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2018 Annual Preschool Kindergarten Summit has ended
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Tuesday, February 13
 

8:45am CST

Conference Welcome
Limited Capacity filling up
Tuesday February 13, 2018 8:45am - 9:00am CST
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
  General Session

9:00am CST

Keynote Address, 'Engagement First: Pathways to Intrinsically Motivated Learning' by Gever Tulley
Limited Capacity filling up
Gever Tulley is a TED speaker, founder of Tinkering School and Brightworks in San Francisco, and author of Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), and Dangerism! Why We Worry About the Wrong Things and What It’s Doing to Our Kids. Looking back at 12 years of experiments in creating highly engaging learning experiences, Gever will share his infectious optimism and some new ideas that may pave the way to more engaged students.
Speakers
avatar for Gever Tulley

Gever Tulley

Founder, Brightworks
Gever Tulley is an author, speaker, and computer scientist.  In 2005, he founded the Tinkering School, afterschool and summer programs involving the use of real tools, materials, and problems to encourage students’ love of learning, curiosity about the world, tenacity to thin... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
  Keynote

10:15am CST

Art is a Verb
Limited Capacity full
Art is a verb. Young children are very active. They engage in everything with great enthusiasm, but show little desire to produce a product. The focus of this session is how to provide experiences that enable exploration of various media with freedom.
Speakers
avatar for Kathy Hardy

Kathy Hardy

Winnetka Public School Nursery
Kathy Hardy has worked in the field of early childhood for over 30 years, holding positions as director, preschool teacher, elementary teacher, college instructor, mentor and trainer, studio teacher, specializing in documentation of children’s work, environments for children, families... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 10:15am - 11:15am CST
Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

10:15am CST

Introduction to the Froebel Gifts and Occupations
Limited Capacity filling up
Friedrich Froebel recognized that every child has his or her own inner structure. He felt it was of primary importance to enable children to draw their own conclusions rather than be provided with answers. He disliked elaborate toys that discouraged creativity and discovery, believing that less was more. To create a life-long learner, he knew that children needed experiences that stimulated the senses, challenged the mind, and nourished the soul. The Froebel Gifts and Occupations are elegantly simple but allow for a profoundly deep exploration of spatial reasoning, analytical thinking, and creative design. The Gifts are modular, logical, and multi-functional. They are intended to be explored and experienced, allowing children to be open, creative, self-activated learners. The Occupations are the complement to the Gifts, building underlying neurodevelopmental processes necessary for higher thinking and learning. While the Froebel Gifts and Occupations were initially intended for young children, they continue to challenge the minds of all ages of learners. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce Friedrich Froebel’s educational philosophy, as well as give an overview and introduction to the Froebel Gifts and Occupations. Hands-on activities will be provided that enable participants to develop a beginning understanding of the materials.
Speakers
SW

Stacey Wellman

Speech-Language Pathologist
Stacey Wellman is a graduate of Northwestern University.  She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the institution. Stacey has been a speech-language pathologist in the public schools for over twenty years.  Outside of the public school, she runs a Roots and Shoots... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 10:15am - 11:15am CST
Pullman Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

10:15am CST

Keynote Extension with Gever Tulley
Limited Capacity filling up
Participants will work together to design, build, and problem solve a unique project using tools and materials. The workshop will begin with an introduction to the tools and materials and basic skills to build simple mechanisms from wire. The project is a surprise, but you can count on learning new skills, making mistakes, and trying harder than usual!
Speakers
avatar for Gever Tulley

Gever Tulley

Founder, Brightworks
Gever Tulley is an author, speaker, and computer scientist.  In 2005, he founded the Tinkering School, afterschool and summer programs involving the use of real tools, materials, and problems to encourage students’ love of learning, curiosity about the world, tenacity to thin... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 10:15am - 11:15am CST
Burnstein Hall, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

10:15am CST

Block Building Basics I and II: Creating the Block Area with Rebecca Burdett- DOUBLE SESSION
Limited Capacity full

THIS IS A DOUBLE SESSION FROM 10:15 AM -12:30 PM

Block Building Basics I: Creating the Block Area

You have the blocks and a space for building...now what? Are you making the most of this critical area in your classroom?  In this workshop, participants will discuss how to organize the block area, shelve and arrange blocks to maximize their mathematical properties, select appropriate accessories, and set up simple guidelines from Day 1 that ensure a positive, creative experience for all children.

We'll troubleshoot challenging block problems such as too little space, too few blocks, and effective cleanup routines.

Block Building Basics II:  Sustained, Daily Block Building

Did you ever notice that a few children seem to always end up in (and take over) the block area, while other children within your class seem to shy away?  In this workshop, we will learn how sustained, week-long experiences in the block area can provide all children with a framework for making the most from block play.  We will consider a child's week in the block area as a mirror for the writing process, where children draft, edit, revise, and ultimately, publish their buildings!

Speakers
avatar for Rebecca Burdett

Rebecca Burdett

Kindergarten Teacher, New Paltz Central School District
Rebecca Burdett (Bank Street College of Education, Studies in Education,'99) has been an early childhood educator for 34 years, working in both public and private schools in NY's Hudson Valley.  She currently teaches Kindergarten in the New Paltz Central School District, in Upstate... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 10:15am - 12:30pm CST
Classrooms 10 & 11, Regenstein Learning Campus
  Break-Out Session

11:30am CST

Fostering Creativity Through Play-Based Experiential Learning (PBEL)
Limited Capacity full
Young children overflow with creativity and curiosity which they use to discover themselves and make sense of the world around them. This process is enhanced through play-based experiential approaches in preschool and kindergarten. Unfortunately, the pressure to meet today’s academic standards often result in a loss of playful learning and creativity. Yet slowly, parents, educators, and policy makers are again realizing that a hands-on, play-based approach to early education strengthens children’s healthy development, their creativity and zest for learning and are advocating for its return.
Speakers
avatar for Joan Almon

Joan Almon

Founder, Alliance for Childhood
Joan Almon was a Waldorf early childhood educator for over thirty years and then co-founded the Alliance for Childhood out of a deep concern for the decline in children's health and wellbeing.  She is known for her work to restore play to children's lives in early education, in school... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 11:30am - 12:30pm CST
Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

11:30am CST

Introduction to the Froebel Gifts and Occupations
Limited Capacity seats available
Friedrich Froebel recognized that every child has his or her own inner structure. He felt it was of primary importance to enable children to draw their own conclusions rather than be provided with answers. He disliked elaborate toys that discouraged creativity and discovery, believing that less was more. To create a life-long learner, he knew that children needed experiences that stimulated the senses, challenged the mind, and nourished the soul. The Froebel Gifts and Occupations are elegantly simple but allow for a profoundly deep exploration of spatial reasoning, analytical thinking, and creative design. The Gifts are modular, logical, and multi-functional. They are intended to be explored and experienced, allowing children to be open, creative, self-activated learners. The Occupations are the complement to the Gifts, building underlying neurodevelopmental processes necessary for higher thinking and learning. While the Froebel Gifts and Occupations were initially intended for young children, they continue to challenge the minds of all ages of learners. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce Friedrich Froebel’s educational philosophy, as well as give an overview and introduction to the Froebel Gifts and Occupations. Hands-on activities will be provided that enable participants to develop a beginning understanding of the materials.
Speakers
SW

Stacey Wellman

Speech-Language Pathologist
Stacey Wellman is a graduate of Northwestern University.  She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the institution. Stacey has been a speech-language pathologist in the public schools for over twenty years.  Outside of the public school, she runs a Roots and Shoots... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 11:30am - 12:30pm CST
Pullman Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

11:30am CST

Introduction To The Reggio Approach
Limited Capacity seats available
This session will discuss definitions and values of creativity. Then images of children’s work or experiences will be viewed in order to note creativity and how it was supported and provoked through relationships with adults, children, and the environment.
Speakers
avatar for Karen Haigh

Karen Haigh

Early Education Consultant
Karen M. Haigh, Ph.D., is an early childhood education consultant. She was a former AssociateProfessor in ECE at Columbia College Chicago and continues to study Reggio Inspired principlesand practices in an American Context. She works with schools or centers to study actionresearch... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 11:30am - 12:30pm CST
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

11:30am CST

Moving Toward Meaning: The Elegance and Power of Integrating Physical Literacy and Choreography into Studies with Children
Limited Capacity filling up
Children want to move. Teachers can harness this passion and use it to help children explore ideas, construct meaning and communicate. Situating children’s movement studies in both theory and practice, we will look at the why and how of taking this most fundamental human language into full expression, both on its own, and in tandem with other languages and literacies. Participants will have an opportunity for a hands-on experience investigating elements of space, time and energetic quality in movement, and to see examples of children applying these elements as they choreograph and perform. Studies integrating movement with science, art, literature and math will be presented along with structures for eliciting focused movement exploration, body and spatial awareness, and the development of dialogue through and among these shared and complimentary languages.
Speakers
avatar for Donna Mandel

Donna Mandel

Nursery School Head Teacher, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Donna Mandel is a Nursery School Head Teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.  Serving as a choreographer and artistic co-director of Fluid Measure Performance Company, she was awarded numerous fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council and residencies from the... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 11:30am - 12:30pm CST
Classrooms 1 & 2, Regenstein Learning Campus
  Break-Out Session

12:30pm CST

Lunch
Limited Capacity filling up
Lunch
Tuesday February 13, 2018 12:30pm - 1:20pm CST
Burnstein Hall, Regenstein Center
  Lunch

1:20pm CST

Extended Block Play: Community Block Projects with Rebecca Burdett
Limited Capacity full
After months of individual block building experiences in the block area, preschoolers and Kindergarteners are ready to use this dynamic space as a studio for sharing all they know about a valued curricular topic. We will examine the case studies of two very different class block projects: "Bird Town" and "Life in the Longhouse," each of which emerged as extended, six week interdisciplinary studies in the block area, involving every child in the classroom community. Using table blocks, natural materials and simple found objects, we'll give a try to community building ourselves!
Speakers
avatar for Rebecca Burdett

Rebecca Burdett

Kindergarten Teacher, New Paltz Central School District
Rebecca Burdett (Bank Street College of Education, Studies in Education,'99) has been an early childhood educator for 34 years, working in both public and private schools in NY's Hudson Valley.  She currently teaches Kindergarten in the New Paltz Central School District, in Upstate... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 1:20pm - 2:20pm CST
Classrooms 10 & 11, Regenstein Learning Campus
  Break-Out Session

1:20pm CST

Fostering Creativity Through Play-Based Experiential Learning (PBEL)
Limited Capacity filling up
Young children overflow with creativity and curiosity which they use to discover themselves and make sense of the world around them. This process is enhanced through play-based experiential approaches in preschool and kindergarten. Unfortunately, the pressure to meet today’s academic standards often result in a loss of playful learning and creativity. Yet slowly, parents, educators, and policy makers are again realizing that a hands-on, play-based approach to early education strengthens children’s healthy development, their creativity and zest for learning and are advocating for its return.
Speakers
avatar for Joan Almon

Joan Almon

Founder, Alliance for Childhood
Joan Almon was a Waldorf early childhood educator for over thirty years and then co-founded the Alliance for Childhood out of a deep concern for the decline in children's health and wellbeing.  She is known for her work to restore play to children's lives in early education, in school... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 1:20pm - 2:20pm CST
Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

1:20pm CST

Froebel Gifts: Creativity and Play as the Engine for Deep Learning
Limited Capacity filling up
Today, Froebel reminds both parents and educators that learning through the senses, relationship development and connectedness to the environment need to remain at the forefront of 21st century thinking when designing educational experiences that develop the intellect, creativity, sociability, and morality of a child. Froebel intuitively knew that children construct knowledge through visual, spatial and tactile feedback. He designed instructional practices and experiences that moved away from direct teaching and centered on the sensory-rich experiences of play. He created his own educational toys, the Gifts, to represent and connect children to the basic geometric forms of nature. The purpose of this workshop is to allow participants to dive deeply into Gift Play. Hands-on exploration activities will be provided that allow participants to develop a stronger understanding of the concepts and skills taught through the Froebel Gifts. Examples will be provided regarding how the Gifts can be implemented into the modern day classroom.
Speakers
SW

Stacey Wellman

Speech-Language Pathologist
Stacey Wellman is a graduate of Northwestern University.  She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the institution. Stacey has been a speech-language pathologist in the public schools for over twenty years.  Outside of the public school, she runs a Roots and Shoots... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 1:20pm - 2:20pm CST
Pullman Room, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

1:20pm CST

Looking at the Reggio Approach and its Connections to Creativity
Limited Capacity seats available
This session will discuss definitions and values of creativity. Then Images of children’s work or experiences will be viewed in order to note creativity and how it was supported and provoked through relationships with adults, children, and the environment.
Speakers
avatar for Karen Haigh

Karen Haigh

Early Education Consultant
Karen M. Haigh, Ph.D., is an early childhood education consultant. She was a former AssociateProfessor in ECE at Columbia College Chicago and continues to study Reggio Inspired principlesand practices in an American Context. She works with schools or centers to study actionresearch... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 1:20pm - 2:20pm CST
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
  Break-Out Session

1:20pm CST

Moving Toward Meaning: The Elegance and Power of Integrating Physical Literacy and Choreography into Studies with Children
Limited Capacity filling up
Children want to move. Teachers can harness this passion and use it to help children explore ideas, construct meaning and communicate. Situating children’s movement studies in both theory and practice, we will look at the why and how of taking this most fundamental human language into full expression, both on its own, and in tandem with other languages and literacies. Participants will have an opportunity for a hands-on experience investigating elements of space, time and energetic quality in movement, and to see examples of children applying these elements as they choreograph and perform. Studies integrating movement with science, art, literature and math will be presented along with structures for eliciting focused movement exploration, body and spatial awareness, and the development of dialogue through and among these shared and complimentary languages.
Speakers
avatar for Donna Mandel

Donna Mandel

Nursery School Head Teacher, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Donna Mandel is a Nursery School Head Teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.  Serving as a choreographer and artistic co-director of Fluid Measure Performance Company, she was awarded numerous fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council and residencies from the... Read More →

Tuesday February 13, 2018 1:20pm - 2:20pm CST
Classrooms 1 & 2, Regenstein Learning Campus
  Break-Out Session

2:35pm CST

Conference Wrap-Up
Limited Capacity filling up
Join this interactive closing to the Summit, including a recap of all sessions and an opportunity to ask questions and share next steps.
Tuesday February 13, 2018 2:35pm - 3:15pm CST
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
  General Session

3:15pm CST

The Orchid Show (FREE)- advanced reservation (through Sched) and ticket required
Limited Capacity full
After the summit concludes, visit the annual Orchid Show and enjoy stunning displays of over 10,000 orchids. Though there is no additional charge for this experience, advance registration is required.
Tuesday February 13, 2018 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
The Orchid Show

3:15pm CST

Meet for Tour of CBG Preschool and Regenstein Learning Campus
Limited Capacity filling up
Take a tour of the CBG's new Nature Preschool, Nature Play Garden, and Regenstein Learning Campus.
Tuesday February 13, 2018 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Krehbiel Gallery, Regenstein Center
  Tour
 
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Tuesday, February 13
Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
Burnstein Hall, Regenstein Center
Classrooms 1 & 2, Regenstein Learning Campus
Classrooms 10 & 11, Regenstein Learning Campus
Krehbiel Gallery, Regenstein Center
Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
Pullman Room, Regenstein Center
The Orchid Show
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