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The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education (LI-RTAC). Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer: www.nassauboces.org/rtac
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NEW!
Free webinars this month on hot topics for early educators
A few weeks ago, The Long Island Pre-K Initiative brought together a group of more than two dozen administrators, teachers, directors and other early education experts and asked them what was most needed in the way of professional development this fall. "Distance Learning Methods" topped the list, followed closely by "Mental Health Issues for Students and Staff" and "Transitioning Back to School." So we've added more workshops on these topics to our series of free summer offerings. We hope they help you prepare for the new, "next normal," school year.
Developmentally Appropriate Pre-K from a Distance--How We Made it Work
In this presentation you'll learn about what was used--and what worked--for the teachers in the Middle Country School District UPK Program when we made the switch to
distance learning. A variety of different tools were used to provide developmentally appropriate content for students and families to access at home. Included: a how-to demonstration on using Epic Books, Flipgrid, Google Slides and more! Presenter: Ryan Dorfman is a teacher and is the education technology specialist in the Middle Country Central School District.
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Registration: There is no fee, but registration is required for this webinar, which will be offered via Zoom.
Connecting With Families Right From the Start
This interactive webinar will provide you with tools, prompts and resources to build authentic partnerships with families at the beginning of the school year. During this session, you will review best practices and engage in group scenarios that demonstrate how to build relationships through virtual and/or in-person "home visits." At the end of the webinar, you will receive a digital toolkit so you can easily transfer what you've learned to your early education setting. Presenter: Jacob Dixon is CEO of the nonprofit Choice for All and is an adjunct professor at Bank Street College of Education.
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Registration: There is no fee, but registration is required for this webinar, which will be offered via Zoom.
NOTE: Certificates of completion can only be provided to participants who have registered on My Learning Plan in advance of the webinar, and who sign in during the session.
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YOUR CLASSROOM
Using shared reading to "launch a year like no other"
Teacher, author and presenter Kristi Mraz (photo at right) is well-known as the author of Purposeful Play--but now she's making a new resource available at no cost. Specifically, she's created a new K-1 unit, "Shared Stories, Shared Voices," as a way to "support teachers to hang on to the best of our
practices in the worst of times."
Creating books together and then reading them to kickoff the school year is an opportunity to learn about each other and to build community, Mraz says, all while practicing the skills that beginning readers need. "The books are co-constructed to ensure that our children, their faces, their words, their families, their favorite things, live and breathe as texts worthy of time and attention."
Included in the downloadable 23-age pdf are an introduction to shared reading, with a rundown of what remains in a virtual space and what changes. Sample schedules are provided for pacing if your schedule is cut back to every other day or is blended in-person/virtual, or is all virtual or all in a physical space. For example, in a virtual space a teacher might ask children to bring their favorite food to show, and then make the pattern together ("___________ loves to eat ________ every day.") At the end of the week, copies of the book can be emailed, shared via pdf, posted as a Youtube video, etc.
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BOOKSHELF
The annual survey of diversity in children's books shows some slight improvement; others see reason for optimism
The 2019 numbers are in: when the Cooperative Children's Book Center* counted books, it had received 452 with Black/African main characters, up from 390 in 2018. But this was still only an increase from 11.7% to 12.2%.
In other words, the numbers tell the same story they have since the survey began 35 years ago:
"...the number of books featuring Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) protagonists lags far behind the number of books with white main characters--or even those with animal or other characters. Taken together, books about white children, talking bears, trucks, potatoes, monsters, etc., represent nearly three quarters (71%) of children's and young adult books published in 2019." Read more.
Despite these sobering statistics, the Literary Hub website, sees hope, citing new interest in children's books that document the experiences of racial minorities because of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. They mention not only the publication of individual titles such as Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, but bring up community efforts such as the "Beautiful Blackbird" virtual book festival in Portland, a campaign in Indiana to urge booksellers to stock children's books with diverse characters, and the story of two children in Connecticut who are raising money to buy and donate books. Read more.
*The Children's Cooperative Book Center is a study and research library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education.
Want more diverse children's books? There's an app for that
The nonprofit We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) has created OurStory, a tool that highlights books with diverse content and by content creators from marginalized communities. Both free and paid memberships are available. The free version will help all users find the perfect book and access cool content from authors. The paid version, called OurStory Pro, is a great tool for teachers, librarians and educators to access
WNDB-themed curriculum and content.
Or you can sample one of the many lists of diverse books on the WNDB website's "Diverse Book Finder." Interested in exploring award winners in American Indian, Arab American or Africana competitions? Check. Looking for something as specific as book boxes on the theme Black Girl MaTHgic? Check. Or how about a list of other lists? Check.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
"Virtual Thursdays"--this year's P-3 Summer Institute
Free, pre-recorded webinars are being released every Thursday in August by the New York State Office of Early Learning. "Equity and Social Justice in Early Childhood Education" was posted last Thursday, August 6. Presenter: Principal Baruti Kafele, who is the author of 11 books as well as a long-time educator in New Jersey. Also already available: "Meeting All Children's Developmental Needs Though Anti-Bias Education." Presenter: Dana M. Benzo from the Rome City School District.
Click here to watch the webinars and videos that are available now, and to learn about what's coming during the rest of the month.
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A few seats are still available in our upcoming "Growth Mindset" interactive webinars
The Process: Developing and Cultivating an Early Childhood Growth Mindset Culture Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Growth Mindset: Building the Foundation in our Earliest Learners Date: Thursday, August 20, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
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OPPORTUNITIES
Funds available to support Kindergarten Transition practices
School districts, agencies and related community-based organizations are eligible to apply for grants from the New York State Council on Children and Families NYSB5. This one-time funding may be used to purchase resources or offset the costs of transitional activities. "The goal of your proposed activity/project should be to help support families of young children who are moving from one system of services to another." Maximum award: $10,000. Click here for details and for the application.
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network.
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| NASSAU BOCES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org |
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