The Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory would like to invite you to our FREE Summer Institute. This interactive, remote institute will provide professional development opportunities for anyone in the early childhood community. We will cover topics such as ethical dilemmas, play, literacy, development, and more! Participants will:
- Be able to interact with presenters and ask questions;
- Obtain 1-8 hours of professional development;
- Receive a training certificate that meets Child Care Licensing requirements;
- Learn from their own homes!
Registration is closed.
Contact Amanda with questions at amanda.davila@utexas.edu.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Finding Your Way Through Ethical Dilemmas
Presented by: Lara Pauley, MEd
In your role as a teacher, you may find yourself in the position of having to make difficult ethical decisions. Situations involving children, coworkers, and/or families in your program can arise that leave you wondering – what is the “right” thing to do in this situation? “Finding Your Way Through Ethical Dilemmas” will help you learn about using NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct to help you get the answers you need.
The Power of Play: Its Role in Developing the Nervous System and Facilitating Self-Regulation
Presented by: Amy Bryan, PhD
Learn about the biological underpinnings of play and how it shapes the brain and nervous system. Understand the relationship between nervous system development and self-regulation. Describe how play is essential across the life course for social and emotional well-being.
Positive Communication: The Key to Successful Interactions with Children, Families, and Co-Workers
Presented by: Lara Pauley, MEd
This training session covers general communication skills including roadblocks to communication, principles of good communication and the connection between self-esteem and communication. This training addresses general communication as well as communication specifically with children and other adults (adults, co-workers, etc.)
From Drab to Fab: Creating an Intentional Outdoor Classroom
Presented by: Sarah Ozuna, MS
Whether you have a natural outdoor play space or a more traditional playground, attendees will learn how to create an outdoor environment that targets learning across domains. This session focuses on transforming outdoor play spaces into content rich outdoor classrooms. This session will focus on the importance of making the outdoor learning space an extension of the indoor classroom. Attendees will leave with curriculum ideas to incorporate into their outdoor play spaces.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Beyond Circle Time: Meaningful Large and Small Group Meetings
Presented by: Sarah Ozuna, MS
This session moves past weather charts and days of the week and dives deeper into what makes large and small group meetings engaging and purposeful learning opportunities for children. Attendees will learn how to use large and small group times as opportunities to build their classroom community, deliver content in meaningful ways, and as an opportunity for authentic assessment. Attendees will leave with ideas to implement into their curriculum to make large and small group meetings more developmentally appropriate, engaging, and content rich.
Early Childhood Pre-Reading Activities
Presented by: Jeanne Caroline, MEd
This session will give examples of literacy activities for preschool and kindergarten age children learning pre-reading skills. Whether the children are learning the alphabet sounds or decoding words, this session will provide fun and easy to execute activities.
Successful Family-Teacher Conferences
Presented by: Lara Pauley, MEd
Family-teacher conferences can be intimidating and uncomfortable even for experienced teachers. Participants in this workshop will gain valuable information that will help them understand the benefits of family-teacher conferences for themselves as well as for children and families. Participants will also learn specific strategies they can use before, during, and after conferences to make them a positive experience for all involved.
The Rubber Band Phenomenon: Building Resilience in Young Children
Presented by: Amy Bryan, PhD
Stress, adversity, and challenges are pervasive in our daily lives. Learn about individual, family, and community factors associated with resilience and ways to encourage healthy coping in young children.
Presenters
Amy Bryan, PhD
Associate Professor of Practice, Director
Amy Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Learning and Development, a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work, and a doctorate in Human Development and Family Sciences. She has enjoyed successful careers in teaching, school counseling, and social work. Amy has taught a variety of undergraduate courses in Human Development and Family Sciences. In addition to serving as the director of the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor in private practice. Amy’s research and clinical interests include early childhood development, education, and mental health—especially understanding and strengthening caregiver-child relationships.
Jeanne Caroline, MEd
Assistant Professor of Practice, Master Teacher
Jeanne Caroline holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She is a certified educator who has spent many years teaching kindergarten, first and second grades. She has a passion for teaching literacy to young children. Jeanne has served as a trainer at both campus and district levels. She enjoys making the path to literacy fun and meaningful to the children she serves.
Sarah Ozuna, MS
Assistant Professor of Practice, Master Teacher
Sarah is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches and mentors undergraduate students at the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory, where she also teaches a group of preschoolers and young toddlers. Sarah graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences with a concentration in Family and Community Services. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science with a Concentration in Early Childhood from The University of Texas at Austin. Sarah has about seven years’ experience teaching young children in the Austin area and has been at UT Austin for 4 years.
Lara Pauley, MEd
Assistant Professor of Practice, MEd
Lara Pauley is a trainer with over 30 years of experience in the field of early childhood. Lara currently works as a Master Teacher at the UT Lab School. She is an Independent Facilitator of the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!® curriculum. She has been the director of two NAEYC accredited child care programs, has taught in early childhood and college classrooms, and has worked as a case coordinator for Early Childhood Intervention. She has an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from UT Tyler and a B.S. in Child Development and Family Relationships from UT Austin.
