RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE
Using Educational Technology to Develop Relationship Management
The purpose of these activities is to provide guidelines for the parents to help children develop relationship management strategies using educational apps. Relationship management refers to the various ways that children can use to cope with the loss of something or how they can develop healthy relationships with others.
The activities are divided into 4 sessions according to Cope and Kalantzis' (2015) Learning by Design framework.
MATERIALS
Resources
Tablet/IPad
Smartphone
Internet
Cinderella, Kloog 2 Return to Zugopolis, and so on.
SESSION 1 - EXPERIENCING/SITUATED PRACTICE
Duration - 30 mins (variable)
During the first session, when using educational apps such as Cinderella to teach children relationship management strategies such as coping behaviours, parents can guide children to explore symbolism in the story using the following prompters:
How do you feel when you see this object?
What do you think the object represents?
SESSION 2 - CONCEPTUALISING/OVERT INSTRUCTION
Duration - 30 mins (variable)
During the second session, as children start to become familiarised with the story in the app, parents can guide the children to respond to the story:
What do you think the story is about?
Do you agree with the message of the story?
SESSION 3 - ANALYSING/CRITICAL FRAMING
Duration - 30 mins (variable)
During the third reading, to develop children's critical thinking and promote reflection, parents can consider discussing with children how they can cope from the loss of a close family member, a friend or a pet.
Parents can prompt children to reflect on the importance of relationships:
Will you tell me if you are feeling sad?
Why is it important to talk to your parents about your feelings?
SESSION 4 - APPLYING/TRANSFORMED PRACTICE
Duration - 30 mins (variable)
During the fourth session, parents can extend learning to the child's experience using the following prompters:
Will you tell me of a time when you lost something you like very much?
How did you cope with the loss?
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Contributor: TWM