Educator Discussion Series
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Each year, we are pleased to offer a series of culturally responsive workshops facilitated by guest speakers that explore a variety of subjects. The range of topics is geared toward adults working with young children such as early childhood and elementary aged educators, youth advocates, social workers, policy makers etc. but would also be of interest to parents, au-pairs, and families of young children, therapists, librarians and many more! The format for discussions is interactive, with facilitators and participants engaged in dialogue around the selected topic. Our workshops times are as follows:
Weekday Workshops: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm (STARS Hours Available & Clock Hours Available)
Weekends Workshops: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm (STARS Hours Available & Clock Hours Available)
All workshops will be virtual this year.
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2020 lasted an eternity. It was filled with some dark and troubling moments. But, if you look closely, there was a beacon of hope. Children became more resilient, adults became more aware, and society realized just how essential we are. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back or become complacent on how far we have grown but its time we disrupt, we innovate, we heal. This year’s Educator Discussion Series (EDS), will focus on healing, self-empowerment, and joy. This year’s EDS is about transforming an educational system that still renders childcare as “2nd class citizens” within the scope of the system. This year’s EDS is about transforming and reimagining the educational experience to create new narratives to traditional white-centered programs. Join us on a year-long journey and discovery of how we can be better and do better to make sure 2020 never happens again. For more information on this year’s speakers and events, please see below.
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SpTrauma Responsive Care with Communities of Color – A 3 Part Series
Part 1 – Understanding Trauma to Provide Empathy
Tuesday, September 1st, 2020 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Part 2 – Resiliency & Hope: Overcoming Trauma in Children, Families, and Ourselves
Tuesday, September 15th, 2020 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Part 3 – Trauma Responsive Leadership and Organizations
Tuesday, September 29th, 2020 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Activating Families of Privilege
Thursday, November 12th, 2020 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Centering Indigenous Values in Education and Social Work
Saturday, December 5th, 2020 – 10:30am – 12:00pm
Black Boy Joy
Saturday, January 16th, 2021 – 10:30am – 12:00pm
Inciting Speculative Possibilities in ECE
Thursday, March 18th, 2021 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Building Connections to Nature with Children of All Abilities
Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Outdoor Preschool Equity Toolkit
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
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Educator Discussion Series Virtual Series
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Tuesday, September 1st, 2020
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Ricky Robertson
Pronouns: He/Him
Affiliation: Author of the book “Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences”
Workshop Overview:
This 2-hour intensive is designed with an intersectional (LGBTQ+, SES and Class and Social Work) and racial equity lens to provide adults with a deeper understanding of the impact of childhood trauma on the educational and life experiences of young Children of Color. In addition to techniques, strategies, and tools to implement into your environments, adults will also be provided with the tools to support children who have the most need while practicing necessary self-care to continue to serve them.
This workshop is part 1 of a 3-part series on Trauma Responsive Care with Communities of Color.
Core Competency Hours:
Health, Safety, & Nutrition
Interactions
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register visit www.hilltopcc.com/empathy
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Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Amber Warner
Pronouns: She/Her
Affiliation: Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Author of the book “Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences”
Workshop Overview:
Through a lens of both racial trauma and trauma sustained through COVID-19, we’ll spend this 2-hour intensive deepening our knowledge of the impact of ACEs on children’s learning and behaving, and work to reframe our thinking to heal and build resilience in the children and families we serve. In addition, we look at techniques, strategies, and tools to support our own emotional well-being in this work. With a framework to build resiliency in ourselves, we’ll become much more effective, sensitive, and responsive professionals working with or on behalf of children.
This workshop is part 2 of a 3-part series on Trauma Responsive Care with Communities of Color.
Core Competency Hours:
Families & Community Partnerships
Health, Safety, & Nutrition
Interactions
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register visit www.hilltopcc.com/hope
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Tuesday, Sept 29th, 2020
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Victoria Romero
Pronouns: She/Her
Affiliation: Former Principal at Coe Elementary and Zion Prep Academy and Author of the book “Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole Staff Approach”
Workshop Overview:
Part 3 of this 3 part series focuses on organizational integrity and accountability. This workshop is for entire organizations. Direct service providers, administrators, educators, assistants, interns, supervisors, leadership and more.
During this 2-hour intensive, we’ll move beyond the initial thirst for training and find ways we can be intentional year around in planning for and delivering trauma responsive services. Participants will hear best practice in leading a trauma informed organization, examine their own role in holding themselves and the organization accountable in this work, and see how organizations can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to trauma responsive care with communities of color.
Core Competency Hours:
Families & Community Partnerships
Health, Safety, & Nutrition
Professional Development & Leadership
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/trauma
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Thursday, Nov 12th, 2020
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Becky Krueger (left) and Chelsea Myers
Pronouns: She/Her
Affiliation: Educators and Social Activists at Hilltop Children’s Center
Workshop Overview:
In this workshop, participants will hear about one schools efforts, come together to strategize and set goals to shift families from observers to partners, and gain a better understanding of how schools and families interact to further or hinder their anti-bias curriculum.
Participants will come away with concrete plans having had the support from one another. This workshop offer time to reflect on needs, stakeholders, resources and troubleshoot obstacles.
Core Competency Hours:
Families & Community Partnerships
Professional Development & Leadership
STARS Hours:
1.5 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/activate
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Saturday, Dec 5th, 2020
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Facilitator: Jane Boldrey
Pronouns: She/Her
Affiliation: Social Worker for the Washington State Department of Child, Youth, and Families in Olympia, WA. She is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Workshop Overview:
Framed within the discourse of human rights and social justice, this workshop will focus on helping social workers and educational systems place the interests of Indigenous communities at the center of their work by looking at ways we can fuse Indigenous culture, tradition, and ceremony into our organizations.
Join us for an 2-hour intensive in which we highlight and celebrate the resistance and resilience of Indigenous Peoples and find ways we can join in the movement to reform our practices to ensure they are anti-oppressive, affirming, and liberating for Indigenous, Black, Brown, and other voices of color.
Core Competency Hours:
Families & Community Partnerships
Interactions
STARS Hours:
1.5 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/jane
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Saturday, Jan 16th, 2021
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Facilitator: Amir Gilmore
Pronouns: He/Him
Affiliation: Professor of Cultural Studies at Washington State University
Workshop Overview:
Black Boy Joy is a revolution of the mind. Designed to rupture oppressive social structures that make Black boyhoods socially unimaginable, this workshop focuses on how we can create a space where Black males and Black voices are felt, heard, seen, and matter.
Core Competency Hours:
Families & Community Partnerships
Professional Development & Leadership
STARS Hours:
1.5 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/joy
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Thursday, March 18th, 2021
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Sylvia C. Kind and Cristina Delgado Vintimilla
Pronouns: She/Her (for both)
Affiliation: Sylvia is an Alterista and Instructor of Early Childhood Care & Education at Capilano University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Cristina is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood in the Faculty of Education at York University in York, Ontario, Canada. She is also the Pedagogista for the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Early Years and Child Care.
Workshop Overview:
As early learning professionals, we believe that there are many different ways children express their thinking, questions, feelings, and ideas. What if we did the same? What if instead of assimilating to one approach, we viewed our work as a living, breathing, and responsive pedagogy? What could be possible if we reimagined our approach? This workshop is set to incite the public to think about early childhood education as something more than the assimilation of pedagogical models and to leave speculative possibilities open.
Core Competency Hours:
Program Planning & Development
Curriculum & Learning Environment
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/imagine
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Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Facilitator: Victor Bradley
Pronouns: He/Him
Affiliation: Victor Bradley LLC
Picture coming soon
Workshop Overview:
For some children, the story of George Floyd’s death instills a sense of activism in them. For some children, it instills fear. How do honor children’s voices when the ask about the racial realities of economic injustice, police brutality, and immigration without traumatizing them with anxiety and fear? In this 2-hour intensive, we’ll explore ways we can teach justice and not fear. Through the use of books, mindfulness, social studies and more, we’ll sharpen our advocacy and social justice toolkits so children in our care can better understand issues like Black Lives Matter but aren’t paralyzed with fear for the rest of their lives.
Please Note! This workshop is a two-parter!
Part 1: Is a recording designed for you to watch ahead of time on your own time. It includes provocations and things to reflect on.
Part 2: Is a one hour debrief session with the faciliator to talk about your reflections, ask questions, and be in community with one another.
Core Competency Hours:
Coming soon.
STARS Hours:
1 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/teach
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2021
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Nemesia Herzstein & Kristi Dodds
Pronouns: She/Her (for both)
Affiliation: Woodland Park Zoo
Picture coming soon
Workshop Overview:
Healthy social and emotional growth depends on young children’s access to the kinds of social interactions, experiences, and environments that will support them. We believe that nature could be one of them. But nature isn’t accessible to all children – children of color and children with various abilities. This session focuses on how we can structure, adapt, modify, and contribute things to the environment to enhance participation and performance in children with both visible and invisible dis/abilities.
Core Competency Hours:
Coming soon.
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/ability
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Part 1
Wednesday, July 14th, 2021
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Part 2
Thursday, Oct 7th, 2021
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Facilitator: Ijumaa Jordan & Megan Madison
Pronouns: She/Her (for both)
Affiliation: Ijumaa – Ijumaa Jordan Consulting & Megan – Center for Racial Justice in Education
Picture coming soon
Workshop Overview:
In this interactive workshop, we will explore how children develop multiracial identity and how adults can support all children’s healthy racial identity development. Participants will practice researched-based strategies to limit the effect of society’s distorted racial messages. Through self-reflection, large- and small-group activities, participants will develop their own capacity to support multiracial children and families and they will leave with resources to continue learning more.
Core Competency Hours:
Coming soon.
STARS Hours:
1.5 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/support
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Tuesday, Aug 3rd, 2021
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Lynny Brown
Pronouns: She/Her
Affiliation: Willamette Partnership
Workshop Overview:
This workshop is designed to help communities achieve their vision of an environment where all people feel a deep connection with the outdoors, resulting in better health, stronger communities, and flourishing natural places. Guided by equity, collaboration, learning, stewardship, and listening, this workshop is intended for educators, caregivers, community members, politicians, policy-makers, leadership teams and more who are looking to bridge the gap between nature and well-being with resources, tools, and technical support.
Core Competency Hours:
Coming soon.
STARS Hours:
2 STARS / MERIT Hours
To register, visit www.hilltopcc.com/toolkit
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Scholarships
Excellence and high quality trainings are comprehensive methods for improving the quality of educators and providers in and around the Pacific Northwest. As a result of our commitment to inspire such excellence, we invest in bringing world-renowned speakers to the Pacific Northwest who often demand higher than average speaker fees. Hilltop acknowledges that cost for our workshops may be a barrier to entry for some. In an effort to make our Educator Discussion Series more accessible to all, we have partnered with various organizations to make our high-quality professional development trainings more affordable. Please see below for a list of available scholarships:
Hilltop has set aside a limited amount of funds, available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you believe you qualify for a scholarship, please email Mike at institute@hilltopcc.org
If you would like to contribute to our scholarship fund with financial contributions, venue spaces, or in-kind donations please reach out to Mike at institute@hilltopcc.org or via phone at 206-283-3100 ext 3.
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Sponsors
Interested in Sponsoring our work? Reach out to Mike at institute@hilltopcc.org to express interest!
A huge appreciations to the City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) who will be sponsoring free registrations for their early learning partners in the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP), the SPP+, & ECEAP & City of Seattle DEEL Early Learning Staff.
We are pleased to announce KidsQuest Children’s Museum as a sponsor for the 2020-21 Educator Discussion Series and a committed partner to advancing diversity, social justice, and partnership within and outside the city of Seattle!
Many thanks to the Bertschi School whose generous support and dedication to educational equity made this series possible!
Many thanks to SEED ECS at Temple Beth AM for your partnership on
making our vision of improving equity of outcomes across race and class more achievable:
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All workshops date, time, and session details are subject to change
If you would like information about resources for translation or interpretation services, or if there is anything else we can do to support your access to this event, please contact institute@hilltopcc.org.
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Sowing the Seeds of STEM and Inquiry Based Learning – November 9th, 2020
This workshop will help participants learn how to cultivate a culture of inquiry and curiosity. By learning how to place students’ questions, ideas, and observations at the center of their education experience, participants will be able to fold in the core principals of STEM, that emphasizes learning by doing, encouraging students to build their knowledge through experience and exploration, evidence-based reasoning, and creative problem solving,
Presenter – Dr. Marley Jarvis
#NatureSoWhite: Redefining the Outdoors – December 7, 2019 
The outdoors are for people of all creeds, countries and colors. Yet, many kids of color are not encouraged to go outdoors because the outdoor world is represented as an elitist one.
History, false narratives, and stereotypes have all played a part in the exclusion of people of color from outdoor, wild spaces. This seminar explores ways to engage with communities and families to ensure that everyone has access to the wonderful environments this world has to offer. This session will offer tools and solutions for decolonizing outdoor spaces.
Presenter – Khavin Debbs
Disrupting the Cradle to Prison Pipeline: What YOU Can Do! – January 15, 2020
This workshop focuses on offsetting the damaging effects of exposure to frightening or threatening conditions by building the capacity of caregivers to provide children with safe, stable, and nurturing relationships that help to develop children’s adaptive and positive coping skills. Through the elimination of in-school experiences that can be so stressful and racially discriminatory discipline policies, we can reduce the cognitive, behavioral, and health harm that toxic stress provokes.
Presenters – Elise Gooi and Betty Peralta (pictured)
Finding a Place for the Religious and Spiritual Lives of Young Children and their Families in ECE Programs – Feb 8, 2020
This culturally sustaining workshop seeks to help you understand why spirituality and religion are an important part of anti-bias education, how religion & culture are inexplicably tied together, and how religion intersects with other social identities.
Presenters – Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo
Understanding the Intersectionality of Teaching, Identity, and Race – March 4th, 2020
This identity-based workshop examines the tremendous influence we have on establishing the ideological, political, and cultural scaffold of our schools. By emphasizing how our teaching dispositions intersect with our various identities, we’ll break down our own biases and better understand how to respond appropriately and adequately to the needs of racially diverse students within the framework of anti-bias education.
Presenter – Dr. Caryn Park
[/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2018-2019 Educator Discussion Series” admin_label=”2018-2019″ _builder_version=”3.27.3″]Culturally Competent Educators: Building Brilliance in Black and Brown Children – October 13, 2018
This workshop will look at good teaching strategies that will engage students across all boundaries of socioeconomics. This session will look at ways you can engage students in the important issues that are opportunities for active learning, engage students in big picture thinking and breaking it down into pieces as they connect the dots, engage students in action real life experiences with opportunities for reflection and engage students to help deepen their understanding of self and all the elements of living as a cultural being.
Presenters – Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., Tilman Smith, Theressa LeNear, and Sarah Felstiner
Practicing Inclusion, Doing Justice: Dis/ability as an Equity Issue in Early Childhood Settings – December 8, 2017
In this interactive session, participants will explore challenges and rewards of viewing dis/ability as an equity issue in early childhood settings through an expansive view of inclusion. The presenter will draw on experiences as an inclusive classroom teacher, teacher educator, and early childhood special education researcher to provide both a framework and practical strategies for welcoming and serving all children, including children with dis/abilities. Participants will have opportunities for discussion and questions.
Presenter – Dr. Maggie Beneke
Trauma Informed Care for Young Children – December 5, 2018 
In this interactive session, participants will be introduced to Trauma Informed Care, how trauma effects development and behavior, and how to intervene when interacting with traumatized children. Participants will learn about different types of trauma, how trauma affects the developing brain, protective factors to trauma, and what they can do to provide sensitive compassionate care to children who have experienced trauma.
Presenter – Jen Kamel
Can We Talk About Socioeconomic Status and Class? – January 26, 2019
SES and Class determines many things about a child’s development including how they view the world; what, how much and how often you eat; type of education; their overall health; and how others view them. This workshop will examine how educators can advance equity and inclusion in their learning communities at a time where children are discovering and understanding our world.
Presenters – Alison Park
No Place for Men? Attracting More Males to Early Childhood Education – February 26, 2019
This evening workshop at Seattle City Hall will tackle ways programs, educators, and support staff can attract more male figures to Early Childhood Education. This session will offer you an opportunity to discuss ways we can all advocate for policy, structure our programs, coach and mentor, and strive to promote gender balance in education.
Presenter – Dwane Chappelle, Khavin Debbs, Johnny Otto, and Nick Terrones
Indigenizing Education: A Discussion of Early Learning in Native America – March 16, 2019
This workshop will unpack and discuss what it means to Indigenize educational spaces and materials to better reflect Indigenous people in an authentic way. Participants will learn ways to incorporate Indigenous traditions of teaching and learning and be introduced to a variety of approaches and strategies aimed at supporting the social and emotional well-being of all children through an Indigenous cultural lens.
Presenter – Miriam Zmiewski-Angelova
Creating LGBTQ+ and Gender Inclusive Schools: A Human Rights Campaign – April 13, 2019
Issues about gender in our schools are emerging as never before. As government, communities, schools and classrooms work to support the learning of every child, gender diversity (even in Seattle) is an area that is new for many educators. This full day workshop facilitated by Heather Kawamoto of the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) will help us foster a school climate that promotes acceptance of diversity and security for LGBTQ children, non-binary children and for all.
This workshop will look at policy, practice, teaching strategies and curriculum that will help you create a welcoming environment for students of all gender identities. The morning session will focus on developing a framework for creating a gender inclusive school.
Presenter – Heather Kawamoto
White Privilege Symposium Northwest (WPSNW) – May 4, 2019
A 2 day symposium to examine patterns, cultures, and systems that contribute to identity, power, and privilege. In examining and challenging concepts of privilege and oppression, WPS of the Northwest offers solutions and team building strategies to work towards a more equitable world. The event is open to everyone and invites diverse perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at issues of privilege, including race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and other intersections of identity.
Keynotes – Robin DiAngelo, Gyasi Ross, Yusef Salaam (pictured)[/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2017-2018 Educator Discussion Series” admin_label=”2017-2018″ _builder_version=”3.8″]Using Children’s Literature to Provoke Conversation on Challenging Topics – September 27, 2017
This session will explore how to use children’s literature and read-alouds as a way to provoke and facilitate conversations on potentially challenging topics with young children. The presenters will share examples which focus on race, abilities/disabilities and religion. The presenters will draw on their experiences as classroom educators and researchers to provide both a framework and practical strategies for how to choose appropriate literature, and how to engage in the actual conversations that are developmentally appropriate. Participants will have opportunities for discussion and questions.
Presenters – Debbie LeeKeenan, Caryn Park and Maggie Beneke
The Voices of Children: A Documentary Screening and Dialogue on Children’s Rights – December 8, 2017
If we listen to children’s ideas and closely observe their actions, what can we learn of their views about their world? An international team of educators and filmmakers journeyed to sites in five countries, sparking conversations about “rights” and then stepped back and invited the children to speak for themselves. Join John Nimmo, one of the creators of the short film, <i>The Voices of Children</i>, for a screening, insights into the process and vision, and a dialogue about “listening” to children across cultures
Presenter – John Nimmo
Unpacking White Privilege in Schools and Classrooms – January 20, 2018 
When trying to practice multicultural inclusion, too often the focus is on “the other”, that is, families or children of color, leaving white perspectives, culture and identity normalized and unexplored. Through story telling, discussion and experiential exercises we will shift the focus to examine how white cultural norms and privileges can create barriers to equity.
By bringing into focus the ways white privilege operates on a personal and institutional level in schools, participants will be able to identify ways white allies and people of color can work together to reform systems and engage in culturally responsive practices with young children.
Following the morning discussion facilitated by Ilsa, we will spend the afternoon in conversation about how the considerations above play out in an early childhood context. Fran Davidson and Nnenna Odim will share stories and provoke discussions of the particular opportunities for addressing white privilege in classrooms and schools serving young children.
Presenter – Ilsa Govan (Cultures Connecting), Fran Davidson, Nnenna Odim and Eula
Who Am I? Understanding Children’s Identity Formation – February 8, 2018
It’s no secret that young children learn a lot in the first five years of life, but how do children learn about themselves, their preferences, and their own personality? This discussion will focus on how children begin to form an identity. We will discuss the latest research and consider how environmental cues influence children’s identities, including the impact of race and racism on children’s understanding of themselves and the social world. We will also explore how adults can best support children as they figure out who they are.
Presenters – Sarah Lytle
“Making Learning Visible” Documentation and Pedagogical Narration – February 24, 2018
Educators engaged in child-centered, reflective practice use Documentation as a tool for studying children’s experiences, planning curriculum, and bringing forward children’s voices. You are invited to join a conversation about the use of Pedagogical Narration and Documentation in Reggio-inspired schools, facilitated by Canadian scholar and educator Laurie Kocher. This session will help participants explore ways that documentation can foster responsive, ethical, and social justice–focused approaches to early childhood education and care. Pedagogical Narration affords opportunities for social justice by bringing a focus to power structures, ethical considerations, and social issues that emerge in our work. Studying and telling stories of children’s work, through documentation and pedagogical narration, illuminates the thinking and learning taking place in schools for young children.
Presenter – Laurie Kocher
Talk to Children Like People: Seeking Equity Though Language-Rich Resources – April 7, 2018
A great deal of evidence points to the critical importance of exposure to rich language during the first five years of life, and much has been made of the “word gap” between low income and more affluent homes to explain disparities in academic performance.
But if rich language is the decisive element in brain development and future success, shouldn’t our classrooms focus on providing rich language as well? A language rich classroom would not be limited to teaching colors, letters and shapes. It would be instead a classroom in which adults share their experiences, ideas, and feelings with children throughout the day.
Why focus on Kindergarten readiness, when we could be seeking language equity for lifelong success?
Presenter – Michael Gramling
Cultivating the Genius of Black Children – May 8, 2018
As our schools become more diverse, cultural responsiveness is an increasingly important skill for teacher efficacy and children’s success. Substantial research indicates that Black children have distinct, unique learning styles and preferences. When we create classroom environments that meet the learning needs of Black children, we create opportunities for them to excel through effective pedagogy, strategies and best practices. This is a great opportunity to increase your cultural intelligence, break down the disconnect between learning preferences and learning environments that must be bridged before the achievement gap can be closed, and develop closer relationships with Black parents and families.
Presenter – Dr. Debra Sullivan[/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2016-2017 Educator Discussion Series” admin_label=”2016-2017″ _builder_version=”3.0.65″] Educating Citizens: Play-Based Learning – September 28, 2016
Join “Teacher Tom” Hobson for a conversation about bringing the habits and principles of democracy and play into early years classrooms. We will begin by discussing the purpose of education in a democracy and how and why we have managed to veer so far from the original intent of education in America. We will then explore how a play-based curriculum works, using lots of examples, and consider how it can be a model for both education and democracy in action. Participants will uncover the benefits of introducing play-based principles and what it looks like when children are really learning through their play.
Presenter – Tom Hobson
Play, Culture, and the Role of the Teacher – November 19, 2016
We are in an era of increased emphasis on school readiness and decreased opportunities for a child’s unstructured exploration. What is the role of the teacher in early childhood programs to support children’s learning through play experiences? Join Margie Carter and Nnenna Odim for a provocative evening to consider opportunities to provide for and respond to children’s complex play.
We will explore the assumptions, dispositions, and experiences that influence our understandings and offerings of meaningful opportunities for children’s play. And you will leave with practice in describing the nuances of children’s learning as they play, as well as gain a repertoire of adult prompts to guide deeper curiosity and intentional teaching.
Presenter – Margie Carter and Nnenna Odim
Leading Anti-bias Early Childhood Programs During Changing and Challenging Times – December 2nd, 2016 (Full-Day)
This full-day workshop invites program leaders and educators interested in growing anti-bias programs to join in conversation with our field’s leading thinkers on the topic. This interactive session will provide a framework for intentional and strategic leadership and examine what is involved in whole program transformation, in classrooms with children, and working with staff and with families. Time will be provided for action planning and applying the ideas to your own setting, so groups and teams from an organization or school are encouraged to attend together. This session will draw from the presenters’ recent book with co-author Louise Derman-Sparks, Leading Anti-bias Programs: A Guide for Change, and will examine some of the new challenges for leaders in social justice work with young children.
Presenter – John Nimmo and Debbie LeeKeenan
Play and the Developing Brain: How Play-based Early Learning Prepares Children for Elementary School – January 26, 2017
Children love to play, and they need play to support healthy learning and development. In this session, we will focus on the importance and power of play in a child’s development and how children use play to build skills and understanding of the world around them. Based on current research from the University of Washington and other institutions, we will talk about the ways children play, and how those change throughout childhood. We will also talk about how children learn through play, discussing research that highlights how both free play and guided play build fundamental language and literacy, math and reasoning, and social-emotional skills that are crucial for success in the elementary years and beyond.
Presenter – Amelia Bachleda
Reflecting on Teaching and Learning in Communities of Practice – February 21, 2017 (Full-Day)
Teaching young children is challenging work requiring ongoing inquiry, intention, enthusiasm, critical thinking, and decision-making. This session will offer an opportunity to engage in a community of practice with colleagues to understand and practice these key elements of reflective early childhood teaching. Participants will gain self-awareness and a stronger image of children as they share their own stories and experiences, and leave with renewed excitement and delight for the wonderfully complex work of teaching and learning with young children.
Presenters – Wendy Cividanes and Debbie Lebo
Reading and Writing the World: Cultivating a Literacy of Place – March 08, 2017
We are sorry to announce this event has been cancelled. Please email institute@hilltopcc.org with any questions.
Stories are elemental and essential for us humans. Stories tell us who we are, and where we are, and why we are. Stories of place locate us in the larger-than-human world, allowing us to know the land, the sky, the water, and to contextualize ourselves there, alongside the other creatures bound into them.
To tell stories of place with children and families, we need a place literacy, the ability to read the beyond-human world. We need to be literate in the varying shapes of leaf and blossom, in the seasonal moods of the grasses and wild weeds, in the distinct caresses of drizzle and downpour. During our evening, well consider how we develop a literacy of place, and how we invite children and families to do the same.
Presenter – Ann Pelo
Enterprise Talk: A Handrail for Authenticity and Integrity – April 18, 2017
This evening is dedicated to becoming the adult leader you wish to be with your children, at home or at any grade of school. You can take away from this short experience guides that are concrete, observable, and restorative at those worst of times. Enterprise Talk is a memorable reminder of the verbal dimensions of power and privilege an adult’s natural dominance over children in order to be intentional in crafting the growing conditions for our beloved and avoid passing on toxic habits we may have inherited in our own growing up.
Presenter – Tom Drummond
Using Learning Stories for Reflection and Assessment – May 13th, 2017 (Full-Day)
More than just a tool or a format, Learning Stories are part of a philosophy for pedagogy and assessment, with a huge international following. Grounded in socio-cultural theory and formative assessment, the Learning Story approach honors the child, family, teacher and community. Using Learning Stories, educators can write from the heart, in a way that engages children and families, while also integrating required assessment indicators.
At this workshop, participants will gain understanding of the philosophy and key elements of the Learning Story Approach, explore many uses of Learning Stories, and practice analyzing stories that enhance child, family and educator identity. Working in small groups throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity for facilitated conversations to explore the implications of Wendy’s workshop for their own setting.
Presenter – Wendy Lee
The Importance of the Active Body Brain Connection – June 1st, 2017
More is going on when children move their bodies than just staying healthy and getting their wiggles out. New information and resources about the importance of active physical play for young children’s development is showing up everywhere. There is growing alarm about the impact of the lack of active play, as early childhood educators often prevent and stop children’s exuberant play on behalf of safety and learning. Active play, which is an integral part of sensory motor development, actually builds neural pathways necessary for children to focus their eyes and attention, regulate their emotions, and develop the ability to plan and carry out a task. This Evening Discussion will invite you to study principles that will help educators ensure children get the active play experiences they deserve.
Presenter – Deb Curtis[/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2015-2016 Educator Discussion Series” admin_label=”2015-2016″ _builder_version=”3.0.65″]Learning Stories, Part 2: The Writing – September 29, 2015
The deep value of creating Learning Stories in the classroom, and the heart of becoming a professional educator, is participating in discussions with others about what a story signifies, brainstorming ideas of what adults might provide next, and imagining where such opportunities might lead in the future. Picking up where our Evening Discussion in March left off, this evening session is devoted to those who already understand what Learning Stories are and wish for time to write them in cooperation with other educators. We will be watching video clips, selecting what is important for a story, and deciding how to put a complete Learning Story together.
Presenter – Tom Drummond
It Takes Two (Baby): A Collaboration Between Teacher and Therapist – November 18, 2015
Listen to the story of an occupational therapist and a classroom teacher who have partnered to support children and their families. With a shared commitment to play-based learning, reflective practices, and family engagement, Heather and Michelle will examine the unique perspective they each bring to the educational team. The presentation will detail setting goals for the child and the advantages and challenges that are inherent in the therapist/teacher relationship. Michelle and Heather will present practical strategies to use in the classroom and invite you to consider how this model might look in your learning environment.
Presenter – Heather Schuman and Michelle Sanders
Fact or Fiction?: Mythbusting Misconceptions About Early Learning Research – December 9, 2015
We all know that young children learn incredibly quickly; it turns out that scientists’ understanding of early development is growing rapidly as well! Just like children who test and revise theories about the world, scientists have made new findings that have lead to major changes in what we know about early learning and brain development. We’ll discuss common beliefs about early learning research, like: Are boy and girl brains really different? and Am I confusing my child by speaking more than one language?
Presenter – Jane Hu
Learning to Walk: Individual Growth and Change in ECE – January 21, 2016
It’s the start of a new year: a time of reflection and resolutions, of making changes, of trying something different, and of growing in new ways as early childhood professionals. However, individual growth and change are more challenging than we think. We can be more successful by focusing on some key principles:
If You Don’t Stand Up, You Can’t Walk.
Just Because You Can’t Now Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Later.
Never Grow A Wishbone Where A Backbone Should Be.
If It Were Easy, You Would Have Done It A Long Time Ago.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think.
If You Grow, You Will Get Bigger.
If You Change, You Will Be Different.
This will be an interactive discussion so come prepared to make some New Year’s Resolutions that will result in growth and change!
Presenter – Dr. Debra Sullivan
Beyond “Inclusion,” Creating Liberating Spaces for Transgender Children and Families – February 10, 2016
Join us for an Evening Discussion with Social Worker and author, Talcott Broadhead, where we will discover valuable tools to:
- support all of the children and families in our classrooms,
- develop an awareness of law and policy protections related to gender,
- and gain an understanding of what it means to be trans-affirmative.
Our evening will begin with a reading of children’s book, Meet Polkadot, after which we will explore gender identity and development as a group. We will investigate our own gender socialization and discuss strategies for unlearning harmful restrictions that reduce gender to a narrow ‘two-option’ system. Among the concepts addressed will be: Raising gender-independent children, normalizing all gender identities, and advocating for transgender children and families.
Presenters – Talcott Broadhead
Planning Environments and Materials that meet up with Toddlers’ Lively Minds – March 08, 2016
Toddlers come to our programs with avid curiosity, determination, bigheartedness and delight in engaging with people and the world around them. Yet most toddler environments focus on health and safety rather than engagement and aesthetics, or simply look like scaled-down versions of preschool classrooms. We will review the amazing learning capacities of children during this special time of life and consider environments and materials that support and enhance their lively minds and big hearts.
Presenter – Deb Curtis
Is Play an Equity Issue? – A Community Discussion – May 12, 2016
Join us for a discussion reviewing points in Michael Grammling’s new book, The Great Disconnect, and hear what local educators working in publicly funded programs are doing to counter the opportunity gap.
With substantial research on the value of play for children’s learning and brain development, and increasing understanding of the importance of developmentally appropriate practices and inquiry based learning, why are so many low income children in programs that give them less and less time for play?
Studies show that children in publicly funded programs intended to close the achievement gap are actually widening it. Meanwhile programs free from funding restrictions have more flexibility to develop innovative, child-centered practices, but are available only to the children and families who can afford them. What’s going on here?
Michael Gramling’s new book The Great Disconnect explores the discrepancy between what we have learned from research and what we actually do in the classroom. Join us for a conversation about Michael Gramling’s book, facilitated by Margie Carter, and help us:
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- explore the disconnect between theory, policy, and practice;
- consider the relationship of this disconnect to issues of equity, the opportunity gap, and social justice in early learning;
- and hear from program leaders who are finding ways to reconnect their practice to what they know young children need and deserve
Presenter – Margie Carter[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]