Events

This workshop focuses on using songs and rhymes in developing early literacy skills, Through music, rhymes, stories, movement, props, and more. Participants will come away with a variety of ideas for books, songs and literacy extension activities that nurture healthy child development - including language building, numeracy support, gross and fine motor skills, and social-emotional development. No musical background or singing skills required! This workshop is ideal for those working with toddlers and preschool aged children.   Facilitator Bio:  Bookmates Inc. is a non-profit organization focused on the development, training and delivery of family literacy and learning programs.   Participants will be given the link to the video and are required to participate in one of two ways-- with a microphone/built in speaker or through the chat. In addition there will be a log tracking which members contribute and which do not, and those that do not contribute will not receive PD hours. We ask that you leave your camera on for the session.

In educational settings we often encounter tough topics, such as death, divorce, global warming, racism, sexism, colonial histories, disability awareness, and LGBTQ2S+ topics. How do we respond when tensions around tough topics arise? This workshop addresses why it's important to critically engage with children, how to have conversations with families, and ways to engage with tough topics. We will look at what it means to embrace the tensions in our educational settings and what can grow from engaging with said tensions. The goal of this workshop is that educators will leave feeling more confident in their abilities to engage with tensions and tough topics within their settings.   Facilitator Bio: Ashleigh Davies is an early childhood educator with her bachelors in Early Childhood Education & Care and has worked with children in a variety of roles over the last decade. Ashleigh is the current head coordinator of the ECE program with Burnaby Continuing Education. In the last decade she has worked in a variety of roles including support worker, lead ECE, post-secondary instructor, CCRR assistant manager, and municipal child care consultant. Ashleigh presents her workshops throughout Canada, has presented a TEDx talk, and published articles relating to her passions in ECE. She can be found online as PedagogyandChill.   Participants will be given the link to the video and are required to participate in one of two ways-- with a microphone/built in speaker or through the chat. In addition there will be a log tracking which members contribute and which do not, and those that do not contribute will not receive PD hours. We ask that you leave your camera on for the session.

A 6-hour professional development workshop exclusive to directors of licensed child care centres on PEI. Spend the day with Jennifer Nangreaves and Megan Drummond delving into the Onboarding Toolkit - A Guide for Directors. The ECDA has created this ready-to-use resource and workshop training through funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island.  This workshop is designed to support Island leaders in implementing and enhancing a robust employee onboarding process. We will spend the day reviewing the Onboarding Toolkit - A Guide for Directors and practical processes within it. If you are curious about onboarding and why it is integral to creating a culture of excellence in your centre, this workshop is for you! 

The session will review the relationship between screen time and health during the early years.  It will also review current recommendations for screen use in this age group, and ways to limit screen use in the classroom and at home.   Facilitator Bio: Travis Saunders is a Professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at UPEI.  His work examines the relationship between physical activity and health across the lifespan.

Practice Based Coaching is a valuable training model for individuals who are in a mentor role, such as directors, supervisors, lead educators, and pedagogical leaders. This training facilitates coaching and mentoring to support educators in early years settings to grow and scaffold on their daily practices with children, families and co-educators. Practice Based Coaching is directly aligned with the Pyramid Model and its foundational components are universal to all Early Years practitioners in mentoring roles.   Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) is a professional development model aimed at improvising the practices of educators through ongoing, structured support. It focuses on the actual implementation of practices of Pyramid Model in early childhood settings, helping individuals refine their skills by engaging in cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection. It is designed to be ongoing coaching support, allowing individuals to continuously refine their skills and adapt to new challenges. It is commonly used in education, early childhood care, and other fields that require continuous professional development. This training will help you understand how to coach, ask reflective questions, engage your educators to grow, and build your educators capacity to implement Pyramid Model practices ongoing.   Carolyn Porter is an ASaP Coach with Kids Included. Her role is to support educators implementing the Pyramid Model in their childcare rooms to ensure all children's participation and belonging through responsive relationships, quality inclusive environments and supportive learning opportunities. She has lived in Grande Prairie for 9 years and lived in Ontario before that. Carolyn has 20 years’ experience working in child care in different roles (educator, director, supervisor, support). When she is not working, she is doing things with her 2 children and husband and baking sourdough.