ACAMIS Early Childhood Education (ECE) Conference

Saturday & Sunday, November 2 & 3, 2024

Beijing City International School

Theme: Playfully Empowering Futures: Reimagining Early Childhood Education

Play is the most empowering form of learning we can provide young children. Dive into a world where playfulness meets empowerment, and imagination sparks innovation.
The following areas under this theme will be explored:

STEAM: Harnessing Innovation for Young Minds
STEAM provides numerous opportunities for young children to slow down and notice. Not only does this enable young children to move beyond an app-based approach to technology, it also extends and deepens their play ensuring authentic learning.

Translanguaging: How might we use children's language identities and resources to create belongings?
Children bring many spoken and symbolic languages and identities. A play based pedagogy recognizes, promotes and encourages children to explore concepts in multiple languages as they connect to their theories and make meaning of their world.

The Power of Play Based Pedagogy
Play-based pedagogical approaches are grounded in the belief that children are active learners who construct their own knowledge through their experiences. Skilled educators take on multiple roles to guide learning experiences through play.

Post Pandemic Well-Being: How are you doing?
How we intentionally connect with and relate to children has never been more important? How might we employ a variety of approaches to support our children and communities face challenges?

Pictures of the Conference

Keynote Speakers

Name

Robert (Bob) Cantwell

Years of Experience

19 years teaching, 13 years in administration

Education

Bachelor in Political Science & Philosophy, Master in Special Education, PhD in Learning and Leading with a focus in Neuroeducation

Dr. Robert “Bob” Cantwell started his teaching career in 1992 in remote, rural Alaska living in a Yup’ik Eskimo village. He was a special education teacher for 19 years prior to moving into administration in 2011. While he has worked with children of all ages, the majority of Bob’s career has been spent teaching or leading in early childhood programs. Bob has led school teams in Alaska, Germany, Oregon, and now Shanghai, China. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from the University of Scranton, a master’s in special education from Lewis and Clark College, and a doctorate in Learning and Leading with a concentration in Neuroeducation from the University of Portland. Bob also completed a data analysis course through Harvard University and a Head Start Fellows Management certificate at UCLA. In 2021, Bob was awarded the Oregon Association of Teacher Educators award for excellence in teacher education. Bob has a passion for inclusive practices, early literacy, and brain-based approaches to learning. Outside of work, you can find Bob in the great outdoors backpacking, fishing, sailing, or learning to play the ukulele.

Hide Robert's Biography

Name

Kirsty Liljegren

Career

Education Consultant, Teacher, Leader, Researcher

 

Kirsty Liljegren is a highly regarded education consultant in the early childhood and primary sectors who works nationally and internationally.
With a wealth of wisdom and experience as a teacher and leader, Kirsty’s advocacy for learning is evident in her insatiable curiosity about learning with and for children and adults in her various encounters.
Through her attitude and disposition as a researcher, Kirsty believes that we can authentically make a difference in the lives of children and families by optimising the conditions for children to learn and flourish as part of a community of learners.
Kirsty’s approach to her work stems from a commitment to educators' right to be intellectually and emotionally engaged in their work as part of this profession.
As a long-standing Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange Board member, Kirsty proudly volunteers to support the vital work of this not-for-profit organisation to reimagine how education can be.

Hide Kirsty's Biography

Host School

Beijing City International School aims to challenge and empower students to be compassionate and inspired people, who act for the good of all and for the sustainable development of the world.
Being part of BCIS, our key focus at the Early Childhood Center is high quality learning and teaching. We do this through a play-based approach. At the ECC, we value and honor the individual abilities, progress, and discoveries of our early years learners. We have a rich curriculum that embraces the surrounding environment by learning through investigating, creating, discovering, and engaging in a variety of ways throughout our state-of-the-art facilities. All our students benefit immensely from our dedicated and experienced faculty, who work in collaboration to nurture each individual child as they journey through their own learning experiences.

Mr. Tom Egerton

Head of School

Beijing City International School

No. 11 Dongbai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, PR China
北京市朝阳区东柏街11号,100022

(+86)10 8771 7171

Meet Our Planning Committee Team