Strategies for eLearning Days in the Wake of COVID-19
News
March 16, 2020
Strategies for eLearning Days in the Wake of COVID-19
With many schools and learning centers closing for a period of time due to coronavirus (COVID-19), educators are utilizing technology to offer learning opportunities to students at home. Join the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) on March 17 for their webinar to learn more about implementing “eLearning Days.”
About
In this webinar, presenters will provide essential resources for state, district, and school administrators and teachers as they prepare for eLearning Days in the wake of school closings related to the COVID-19 virus. Launched by SETDA with the support of AT&T, the SETDA Coalition for eLearning will compile and provide resources on eLearning for state education agencies and school districts at no cost.
The Coalition will also support leaders and spark innovation around eLearning related to the COVID-19 virus, as well as inevitable inclement weather and other disruptive events. A school-based experience in eLearning Days will provide first-hand experience of planning and implementing eLearning Days.
This webinar is suitable for kindergarten through high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. Time for questions will be provided.
Managing Infectious Diseases in Early Education and Child Care Settings
News
March 3, 2020
Managing Infectious Diseases in Early Education and Child Care Settings
Join the national American Academy of Pediatrics on March 11 for a one-hour webinar to learn more about two new tools that help professionals meet national early education and child care training requirements for managing infectious diseases.
Included Topics
Participants will learn about the following:
the important role managing infectious diseases training plays in early childhood settings;
a free, new online managing infectious diseases module for any early learning provider;
a free, fully downloadable managing infectious diseases training curriculum that can be tailored for your audience’s needs; and
training tips that can help you share information about managing infectious diseases with your early care and education community.
The federal government uses census data to help allocate over $800 billion a year in federal funds to key programs that serve children and families. When we miss young children in the census, our communities miss out on funding for public programs for much of their childhood. During this webinar, you will learn more about what you can do to encourage families in your early learning program to participate in the 2020 Census.
Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for the Learning to Listen webinar series as they celebrate Dr. Brazelton’s enduring legacy by learning from other masterful communicators about what children and parents have taught them through the power of listening.
Available Times & Topics
The series includes three webinars:
Learning with Parents: Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Arts | April 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Marriage Equality and Same-Sex Parenting from the Frontlines | June 3, 2020 at 3 p.m.
T. Berry Brazelton, MD (1918 – 2018) foresaw the many new challenges facing families today, including the interference of social media and digital technology with family relationships and child development, and their polarizing effects on public debate. Brazelton was a master of the kind of observation and listening so desperately needed today, and helped generations of parents and professionals around the world to learn to listen to babies, children, and to each other.
Census Mini-Grants Now Available
News
January 29, 2020
Census Mini-Grants Now Available
The Pittsburgh Foundation, Allegheny County-City of Pittsburgh Complete Count Committee, and Census 2020 Philanthropic Fund recently partnered together to create a mini-grants program to support census-related activities. Community-based organizations in Allegheny County are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2,500 to advance the work of the 2020 Census with populations identified to be at risk of an undercount.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be either:
an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating in the City of Pittsburgh and/or Allegheny County;
a school or educational institution operating in the City of Pittsburgh and/or Allegheny County; or
a municipality in Allegheny County.
Community-based organizations that are not schools, municipalities, or incorporated 501(c)(3)s must obtain a fiscal sponsor that is an eligible 501(c)(3) in Allegheny County to apply. For questions on how to obtain a fiscal sponsor, contact Emmie Calland at callande@pghfdn.org.
Priorities
Proposal submissions should focus on outreach activities to increase participation in the 2020 census and must benefit historically undercounted and hard-to-reach communities in Allegheny County. These populations include:
seniors,
people of color,
foreign-born residents,
children ages birth to five,
low-income residents,
persons experiencing homelessness,
persons with disabilities, and
persons who do not live in traditional housing.
Use of Grant Funds
Proposed activities should take place between now and July 31, 2020. Grant activities should focus on increasing census participation among the hard-to-count groups above. Activities could include:
alleviating language barriers in promoting census awareness and completion,
hosting events that encourage people to answer the census,
creating unique materials to encourage census participation for the populations you serve, and
purchasing technology to allow people to fill out the census on the spot.
How to Apply
To apply for a mini-grant, complete the online application. All applications must be submitted no later than February 1, 2020. For technical questions related to the application, contact Jennifer Steinmetz at steinmetzj@pghfdn.org.
Medication Administration in ECE Settings | Webinar
News
January 27, 2020
Medication Administration in ECE Settings | Webinar
Join the American Academy of Pediatrics on February 4 for their one-hour webinar to learn more about two medication administration training tools available for child care health consultants, early learning program directors, health managers, health care professionals, and others to use to help meet national early education and child care training requirements in the area of medication administration.
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn about:
the important role medication administration training plays in early childhood settings;
a new free online medication administration module for any early learning provider; and
a free, downloadable medication administration training curriculum that can be tailored for your audience’s needs.
Registration
This webinar is free and registration is required. To register and learn more, visit the event page.
Career Pathway Overview for Directors
News
January 8, 2020
Career Pathway Overview for Directors
Child Care Directors and Administrators are invited to join The Pennsylvania Key on January 23 for their webinar exploring Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway.
About
This webinar seeks to provide a full overview of the Career Pathway. Presenters will detail different levels of the career pathway, professional development alignment within the career pathway, resources to share with teachers planning to move up in the career pathway, and examples of programs focused on career pathways advancement. More information on Pennsylvania’s Quality Initiatives for the Early Childhood Education workforce will also be provided.
This webinar will discuss the ways in which music participation in early childhood naturally supports the brain development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Developmentally appropriate music activities can be an enjoyable and easy way for educators to support the development of important structural changes, neurological processes, and cognitive skills during this very active time of development. Attendees will learn about recent research, gain a deeper understanding of music’s impact on the developing brain, and gain musical tools and interaction ideas that support young children’s development.
This webinar is suited for pre-k through elementary grade level teachers. Time for questions will be provided.
“Setting the Stage for Early Literacy” is chock full of fun, just-right activities that build oral language and early reading and writing skills. Amy Mascott and Allison McDonald break down the hows and whys of early literacy into bite-size pieces to help busy teachers support their youngest learners’ individual development without pushing them too hard. Participants will leave with ideas for creating a literacy-rich environment; literacy activities for whole-class, small-group, and independent learning; strategies for building an effective home-school connection; and much more.
This webinar is suitable for child care, pre-k, and kindergarten teachers. Time for questions will be provided.
If you are an early care and education professional who is interested in receiving coaching feedback and sharing videos, consider using the Head Start Coaching Companion!
About
By utilizing the Head Start Coaching Companion, early childhood professionals will view examples of teaching practices, record their teaching interactions, and track their progress using three major components of Practice-Based Coaching (PBC), including:
shared goals and action planning;
focused observation; and
reflection and feedback.
Though PBC was designed with Head Start programs in mind, it aligns with a variety of coaching models.
Requirements
To utilize the Head Start Coaching Companion, professionals should have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with basic video editing software; a digital video camera, tablet, or smartphone with video capability; and reliable internet access. Video footage will be utilized to record teaching interactions.
