Educators collaborate on practice, action for full-day learning
October 5, 2011
Special to OISE
OISE Continuing Education organized and hosted an early years symposium, Collaborative Practice and Action: Full Day Early Learning in Ontario Schools, which took place on October 1, and was attended by more than 200 educators from all over Ontario. Together with the Dr Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, the Association of Early Childhood Educators, the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, George Brown College and Ryerson University, the symposium welcomed early childhood educators, researchers, professors, graduate students, and teachers who gathered together to immerse themselves in a highly interactive, day-long exchange, sharing experiences and challenges of full-day learning.
Barbara Bodkin, OISE’s Director of Continuing Education, summed up the sentiments that were in evidence throughout the day, “Education is all about relationships. Efforts in the classroom, from parents, and administration all work interdependently to provide a more robust learning environment for students and teachers.”
Dr Charles Pascal, special advisor to the Premier on early learning, led with the opening remarks. His talk was followed by presentations from collaborative early learning school teams from across Ontario who chronicled aspects first implementation, focusing on how collaboration has strengthened their program and approach. Participants learned key tools to apply ideas to their school programs, and reflected on five key thematic areas: advice for year-1 schools; roles & responsibilities; building relationships; families; and the role of administration, throughout the day that informed the goals of the working groups.
The contributions of many people were essential to the success of the symposium, including students and faculty from the Dr Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study. Collaborative Practice and Action was sponsored by OISE Continuing Education and the Atkinson Charitable Foundation.
Another symposium is in the works for April of 2012, to reconnect participants to share knowledge and experiences from the program implementation process.
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