The Art of Play and Wonderment Conference

The Art of Play and Wonderment is an early childhood education conference designed to provide a space for educators, administrators, students, professors, and researchers to gather and reflect upon, celebrate, and share what we bring — and wish to bring — to our early childhood classrooms, professional practice, and research. In particular, we examine how play, joy, inquiry, and wonderment impact and inspire meaningful teaching and learning.

The 6th annual conference, taking place Saturday, May 31 at Corlears School in partnership with Brooklyn College, will be centered on the theme Nurturing Compassion.

Keynote Speaker

Meet Our Presenters

See the Schedule

About the Organizers

We are honored to welcome Takiema Bunche Smith, M.P.A., M.S.Ed, as our keynote speaker for the 2025 Art of Play and Wonderment Conference.

Takiema has worked for nearly three decades in support of children, families, and educational programs and systems through her work as a teacher, teacher educator, curriculum director, parent activist, and executive leader. Through executive coaching, speaking, and professional development sessions, Takiema, who has been lovingly referred to as "The Beyoncé of DEI", expertly guides leaders and professionals to ignite change in their organizations through equity, joy, and inclusive leadership. Her approach is guided by culturally- and identity-responsive perspectives, adaptive leadership frameworks, and adult learning and development theory.

Takiema's work in the early childhood education space, including her role as Executive Director at Bank Street's Center on Culture, Race & Equity, inspired her to create Anahsa Consulting, LLC as a way to bring an innovative anti-racism and social justice approach to organizations, corporations, and early childhood professionals — one that centers joy and liberation.

Born, raised, and living in Brooklyn, Takiema received her Bachelor of Science with High Honors from Mount Holyoke College. She also holds multiple Master's degrees — in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College; in Urban Education Policy from the CUNY Graduate Center; and in Leadership and Management from NYU Wagner School of Public Service.

Visit Takiema's website to view her full bio and learn more about Anahsa Consulting.

See the Schedule

Below you'll find an overview schedule of the day; navigate via the below dropdown menu to view workshop descriptions for each breakout session.

Please note that the schedule is subject to change, and at least one workshop is pending as of this writing. Final, printed schedules will be provided on the day.

Last updated March 31.

8:30 a.m.

Check-In Begins

Breakfast will be served through 9:45 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

Welcoming Remarks

9:10–9:40 a.m.

Gym, 4th floor

Opening Keynote

Presented by Takiema Bunche Smith, M.P.A., M.S.Ed.

9:45–11:00 a.m.

Breakout Sessions I

Workshops:

Artist Biofiction in Picture Books: Early Childhood’s Role in a Relational View of Creativity
Making Messes Makes an Inclusive Classroom
This Timeless Question, This Gathered Moment: What Our Play, Imagining, and Wondering Knows
The Equation of Care: Fostering Compassion in Math Teaching and Learning
Nurturing Through Narrative and Role Play

View presenters and workshop descriptions by navigating from "overview" to "breakout sessions I" in the above dropdown menu.

11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions II

Workshops:

Mine, Mine, Mine! Conflict in The Toddler Classroom
Early Childhood Educators' Perception of Play-Based Learning in Preschool Classrooms
Developing Preschool Children's Scientific Concepts Through Promoting Scientific Play
Special Education: Compassion in the Current Education Climate
Powerful Interactions®: A Framework for Transforming Everyday Interactions with Children into Powerful Interactions®

View presenters and workshop descriptions by navigating from "overview" to "breakout sessions II" in the above dropdown menu.

12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

4th floor

Lunch

1:45–3:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions III

Workshops:

Blurring the Lines Between Floortime and Daily Living
Puppetry and Creative Play
Social-Emotional Learning Through Insect Encounters: Developing Empathy in Outdoor Play and Exploration
The Power of Play: Nurturing Compassion to Elevate Practice

View presenters and workshop descriptions by navigating from "overview" to "breakout sessions III" in the above dropdown menu.

3:10–3:30 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Presented by Richard Lewis, Founder and Director of the Touchstone Center for Children.

3:30–3:45 p.m.

Tour Corlears School's Early Childhood Classrooms

For those interested, Colleen will be leading tours of Corlears School's Reggio Emilia-inspired classroom spaces.

Beth Ferholt, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Early Childhood and Art Education, Brooklyn College

Playworlds with Trees: When Children Teach their Teachers to Hear the Party in the Heartwood Hotel

Playworlds are a form of adult-child joint play in which adults actively enter into the fantasy play of young children as a means of promoting the development and quality of life of both adults and children. Well-known in Sweden and Finland, playworlds arrived in early childhood classrooms in Brooklyn relatively recently. In this workshop, participants will learn about the arc of playworld development at a Brooklyn public school. They will see how the inclusion of trees as playworld participants, at the urging of the children, has led to auditory portals and "mice in the morning meeting". Participants will see photos and videos of playworlds in action, and they will be encouraged to speak with some of the imaginary characters, artists, and teachers who create playworlds in Brooklyn. Open discussion will also explore playworlds and their potential.

Andrew Hauner, M.F.A.
Head Teacher, Beginnings Nursery School

Artist Biofiction in Picture Books: Early Childhood’s Role in a Relational View of Creativity

When we examine artist biofiction in the form of picture books from a child-centered, early multiliteracy perspective, what kind of contributions do these books make to a relational and sociocultural understanding of creativity? By examining artist biofiction picture books through the eyes of young children, we see that the biofictional process of becoming a so-called lone creative genius is naturalized in contemporary picture books. My interactive, digital presentation of my ongoing research looks at how picture-book artist biofiction can resist perpetuating the myth of the lone creative genius by taking into account how children’s readership entails intersubjective forms of reading, how one of children’s primary reader interests is childhoods, and how picture books center on interplay — even nondistinction — between word and image. How can such books help us — along with young children — explore the Vygotskian idea that "art is the social within us"?

Jahidah Diaab
Curriculum Specialist (Materialista), Barrow Street Nursery School

Brenna Fisher, M.A.
Curriculum Specialist (Materialista), Barrow Street Nursery School

Making Messes Makes an Inclusive Classroom

What happens when we embrace, engage in, and celebrate the creative chaos of mess? In this interactive workshop, educators will explore how open-ended, messy materials can be powerful tools for inclusion, allowing every child to contribute, collaborate, and communicate. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that illustrate how mess supports sensory needs, social-emotional growth, and creative problem-solving. Through discussion and reflection, we’ll examine how providing children with autonomy over materials fosters a sense of ownership and belonging, shifting the focus from individual achievement to collective learning.

Richard Lewis
Founder and Director, Touchstone Center for Children

This Timeless Question, This Gathered Moment: What Our Play, Imagining, and Wondering Knows

In this workshop, participants will explore the very elemental languages of childhood and the ways play, imagining, and wonder can become a wider and deeper exploration and expression of the profound centrality of the natural world we are part of and share with others. Open to all who are eager to explore and expand upon this conversation of childhood and its ecological possibilities within teaching and learning as we look towards the future.

Shequana Wright-Chung, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Brooklyn College and NYCPS

The Equation of Care: Fostering Compassion in Math Teaching and Learning

This session focuses on teaching math with compassion, emphasizing the importance of creating a learning environment where young children feel confident, valued, and engaged. Drawing inspiration from Maya Angelou’s quote, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel," the session explores the emotional impact of math instruction and how teachers can affirm children's natural curiosity and problem-solving abilities. Through hands-on activities, including reflecting on personal math experiences and reimagining traditional math tasks, participants will learn how to design culturally responsive, strength-based math lessons that recognize the unique strengths of every child, encourage multiple ways of thinking, and validate linguistic and cultural diversity. The presentation highlights how compassionate language, patience, and curiosity can transform the way children experience math, fostering a sense of belonging and joy.

Tony Canty
Founder, Scavenger Stories Learning

Nurturing Through Narrative and Role Play

Children naturally gravitate towards the use of their imagination and communicate through play. Creating fun scenarios, storylines, and creative prompts are not only effective for empowering children to activate their creativity and problem-solving abilities, but also for supporting their language development, self-confidence, and self-expression. Supporting children’s role play experiences also helps the teacher discover more about a child’s personality: How could a pirate help a sea turtle that’s stuck in a net? What would you do as a bear if a bird took your berry stash?! Through guidance and practical creative play, kids can travel the world and push themselves organically to empathize with their peers, caretakers, and the living things around them.

Alison Davis, M.S.W, M.S.Ed.
Senior Associate Director, Barnard Center for Toddler Development

Ali Itzkowitz, M.S.Ed.
Teacher, Barnard Center for Toddler Development

Hannah Corrie, M.A., M.S.Ed.
Teacher, Barnard Center for Toddler Development

Mine, Mine, Mine! Conflict in The Toddler Classroom

The purpose of this workshop is to help educators understand the place of conflict in the toddler classroom and how to respond to it compassionately. We will make the case that the role of the early childhood educator is not to resolve conflicts; rather, it is to support children as they engage in conflict and experience the resulting range of emotions. We will use our setting, The Barnard Center for Toddler Development, as an example of how educators can de-center resolution and prioritize emotional validation when helping toddlers process their distress. Participants will engage in reflective exercises to help unpack their own relationship to conflict in order to understand how it might impact their attitude towards disputes in their classroom. Our hope is that participants will leave this workshop with a broader understanding of the value of conflict in toddlers’ social emotional development, and will feel more confident in their ability to handle conflicts when they arise in their own classrooms.

Dr. Hope T. Cannady, Ed.D.
Educational Consultant, CanHope LLC

Early Childhood Educators' Perception of Play-Based Learning in Preschool Classrooms

This hour workshop focuses on sharing the findings from Hope Cannady's research on early childhood educators' perceptions of play-based learning (PBL) in preschool classrooms. Participants will explore how educators view the effectiveness and impact of PBL on young children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. The workshop will also highlight key themes from the research, including teachers' experiences with balancing structured learning and play, as well as strategies for overcoming obstacles to effective PBL. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own practices, share experiences, and discuss practical applications for incorporating PBL into their own classrooms.

Dr. Huifang Xu
Associate Professor, Faculty of Preschool Education, Beijing Institute of Education

Developing Preschool Children's Scientific Concepts Through Promoting Scientific Play

This workshop uses light and shadow phenomena as an example to explore how teachers can:

Assess children's scientific concept development by observing their spontaneous play
Design environments and materials to deepen children's scientific understanding
Support children in achieving higher levels of play involving these scientific concepts.

Participants will focus on connecting scientific learning with natural play experiences involving light and shadows.

Kate Mangold
Art Studio Teacher,
The Washington Market School

Democratic Materials: Exploring Paper to Make Learning Visible

This hands-on workshop invites participants to explore paper as a democratic, open-ended material that reflects individual perspectives and diverse ways of learning. Through experimental processes, participants will interrogate paper using tools, light, wind, and water, uncovering its transformative potential as both a medium and a mirror of experience. Participants will engage in sensory-based and personal approaches to making, considering how paper can express, and expand learning for all — including children with special rights. Together, we will examine how paper’s range of properties from fragile to flexible can serve as a metaphor for knowledge-building and community connection.

Shawna Cornette
Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College

Special Education: Compassion in the Current Education Climate

Over the course of the last several years the special education population has been affected by many challenges. These challenges have impacted students, families, professionals, and others that support these students. This workshop is designed to provide strategies that support compassion in the current field.

Steve Castar
Early Childhood Coach, NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute

Powerful Interactions®: A Framework for Transforming Everyday Interactions with Children into Powerful Interactions®

In this workshop, participants will learn about Powerful Interactions®, a framework designed to support, enhance, and deepen the power of early childhood educators' interactions with children every day. Participants will learn to take a breath, step back, and carefully look at how they interact with children. We will examine specific examples, discuss strategies, and identify action steps for implementing a stance of Powerful Interactions® in your work with children. "Teacher-child interaction has been at the forefront of early childhood dialogue for several years. As you’ll see [...], there is extensive research to support the importance of enhancing the quality of interactions with children.” (Jablon 2011)

Maya Krueger, M.S.Ed.
Head Teacher, The Churchill School and Center

Sylvia Jane Sackheim
Associate 2s Teacher, Corlears School

Blurring the Lines Between Floortime and Daily Living

More than intervention, Floortime is caring, listening, breaking cultural barriers, partnering, and meeting people where they are. Participants will learn the basics of DIR Floortime, seeing the whole child, and prioritizing regulation first in order for the child to be ready to connect through relationships and play; the theory being that if a child is not regulated they cannot move beyond their discomfort and therefore deepen meaningful relationships. This workshop will explore how to use the essence of Floortime in a variety of settings, in both academic and social for children of all ages and learning styles.

Michael Perreca
Executive Director, Puppetry in Practice

Puppetry and Creative Play

Let your puppet do the talking! Creative expression is rooted in creative play. Puppetry In Practice instills collaboration, language development, social-emotional skills, play, and fun during the puppet-making process. In this workshop, participants will engage with puppets, puppet-making, and performance to build skills and develop the confidence to bring new friends into their classrooms. Participants will learn how to activate stories and develop characters while exploring vocal techniques and possibilities. Puppetry is for everyone! Teachers do not need to be professional performers or artists to effectively engage in puppet play or creative play.

Sara Stokes, M.S.Ed.
Ecology & Field Director, Wonderforest Nature Preschool

Social-Emotional Learning Through Insect Encounters: Developing Empathy in Outdoor Play and Exploration

What social-emotional lessons can children and educators gather from the insect world? Many children (and adults!) fear insects, but these common creatures offer us valuable lessons in empathy, care, and valuing all life. In this workshop, educators will question their own biases towards insects, learn scientific information about insects and their ecological value, and take away ideas and activities to promote positive encounters with the insect world that develop students' compassion, care, and empathy toward all life. Additionally, participants will be able to observe a preserved insect collection, and peruse books and materials that can be used in their nature explorations with students.

Sayyid Adam Mohammed
Preschool Lead Teacher, The Co-op School

The Power of Play: Nurturing Compassion to Elevate Practice

"There is no activity for which young children are better prepared than fantasy play. Nothing is more dependable and risk-free, and the dangers are only pretend” (Paley, 2004, p.7). Play is not pointless. Through play, students develop all the skills necessary to function in the world and with others. Play keeps children regulated through sensory stimulation and their minds working as they ponder and wonder. In this workshop, participants will climb the ladder of fantasy play as they enter the playworld of a child that the presenter observed during his semester in Play in the Cross-Cultural Context at Brooklyn College. Participants will learn about the different types of play, inspired by Bob Hughes, and how they can foster community, belonging, compassion, and imagination in their classroom through play. Participants can also expect to do some performing as they shrink themselves into the mind of a child and engage in some of the forms of play mentioned in the presentation. The hope is for this workshop to inspire educators to discover the joys of play in themselves so they can connect deeper to the joys of play in their students.

Shaheen Usmani, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Brooklyn College

Renewed Hope: Therapeutic Yoga and The Human Brain

Human brains are naturally tuned to happiness. Fortunately, human emotions can be manipulated to acquire inner peace. Since humans are born with a streak of self-centeredness, it is essential to understand that we learn to be compassionate. It is an acquired behavior. Compassion is a higher stage of empathy. Practicing meditation and yoga asanas can be a natural portal to inner peace.

The Sanskrit word "yoga" can be defined as "the restraint of the modifications of the mind," with the practice emerging as early as 500 B.C. In this workshop, we will learn a few basic steps of meditation and practice fundamental breathing exercises. Meditation, along with asanas, help us attain inner peace. Participants will practice and experience moments of peace and calmness.

This workshop can become your first baby step towards achieving a higher emotional and spiritual state of health that has practical applications in the early childhood classroom. Further, yoga can balance and lift moods, resulting in a more positive outlook to share with our youngest of learners.

Since its inception, conference programming has been designed by Colleen Goddard, Ph.D., Corlears School's Early Childhood Division Director and an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn College, alongside Dr. Jacqueline D. Shannon, Associate Professor and chair of The Early Childhood Education/Art Education Department at Brooklyn College.

This year, we are also joined in partnership by Dr. Xia Li, an associate professor at Brooklyn College who presented at the 2024 conference on the topic of playful and developmentally appropriate math activities for children ages 2–5.

Below, you can learn more about the organizers and their expertise in the field of early childhood education.

Colleen Goddard headshot

Colleen Goddard, Ph.D.

Early Childhood Division Director, Corlears School
Adjunct Professor, Brooklyn College

Colleen Goddard, Ph.D., brings nearly three decades of experience in early childhood education, research, and leadership to her role as Early Childhood Division Director at Corlears School. With a deep commitment to inquiry-based, Reggio-inspired learning, she has strategically aligned the curriculum to key developmental domains, fostering a culture of play, wonderment, and meaningful engagement. Colleen's visionary leadership also led to the 2021 introduction of Roots, Corlears School's parent-partnership toddler program, further reinforcing her dedication to innovative pedagogy.

Colleen holds a Ph.D. in Human/Child Development from Fielding Graduate University, where she also earned a Master's in Human and Organizational Studies. She received an additional Master's in Human Development with a specialization in Early Childhood Studies from Pacific Oaks College. Her dissertation explores the significance of transitional objects at the beginning and end of life.

Beyond her work at Corlears, Colleen is an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College and a contributing writer for the New York State Early Learning Guidelines, as part of the New York State Early Childhood Advisory Council. Her insights have been published by Psychology Today Online, PDI of CUNY, and more.

A lifelong advocate for early childhood development, Colleen finds joy in both professional and personal learning experiences. She especially treasures time spent with her son, particularly when he cooks for her.

Photo coming soon

Dr. Jacqueline D. Shannon

Associate Professor, Brooklyn College
Chair of the Early Childhood Education and Art Education Department, Brooklyn College

Jacqueline Shannon is associate professor in Early Childhood/Early Intervention with over 25 years of experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse children birth to five years with and without disabilities and their parents in home-, center- and hospital-based settings. Her research examines children’s development and parenting within the context of poverty, with a goal to improve services to children (0–5) and reduce disparities for ethnic and racial minority groups in NYC and internationally.

Dr. Shannon developed NY’s first Advanced Certificate in Early Intervention and Parenting (2014). Some publications appeared in Applied Developmental Science (2007), Child Development (2004, 2007) and Family Science (2013).

Prior to Brooklyn College, Dr. Shannon was a research scientist at NYU on the National EHS Research project, a NICHD post-doctoral research fellow, and directed a home-based parenting program in East Harlem, NY.