Conferences
The Well-Connected Child
Kenny Spence - Co-Host, 7 November 2012
Young children are connected emotionally and share experience with others, from birth. Our feelings and actions affect their capacities and learning. Through short talks, films and interaction, we aim to discuss the importance of connection to improve early years policy and practice, and how we can encourage the best possible parental and professional engagement.
Drawing on psychology, philosophy and policy research we explore together the imaginative and sociable nature of childhood and the relations between small children and their environment. We then discuss how this knowledge can translate into collaborative relationships in the early years field, by bringing together academic experts, policy-makers and practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds.
A Man's Place: including and engaging fathers and male carers
Children in Europe Conference 20th November 2012
How can we make services relevant and able to involve fathers positively in their children's lives?
Fathers and male carers, of all kinds and in all situations, are important to the development, well-being and life chances of children, yet children and family services still have difficulty engaging fathers, and many fathers feel that these services are not for them. How can we catch up with the changes in the modern family and make our services relevant and able to involve fathers positively in their children's lives?
This conference will address the target area for International Men’s Day 2012 of promoting fathers and positive male role models and examine how we can best meet the needs of men as parents and carers, whatever their age or background, whether biological or not, resident or non-resident and however their family is structured and thus aid the development, wellbeing and life chances of their children.
Speakers
- Kenny Spence, Manager, Men in Childcare
- Hilary Third, The Scottish Government
- Dr Jan Peeters, University of Ghent, Belgium
- Ian Maxwell, Families need Fathers Scotland
- Roger Olley MBE, Sector specialist Father and male inclusion
Men in Childcare / Mindstretchers
Conference - June 2012
That was the conference that was !
The Innovators International Conference certainly lived up to its billing, with speakers and delegates from all over the World in attendance.
The Edinburgh City Chambers looked as resplendent as ever as beams of light shone through between pillars and pews, illuminating the delegates every bit as much as the invited speakers. Colin Chisholm Coordinator MIC welcomed guests in his own inimitable fashion, gaining sniggers and titters whenever possible, before introducing the first speaker. Charlie Lewis kicked off proceedings, followed by Colwyn Trevarthen as the conference gathered pace toward the mid morning coffee break. After the interval, the delegates were officially welcomed by Councillor Paul Godzik, Convenor for Education for Edinburgh City Council. Kenny Spence then took to the podium followed by Kate Hookham Coordinator of Mindstretchers Living Classrooms.
A wonderful finger buffet ensured no one went hungry at lunchtime, a special mention and a big thumbs up here, to the catering staff at The Edinburgh City Chambers for whom nothing was too much trouble. After lunch, it was full steam ahead with an opening session from Claire Warden CEO of Mindstretchers, followed by Steven White coordinator of Auchlone Nature Kindergarten. The finale was left to the highly entertaining and all round great guy Jerry Parr (USA) and once again he had the audience enthralled not only by his own infectious personality but by the wonderful images and stories of Native American tribal life. The Plenary which followed played testament to the various subjects covered and of their interest to the gathered delegates, it was indeed an Innovative afternoon.
ISSA-DECET Conference, 15-17 Oct 2012
From 15-17 October 2012, Croatia hosted the ISSA-DECET's conference "Co-constructing Professional Learning: Pathways towards Quality, Equity, and Respect for Diversity in ECEC". The conference explored in an interactive manner innovative ways of professional learning that can empower ECEC workers in their search for quality, equity, and respect for diversity. In this context we looked at examples of interesting practices that illustrate innovative approaches to professional learning that empowers ECEC practitioners working with children in increasingly challenging, diverse, and uncertain contexts.
The co-organizers invited practitioners in early years services and primary schools, policymakers and researchers to explore questions related to the professionalization of early care and education personnel, through dialogue and a joint professional learning process.
Conference Organizing Committee
- Kenny Spence (Chair of DECET Board)
- Kathleen Mooren (DECET Secretariat)
- Emmanuel Murcier (DECET Board member)
- Radmila Rangelov Jusovic (ISSA Bosnia Herzegovina)
- Liana Ghent (ISSA Executive Director)
- Eva Izsak (ISSA Network Manager)
- Nives Milinovic (ISSA Croatia)
International Conference Men in Early Childhood Education and Care
27 - 28 September 2012 Berlin Organization: Koordinationsstelle Männer in Kitas
The initiative Men in early childhood education and care of the Ministry of family affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth with the aim to increase the proportion of male educators in early childhood education centres, has also an exemplary quality in an international comparison in terms of content development, as well as it used financial volume . Who are the stakeholders in this initiative and which policies are behind the respective sub-projects of the Initiative: Coordination Unit Men in early childhood education, ESF-model projects, and lateral entry program Tandem research.
Different lectures presented the status quo of previous efforts, which have the ambition to raise the number of male educators in Germany as well as researches and practical projects from Denmark and Norway. Various key players in the field of early childhood education and care presented themselves in a market of opportunities to a national and international audience. To promote the exchange of technical knowledge and practical experience, the coordination office invited international experts to the conference.
Read International conference article by Kenny Spence
World Forum on Early Care and Education
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - May 3-6, 2011
World Forum on Early Care and Education Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - May 3-6, 2011 Managers, teachers, trainers, consultants, public officials, advocates joined over 900 early childhood professionals from 70 nations for the experience of a lifetime at the 2011 World Forum on Early Care and Education. www.WorldForumFoundation.org
International Conference Engaging Boys in Education - 7th and 8th June 2011 Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland.
The conference included speakers from the UK and Scandinavia. It was led by Claire Warden with Kenny Spence from Men in Childcare, Scotland; Anders Farstad from Norway; Troels Romby Larsen Senior lecturer, University College Lillebaelt, Denmark; Professor Leif Christensen and Christopher Campion, Deputy Head from Cruckton Hall School, Shropshire, UK.
For full details of International Conference Engaging Boys in Education click here