Professional Development
Creating a bridge between research and practice in early learning and care!
This professional learning opportunity is presented in partnership with the Region of Waterloo Children Services, the Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre, and Conestoga College at no cost to those living or working in the Waterloo region.
$15 per participant outside of the Waterloo Region.
The concept of resilience seems intuitive, but when we start to consider the different facets, contexts and skill-sets required to bounce back from stress, we see that it is a complex and nuanced topic. Given the complexity of the topic, how do we promote this skill in young children? Through this presentation Mike Allegretti, M.Ed. and Ed.D will support participants in enhancing their understanding of mental health and wellness as it relates to resilience. Based on this understanding, participants will explore concrete strategies for teaching resilience to children in a way that is consistent with the principals of early childhood education. This seminar is expected to be interactive and collaborative.
Mike Allegretti has a decade of experience in educational settings as teacher, clinician, researcher, and administrator. His Masters in Educational Psychology focused on mental health and wellness, while his Doctorate looked at organizational structures and strategies that contribute to resilience. He is currently a consultant with Conestoga College working to improve the structures and strategies that support student mental wellness.
Facilitators:
Mike Allegretti, M.Ed and Ed. D
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
In this two-part series, participants will be encouraged to thoughtfully examine traditional mindsets about danger and safety, debunk long held assumptions about risky play, and reflect on their personal comfort with co-constructing play experiences that involve risk-taking. Through the use of action research, participants will be empowered to build on children's competence and capabilities by transforming environments and updating practices into ones that embrace risky play as a source of meaningful learning. Participants will be asked to collect and share observations of risky play in the second part of the series.
Facilitator:
Harmony Simard, RECE
Session 1: Monday, February 4th, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Session 2: Wednesday, February 20th, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Conestoga College, Waterloo Campus
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Using How Does Learning Happen? as a platform, we will focus on exploring early learning professional's perceptions and understanding of the concepts of belonging, responsive relationships, and inclusivity. Stemming from this exploration, participants will be empowered to reflect how these concepts apply to their practice, not only in their relationships with children, but also in their relationships with colleagues, families, and the community. Participants will be inspired to create cultures of belonging in their early learning contexts where all members feel that they are connected, valued and contributing to their community.
Keynote:
Dr. Jean Clinton
Facilitators:
PRC TEAM
Conestoga College, Blue Room
This event is currently sold out.
Workplaces can play a crucial role in maintaining positive mental health, but they can also be a stressful place that contributes to increase of mental health problems. In this presentation, participants will be encourage to view their workplace through a lens of mental wellness and to discover strategies to improve their mental health, and that of those around them, in the workplace. This session will allow for the sharing of information, active participation and will provide concrete, simple and accomplishable strategies for fostering wellness.
Mike Allegretti has a decade of experience in educational settings as teacher, clinician, researcher, and administrator. His Masters in Educational Psychology focused on mental health and wellness, while his Doctorate looked at organizational structures and strategies that contribute to resilience. He is currently a consultant with Conestoga College working to improve the structures and strategies that support student mental wellness.
Facilitators:
Mike Allegretti, M.Ed and Ed. D
Conestoga College, ECE Building
This event is currently sold out.
Designed specifically for Full Day Kindergarten teams, this two part series will invite participants to explore how play supports learning in the Full Day Kindergarten context. Through the use of Action Research, participants will be encouraged to become ‘classroom researchers’ as they not only join the children in play, but also explore how play can be intentionally planned to support the interests, strengths and learning needs of Kindergarten children. As part of the process, participants will be encouraged to collect documentation that will be analyzed to determine how play can be supported and strengthened throughout the Kindergarten day. During this series, educators will be invited to reflect on their role in play by examining the various contexts for learning that happen throughout a typical Kindergarten day. Wendy Goulden brings her expertise as an education consultant and faculty member both at Conestoga College and Laurier University to this learning series. Prior to this role, she worked as a teacher and consultant with Waterloo Region District School Board. Wendy is passionate about the early years!
Facilitators:
Wendy Goulden B.A., B. Ed., M.A & Maria Cabal Garces RECE, MSc
Conestoga College, Waterloo Campus
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
In this series, participants will be invited to intentionally explore the sources of diversity currently present in their programs and to become more aware of the effect that bias has in the development of children. Through action research, participants will examine the current level of inclusivity their programs offer and develop goals to ensure all children have access to meaningful learning opportunities, are able to fully participate as valuable members of their group, and see themselves represented in their learning communities. Participants will be asked to collect and share observations of inclusion in the second part of the series.
Facilitator:
Maria Cabal Garces, MSc, RECE
Session 1:
Monday, March 4th, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Session 2:
Monday, March 18th, 2019- 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Conestoga College, Waterloo Campus
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
This full-day event will invite participants to make connections between Indigenous Pedagogy, Forest and Nature School Pedagogy, and How Does Learning Happen? Pedagogy. Participants will be introduced to Forest and Nature school tools, dynamic risk assessment, and risk management as opportunities for life-long learning and they will have the opportunity to engage with these materials and processes in an outdoor setting. The concepts of free play and storytelling practices will be explored and investigated as essential elements of the Forest and Nature school pedagogy. Most of the day will be spent outdoors as participants are encouraged to engage in experiential learning. Attendees should come dressed and prepared for the weather.
Facilitators:
Maria Cabal Garces, MSc, RECE, Eva May, RECE, Lindsay Hartung, RECE
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Everyone learns by playing, so let’s play together and learn together about science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). In this specific Play Lab, participants will join local artist Arlene McCarthy at Conestoga College’s Interior Design program’s inspiring studio. Participants will be guided in the use of real art tools and materials to unpack the art techniques, processes, and design elements when creating a landscape watercolor painting. Through guided discussion, participants will be invited to connect their artistic experience to How Does Learning Happen? and re-imagine their role in supporting children’s curiosity, capabilities and development through art. Join us to re-awaken your creativity and be inspired to incorporate meaningful art experiences into your curriculum.
Facilitator:
Harmony Simard, RECE, & Arlene McCarthy (Local Artist)
Conestoga College, Interior Design Studio
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Our current notions of diversity and inclusion involve considerations of race and culture and the promotion of inclusion for children with special needs. A reconceptualization movement in the profession of early childhood education and care is inviting us to rethink diversity. In this workshop, compelling research findings will be shared to reveal a number of hidden 'isms' in children's literature and ECE practice. This introduction to new ways of conceptualizing diversity will include theoretical and practical discussions about sizeism, sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, classism and more. ECE as we know it is changing - are you ready?
Tricia Dumais is a faculty members in the Conestoga College's Early Childhood Education Diploma Program. She holds an ECE diploma, a BA and a Masters and has 20 years of experience working with children and families.
Facilitators:
Tricia Dumais, RECE, BA, MA.
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Join us for the screening of the documentary “The Voices of Children”, a 24 minute documentary that “supports adults to understand young children’s diverse perspectives on their rights in the context of culture”. The screening will be followed by a guided discussion and reflection, which will invite participants to further consider children as citizens of the world and the educator's role is advocating for children’s rights as active and capable community participants. How might this perspective connect to our image of children and to our ideas about belonging, wellbeing, engagement and expression? Pop-corn and light snacks will be provided.
Facilitators:
Linda Taylor
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Everyone learns by playing, so let’s play and learn together about science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). During this specific Play Lab, participants will engage in observing and experimenting with the concepts of polarity and density when playing with different liquids. They will explore a variety of everyday house hold items to discover polar and non polar compounds in a hands-on playful exploration and experimentation, guided by Science Lab Technologist Jordi Cain, B. Sc.Participants will also be guided in reflection to uncover the connections between their experiences in the lab and How Does Learning Happen? They will also establish possible next steps to support children in their programs as they observe, examine and experiment with chemistry concepts in their play.
Facilitators:
Harmony Simard, RECE, & Jordi Cain, B.Sc. Life
Conestoga College, Doon Science Lab
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
A big part of well is being able to take care of one's body. The work that Early Learning professionals do often involve using their bodies to support children's needs. In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of how to take care of their backs and will learn specific lifting strategies to ensure their safety and that of the children they work with. Some of the main concepts which will be explored will be: the basic anatomy of the back, injury mechanisms, carrying strategies, and lifestyle changes to ensure back care.
Brad Simpson is a Kinesiologist from KidsAbility who has 39 years of experience working with preschoolers.
Facilitators:
Brad Simpson - Kinesiologist from KidsAbility
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
This workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to discover the pedagogical leader within. Participants will examine the characteristics of pedagogical leadership, reflect on the meaning that this has in their own practice and connect with quality early learning practices. In this session, definitions of pedagogical and distributed leadership will be explored, as well as the values and theories that influence various definitions of non-traditional leadership models. Participants will also be invited to reflect on their own identity as leaders and the implications it has for their role as early learning professionals.
This session was developed based on ideas and concepts explored through the Pedagogical Leadership Course recently offered in the Fall of 2018.
Facilitators:
Maria Cabal Garces, RECE, MSc.
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Physical Literacy is the basis for developing our movement skills. Early movement development is the foundation for all learning and is essential for proper brain development. In this session, participants will explore the definition of physical literacy and the importance it holds for the early years. More specifically, participants will learn about locomotion skills, stability skills, and object control skills. Participants will also discover practical strategies to support the children in their programs in the development of Physical Literacy skills.
Brad Simposon is a Kinesiologist from KidsAbility who has 39 years of experience working with preschoolers.
Facilitators:
Brad Simpson - Kinesiologist from KidsAbility
Conestoga College, ECE Building
Registrations for this event are not available at this time. Please try again later.
Make an additional donation
$
Please enter a positive number
Fostering Resilience in Children:
Partners in Practice - Partners in Learning:
The Danger of Playing it Safe!:
I Belong Winter Symposium:
Mental Health and the Workplace - Wellness for Early Childcare Professionals:
The Kindergarten Program – Learning through Play:
PRC Play Lab - Re-awaken the artist inside you:
Beyond Diversity as We Know It: Exploring hidden "Isms" in the Early Learning Context.:
PRC Play Lab - Science Play at the Lab:
Back Care & Lifting in Early Learning Settings:
Discover the Leader Within:
Important Registration Information
In partnership with the Region of Waterloo Children Services, the Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre, and Conestoga College will offer all professional learning opportunities at no cost to all those living or working in the Waterloo region.
Online payment is available through this registration process. Cash and cheque payments can be made in person at the Professional Resource Centre (PRC) during our regular business hours (currently the PRC is unable to accept interact payments). Please note that we do not accept payment on the day of the event.
Spaces are limited for all of our events. Once you begin the registration process you will have 24 hours to clear your cart (complete registration) after which your space will no longer be held. Once enrolled you will receive a confirmation email to the email address you have provided. It is the responsibility of the registrant to print and bring a copy of the email to the event as proof of registration. If you do not receive a confirmation email please contactprcregistration@conestogac.on.ca or call 519-748-5220 x 3388. If you have not received an email it is likely that you have not successfully registered in the event of your choice. Please contact us for further support.
In order to cancel your participation in an event please contact prcregistration@conestogac.on.ca
or call 519-748-5220 x 3388. Payments are non-refundable, however they can be
transferred to another name for the same event.