“Conversations about community in ECE” – research conference
New Zealand Tertiary College’s 2013 research conference “Conversations on community in early childhood education” held on November 8 was a great success with our highest ever number of early childhood delegates in attendance.
The day-long conference was convened by NZTC’s Senior Lecturer of Research Dr Chris Naughton and featured conversations around communities of teachers, children, educators and online learners.
Before the keynote address commenced, NZTC’s Chief Executive Selena Fox challenged the attendees to “make a new friend today and grow your community… and take home a new idea to share to your community.”
Heather Durham and Nicole Paulsen from Helensville Montessori addressed the delegates sharing a story of how their centre has embraced ideologies from the Move, Act, Play, Sing (MAPS) research project. The project inspired them to plan what became a very successful ‘playing together’ event, where they hired the local town hall and invited families and the wider community to act out the story Giraffes Can’t Dance.
Twenty speakers from tertiary institutes around Auckland and local community groups then shared thought-provoking ideas and findings on a wide range of community-related topics, including:
Encouraging respectful interactions
Pauline Bishop (Unitec) presented the latest research on children’s brain development and detailed alternatives to punishment
Early childhood learning and neighbourhood development
Kim Conway and Caty Ferguson from Playdays outlined a project undertaken to increase ECE engagement in lower socio-economic groups
Growing communities
Virginia Best from the Garden to Table project shared Owairaka District School’s successful implementation of a community gardening project
“I colour the frog green”
Lucia Davis (Auckland City Council) explored world-views relating to mixed nationalities and identities.
The conference celebrated local and international communities, with attendees embracing the opportunity to take part in traditional Tongan, Samoan and Romanian dance workshops. Attendees were also treated to a beautiful performance of Indonesian key-bar dancing.
Delegates came together for the final session where NZTC Lecturers Roimata Rokx and Carla Hedgeman invited attendees to help create a large poi out of wool to represent the weaving together of the ideas and communities explored at the conference.
On behalf of NZTC, we would like to thank everybody who contributed to the success of our 2013 research conference, either as a speaker or attendee. We are looking forward to hosting another inspiring and interactive conference in 2014. If you would like to attend next year, please register your interest by emailing Research.
Please click HERE for more details and photos of the conference.
For more information on studying one of our specialist early childhood programs, please call us on (09) 520 4000 or email Enrolments.