Winter 2016 Esteem

Strengthening Your Creative Art Program Through Open Ended Art Experiences; April 19 2016

  • “I will be putting out more open-ended art experiences with a variety of materials while being mindful not to give the children a time constraint.”
  • “I enjoyed the hands-on activities and I’m looking forward to putting these new ideas into practice.”
  • “I will engage children in activities by providing new, natural mediums of art.”

Down and Dirty; April 16 2016

  • “This information will help me set up new invitations for the children to explore, encouraging them to get interested in dirt.”
  • “I will be sharing the math, science, and literacy inquiries and provocations information with co-workers and parents.”
  • “This workshop was a fun reminder that dirt is good for our immune system. I enjoyed learning how to engage the children with dirt.”

Documentation as Relationship; April 9 2016

  • “We were able to do some great sharing and thinking together. We look forward to building on our skills as observers and educators.”
  • “The documentation and stories were very inspiring. They will encourage us to be watchful and aware in order to see and document the ordinary moments.”
  • “The information has challenged my knowledge and my thinking and encouraged further reflection.”
  • “I learned that documentation should be for the children to revisit their work rather than simply displayed for the parents. Make sure the children know you’re writing about them.”
  • “How important those unexpected moments are to catch and document!”

Rethinking Your Infant and Toddler Environment; March 29 2016

  • “I found value in the ideas shared related to enhancing the children’s senses in the environment.”

Tools and Strategies for Hosting an Intergenerational Program with Local Seniors’ Residences; March 3 2016

  • “The toolkit provided will be a helpful resource for starting an Intergenerational Project.”
  • “Great relationships can develop between child care centres and seniors’ residences. It is a great opportunity to teach life experiences to the children.”
  • “I enjoyed the feedback and information provided by the participants in the pilot project.”

A Developmental Coach Approach to Working with Staff; February 26 2016

  • “I found the information and experience relevant, useful and applicable to many aspects of my daily work.”
  • “I hope to be able to use this in my work on a continuous basis to help my staff excel.”
  • “I enjoyed learning how to empower others to be competent and capable.”

Are You Looking to Implement iPads Within Your Early Learning Centre?; February 23 2016

  • “This workshop was informative. I gained valuable information for our literacy programs for 4-6 year olds.”
  • “The list of useful apps will be a great resource for me when working with the iPad in the classroom. I enjoyed the opportunity to network with other teachers and hear their experiences.”
  • “The information provided on which type of apps to use for Early Learning, as well as using the iPad as provocation tool, was very informative.”

If I had a Hammer: Woodworking At Your Centre; February 20 2016

  • “We are ready to start using our tools in the classroom on Monday – we needed this workshop to show us how to get started.“
  • “I enjoyed learning how to use various natural items in more than one way.”
  • “I have never done anything like this workshop before so every tool was new for me. The most informative part was how to use the tools.”

Reading Aloud, There’s More To It Than Meets the Eye; February 14 2016

  • “I can use this information to strengthen the quality of the literacy experience.”
  • “I will be able to engage children by using enthusiasm, emotions and interaction to develop vocabulary and comprehension.”
  • “The acronyms PEER and CROWD are very useful.”
  • “Encouraging children to think beyond the book that is being read is what I found to be most informative.”

Reading Aloud 1 Reading Aloud 2

Learning Two Languages; February 11 2016

  • “I will be able to extend my own personal learning and be more receptive to other cultures and languages.”
  • “I will use some of the suggestions given today to make my centre more culturally inclusive.”
  • “I found the practical examples provided for supporting bilingual students helpful.”
  • “Understanding different methods to help children learn a second language is important.”

Rethinking Your Practice to Align with How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years; February 1 2016

  • “I came away with new ideas to bring to my centre and staff.”
  • “This information has allowed me to reflect on the four foundations and apply each to enhance the environment.”
  • “I enjoyed the discussion with individuals from other programs, learning what they have implemented in their centres. They offered some good suggestions as well as some hands on examples to learn from.”

Exploring the Potential of Technology as a Professional Learning Tool; January 28 2016

  • “This information will be helpful in preparing e-portfolios for my end of year evaluations. It will make the communication with the children in my class and their families more meaningful.”
  • “Learning how to use current technology to promote our professional skills was the most informative.”
  • “The exposure to the many sites and apps, as well as social media explorations, was most informative. The instructional apps for children the presenter provided will be very useful in the classroom.”

Take a look back at what was offered in the Winter 2016 issue of Esteem.

Esteem January 2016


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