The Indigenous Professional Learning Team is extending an invitation to early years professionals to attend our upcoming Knowledge Exchange Gathering.
July 21, 2020 from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
This month Elders, Knowledge Keepers and early years professionals will share about the importance of Indigenous song and dance in relation to belonging, wellbeing, expression and engagement for children in the early years.
Be sure to register by Monday July 19, 2020 at 4:00 pm EDT.
Click HERE to register.
We are excited to announce that Lori Huston will be sharing her graduating work from the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education program at UBC. Please e-mail us at early.years@tbdssab.ca to join us for this amazing learning opportunity.
We had a wonderful conversation last week about pedagogical documentation. Three educators joined us who each play a different role in our community – one educator in child care, one supervisor of a before and after school program, and one EarlyON coordinator. This diversity of experience made for a unique dialogue and the opportunity to share different perspectives. We all read the article, Curiosity, Curriculum, and Collaboration Entwined: Reflections on Pedagogical Documentationby Pat Tarr.
As we discussed the article, an interesting dialogue came up around interrupting children’s play. Traditionally, we have been taught to ask children open-ended questions – “what are you building?” “what do you think will happen when you stack another block on top?” We felt that this can sometimes interrupt and change the direction of children’s play, and we agreed that we should be thoughtful in deciding when is a good time to enter children’s play and ask questions. It was said that we need to give ourselves permission to take a step back and observe more.
As the conversation continued, we began thinking about how educators pick and choose what they feel is worth documenting. Tarr (2010) states in the article that “what we choose to document reveals and reflects back to us what we consider important, as well as help us to see ourselves as educators within the educational relationship” (p. 12). This conversation reminded some of us about another article by Pat Tarr that talked about ethics and biases in pedagogical documentation. We shared mixed feelings about this article, and some of us plan to dig a little deeper to decide if or how the information fits with our practice. You can access the article here: Reflections and Shadows: Ethical Issues in Pedagogical Documentation,.
Finally, one of the educators bravely shared her documentation with us. She wondered, “is this documentation?” There isn’t one right way to document children’s learning; taking time to practice documenting and experimenting with different techniques can help educators to feel more confident. We discussed our questions and curiosities about this documentation, and a new idea was shared about “stories from home” (Hedges, 2010). Essentially, “stories from home” is a form that goes home for families to fill out and share a story that took place with their child outside of the early learning setting – it’s getting the families to document!! We discussed that this would be a great way of getting to know children and families better, and building stronger connections between, for example, child care and home.
Let us know what you think about these ideas or about the articles provided in the chat below.
References
Hedges, H. (2010). Blurring the boundaries: Connecting research, practice and professional learning. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40(3), 299-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2010.502884
Tarr, P. (2010). Curiosity, curriculum, and collaboration entwined: Reflections on pedagogical documentation. Canadian Children, 35(2), 10-14.
Tarr, P. (2011). Reflections and shadows: Ethical issues in pedagogical documentation. Canadian Children, 36(2), 11-16.
We wanted to say a special thank you to Ari Vainio and Jaymie Rusnak for hosting a conversation on communicating with parents during COVID-19. Ari and Jaymie had many clever ideas to support communication with families during these trying times. One unique example is their “virtual playdates”. Ari and Jaymie have scheduled times where families can pop in on Zoom and have a virtual visit in the program. This allows parents to get acquainted with the environment where their child spends so much of their day, and to meet some of the other children that their child plays with. Another creative idea that they shared was offering parents the option of going for a social-distanced walk (when the public health direction allows). Ari and Jaymie shared that they would go for social-distanced walks throughout the Lakehead University campus with families as a way of getting to know each other better. This provided families with a sense of comfort and trust in knowing who they are leaving their child with each day.
While there were many great ideas shared throughout the conversation, we were still left feeling like it wasn’t enough, and that we wish we could have a closer relationship with families right now. This presented as a good reminder for all of us that we are doing the best we can in the circumstances that we are dealt with currently.
Let us know how you’ve been connecting with families in the comments below.
The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board recently offered a survey regarding staff well-being. Some of the feedback from this survey was to support staff through re-connecting and opportunities to support mental health.
We know that many of the staff working in child care and EarlyON programs in our communities have strengths and talents to inspire, showcase, and bring comfort to others. Do you or does your centre have a skill to share? A story to tell? Perhaps you have a colleague that has a gift that you recognize others should see. Whether it’s documentation, cooking, crafting, or storytelling, we would like to hear what you could share virtually among our community!
Submit your idea to us at early.years@tbdssab.ca
ALL THE DAZE Productions is offering a new stage to showcase youth’s creativity.
Beginning February 14, 2021, All the DAZE Productions began a virtual art gallery to showcase youth art. This includes drawing, painting, modelling, photography, hand work and sculpture. This is being organized by Marcia Arpin, Executive Director of Nanabijou Child Care Centre.
Beginning March 1, 2021, more submissions will be accepted. Please email alllthedaze@gmail.com samples (or photos) of artwork for consideration. Marcia will respond with additional details if needed. There will be a Preschool Gallery, Junior Gallery (ages 5-7), A Senior Gallery (ages 8-12) and Highschool Gallery (ages 13-18).
To view the gallery, visit: www.allthedaze.ca or search for All the DAZE Productions on social media platforms
Marcia says that she is looking forward to building a collection of COVID creativity!
For your information, the Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) has created FREE podcasts related to the field of Early Childhood Education. Some examples of topics include: Recognizing Educators’ Dedication and Cultivating Well-Being, How to Cultivate Culture for Learning in Challenging Times, and Rethinking Documentation Strategies in this Challenging Time. Click HERE to stream the podcast on your device.
On February 25, the TBDSSAB is hosting a 1-hour gentle yoga class with Kimberly Veneziale. Kimberly is a fun and energetic yoga instructor. She has been certified since 2013 and has been spreading peace, kindness and relaxation to the community of Thunder Bay ever since.
If you are new to yoga, we still encourage you to join us… take time for you, rejuvenate, and at the very least Kimberly never fails to make her yogis laugh!
This class is free of charge and more information can be found on our Calendar of events.
The TBDSSAB pedagogical team will be participating in this year’s Piazza ORA (see information below). We encourage you to reach out to us if you are interested in this opportunity; a group of 6 or more from our community will allow everyone to receive a discounted rate. Please contact us by Friday, February 5th to express your interest in joining us for the group rate, early.years@tbdssab.ca.
The Ontario Reggio Association is providing an extraordinary opportunity to engage with Tiziana Filippini, pedagogista from Reggio Emilia, over the course of four encounters. This also includes four interim gatherings (a total of eight gatherings altogether).
Piazza ORA 2021 Dates
February 16 6:30-7:30 pm (introduction with participants only)
February 23 12:30-2:30 pm
March 9 6:30-8:00 (interim session with participants only)
March 30 12:30-2:30 pm
April 13 6:30-8:00 (interim session with participants only)
April 27 12:30-2:30 pm
May 11 6:30-8:00 (interim session with participants only)
May 25 12:30-2:30 pm
The focus this year will be on intentionality in the teacher’s role as co-protagonist of learning. Intentionality is key in shaping activities, knowing what to document and when and how to respond while allowing children to learn together in relationship. Understanding better the role of the adult in children’s learning can be the thread that is woven through our “across the province” action research projects.
Please clickHEREfor more information.
