CAS Economics and Pedagogy of Early Childhood Education
Information
Language
EnglishFormat
On-siteRegistration
Fees:
CHF 7200.- for the entire CAS
CHF 1500.- per individual module (3 days)
CHF 1350.- per multiple modules (2 to 5 modules)
Group DISCOUNTS (applicable to schools and institutions alike)
20% per 2 participants | 30% per 3 participants | 40% per 4 participants
Objectives
- Build a deep understanding of the most innovative educational methods; learn to apply them in any context
- Obtain a unique international perspective, through expert instructors from the US to Scandinavia
- Obtain a multidisciplinary understanding of education: pedagogy, neuroscience, psychology, and economics
- Hands-on learning with direct and interactive, deep-dive experiences
- Learn to integrate project-based learning, constructivism and visible thinking, design thinking for education, outdoor education and forest school practices, digital learning and technology, the Reggio Emilia approach, and learning through play as promoted by the LEGO Foundation
- Become an innovator and problem seeker-solver alongside the children
- Build strategies for onsite training, capacity development, and investment in early childhood education
- Acquire expertise in assessing and designing educational programs and policies for early childhood education
Audience
Programme
6 modules compulsory for the CAS - 1 module optional. Two elective modules
- Children Thinking Made Visible. Video Analysis - Documentation - Constructivism
- Design Thinking, Empathy and Innovation
- Advanced Design Thinking*
- Forest Schools and Outdoor-Nature Education
- Advanced Forest Schools and Outdoor-Nature Education*
- The Project Approach
- The Reggio Emilia Approach to Education (Part 1). Lego Foundation, and brain architecture (Part 2)
- Digital Learning
- The Economics of Early Childhood Education
Director(s)
Prof. Salvatore DI FALCO, Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM), University of Geneva
Date(s)
Speakers
Description
Overview
Innovators, problem seekers, thinkers and doers.
Design Thinking is a methodology to affect change in teams and organizations and foster a culture of innovation. It is an iterative process used to solve the world's toughest challenges. This module will explore design thinking by actively engaging participants. Using a deep-dive process the participants are immersed as a team into the design thinking process through a situation leading to problem seeking, problem solving and idea creation. With an explicit focus on equity, participants will take on a local challenge centered on advancing equity within the educational community. They will engage in the stages of design which involves how to: empathize with a user, define the challenge facing the user, ideate solutions, prototype ideas and test a solution to a local or global challenge. This module will explore how educators and students can experience learning that stretches them beyond their comfort zone to develop new skills and mindsets. Participants will leave this module with a deep understanding of how design can be used to create equitable outcomes for more students; with the tools to use design within their own context to solve challenges facing education; with a new mindset for advocacy in education.
Program
Day 1 An Introduction to Design Thinking Process and Mindsets
Will introduce the basic methods and processes of design thinking with a rapid cycle challenge. Participants then complete a two-day immersive challenge to develop skill in the phases of design thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
Day 2 Day Long Challenge
Will offer an intermediate deep-dive into the methods and processes of design thinking with an immersive challenge. Participants will engage in fieldwork to identify needs and then design solutions for users and test their prototypes to gain feedback.
Day 3 Organizational Implementation
Will deepen design thinking methods for participants to use and apply upon a personal challenge either on a professional subject or their organization. Each individual will structure a plan for managing design implementation and conduct an initial empathy interview with a stakeholder as a first step on the sprint. Participants will leave with prototype of how to apply design within their own context and how to engage others in the process of using design thinking to solve the tough challenges facing education within their communities.
Guest Speakers
Peter Worth, educational consultant and learning experience designer; former co-director of School Retool, a project of the Stanford d. school K12 Lab and IDEO
Peter Worth is an educator and learning designer working at the intersection of design thinking, school leadership, professional learning, and school culture change. As former co-director of the School Retool professional learning fellowship—a project of the Stanford d.school’s K12 Lab and IDEO—he helped school leaders apply human-centered design to build an equitable school culture to prepare all students for post-secondary education, career, and civic life. Now based in Northern Ireland, Peter consults with a range of clients globally on primary, post-primary, and tertiary education, and facilitates in-person and virtual design thinking experiences. A career educator, Peter has been director of learning design and senior instructional designer for a professional learning ed-tech company, a senior research associate on assessment and standards with an educational research organization, and a public school teacher in Los Angeles County. Peter holds a Master’s degree in education (Learning, Design, & Technology) from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in theater arts from UC Santa Cruz.
Devon Young, Stanford University d. school
Devon Young is the Program Manager and Learning Experience Designer for the K12 Lab Network at the Stanford d.school, where she leads the international Shadow a Student Challenge and delivers innovative professional development to educators through Discover Design Thinking workshops. Devon began her career in education as an AmeriCorps VISTA, working at a non-profit that matches low-income middle school students in workplace-based apprenticeships. It was during this experience that Devon was able to see the power of inspiring students through hands-on, experiential learning, and realized the need to engage with educators to catalyze change in schools. Devon feels lucky to work with the K12 Lab Network where every day she is surrounded by educators striving to improve the world around them for their students. Devon holds a Bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of San Francisco.
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Description
OVERVIEW
The Advanced Module builds upon your experience in Design Thinking for Education, enabling you to take a significant step forward towards achieving equitable and sustainable results. It empowers you to become a catalyst for implementing Design Thinking within your school, and the broader community.
This module is designed for individuals who have already been introduced to design thinking and are now prepared to delve deeper into its principles. Participants will apply human-centered design thinking mindsets and practices to their real-life work in educational settings, while exploring new content, tools, and mindsets through the lens of equity.
In this studio, you will find the necessary structure, support, collaboration, and coaching to make substantial progress towards becoming a catalyst for design thinking within your school.
Given the emphasis on co-design in this session, we strongly encourage the formation of school-based teams consisting of 2 to 5 members.
Date(s)
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Description
Overview
Forest schools and outdoor learning. The Scandinavian tradition of using nature and outdoor environment as a learning resource. Full immersion in the outdoors; active hands-on learning experiences in a natural environment that promotes self-esteem, co-operation, and risk-taking. Built on the children’s natural instinct to explore the world through active and physical interactions. Built on the need to take risks: the foundation of learning, confidence and autonomy.
An interactive hands-on course to equip the participants
- With the tools to transform a school’s outdoor environment into a "nature classroom".
- With the skills to implement effective outdoor education.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn through an outdoor experience in a urban forest.
Program
Day 1. Forest and Nature School Pedagogy
Day 2. A day in a Urban Forest: immersive experience in Forest and Outdoor Schools
Practices
Day 3. Starting or Upgrading a Forest and Nature School program
Guest Speaker
The course will be conducted by the following expert lead facilitator and outdoor trainer:
Markos Zangas-Tsakiris
Markos is a consultant-trainer at Inside-Out Nature, leading Danish Forest & Nature School training and consultancy organization. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of La Verne, California, an MA in Environment from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a Diploma in Education for Sustainable Development from the University of the Aegean, Greece. He has worked in outdoor and environmental education with the Greek Bear Sanctuary, Organization Earth, and Planet Agents. He runs the Forest and Nature school program at Paichnidagogeio preschool and elementary school in Athens, Greece, where he coordinates the Primary School and nature program for all ages. Since 2004 he has worked in environmental education with a number of NGO's and as a kayak instructor, taking children on outdoor adventures. Markos is passionate about the outdoors, he is more passionate about offering children opportunities to be outdoors and he is even more passionate about inspiring and "equipping" pedagogues to use the outdoors as a learning environment.
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Speakers
Description
Overview
The Advanced Forest Schools and Outdoor Nature Education module builds on the knowledge, and experience gained on the first module to take a substantive step forward in outdoor education for sustainable results. The module equips the participants with the tools to become “outdoor catalysts'' in their schools, and the broader community. During the three days of theory, practice, group work, and discussions, participants enrich their outdoor practice with new skills, ideas and tools; strengthen their competencies as leaders/managers of outdoor programs. We focus on networking, sustainability, and inclusion; disseminating advanced knowledge on forest-outdoor education for the participants to become experts leaders and accelerators of outdoor inclusive education.
A dynamic, interactive and immersive course. Participants will have the opportunity to learn through an outdoor experience forest
Program
Day 1. Outdoor Leadership part 1 - Inclusion - Environmental sustainability
- Developing the outdoor culture of your setting.
Weaving your outdoor program into your setting’s pedagogy.
Managing and leading a team of pedagogues, children, and parents in nature.
- Inclusion in outdoor education + Environmental sustainability Issues
Inclusion in outdoor education
how to address gender patterns and how to include children with mobility challenges and non neurotypical children when in nature
- Environmental sustainability Issues
how to assess and address the environmental impact of your outdoor program
- Tailor-made sessions based on pre-course questionnaires.
Day 2. A day in a Forest - Outdoor leadership part 2
Outdoor skills
Outdoor leadership part 2.
Team management scenarios.
Outdoor games and activities. Using ropes.
Audience
The course is designed for participants of the 1st module who wish to further explore outdoor education and forest school. Other applications will be assessed based on prior education, training and/or experience with children outdoors.
Guest Speaker
The course will be conducted by the following expert lead facilitator and outdoor trainer:
Markos Zangas-Tsakiris
Markos is a consultant-trainer at Inside-Out Nature, leading Danish Forest & Nature School training and consultancy organization. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of La Verne, California, an MA in Environment from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a Diploma in Education for Sustainable Development from the University of the Aegean, Greece. He has worked in outdoor and environmental education with the Greek Bear Sanctuary, Organization Earth, and Planet Agents. He runs the Forest and Nature school program at Paichnidagogeio preschool and elementary school in Athens, Greece, where he coordinates the Primary School and nature program for all ages. Since 2004 he has worked in environmental education with a number of NGO's and as a kayak instructor, taking children on outdoor adventures. Markos is passionate about the outdoors, he is more passionate about offering children opportunities to be outdoors and he is even more passionate about inspiring and "equipping" pedagogues to use the outdoors as a learning environment.
Date(s)
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Description
Overview
- SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVIST PROJECT APPROACH: a teaching method in which children gain knowledge and skills by working in groups for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to engaging and complex questions, problems, or challenges. Authentic learning building on the children natural curiosity, disposition to discover, enabling them to question, connect and problem-solve and to become active participants and shapers of their worlds.
- DESIGN THINKING: How the children adopt the DESIGN THINKING methods, and mindsets, to solve problems through empathy, interviews, feedback, prototyping, and iterative processes.
- An interactive course providing concrete strategies to ensure the children inquiry-based thinking, the peer’s social construction of knowledge and the children’s long term engagement. Each strategy is discussed through videos of actual examples of long term investigations from European and American project based and socio-constructivist preschools and primary schools.
Guest Speaker
Paola Trigari,
Adjunct Professor, GSEM, University of Geneva; International Educational Consultant.
Paola Trigari is adjunct professor at the University of Geneva, and an international educational consultant on Project Based Education, Constructivism, Social-Constructivism, and the Reggio Emilia-inspired educational philosophy.
Paola is co-Director of the CAS Economics and Pedagogy of ECE; she has designed and launched the program.
Paola holds seminars and consulting appointments throughout the U.S., e.g. New York, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois; and in Europe, e.g. Switzerland and Spain.
She consults for preschools to primary and secondary schools, and collaborates with universities and pedagogical institutions. She is the co-director of a new post-graduate program in Early Childhood and Primary Education at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Paola worked as pedagogical director and program director of the Reggio inspired Inquiry based International Italian School in San Francisco (La Scuola of SF).
Paola holds a MSc in economics from UPF (Barcelona) with a final thesis on the Returns to Education. She has an International background: native of Italy, grew up in Turin (Italy), Paris (France) and Sâo Paulo (Brazil). She then lived and worked in London (UK), San Francisco, Barcelona and New York. Italian native speaker, Paola is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Date(s)
Speakers
Description
Overview
Building Brain Architecture through Play (Jill Popp, LEGO Foundation) - Day 1
During this interactive and hands-on course we will discuss the importance of play for children’s holistic development. We will start by exploring the science of early childhood and the importance of building core skills through play. Then we will reflect on research and approaches from the LEGO Foundation and its global academic partners on the benefits of play and effective approaches to facilitate play activities with young children.
The Reggio Emilia approach to Education and Progettazione (Tiziana Filippini, Reggio Children)- Day 2-3
We will focus on the concept of Progettazione, an organic and flexible approach in designing the learning experiences. We will delve into the strategies for observing, documenting, and listening closely to the processes of children’s inquiry; reflecting on observations to sustain and re-ignite the children’s interest; planning meaningful provocations that enable children to test their theories as related to their inquiry. We will explore the role of the teachers as researchers.
Program Day 1 (Jill Popp, LEGO Foundation)
- Part 1: Brain Architecture
Through a playful approach we will reflect on the role of genetics and experiences to build children’s brain. In small groups we will consider the role that adults (parents, caregivers, teachers) have in supporting children’s development by promoting positive interactions, providing a supportive environment and reducing sources of toxic stress.
- Part 2: Learning through play
Introduction to learning through play and the existence evidence of the benefits of play for children’s development.
We will spend time learning through play and reflecting on the skills that children can develop when engaged in play activities
- Part 3: Play Facilitation
We will review the evidence on the role of adults when facilitating play experiences for children. As a group we will define the main characteristics of meaningful play facilitation and the barriers that educators face.
- Part 4: Let’s practice
In groups, you will be required to design and facilitate play experiences that would have a positive impact on children’s development
Date(s)
Speakers
Description
Overview
Constructing Digital Learning Environments in Early childhood and Primary Education
Early learners have significant—and highly untapped—potential for understanding abstract concepts and reasoning in sophisticated ways. Research has shown that technology offers powerful support for conceptual science learning in the early grades. This workshop will provide hands-on experience with a broad array of technologies designed for early childhood learning. The Concord Consortium (concord.org) has developed a wide variety of models and sensors that can be used by children in a collaborative way to provide students with tools for inquiry. We will share our eight-year journey developing dynamic apps and technology-enriched activities that use models and probes to help kindergarten students develop an understanding of temperature and the particle nature of matter. These digital technologies will support discovery, experimentation, and engineering and science connections to the real world. We plan that participants will work with kindergarten students introducing these apps and activities to see student learning firsthand. This seminar will emphasize discussion and relevance to participant's needs and experiences.
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Description
Overview
We provide the tools to design and to effectively measure interventions: any education program needs a sound technical design as well as a good monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plan.This course will equip participants with the basic tools to design education programs at the school, regional or state level, and to create a MEL plan that can be incorporated into their common activities. The participants will put in practice the tools learned using a case study others.
We analyze selected interventions around the world, focusing on a number of early childhood interventions in the United States, Latin and Central America. For example discussion of Professor James J. Heckman's, Nobel Prize, and his team from Chicago work. We address potential inequality in familial and educational environments of young children; also discuss projects involving the famous Abecedarian and Perry Preschool Projects, as well as many others. We will cover the impact on Cognitive and non-cognitive Skills. The focus is on a deep understanding of interventions in early childhood education; discussing the current evidence on returns to investments in education, and its impact on the importance of early childhood education, versus higher education, for a variety of adult incomes.
Daniela Del Boca, Professor of Economics, University of Turin - 1 Lecture
Multidimensional Early Childhood interventions in Developed Countries
NYC (US), Turin, UK and Reggio Emilia
Maria Ortega-Hesles, Ed.D. (Harvard University), World Bank consultant and DIA Institute M&E Director
Design, Monitoring and Evaluation of Education Programs (May 30, June 1, 2023)
Is the design of the program adequate? Is the program being implemented as planned? Are we seeing the intended results? How can the program be improved? All of them are common questions that practitioners ask themselves at different moments and the reason why any education program, regardless of its magnitude and objective, needs a sound technical design as well as a good monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plan.
This practical course will equip participants with the basic tools to design education programs at the school, regional or state level and to create a MEL plan that can be incorporated into their common activities. The participants will put in practice the tools learned using a case study. In addition, the concepts covered in the course will help participants to learn how to interpret the results other studies to learn from best practices. The main objectives of the courses include: understand the principles for the design, monitoring and evaluation of an education program; recognize the importance of evaluation for accountability and program improvement; comprehend the difference between types of evaluation; develop tools (i.e. needs assessment, theory of change, MEL plan) that can be adapted into their practice.
- Day 1 : How do we design an education program?
Learn the relevance of designing programs based on a needs-assessment and theory of change. Develop and discuss the causal tree and theory of change for the case study.
Topics: diagnostic of needs, components of the causal tree and the theory of change, difference between monitoring and evaluation, construction of indicators, selection and piloting of instruments.
- Day 2 : How to monitor and evaluate an education program?
Identify the tools for program monitoring. Define what, how and how many to evaluate. Draft a basic MEL plan for the case study.
Topics: fidelity of implementation, types of evaluations (processes, impact, cost-efficiency), sample size, data collection, selection or creation of instruments, contingency plan, interpretation of results, evidence-based learning.
Pietro Biroli, assistant professor of Economics, University of Zurich
Returns to investments in early childhood: an economic perspective
These two lectures will present a review of the economic literature estimating the returns to investment in early childhood. The first lecture will provide a general framework for understanding the costs and the benefits of investing time and money in the enrichment of the first years of a child's life. The second lecture will critically discuss the current evidence on the returns to such investments, both in terms of parenting choices within the family, and public investment in early childhood education.
Giacomo De Giorgi, Professor of Economics, IEE/GSEM, University of Geneva
Selected Evidence on Early Childhood Interventions
Several countries around the world have experimented with educational interventions target to early childhood and beyond. We will go through the journey of some influential educational policies around the world.
Date(s)
Speakers
Description
Overview
Video Analysis-Documentation-Constructivism. Visible thinking and video recording.
Discussion and practice of video analysis as one of the most effective tool for designing project based curricula and comprehensive interventions and educational models.
A tool for supporting capacity development through self reflective practices; to make children’s thinking visible and engage in research; to adopt reflective practices and help children reflect on their own thinking; to understand the children’s constructive learning, and to re-launch their theories within a constructivist project oriented education.
Program
Day 1 Video analysis to support the child's construction of knowledge
To understand is to Invent: Defining constructivism
Reflective thinking: The contrast between reasoning and remembering
Verbs vs Nouns: The advantages of video over photography
Ordinary Moments: Using video to find high-level thinking.
Breakout sessions - Hands-on work with selected video clips
Day 2 Making thinking visible to the learner and to others
Seeing Intentions - The power of instant video revisiting
Drawing to Learn - The importance of representing things incorrectly
The Democratization of Documentation - Video allows for constructive debate
Breakout sessions - Drawing to learn activity in class
Analysis of making thinking visible video
Day 3 Your own application of video analysis and constructivism
Thinking about children's thinking instead of achievements
The faith to question what we know
The belief in depth over breath
Program commitment to video analysis and documentation
Certainties regarding teaching and learning
An issue of values, culture and training
Breakout sessions
- Listing and defining barriers and solutions
- Making our plans explicit with a look toward change
Guest Speakers
George E. Forman, Ph.D.
George E. Forman is Emeritus Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and President of Videatives, Inc. George has written books that extend the theory of Jean Piaget to early childhood education: The Child’s Construction of Knowledge and Constructive Play. He was president of the Jean Piaget Society from 1983 to 1985. George has also published books in the areas of early cognitive development and the educational value of digital media for young children. He worked for four years on Harvard’s Project Zero early symbolization project as head of block play research. Since 1986, George has worked with the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy, to bring their educational philosophy to prominence in the United States by producing three documentary videos and coediting three editions of The Hundred Languages of Children (C. Edwards, L. Gandini, and G. Forman). He coinvented The Gravity Wall, a patented reconfigurable rollway found in over 300 children’s museums worldwide. He has designed new media formats that layer computer graphics and digital video as hyperlinks under text. Upon retirement in 2003, he cofounded Videatives, Inc., to distribute these new digital formats to early childhood professionals.
Paola Trigari
Adjunct Professor, GSEM, University of Geneva; International Educational Consultant.
Paola Trigari is adjunct professor at the University of Geneva, and an international educational consultant on Project Based Education, Constructivism, Social-Constructivism, and the Reggio Emilia-inspired educational philosophy.
Paola is co-Director of the CAS Economics and Pedagogy of ECE; she has designed and launched the program.
Paola holds seminars and consulting appointments throughout the U.S., e.g. New York, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois; and in Europe, e.g. Switzerland and Spain.
She consults for preschools to primary and secondary schools, and collaborates with universities and pedagogical institutions. She is the co-director of a new post-graduate program in Early Childhood and Primary Education at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Paola worked as pedagogical director and program director of the Reggio inspired Inquiry based International Italian School in San Francisco (La Scuola of SF).
Paola holds a MSc in economics from UPF (Barcelona) with a final thesis on the Returns to Education. She has an International background: native of Italy, grew up in Turin (Italy), Paris (France) and Sâo Paulo (Brazil). She then lived and worked in London (UK), San Francisco, Barcelona and New York. Italian native speaker, Paola is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Admission criteria
- A university degree or equivalent
- At least 3 years of professional experience
- English basic