• About Us
    • About Us
    • AECEO Milestones
    • Annual Reports
    • Donate to the AECEO
    • AECEO Board of Directors
    • College of ECE
    • AECEO Public Policy Submissions
    • Truth and Reconciliation
  • Home
    • Home
    • News
    • Sign up for AECEO e-blasts
  • Become a Member Or Renew!
  • Members ONLY
    • Members ONLY
    • Member Benefits
    • Certification
    • Creating Your AECEO Online Member Profile
    • eceLink
  • Professional Pay & Decent Work
    • Professional Pay & Decent Work
    • Decent Work Charter
    • Policy Recommendations
    • ECE PowerToolkit
    • Decent Work Communities of Practice
  • Professional Learning
    • Professional Learning
    • Professional Learning Opportunities
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Employment Resources
    • Public Policy and the ECE
    • Important Organizations
    • eceLINK Peer-Reviewed Articles

Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario

Pages tagged "professional learning"


25th International RECE Conference

Posted on News by Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (Aeceo) · September 26, 2017 10:16 AM

Finding a Home in the World: Migration, Indigeneity, and Citizenship

Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada • October 24 –27, 2017
Preconference workshops and preschool visits • October 23-24

The theme of this year's conference is Finding a Home in the World: Migration, Indigeneity, and Citizenship. Recent events shine new light on a familiar theme – the wrenching displacement of large populations because of war, violence, religious persecution, poverty, environmental disasters, and human-made climate change.

More information


Posted by Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (Aeceo) · November 16, 2016 11:58 AM

pdbutton.pngPROFESSIONAL LEARNING


Professional learning activities accessed by early childhood educators range from single or multi-session workshops to educational and professional credentials such as certificates, diplomas and degrees.

Professional learning activities are currently being delivered by a host of various organizations and institutions in the province. Many regions have resource centres, as either stand-alone organizations or as part of larger institutions that coordinate the provision of professional learning and/or provide access to professional learning calendars.

Our list of professional learning opportunites provides web links and contact information to regional resource centres and training institutions that can connect you to professional learning opportunities in your community.

The AECEO also provides professional learning year round through AECEO sponsored events, workshops, online learning/webinars and community meetings.

Ontario's ECE Grants  ECE_logo_bilV2.jpg

This program is mandated by the Ministry of Education to administer this grants program which helps to financially support individuals who are studying in the field, working at home or in a centre-based agency in Ontario, to obtain their ECE Qualifications Upgrade diploma or Leadership certification.

 

 

Guiding principles for professional learning


The following criteria were developed by the AECEO in consultation with sector stakeholders to help ECE professionals identify professional learning opportunities of the highest quality. As well, the guiding principles support ECEs to successfully meet the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice established by the College of ECEs through their continuous professional learning.

  • Supports active participation
  • Critically identifies, evaluates and challenges thinking about daily practice
  • Poses questions about values and beliefs regarding why we do what we do and what we want for children, families, communities and society
  • Introduces new and relevant ideas and topics
  • Creates and supports a critically reflective community of practice that reciprocally interacts with the changing needs of children, families and society
  • Promotes a sense of professionalism
  • Easily accessible and affordable
  • Delivered using a broad range of informal and formal strategies or activities
  • Delivered using a range of formats for different topics including face-to-face, hybrid (combination of face-to-face and on-line), and on-line
  • Promotes collaboration between all professionals  who work in different early childhood education and care settings (i.e. child care, full day kindergarten, family support programs)
  • Engages participants in reflection regarding their daily practice
  • Provides diversity to be inclusive of all areas of RECE employment
  • Supports participant choice with respect to timing, topic and mode of delivery

 

 

Continuous professional learning through the College of ECEs


The College's Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) program complements and formalizes the ongoing professional learning many RECEs do every day.

"Engaging in ongoing professional learning is important to early childhood educators. It is part of the culture of the profession and an integral component of both professionalism and leadership.

The CPL program is a framework and formal process to help RECEs increase their knowledge and skills and ensure quality professional practice throughout their careers. It also communicates to employers, families and the public that RECEs are members of a distinct profession that values ongoing professional learning." College of ECE

Visit the College of ECE website for more information

The AECEO will continue to develop resources to support early childhood educators to fulfill their Continuous Professional Learning requirements and better understand the process.

 

 

AECEO Online Professional Learning


Continuing the movement for the ECE workforce

This event was a follow up to a previous panel,Professional pay for ECEs: How do we get there?,that took place at Conestoga in March 2015. The event was organized in partnership with AECEO members from Waterloo/Kitchener and Guelph/Wellington and the Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre and Conestoga College.

The videos in this series include the six presentations that took place at Conestoga College during a Professional Pay & Decent Work Panel. Panelists discussed the issues and solutions for professional pay for ECEs in Ontario from their unique perspectives.

The moderation and participant discussion that took place after the panel presentations is not provided on video to protect the privacy of participants. However, many of the reflection questions included in this document are inspired by the questions and conversations that took place in between and after the presentations.  

A discussion guide to accompany the videos is also available

Visit Professional Learning Registration for more online learning.

Video #1 - Martha Friendly

Video #2 - Shellie Bird

Video #3 - Nancy Dickieson

Video #4 - Laura Coulman

Video #5 - Lorna Reid

Video #6 - Shani Halfon


Professional Learning Opportunities

Posted on Professional Learning by Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (Aeceo) · November 04, 2016 3:26 PM

The following is a list of organizations that offer professional learning and development opportunities for individuals working in Early Learning and Care. This page is for information only.

WSIB Approved providers to deliver standard and emergency first aid training

Science of Early Child Development

In the SECD online professional development (PD) workshops, participants access multimedia content and “meet” each other in online discussion groups, over the course of two to three weeks. During the workshop period, participants choose the times and locations most suitable for them to work through the engaging, interactive material and complete the weekly tasks. 

Inspired to Learn

Inspired to Learn is an Ontario-based website that offers free and affordable eCourses, resources, and an Inspirations blog for both early learning educators and parents of young children. Inspired to Learn is rooted in emergent curriculum, Reggio-inspired pedagogies and invites parents and educators to explore ways of nurturing children’s learning together.

The Psychology Foundation of Canada

The Psychology Foundation of Canada (PFC) is a registered charity with a 45+ year history of nurturing resilience in children and youth giving them a solid foundation of mental health before problems or issues may begin. 

Digital Training programs are research-based and built on an experiential learning approach. They aim to help educators (and caregivers) create teachable moments to introduce stress management strategies and build emotional resiliency.

New Fall Schedule

Make the Connection 0-3 is an e-learning course for professionals who want to learn and implement effective strategies of working with parents and caregivers on building secure attachment with their children.

Make the Connection 0-3

Early Childhood Development in a Time of Pandemic
Free Webinar Series

The webinars will highlight some possible effects of the pandemic on young children’s behaviours and emotions and discuss ways to support children, families and service providers through a series of presentations and open plenary.

City Wide Training - Humber College
To create a comprehensive professional development system, that will evolve and build capacity in the Toronto child care community to meet the changing needs of all children with extra support needs and their families. This will be achieved through ongoing collaboration with community stakeholders, both within and external to childcare, and will reflect changes in current practice that will benefit children, families and child care professionals.
Having a Ball Together
Two online training modules have been developed to support continued learning about physical activity and physical literacy for children aged 0-6. The online training modules are independent of one another.  You can complete both modules or, you can complete the module that applies best to your role or learning needs.
Ministry of Education Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch
An extensive list of workshops available both in person and online that specialize on topics for educators working with children and families with special needs.

Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute Inc.

CTRI is a leading provider of training and consulting services for individuals, school, communities and organizations affected by or involved in working with issues of crisis and trauma.

Reaching IN...Reaching OUT (RIRO) Resiliency Skills Training for service providers and Bounce Back & Thrive! (BBT) Resiliency Skills Training for parents are Canada's only evidence-based programs for teaching resiliency thinking and coping skills to children under 8 years. We reach young children by training professionals and parents to model and share the skills with the children in their lives.

Queen's University Professional studies, Faculty of Education

Professional Studies department as part of the Faculty of Education offers online professional development courses throughout the year for Early Childhood Educators
The Hanen Centre 
Toronto (GTA) - More than 35 years ago, The Hanen Centre began its work with a focus on early language intervention for children with language delays. It has since developed three other areas of expertise, each concerned with promoting the communication development of a particular group of children with specific needs.
Early Learning Café
Accessible online professional learning for early learning educators, home childcare providers, and ECE students. Each Café brings thinkers and leaders in the field of early learning into small group conversations with those who are seeking support and inspiration for inquiry-based pedagogies.
Early Childhood Community Development Centre (ECCDC) 
Niagara Region
The Early Childhood Community Development Centre is a professional resource and referral organization working to help early learning and care professionals achieve their goals by offering resources, training, and supports and helping employers and parents gain information about early learning and child care choices in Niagara.
Child Development Resource Connection Peel
Peel Region 
Child Development Resource Connection Peel connects community and practitioners with the information, resources, training and services that promote quality family life.
The Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre (ECPRC)
Waterloo Region
ECPRC is designed to successfully meet and respond to the diverse human resource needs of the early learning and child care system. It will provide educational resources such as: books, media, articles, reference materials, toys and on-site equipment to support the early learning and care professional in action. Monthly workshops and networking opportunities are offered to build strong community ties and support professional development. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are ready to help and support your professional needs. We can help you select the right materials for your research or your classroom.

Affiliated Services for Children and Youth Hamilton Region

We work in collaboration with families, children, professionals and communities to share knowledge, build capacity and create equitable opportunities for all.

Best Start/Health Nexus

Province Wide - The Best Start Resource Centre: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre is a key program of Health Nexus,  a bilingual health promotion organization that works with diverse partners to build healthy, equitable and thriving communities. The Best Start Resource Centre supports service providers who work in preconception health, prenatal health and early child development.

EarlyON Brantford Brant

Brant Region - The Brant Early Years Community offers a variety of services and supports to young children and their families and caregivers. 

Early Childhood Resource Teacher Network of Ontario

The Network promotes the inclusion of children with varying needs and abilities, in their communities, by providing a forum for networking, education, professional development, and collaborative advocacy for Resource Teachers and Consultants across the Province of Ontario.

Infant Mental Health Promotion (IMHP)

Infant Mental Health Promotion (IMHP) is an independently run, not for profit organization operating within the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. The goal of IMHP is to promote the development of infants (0-3) through education, information dissemination, networking and advocacy.

Family Supports Institute Ontario

The Family Supports Institute Ontario exists to advance the well-being of families as seen through the lens of The Guiding Principles of Family Support.This will be accomplished using the tools of Innovative Research, Promotion of Family-Friendly Public Policy, Reciprocal Capacity Building, and Parent Engagement.

The Halton Resource Connection

The Halton Resource Connection (THRC) works in partnership with individuals and organizations who serve the interests of children and youth within the Halton community, providing curriculum resources, services, equipment, and professional development which enhance the quality of care. 

Canadian Child Care Federation

Our reach is wide and diverse. Together, our affiliate organizations, which represent early learning and child care organizations from across Canada, provide leadership and governance for CCCF. Each affiliate shares feedback and information via their member council representative.

Milton Community Resource Centre

The creative and innovative leadership of MCRC with the Halton community will develop and deliver services to inspire and support children, their families and professionals.

Our Kids Network

Our Kids Network is a Halton-wide partnership of organizations and agencies serving children and youth.

Child and Family Collaborative

Committed to principles of prevention and education, CFC creates proactive opportunities for professional development, life-long learning, research, early intervention and investment in the early years – all aimed at improving early development and child care services for children aged prenatal to twelve and their families in York region.

Canadian Association for Play Therapy

CACPT offers both online and face to play therapy training throughout Canada.  

The Royal Conservatory of Music

An overview to incorporating music education into early childhood settings while fulfilling Continuous Professional Learning requirements. 

Evergreen Brick Works

Offers workshops for K-12 Educators interested in outdoor learning and play for students.

The Circle/Le Cercle

The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada is an open network to promote giving, sharing, and philanthropy in Aboriginal communities across the country.

High Park Nature Centre

To promote awareness and respect for nature through year-round, hands-on outdoor nature education and park stewardship.

Ontario Reggio Association

The Ontario Reggio Association intends to provide a forum for all sectors involved with young children, from child care, preschool, public and private schools to postsecondary institutions, from teacher to administrators to legislators and policy makers. 

Ontario NonProfit Network

The Ontario NonProfit Network is an independent network focused on policy, advocacy, and services to create positive change for Ontario’s nonprofits and charities.

Childreach

Supporting and strengthening parents and professionals through learning opportunities and relationships.

Saroy Group Inc.

Specializing in developing and delivering personal and professional development presentations, seminars and workshops. 

These workshops connect participants to relevant resources, proven research and hands-on experiences that can be used in the classroom and within leadership roles. 

 


Position Paper on Professional Learning for Registered Early Childhood Educators

Posted on ADVOCACY FOR ECES by Lena DaCosta · January 16, 2015 3:51 PM

February, 2014

click here to download pdf version

Introduction

For over 60 years, the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) has provided professional growth opportunities to early childhood educators in this province.  As an organization the AECEO has made significant contributions in the areas of training, public awareness, certification, equivalency, networking, professional development and recognition for the profession.

In 1989, the AECEO spearheaded the establishment of a Legislative Recognition Committee to advocate for the implementation of a professional regulatory body for ECE professionals in Ontario. Almost 20 years later, and as a result of the commitment and dedication of countless AECEO member volunteers, the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, was finally enacted and the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) established. Since the inception of the ECE Act, the AECEO has continued to support registered early childhood educators in navigating and transitioning within the changing landscape of the profession.  Working alongside sector stakeholders, the AECEO has helped to shape the new and evolving vision for the sector.

In continuing its mission to support registered early childhood educators, the AECEO has developed this position paper on professional learning. The purpose of the paper is to present the AECEO’s position on what makes professional learning opportunities of the highest quality.

Current landscape

A significant number of registered early childhood educators already regard professional learning as a vital part of their professional practice.  The “You Bet We Still Care Study” reported that the majority of early childhood program staff respondents participated in some form of professional learning within a one year period (Flanagan, Beach & Varmuza, 2013). The main reason cited was the need to keep current in their field.

Since 2006, Ontario’s early learning curriculum framework has guided early childhood professional practice. The framework is designed to stimulate on-going discussion amongst registered early childhood educators regarding their values, theories, and beliefs about early learning and care and to provide these professionals with the pedagogical tools for rich early learning environments which reflect the framework’s vision and principles (Langford, 2012).

In the Ministry of Education’s Modernizing Child Care in Ontario Discussion Paper (2012) the government states that one of its objectives is “to develop tools, resources and training opportunities to support child care operators and caregivers as they implement…quality initiatives” (p. 10). More recently, the province’s Early Years Policy Framework (2013) states in the context of their guiding principle on high quality programs and services that “early years professionals must be knowledgeable, responsive, and reflective, and continuous professional learning opportunities should be encouraged” (p.7).

The College of ECE is currently undergoing a process to develop a continuous professional learning program to document its members’ accountability and adherence to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice mandated for the profession. As stated in their consultation paper, “Continuous Professional Learning Program Development Process”:

As a regulatory body, the College must transform the concept of professional learning from something that members of the profession “just did” into an institutionalized construct with specified requirements of members. The continuous professional learning construct will include expectations for members outlined in government legislation and College by-laws, policies, practices, programs and compliance mechanisms (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2013, p. 2).

The current CECE program proposes a means by which members can document their professional learning using a self assessment and reflective model that reviews a member’s “recent professional learning activities, performance reviews, changes in relevant legislation, policy and procedures or other information relevant to … (an individual’s) continuous professional learning” (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2013, p.6).

However, “professional learning activities” are not defined by the CECE in the above mentioned document. Currently, professional learning activities accessed by registered early childhood educators range from single or multi-session workshops to educational and professional credentials such as certificates, diplomas and degrees. Professional learning activities are currently being delivered by a host of various organizations and institutions in the province, including, but not limited to, the AECEO, OCAAT Colleges, Universities, unions, and large multi-service employers. The wide array of activities, deliverers and formats presently available, creates a need to establish clear criteria to help identify professional learning opportunities of the highest quality.

I: Professional development vs. Professional learning

Traditionally, the term “professional development” has been seen as a one-time or “one-day-one-stop” only activity, that is, workshops and conferences in which the participant is a passive consumer of information. Loughran (2010) states that:

traditional professional development is often linked to the implementation of some form of educational change by doing something to teachers, that is, telling us about the change and expecting it to then be carried out. In this way mandated changes are presented, we are trained in those changes in terms of technical requirements (sometimes as simple as re-labeling existing curriculum and practice) and then we are expected to implement those changes (p. 200).

In contrast, Loughran (2010) maintains that professional learning “carries an expectation that we are able to bring our expert judgement to bear on how change might best be implemented in our own context and practice” (p.201). “Professional learning” is then viewed as a range of on-going activities in which early childhood educators are actively engaged in the processes of assessing and reflecting on their own learning and practice. In this model, learning becomes a back and forth interaction between practicing and thinking about practice that is supported by multiple stakeholders across the different stages of a professional’s career (Urban, 2008). 

The College of ECE is proposing a continuous professional learning (CPL) framework for RECEs to adhere to as part of their renewal of membership criteria.

II: Guiding Principles

The College of ECE has a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice document to which all its members must adhere. The CPL as proposed is a tool in which its members are to reflect and document their professional learning. It does not outline accepted principles for professional learning to guide delivery or identify accepted institutions that will deliver it. The open-ended nature of this tool makes it imperative that guiding principles be established to ensure that the professional learning opportunities accessed by the individual RECE will allow her/him to successfully meet the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the profession.

III: Coordination of Services

The current fragmented delivery of professional learning by various stakeholders catering to the different stages of a professional career makes it difficult for individual registered early childhood educators to navigate and find professional learning of the highest quality.

IV: Wages and working conditions

The willingness of registered early childhood educators to keep abreast of their profession or the importance of on-going professional learning is not in question.  However, according to the “You Bet We Still Care” study, hourly wages of program staff in all provinces and territories from 1998 to 2012 increased by 5-50%, with the exception of Ontario as the only province in which hourly wages decreased (Flanagan, Beach & Varmuza, 2013). The study also reports that in 2012 fewer staff reported access to paid preparation time, financial assistance and paid release time for ECE-related professional learning than in 1998.

The increasing demands of the profession in the past decade are incongruent with the financial compensation and working conditions faced by registered early childhood educators. 

AECEO Position:

I: On Professional Learning vs. Professional Development:

The AECEO supports the use of the term, “professional learning”, rather than “professional development” because of the implications of life-long learning, self-reflection and active engagement on the member’s professional growth (Edwards & Nutall, 2009). It also implicitly denotes an understanding of oneself, and encourages interaction and reflection with others (peers, leaders, families, public), which promotes professional growth and learning. 

II: On Guiding Principles

The AECEO believes that professional learning for registered early childhood educators should be guided by the following principles:

  • Supports active participation
  • Critically identifies, evaluates and challenges thinking about daily practice
  • Poses questions about values and beliefs regarding why we do what we do and what we want for children, families, communities and society
  • Introduces new and relevant ideas and topics
  • Creates and supports a critically reflective community of practice that reciprocally interacts with the changing needs of children, families and society
  • Promotes a sense of professionalism
  • Easily accessible and affordable
  • Delivered using a broad range of informal and formal strategies or activities
  • Delivered using a range of formats including face-to-face, hybrid (combination of face-to-face and on-line), and on-line
  • Promotes collaboration between all professionals  who work in different early childhood education and care settings (i.e. child care, full day kindergarten, family support programs)
  • Engages participants in reflection regarding their daily practice
  • Provides diversity to be inclusive of all areas of RECE employment
  • Supports participant choice with respect to timing, topic and mode of delivery

III: On Coordination of Services

AECEO recommends a coordinated effort by all providers to enhance the content and delivery of professional learning activities. The AECEO will work with Professional Resource Centres in local communities and other professional learning providers across Ontario to build capacity and establish a clearinghouse of all professional learning activities that reflect the principles outlined above.

AECEO members can access this on-line clearinghouse to fulfill the CECE’s program of “self-directed learning and personalized decision-making around enhancing their professional practice” (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2013, p.5).

The AECEO will also offer training in creating, building and updating a portfolio, which includes a self-assessment tool, professional learning plan and a record of programs, activities and/or strategies undertaken by the RECE. The College of ECE (2013) has identified portfolios as “a tool that assists members in being accountable for their own continuous professional learning” (p. 23).

For many years, the AECEO has provided a certification process and a significant number of AECEO members are currently certified. Moving forward, the AECEO will have  a program in which members are assessed and certified through an e-portfolio.

IV: On Wages and Working Conditions

AECEO recommends that a professional learning framework be designed within a coherent early childhood human resources policy that provides sufficient funding and ensures adequate compensation and favourable working conditions to enhance the capacity of RECEs to undertake professional learning. 

Works Cited:

College of Early Childhood Educators. (2013). Continuous Professional Learning Program Development Process: Draft Design, Implementation Process and Member Resources for the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Program, Participant Feedback – Spring 2013.Toronto: College of Early Childhood Educators.

Edwards, S. & Nutall, J. (2009). Professional learning in early childhood settings. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Flanagan, K., Beach, J. & Varmuza, P.(2013). You Bet We Still Care! A Survey of Centre-Based Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada: Highlights Report. Ottawa: Child Care Human Resources Sector Council. 

Langford, R. (2012). Innovations in provincial early learning curriculum frameworks in N. Howe & Prochner, L. (Eds.), New directions in early childhood education and care in Canada (pp.206-228) Toronto: University of Toronto.

Loughran, J. (2010). What Expert Teachers Do: Enhancing Professional Knowledge for Classroom Practice. NewYork: Routledge.

Ministry of Education (2012). Modernizing Child Care in Ontario. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Ministry of Education (2013). Ontario Early Years Policy Framework. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Urban, M. (2008). Dealing with uncertainty: challenges and possibilities for the early childhood profession. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(2), 135-152.


Tags

Posted by Lena DaCosta · August 08, 2014 11:22 AM

  • Sign in with Facebook
  • Sign in with Twitter
  • Sign in with Email


Become a Member or Renew Donate to the AECEO

Your professional association.  A strong, united voice for ECEs in our province. 


Together We are Stronger!  Join us Today!

 

489 College St., Suite 206, - Toronto, Ontario  M6G 1A5

Telephone: 416 487-3157

Toll Free: 1-866-932-3236

Fax: 416-487-3758

Email: info@aeceo.ca


Sign in with Facebook, Twitter or email.
Created with NationBuilder