New Year and a new year of knowledge sharing

I've been surfing blogs for the past couple of hours and have discovered a few things. One is that there are a lot of blogs out there! (Einstein here right? Like duh!) The important thing I've discovered is that we truly are not alone. We don't have to be an island unto ourselves. While I seem to (so far) follow crafting blogs (and enjoy them immensely) I've discovered ones that lead me to conferences that interest me (an up and coming addiction). So, today is a listing of conferences related to children, families and improving our interactions with them.


Calgary Alberta:
The Alberta Family Child Care Association is having Dan Hodgins be a keynote speaker. I discovered him last year at a conference for the Canadian Association for Young Children. I was blown away with him and now follow him on Facebook and receive his newsletters. While I have some questions I need to ask him, overall his opinions and concepts are well worth listening too.   He is very much into working within the child's frame of reference (within the child's abilities and knowledge of things). I especially appreciate his attitude towards boys. He really understands that boys and girls are different and in general need to be responded to in their own unique way. It is unique because active children are often told "shut up and do it my way", which is an adult's perspective. I read his book "Boys: Change the Environment and Not the Child" and found useful things that as a SAHM would've been really more supportive to my four kid's personal growth.

For events he'll be at (he does a lot in the States) in addition to getting onto his newsletter list:   http://www.danieljhodgins.com

The Calgary brochure:  http://calgarychildcare.org/uploads/2011_MADN_Brochure_and_Registration_Form_-_WAY3.pdf

There is another one that my alma mater is hosting but I cannot for the life of me find a link. I do have a completed proposal which does not help at all. But, it is "Celebrating Child Care Conference" and is only one day, April 6, 2011 at Mount Royal University in Calgary, AB. The organizers are on the same advisory committee that I am on for the Child & Youth Human Rights extension certificate.

Salt Lake, Utah--two of them:

I came across this conference for beginning bloggers (or those just wanting to connect in real time with other bloggers):   http://www.casualbloggerconference.com/

This one is on Early Education and Technology...probably not for the casual person but someone who is really interested/bent towards technology and children's early learning:  http://www.eetcconference.org/

BYU (Provo Utah) has one coming up March 18, 2011 that looks promising. Not quite a casual conference, meaning it is geared more towards professionals in health care related organizations but could be interesting to the lay person who is bent that way.

 http://ce.byu.edu/cw/gfh/

I'm continually surprized at the resources available to parents but really aren't 'out there' and easily accessed. Here is a listing of Worldwide Conferences to do with children and families:   http://www.conferencealerts.com/youth.htm

I find just the brief write-ups about speaker's topics to be informative. And free (a key thing for me is to learn without spending money or just a little $$).

Welcome to a great New Year!