November 23, 2009
Josée Beaumont, author of three webistes for Les enfants au service de garde : un laboratoire d’observation des 0-12 ans (Children in daycare : a study of children ages 0-12) has returned from a professional visit to Hauteville-Lompnes near Lyon, France. Between October 18 and 31, 2009, she had the opportunity to present her documentary material, developed in collabration with the CCDMD, to several groups involved in childcare. Educators, professors, university students and childcare organizations recognized the quality of the material and the approach developed by Josée and the CCDMD team. Videos showing exemplary practises in Québec sparked a productive exchange of respective methods. As France enters a period of important childcare reforms, Anna Pinelli, coordinator of the Espace Municipal Petite Enfance, wishes to mobilize governing bodies in order to develop comparable material and build pedagogical bridges with Québec. In this era of Web 2.0 and collaborative work, it would not be surprising to see a French website about babies – a wiki, for instance – that would present new material while providing a space for discussion. The CCDMD is interested in collaborating with these future partners. While we wait for the results of France’s explorations, we can keep an eye on Josée’s professional Facebook page, titled “Josée Professeure Beaumont”. This mission was made possible by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport’s program for supporting teaching mobility at the college level.
