Messing About with Ideas: Free Virtual Dialogue Series

These are unprecedented and uncertain times, and we also know that early childhood educators are some of the most innovative, passionate, and caring people in the world. We see you, we celebrate you, and we want to support you! 
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While we at Boulder Journey School have had to cancel all of our upcoming in-person workshops and professional development opportunities for the next month at a minimum, we are excited to launch a series of free virtual dialogues for educators. These will be an opportunity to come together with other early childhood educators to acknowledge the challenges we are all facing, share ideas, and build new thinking together for ways we can adapt and respond to the educational landscape in the midst of social distancing. Pedagogical leaders and Teacher Educators from Boulder Journey School and the Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program will act as facilitators. 

Together, we can support each other and continue the demanding and rewarding work of advocating for the rights and capabilities of young children, families, educators, and our profession. We look forward to collaborating with you!
Upcoming Dialogues

We will be holding one Virtual Dialogue per semester. 
Fall 2021 - Date TBD

Past Dialogues and Select Recordings

​Special Topic: Recognizing one year of Virtual Dialogues: What have we learned? What will we take with us? Wednesday, March 17, 2021
​One year ago, we all faced the swift societal changes that COVID-19 presented: Navigating school shutdowns, figuring out virtual learning, implementing new regulations, redesigning early childhood leadership strategies, changing the nature of how we partner with families, designing brand new systems and strategies for “doing school”, and navigating our own health and emotional wellness on and ongoing basis. One year ago, Boulder Journey School recognized four things simultaneously: 1) We did NOT have the answers to any of the new challenges, 2) No one else had any concrete answers either, 3) Shared thinking and socially constructed understandings are stronger than ideas and solutions we can figure out in isolation. 4) We DID have connections and relationships with educators around the world, as well as a large social media platform that we could leverage to create a space for connection.

Out of a desire to connect with others in a time when we were suddenly living a physically distanced life, we launched virtual dialogues as an experimental offering in March of 2020. Within a couple days upon launching the idea, hundreds of educators registered for the opportunity to simply join a zoom room to connect with other educators. As participation continued to grow, we quickly recognized the value of the idea. Over the months of 2020, and into 2021, the shape of the virtual dialogues has shifted and changed as the realities for society and for schools have evolved, but the conversations in each virtual dialogue continue to be positive, inspiring, and supportive for all involved.

Through this special virtual dialogue, we will recognize and elevate the shared thinking we’ve all done over the last year. We will also provide space for discussion about the ways in which we all can take what we’ve learned with us into the future. These and other questions will be considered:
What have we witnessed or experienced over the past year that is worthy of celebration and recognition?

What have we learned/developed over the past year that we will continue for years to come, during the continued duration of the pandemic, and beyond?
How can we continue to care for our own mental health and wellness, as well as the wellness of our communities?
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How can we use what we’ve learned over the past year to continue to advocate for the ECE field?

Special Topic & Time
Wednesday, July 8, 5:30 - 7:00 pm Mountain
Special Topics in Early Childhood Education: A Virtual Dialogue Focused around Grappling with the Challenges and Opportunities of 2020
This summer, our amazing Resident Teachers have been exploring the above topics and developing related advocacy projects aimed at impacting policy, community perspectives, and leaders. This will be an opportunity to meet them, hear about their work, and engage in dialogue around your own perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. If you have been pondering any of these issues, we hope you will join us to dig deeper and connect with colleagues in the virtual dialogue space. 

Videos coming soon

Previous dialogues recordings and notes

Special Topic: Health and Hope for Early Childhood
What will rise from these trying times

View the recording here: https://youtu.be/bAwm5vJNTmM

View the chat transcript here: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19zdl5T7wKLrcWmkAkOOTLRKumrLflYx0WgOABCi2fcI/edit?usp=sharing

View the resource guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m34B_P2fq0iqQUQfSsmibqludpblRR7V/view?usp=sharing

Special Topic: Supporting Mental and Emotional Wellness for Educators, Children, and Families in a Time of Physical Distancing
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View the recording here: youtu.be/nbIcGXdv48U
Read a reflection from the dialogue here: educators.boulderjourneyschool.com/onlinelearningdatabase/reflection-on-virtual-dialogue
​View the chat transcript here: ​ drive.google.com/file/d/1-8cLdrjftr4K05YRSLWLhbrL7_lcnDs8/view?usp=sharing

Featuring a special guest panel of experts with various backgrounds in mental health and emotional wellness. 

​Danny Lewin, Associate Director, Sleep Medicine, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Behavioral Medicine and Licensed clinic psychologist, Children’s National Health System and George Washington, University School of Medicine
https://childrensnational.org/visit/find-a-provider/daniel-lewin

Julia McGarey, MA, Founder and Coach, Partnered Path Parenting
http://partneredpath.com/

Theresa Melito-Conners, PhD (Dr. MC), Founder of Dr. MC's Self-Care Cabaret & Public School Special Education Administrator in Massachusetts
www.drmcselfcare.com

Julie Zabolio, MA, LPC, IMH-E®, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist - Health Solutions
www.health.solutions

Laura Conley, Life Coach, Laura Conley Coaching
https://lauraconley.com/

Michele Starr Beach, MA, ECE, Psychotherapy, Parent Coaching
​https://thepatchworkschool.com/
Special Topic: Supporting Infants & Toddlers in a time of Physical Distancing
with Special Guest, Lisa Matter, MA, IMH-E® Infant Family Specialist, Expanding Quality in Infant Toddler Care Initiative Manager, Child Care Quality Initiatives

​View the recording and read the chat notes here: ​https://youtu.be/R4YYbeEazFs

Series One recordings and notes

Thank you to everyone who participated and expressed interest in the first series of Virtual Dialogues. We found them to be rich and powerful, and we hope you do too. You will find links to the recordings of these dialogues here. There is a link to the synthesized notes in each Youtube video description. 

If, while watching, you have responses, additions, or reflections, please post them in the Youtube comments so that we can continue to extend the dialogue.
Monday, March 23, 4:00-5:30 MST 
What it means to develop distance learning with young children
https://youtu.be/KTpi1YFwiWY

Tuesday, March 24, 4:00-5:30 MST
Unique learning from common materials everyone has at home
https://youtu.be/se6ffRrS1GU

Wednesday, March 25, 4:00-5:30 MST
Early childhood leadership in uncertain times
https://youtu.be/D9ABbXGgMYQ

Thursday, March 26, 4:00-5:30 MST
​Partnering with families in the midst of social distancing
https://youtu.be/Sjx2l2q98OY
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