FRIDAY

MARCH 12, 2021
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SUMMIT

FRIDAY

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Junlei Li

Presentation Title: Being More than Just One Thing: Maintaining Connections and Building Communities across Distances
Presentation Description: We are early childhood professionals, and we are here to meet the call of our time. How do we remain connected to children and families, and to each other, during physical distancing? How do we confront the even larger social distances – marked by race, economic status, and many forms of systemic inequalities – that educators and advocates face in every community? To meet these challenges, we need the collective experiences and voices of the entire community of early childhood educators and leaders.

“What’s been important in my understanding of myself and others,” Fred Rogers said, “is the fact that each one of us is so much more than any one thing.” As helpers who serve children, families, and other helpers, what we do for the human beings around us – young or old – is often so much more than just our job descriptions and titles. When the conditions around us limit what we are accustomed to doing, we can all find our resilient and creative ways to be helpful.

The power of human relationships comes from simple, ordinary moments of interactions. However, it is by no means “simplistic”. In this interactive workshop session, let’s take our time, slow down, and discover what is so beautiful and powerful about even small and brief moments of human interactions. When we start to notice and recognize the richness of what a human interaction can be and can do, we can understand how each of us have opportunities to connect, reciprocate, include, and support other human beings.

The very best way to improve literacy is to read well-selected good books to babies right from the start of their little lives. This can be challenging for the adult because it is not always obvious what the child is absorbing.

We will explore what makes a good Infant/Toddler book, as well as give tips on reading to babies, especially when they want to consume the books in more ways than one.

When working with babies, adults must “whisper” rich language in their ears, language with rhythm, rhyme and the delicious vocabulary of good literature. This is their introduction to a reading life. The richness comes from good books, great books.

Join this interactive presentation to practice real-time mindfulness strategies and learn the brain science of stress and how it impacts personal and work life. Using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) work on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, participants will explore ways to cope with stress and create a lifestyle of wellness.

There is a difference between behavior modification and behavior change. The majority of behavior intervention programs focus on an umbrella approach to behavior modification which often do little more than teach individuals with persistent behavioral issues to better hide their behaviors. At the same time children who have no history behavioral issues show an increase in negative behaviors within these programs. If we want to break this cycle, we must first understand general human behavior and how we can use a simplistic understanding of brain development and neurological patterns to create behavior plans that will cause permanent behavior change.

Research shows 2020 was one of the unhappiest years on record. Sadly, science also shows negativity sticks in our brains like Velcro, while positivity slips away like soap. While we can’t always control our circumstances, Dr. Dave will share a science-backed blueprint for happiness with five principles for building a better life by focusing on the positives in our past, noticing and appreciating the good in each day, and looking forward to tomorrow.

Regional hubs are designed to coordinate existing services for young children in a more direct, effective, and family-centered way. Join us on this exciting journey as DESE, along with other state agency partners, work to establish regional hubs across the state. This presentation will give participants a brief overview of the regional hub concept and how it will support the safety, health and education of Missouri’s youngest learners. Participants will hear from one of the pilot projects from Southeast Missouri as they discuss how the model is evolving in their area, both the challenges and successes.

The power of human relationships comes from simple, ordinary moments of interactions. However, it is by no means “simplistic”. In this interactive workshop session, let’s take our time, slow down, and discover what is so beautiful and powerful about even small and brief moments of human interactions. When we start to notice and recognize the richness of what a human interaction can be and can do, we can understand how each of us have opportunities to connect, reciprocate, include, and support other human beings.

Research shows 2020 was one of the unhappiest years on record. Sadly, science also shows negativity sticks in our brains like Velcro, while positivity slips away like soap. While we can’t always control our circumstances, Dr. Dave will share a science-backed blueprint for happiness with five principles for building a better life by focusing on the positives in our past, noticing and appreciating the good in each day, and looking forward to tomorrow.

Early childhood professionals can play an essential role in monitoring the development of children in their programs, as well as supporting families to monitor their child’s development at home. This training will discuss the difference between developmental monitoring vs. screening, provide instruction on the implementation of Missouri Milestones Matter developmental monitoring within early childhood settings, and how to talk with families and respond to concerns about development.

There is a difference between behavior modification and behavior change. The majority of behavior intervention programs focus on an umbrella approach to behavior modification which often do little more than teach individuals with persistent behavioral issues to better hide their behaviors. At the same time children who have no history behavioral issues show an increase in negative behaviors within these programs. If we want to break this cycle, we must first understand general human behavior and how we can use a simplistic understanding of brain development and neurological patterns to create behavior plans that will cause permanent behavior change.

Learning to love books starts with a young child, an adult, and a book. The nuts and bolts of learning to read comes later, once the interest and passion are already well established. We will present the best new picture books of the year, out of the 3,000 that have been published: stories, STEAM, Diversity, Social Emotional, Basic Concepts. These are books that the teacher will love to share, and children will request again and again. Along the way, we will incorporate what makes a good book and what to look for in both the text and illustration. We will also include interesting details about the authors and illustrators themselves.

Regional hubs are designed to coordinate existing services for young children in a more direct, effective, and family-centered way. Join us on this exciting journey as DESE, along with other state agency partners, work to establish regional hubs across the state. This presentation will give participants a brief overview of the regional hub concept and how it will support the safety, health and education of Missouri’s youngest learners. Participants will hear from one of the pilot projects from Southeast Missouri as they discuss how the model is evolving in their area, both the challenges and successes.