BUDDING authors at the Sydney Children’s Hospital School are being “inspired and empowered” by a new app allowing them to publish and share their works with others.
Littlescribe was cofounded by “literary angels” Jenny Atkinson and Alexi McDonald with the aim of tackling and inspiring the love of literacy with as many children as possible.
Children write and draw with paper and pens, then use the app to create books to share in the digital space, or print out as a hard copy.
Sydney Children’s Hospital School principal Lynda Campbell said there was a huge emphasis on digital education in the classroom.
“They’re so used to technology in a way adults aren’t,” Ms Campbell said.
“For them it’s a natural extension of the creative writing process using an iPad or iPhone, they can take their photos and drawings and use them to make up the pages of their own book and invite others to look at their work.” The school operates three multi-stage classrooms and bedside teaching services for Kindergarten to Year 12 students, including inpatients, outpatients and also siblings of inpatients.
Ms Campbell said programs like Littlescribe help bring the students a sense of normality.
“The idea is that when they walk through the door of the classroom or have their teacher at their bedside for half an hour, they’re immersed in their education,” she said.
Ms Atkinson, whose daughter is an outpatient at the hospital’s chronic pain unit, said the teachers were inspiring.
“I saw the amazing work the in-hospital school does with children in pain and we have been very lucky to receive its support to help Caitlyn,” she said.
“When hospital staff saw Littlescribe they were very excited as they saw it could bring the classroom to the hospital bedside keeping children connected to their school friends.”
