Ready to move beyond ever after? We will explore strategies for taking traditional folk tales and fairy tales and reconnecting them with science experiences, hands-on experiments, and STEAM challenges designed to fully engage young learners. Participants will gain new perspectives on traditional stories, strategies, and ideas designed to provoke wonder and curiosity as they are paired with science and STEM/STEAM connections. Through hands-on demonstrations, participants will learn how to connect science to literacy, oral communication, gross motor skills, math, and dramatic and artistic play. Every activity and strategy can be completed using materials readily available in most classroom, school, library, or home education settings.

Objectives
Participants will be able to:

• Develop a toolbox of practical ideas for building science and STEM/STEAM connections in their early childhood or elementary setting.
• Connect science/STEAM experiences to early childhood literacy, oral communication, gross motor skills, and dramatic play.
• Create content-based experiences focused on multicultural fairy tales, animal adaptations, habitats, states of matter, the five senses, air pressure, engineering, shapes, graphing, force and motion, friction, sink and float, electricity, coding, the scientific process, and so much more.

Outline
Session 1:

• Introductions and objectives
• Hands-on examples and demonstrations of how and why we connect folk and fairy tales to STEAM experiences
• Exploration of the elements needed for building strong literacy and STEM/STEAM experiences across the early childhood curriculum
• Beyond Ever After STEAM experiences — how can hands-on learning support and enhance the curriculum while supporting wonder and curiosity in the early years of development?
• Opportunities to test hands-on ideas across a wide range of folk and fairy tale literature
• Literacy strategies for supporting English Language Learners

Session 2:

• Additional hands-on demonstrations and examples using a variety of folk and fairy tale literature
• How to support ELL and STEAM connections in the classroom
• Examples of ELL strategies and STEAM curriculum connections using fairy tales, folk tales, and picture books
• Assessing the classroom space for improved STEAM and ELL opportunities
• Collaboration and planning in small groups — incorporating what we’ve learned into everyday curriculum
• Additional resources to support building STEAM and ELL connections in the classroom
  

Trainer’s Profile
In addition to 25+ years experience in the formal and informal education worlds, Dr. Diane S. earned her M.T. and PhD in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia. She founded a preschool built on the idea that all children were natural scientists and explorers (and that picture books could connect all of the thematic units). While working in the museum education field, she developed and provided in-person and virtual hands-on STEAM programs that inspired curiosity and wonder in children of all ages. Dr. Diane currently works with teachers across the country, focusing on connecting multicultural literature with engaging and meaningful STEAM challenges. She is an adjunct professor for the University of Virginia and Shenandoah University, and hosts an Adventures in Learning podcast that explores connections between picture books and STEAM.

Methodology
This workshop offers multiple engagement opportunities, including experiential and collaborative learning practices. Participants will have the opportunity and are expected to be active participants in the discussion, both within the small and large group formats, reflecting on their own educational journey and classroom observations.

Platform
Zoom
A Zoom account is not required if you are strictly joining Zoom Meetings as a participant. An email invite will be emailed to you prior to the live workshop. Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer or mobile device, you can download the Zoom app from the Download Center. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link.

Download Zoom Mobile Apps for iPhone or Android
Download Zoom Client for Meetings

Target Audience
Teachers, counselors, administrators, and other school staff that support students ages 3-8.

Fees
1 person: SGD400.00 (USD320.00)/person
2 to 4 person: SGD380.00 (USD310.00)/person
5 person & more: SGD360.00 (USD300.00/person)
E-certificate will be issued

Other Details
Duration: 2 days, 6 hours
Closing Date:  1 Oct 2024

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