COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES
I have been part of a collaborative teaching team over the past 10 years as an RECE in an Early Learning Kindergarten Program, in Wellington County. I have had the opportunity to be part of a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) with the Kindergarten teams at my site in 2015. We worked on a project that involved investigating if allowing children to document their own learning would increase the student engagement in the classroom. The group sat down to discuss possible inquiry methods and models and an evaluation and assessment criteria to determine the project's effectiviness. I have more recently been involved in the delivery of the IB World School, International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program development, through the early stages, with a school in Wellington County. This work has included collaboration of a six member kindergarten team over the development, implementation and designed plan of an early learning program that incorporates both the Ontario Kindergarten Program and the IB PYP curricula design, into engaging philosopy based programming. Over the summer months of 2019, I have completed a field placement component of the Early Learning Resource Consulting program through a Conestoga/Seneca College partnership program. I have had the priveledged experience to work with KW Habilitation Services in Kitchener-Waterloo Region. During this placement, I contributed to an Early Learning Service Plan, worked along side parents and professionals to collaboratively contribute to the inclusion of children with diverse abilities. I sat on transdiciplinary team meetings and contributed to the support plans for children. I used an Inclusion Index to observe an early learning environment to provide feedback and enhancements to support the team and inclusive practices of the centre in which it was applied. I have included some examples of my work in the RC role so far.
OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH DIVERSE ABILITIES
During my work in the Kindergarten program, I have used various methods of observation and assessment on a regular basis. There are a variety of Board provided assessments which determine literacy and numeracy skills. The results from these assessments are used to drive further instruction, differentiate learning and to identify strengths and needs. In the Early Learning setting, as an RC, I have used developmental screens to support the need for adaptations and modifications in programs to support inclusion and learning specific to the child or environment. I have also seen the effectiveness of these instruments when used to provide parents with developmental concerns or evidence informed developmental screens. I have found that my objective, informal observation skills have been a great asset when designing program implementations specific to the learners in the program. I always use a lens of curiosity when observing and reflect on my observations with other professionals. This is helpful to identify underlying stressors that may be inhibiting learning.
