The B.C. government is investing $2 million to improve professional development for early childhood educators around the province.
Katrina Chen, minister of state for child care, was at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo on Monday morning to announce the new program, which will fund the hiring of 32 teaching specialists, called pedagogists, around B.C.
The pedagogists 害羞草研究所� based at hubs at post-secondary institutions, child care referral centres and in indigenous communities 害羞草研究所� will each work with dozens of early childhood educators in their areas.
Antje Bitterberg, a VIU professor and pedagogist, said she will work alongside children, families, educators and practicum students within the early learning framework, supporting the efforts of ECEs to be attentive to children and intentional in their teaching.
害羞草研究所淭his ongoing access to rich professional development opportunities will 害羞草研究所� I hope, and I think I know 害羞草研究所� increase retention of educators in the field,害羞草研究所� Bitterberg said. 害羞草研究所淲orking collaboratively, we will be able to question conventional structures in education and wonder together how we might see things anew.害羞草研究所�
VIU early childhood education student Sabrina Limas said she expects the initiative will be a rewarding and exciting opportunity to work as a team in learning new teaching methods and trying different tools and technologies to facilitate new educational experiences for children.
害羞草研究所淲e will get the opportunity to reflect a bit more on our methodologies and look at things in a different, more collaborative way,害羞草研究所� she said.
Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson talked about a recent visit to a Nanaimo childcare centre and said workers there described to her how much impact they knew they were having on kids害羞草研究所� lives.
害羞草研究所淭hey are hungry for training and tools and resources害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟 Malcolmson said. 害羞草研究所淸This program] meets needs of the workers and that will fan out to the families and the kids.害羞草研究所�
Chen talked about how the new teaching network is part of a broader commitment to improve supports for early childhood educators. A press release from the Ministry of Children and Family Development notes that the teaching network is part of a previously announced $136-million sum for early care and learning professionals.
害羞草研究所淎t the end of the day, we want to make sure children are not just in a childcare centre for the sake of being looked after, but also making sure they are getting the best-quality early learning experience and I think that害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e aiming for,害羞草研究所� she said.
The program is being run by the Early Childhood Pedagogy Network and it is already underway.
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