About Us

• Our Council represents teachers in K, Grade 1, 2, and 3.
• Over 200 international universities, schools, and education centres subscribe to our high quality refereed Early Childhood Education Journal (published annually).
• We have 10 Regionals representing all areas of the Province.
• We have collaborated with Alberta Education to develop curriculum and support materials.
• We have shown dedicated and professional leadership in the education of young children since our beginnings.

The Early Childhood Education Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) was formed in 1966 to facilitate professional development of teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and to improve the quality of early childhood education programs in Alberta. As school districts are beginning to include programs for Pre Kindergarten, this is now part of the Council's mandate.

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Our Philosophy and objectives

The ECEC philosophy is grounded in the belief that the child is capable, curious, and imaginative, and is an active co-constructor of meaning with peers and adults.
We believe the following:

• The relationship between teaching and learning is reciprocal and dialogical and the key role of the teacher is to provide and facilitate integrated experiences.
• The environment for children needs to support varied, rich, guided and spontaneous opportunities for questioning, conversation, exploration and imaginative play.
• Teachers create meaningful and complex learning environments that engage children in holistic, interdisciplinary and integrative approaches to learning.
• Teachers are responsive to the diverse ways children create and express understanding of their world and attentive to all aspects of their development (social, cognitive, emotional, physical, cultural).
• The arts are languages through which children learn and represent their learning.  They are a means of developing children’s understanding of the world as well as their individual abilities, interests and cultural experiences.
  
  General Objectives
  The objectives of The Early Childhood Education Council are to
  
• improve practice in the specialty by increasing members' knowledge and understanding of this specialty;
• foster the professional development of members through membership activities and services;
• provide advice and expertise to the ATA on learning and working conditions, curriculum and teacher preparation as related to early childhood education; and
• act through the ATA as an advocate for the advancement and promotion of early childhood education.

Our Vision

Vision Statement
The vision statement of ECEC falls into five categories: Professional Development, Advocacy, Membership, Research and Communication. (Draft, May 2008)
Professional Development
The ECEC will:

• support effective practices and current research
• provide innovative widely accessible face-to-face and virtual professional development opportunities
• serve as the authoritative voice in recommending presenters to educational partners and ATA subgroups to support the needs of PreK - Grade 3 teachers

Advocacy
The ECEC will: 

• be the political and professional voice advocating for optimal learning environments for young children
• promote positive and visible activism to foster dialogue for change between education stakeholders and the community at large
• advocate for the recognition of Early Childhood as a specialization in post secondary education and within the field of teaching
• promote university preperation programs and appropriate placement with Early Childhood educators
• advocate for young children by collaborating with our educational partners on curriculum and resource development

Membership
The ECEC will: 

• increase council membership and support teachers provincially, regionally, and at the universities
• offer mentoring opportunities to new and experienced teachers who find themselves teaching in a Pre K-3 classroom

Research
The ECEC will: 

• promote opportunities to advance research in Early Childhood Education
• encourage the development of the teachers as researchers
• encourage research partnerships between universities and early childhood professionals

Communication
The ECEC will: 

• develop an online professional community to provide teachers with opportunities to network and access the larger global ECE community
• create an internet based site for Pre K-3 teachers to access resources, services, and examples related to effective models of teaching
• provide quality and current regional newsletters and provincial publications to its members and other education stakeholders to support effective practices
• increase communication and collaboration between regional executives and university regional executives