Taking Love to Budapest - EECERA 2018

Earlier this year I submitted an abstract for a short talk at the EECERA 2018 conference in Budapest. I did it on a bit of whim and not really thinking I would be accepted. Blow me though, did I not get picked and my trip to Budapest was being booked!

The Conference organisers were introducing a brand new  type of presentation for 2018 called PED talks.  The “PED”(agogical) talk, was to be a 10 minute long address that was to be delivered without notes or slides and is based on the concept of the TED-style presentation approach.  The presentation was to be concise and simple,  to pitch a new, personal, thought provoking idea, issue or approach.  This was my abstract from the official Book of Abstracts.

Managing love-led practice, Jane Malcolm, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

I have chosen to talk about Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care. The current political agenda in Scotland is to increase funded childcare from 600 hours to 1140 hours by 2020. This means that some children will potentially be in childcare for more time than they spend with their parents. My research is looking at how Lead Professionals manage love-led practice in their childcare settings. I studied the language used by professionals and also that used in policies and guidelines in order to build an understanding of love in early year’s practice. Professionals were guided primarily by the policies and guidelines to ensure they were acting professionally. However, I found a distinct lack of any mention of love in most of these documents (Page, 2017). Personal experiences also helped shape moral boundaries which undoubtedly had an impact on the way that Lead Professionals managed love-led practice (Noddings, 2013; Tronto, 2009). As an alternative way of describing love participants suggested some staff just had “it” (Tronto, 2009; Moyles, 2010; Page, 2017). “It” described a skills set, which contrary to belief (Gerhardt, 2013), meant that love could in fact be applied, measured and evaluated making it professional. To inform policy and practice, I have developed an Early Years Love Skills Set which will give Lead Professionals the permission and freedom to manage practice with love and professional integrity. 

I set off on Tuesday 28th  August for Budapest, arriving just after 6pm. A quick change at my apartment on Bathory Utca and off to find the Hungarian National Museum (what did we do before smart phones and Google maps?). Arrived to find the opening event in full swing. We were treated to traditional Hungarian folk music and some wonderful dancing. Then we had the opportunity to sample a delicious Hungarian dinner.

Met loads of new lovely people and some I already knew from the University of Aberdeen! More about them later!! 

The following morning after a beautiful run along the banks of the Danube, I set off for the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. A day of interesting key note speakers and symposia followed. Lots of interesting chats with delegates from all over the world. It was really a fascinating experience, with lots of learning taking place, and thoughts being challenged. Whilst I was waiting I was talking to a woman from Queensland University of Technology in Australia, called Ann Farrell. We had a great chat about the different policy landscape within Scotland and Australia and also some of the similarities. She then introduced me to Greg Antcliff from Goodstart Early Learning in Australia.

Greg and I ended up having a lot of conversations throughout the week. The work he does in Australia looking at improving pedagogical quality was fascinating. It turned out Greg also knew Linda Harrison, from Charles Sturt University, Australia who I was looking out for as we are going to do some work together.





After an interesting day I headed out into Budapest to do some sightseeing and was bowled over with the beauty of the city of Budapest.

Thursday morning brought more presentations. So I headed off to listen to the Symposium chaired by Linda Harrison.

Three fascinating papers:

Co-development of an educator reflection and assessment tool for children under-3 

Linda Harrison, Gerardine Mulhearn, Magdalena Janus, Kate Williams, Sheena Elwick, Wendy Alexander, Jennifer Sumsion, Sharynne McLeod.

 Charles Sturt University, Australia; (2) McMaster University, Canada; (3) Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Assessing and improving pedagogical quality: An implementation science approach 

Greg Antcliff, Sandie Wong and Kate Liley, Goodstart Early Learning, Australia 

Supporting early childhood educators to work in evidence-based transdisciplinary ways: The Goodstart Early Childhood Educator Occupational Therapy Champion Approach 

Sally Galloway, Goodstart Early Learning, Australia

More sightseeing and then off to the Gala Dinner on board The Europa and sailing on the Danube. The entertainment was wonderful with a Hungarian Folk band. I had a quiet moment to myself because at one point they gave a beautiful rendition of Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, I took myself off to look at the beautiful lit up buildings on the Duna and reflected upon the sad events that have brought me to this point. I felt very brave having got all the way to Budapest without Alistair but knowing that somewhere he is seeing me doing okay without him. I did have a little bit of a cry and raised a glass to him, whilst listening to our wedding song.

But that little quiet moment apart, the love was flowing on board The Europa. I spoke to many people from all over the world and even talked some of them into sharing the love with me on the Duna.  It was an amazing evening. I was careful not to partake too much of the free flowing wine because I had to be up early tomorrow to do my PED talk!

Back to who I met at the opening event! When I first arrived at the open event I was standing a little dazed with a glass of wine, having literally just landed. When who should come up to me but Catriona McDonald from the University of Aberdeen. Catriona had been one of my lecturers at Jewel and Esk Valley College way back in early 2000! Catriona and her colleagues, Sheila Nutkins and Katrina Foy, were kind enough to let me tag along with them throughout the weekend. I didn't even have to talk them into the photo either, quite keen to join in the fun!!! As the Gala evening came to a close we had an interesting discussion around whether it was bats or birds we could see circling the spires of the Parliament, I can confirm, having walked back to my apartment that way, they were seagulls! And after a little google research it would seem this is a regular sight, the spotlights at night drawing them in.

I woke really early the following morning, wanting to take my time and walk along the banks of the Duna to think about my presentation. It was such a beautiful morning to have an early walk. Got to the University, found the room we were presenting in. It was a lovely old looking lecture theatre, with fantastic acoustics. The windows were facing the Duna with views of the beautiful buildings on the other side, I would definitely be a distracted student in that room! As I was waiting one of my fellow presenters came in. She said she was very nervous. She was a lovely, warm and friendly person. Her name was Diana Cruse and she was from New Zealand.

We swapped contact cards and hers bore a maori design on it and the words He Pounamu - not sure what this meant so I googled it and found this beautiful proverb -

Akakoa he iti he pounamu - Despite being small you are of great value. 

Which is the most wonderful way to think of our youngest children.

There were 6 of us in our PED group and we only had an hour to talk so things were kept very much to time. The titles in our group were really interesting talks -

• The future is in our hands Elsa Chahin, Pikler/Loczy USA, United States of America 
• Hands-on nature: rocks, shells, and other fascinating items that children collect Kristi Lekies, The Ohio State University, United States of America 
• Early years media education – a must for the 21st century Saara Salomaa, National Audiovisual Institute, Finland
• Don't be afraid to use children's literature to teach about diversity in the classroom Kerekes Zsuzsa, Ochanomizu University, Japan 
• Managing love-led practice, Jane Malcolm, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom 
• Whānau stories: creating meaningful engagement and an increased wellbeing for the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand Diana Cruse, University of Waikato, New Zealand.

A huge thanks to Chris Pascal for her encouragement and being a great chair and keeping us to time! That "2 min to go" card came upon me very quickly!!! The room was quite full and everyone seemed engaged with what we were all saying. The room was also absolutely boiling, with the sun streaming in. I could barely talk because my mouth was so dry. After the presentations were over, we all got together for a group photograph.

I felt my PED talk went well as I had a lot of people come up to me afterwards to share their enjoyment and thoughts about it. I was really happy with how it went. I was even approached by a woman who worked for the Australian Government and asked if I would consider filming my talk and posting it on the internet as she felt it would get a lot of interest (so I am now trying to work out how to upload a video to YouTube - watch this space).

A beautiful moment happened after Diana's talk where some colleagues and friends from New Zealand stood and sang a wonderfully enchanting song, which was in their native tongue. I have no idea what it was about but it moved Diana, so I am guessing it was something really nice. Then one of the women who had sang this song, approached me and shared her experience of the curriculum in New Zealand which is underpinned and has always been by love, she said when she speaks to children in her care she talks to them about Aroha Nui which is Maori for Big Love. How beautiful.

Chris said she felt that we had all taken the brief for the PED talk and really gotten the essence of what they were to be about. I have to say, whilst it was all very fast paced, and we had no notes or power-point, I really enjoyed the experience. I would definitely like to do more of these sort of presentation.

My first experience of an international conference was amazing, and Budapest was just stunning. I will definitely return. My next conference is in Glasgow, so maybe not so glamourous but looking forward to presenting again. However, now I am back I need to get on with completing the draft of my last data chapter, which is now past the deadline I set myself!!! Will get it finished this week.

So a last round of sightseeing and some quiet time on the beautiful Margaret Island, an oasis of calm in the middle of a busy city and river, and my time in Budapest was coming to a close.

I know I only scraped the surface of this beautiful, loving city. For somewhere with a past that has faced terrible sadness and terror, it was a warm, friendly, safe feeling city. I laughed, I cried and I felt tremendous sadness and shock at some of the stories and monuments I visited (in particular the shoes by the Danube sculpture, which was so sad and horrific but an important reminder of terrible atrocities of the war. I cannot wait to return.

I will post my talk as the next blog and will post the video, if and when I get around to filming it.

Budapest, I love you. x