers at Waldorf Sophia School because it is user-friendly and intuitive. It was useful for us to have, in one place, a mirror of classroom activities, but also a rigorous structure of educational resources and children's projects."
Looking for the right tool to bring all school parent communication in one place
Before switching to Kinderpedia, the staff of Waldorf Sophia School struggled with difficulties in communicating with students and their families.
Before implementing Kinderpedia, communication was done through several channels. We used email, phone, whatsapp, messenger. We didn't have unity in the communication process. Each group or class had the autonomy to choose the right channel in relation to parents, which meant extra administrative effort.”, says Angelica Moga, Founder and Manager of Waldorf Sophia School.
Communicating in various separate channels is inefficient and time-consuming. The manager of Waldorf Sophia School decided to implement Kinderpedia.
“We were aware that we could no longer continue with 10 separate communication channels. Already knowing about the Kinderpedia app, we explored it in a demo with the team and it was easy to make the decision.
Teachers were struggling to keep parents updated when using various separate tools for communication
Dana Șerban, the educational director of Waldorf Sophia School talks about the difficulties she had when trying to keep every parent informed. She was using Whatasapp, Facebook and e-mails for discussions, usual notifications or for sending photos with activities conducted in class. It was harder and harder to keep everyone updated.
“I felt like there wasn't enough time to cover them all and the feeling was that I was juggling several balls at once, and I was dropping one every now and then,” says Dana.
Switching to a digital platform for schools doesn’t have to be a hassle
During the onboarding the school staff, as well as the parents, received training, feedback sessions and permanent guidance with Kinderpedia’s support team.
“We are very pleased with our collaboration with Kinderpedia. We have found openness and flexibility in meeting our needs. Technical support is always available, which is great.” , says the manager.
With Kinderpedia, teachers and parents have all the information about their children’s school activities and progress in one place
Having all the details about school - attendance, timetable, grades, menu, homework, progress reports, photo albums and even invoices - in one platform, makes communication easier, more transparent and saves teachers and parents valuable time.
“Using Kinderpedia brings many benefits. Among the most important, I mention integrated communication with parents. All the information is in one place, whether we are talking about the pupils' timetable, menus, quizzes or events, homework or photo albums. Even the invoices.” , states Angelica.
The teacher parent communication app that supports the teaching-learning process
Kinderpedia empowers teachers with a complete set of efficient digital tools they can use both online and offline.
“The classroom management features such as daily timetable, attendance, gradebook, homework, documents or video conferences are very useful. Even if we are present at school, these functionalities structure the way teachers work. They are used by parents and pupils alike, who have immediate access to the online gradebook, but also to homework or educational resources provided by the teacher.”
All functionalities teachers need to manage their activities in one intuitive and easy to access communication and management software
Kinderpedia came along at the right time and facilitated all these functions in one place, in an integrated and easy-to-use platform.
“The app has been well received by teachers at Sofia Waldorf School because it is user-friendly and intuitive. We found it useful to have, in one place, a mirror of classroom activities, but also a rigorous structure of educational resources and children's projects.” , Dana Șerban shared with us.
A helping hand to support teachers in their day to day activity at school or online
Kinderpedia simplifies teachers’ work and saves them up to 9 hours a week from tedious administrative activities.
“As a Waldorf teacher, I can devote more time to teaching preparation, materials, evaluation, or developing partnerships and projects. The Kinderpedia platform offers me multiple possibilities. It helps me set up my schedule, when I take attendance, when I grade students or schedule a video conference, whether it's an online lesson or a parent meeting. At the same time, I can create quizzes or use the chat for quick communication with parents, both as a unit and individually.” , the educational director shares with us.
Kinderpedia offers students the support they need to become more responsible with their school work
The intuitive and easy to use interface makes it easy for children to log into their account, check their schedule, turn in their homework and see the teacher’s feedback.
“The kids in my class use Kinderpedia easily so they can keep track of their schedule, see their homework and upload it on time. They have also gained independence, especially during online teaching. The good news is that the responsibility for their own activities has been maintained when they returned to the classroom.” , says Dana Serban.
Parents appreciate the open communication they now have with the school
Given the Waldorf pedagogy’s specificities, parents were reluctant at first to embrace a digital solution.
“Kinderpedia came into the life of our school community two years ago at a time of many challenges. Initially I was relatively reluctant to the idea of an app, because it was not exactly in the spirit of Waldorf education, which promotes more connection with nature while trying to limit children's exposure to screens.” , Claudiu Dumitriu, a parent from Waldorf Sophia School tells us.
Using technology to boost the interactions between school and family soon proved its benefits for teachers, but for parents and students as well.
“Adopting Kinderpedia, however, was a brave decision, which proved to be an important step forward, not only from a technological perspective, but also by helping communication within the school.”, adds Claudiu Dumitriu.
Kinderpedia - more than just a software, a community builder
Parents have one interface where they are constantly connected with news from the school. They can communicate individually, with teachers, but also with other parents.
“Kinderpedia has practically become the virtual extension of the school community, a community that we have created with great dedication and that we strive to cultivate by all means. Also on Kinderpedia we have the timetable, the homework, which allows us to stay connected to our children's present and help them when they need it. More than a communication channel, Kinderpedia also becomes a virtual scrapbook that tells the story of a child's development during their school years.” , says Claudiu.
Parents and students have an entire collection of resources one click away
Kinderpedia is proving its usefulness well outside the online teaching area. It remains a veritable library of educational resources and also a mirror of our children's school work. Claudiu Dumitriu illustrates that well:
“Just yesterday, my little girl wanted to show me how beautifully the English teacher sang. With a few clicks on Kinderpedia, she found an activity from a month ago and we happily watched it together.”
Waldorf Sophia, a benchmark of value and respect for tradition
The story of Waldorf Sophia School began in 2014 with the goal to offer an alternative to the children of Brasov, to have an education through love. The founders started with a kindergarten group, and currently they have preschool, primary, secondary and afterschool. A total of 200 children and 45 employees.
The school works with mentors from abroad and takes pride in the fact that the school is recognized both nationally and internationally. Being part of the international network of Waldorf schools, Waldorf Sophia offers both children and teachers the opportunity for practical exchanges and global experience.
Waldorf Sophia aims to develop thinking, feeling and willpower in a balanced way, cultivating the intellect, emotional capacities such as affectivity or social integration, as well as practical ones such as willpower or the ability to create. The school offers children multiple experiences through which they have the opportunity to express themselves and discover their unlimited potential.
