Tuesday, October 11, 7:00-8:30pm est
During our second webinar in the Listening to Land as Teacher Series, Dr. Hopi Martin Gichitaawa Oshkaabewis (Ojibwe Sacred Helper, Messenger, Fire Keeper, Lodge, Caretaker) will be hosting a Sharing Circle with staff from the Learning Enrichment Foundation from the Wiigiwaam (Ojibwe Bush Home/Grandmother’s Lodge) they built together at the newly created Silverthorn Early Learning Earth Centre. This ‘many-eyed seeing’ approach will share stories from multiple perspectives about ‘walking together’ through the ‘Seasonal Pedagogy’ to create the first urban ‘Bush School’ in Tkaronto (Toronto).
During this session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the various staff members of LEF in a panel style discussion about the challenges of ‘walking together’ and meeting at the ‘edge of the bush’. Attendees can ask questions directly to people in a role that best fits their needs and context – as a practicing Educator, Supervisor, or Management. In keeping with Indigenous protocols connected to this work, each of these webinars will include an Opening/Closing Ceremony, a Sharing Circle, opportunities for questions and answers, as well as opportunities for further reflection and learning.
To prepare for this webinar, you are invited to review the Seasonal Pedagogy and to reflect on the following question:
You can share your ideas and/or questions about the Seasonal Pedagogy in this Padlet.
We highly encourage you to attend the second webinar of this four part webinar series. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate ideas, questions and possibilities together about how we can walk together on Mother Earth through the four seasons in early childhood education. We're sure that your ideas will make the facilitated small group conversations, a rich and meaningful experience.
Dr. Hopi Lovell Martin holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and Education from the University of Toronto. Link to bio.
Shevaun Burrell
Katrina Estey is the Director of Operational Leadership at The Learning Enrichment Foundation. Throughout her career path, the focus has been on coaching team members to support learning, with a particular focus on the program planning process.
Dainna Fletcher
Nicola Maguireis the Director of Research and Pedagogical Leadership at The Learning Enrichment Foundation. Her areas of interest include children’s outdoor play, Indigenous Perspectives in relation to early childhood education, digital technology uses for co-learning and documentation, and arts-based curriculums.
Michelle Trigiani
Carla Viera
EXCERPTS
You spent the month of February learning about Black history in Canada and wondering how do I address anti-black racism? In this Black History Month follow-up conversation, Natalie Royer, Belonging Specialist at Saroy Group, will share her story as a Black ECE navigating the sector and facilitate a dialogical space for us to "look deep within [ourselves] and ask the hard questions: Why do I choose to do nothing? What am I afraid of? Why do I think it is not my place act?" (Royer, 2021, para 9).
This conversation is a space for critical thinkers to explore ways to address anti-black racism in early childhood education. The session will consist of facilitated small group discussions offering various opportunities for participants to recognize and respond to the work that needs to happen.
To prepare for this conversation, you are invited to read and engage with the Re-imagining Early Childhood Care and Education in a Post-George Floyd World: An Open Letter and to think with the following questions:
You can share your ideas, questions and/or possibilities about how we can address anti-black racism in early childhood education in this Padlet.
We highly encourage you to attend this Black History Month follow-up conversation. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate ideas, questions and possibilities together about how we can address anti-black racism in early childhood education. We're sure that your ideas will make the facilitated small group conversations, a rich and meaningful experience.
Natalie Royer is a belonging consultant, strategist and coach at Saroy Group Inc. She provides training sessions primarily in the education sector and consults with companies and organizations on how to promote a space of belonging using an equity, diversity and inclusion lens. She has worked in the healthcare sector (i.e. Hospital For Sick Children) and she has taught at colleges and universities for over 10 years. With a background in early childhood education, she advocates for the next generations and hopes as leaders we can create an inclusive space where everyone can thrive.
This conversation will not be recorded to ensure a safe/brave space for all participants.
Access Information: The AECEO is committed to ensuring that our learning experiences are accessible to all educators; including educators with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We believe that taking care to create a learning experience where no person's voice, spirit, or knowledges are lost because they are unable to attend, benefits everyone. ASL-English Interpretation and live captioning will be available at this session. Please contact info@aeceo.ca for access inquiries.
