Key Note Speakers
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Pennie Brownlee Pennie's understanding of children has grown from being a Mum, a primary school teacher, an early childhood teacher and a polytechnic tutor who worked with parents and early childhood teachers. She credits Playcentre for opening the doors and turning the paper theory of teacher training into a working understanding of how children learn. She has been hugely influenced by the work of Dr Emmi Pikler, and believes integrating practices Pikler taught is the prerequisite for World Peace. She is the author of "Magic Places: the Adults' Guide to Young Children's Creativity" and "Dance with me in the Heart: the Adults' Guide to Great Infant-Parent Partnerships" Respect as the default setting - Key Note Friday evening 5.30 - 7.00pm During their first six years children download their default setting for their life's journey. They download these emotional-behavioural programmes from the big people around them, and they are stuck with these initial downloads until - and if - as adults, they go to considerable effort to delete or change the programmes. Will we - the carers - commit to thinking, speaking and behaving in ways that ensure our children can download Respect as their default setting? Respecting the urges - Workshop 1 Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm Children are designed to follow the sacred blueprint of Human Being initiated with their two-celled beginning. The human blueprint contains 'urges for development'. In this workshop we look at how we recognise these inner dictums, respect and provide for them so that the children are free to get on with their playing and growing. |
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David Spraggs David is married and has 4 children ranging in age from 4 yrs old to 15 yrs old. His family lives in rural New Zealand and he has been involved in Early Childhood Education for the past 28 years. David trained as a kindergarten teacher and has the Diploma of Teaching (EC). He has also almost completed a Dip in Holistic Learning. During his career, he has taught in Kindergarten (2yr olds – 5yr olds), Childcare (birth to 5yrs old), Special Education service (Government special education service working with special needs children and their families), lectured for various educational institutions both within New Zealand and overseas and worked as Professional Development coordinator for Early Childhood Development (crown based ECE support and guidance agency). David is currently working for a Homebased Service as a Lead Visiting Teacher. David is skilled in provoking new thinking’s in people he works alongside in various forms of early childhood education services. A Journey to the Forest Kindergartens - Key Note Saturday 9.00am – 10.30am Many children these days have little chance to experience nature. Their lives are spent holed up in classrooms or seated in the backseats of cars on their way from one scheduled activity to the next. In Germany, however, a growing number of parents and educators are making the connection between early childhood learning and the outdoors. The growth of so-called "Forest Kindergartens," where children play entirely outside, rain or shine, is helping develop their bodies and brains as well as creating a lasting appreciation of nature. Hear David talk about this experience. Workshop - “What if ….” - Workshop 3 Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm The workshop will allow participants to consider what if we had a naturalistic early childhood based service type and what types of things would occur within this service. This workshop will look at various things that educators can make with and alongside children that typically people buy within many services ie paint, dye, charcoal, carpentry ideas etc etc. All of these ideas will be based on a sustainability model |
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Rangimarie Turuki Rose Pere – Key Note Sunday 9.00am – 10.30am Dr Rose Pere has been strongly influenced by teachings that go back over 12,000 years. Her book Te Wheke – A Celebration of Infinite Wisdom, is a introduction to these teachings. Rose has been on lecture tours of Te Wheke throughout Europe, including Germany, Austria and Italy. She has represented Aotearoa New Zealand internationally as an educationalist ; written a monograph called AKO: Concepts and Learning in the Maori Tradition; held a Visiting Teacher Fellowship at the University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand in 1982; taught from preschool to tertiary; and researched ancient teachings in the Americas, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Great Britain, East Asia and the South Pacific.Rose is the holder of the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and was honoured as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire 1996. She attained a Doctorate of Literature at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand 1996. Rose has her own consultancy called Ao Ako which focuses on global learning. She is also the Director of the Four Winds Foundation – an international body that works with indigenous and non-indigenous people. We are greatly privileged to have her attend our conference and will submit her key note précis in due course. |
Workshop Presenters
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Christine Dew, Mere Lawson & Kylie Hema Christine is the Ministry of Education Early Childhood Manager for Central North Island along with Mere and Kylie who are part of her team. Licencing and Regulations – Workshop 2 Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm This will be a hand on workshop exploring the issues of licencing and regulations with participants |
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Claire Topping Claire Topping has been working with Infants and Toddlers for the past ten years, currently she is the Director of a childcare centre in Mt Maunganui and works part time for the University of Waikato doing in-centre professional development and workshop facilitation. In 2006 she was fortunate enough to attend the Pikler Institutes Summer School, in Budapest Hungry and then in 2007 she attended the RIE winter school in Los Angeles. Both Piklerian practices and the RIE Philosophy have had a huge impact on her personal teaching practice and have been the guiding foundations for the programme she runs in her centre. The key principals of Relationships, Partnership and Respect are all things that she believes are vital in any early childhood setting Exploring Pikler and RIE approaches in Infant and Toddler Settings - Workshop 4 Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm Although Pikler and RIE are two different things there are common principals relating to the care and education of Infants and toddlers. During this workshop we will explore these and discuss how they can be integrated into home based care settings. These principals include; Natural development and Free movement; Respectful care times, Peaceful handling and Full Attention. Emmi Pikler asks the question “What are children capable of learning by themselves without being taught and how can we help them in developing their competence?” Her research explores this in depth. Through care times teachers are able to develop responsive loving and trusting relationships with Infants and toddlers. Respectful care times invite even the smallest infant to become an active participant in their own care, we need to shift the way we view infants from being helpless babies to an equal partner and a person capable of understanding and cooperating, it is in situations like these that we have power with children instead of power over them, How can we give Infants and toddlers control over their own activity – It is through the way we communicate both with our words and our gestures’ and how does this way of working with children fit into Home based care settings? |
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Stuart Guyton – Workshop Presenter Stuart Guyton, is a Professional Development Facilitator for the Ministry of Education. He has spent over twenty years examining ideal and inspirational environments for infant play and learning. The philosophy underpinning his work in infant and toddler settings is based on the pedagogy of Hungarian paediatrician Dr. Emmi Pikler and the teachings of Magda Gerber from Resources for Infant Educarers Organisation in Los Angeles. Born Free…to move and play – Workshop 5 Saturday 11.00am – 12.30pm This experiential workshop will offer participants the opportunity to revisit infant movement and play and discover for themselves the dynamics of space and play materials that infants and toddlers can make good sense and good use of. Participants will need to wear comfortable, non- restrictive clothing. There’s no place like home – Workshop 3 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm Infants and toddlers are spending more time in the care of others outside the home. How are teachers designing respectful environments that respond to the unique interest, abilities and active participation of the youngest children in their care? Many teachers have been reconsidering the physical environments they provide to include the comforts of home, natural materials and paying careful attention to the aesthetic and ‘feel’ of spaces for care and learning. This workshop will explore the dimensions of the physical environment and share examples of respectful and unique environments for babies |
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Kathryn Atvars Kathryn Bluett Atvars is an Education Consultant who since 1999 has specialised in literacy programmes that support links between schools, parents and their whanau communities. Over the past six years, these links have been widened and strengthened to include parents/whanau involved in adult literacy learning as parent tutors. Two of the programmes, one in English and the other in Maori, specifically relate to the development of oral language skills. Accordingly sharing these foundation oral language strategies with parents to ensure their children make successful transitions to the primary education sector has become an integral part of Kathryn’s work. "Embracing Children Within a Storybook Reading Context” – Workshop 6 Saturday 11.00am -12.30pm Oral language strategies from the programme Hei Awhiawhi Tamariki ki te Panui Pukapuka, Atvars, Stock & Pinfold (1999) commonly known as HPP will be shared in the 2 hour workshop. HPP is translated to mean “Embracing Children Within a Storybook Reading Context”. Results since 1999 indicate that adult parent tutors utilising the HPP set of procedures have significantly improved young children’s
Participants will experience/gain:
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Active Movement with infants and toddlers – Workshop 1 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm Presented by Sonia Lynds and Kirsty Carling from SPORT BOP An interactive presentation explaining the importance of movement in the early years, and the impact that they have on us in our adolescence and adult years. The development of foundation skills in children prior to their starting school assists them greatly in many aspects of life – whether it be academic, health, sport or social interactions. This presentation will provide you with an understanding of why children of this generation are developing so differently to their parents and grandparents, and how modern technology and the current environment is impacting the development of today’s children. Physical activities will be demonstrated to show how using low cost and common household equipment can assist in providing opportunities for children to develop to their potential and obtain the skills required for structured learning within the classroom, experience learning within the community, and participation in sport. How does language used by an adult impact on a child’s urge to risk take; how do repetitive movements strengthen brain connections and wiring; why do adults find learning a new skill so much more difficult than a child does; these questions and more will be addressed and explained during this interactive and informative presentation based on SPARC’s Active Movement initiative |
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Debbie Borell Pepeha Ko Mauao Ko TauwhareNga Maunga Ko Tauranga Ko Hokianga Nga Moana Ko Takitimu Ko Māmari Nga Waka Ko Ngati Ranginui Ko Te Rarawa Nga Iwi Ko Pirirakau Ko Te Tawhiu nga hapu Ko Paparoa Ko Poututerangi Ko Waimirirangi oke Marae Ko Debbie Borell toku ingoa E noho ana ahau i Te Puna He Kaimahi raranga ahau Hands on experience with Harakeke- Workshop 2 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm |
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Sheryl Everitt Sheryl Everitt trained initially as a Secondary School teacher, then when looking after her own four children moved in to the area of Early Childhood, and finally on to working in the Tertiary sector. This journey has provided her with a wealth of perspectives across the educational spectrum. She is Co-Director of an educational consultancy called Bright Spark Group and delivers workshops to educational and business organisations as well as working on contacts for the Ministry of Education in schools. Sheryl, of Ngati Ranginui, English and French ancestry grew up in South Auckland catching tadpoles in the creeks, collecting clay from the banks of the railway line, and splashing in the waters of the Manukau. She now lives at Ohope Beach in the Bay of Plenty and she and her family enjoy the wonderful natural environment of this area. A Culture of Care through Creative Natural Play - Workshop 4 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm This very practical workshop is a chance for you as Early Childhood Educators to feel the empowerment of creative natural play and learn of its opportunities to help children connect with themselves, their environment and others. In these times, it is more important than ever that the natural environment is a part of all of our lives. Be prepared to “get into” the natural materials and explore the possibilities and importance of this play. |
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Louise Shaw Louise Shaw is an Environmental educator at Eastbay REAP. She has a DiPT, a level 3 Playcentre certificate and a Permaculture Design Certificate. Louise works with adults and children of all ages facilitating environmental education through positive action. She lives with her three children and partner in a solar powered earth house and grows a large proportion of her own food with as little inputs as possible. Edible Landscaping - Workshop 5 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm This edible landscaping workshop will introduce you to companion planting, nutrient cycling, worm farming, seed saving, no-dig gardening and a range of fun edibles for children -all through the simple activity of making a banana box garden. Louise will also share a range of ideas she has collected for gardening with and for children. |
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Kylie Hema, Christine Dew and Nat Hape Promoting Participation in Early Childhood Education Project (The importance of quality Early Childhood Education provision that meets the specific needs of communities) - Workshop 6 Saturday 1.30pm – 3.00pm Early Childhood Education has a dramatic impact on a child’s ability to learn and grow as an individual. It helps develop the building blocks for the rest of a child’s life and learning. Research shows that intensive and regular participation in quality early childhood education delivers long-term educational benefits for children. This workshop will provide an overview of the Promoting Participation in Early Childhood Education project.The Promoting Participation in Early Childhood Education Project, which started in 2000, forms part of the Government’s programme to reduce disparities in education. It is aimed at improving the participation rates of children in early childhood education – particularly in low participation communities. The initiative seeks community-based solutions to overcome barriers to participation. Te Matahauariki o Tauranga Moana is a community based provider of the Promoting Participation project for Tauranga Moana.They are committed to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in quality early childhood education that meets the specific needs of the child and their family. Participants in this workshop will receive:
This will be an interactive workshop where issues can be raised and discussed |