In Dialogue with Suzanne Axelsson

Deepening our understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach

Date:

Friday, February 14, 2020

Location:

Pickering College
16945 Bayview Ave., Newmarket, Ontario

Time:

8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Cost:

$150 - Early Bird Price (if registered by 11:59 p.m. on December 16, 2019)
$180 - Regular rate (effective December 17, 2019)

Registration fee includes refreshments and luncheon – enjoy a taste of Italy throughout the day!

Registration is now closed for this sold-out event!

Conference Schedule

Session 1: The Art of Pedagogical Documentation

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

The Atelier as a space to explore pedagogical documentation. Reflections on educator choices and the need to make informed decisions about how to document and how to analyze collected data. This session will look at:

The five stages of pedagogical documentation
Explore who documentation is for and how this impacts decisions
Encouraging children to participate in the process

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Break with Refreshments & School Tour

Session 2: The Art of Listening

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Creating listening environments where the voice of the child is empowered. Reflections on the impact of the adult and how to create a learning community. This session will look at:

Philosophy with children
Shared sustained thinking
Democratic learning
Examples of listening activities
The 100 Languages

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Luncheon: A Taste of Italy!

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Tour of Reggio Inspired Classrooms at Pickering College

Session 3: The Art of Learning Through Play

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Play and learning are interwoven and enhance each other. What children learn is woven into their play. Their play processes the facts they have learned. Reflections on the importance of understanding the difference between play and playful learning and how we can set up the environment as “Playscapes”. Examples from around the world will be used, including AnjiPlay in China. This session will look at:

Original Learning. How play and learning are interwoven.
Playscapes in AnjiPlay
Indoor and Outdoor learning environments
The Third Teacher

Session 4: Q & A with Suzanne Axelsson

Keynote Speaker

Suzanne Axelsson

Suzanne has a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Sheffield, UK. She specialized in Reggio Emilia, language and communication, exploring pedagogical documentation as a tool to aid memory and deepen children’s learning, and investigating what “quality” is in an early years setting. She has a special interest in the art of listening and philosophy with children, exploring how play supports children in developing their listening skills.

Suzanne has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of early years’ settings, which have given her both broad knowledge, and interesting perspectives which are reflected in her blog, Interaction Imagination.

Suzanne currently works at Stockholm University teaching courses in the preschool teacher program, and working as a consultant in early years’ settings, supporting educators with their democratic approach to play and learning. She actively participates in Education Conferences and is a well-regarded presenter on topics relating to early childhood education.