Using SECD Resources for Professional Learning

SECD resources are an ideal, cost-effective way to provide professional learning to staff in early learning and child care centres. A Director or Supervisor could select a topic to explore at each session – or have staff members sign up on a rotating basis to choose a topic. 

With the variety of elements within SECD there are several ways to address a topic, for example: show videos, distribute the easy-to-print short readings and “consider” examples, use questions on the SECD webpage for group discussion, and/or show the “Interact” review games or slideshows. Sometimes, it can be useful to have people do a short reading before the session, so everyone has given some thought to the topic ahead of time. 

You can incorporate SECD professional learning (PL) briefly, with 10-15 minutes at each session, or go more in depth and devote a longer timeframe to a particular topic. 

At each session: 

  • Try to include some theoretical or research-based information that might be new for staff. Relate it to your centre and children. 
  • Include some practical ideas that staff can use and/or apply immediately. Have people commit to try something new. 
  • Leave time for discussion so people have time to consider how the information relates to their work and new ideas they would like to try. 
  • Devote time at the next session to review the previous topic and discuss what people tried and how it went. 

On the follow pages, you will see some possible PL topics and SECD content that will support your staff learning. Feel free to explore the resources to come up with ideas that will inform and inspire your co-workers. 

  • Planning Environments for Learning – CL p. 3.2, has a variety of information on this topic. There are photos of indoor and outdoor play spaces including a 360 degree view of an outdoor playground. As a ‘takeaway’, staff could be asked to review and respond to the reflection questions “Think about a play space…” and come to the next session ready to discuss. Together, view “Welcoming environment” (EC p. 3.2) and discuss whether your program could benefit from some changes. Ask each staff person to identify one idea from the video to apply to the program environment within the next week. 
  • Nurturing Care and Brain Development – the Brain Development module helps child care staff understand why nurturing, sensitive care is so important for children’s overall health and well-being. Look at BD p. 2.2 to delve into this topic and on BD p. 3.3 see examples of “serve and return” interactions. 
  • Active Play – Select materials from CC p. 2.6 and p. 3.3 sections on Active Play. Do some group activities that analyze the amount of active play children at your centre have each day.  For instance, each staff person could select a child to track for one day, tallying the number of minutes in active play, and share results at the staff meeting. Brainstorm ways to promote active play at your centre. Each staff can select one from the master list and commit to trying it over the next week/month. 
  • Risky Play – See sections on Risky Play on CC p. 2.6 and 3.3. There is a wealth of information, including videos about types of risky play, opportunities for children, challenges, and hurdles. These videos and readings provide lots of “food for thought” and can be a springboard for discussion. 
  • Literacy – CL p. 1.2 has basic information/definitions. “Cutting the Bug” on CL p. 3 provides good examples of strategies to promote language development and can be used by your staff to analyze their own interactions and brainstorm other ways they can promote language in your program. CL p. 2.3 has information about promoting literacy, the importance of a print rich environment and promoting reading. The language and literacy readings provide important information for practitioners about language and literacy development and strategies for supporting this development. CL p. 3.1 has a section on supporting literacy, including videos of experts and children with lots of examples of how staff can support children’s language and literacy. Discuss practical ways this can be applied in your program. What ideas can your staff come up with that would encourage literacy and enhance literacy practices in the program? 
  • Numeracy – CL p. 1.2 has basic information and definitions. On CL p. 2.4 there is information that you can use to review matching, classifying, comparing, and ordering. Do the Interact as a group. Then, using chart paper, for each of the four concepts, list ways you promote this concept with children at your centre. What materials do you use? What questions do you ask? OR, you could consider common play materials and come up with a play idea for each of the four math concepts. Ask staff to read the CCCF article “Ages and stages of numeracy development” prior to the session. CL p. 3.1 has a section on supporting numeracy – review the “Math with Kids is Fun” article. Ask each staff member to identify one new activity/experience they will organize/offer/facilitate within the next week. 
  • Planning for Communicating and Learning – CL p. 2.5 has videos and readings about how children learn that are suitable for staff learning and discussion. Link these concepts with information on CL p. 3.1 about guiding and facilitating children’s learning and development. View “image of the child” (Clinton video) and discuss readings on play-based programming. Discuss strategies adults use including scaffolding (Durrant video can be used to explain this concept – staff can then discuss/share their own examples/role play). 
  • Children’s Rights – See EC p. 1.2 for information about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. View video “My rights”. List each of the 10 articles highlighted in the video on chart paper. Discuss/explore each. In your program, how do you ensure that these rights are met? How do you ensure EVERY child’s rights are met? 
  • Are You an Orchid or a Dandelion? – This might be suitable for a shorter discussion at a staff meeting. Explore the materials on EC p. 1. Ask staff to consider how this might relate to children at your centre. Discuss how this might affect interactions with children. 
  • Effects of Early Learning and Child Care – It is important for staff to have current information about the impacts of child care on young children. What does the research indicate? What are the benefits of child care for children? What are the concerns? See EC p. 2.2 (including the Want To Know More section with articles on impact). Divide up the readings so that staff can read different articles and come to the staff meeting ready to share. Consider the statement that good quality programs are good for children. Discuss what this means for your staff and their professional role/responsibility. 
  • Integrated Programs – Perhaps you want to work more closely with the school in your community – EC p. 2.3 has readings and videos that could be shared at a staff meeting that might spark conversation, brainstorming, and action. 
  • Understanding the Early Childhood Education Report – This report is typically produced every three years. Perhaps the most recent report has just been released, or perhaps your staff are interested in learning more about how the system in your jurisdiction compares to that of other provinces and territories. DH p. 2.3 (environmental scan section) has video interviews with experts who explain the background, criteria, etc. There are links to the most recent report that can also be reviewed/shared with staff. 
  • Reflective Practice – See CL p. 3.1 and CL 3.2 for expert interviews and readings on reflective practice, invitations, documentation and more. The material can be used to provoke people to think deeply about the work they do with children each day. How to support reflective practitioners, tools, benefits, and the role of observation and documentation are all considered.