Join the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust on February 8 for their professional development session, “Joyful Transitioning for Toddlers with Music and Movement.”
About
Transitioning into a classroom for the first time can be a big challenge for young toddlers. Ease the transition and even make it joyful by using music and movement! In this workshop, participants will experience a variety of soothing songs and rhythmic movements that can be incorporated into their daily practice to support children’s social-emotional development. PQAS and Act 48 hours available.
Registration
To register, visit the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website.
More Information
For personal assistance selecting accessible seats or for more information about accessibility for a person with a disability, contact Customer Service at 412.456.6666. To learn more, visit the event webpage.
Early learning professionals are invited to join the Learning Lamp on March 14 for the Insights & Innovations Conference. The conference will feature insights on the latest ECE teaching and administration strategies and will offer 6 PQAS and Act 48 credits.
Sessions
Insights & Innovations will include a variety of session topics, including:
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- Danielson Framework Training;
- Program-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PW-PBIS);
- Loving Spaces and Learning Spaces for Infants and Toddlers;
- Keys to Success: Recruiting, Onboarding, and Retaining Quality Staff;
- Everything You Need to Know about STARS;
- and more.
Visit the conference Eventbrite page to view the full agenda, speaker list, and more.
Registration
To register, visit the conference Eventbrite page. Registration fees include light continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
More Information
For questions, contact Anne McGrath at 814.242.6079 or annefmcgrath@gmail.com.
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Early care and education professionals in southwestern Pennsylvania are being asked to take the Professional Development Organization (PDO) Needs Assessment Survey.
About
From now through December 31, 2019, PDOs are performing a needs assessment with early childhood professionals by region and will develop a strategic plan and timetable for each. The survey will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Responses will be used to finalize the work plan and timeline for the Southwest and other regions that Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania will serve. Following this period, community outreach will begin. Click here to take complete the survey.
During this transition, professionals who wish to obtain their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential can find credit-bearing coursework through Westmoreland County Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College.
PDOs
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced the selection of its six regional PDOs in October 2019. The PDOs were created to coordinate and facilitate access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for early care and education professionals in Pennsylvania. PDOs support direct access across each service region for the early childhood workforce to participate in continuing education through a mixed delivery model and coordinate with the Early Learning Resource Centers in improving the quality of early learning programs.
The regional PDO selection for the Southwest region is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. The Shippensburg PDO also supports the Central, Northeast, and Northwest regions. See the regional PDO map here.
More Information
To learn more about PDOs, read the Pennsylvania Key’s announcement.
*Information provided by OCDEL
Join the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) this winter to discuss hot topics around early language and literacy development. From January through March 2020, 3o-minute chat sessions will be hosted on the second and fourth Friday at 8:30 a.m and repeated at 1:30 p.m. Participants will gain access to resources to share with families and use in their classrooms and centers. PQAS credit hours and infant/toddler hours available.
Available Dates
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- January 10, 2020: Those First Words
- January 24, 2020: Conversations with Kids
- February 7, 2020: Books, Books, Books!
- February 21, 2020: Print is Everywhere
- March 6, 2020: Sounds All Around!
- March 20, 2020: Celebrating Dual Language Learners
More Information
For more information, visit the event Padlet page.
“WIDA Examining Personal Bias in the Multicultural and Multilingual Child Care Setting” will define multiculturalism and multilingual learning and bring participants to a level of awareness about bias in society. It will expose ways in which our culture contains subtle and obvious biases. Participants will reflect on their own level of awareness and how it changed due to classroom activities. Part I: This workshop will define multiculturalism and help participants understand how to incorporate and celebrate true multiculturalism within the classroom.
Participants will identify the parts of their curriculum that need work and change in order to remain anti-biased. Participants will develop an action plan for each area of their curriculum that will allow them to implement changes immediately.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
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- examine personal bias about their community, cultures, and personal lives;
- recognize how to embrace a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds from a strengths-based approach; and
- plan changes in curriculum and practice to reflect learning experiences from the training.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
More Information
For questions, please contact Annie Skamangas-Scaros at 412.608.2594 or ecetacademy@gmail.com.
For more educational courses like this, please visit our Course page.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
By attending “The Basics of Creative Curriculum,” participants will explore how the environment, teacher, and family work together to provide a solid foundation for early learning experiences. Additionally, participants will learn how to manage their classrooms, create lesson plans, and systematically observe children using the Creative Curriculum Framework.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
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- understand the role of the environment, teacher, and parent have in a Creative Curriculum classroom;
- evaluate their classroom management skills and tools using the Creative Curriculum framework; and
- develop lesson plans based on children’s interests and developmental needs.
Available Dates
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- February 17, 2020 | 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Event ID: 308108
- April 16, 2020 | 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Event ID: 308109
- June 10, 2020 | 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Event ID: 308110
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
More Information
For questions, please contact Annie Skamangas-Scaros at 412.608.2594 or ecetacademy@gmail.com.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
Attend “Linking Standards, Curriculum Framework, and Assessment” to learn more about curriculum and assessment, and opportunities to link the two to Early Learning Standards. The event will discuss how to apply assessments to curriculum and to all key learning areas in a program. PQAS hours offered.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
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- identify the guiding principles of the Early Learning Standards;
- develop curriculum to promote the key learning areas;
- utilize information from assessment to aid in curriculum development; and
- apply ELS indicators to the existing program curriculum.
Registration Dates
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
PD Registry Event ID: 308422
More Information
For questions, please contact Annie Skamangas-Scaros at 412.608.2594 or ecetacademy@gmail.com.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
Often challenging behaviors are the product of multiple factors that may not be readily apparent. Attend “Behind the Scenes: Examining Underlying Causes of Challenging Behaviors” to examine the bigger picture including developmentally appropriate behaviors, mistaken behaviors, and imitation. Emphasis will be on how the grown-ups and the environment contribute to behaviors.
This is a live, interactive webinar. PQAS hours offered. Participants are expected to fully participate; this is not a log-in and leave event. Arriving 15 minutes late may result in no credit for the session. Please note, no refunds will provided for cancellation or no show.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
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- describe factors that contribute to children’s behaviors;
- briefly explain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the PBS Pyramid as they relate to children’s behaviors; and
- analyze the extent to which adult behaviors and environmental factors facilitate children’s behaviors.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
PD Registry Event ID: 308364
More Information
For questions or more information, contact Karen Rucker 717.314.8368 or krucker@respectingchildren.com.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
Early childhood professionals are invited to attend “Strengthening Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues” to reflect on how their experiences, temperament, and backgrounds influence the relationships they have or want to build with children, families, and colleagues.
Participants will reflect on their feelings about parent participation in their program and leave with ideas on ways to build a stronger home-school connection in their own program. Additionally, participants will share, discuss and implement best practices that can be used to develop and strengthen relationships with children, families, and colleagues. Interested individuals must attend both online sessions for PQAS credit.
Available Dates
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- January 13, 2020 | 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Event ID: 307704
- February 17, 2020 | 8:45 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Event ID: 308423
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
More Information
For questions, please contact Annie Skamangas-Scaros at 412.608.2594 or ecetacademy@gmail.com.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
STARS 101 & 102 is a web-based course that meets the requirement for STAR 2 SQ.2.1 Part 1 and Part 2. It is an introduction to the idea of Continuous Quality Improvement which is the basic premise for the Keystone STARS Quality Rating System. In addition to the philosophy of CQI, the process of change and how to begin your journey through the Keystone STARS system will be discussed.
About
The following elements of assessing and building quality will be covered: Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies and Big Ideas Framework, Continuous Quality Improvement, PA Early Learning Standards, and Caring for Our Children Basics (CFOCB) as a resource and supporting interactions with children and families.
This is a live, interactive webinar. PQAS hours offered. Participants are expected to fully participate; this is not a log-in and leave event. Arriving 15 minutes late may result in no credit for the session. Please note, no refunds will be provided for cancellation or no show.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
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- identify the benefits of continuous quality improvement through Keystone STARS, for children families and programs;
- identify what determines STAR Designation;
- describe Program Observation Instruments (POI) used for STARS designation;
- identify and implement the Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies/Big Ideas Framework;
- identify and implement PA Early Learning Standards;
- identify and implement Caring for our Children Basics practices;
- identify and implement assessment tools that support program quality; and
- identify and implement interactions with children and families.
Available Dates
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- December 16, 2019 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 306488
- January 20, 2020 | 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Event ID: 308100
- February 3, 2020 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 308101
- March 16, 2020 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 308102
- April 30, 2020 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 308103
- May 27, 2020 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 308106
- June 29, 2020 | 6 – 10 p.m. | Event ID: 308107
To register and learn more, visit the PD Registry website.
More Information
For questions, please contact Karen Rucker at 717.314.8368 or krucker@respectingchildren.com.
*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
