Mississippi Early Childhood Alliance^TM Conference

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the Mississippi Early Childhood Alliance™ (MECA) Conference to be held February 25, 2012 at Jackson State University. The Conference theme is Closing the Preparation Gap: All Hands on Deck!

The MECA™ Conference is a product of the partnership between the Child Care Directors Network and the Mississippi Learning Institute Sally McDonnell Barksdale Educational Resource Center at Jackson State University. The goal of the MECA™ Conference is to advance the efforts of Mississippi’s early childhood and child care professionals by providing professional development that will help improve school readiness outcomes among children ages birth to 8, and to promote their long-term success. Additionally, it is our intention to provide sessions that promote problem solving abilities and to increase early literacy and math skills so that children not only start kindergarten ready, but develop as lifelong learners. So, please expect presentations that emphasize proven practices, fresh ideas and leading edge strategies from the field. Attendees will be actively engaged in hands-on, interactive academic readiness activities and participate in in-depth practical skill-building opportunities that will ensure school readiness and accelerate student achievement.

The 2012 MECA Conference is a one-day conference designed to model student-centered instruction where the presenters engage participants in effectively creating and facilitating learning centers.

Using the "fish bowl" technique, the lead presenter will: 1) show participants how to design learning centers to meet instructional and curricular objectives; and 2) demonstrate how teachers facilitate student learning within the centers and throughout the other learning centers. The major conference session will be called the Learning Centers Classroom. Then, each participant will attend breakout sessions for his or her respective age group.

The breakout session will permit hands-on teaching and learning activities for creating plans and instructional activities. The sessions are designed for three age groups:

• Infant and Toddlers (0 - 2)
• Prekindergarten (3 - 4)
• Kindergarten (5+)

Additionally, these breakout session feature the following five learning centers:

• Reading/Writing/Library
• Blocks & Puzzles
• Mathematics
• Dramatic Play
• Science & Discovery