Engaging Children’s Hearts and Minds: The Project Approach

When

8 Dec 2004 - 10 Dec 2004
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Asia/Singapore

Where

Singapore
Singapore, (exact venue to be advised)

Event Tag

The Project Approach to early childhood education involves young children in investigations of significant events and phenomena in their own environments. Through projects children can learn in ways that strengthen their intellectual dispositions and provide contexts for applying their developing social, literacy, and numeracy skills. This workshop is designed to introduce participants to the 3 phases of the Project Approach and how these phases can be implemented in the classroom. Participants will develop their understanding of the Project Approach, implement strategies for learning in simulated projects, and learn how to incorporate the approach into their own curriculum plans. This workshop is specially designed for elementary classroom teachers and for those responsible for early childhood pre-service and in-service teacher education.

Objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Plan projects in their own classrooms
  • Do field work with children
  • Help children investigate people and places
  • Offer children a variety of ways to represent new learning
  • Integrate the curriculum in project work
  • Document children’s learning
  • Assess children’s learning in their project work

Outline

  • Introduction to the project approach
  • A planning framework for teachers
  • Phase 1: Getting projects started
  • Developing a mini project in groups
  • Phase 2: Engaging in field work
  • Documenting project activities
  • Phase 3: Sharing and evaluating projects

Trainer’s Profile
Dr. Sylvia C. Chard is Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Alberta, Canada, since 1989.  She is Director of the Child Study Center, a lab school for children aged 3 years to Grade 5. She has taught at various levels in schools from preschool through high school in England.

She completed an M.Ed. and Ph.D. at the University of Illinois.  She was for nine years Head of the Department of Early Childhood Education at the College of St Paul and St Mary in Cheltenham, England.

She is co-author with Lilian G. Katz of the book, Engaging Children’s Minds: The Project Approach (Ablex, 1989).  Dr. Chard has written two Practical Guides for Teachers on project work published by Scholastic (1998) The Project Approach: Making Curriculum Come Alive and The Project Approach: Managing Successful Projects and a CD-Rom entitled: The Project Approach: Taking a Closer Look.

Her research interests include teachers’ professional development and curriculum change in elementary schools.  Dr. Chard has taught courses and lectured on interdisciplinary learning in many different parts of the world.

She co-owns a Listserv discussion group  (PROJECTS-L) and continues to develop an internet website from which she teaches courses on the Project Approach.

Methodology
The program includes lectures, audiovisual presentations, group discussions, and practical fieldwork, providing a complete simulation of project work, as well as other classroom activities.

Target Audience
Pre & primary schools educators

Duration: 3 days, 21 hours

Venue: 51 Cuppage Road #03-00 StarHub Centre Singapore 229469

Closing Date: 30 Nov 04



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