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Exemplary Parent Engagement -- Lets Talk
Saturday, November 20, 2010 (National Child Day)
Location: Delta Toronto East
2035 Kennedy Road, Toronto, Ontario
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This Institute will endeavor to engage those professionals working in a variety of setting including community based programs and the Early Learning Program in Phase 1 Schools in a dialogue that sparks imagination and collaborative practice in engaging families in their community schools.
| 8:30 am |
Registration and coffee |
| 9 am - noon |
Keynote
Standing Together: Forming Strong Links in a Care Chain
In this session, Debbie will share knowledge, insights and experiences gained from her research on parent engagement and parent knowledge and gained from her experiences working in early learning settings. She will speak about what parent engagement is, about the beliefs and assumptions which underlie it, and about the trust and relationships and the welcoming and hospitality that it takes to make it happen. Debbie will share
concrete examples and stories of successful practices which link parents and family support practitioners and early childhood educators in meaningful ways in young children’s learning and care. At the end of her
presentation, participants will be invited to interact with Debbie and with one another in a question and answer session.
Interactive Dialogue with Debbie Pushor, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies in the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan
Debbie’s career began in Edmonton Public Schools in Alberta where she worked as a teacher, a consultant, and central services administrator. However, it is her experiences as a parent of school-aged children that led her to pursue her PhD and prompted the focus of her doctoral work, A Storied Photo Album of Parents’ Positioning and the Landscape of Schools. Debbie graduated from the University of Alberta in 2001 with a PhD in elementary education. She assumed an academic position at St. Francis Xavier
University in Nova Scotia from 2001 to 2004, teaching in the BEd program and the MEd program in educational leadership. She joined the University of Saskatchewan in 2004.
Debbie is a leading expert in the area of Parent Engagement. She has completed a
major research project funded by the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching, which explored, with a team of co-researchers at Princess Alexandra Community School in Saskatoon, how schools can move from practices of parent involvement to practices of parent engagement and leadership. She is also engaged in research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in which she is exploring what parent knowledge is and how it is held and used.
Debbie and her partner, Laurie have three children and a dog named, Lily.
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| Noon - 1:30 pm |
Lunch |
| 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. |
Workshop Block E |
| E1 |
Effective Leadership in Uncertain Times: How to build a strong movement
Effective leadership in uncertain times: How you can be help build a strong movement. There is much uncertainty on policy changes that affect our organizations and programs in early learning and child care. Our sector needs active and informed advocates who can help shape the debate, and organize in our communities and programs. Learn how you can use your leadership skills to make a difference with your co-workers, friends, family and community to ensure the early learnging and child care sector remains strong and stable so we can help children and families in our communities
Andrea Calver, Co-ordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
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| E2 |
Parent Partnerships & ELECT: Bridging the Gap between Theory & Practice
In December 2006, the Best Start Panel on Early Learning produced the Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) curriculum framework. Premised upon 6 fundamental principles, ELECT has been widely embraced by the early childhood community in Ontario as a tool for curriculum planning and implementation. While the field continues to address the potential that ELECT has for re-conceptualizing approaches to program delivery, the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by the implementation of ELECT – families and children themselves – remain noticeably absent. Consequently, this workshop will examine the principles of ELECT with a key focus on strategies for ensuring that meaningful parent engagement materializes as an increasing number of early childhood settings across Ontario adopt the ELECT curriculum framework. Emphasis will be placed on creating a collaborative vision for program delivery to meet the specific needs of the children and families served.
Ryan Campbell, Supervisor, Macaulay Child Development Centre
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| E3 |
Early Childhood Educators as Agents of Change
With the beginning of Full Day Learning in Ontario, the opportunity exists for Early Childhood Educators to lead by example and be agents of change in creating more parent friendly schools. Inspired by Debbie Pushor’s talk, let’s further explore practical ideas to build bridges with parents and create more parent friendly schools.
Valerie Kenny and Parenting and Family Literacy Team, Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board
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| E4 |
Rediscovering Creativity within yourself and in your teaching: The Creative Teacher/The Creative Classroom
Creativity is regarded as the solution to the problems of the twenty-first century. Without developing creative attitudes and skills, educators and children risk hindering their creative aptitudes and limiting the number of way there is to learn and respond to the world. This workshop will explore how creativity may be used as springboard to engage Early Childhood Educator’s and teachers in a dialogue regarding full day kindergarten curriculum and programming logistics. Literature and research indicate that before educators can recognize and support creativity in others they must initially identify creativity within themselves. Once ECE’s and teachers begin to discuss and recognize their own creative skills, they may begin to apply them throughout their teaching and practice.
Patricia Gora, Artist, Ontario Art Gallery and Instructor at Ryerson University |
| E5 |
The Power of Parents as Agents of Change (repeat)
"The Parent is the first and most important teacher "- what does this really mean? This session will provide an overview of how to build on the strength of the family to successfully engage parents in their child's learning in school based Parenting and Family Literacy Centres. The central focus of this program is to actively engage families as partners in their child’s learning and build the bridge between home and school This session will share the concept of these play-based programs and how to provide an inclusive program that sets the stage for parent engagement in diverse and multi cultural communities. Kim Fritz, a front line Parent Worker with Toronto District School Board, will share strategies, the challenges and the success stories based on her personal experiences of working with many families over the years. The session will include the latest research that demonstrates the many ways in which this evidence based program has improved academic outcomes for children in vulnerable, culturally diverse communities.
Ruth Sischy, Manager and Policy Advisor, Parent and Family Literacy Centres, Toronto District School Board and Kim Fritz, Parent Worker, Toronto District School Board
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| 3:30 - 4:00 pm |
Celebrate National Child Day and wrap-up |
For more information contact: conference2010@fsio.ca |
