Online Courses: Communities of Learning
We see our online courses as Communities of Learning. While they can be used by individuals, they can also be used with a group of students, staff teams, or a peer group. We believe that individual reflection combined with group dialogue deepens and transforms our teaching practice. Each person can engage the modules individually then join for a conversation to share their reflections — either in-person or in a video meeting. The modules can also be used with a group in “real time” — in person, sharing a large screen, or remotely using a video call.
Each Community of Learning online course includes videos, resources, reflections, and strategies to prompt conversations and thinking among early learning educators and teachers-in-training.
Some of our Community of Learning online courses have been developed in response to our “real time” Online Conversations at Early Learning Cafe – group conversations with Canadian and international leaders and thinkers in the field of early learning.
Communities of Learning support your learning goals anytime, anywhere, in whatever format works for you.
Community of Learning Modules are:
- Inspirational spaces for early learning educators to deepen their thinking about what, why, and how we teach young children.
- Flexible professional learning that is accessible in-person, online, or as a hybrid of both in-person and online.
- Engaging learning experiences that can be easily adapted to individual and group time constraints and geographical needs.
- Valuable resources for pedagogical leaders, workshop facilitators and teacher trainers, who seek to guide and prompt thinking and conversations among early learning educators.
In each module you will find:
- Short video clips featuring leaders and thinkers in the field of early learning
- Reflective activities to deepen educators’ thinking about their teaching practice
- Practical ideas and resources to support teachers’ work with young children
- Certificate of participation
Course Bundles
Drawing as Thinking
This series of 5 learning modules introduces early learning educators, caregivers, and students to children’s drawing and mark making as a language. Purchase separately or as a bundle.
Democratic Spaces in Early Learning
This series of 4 modules with guest Suzanne Axelsson teaches early learning educators, caregivers, and students how to create democratic early learning environments.
Environments that Support Risk Taking
This series of 4 course modules with guest Susan Stacey introduces early learning educators, caregivers, and students to how managed risk-taking is essential for children’s learning.
All Courses
CL2a-Environments that Support Risk Taking: Module 1
In this FREE Community of Learning module, we explore the idea of risk-taking as an educator in our contexts. This module is the first in a series of four modules based on an online conversation held with Susan Stacey at Early Learning Café.
CL2b-Environments that Support Risk Taking: Module 2
In this Community of Learning module, we explore the idea of risk-taking as an educator in our contexts. This module is the second in a series of four modules based on an Online Conversation held with Susan Stacey at Early Learning Café.
CL2c-Environments that Support Risk Taking: Module 3
In this Community of Learning module, we explore the idea of risk-taking as an educator in our contexts. This module is the third in a series of four modules based on an Online Conversation held with Susan Stacey at Early Learning Café.
CL2d-Environments that Support Risk Taking: Module 4
In this Community of Learning module, we explore the idea of risk-taking as an educator in our contexts. This module is the fourth in a series of four modules based on an Online Conversation held with Susan Stacey at Early Learning Café.
CL3a-Democratic Spaces for Early Learning: Module 1
As educators we talk a lot about inclusion and belonging. Yet rarely do we talk about democracy in early learning programs and classrooms. In Democratic Spaces for Early Learning Module 1, Suzanne Axelsson prompts educators to think deeply about what democracy means in our work with young children, and how to analyze early learning spaces with a lens for democracy.
CL3c-Democratic Spaces for Early Learning: Module 3
In Democratic Spaces for Early Learning Part 3, we listen closely for children’s voices, knowing that democratic spaces are listening spaces. We consider how to listen to children regardless of their language skills, and how we teach children to listen to one another.
CL3d-Democratic Spaces for Early Learning: Module 4
In Democratic Spaces for Early Learning Part 4, we analyze equality and equity. With this lens we explore how to empower children by:
• Focusing on what children CAN do
• Teaching children how to show empathy for others
• Creating opportunities for children to make choices that consider others
CL4a-Drawing as Thinking: Module 1
In Drawing as Thinking Part 1, we begin to explore the experience and purpose of drawing to children. We also consider how our beliefs and assumptions about drawing impacts children and our teaching practice.
CL4b-Drawing as Thinking: Module 2
In this second Drawing as Thinking module, Debi invites us to think more deeply about drawing as a language that is spoken with hands.
CL4c-Drawing as Thinking: Module 3
In this third Drawing as Thinking module, we focus on the influence of developmental stage theorists on current teaching practice.
CL4d-Drawing as Thinking: Module 4
In this fourth module, Debi offers insights into how educators can deepen children’s wonderings and theory making through something she calls 'theory drawing'.
CL4e-Drawing as Thinking: Module 5
In this final module of Drawing as Thinking we focus on the pleasures of drawing, and how educators can tap into these pleasures and motivate children to draw.
CL5-Story Power
The stories of wonder and discovery that we create, share and tell with children each and every day shapes their engagement as learners, understanding of themselves, and relationships to one another and to the natural world.
In this course we will explore ways in which parents and educators can be more intentional about affirming and building qualities within young children that nurtures their thinking and problem-solving, their creativity, empathy and resilience in a world of rapid change.
CL6-Learning Stories
Learning Stories – empowering stories for early learning educators, children and their families.
This mini e-course introduces early learning educators, caregivers, and students to learning stories that capture, lift up, and share the everyday yet extraordinary learning of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young children in their programs.