Where: Virtual
Duration: 25 mins

In this second room planning web workshop, respected ECE educator and author Dr. Diane Kashin (RECE) will show how to maximize the potential of your space through careful planning.

If you’re planning a new early years learning or caring environment, join us as Diane delves into storage, building in durability and how to celebrate students.

 She will share strategies, tips and examples that sort through specific purpose-built Early Years furniture – Roomscapes by Community Playthings -- and layout choices that reinforce pedagogically sound practices.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

The nationwide expansion of childcare makes it an exciting but also daunting time for a lot of early childhood educators. Is a new room or centre in your future? Or are you thinking your existing space could do with a refresh?Join us as Dr Diane Kashin, RECE shares her rich experience as a centre supervisor, professor of ECE and consultant on how to get started planning a space, including locating learning areas, flow and the seven initial steps to planning a room. Plus how play responsive pedagogy, your community and contemporary design trends can help shape a learning environment that is truly a third teacher.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

Using clear consistent visual materials such as schedules, recipes, vocabulary labels and name tags is good practice that is mandated in childcare centres in many jurisdictions across the country. Janet Burchert, Manager at Progress Child Care Centre at Centennial College will share how her team has been creating engaging picture rich visual supports with Widgit Online. Presented with Susie Blackstein-Adler (OT, M.Ed.) who has over two decades of experience using symbols to support language and concept development and who guided and coached the team at Progress. Sharing lots of practical examples and tips they will talk about symbols, how they fit into an early year's context and reflect on what they have learned implementing Widgit Online in a childcare centre.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

Samantha and the team at the EarlyOn program in Baawaating (Sault Ste. Marie) believe that Indigenous children must learn about the forces that shape them. Indigenous identity must be fostered at every opportunity.

The culture of First Nations’ children - their languages and kinship systems - must be modelled, taught and celebrated so that Indigenous children grow to be proud of who they are.

This session will share a snapshot of the unique history of First Nations people from the perspective of Indigenous early childhood educators. How that perspective inspired the methodology used to create an Indigenous culturally based early years family resource centre that places the knowledge and worldview of First Nations’ peoples at the centre of learning for parents/caregivers and their children.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

Geometry and spatial sense is a critical yet underserved area in mathematics teaching. And after many months of disrupted learning, many educators are searching for ways to refresh and even restore foundational math knowledge and skills.

 In this third in our series of web workshops on math in the early years, join Usha Shanmugathasan as we unpack curricular goals and understand the why and how of geometry and spatial sense instruction in a kindergarten to gr. 2 classroom.

 You will leave the session with practical ideas to implement whether you are teaching virtually, or face to face or both!

And as usual, we’ll be drawing for some great prizes, plus a certificate of attendance. 

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

Join us as we explore a variety of math possibilities in the outdoor environment. After many months of disrupted learning, many educators are searching for ways to refresh and even restore foundational math knowledge and skills. In this second of our series of web workshops on math in the early years, we’ll look at practical strategies for engaging children in math in the outdoor classroom focusing on toddlers to kindergarten ages.

We will talk about what nature and the built outdoor environment affords us when practicing numeracy skills. Plus, how educators can take familiar indoor math learning activities and materials outdoors.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins
 

Critical in so many aspects of daily life, numbers and number sense is so important for young students. And after many months of disrupted learning, teachers are finding foundational knowledge and skills need to be restored. Join Lesley Pike and Melissa Seco as they share ideas and intervention strategies they’ve used to replenish and reinvigorate number sense in the early years’ classroom. They’ll look at hands-on, innovative and fun Number Sense instructional strategies for your kindergarten to grade 2 programs.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins
 

With story telling and active play educators in an early years classroom can engage young children to introduce indigenous philosophies. But educators are often reluctant to try and don’t know where to begin. This session will provide ideas and inspiration by describing real world strategies from a child care centre in Winnipeg. Tara will share the experiences, books and resources she’s used to bring Indigenous teachings to children at the University of Winnipeg Child Care Centre.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins
 

In this session, experienced teachers and professional development leaders Melissa Seco and Lesley Pike look at unconventional ways of building coding skills in the early years.

Classrooms right across Canada are including coding in earlier grades for example, the new Ontario curriculum includes coding in Grade 1.

Join us to see how marble runs, patterning and games like sudoku, all promote the skills needed to code!

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins
 

Our outdoor environments are all so often underutilized and looked upon as a space to let children burn off their energy and solely engage in their free play.

The outdoors affords children with opportunities to explore and learn about the world around them and can be viewed as a classroom without walls.

 In this session, we will discover and discuss the possibilities when recreating our indoor learning environment in the outdoors, regardless of the weather.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins
 

Classrooms right across Canada are including coding in earlier grades for example, the new Ontario curriculum includes coding in Grade 1. In this session, experienced teachers and professional development leaders Melissa Seco and Lesley Pike, will continue the conversation on: 

• How to transition from unplugged coding experiences to plugged coding experiences.
• How to incorporate coding relevant applications, websites, and devices into early years education programs.

They’ll illustrate strategies and techniques with the popular teaching robots Blue-Bot, Bee-Bot, Cubetto and Botley. 

Where: Virtual
Duration: 50 mins

Across Canada, early years educators are embracing the challenge of taking their classrooms outdoors. Iain (LKG Sales Manager) and Bogdan (Director of Marketing) will demonstrate a variety of furnishings for teaching outdoors that harness a child’s natural need to play and explore.

Topics discussed: 

• Explore the world of Outlast by Community Playthings. See what sets these products apart and how they are built to last a lifetime, in all weather conditions.

• Compare various wood options for outdoors, including Outlast’s acytelated wood, Canadian red cedar and other options.
• See examples and ideas for implementing these products in a variety of environments to help take indoor curricular strands - creative arts, math, language arts, science etc. - outside
• Learn sanitization and care tips

Informed by pedagogy and real world examples, this presentation will give teachers, ECE’s, centre managers, principals and administrators practical information for sorting through a variety of outdoor learning products.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 60 mins

How do we support children’s sense of self through a blended learning approach?

Join us for a virtual workshop where we will delve into theory and practical strategies to create an environment of connected and authentic learning.

The presentation will highlight the connection between self regulation and well being and identity, and how we can foster a sense of belonging for our students through holistic approach.

Presenter: Usha Shanmugathasan

Usha was part of Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy, the all-kindergarten school's first faculty as a Lead Math Teacher creating innovative programs such as Math Studio and Expressive Arts.

Today she teaches JK-1, while pursuing a Masters of Education at OISE/UT in Educational Leadership and Policy

Where: Virtual
Duration: 45 mins

Why wood? Made by nature, wood has so many benefits when used for toys. In this free webinar, Dr. Diane Kashin, RECE of Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research will focus on the developmental and learning benefits of wooden toys and will feature some of our favourites!

Wood speaks to the senses. At a time when families are looking to purchase gifts for children that have meaning and are meaningful, wooden toys provide an alternative to the commercialism of plastics. This session will share Diane’s love of wooden toys! We will learn why wooden toys never go out of style and can be passed down from generation to generation.

Presenter: Diane Kashin, RECE

Diane is a registered early childhood educator in the province of Ontario and retired ECE professor. Diane taught at both the degree and the diploma level for over 30 years. Diane’s doctoral thesis on emergent curriculum was published in 2008 and she has co-written three ECE textbooks, Empowering Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education (2016), Playing and Learning in Early Childhood Education (2019) and Outdoor and Nature Play in Early Childhood Education (2019).

Diane’s areas of interest include emergent curriculum, play-based learning, forest and nature schools, risky play, loose parts, the Reggio Emilia Approach™, and outdoor play. Diane writes a blog to support professional learning in early childhood education: Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research, and has presented workshops and keynote addresses in Ontario, across Canada and internationally. Diane also creates content for online learning courses including, Blocks Build Minds and Bodies and she presents webinars on various topics related to curriculum and pedagogy. 

Where: Virtual
Duration: 45 mins

Want to get started with "unplugged coding" with early years’ children? Not sure what the basics you need are, or how much of each item you need?

In this free web workshop, experienced educators Lesley Pike and Melissa Seco will help you learn a little more about what goes into an unplugged coding kit, and help you get started in creating your own.

Classrooms right across Canada are including coding in earlier grades with the new Ontario curriculum including coding starting in Kindergarten.
In this session, Melissa and Lesley will help you get started with your own coding kit to support no screen coding. With just paper tools, loose parts and a dash of your creativity and imagination, you’ll be ready for your students.

We will also share some things that we have found helpful to have when coding in early grades, based on some of the learning opportunities we've had (aka mistakes!) and how we've learned from them.

Presenter:

Melissa Seco  Melissa has been both a teacher and Instructional Leader in Mathematics/Numeracy (K-8) and Early Years (K-2). Melissa’s main areas of interest include: early years, visual arts, mathematics, STEM, and inquiry-based learning. Currently she is a Grade 1/2 teacher and Digital Lead Learner (DLL), and she occasionally teaches AQ courses at OISE.

Lesley Pike  Lesley is a Toronto based educator who has taught Kindergarten to Grade 6 and worked centrally as a Math Coach for 5 years. She is currently beginning a new chapter in her career this fall by working outside of the classroom in a support role as a Teacher Librarian. Her main areas of interest are math and coding, she also loves looking for new and exciting picture books to use in her classroom.

DURÉE: 1 Heure

Le Coronavirus a complètement transformé les milieux de la petite enfance.

Cet atelier vise à poursuivre notre réflexion sur les adaptations à prévoir, nos attitudes, nos attentes, les possibilités de réaménagement tout en explorant les opportunités présentes dans l’apprentissage en plein air afin de continuer d’offrir un programme de qualité et sécuritaire pour lequel nous sommes reconnus.

En profitant du développement professionnel offert en ligne nous pouvons augmenter nos connaissances, notre efficacité et notre créativité afin de surmonter cette crise.

Présentatrice: Hélène Pouliot-Cleare

Passionnée par l’éducation, Hélène Pouliot-Cleare œuvre dans le milieu de l’éducation depuis plus de 40 ans dans le Centre-Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario, en plus d’animer des ateliers et formations au plan provincial, national et international, en français comme en anglais. Ses conférences abordent une grande variété de sujets liés à la petite enfance, à l’apprentissage de la langue dans un milieu minoritaire, au leadership et à la motivation personnelle.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 25 mins

Hands on STEM exploration has never been more important and blocks deliver: geometry, volumes, construction, the basics of physics and engineering and artistic expression in 3 dimensions.

Join us to explore new additions for your block and construction learning area – curved, notched, cylinders, figurines and vehicles; Polydron, UHL, Plus Plus and Octoplay; wood, magnetic, and sustainable plastic alternatives.

Plus receive a certificate of attendance and enter a draw for blocks and other construction resources for your classroom.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins

Refreshing your outdoor classroom or planning a new space, you’ll want to join Iain and Bogdan for an overview of new furnishings and resources for the outdoors.

The latest in Thermory wood and in Canadian made Red Cedar furniture - benches, mud kitchens and water tables. New play to learn resources from stone rollers, to play food, blocks and more.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 25 mins

New play resources and online tools can help make your centre inviting to anyone in your community and enrich young people’s cultural experiences. Join us as we look at recent multi-cultural, anti-bias additions to LKG’s 2022 collection that can enhance dramatic play, literacy, communication, and creative arts exploration in any early year’s classroom. Plus request the certificate of completion and you’ll enter a draw for our prize pack of multi-cultural, anti-bias play resources.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 25 mins

Wood outdoor learning equipment and furniture that inspires independent, open-ended play. From a tables and benches, to blocks and mud kitchens, the Outlast line of weatherproof wood furniture is warrantied not to warp shrink or rot even in Canadian conditions for life. Smooth surfaces for writing and drawing, water tables and mud kitchens for investigation and experimentation, a block and plank system that fosters engineering, gross motor development and risky play. We’ll show you how Outlast – endlessly, flexible, and portable – can adapt to your changing needs without the cost of a built-in play-structure. Plus, what happens when you stick an Outlast table in a frozen pond for 6 months. 

Where: Virtual
Duration: 25 mins
 

If a new early year’s classroom is in your future, you have to consider Roomscapes. A unique collection of interconnecting shelves, gates, and dividers, Roomscapes is a flexible system that can turn any open space into a learning environment. Discover the power of a well-organized classroom that genuinely becomes the third teacher: managing flow, encouraging positive behaviours, and inviting self-directed learning.

 In 25 minutes, Iain and Bogdan will show how Roomscapes can transform a space -- tool free, without an expensive build-in -- that can adapt to your community’s changing needs. We’ll also look at how to get started within an existing space while profiling some real Canadian childcare centres with Roomscapes.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins
 

Easy to take for granted, but if the environment is so critical to early learning, then tables and chairs might be one of your most significant teaching tools. We’ll look at some innovative Community Playthings designs: from furnishings for young toddlers transitioning from high-chairs to back saving work stations and chairs for the adults in the classroom. We’ll review tips for selecting seating and surface heights and how to create flexible, responsive, collaborative spaces with these workhorses of the classroom.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins
 

New in furnishings and resources for creating multi-cultural, comforting environments that can reduce anxiety and increase engagement. Therapy dolls, light and reflection, engaging textures, multi-cultural themes, and home-like furnishings to create a calming space. Plus, a new cloud-based app for easily creating classroom visuals for clear communication even in dozens of languages.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins
 

Check out some popular early years classroom coding robots that don’t need screens. Classrooms right across Canada are including coding in earlier grades, with the new Ontario curriculum including coding starting in Kindergarten. In this session we’ll compare and contrast the features and design of Bee Bot, Blue Bot, Botley, LEGO Coding Express, Cubetto and the new Rugged Robot for outdoors, exploring how they can fit into pedagogical goals. Receive a certificate of completion and enter to win a Cubetto.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins
 

The original STEM learning resource! Join us for a full course 20 min blocks feast. One of the most essential and foundational learning areas of any early childhood classrooms, this session will fill your plate with the proportional essentials, amuse your bouche with figurines and vehicles and spice it up with bling to inspire creative expression. And we won’t forget about al fresco - blocks outdoors, too.

Where: Virtual
Duration: 20 mins
 

2021 has brought us some delightful engaging new additions to our loose parts collection: colourful, earthy, and even a bit of dazzle. Join us to see what’s new, and some of the unique favourites in Louise Kool’s loose parts collection. We’ll also look at new tables for indoors and out for sorting and exploring, trays, sanitization tips and more.