Dr. Tracy Spies is the Fisher Family Professor in Literacy Education at the University of Wyoming. Prior to her appointment at the University of Wyoming she was a Professor of Multilingual Education at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and the Co-Director of the Gayle A. Zeiter Literacy Development Center. Before beginning her journey in academia, she worked as a bilingual teacher in kindergarten, second and fourth grades. She served in administrative roles as a literacy coordinator, assistant principal, and principal. She centers her work in teacher preparation and research around the question, What does meaningful access really mean? This question keeps her inquiries and educator preparation focused on creating high quality language environments for multilingual learners with a concentrated focus on multilingual learners with disabilities. She recently designed and implemented a 50/50 dual language STEAM curriculum for 4- and 5-year-olds focused on building children’s language and literacy skills in science across English and Spanish

Rosalba is a highly experienced pedagogist with over 29 years dedicated to early childhood education and pedagogical research. Holding a degree in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in Psychology, she began her career as an educator in 1994. Her deep interest led her to explore and research the innovative Reggio Emilia approach, including direct visits to its renowned schools.

As the former owner of a private nursery school that also served as a learning lab, Rosalba pioneered a new approach to early learning in her community, advocating for the rights of both children and educators. She has shared her expertise as an Early Childhood Education professor at a college and has served as a pedagogical consultant for over two decades, guiding various educational institutions. In this capacity, she also develops comprehensive modules, offering educators structured series for deeper knowledge development and access to valuable resources.

Rosalba embraces modern professional learning, developing online workshops, webinars, and contributing to podcasts for various agencies and organizations. These virtual spaces offer a wide community of educators, artists, chefs, families, and researchers opportunities for professional development and collaboration. She continues to present at workshops and conferences, both in person and virtually.

Passionate about intentional material use, Rosalba advocates for thoughtful engagement with resources, drawing inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to foster deeper connections with the environment. She emphasizes shifting from a culture of consumption to one of creative resourcefulness, promoting resilience and sustainability in early learning.

Viewing children as future citizens, Rosalba champions educational practices that empower them to explore and grow, fostering their development as responsible contributors to society. Her expertise also extends to food pedagogies, collaborating with chefs to develop workshops for educators, families, and children, and contributing a chapter to "Beautiful Stuff in Nature" on the journey of a tomato.

Currently, Rosalba continues her work as a consultant, speaker, and pedagogical companion, actively writing blogs and contributing to the Pedagogist Network Ontario. She is also a certified Play Worker and volunteers as chair of the York Region Nature Collaborative, connecting educators with outdoor learning experiences. Her extensive background and innovative methods consistently contribute to the advancement of early childhood education.

For updates and current events, visit www.acorncollaborative.com or connect on social media: @acorncollaborative (IG) and Rosalba Bortolotti (FB, LinkedIn).

Dr. Demet Gulaldi is a child development specialist with over 33 years of experience, particularly in working with children with special needs and their families. She graduated from Hacettepe University in Ankara. Turkiye and began her professional journey in Istanbul after growing up and studying in Ankara.

Midway through her career, she received the prestigious Humphrey Fellowship and completed postgraduate studies in the United States in the field of early intervention.

Her areas of focus include early childhood development, early intervention, developmental assessments, and family guidance. She has conducted research in attachment theory, especially on mother-child interaction and positive parenting. She also works with families individually using the evidence-based VIPP (Video-feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting) method.

 Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Üsküdar University, Department of Child Development in Istanbul. She teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in early intervention, child development, and developmental theories, while continuing her research in the areas of attachment and parent-child relationships. She leads the Child Development and Early Childhood Studies Center at Uskudar university. She is recently studying on investigation fatherhood and child development perspective form fathers. Her recent research explores fatherhood and child development from the perspective of fathers.

 In addition to her academic work, Dr. Gülaldi is actively involved with non-governmental organizations and currently serves as a consultant to UNICEF Türkiye, where she contributes to the development of national strategies on early childhood and early intervention programs. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Council of International Fellowship (CIF) and a member of the Humphrey Fellowship Association Türkiye.

Denise is a paediatric physiotherapist who works as a Early Childhood Intervention Consultant and Director of Postural Care Australia. She is Chair of Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention (PRECI). Denise has worked in the field of paediatrics,disability and ECI for over 35 years. In the early 2000’s Denise led a project changing the WA State Government Disability Services Commission ECI model to a key worker (Team around the Child) model. Denise was a Consultant on the Commission’s Statewide Consultancy Team supporting the implementation of recommended practices in ECI and paediatric physiotherapy throughout WA including remote / very remote regions. Denise is a founding member and current chair of PRECI and the PRECI Project lead for the development of the National Best Practice Framework in Early Childhood Intervention in Australia.  This Framework is cross-sector, cross-discipline, cross-diagnosis and cross-service delivery model. To support families with their journey in ECI, Denise was involved in a video series titled ‘Your child, your family and early childhood intervention: Family Perspectives (https://youtu.be/DbuV4isNLDI) translated into 5 different languages, and guides supporting understanding of the national guidelines titled ‘Working Together, therapy in the early years’, (2019). Denise is passionate about supporting families and therapists to understand the importance of 24 hour postural care, with a particular focus on supported lying.

Dr. ANA MARIA SERRANO - Associate Professor - Institute of Education (IE), researcher at the Center for Research in Child Studies (CIEC), University of Minho, Portugal. 

Has a degree in Psychology from the University of Coimbra. Holds a master's degree in Early Intervention from the University of Cincinnati, USA, as a Fulbright Scholar, and a PhD in Child Studies, a Special Education specialty from the Institute for Child Studies at the University of Minho.

She is a professor in the field of Special Education and developed and coordinates one of the first master's programs in Early Childhood Intervention in Portugal (1996). She is member of the National Association for Early Intervention (ANIP), President of the European Association for Early Intervention –EURLYAID, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Early Childhood Intervention.

And she is part of the National System of Early Childhood Intervention (SNIPI), North Subcommittee's Supervision Nucleus. Lives in a city in the North of Portugal – Braga.

https://www.eurlyaid.eu/

https://www.eurlyaid.eu/eciguidebook/

https://www.eurlyaid.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/resources-in-ECI.pdf

Prof. Dr. Isabel María Gómez Bareto. PhD in Education. Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Pedagogy department, area of Didactics and School Organization in the Faculty of Education of Albacete (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Member of the research group LabinTic (Laboratory for the Integration of Technology in the Classroom). Her lines of research are based on intercultural education, initial teacher education and professional development, teaching-learning processes, and socioemotional development. Her scientific production is based on the participation in numerous regional, national and international congresses, as well as on the publication of 4 books and more than 25 articles indexed in high impact indices (JCR and SJR).

Dr. Carlos Montoya Fernández. PhD in Education. Postdoctoral researcher in the Pedagogy department, area of Didactics and School Organization in the Faculty of Education of Albacete (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Member of the research group LabinTic (Laboratory for the Integration of Technology in the Classroom). He began his academic career four years ago, and his lines of research are based on the fields of Early Childhood Education, learning and development processes, play, authentic assessment, teacher professional development, and interculturality. To date, he has won two awards associated with the research quality of the doctoral thesis, at the regional and national levels. His scientific production is based on the participation in more than 20 regional, national and international congresses, as well as on the publication of 5 book chapters and 5 articles indexed in high impact indices (JCR and SJR). In addition, he has acted as a reviewer for IGI Global Publishing, the journal Early Years, the European Early Childhood Research Journal, and the Revista Complutense de Educación.

Dr. Kine Melfald Tveten is a pediatric physical therapist from Norway with 13 years of clinical experience in developmental neurology and movement disorders. She earned her PhD in infant motor function assessment and is currently a postdoctoral researcher with the transdisciplinary MoveEarly project in Bergen, Norway. Her research focuses on movement, play, and exploration in early childhood, driven by her passion for promoting the joy of movement. Dr. Tveten is also an advanced practitioner within Sherborne Developmental Movement and loves to have interactive and creative presentations.

Jessie Brewster and Ruth Troyanek join me to talk about Parents as Teachers.

 http://wypat.org/

Jessie Brewster was raised in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Montana. As a stay at home Mom of 3 wonderful kids, she attained an Associate of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Communication Studies at University of Montana. Jessie started her career in 2017 as a Family Advocate at a Resource Center at the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation working with families and youth. Her career brought her and her family to Laramie, Wyoming where she was able to become a Parent Educator for Albany County. Jessie has a passion for supporting parents on their journeys through a holistic and understanding approach. She also enjoys an array of hobbies such as sewing, crocheting, painting, and hiking with her family.

Ruth Troyanek has lived in Laramie for 16 years, previously serving the community as a public librarian. Her favorite role at the public library was serving as the Youth Services Librarian, leading programs for young children. She is excited to again serve families as a Parent Educator. Ruth and her family enjoy biking and camping.

Dr. Ehi Edokhamhen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Tennessee State University, Nashville TN. With a background in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, Dr. Edokhamhen's expertise spans teaching, research, and service. With a research focus on teacher education and workforce development, Edokhamhen has conducted research with Head Start teachers. Edokhamhen is an active member of professional associations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), Association for Constructivist Teaching (ACT), and Literacy Association of Tennessee. Dr. Edokhamhen is originally from Nigeria. He is married and has a 9 month old son.

Sarah is an Atelierista, Presenter and the Social Media curator for the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance (AREA). She is currently the resident Atelierista at Reddam House Waterfall Early Learning School and co-ordinates the Reggio Emilia approach professional development at the school and is part of their Social Media Team. Sarah is passionate about the Reggio Emilia approach and promoting the rights of every child in every context.

She has attended two of Reggio Children International Study Groups to Reggio Emilia, Italy, leading the April 2024 Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance (AREA) Study Group. Whilst in Reggio Emilia, she was able to engage in research on the Culture of the Atelier and role of the Atelierista in the Reggio Emilia approach, spending time with a Reggio Children Atelierista, Marco Spaggiari and in the Documentation Studio with Marina Castagnetti.

Sarah renamed her workspace, the Everywhere Atelier, a Reggio Emilia inspired laboratory of research, and aims to ensure that the culture of the atelier diffuses throughout the school and beyond like the fragrance of perfume.

Sarah qualified in 1996 with a HDipEd in Pre-Primary and Junior Primary phase, with a major in Visual Arts. Sarah has taught for 28 years in different positions with children ranging from birth to age 12 in various schools in various positions, including being in a Visual Art position in South Africa, in Johannesburg and KwaZulu Natal. She has since been able to follow her passion and fill the role of Atelierista in the Reddam House Waterfall Early Learning School since January 2020. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-browne-86a573120?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AyUPQZP7n/ @aterlierista

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aterlierista7?igsh=MW1yeTJqdzM1dzJxbw== @the_everywhereatelier 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_everywhereatelier?igsh=dWdzNmJ1Y2N6aTF3

Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance (AREA) Social Media Platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-reggio-emilia-alliance/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064338836265&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africareggioemiliaalliance/profilecard/?igsh=cjltZXc0MnI1OWN5

Webpage: https://reggio.co.za/