2021 Michigan AEYC Virtual Infant Toddler Conference Program

2021 Virtual

Infant Toddler Conference Event Schedule 9:00am-10:00am Keynote Panel Voices from the Field: Infant and Toddler Caregiver Perspectives

10:20am - 11:20am Breakout 1 Session 1: Landscapes for Learning for Infants & Toddlers Session 2: Supporting Brain Development and Executive Functions Through Play

November 6 - December 6, 2021 On-Demand Only Sessions Session 7: The ABCs of Multilingual Learners Session 8: Supporting Early Language and Literacy Session 9: Variety is Key

Session 10: Hands and Hearts Legacy Project

Session 11: Referring Children to Early Intervention in Child Care Settings Session 12: The Importance of Intentionality with Infants & Toddlers

12:20pm-1:20pm Breakout 2 Session 3: Thriving in Responsive Classrooms Session 4: Is It Too Soon to Worry?

Supporting Children with Potential Delays in Infant/Toddler Classrooms

1:40pm-2:40pm Breakout 3 Session 5: Beginning Anti-Bias with Infants and Toddlers

Live Sessions November 6, 2021 9:00am - 2:40pm On-Demand Access November 6 - December 6, 2021

Saturday, November 6 LIVE

Session 6: Building Brains with Music Co-sponsorship of a conference by the State Board of Education and Michigan Department of Education assumes the active participation of Department of Education staff in the planning and development of the agenda. The Michigan Department of Education is an equal opportunity provider. The conference facility must meet federal and state accessibility standards. Commercial products or services displayed or presented as a part of the conference are not considered endorsed by the State Board of Education or Michigan Department of Education.

Sessions Keynote Panel Voices from the Field: Perspectives from the Infant/Toddler Profession Moderator: Jennifer Champagne, Early Childhood Consultant, Oakland Schools Panelists: LaTonya Glover, Owner/Family Child Care Provider, Bright Beginnings Child Care LLC Olivia Wendorf, Lead Infant Teacher, Michigan State University Peretz Hirshbein, Director of Child and Family Services, Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor This interactive panel will explore the perspectives of infant and toddler caregivers from a variety of professional settings on quality infant and toddler caregiving, affordability and accessibility of infant and toddler care, and the challenges facing Michigan’s infant and toddler workforce.

Session 1 Landscapes for Learning for Infants and Toddlers

Debra Pierce, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana As childcare providers, we have the ability to design environments that promote development and learning. We do this through the materials and activities we provide and especially in the context of our relationships with young children. As we think about the best learning environments for children, we must consider their developmental needs and also their safety.

Session 3 Thriving in Responsive Classrooms

Perna Richards, CEO & Founder, Together We Grow Providing responsive care and interactions are at the heart of teaching, yet many educators don't have a clear idea of what that looks like in an early childhood classroom. Take a closer look at the important role of the educator as they lay the foundation of the young developing brain between birth- 3 years. Leave the session with practical strategies to help children master skills like focus, attention, problem-solving and, self-regulation all through play.

Session 4 Is It Too Soon To Worry? Supporting Children with Potential Delays in Infant & Toddler Classrooms Holly Delgado, Program Director, University of Michigan Health System Children’s Center

Is your infant a late developer? Did your toddler miss a milestone? This session will explore typical and atypical growth, as well as simple strategies to support children exhibiting delays, in each of the four domains of development: cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical.

Session 5 Beginning Anti-Bias With Infants and Toddlers Olivia Wendorf, Lead Infant Teacher, Michigan State University Let’s take a deeper look at anti-bias in an infant and toddler classroom while taking a look at the differences between anti-bias and non-bias. Teachers will walk away with some practical ideas to use in their teaching.

Session 2

Session 6

Supporting Brain Development and Executive Function Skills Through Play

Building Brains with Music

Christine Snyder, Center Director, University of Michigan Health System Children’s Center A significant amount of brain growth occurs early and is necessary for the development of executive function skills. This session provides a brief overview of how this is developed through play and how adults can support children through the environment, routine, and interactions.

www.miaeyc.org

Maryann Harman, Educational Consultant/Founder, Music with Mar, LLC Repeatedly, research has shown music is the only activity that utilizes the entire brain. Combining that with knowing the early years are where we make the most difference, this workshop demonstrates through movement and activity how to use music to build brains. Early childhood educators are engineers/ designers of brains! How exciting is that?

Sessions, cont.

Session 7 The ABCs of Multilingual Learners

Jolene Andriaschko, Consultant, Strategic Education Consulting Solutions, LLC In this session you will learn about the foundations for supporting multilingual learners. Learn how children develop first and second languages through an asset-based lens of the strengths that multilanguage learners possess and how teachers and caregivers can grow upon those strengths. Learn how to set up your classroom to support multilingual learners, making connections between home language and culture. and engaging multilanguage learners through music and movement.

Session 8 Supporting Early Language and Literacy

Debra Pierce, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Literacy begins before birth. A child is genetically programmed to learn language and verbally interact with other humans. As early educators, we have the ability to enable this early on and support literacy in all forms, mostly through our one-on-one interactions and by providing engaging materials and activities.

Session 9 Variety is Key

Annie Winter, Owner, Annie’s Children’s Center All humans are capable of learning, and each human learns in a variety of ways, some more proficiently than others. Just as it's important to provide for various learning styles for adults, we must consider the variety needed throughout each day in all aspects of caring for and working with young children.

Session 10 Hands and Hearts Legacy Project

Betsy Spiker, Early Childhood Specialist, Heartfelt Impressions Learning Centers With the Jacquelyn H Miller Endowment grant, we embarked on a project to develop a sensory walk and cozy nook for infants, little learning libraries in three play spaces and utilized vegetables from garden to classroom. Further, we established outdoor learning experiences for all age groups.

www.miaeyc.org

Session 11 Referring Children to Early Intervention in Child Care Settings Jennifer Koenigsknecht, Public Awareness Consultant, Clinton County RESA Office of Innovative Projects

Do you know what to do if a child in your care is not meeting their developmental milestones or has a pre-existing health condition? Early On Michigan offers early intervention services for families who have infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with developmental delay (s) and/or disabilities. This session will allow you to learn helpful tips and language to discuss developmental concerns with parents/caregivers, and teach you how to partner so that children are supported, safe and meaningfully included in child care settings.

Session 12 The Importance of Intentionality with Infants & Toddlers Tracey Roden, Director of Research and Assessment, Frog Street

Children grow and thrive when provided developmentally appropriate opportunities, but they also need active teachers to guide their learning through intentional and meaningful classroom experiences. Teaching with intentionality applies best practices while offering a balance of child-guided and adult-guided experiences. Join Frog Street for this important session as we offer guidance and best practices focused on the importance of intentionality with our youngest children.

Register online at bit.ly/2021ITC Michigan AEYC Members * - $60 Not yet members - $95 Students or current T.E.A.C.H. recipients** - $45 Deadline: November 2, 2021 All registrants must have a MiRegistry account. Training credit awarded through MiRegistry or MOECS account (SCECH eligible only).

No certificates. *Members at the Standard or Premium Level receive Michigan AEYC Member Rate- Entry Level not eligible. **Students must upload a recent student schedule for student rate.