Join WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) virtually at the 2021 California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAAEYC) virtual conference, April 23–25. CAAEYC brings together educators of young children across the state of California, as well as leaders from over 20 affiliates and dozens of partner organizations. This year’s theme is “inspiring creativity through innovative practice.”
View PITC’s virtual sessions below, and be sure to visit our staff in the virtual exhibition hall to chat with our staff and learn about emerging research and practice.
We also hope you’ll join the live conversation by following @WestEd on Twitter and tagging your insights from the conference with #caaeyc21!
Sessions
Saturday, April 24
Simu-Live Session: The Essence of Infant/Toddler Curriculum: PITC’s Approach to Infant and Toddler-Initiated Learning Experiences
Time: 2:00–3:30 pm PDT
WestEd Presenters: Arlene Paxton, Diane Harkins, and Amber Morabito
This session will explore how to understand and develop curricula for infants and toddlers following the Program for Infant Toddler Care’s philosophy of care. The PITC approach both respects and takes its lead from the inborn learning agenda of infants and toddlers and orients around the three ages of infancy and learning contexts, while validating infant care teachers as active facilitators in the learning process. The approach highlights the central role of relationships in the lives of infants and toddlers. It is grounded in a curriculum planning process that incorporates teacher reflection in order to be intentional and responsive to each child’s interests, needs, developmental stage, temperament, family, and culture.
Sunday, April 25
On-Demand Session: Introduction to the PITC PARS: A New Look at Quality for Infant/Toddler Care Settings
Time: 3:00–4:30 pm PDT
WestEd Presenters: Kerry Kriener-Althen, Emily Newton, Bianca Rodriguez-Reyes
In this session, attendees will learn about the Program for Infant/Toddler Care Program Assessment & Reflection System (PITC PARS), a new approach to assessment for infant/toddler care. The PITC PARS supports study and reflection about the key components of quality in infant/toddler group-care settings — from caregiving interactions to the physical environment to program policies and administrative structures. The PITC PARS supports users in understanding and observing responsive, relationship-based care for infants and toddlers (0–3 years) in both family child care and center-based programs. The PITC PARS can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to quality improvement involving coaching and reflection and for research and evaluation purposes. This presentation will provide an overview of the PITC PARS, including background, areas of focus, unique features, and intended uses.
Our Virtual Booth Hours
Here are the booth hours to chat with staff (otherwise, we have documents and videos that are available at the booth 24/7):
Friday, April 23: 4:30–6:30 pm
Saturday, April 24: 11:30 am–2:00 pm
Sunday, April 25: 11:30 am–1:00 pm
Join us to learn about PITC professional development offerings. Publications and videos will be available at the booth 24/7 during the conference dates.
Staff: Elizabeth Crocker, Consuelo Espinosa, Tracy Johnson, and Amy Kaiser