CAWA CHILDCARE CONFERENCE
proudly presented by the Childcare Association of WA Inc
"Promoting Quality Care & Early Childhood Education"
When:Saturday 9th April 2011
Time:Registration 7.30am-8.30am
Conference:8.30am-5.30pm
Where:Novotel Perth Langley, 221 Adelaide Terrace Perth
Registration from February 1st:
Full CAWA members $50.00*
Additional CAWA members $100.00*
Non members: $175.00*
2011 CAWA Childcare Conference Agenda
*Program subject to change without notice
7.30am-8.30am Conference Registration
8.30am-9.00am Welcome & introduction of MC, Overview and Sponsor recognition (Riverside Ballroom North)
9.00am-9.45am Riverside Ballroom North-Dr Neil Carrington-Creating Magnificent Educational Environments: Beyond Events management to Visionary Leadership 45 minutes
9.45am-10.30am Riverside Ballroom North-Managing compliance in childcare services-with Dr Brenda Abbey 45 Minutes
10.30am-11.00am Riverside Ballroom South-Morning Tea, Exhibitor Booths open
9.00am-11.00am Silver Room- Dare to be Exceptional: for Early Years Professionals-with Maggie Dent,105 minutes
HESTA 15 Minute Talk
11.00am-11.30am Session 2-Riverside Ballroom South-Morning Tea, Exhibitor Booths open
10.30am-12.00pm Riverside Ballroom North- Introduction to Cultural Diversity-with Gudrun Benjamin/ Manager of BISS. 90 minutes
11.30am-1.00pm Silver Room-EYLF: Putting it into practice EYLF: Documentation and programming made easy with Pam Maclean & Dr Brenda Abbey 90 minutes
12.00pm-1.00pm Riverside Ballroom North-Engaging Environments in the Early Years-Meerilinga
1.00pm-1.45pm Lunch Riverside Ballroom South Exhibitor Booths open
1.45pm-3.15pm Riverside Ballroom North- Programming-with Dr Brenda Abbey & Pam Maclean 90 minutes
1.45pm-3.15pm Silver Room- Leading in an uncertain World-with Maggie Dent 90 minutes
3.15pm-4.30pm Riverside Ballroom North- Department for Communities, Helen Creed National Quality Standards 45 minutes
4.30pm-4.45pm Child Care Super-Modern Award 15 minutes
3.15pm-4.00pm Silver Room- Inclusive Games-with Gudrun Benjamin/ Manager of BISS.45 minutes
4.00pm-5.00pm Silver Room - Really surviving teaching-Staff Resilience 60 minutes
5.00pm-5.30pm Riverside Ballroom North-Afternoon tea & end of day raffle draw
6.00pm Exhibitor Booths Close
Proudly sponsored by: Gold Sponsor; 
Silver Sponsor;
Bronze & Catering Sponsor;
CLICK HERE FOR A REGISTRATION FORM
Conference Speakers:
Maggie Dent
Maggie has become a sought after key note presenter because she is an excellent “info-tainer” – information in an entertaining way. She delivers her message in a real, often humorous and inspirational way that makes the learning memorable. Maggie is a passionate communicator and committed humanitarian and her background in ABC radio means she presents her key note presentations professionally and powerfully.
Maggie Dent is an author, publisher, professional speaker and consultant specializing in building personal and professional resilience. From an extensive background in education, palliative care, suicide prevention, the funeral industry, ABC radio and running her business “Esteem Plus” – a counselling, training and education centre -Maggie has the unique ability of assisting people from all walks of life build their resilience by quietly improving their lives. She focuses on building emotional, social and spiritual competency by giving tools and skills that build resilience in a commonsense and practical way.
Dare to be Exceptional: for Early Years Professionals
This keynote or seminar challenges the mediocrity of meeting minimum standards and shaping people to be able to do a job rather than a person who can change the world. This inspires big thinking in a simplistic and practical way and shows that anyone can be exceptional in their chosen career provided they follow their passion and use their natural abilities and talents. Our children deserve the best care and early year’s education possible – this seminar will have you and your team inspired to be exceptional. (Linked to the EYLF – Belong, Be and Become)
Leading in an Uncertain World
Being a leader involves more than being the person with the responsibility
for when things go wrong. Effective leadership involves having knowledge,
skills, passion and intention to lead your team to the greater good for all.
This needs head, heart and soul and Maggie will explore some keys to being a
leader who makes a positive difference in the lives of others in our chaotic world.
Really Surviving Teaching- Staff Resilience
This is a staff resilience program created to explore the role of stressors, protective factors and how to de-stress and relax. It explores “warning signs” and includes strategies to build your ability to cope with the unique challenges of a teaching career – long term. Very practical and even old dogs can learn new tricks!!
Pam Maclean & Brenda Abbey
Co-presenters Dr Brenda Abbey and Pam Maclean have many years’ experience in early education and care. Both have directed long day care centres, and validated centres across Australia for the NCAC. They share a passion for staff training and mentoring. Brenda and Pam have released the DVD EYLF: Putting it into practice. Brenda is the author of Managing compliance in childcare services: The essential guide for Queensland practitioners. Pam has released CDs on Inventory, Wait Lists and Staff Management.
Managing compliance in childcare services
Childcare is highly regulated (i.e. our work is intensely scrutinised). Many licensees, centre directors and educators find it challenging and stressful to manage these demands, and to work within regulatory requirements at all times.
Dr Brenda Abbey, Principal Consultant of Childcare by Design, has a long history in the childcare field. Her knowledge of compliance in childcare services has been developed through experience in a wide range of roles including, childcare director, compliance officer, quality validator, teacher, presenter, researcher, and writer. Dr Abbey’s book, Managing compliance in childcare services (AusVoc, 2009) is the recommended text for childcare students in a number of Universities and TAFEs.
This workshop is on managing compliance is a must for anyone in the childcare sector.
The workshop will address:
Regulations relevant to the compliance environment
The role of compliance officers and their ways of working
Long-term working within regulations
Preparing for and managing a compliance visit
Problems practitioners frequently face, and Practical approaches to addressing these issues
Managing the personal impact of compliance
Participants in the workshop will gain:
Increased understanding of regulations and the way they are implemented and monitored
Specific strategies to drawn upon during visits from, and contacts with, compliance officers, particularly Licensing Officers from the Child Care Licensing and Standards Unit and Validators from the National Childcare Accreditation
OVERVIEW OF EYLF WORKSHOP
This workshop on the EYLF: Putting it into practice explores what is different about the EYLF and what this might mean for educators in childcare services.
It looks at:
• terminology;
• indoor and outdoor learning environments;
• reflective practice;
• intentional teaching; and
• program documentation.
The workshop is interactive and equips participants with skills and knowledge that enables them to efficiently implement the EYLF. An especially particularly popular segment of the workshop gives participants the opportunity to view and critique formats and other practical strategies for documentation which will meet the EYLF’s requirements.
Programming
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) will require us to make some changes to the way we document our programs. This workshop – Programming and Documentation Made Easy – covers:
• What documents are required
• What these documents look like and how they will fit into your programming system
• How to organise documents
• When, if and how to display these documents
• How to demonstrate clear links between all elements of the documentation system
Gudrun Benjamin – BISS (a PSCWA funded service promoting cultural competence in early care and education)
Presenter Bio and Abstracts for contributions by BISS
Presenter Bio
From the start of her career social inclusion and equity have been a passion for Gudrun. With qualifications in social pedagogies, facilitation and business management she has worked in the human services field (predominantly in disabilities) for over 25 years in Europe, South East Asia and Australia. Her focus of work in recent years has been cultural competency and inclusive practices of people services. Gudrun has been working in her own business since 2001 and as part of this is managing Bicultural Inclusion Support Services (BISS) for the early care and education sector in Western Australia and the Northern Territory since 2007.
The contributions by Gudrun to the CAWA childcare conference are sponsored by BISS which is a service supported by CHILD Australia’s Professional Support Coordination (PSC) that promotes cultural competence in children services.
Contribution 1 – Interactive Workshop
Cultural Competence
EYLF outcomes: 1, 2
This workshop is for those of you who want to know what cultural competence is about and how you as an educators can create an environment that reflects children’s cultural backgrounds and supports a positive connection to the child’s identify within the education and care setting.
An inclusive and respectful environment starts with you, your knowledge and attitude towards the child and the experiences, traditions, values and beliefs that the child contributes from its own family and previous living environments.
This interactive workshop will highlight the importance of diversity as a means of ‘knowing’ and enriching children’s lives that builds their resilience to survive and emerge as strong and confident learners and contributors.
Outcomes of this workshop will include:
• An increase in your ability to recognize and acknowledge diverse traditions, beliefs, histories and languages in your care and learning environment.
• The identification of strategies that allow you to incorporate and reflect diverse ways of being in your setting.
• A collation of ideas that lead to the adaptation of everyday activities in recognition of diversity.
Contribution 2 – Interactive Workshop
Inclusive games
EYLF and My Time, Our Pace outcomes
Throughout history children in the Aboriginal society played games not only for fun but to enhance their skills of throwing, catching, accuracy and flexibility. These skills and the building up of physical wellbeing and strength were crucial for survival in their living environment.
In contemporary Australia children play games to interact with their peers (Belonging), enjoy themselves (Being) and develop skills to be the best they can in their chosen activity (Becoming).
The traditionally based games introduced in this workshop are inclusive, encouraging all children to participate regardless of age, gender, ability or cultural background.
They are low cost, often involving the use of recycled or natural materials which are readily available in their environment.
The games:
• Represent adaptability by being able to be easily modified according to needs of individuals and groups.
• Require little preparation or supervision and as a result can be quickly set-up, enjoyed while encouraging independence and are easily packed away at the end of the session.
• Provide experiences that are fun and challenging, played individually or in competition and can be adapted to the wishes of the child /children.
Be prepared to contribute to the range of games that are explored in this workshop!
Meerilinga
Meerilinga is a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity that promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; working with children, their families, early childhood professionals, planners and the community to raise the status of children in Western Australia.
Meerilinga's association with children dates back to 1911, to the pioneers of the kindergarten movement and the early learning advocates for children's interests in this state.
Today, recognized for excellence in promoting and supporting the education, care and wellbeing of children, and providing a diverse range of professional resources and support to children, the health sector, the education sector, child protection, parents, the community and volunteers, Meerilinga aims to improve the quality of life for the children of Western Australia through:
• Participation - involving children in the decision making process
• Support - for organisations advancing the development of young children
• Advocating - for the well-being of WA's young children
• Services - for parents/families, industry professionals and students
• Research - into world wide trends in policy and practice as it relates to children
• Best Practice - contributing through significant project outcomes
Engaging environments in the early years
This workshop will inspire you to see your learning environment through new eyes. The concepts of Reggio Emilia are linked to the Early Years
Learning Framework, through beautiful spaces, and the adult as a facilitator of play. Be enthused by exploring simple but effective ways of beautifying play areas, to fully engage children in a journey of wonder.
