30 June 2011
Early childhood conference packed with quality
Experts including keynote speaker Dr Marg Sellers, representatives from the Department of Early Childhood Development, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and Ballarat Community Health and an occupational therapist will address an Early Childhood conference at RMIT University Hamilton.
Dr Marg Sellers
Marilyn Lyons, Learning Support Coordinator at RMIT Hamilton, has put together a program for 26 August that will challenge local early childhood practitioners and have them thinking outside the square.
"Evaluation from previous conferences has shown that there is quite a lot of interest in alternative ways to work with children in their early years. Practitioners are looking for room to move within the Early Years Learning Framework to create flexibility within their programs," Ms Lyons said.
"We have booked a keynote speaker, education lecturer Dr Marg Sellers, who will deliver a perspective on curriculum that will challenge practitioners to adopt a different kind of thinking to create opportunities for opening spaces that are fluid and flexible, in which children, their families and communities can thrive."
Workshops at the conference will cover topics including building partnerships with parents, literacy development using libraries, Reggio Emilia and the Early Years Framework and exploration of art as an expressive language in the Reggio Emilia project.
A change to the format of the conference this year sees the addition of a panel discussion, where professionals will discuss current issues in their field and the relevance these issues have to early childhood practitioners.
The conference has been developed in partnership with the Combined Pre-schools of Southern Grampians Inc and is supported by the Shire of Southern Grampians.
For further information contact Marilyn Lyons, Learning Support Coordinator on (03) 5572 0502 or email Marilyn.lyons@rmit.edu.au.
For interviews or comment: Marilyn Lyons, (03) 5572 0502.
For general media enquiries and an image of Dr Marg Sellers: RMIT Communications Officer, Dinah Hallam, (03) 5572 0505.
