10 November 2020

Open Invitation to attend our free joint PhD event with KINDknow Centre, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

We are very excited to announce that the The Conceptual PlayLab, Monash University in collaboration with KINDknow Centre, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is hosting a free scholarly event to support PhD students.

Purpose International collaborations, networking and the building of research leadership

Theme Presenting scholarly research - Research in crisis contexts
 
Focus of the event
This event is designed to open up a space for dialogue on concepts used in a number of theoretical traditions. One of these traditions is cultural-historical theory, but there are other theoretical interpretations of crisis. 

We welcome a broad range of theories for this event, and will cluster our presentations so that the concept of crisis can be shown in a diversity of ways (Day 1) and with a narrowing to cultural-historical framework (Day 2), culminating in a key presentation and discussion led by Dr Glykeria Fragkiadaki and Dr Prabhat Rai to bring together the 2 days. 

Presenters and participants will collectively discuss concepts in relation to their empirical studies. The event aims to advance thinking on concepts and promote international exchange, international research community building and networking, and to actively support the development of research leadership skills.

Date 26th – 27th of November, 2020

Day 1 26th November, 2020: 7.30-9.05 am CEST (GMT+1) & 5.30-7.05 pm AEDT (GMT+11) 
Zoom link Click here to join   
Keynote Research as an arena for migrant families’ dealing with crises of transitions to ECEC in another socio-cultural context by Associate Professor Alicja R. Sadownik, of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Kindergarten Knowledge Center for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures.

Day 2 27th November, 2020: 7.30-9.00am CEST (GMT+1) & 5.30-7.05 pm AEDT (GMT+11)
Zoom link Click here to join
Keynote Collective imagination and concept formation in play by Dr Glykeria Fragkiadaki and Dr Prabhat Rai, of the Conceptual PlayLab, Monash University.

Presenters
Poster paper presenters will be organised to share their work in relation to a set of
questions – What is aim of your research? What is the method/concepts used? What is the
(expected) result? What impact can/do/could the results have? The discussant will ask these
questions and the poster presenter will respond to these questions (rather than give a
presentation).

Please email Yuwen Ma or Yuejiu Wang if in Australia or Maria Grindheim if in Norway to express your interest in participating in this exciting 2 part day event.

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See our newsletter for further details about our app launch and other activities.

If you are an early childhood educator who would like to have an opportunity to participate in the Conceptual PlayLab research activities in the future, you can register your interest and join our private Facebook group - Conceptual PlayWorlds for Educators. You can also access free resources for educators. 

If you are a parent who would like to have an opportunity to participate in the Conceptual PlayLab research activities in the future, you can register your interest. You can also access free resources for families.

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1 November 2020

Special edition featuring the PlayLab's visiting scholar Dr. Elaine Soares França from Brazil

In this post we present a spotlight on our special visiting scholar Dr. Elaine Franca from Brazil welcome our latest PhD student Monique Parkes. 


The Conceptual PlayLab brings visitors from all of the world and Australia

This year, we are fortunate to have with us Dr. Elaine Soares França, a visiting scholar from Brazil.




Elaine holds a Bachelor of Science Education degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, and a Masters and a Ph.D. in Education from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). She is also a Science teacher in a Laboratory School at UFMG. She has extensive teaching experience as a primary and secondary years educator. She has also been a tutor to several Professional Development Programs for primary and secondary years educators (in Portuguese only).

In her masters degree study entitled “Differences in the science classroom: knowing the elementary school teachers’ practices” (abstract in English), she characterized practices of science teachers. In this study the focus was on aspects related to the goal of promoting science for all, including urban students with learning difficulties.

In her doctorate degree study entitled “Building relationships between science and imagination throughout a classroom’s first three years in elementary school” (abstract in English), she investigated how relations between science and imagination are built in a classroom at Primary School. 

The theoretical methodological approach in both studies were based on elements from ethnography of education. These elements are informed by Interactional Ethnography, and Discourse Analysis, specifically, Microethnography. 

She used the notion of creative activity proposed by Vygotsky to develop broader and deeper understanding of how imagination occurs in science classes. By approaching science in the primary years with Childhood’s Sociology perspective and Cultural-historical psychology, she was able to evidence how children’s knowledge is important, makes sense, can help the group to engage in scientific activities, and support the construction of school science knowledge (abstract in English).

Her current postdoctoral research study's main objective is to investigate the analytical frameworks of the Conceptual PlayLab research group of Monash University, relating the approach that the Australian group has been developing data that emerged from a study conducted in a Brazilian school. The plan is also to establish a partnership with researchers from Conceptual PlayLab, whose work has greatly contributed to the academic discussions on the theme in focus. 

Since arriving in Melbourne in January, she has been able to visit Scienceworks, State Library Victoria, Sea Life Melbourne, and Melbourne Museum. Elaine found these amazing places are rich resources to learn science and improve imagination to better understand the world. She is hoping to be able to see more of Victoria when restrictions are further eased.

Elaine has fully immersed herself in the PlayLab, contributed to our in PhD Days, and she presented her doctoral thesis to us. Her participation in the weekly Study Group meetings and the different discussions and readings promoted by the PlayLab throughout this year has been great for the PhD community. Before March, she also helped with data collection at a Playgroup.  

Elaine said that it has been very enriching for her to learn about Australian education and she hopes to be able to remain connected with the discussions and work developed by PlayLab next year, after she leaves for Brazil in January 2021. We will certainly miss her and definitely hope to stay in touch!



Our team is still growing

We are thrilled to welcome our new PhD student Monique Parkes to the Conceptual PlayLab team. Monique has worked in several roles as an early childhood educator and teacher in Melbourne and Bangkok. Amongst the many things she is involved in, she is passionate about lifting the bar for Early Childhood Education, play, early intervention, nature, sustainability, and social issues concerning women. She is particularly interested in contemporary matters and progressivism. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of her research on STEM learning and development in early childhood educational settings.



See our newsletter for further details about our app launch and other activities.

We would love to hear from you about what this research means to you and if you would like to get involved.


If you are an early childhood educator who would like to have an opportunity to participate in the Conceptual PlayLab research activities in the future, you can register your interest and join our private Facebook group - Conceptual PlayWorlds for Educators. You can also access free resources for educators, including our STEM PlayWorlds for Infants and Toddlers video. 

If you are a parent who would like to have an opportunity to participate in the Conceptual PlayLab research activities in the future, you can register your interest. You can also access free resources for families.

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