B.1:
Bringing Children to
Nature
This outdoor session will
use fun and engaging activities to give children joyful and profound
experiences of nature. The activities were developed by a popular nature
educator, Joseph Cornell, who wrote the awarding winning ‘Sharing Nature
Books’. This workshop will also introduce a pioneering teaching strategy
called Flow Learning. All participants receive a Sharing Nature activities
booklet. Gather 10 minutes early, (the gathering place will be identified
in your program package.) Please come prepared to be outside for the
entire workshop. Dress in appropriate clothing for varying weather.
Presenter, Janet Barlow, is the Director of Sense of Wonder
Environmental Education and Canada Country Coordinator for Sharing Nature
Worldwide. She also works with the Ecology Action Centre here in Halifax
and is co-author of a trail activity book called ‘Earth Adventures’ in the
Halifax Region. EH
B.2: Nature
in a Pinch
An inspiring, hands-on
workshop designed to help teachers explore nature in any environment. Even if outdoor spaces are limited or unable to be revamped,
there are many ways in which children’s awareness and appreciation for
nature can be nurtured. This workshop will help teachers find unique and
engaging methods of exploring nature indoors and out without impacting
budgets. These fresh ideas, projects, and discussions will be applicable
for toddlers through school- age children. After graduating from Algonquin
College in 1999 and then working with various child care programs,
presenter Jennifer Solomon began work at Needham Preschool
& Daycare in Halifax where she is now a School-aged Facilitator. Jennifer
has directed and presented other explorative workshops for the Nova Scotia
College of Early Childhood Education. EH
Full !!! B.3:
Nurturing Nature with Positive
Behaviour Strategies
Explore the toolbox of
activities that presenter Leah Quilty has collected to use when
programming for children who have difficulty interacting socially in
groups. You will learn about a variety of tools to reinforce positive
behaviour and work together in a group to design your own tool to share
with colleagues. Presenter, Leah Quilty, MA (Child & Youth
Studies) is Coordinator of the Eskasoni Early Intervention program on Cape
Breton Island. She has been working in ECE since 2000.
B.4:
Leave No Child Inside: Fighting
Nature Deficit Disorder The Discovery Centre
in Winnipeg is a large child care centre that is committed to
reintroducing and reconnecting their children with nature and the
outdoors. This workshop will explore how they have accomplished this and
the impact it has had on the kind of care they provide. Documentation of
their process will be shared through photos, videos, books, etc.
Presenter, Terry Bussey, has worked in child care since 1989
as an ECE, supervisor and director. He is the recent recipient of the
Manitoba Child Care Association’s Exceptional Early Childhood Educator
Award. EH
B.5:
Explorer la nature en petite enfance :
allons à la découverte des phénomènes naturels!
Cet atelier offrira
l’occasion aux participantes d’explorer diverses façons de favoriser la
découverte et l’exploration de la nature et de phénomènes naturels en
petite enfance. L’atelier a pour but de favoriser chez les participantes
une pratique réflexive et d’encourager une approche à la fois créative,
ludique et stimulante des sciences de la nature en petite enfance.
Animateur : Dany Sheehy est professeur agrégé au Département
des sciences de l’éducation de l’Université Sainte-Anne à Pointe-de-l'Église
depuis 1999. EH
Series B: 11:00-12:30pm
