Gadgets that make life easier - look no further than the MamaMagic Products Awards 2017

Congratulations to all the MamaMagic New products Awards winners

The MamaMagic New Products Awards are a great way to find those gadgets that makes life easier, for parents and for children! The Awards ceremony was the previous week. I get jealous excited when I see all the nice gadgets that parents get to use nowadays! We don't NEED it, but it makes life so MUCH EASIER! Luckily we have a cousin and they have just announced that they are going to be parents. The 2017 award winners are definitely some ESSENTIALS they would NEED to buy!

MamaMagic New Products Awards

Here's the gadgets to put on the list of parenting gadgets that make life easier.

Apple in Education judging 2014 #AEC2014

I get a yearly shot of inspiration when I see the Apple in Education submissions for the Apple in Education competition. These kids are so creative. They are already working with the technology and with the apps in such a way that it boggles my mind.
I am only now starting to use some of it in my daily life!

I was fortunate enough to be invited again in judging a category, Shape of My World, on Friday.

The competition this year changed it's previous brief and "set out with a series of educational challenges - that could be applied across grades and subjects. Through guiding questions, creative solutions and innovative Apple technology they wanted to see how these projects can be brought to life in extraordinary ways."

Michelle Lissoos of Think Ahead introducing the judges

The students could make use of the following apps on the iPad: Book Creator, Camera, iBooks, Explain Everything and EduCreations. There were four of us in each category, and it helped in making the best choice overall!

Fellow judges: Leyla Haidarian, Nikki Heyman and Hayley Owen

Leyla Haidarian in charge of finding the projects

Nikki Heyman, the Scribe for the day!

We spent more than three hours deliberating on 3 age categories in Shape of My World, and we all had to agree on the best three in each.
It took us longer than the rest, but I am happy to report that we found the best three in each.
It was difficult in most instances, but luckily we had the clear guidelines to adhere to:

"Judging criteria:
- Clear indication that the challenge has been addressed, including clear evidence of planning
- Apple Technology has been used effectively (hardware and appropriate apps)
- The project has been linked to the currriculum
- Concept is creative, innovative and original
- High quality of the project presentation"

The Tweet:

This is difficult! IPad judging #AEC2014 @nikkiheyman @HayleyOwenSA pic.twitter.com/uJEOHBeKpd
— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) October 24, 2014

We had a sense at the end of the judging that the teachers could have played a more creative role in suggestion diversity in the use of the apps. There are so many possibilities out there!
Especially with regards the younger age categories. But we were still impressed with the submissions!



The Awards ceremony is on 6 November and I can't wait to see the rest of the categories and how it was interpreted.

Related posts:

- Apple in Education Awards 2013 - the winners #iPadlearningZA

- Apple in Education Competition Awards 2013 coming up #appleined

Apple in Education Awards 2013 - the winners! #iPadlearningZA

The 7th annual Apple in Education Awards 2013 arrived on Wednesday. It is designed to award excellence in the classroom. But it does more than that. It challenges the teachers and learners to excel in being creative in their use of technology to enhance their own learning.

I love seeing the finalists and the winning entries! But I must mention that I think that each of the entries in the competition deserves to be mentioned, and especially the teachers who have made a special effort for these kids to be able to take part!

I see this as a positive step towards a future in education where we will be able to address imbalances in the standard of our education, compared to the standard of education globally. The winning entries showed that government schools that implemented the same technology were on par with the private schools!

A few interesting facts, figures and announcements were made:

• The second edition of the Education App guide has been launched, and there are over 100 000+ education apps that are available to use.

• ZA Books have now over 1500 South Africa titles 
• There are great apps that are free on new iPad purchases: iWork productivity apps: Pages, Numbers and Keynote and iLife creativity apps: iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand.
• From Grade R - Grade 12 have submitted entries in this competition.
• There are entries from 32 subjects in the competition.
• 56 schools have submitted entries.
• 783 projects were entered.
• The judges were independent from the schools and the learners.

Donnay Torr announcing the winning entries for
the Curriculum Projects Grade 5-7

I had the privilege to be a judge in the category Curriculum Projects Grade 5-7 with Donnay Torr and Karen Walstra. It was very difficult to decide on the winning entries, because the entries were all very creative and innovative. Luckily we had a list of criteria to measure and compare our marks of the different projects.

Grayston Preparatory School winning entry being shown

The winning entry from Grayston Preparatory School deserves their win!

Congrats to the winners of Curriculum Projects Gr 5-7 >Grayston Preparatory #iPadlearningZA @SAPixi @KarenWalstra pic.twitter.com/teTnxOd5BB
— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) November 27, 2013

The iTeacher of the year from Gugulesizwe Primary School (I missed her name, unfortunately!) successfully introduced her learners to using the iPads as a way to introduce English as the language of learning and teaching in the school. 

I am sorry I don't have more information about the other winners and about the learners. I was hoping to find some more information about this competition on the web, but so far it has not been made available.

Congratulations to all the enthusiastic teachers, and especially the creative students! 

The students are showing us that there are no limits on education! 

Give them the tools and technology, and they will embrace it with enthusiasm and with positive results!

Related posts:

- Apple in Education Competition Awards 2013 coming up #AppleinEd

- Apple in Education

Apple in Education

I never thought I would get as excited about a technology gadget as I have become about my iPad. The more you do with it, the more you realise how much can be done!

I am only limited by my own ignorance and technological inadequacies.

I have seen how creatively it can be used for children, especially after I won the invite to the Tech-Moms & Tech Savvy Kids event at the iStore.  I realised how valuable iPads for children can be used as a learning and educational tool!!

That's why I get so excited about the Apple in Education Awards 2012 that happened last week. I was extremely surprised at the number of entrants. It shows that Apple has made an amazing impact in the classroom in the short time of 2 years!

The facts and figures of the entries received: 

• Grades R to 12 participated
• 32 subjects were entered
• 72 schools took part
• 1028 projects were done for the competition

One of the most exciting announcements is that Apple is planning a new iPad app to be launched in January 2013. It is called ZABooks. It will be an iPad Textbook Store that will run separately from iBooks. They will have about 400 textbooks containing to the South African curriculum, and more will of course be added on.

We saw samples of some of the winning projects, and it is very inspiring already!

Congrats to all the winners, and especially Germiston High School who walked away with the iSchoolAfrica youth press team award.

My wish is that all schools in South Africa will start with implementing this in the classroom.

I think I need to make an appointment with the Principals of our pre-primary school as well as the primary school.

There are ways and means to put this in every child's hand!

Blog Award - 7 things

Blog Award passed on by Mommygosleepynow

Mommygosleepynow over at Cinderella Trippin' passed on this Blog Award last week.

I have been enjoying her quirky humour for a while now, and there's nothing that deals with the loss of blojo (also one of her posts) better than accepting an award.
(Point 9 or 10 on her list, maybe? She ran out of fodder for her top 10 tips...)

The rules are easy (I like easy!):

Tell 7 things about yourself!
Pass it onto 15 others.

7 things:

1.  I got a sky high cholesterol score, and need to get a fasting score tomorrow morning before the doctor decides if I need to go on meds. (I don't want to!)
2. I am very easy with regards clothes buying. If it fits, I buy and go!
3. I have to colour my hair, because I am grey. I have been doing it since I was 26.
4. I love my coffee! I drink it with milk, and no sugar! (I probably drink too much of it!)
5. I love red wine! (That you most probably know by now). I will drink white wine, but only if there is no red wine left!
6. I love the fact that I have two daughters.
7. I think I was very lucky second time around getting the perfect Hubby.


15 Bloggesses who blog: (I used the first 15 on my blog list last night)


Dizzy C's Little Book Blog
Jemikaan 
The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom
Authentic Parenting
Raising men
Code Name: Mama
Harassed Mom
Jou Ma se Blerrie Blog
Motherhood Later than Sooner
Juggling Act of Life
Hobo Mama
A work in progress
Diaries of a white mother raising a black baby
Dear Max
MumDrum

Feel free to pass it on!

Have a happy Thursday!

What don't I know about you?

What does it mean to be a Mother?

What does it mean to be a Mother?


Answer: Going to boring prize-giving ceremonies.

Maxabella wrote such a beautiful post about the things she remembers about her own mother, and how she wants to be remembered by her children. It made me think about my mother and one thing that we could always count on was our parents attending our school events. Each and every event for each of us four!

Now I know what a big accomplishment that is! (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It says that you really really cared about us!

I was sitting last night at my daughter’s yearly certificate ceremony. It is by far the most boring event we have to go to as parents! It’s a very close second to Stork Parties! Having to sit through all 500 kids walking over the stage and getting their names and achievements all read one by one… Only to get excited about the three seconds that your child gets her moment-of-glory!

The Teen knows how I feel about it, but up until the baby I attended all of her events as well. The previous two years we left early because we had an excuse (2 month-old baby), and last year we did not attend at all! (The teen gave us off)  (Bad Mother)

This year its The Teen’s last year in High School, and she did really very well the previous year. She is in the top twenty of her grade, the first time in high school. We are so very proud of her! She worked for it! We made an effort to attend the function. The school is running the whole operation like a slick well-oiled machine, and we were out of there within an hour and a half. Not bad!

If she only remembers us sitting in the audience, my job of Mother has been done well! (Wink smile)

(Photo by Grandfather James on Sunday)

Life is good! Award

Actually, life IS very good! Especially when you get passed on a “Life is good award”. Thank you very much, WarsawMommy! Even more sunshine for this time of the year!

The questions that accompany this award: (Of course, there is something you have to do! That’s why it’s taken me a week to put up the award and write the post!)

What do you do when you’re bored?

What’s that! Moms don’t know what it means “being bored”! I would love to be bored (to death)! If it would come to pass, I would just sit and enjoy it… OR, read!

Are you an autumn, or a spring?

Autumn. But spring at heart. ;-)

Quick! You’re stuck at an airport for hours, and the only options are crossword puzzle, or an old novel nobody’s ever heard of. Which would you pick?

Being bored! Fabulous! Then the novel.

Jane Austen or Emily Bronte?

Jane Austen.

Do you feel prepared for the five other questions coming your way?

I should have been prepared?

Who’s your hero?

Superman!

In real life – every one of us!

Favourite word?

“Toddler” (I am one-track minded at the moment. Before “toddler” it was “baby”.)

Are you one of those “checklist” people, or are you a “wing it and hope everything goes well” sort of person?

Checklist person. I cannot function without my diary.

What phrase has stuck with you in your life?

‘We are all one.”

If you were to choose between coffee and tea . . . which would you go with?

Coffee! (Even though I know that I must switch to herbal teas for my own health!)

I have to pass this award on to six more people:

1. Cat at Juggling Act of Life. She has a daughter and fraternal twin boys. It sounds very hectic to me! But she takes it all in her stride…
2. Shayne at [Time-Out]. Unfortunately she has gone private with her blog. I enjoy her beautiful photos of her most recent achievements in the kitchen. It sounds divine every time! (I am in awe of everyone who can bake, and who seems to enjoy it while doing it!) I also love her “count-my-blessings” type of posts, or “things I realised”.
3. Yvonne with 2412towers and the funny twisted story of her divorce, and subsequent reconstructed family after a new marriage. It’s a laugh with a tear!
4. Rock Mom at Snuggle Buggle Rock Mom. Love the way she talks about her “shrimp”; of being a single mom; and being so candid about her life.
5. I’m so not a blogger struggles sometimes with the blues, and we get a peek into that side of her personality. Love it that she shares her feelings. The photos are always very beautiful!
6. Simply-Mel. Very candid about her life with kids and her weight loss. Which she actually accomplished quite well!

They make me realize that we are all struggling with the same mundane daily grind, but that LIFE IS GOOD, never mind the small stuff!
Keep going, Life bloggers! :D

Receiving some sunshine - award

Rock Mom passed on the super cool Sunshine Award.!

! Thank you very much, Rock Mom! You are brightening my day/week. I need a bit of sunshine here! (What is better medicine than a sunflower on a dreary day?)

The easy rules are:
Put the logo on your blog
Give props to the person who gave you the award
Pass the award on to 12 bloggers
Write their names and links to their blogs on your blog
Let them know about their award by posting a comment on their blog

Sunshine blogs:

• Life is like a box of chocolates

• 2412towers

• Laughs to birth and all things that follow

• Tertia

• Life with Luca

• Crazy kind and unrefined

• Snuggle Buggle Rock Mom

• Mommalicious Mammas

• MumDrum

• Jou ma se blerrie blog

• Harassed Mom

• WarSawMommy

Feel the sun shine, today! :D

Rock Mom passed on two blog awards

I felt so special last week when Rock Mom passed on two awards. Thanks, Rock Mom! You made my day(s)!

The one is the Rock Star Award, which I pasted immediately on my blog. It looks good, doesn’t it? I will pay it forward in the future. Definitely! The rules? There are no rules, and you can give it to whoever you like. Rock Mom got it from Mrs Blogalot. Great idea! (Feel free to pay it forward).




The Beautiful Blogger Award comes with rules:
1) thank the person who nominated me for this award
Thanks Rock Mom!
2) copy the award & place it on my blog
Done
3) link to the person who nominated me for this award
Rock Mom
4) share 7 interesting things about myself
- I am a closet vegetarian. I belief we should not eat living things, but I do! (Hypocrite!)
- I love Cheese Curls: I am able to eat a whole bag by myself!
- I am still enjoying Sex and the City, second time around (always hoping for that episode I missed the first time)
- I love red wine!
- Love reading (although I haven’t been able to do much of it since the baby)
- I got two extra ear piercings in my right ear when I was a teenager, and that was the best I could muster for my rebellious side!
- I would have loved to be a stay-at-home mom! (Sigh)
5) nominate 7 bloggers:
- 2412towers
- Mumdrum
- Rock Mom (really, not because she passed on the award to me)
- joumaseblerrieblog
- Life with Luca
- Peas on Toast
- So Close
6) post links to the 7 blogs i nominate
Done!