From assessment to online learning, Erikson faculty and program directors covered some of the hottest issues in education in their presentations at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Washington, D.C., Nov. 18-21, 2009.  Where available, summaries of their talks are linked below.

Taking stock of state early childhood standards and assessments
President Samuel J. Meisels weighed in on this panel to discuss trends and innovative efforts in early childhood assessment.
Issues and Challenges in State Early Childhood Readiness Testing (.pdf) »

Harmonious relationships and effective schools: How relational trust among adults contributes to a positive learning environment
Erikson Institute's instructors Jennifer Moore, Rebeca Itzkowich, Lisa Peloquin, and Tracey Brownrigg with student Avni Patel demonstrated the effects of adult interactions on school climate and student learning.

The Fred Rogers Center online community of practice for early learning
Chip Donohue, director of distance learning, and Roberta Schomberg introduced a new initiative to establish an online community for resource sharing, community building, and networking for early childhood professionals and families.

Moving Erikson online: Perspectives from administrators, faculty, instructors, and designers on an intentional and inclusive process
Chip Donohue and senior instructor Mary Hynes-Berry discussed the process of translating Erikson's relationship-based approach to an online curriculum.
Distance Learning and Technology Readings and Resources for ECE 2.0 (.pdf) »
Supporting online learners: Blending high-tech with high-touch (.pdf) »

How young children learn: Evaluating the research to improve preschool curriculum
Barbara T. Bowman discussed the importance for all children to have access to high-quality early intervention, daycare, and preschool programs.
Going to scale (.ppt) »

Building the culturally and academically relevant classroom library: How to organize, what to select, and where to look
Assistant professor Jane Fleming and Susan Catapano shared information on improving classroom libraries with low-cost and culturally relevant books that engage children in developing early literacy skills.
Building the culturally and academically relevant library (.ppt) »