R Early Childhood Professional Development Conference “ The Child, the Family and the Community: Integrating Social Studies and Literacy in the Early Classroom”

at Manhattanville COLLEGE Purchase, Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Early Childhood Education Department The Early Childhood Alumni Association Keynote Speakers

Dr. Patricia A. Vardin Bridging Common Core Alignment with Purposeful and Joyful Integrated Social Studies and Literacy Learning Dr. Patricia Vardin is Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Early Childhood Education at Manhattanville College. She is the President of the New York State Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators and one of the founders of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. She was recently honored for her ten years of work designing and implementing a highly successful early childhood program model, “The Comprehensive Curriculum” in . She is also the creator of ChildChart, one of the first technology- based assessment systems used to monitor the progress of young children. In 2012, she published a DVD entitled “Highly Successful Strategies to Guide Young Children’s Behavior” with Educational Activities, Inc. Dr.Vardin has written articles and spoken at international and national conferences, served as a consultant to organizations and corporations, served as a guest expert for the media and has written an education blog. Dr. Katie Egan Cunningham Dr. Katie Egan Cunningham is an Assistant Professor in Literacy Education at Manhattanville College as well as a literacy consultant. She was an elementary school teacher and literacy specialist. Katie is co-author of the popular blog, The Classroom Bookshelf and co-editor of the New York State Reading Association's professional journal, The Language and Literacy Spectrum. She is the author of the forthcoming book Story: Still the Heart of Literacy Learning (Stenhouse, 2015) and co-author of Literacy Leadership in Changing Schools (Teachers College Press, 2015). The Early Childhood Education Department at Manhattanville College has accreditation through New York State, NCATE and NAEYC and is nationally “recognized as a program of excellence”. The program offers both undergraduate and graduate New York State certification in Early Childhood Education, birth through grade 2, certification in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education and certification in Early Childhood and Childhood. For information, contact the Chair, Dr. Patricia Vardin at [email protected] The Early Childhood Education Department Alumni Association The ECE Alumni Association was established in 2007 and focuses on creating opportunities for professional development, networking, sharing instructional practices and social activities. If you are interested in joining the Association, please contact us at 914-798-2714. ConFErEnCE DIrECTorS

Mary Jo Chevalier Jamie Morelli Karen Villa Amy Lynch Dr. Patricia Vardin Bobbie Flynn Renee Ferrito Torchiano April Fatato, Co-President Dana Parsons, Co-President Dr. Victoria Fantozzi Dorothea Muccigrosso Laura Woodson ProGrAM

Registration, Reception, 8:00AM – 9:00AM Refreshments & Exhibits

Welcome April Fatato, Dana Parsons 9:00AM - 9:10AM Co-Presidents ECE Alumni Association School of Education Dean Shelley Wepner

Keynote Speakers 9:10AM - 10:10AM Dr. Patricia Vardin and Dr. Katie Cunningham Bridging Common Core Alignment with Purposeful & Joyful Integrated Social Studies and Literacy Learning

Interactive Presentations 1 10:15AM – 11:15AM Break and Vendor Walk 11:15AM – 11:30AM Interactive Presentations 2 11:30AM – 12:30PM Vendor Walk 12:30PM – 12:45PM Raffle 12:45PM

• Each presentation will be repeated twice. • Participants are free to choose any presentation and to attend multiple presentations. • Professional development hours certificates will be give for each presentation if the participant stays for the entire presentation. • If you plan to do the movement workshops, be sure to wear clothes you can move in.

Vendors, Raffles and More!!! Interactive Presentations 1. Dr. Katie Cunningham Building Text Sets in Early Childhood This session will support participants in selecting children’s literature, images, and nonfiction texts to ignite students’ curiosity about themselves, others, and the world – all while remaining aligned with learning standards.

2. Dr. Victoria Fantozzi Exploring Communities Using Tech, Tools, and Texts Participants will explore the ways tech, tools, and texts can work together to create rich learning environments for young children. This workshop will share ways a preschool class used technology, including digital cameras, apps and Web 2.0 sites, children's literature and creativity to explore their community and create a 3-D map of their school. Dr. Fantozzi is the Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at Manhattanville College. Dr. Fantozzi's research focuses on the ways technology can support early literacy. Her work has been published in Young Children and Social Studies and the Young Learner. 3. Dr. Jane M. Gangi Diverse Books for Young Children: Connecting Social Studies and Literacy In this session participants will encounter children’s literature that addresses both the social studies and literacy learning. Engagements with the books, many of them newly published, will include a Check It Out Circle and the arts-based strategies. Dr. Gangi is an Associate Professor at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York, where she is a member of the Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning. She is the author of three books: Genocide in Contemporary Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Cambodia to Darfur, Deepening Literacy Learning: Art and Literature Engagements in K-8 Classrooms with Mary Ann Reilly and Rob Cohen, and Encountering Children’s Literature: An Arts Approach. 4. Bill Gordh Around the World with Stories This interactive workshop will offer easy-to-tell tales from around the world and activities derived from the stories. Tales from Japan, Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Sweden, France, West Africa and North America will be included. Games, acting out stories and drawing stories will round out the time together. Bill Gordh is on the faculty of Queens College, Manhattanville College, The Episcopal School in New York and is a Storytelling Consultant for the Innova Schools in Lima, Peru and the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. He is also an author whose books include Stories in Action: Interactive Tales and Learning Activities to Promote Early Literacy. He has performed at the Tribeca Film Festival Family Day, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum in Houston, TX, The Gerald Ford Amphitheatre in Vail, CO, the Clearwater Festival, with the New York Philharmonic in a commissioned piece for the Young Peoples Concerts and storyteller at the White House Easter Egg Roll. 5. Dr. rick Heckendorn Make Social Studies Interesting and Exciting! Participants will engage in songs, maps and dialogues to see how teachers can engage students in learning about Social Studies. Dr. Heckendorn is an Assistant Professor in Social Studies Education at Manhattanville College. He has been a classroom Social Studies teacher, Social Studies Department Head, and Assistant Principal in the public schools for over 30 years. Dr. Rick Heckendorn has been a consistent and practical advocate for the social studies throughout his varied career. He is the faculty adviser to (KDP), the education honor society. 6. Dr. Julia M. Morris Story Travels through Space and Place: An Integrated Arts Approach to Social Studies Participants will come away from this interactive workshop with creative drama, movement and narrative strategies that, when built into a social studies curriculum, aid in developing children's sense of place. This notion of 'place' may be physical, geographical, social, or narrative-based. Dr. Morris is a professional storyteller and early childhood creative arts specialist. She has implemented her own participation-based telling and story drama with such organizations as Young Audiences New York, and Early Stages, Inc. 7. Dorothea Muccigrosso Round Table Discussion for School Leaders and Program Directors on Facilitating a Common Core Based Integrated Social Studies and Literacy in Early Childhood Education Programs Dorothea Muccigrosso, MA. is on the faculty at Manhattanville College. She was the Director of Early Childhood Literacy for the Archdiocese of New York , the Assistant Superintendent for Early Childhood for seven years and a school principal for twenty two years. She has worked extensively as an early childhood consultant for private, religious and charter schools and corporations and is currently a Program Manager for Sylvan Learning, Inc. 8. Sharon Schneider Active Literacy and Community Awareness for Young Children This session is aimed at increasing the young child’s understanding of his or her local community and the realization that people’s roles in the community can dictate specific movements expanding the child’s physical literacy awareness and appreciation for these jobs. Attendees will view a variety of physically literate learning tasks to expand the young child’s movement vocabulary. Sharon Schneider, MS. is a professor of early childhood movement at Hofstra University and the co-author of Movement-Based Learning: Academic Concepts and Physical for Ages 3-8. Sharon has given the keynote address at several state conferences and continues her expertise in physical literacy and movement. She has authored several articles focusing on the child’s need for community awareness and active learning and is a former board member for the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play (IPA/USA). 9. Laura Woodson Me and My Big World: Connecting Theory to Practice for Teachers of Young Children This workshop will provide hands-on lessons and activities to help children discover who they are in this big world. A variety of Social Studies topics will be explored using creative, fun ideas that will engage students and connect with Common Core Standards and theories of best practices in early childhood. Participants will take home practical ideas and meaningful, fun lessons that are sure to support Social Studies instruction in the classroom. Ms Woodson, MAT, is on the faculty of Manhattanville College and the Ascension School in New York City. She has been a teacher of young children, a preschool director, and adjunct college professor and has been in the field of early childhood education for over 25 years. registration Form EARLY CHILDHOOD EDuCATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Early Childhood Education Alumni Association The Early Childhood Education Department

“ The Child, the Family and the Community: Integrating Social Studies and Literacy in the Early Classroom”

Manhattanville COLLEGE Purchase, New York Individual Name: ______School or Program Name: ______If School Group, Name of Each Teacher/Director in Group:______Mailing Address: Individual or School______City: ______State/Province: ______Zip:______Telephone: (______)______Fax: (______)______Email: ______Registration Fees: Includes morning reception, keynote speaker, two workshops PLEASE CHECK APPROPRIATE REGISTRATION FEE: Individual q$ 25 School Group (Includes fee for six teachers/directors) q$100 Student q$ 15 Graduate Credit: 1 credit Special Discount $450 q$450 Total: $ ______If you are Manhattanville alum, please check here: q Payment method: Check or Money Order payable to: Early Childhood Education Professional Development Conference – Manhattanville College. Please check appropriate box: q Check q Money Order Please mail completed registration form with payment to: Early Childhood Education Conference Dr. Patricia A. Vardin 2900 Purchase Street Manhattanville College Purchase, New York 10577 Phone: 914-798-2714 Email: [email protected] Registrants will select to attend workshops on the day of the conference. Registrants can also move from one workshop to another during the conference. Early Childhood Education Department School of Education Manhattanville College 2900 Purchase Street Purchase, New York 10577

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