Venue: Management School, University of Waikato
Rooms: MSB1.05
Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm

Bookings: please download our enrolment form pdf or word document and email it to Annika Philipp (annika.philipp@elp.co.nz)

You can download the Lecture Series Hamilton flyer here.

15th February
Lorraine Sands, Melissa Osmond and Rachel Pennell (Greerton ECC) - Nothing Stands Alone: The Role of the Key Teacher

Nothing stands alone: How do we balance the role of the key teacher alongside infants, toddlers and young children's place in a community of learners? A metaphor we are exploring is the notion of the keystone in a bridge. The Greerton teachers research explores the ways a key teacher strategy supports strong relationships to flourish throughout the setting as children’s dispositions to learn thrive inside a vibrant community of learners and teachers.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

15th March
Wendy Lee - In the Spirit of Adventure: Pursuing your Passions

Wendy’s lecture will explore the power of strong pedagogical leadership in an ECE setting. Transformation of the identity of the learner and the community can be built compellingly by following the passions of everyone involved, children, teachers and families. Wendy will talk about the sorts of elements that build communities where people are encouraged to be the very best they can be and to realize possibilities they have never imagined.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

19th April
Karen Ramsey (Roskill South Kindergarten) - Bush Kindergarten in Urban Auckland

This lecture provides much needed pedagogical leadership in the areas of risk and challenge. It is about both deepening and extending the curriculum opportunities for New Zealand children. It is about challenging the risk adverse culture that is becoming all too familiar in early childhood settings in this country.

We will explore how children, families and teachers co-construct curriculum together in a different learning environment. Closely linked to all the principles of Te Whāriki, this lecture challenges narrow notions of curriculum and strengthens connections around Te Whāriki’s "the sum total of the experiences, activities and events whether direct or indirect which occur within an environment designed to foster children's learning and development".

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

17th May
Kathryn Delany - The Whys and Hows of Waking Up the Third Teacher

“One can understand why the educators in Reggio Emilia have termed the environment the third teacher because of the power environments such as these have to inform and shape the kind of learning that will happen in the room.” (Fraser, S. 2000, p.53)

Sometimes this ‘third teacher’ is a sleeping giant. It no longer has a positive role or influence in shaping and informing the kind of learning we value for our young children in the 21st Century. In this lecture I will explore the ‘whys and hows of waking up the third teacher. Maybe, your third teacher has just dozed off and is taking a little nap. Maybe, it is hibernating. Maybe, it is awake and exciting. Either way, come along and be inspired by examples of powerful and expansive early learning environments.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

14st June
Jo Colbert and Marianne McPherson (Pigeon Mountain Kindergarten) - Take Two: A Second Look at Building Learning Power

Jo’s lecture in 2010 focussed on how ICT can build children’s learning power; in this updated lecture we will be focussing on how we as teachers can support children’s learning power or the disposition to learn throughout the curriculum. Guy Claxton refers to Building Learning Power, where children (and adults) feel a growing sense of achievement, and become steadily more resilient, resourceful and reflective...

The conversations and language we use when we identify learning can be the vehicle for children and adults to build learning power. We will be drawing on the work of Guy Claxton and Margaret Carr for this lecture to deepen understandings around dispositional learning.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

19th July
Robyn Lawrence - Discussing the notion of literacy progress in the early years

This lecture will embrace the challenges of understanding literacy as a continuing journey, one that brings meaning to the idea of being literate at every stage of life. Through the use of rich case s tudies that identify and make visible literacy progress through the early years (0 - 5 years), we will discuss the notion of literacy that is both socially embedded and strong in developing skills. Freebody and Luke (KTotP, book 16, 2009) provide a framework of a repertoire of literacy practices that guides teachers as they seek to support children in their developing apprenticeship towards competency in oral, written and visual literacy. 

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

16th August
Prof Margaret Carr (University of Waikato) - Judicious teachers: what do they do and how do they do it?

In this lecture, Margaret will argue that the right to a quality education might be translated as the right to an educational environment that invites and provokes justice, uncertainty, dialogue, incl usion, and continuity. It requires judicious teachers (teachers who make good judgements) who can apply assessment-for-learning practices to expand social and cultural capital and children’s repertoires of learner identity. This argument will be accompanied by the findings from research with early childhood teachers over a number of years, and informed by scholarly literature that has been enlightening and useful to teachers of young children in Aotearoa New Zealand and elsewhere.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

20th September
Alison Brieley - "Remember You Have to Share" - How Do Teachers Grow Children's Social Competence?

Do we create environments where children’s rights to practice, make mistakes and express their points of view are upheld? Is making children ‘share’ helpful, ethical or useful for enabling children to succeed socially? And what do we mean by social competence?

An opportunity to put the lens on teaching practice and teaching strategies and to think more deeply about the impact of what we say and what we do.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

18th October
Julie Killick (Stanmore Bay Kindergarten) - Planning - Diary of a Crazy Woman

Does planning your programme sometimes drive you crazy? If so, then read on. I have recently returned to teaching in kindergarten after spending six years working as a Project Facilitator for ELP. This is a diary of some of my experiences in relation to Plannig Stories since returning!! I thought you might be interested in seeing some examples of ‘Stories of Interest’ (Planning Stories) we have developed in my new setting as this was an area of work I was often asked about in my role as a Project Facilitator.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato

15th November
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy - What Might It Look Like?
Part 1: Robyn Gerrity (Carol White Family Centre)
Part 2: Linda Mitchell and Amondi Ouko (University of Waikato)

Part 1: The Carol White Centre programme was created to recognise and respond to displacement and resettlement issues for refugee families. The families arrived in waves, from far away places of war, but especially the women and small children had no support. No English classes were accessible. Carol White set about finding a way through these stormy waters. At present up to 60 refugee children are enrolled and are connected to the REAF (Refugee English and Resettlement for Families) programme and to secondary education for adolescents within Selwyn College.

Part 2: The basis of this presentation is a community action research project that found out about the experiences of living in NZ for refugee families, their aspirations for their children, and how ECE might strengthen families and support cultural values. The main themes are told through the drawings and stories of members of refugee communities. The research was not an end in itself. It was a starting point for community action. We are now working together to create a new form of EC provision that creates possibilities for cultural and social connection, social justice, and contribution.

Linda Mitchell is an associate professor at the University of Waikato. Amondi Ouko is a third year student studying for a BTchg (ECE) at the University of Waikato. Amondi initiated the research because she thought that families and children could benefit from access to good quality ECE, but many were missing out. She asked for Linda’s help.

Venue: MSB1.05, Management School, University of Waikato