Alison Smith Email and Phone Number

Supported over 100 early childhood education students in-person, synchronous and asynchronous courses in both the mainstream program and Humber-Peel Cohort. Led weekly lectures for ECE 114 Child Development Birth to 2.5 years, ECE 124 Child Development 2.5 to 6 years, ECE 233 Family Perspectives, ECE 232 Creating Inclusive Environments and ECE 235 Transforming Observations through Practice.

The Inclusive Early Childhood Service System (IECSS) Project is the latest study to investigate how children with disabilities access early childhood education and care services across urban, rural and remote areas of Ontario. As Project Coordinator, my duties include supporting the Principal Investigator in proposal, literature review and grant writing, financial reporting, thematic coding and analysis, liaison with research and community partners and knowledge mobilization.

Supported over 100 early childhood studies undergraduate students in 3 placement courses in a variety of community and education settings and revamped the Equity in Ontario ECE coursePlanned and led weekly seminars both online and in-person as a Faculty Advisor and engaged students in reflexive practice of curricular approaches and pedagogy Communicated with Field Educators and conducted placement visits to evaluate student performance on site

Liaison with community partners to facilitate the inclusion of children withdisabilities in preschool and primary school settings. Develop classroom resources and materials to facilitate the inclusive education of children with autism in a transitional program. Support the Social Affairs and Education Officer in the assessment, placement and individual education planning for children across the District of Rubavu.

The Black Experience Project is a groundbreaking research study which seeks to capture the stories of the lived experiences of 2000 individuals across the Greater Toronto Area who self-identify as Black. As a Community Interviewer, I have conducted in-depth survey based interviews with over 50 individuals and actively supported participant recruitment by attending community events and presentations to engage in discussions of the development, objectives and policy implications of the BEP. The… Show more The Black Experience Project is a groundbreaking research study which seeks to capture the stories of the lived experiences of 2000 individuals across the Greater Toronto Area who self-identify as Black. As a Community Interviewer, I have conducted in-depth survey based interviews with over 50 individuals and actively supported participant recruitment by attending community events and presentations to engage in discussions of the development, objectives and policy implications of the BEP. The research will provide valuable direction in identifying policies and other initiatives that will contribute to the health and vibrancy of not only the Black community, but also the entire GTA community.  Show less

Planned and delivered child-directed and developmentally appropriate programming for children ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 years old alongside an RECE. Supported children with disabilities by attending an IPP planning meeting with a Resource Teacher to review progress and set goals for communication, toilet training and fine motor skills.

Collaborated with local stakeholders on a DFATD funded project to improve early childhood education in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua. The myBEST Project was a 2-year development initiative to improve bilingual education and support teaching in 14 remote indigenous and creole communities on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. As an ECE intern, I supply taught in a kindergarten classroom and developed and facilitated teacher training workshops on the latest research and best practices in ECE, including… Show more Collaborated with local stakeholders on a DFATD funded project to improve early childhood education in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua. The myBEST Project was a 2-year development initiative to improve bilingual education and support teaching in 14 remote indigenous and creole communities on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. As an ECE intern, I supply taught in a kindergarten classroom and developed and facilitated teacher training workshops on the latest research and best practices in ECE, including the topics of Children's Rights and Inclusive Education. Co-created two preschool teaching manuals with developmentally and culturally appropriate activities. Show less

Supported students in the fourth-year course CLD 445 Inclusion and Consultation, under the supervision of Dr. Kathryn Underwood. Guided students in the analysis of case studies to assess teaching strategies in inclusive classrooms and collaborative consultation models.

Collaborated with a team to evaluate the Ontario Early Years Centers (OEYCs) in Toronto. Trained in the use of sub-scales of the Specialink and ECERS assessment tools, involved in facilitating focus groups with adults and children (ages 2 to 6) and conducted and compiled research for the literature review of the final report.

Prepared appropriate lesson plans and materials for private tutoring sessions with children ages 8 to 12 years, high school students and adults on a variety of subjects (e.g., French, English Mathematics)

Worked to support knowledge translation research for agencies which support women with substance abuse issues and their children. Duties included data entry and analysis using SPSS, used the internet to conduct literature searches and summarized and reviewed collected information to meet deadlines. Worked independently to manage daily assigned work, prepare documents and transcribe interviews.

Exhibited oral communication skills to teach tutorials of 25 undergraduate students for two introductory psychology courses. Prepared Power Point slides and used time management skills to facilitate group discussions and interactive learning activities during tutorials