II International Practical Online Conference “University of Childhood: Noteworthy Practices”

Introduction

On 1-2 June, 2021 UNESCO IITE together with University of Childhood co-organized a large-scale event in the field of preschool education, which brought together participants from 56 countries. The 2nd International Practical Online Conference “University of Childhood: Noteworthy Practices” allowed participants to learn about the best practices of preschool educators from 10 countries. There were totally 28 speakers, including Sekiichi Kato, Principal of Fuji Kindergarten, and Sarah Lawfull, Director of the Forest School Association (UK).

Director of UNESCO IITE, Mr. Tao Zhan welcomed the participants and presented the Initiatives of IITE on ICT in Education. Dr. Zhan also expressed the desire to implement a joint project with the University of Childhood.

Key insights

  • A family is the main source of integrity and readiness for hardships of life. Kindergartens and schools should function for families, not for children. They should assist families in improving security and living standards.
  • It is crucial to change the approach to preschool education. Learning should be child-centered minding age and characteristics. The main task is to link planning with what happens to a group of children in the educational process.
  • ICT can significantly enhance learning. Technologies have potential to stimulate early child development, to form mathematical thinking skills, communication and language and speech skills, and to facilitate the development of children with disabilities.
  • ” Forest Kindergarten” is a place where children gain knowledge about the world in natural environment. The approach is focused on raising children who understand that they are part of a large ecosystem. They know their responsibility, among others, is to take care of the world around them.
  • The secret of the world’s best (according to UNESCO) kindergarten lies in the principle of “See, Touch, Feel, Think and Act”, which can create conditions for a successful future of a child.
  • Mastering the skill of resolving conflicts in early childhood contributes to the effective solution of problems in adulthood, helps a child to build his/her identity, and fosters empathy. Adults, above all, should be aware of a model of successful conflict-waging.

Statistics

  • 14,000 registered participants from 56 countries, including Russia;
  • More than 2,000 comments in the conference chat;
  • 69,000 website visitors in 2 days;
  • About 1,000 photos in WhatsApp sent by the participants to share some positive vibes of their work;
  • 28 speakers from 10 countries presented really noteworthy practices.

UNESCO IITE expresses gratitude to the event’s co-organizer University of Childhood for the continuous support, as well as to Rybakov Foundation and the partners of the Conference.