George Brown College and P.A.C.E. Canada.

Did you know…George Brown College has a long history with P.A.C.E. Canada.  In 2003, the School of Early Childhood was awarded a 5 year project in Jamaica from the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.  In 2008, the college was awarded a further three year project to continue work in Jamaica in cooperation with the Early Childhood Commission and Shortwood Teachers’ College.  Our connection with P.A.C.E. included orientation sessions for our faculty and students travelling to Jamaica and our attendance at fundraising efforts at P.A.C.E.  The College also prepared presentations of our work for meetings held by P.A.C.E.  P.A.C.E. also hosted our Jamaican colleagues who travelled on study tours to Toronto.  Our association has been an opportunity to engage and learn from each other. As we continue to develop our partnership, the college has adopted Newlands Basic School which is located in Portmore, and students and faculty visit annually.

The Early Years are a vital part of a child’s development and at the School of Early Childhood, George Brown College we emphasize the importance of positive relationships and engagement.  To do this, we follow Ontario’s Pedagogy, How Does Learning Happen?  Over the next few months we will share information that supports this pedagogy and hopefully enlighten you.

Let’s begin this month with the definition of pedagogy according to How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy(pg. 3).

The term pedagogy refers to the process of understanding and supporting learning.

Pedagogical approaches that support quality programs are those that:

• build positive and responsive relationships;
• focus on children’s social, emotional, physical, creative, and cognitive development in a holistic way;
• provide environments in which children learn through exploration, play, and inquiry;encourage self-reflection, discussion, and ongoing collaboration and learning among educators;
• engage with families, and value their strengths, contributions, and unique perspectives; anduse pedagogical documentation to study, interpret, make visible, and help inform children’s learning and development.

These pedagogical approaches support children as they learn along a developmental continuum, and allow for smoother transitions from one program to another – for example, from child care and family support programs to kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond.

Stay tuned for next month when we look at the four Foundations for Learning.