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NORTH SHORE EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE:
To Learn, To Wonder!
Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Session A Workshops

A1. Photography as Inquiry.
This is a full day photography workshop. Participants will consider ways of taking compelling and interesting photographs, explore different points of view and composition techniques, and discuss how photographs construct particular meanings. The morning will be spent taking photographs in small groups and the afternoon will be spent editing, presenting and discussing the images. * This is part 1 of a 3 track workshop. You MUST register in all 3 sessions.

Presenter: Sylvia Kind (PhD, UBC) is an instructor in the Early Childhood Care and Education Department at Capilano University and works closely with the Capilano University Children’s Centre as an atelierista. She received a Ph.D. in Art Education and Curriculum Studies from UBC and is an exhibiting artist, working primarily in the textile/fibre processes and photography.

A2. Circle Times – What do you do with infants and toddlers?
This interactive presentation will address:
  • the developmental capacities of infants and toddlers for the use of song, rhyme and story
  • the value of song, rhyme and story at these varying ages
  • building capacity within very young children to attend, to participate, to remember and to enjoy group experiences of song, rhyme and story and
  • creating circles for toddlers that fit their developmental capacities and inclinations.
    The presentation will draw on participant experience as well as that of the presenter; songs, rhymes and a story will be used. Handouts of workshop content and of songs and rhymes will be available for participants.

    Presenter: Beth Hutchinson is the Provincial Coordinator of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®. She has been leading in this program since 1997 and working in the Infant Development Program since 1994. She found babies fascinating when she was a child and she still does.

    A3. Positive Discipline for Childcare Providers: Helping to Raise Responsible, Caring and Respectful Children.
    Positive Discipline teaches strategies to deal with misbehavior based on first understanding the child and, secondly, encouraging the development of valuable life skills. Through group discussion and interactive learning we will explore how brain development, temperament and developmental stages affect a child’s behaviours. We will also explore the basic concepts and tools of Positive Discipline that will help create a warm, respectful, encouraging and involved place for children, parents and child care providers emphasizing that babies and children do their best:
  • When they experience a sense of belonging and significance, and feel a positive connection with others,
  • When their developmental needs and abilities are understood and;
  • When they receive kind, firm discipline that teaches and provides encouragement with long-term solutions. Presenters: Maria Ogilvie, MA, RCC and Kara Mulligan, M.Ed, RCC have been working with children and families for over fifteen years providing behaviour support, consultation, individual, group and family counseling, and parent education. Maria and Kara currently work as Child and Youth Clinicians in the Mental Health sector, and are passionate about teaching child rearing strategies to parents, care givers and child care providers from a Positive Discipline approach.

    A4. What is Natural Play?
    What is Natural Play? What kinds of environments foster genuinely spontaneous imagination? How do we as early educators model key life skills: creativity, problem solving, self-regulation? Join Bridgitte Alomes to explore the open-endedness of an unencumbered learning pallet. Reawaken your intuition to teach through space and invitation and watch the children thrive. Each interactive Natural Play workshop runs for an hour and a half, and always incorporates elements of nature and minds that are open. See why so many School Districts have already joined in natural play. Participants are asked to bring an item from nature, a scarf or piece of fabric and their imaginations, and leave filled with ideas for their classrooms and inspiration galore.

    Presenter: Founder and owner of Natural Pod, and passionate advocate of natural play (without any toys at all), Bridgitte Alomes has presented her “What is Natural Play?” workshop to close to 1000 frontline educators and administrative workers throughout BC since April 2010.

    A5. An Intro to Storyoga™ & Some of its Playful Elements!
    Gain the knowledge & tools you need to bring Storyoga™ into your childcare setting. This interactive presentation will cover:
  • What Storyoga™ is...
  • The benefits of Storyoga™ for children
  • The key elements of Storyoga™ including: story, linking story to yoga, a child friendly sun salutation/warm-up, fun floor poses, Storyoga™ songs, games/gross motor movements, relaxation & breathing techniques, as well as Vanessa’s top 10 Storyoga™ books!
  • Participants will have the opportunity to experience first hand, a sample Storyoga™ class! * Participants will receive a comprehensive workshop handout inclusive of a book and song list.
    ** Please bring a yoga mat if you have one.


    Presenter: Vanessa Braun is an Early Childhood Educator and Certified Yoga Instructor. She is also the founder & instructor of Storyoga™ which is a self-designed program that brings together children’s literature & the joyous movement of yoga. Vanessa has been working with children for over six years and continues to be inspired by their free spirit, curiosity and sense of wonder. Vanessa has experience working in preschool, daycare and school settings as well as teaching programs specialized in children's literature and art.

    A6. Administrators: All Things to All People
    Combination of presentation and hands on workshop to bring away a daily / weekly/ monthly/ annual planning calendar to allow child care administrators to meet all aspects of their duties.

    Presenters: Kitty Roberts and Christine Broatch have over a decade of licensing experience combined with direct administration of child care in a variety of settings.



    A7. Music, Movement and More (for children from birth to 5)
    David will take you through one of his music and movement classes, discussing the reasons why he does things, how he adds and changes words in songs, talk about the instruments suitable for young children, and discuss the amazing things youth children can do with music. A booklet with songs will be given out with the workshop.

    Presenter: David Larsson, B. Mus, E. Ed., R.A. is a teacher of violin and viola for 38 years and conductor of youth orchestras and school orchestras for 32 years. He has taught music and movement in daycares for 6+ years. He is currently a conductor / musical director of Capilano Youth Orchestra and teaches in North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Richmond.