Early Childhood Australia National Conference papers available

Papers presented at the Early Childhood Association’s national event are now available online. The Sector Assistant Editor provides a quick run-down on the presentations focusing on leadership and professional development for the sector.

 

The Early Childhood Australia National Conference was held in Sydney from 19-22 September 2018, with the theme ‘Be the difference for children and families’. Exploring current and emerging practice, the event showcased professional development resources,  and facilitated deep reflective thinking.

 

Papers which may be of interest to owners, managers, and leaders within ECEC services include:

 

Leadership:

 

Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy. Presented by Sue Irvine (QUT) Karen Thorpe (UQ) Jane Bourne (ECA QLD). This presentation outlines research conducted with an aim of identifying strategies that enable professional practice in long day care settings. The presentation offers insight and perspective into how centres are enabling professional practice and supporting leadership within their teams.

 

Leading the Early Years: Supporting school leaders in high quality teaching and learning in the early years. Presented by Anne Barone and Racquel Cumming Department of Education, Western Australia. This presentation provides context for Western Australia, in that preschool is conducted as part of the school system, and early childhood, in the Western Australian context, is considered to extend to Year 2.

 

Learning to Unlead: the practice of love and hope as a revolutionary approach to leading. Presented by Anthony Semann. This presentation focuses on a willingness to be both a leader, and be open to being led, and on leadership practice which does not distinguish between leading and following.

 

Professional development:

 

8 Ways of Working with Aboriginal Knowledge. Presented by Ceane Towers. Ceane’s presentation focuses on moving Aboriginal perspectives from the arena of tokenism into a space where Aboriginal perspectives become more than content, or cultural items, and move into shifting perspectives on pedagogy.

 

Professional reading, learning and leading: who reads what? and why? Presented by Jackie Brien and Dr Jane Page. This presentation focuses on the value of professional reading in improving outcomes for children, and explores some of the ways professional reading impacts on leadership capacity at all levels.

 

Educators as Learners: a framework for new conversations on designing and sourcing effective professional learning that results in real change. Presented by Debbie Cole and Catharine Hydon. This presentation explores the elements of professional development which affect enhanced pedagogy and improve children’s learning in early childhood settings.

 

Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has been a voice for young children since 1938. As a peak early childhood advocacy organisation, ECA acts in the best interests of young children, their families, and those in the early childhood field. ECA advocates to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children aged birth to eight years.

 

The 2019 Early Childhood Australia conference will be held in Hobart Tasmania, from 25 – 28 September, with the theme “From Vision to Action”. For more information,visit the ECA website.