Early Childhood Expert, Dr Lilian Katz, Speaks at NEC Conference

Dr Lilian Gonshaw Katz.

26 June 2008 - The successful National Early Childhood Conference (NECC) is back. Only this time, it is larger and features internationally sought after early childhood specialist Dr Lilian Gonshaw Katz and other experts from around the globe. The NEC 2008 is organised by the Faculty of Education & Social Science of SEGi College Subang Jaya. It will be held at Summit Hotel, Subang Jaya USJ on 16th and 17th of August. The event is co-organised by PTC Learning School International and is supported by National Association of Early Childhood Care & Education Malaysia (Naeccem). The conference will centre around the theme of educating young children the right way, at the right time so that they become thinking learners. Who should attend it? The NEC Conference is opened to Early childhood practitioners, educators of young children as well as parents. Next question that may cross your mind is: Why is it important to create thinking learners at such a young age?

Thinking skills require time to develop, thus it is best to start this process at a young age. A child who can think will be able to learn more efficiently and independently. Ultimately, this would create a lifelong intellectual habit that would help them throughout their lives.

This conference reassesses the old philosophies of early childhood education. It offers current, practical and tested strategies, information and concepts instead.

The key speaker, Dr Lilian Gonshaw Katz, is a world renowned early childhood educator and authority on the project approach. She will be presenting her famous papers: ‘Engaging Children’s Minds And Hearts – The Project Approach’ and ‘Nurturing Thinking Learners.’

She strongly believes in incorporating project work in early childhood syllabus for a number of very good reasons. According to her research, very young children are born with an innate ability and desire to learn on their own, and to make connections in their minds.

It forces children to have an inquiring mind through the need to acquire information for their project. They are put in a situation where they learn independently via observation and seeking knowledge for a wide variety of disciplines.

This trains them to solve problems as well as encourages social interaction since project work is done in small groups. Thus, project work is a great way to develop young children in all areas.

Dr Katz is currently Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Education and Co-Director of Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting (CEEP) at the University of Illinois, USA. She is also Editor of an early childhood journal, Early Childhood Research & Practice.

For more than 30 years, she has lectured at the University of Illinois as well as directed the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early childhood education. To date, she has lectured in all the 50 U.S. states and in 50 countries.

Dr Katz is the recipient of many honors including two Fulbright Awards (India & New Zealand), an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Whittier College, California and an honorary Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Goteborg, Sweden.

After founding the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children, she served as its first president. Then, she served as vice president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) from 1986 to 1990 and was later elected its president.

Dr Katz is indeed a writer and publisher in her own right. She has to her credit more than 100 publications about early childhood education, teacher education, child development and parenting of young children. For 13 years she was a columnist on parenting three- and four-year-olds for Parents Magazine.

She was founding editor of the Early Childhood Research Quarterly and served for six years as its Editor-in-Chief. One of her books entitled Talks with Teachers of Young Children is a collection of her best known early essays and several more recent ones.

Her latest book, which was published as second edition and translated into several languages, is entitled Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years. These are mention of but a few of her countless accomplishments.

The conference will also feature other international speakers such as Dr Diana Lea-Baranovich from the USA, Dr Elizabeth Munroe from Canada, and Dr Nita Temmerman from Australia. Participants can also look forward to insights from experts from Asia such as Puspa Sivan, Cherry Pua-Africa, Ruth Wong and Carolyn Choo.

Individuals interested in attending the NECC need only pay an early bird price of RM380 if they register before 30 June. After 30 June, it would cost RM420 per participant. Groups of minimum of 5 participants, current SEGi students and SEGi Valued Corporate Partners may enrol at RM350 per participant.

For more information on registration details, contact Koh Yoke Ling (Tel. no.: 03-86053930; ylkoh@segi.edu.my), Leong Foong Lin (Tel. no.: 03-86053865; flleong@segi.edu.my) or Carolyn Choo (Tel. no.: 013-3508598; carolyn@segi.edu.my).

The NECC is co-organised by the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences (FOESS), SEGi College Subang Jaya and Parent-Teacher-Child (PTC) School International. It is supported by the University of Queensland, Australia and National Association of Early Childhood Care & Educational Malaysia.

The FOESS has also organised a talk entitled “Love Children? Turn Your Passion into a Fulfilling Career” at 2.00pm on 28 June 2008 (Saturday) in SEGi College Subang Jaya. Those interested may attend at no charge.

FOESS offers cutting edge infrastructure and academic training with a practical approach, effectively and efficiently creating early education practitioners. Over the years it has produced over a thousand graduates who are now nurturing children in our country.

SEGi College is the largest private education provider in Malaysia. With a network of campuses in five major towns and cities in the country, the college has a total of 16,000 students. SEGi also owns St Nicholas Montessori Centres throughout Malaysia for children aged 2½ to 6 years.
 
To find out more about the National Early Childhood Conference or early childhood programmes, please call SEGi College Subang Jaya (03-86001888), email to infosj@segi.edu.my or log on to www.segi.edu.my