Concordia University has a long history of quality early childhood programs and exhilarating conferences. This year I had the privilege of providing the opening keynote in their beautiful and recently renovated Chapel on campus in Chicago, IL. What a spectacular environment it was for my presentation! Beautiful stained glass windows, an enormous pipe organ, lots of […]
I just got back from Tampa, Florida, where I was a keynote at a wonderful celebration and conference focused on Creativity! This was an exciting, exhilarating, and high energy conference that brought together owners, directors, and teachers from over 50 Creative World Schools. It was truly a celebration of the schools and the people who […]
Last week I participated in the AZ State Department of Education’s Early Childhood Conference (ADE). I provided the closing Keynote on “Nurturing Creative Thinkers” to several hundred early childhood educators from all across AZ. The conference was flawlessly organized by Kristy and her Department of Education team. Every small detail was planned and implemented effectively […]
June has been a busy and exciting month with many new experiences, visual delights, musical highs, and even moments of calm. Only travel can help us get a perspective on the world, the amazing possibilities, and stretch our creative thinking. Where in the World is Dr. Isbell? Here is some evidence of my meaningful experiences. […]
I just returned from the Maryland Child Care Conference in Ocean City, MD. The conference was held in a beautiful setting by the Ocean, but the best part was meeting all the wonderful early childhood educators. Chris Peusch was the hardworking coordinator of the conference who effectively managed the operations, responded to questions, and made […]
The Nashville Conference was an amazing celebration of our early childhood profession. It was led by two outstanding professionals; Jana Crosby, who effectively coordinated the conference and Tara Hurdle, the competent President of the organization. Although the weather was stormy, these two amazingly positive women kept the conference on course and infused with high energy! […]
I just returned from a fabulous state conference in Charleston, WV. It was coordinated by a delightful and extremely organized LeeAnn, assisted by some great helpers including Ginger, Kathy, and many others. This was such a responsive group of early childhood educators who joined with me in shaking hands, singing songs, and actively participating in […]
A young boy, five years old, sees a red clip that is used to hold tops of chips or crackers together. He is intrigued by this unfamiliar object. First, he observes the color and design. Then he proceeds to open and close the clamp. Next he uses the clip on a newspaper, book, and magazine. […]
For the last decade our educational system has focused on testing, testing, and more testing. I personally believe that the most essential abilities needed for a full and rich life are not testable! For example: motivation, persistence, creativity, athletic abilities, or musical talent cannot be identified by a test filled with bubbles and small […]
In our lifetime, we are lucky if we have a Best Friend. A person who remains with us through the good times and the bad. They care for us when we are happy and they lift us up when we are in the valleys. I have a Best Friend that has been my support for […]