On January 18th to 22nd, 2010, Drs. Alan Pence and Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw hosted the Unit’s 10th forum, Experiences in Moving Beyond Minimum Standards: A Vision for Early Learning and Childcare. Special guests Dr. Margaret Carr (New Zealand), Professor Peter Moss (England), and Dr. Charles Pascal (Ontario) engaged in discussions with government officials and staff from various ministries regarding initiating change and innovation in the delivery of early childhood services.

Drs. Pence and Pacini-Ketchabaw shared practice and curriculum innovations that have been the focus of the Investigating Quality project in BC.

The evening of January 19th, 2010, Professor Peter Moss, Dr. Margaret Carr and Dr. Charles Pascal presented aspects of their various activities at a public forum held at the University of Victoria. The speakers’ presentations can be viewed at: http://www.reach.uvic.ca/documents.

On January 21st and 22nd, 2010, Dr. Margaret Carr discussed her innovative work with learning stories; Dr. Sylvia Kind presented on the properties and agency of materials; and Dr. Enid Elliot, with Carol Rowan, Kim Atkinson, Ellie Grant and Peg Hasted, delivered a workshop on the power of stories.

Dr. Carr’s presentation on learning stories – which capture a child’s learning through pictures and written documentation – and how they are used to enhance children’s learning opportunities in New Zealand, was an inspiration to learning circles participants. It raised questions about what stories to tell and how these stories uncover possibilities for understanding children’s learning as well as the educators’ learning.

BC educators, Fikile Nxumalo (a participant in the Vancouver group), Danielle Davis (from the Victoria group), and Betty Cleland (from the online group), presented and discussed their year-long work with pedagogical narrations and the BC Early Learning Framework.

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