Presented by Lea Ann Christenson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Towson University; and Jenny James, MA, Director, First Lutheran Preschool (MD)
Moderated by Jennifer Lewis, President, Gryphon House, Inc.

Sponsored by Gryphon House

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Dig in and discover how to implement playful outdoor STEM learning with young children. In this edWebinar, Lea Ann Christenson, Ph.D. and Jenny James, MA offer ideas and approaches for child-led, nature-based STEM explorations to build understanding of the natural world and offer opportunities for literacy and language development. Find out how to use the learning life cycle to identify the seeds of experiences that lead to wonder. A discussion on starting your own outdoor classroom for STEM exploration rounds out the presentation.

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-3 teachers and school and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Lea Ann Christenson, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at Towson University. Her research interests include early literacy and STEM instruction for young dual language learners and professional development for in-service and pre-service teachers in urban and international settings (El Salvador, Nepal, Zimbabwe, China, Sweden, and Denmark). Prior to earning her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, College Park in curriculum and instruction with a focus on early literacy, she taught kindergarten through second grade and ESOL, and was an assistant principal in California public schools. Before her current role, she was a literacy specialist at the Maryland State Department of Education.

Jenny James, MA resides in Ellicott City, Maryland. She was first introduced to outdoor learning 40 years ago when she started her teaching career in California. Jenny’s most recent accomplishments include graduating from Loyola University, Baltimore with a Master of Arts degree in curriculum instruction for social justice, and launching an outdoor classroom at First Lutheran Preschool where she has worked as Director for the past 15 years. Jenny has presented at numerous conferences and enjoys sharing with and learning from other early childhood professionals. She continues to be inspired by the staff, children, and parents with whom she works on a daily basis.

About the Moderator

Jennifer Lewis is the president at Gryphon House, Inc., the leading publisher of educational resources for teachers and parents.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

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Gryphon House, Inc. is an award-winning publisher of early childhood resources for teachers and parents.