Leif Askland is a lecturer of pedagogical theory and practice at Oslo Akershus University College, Faculty of Education and International Studies. He was involved in the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs work, Developing Plans of Action, for recruiting and maintaining men for work in kindergarten and for early childhood education from 1994 to 2002. He completed the research project, Making Meaning of Gender in Kindergarten, was involved in the EU Leonardo da Vinci project, Gender Loops, and wrote, with Nina Rossholt, Gender Discourses in Kindergarten. He was an expert consultant in the team evaluating the Action Plan for Gender Equity 2008 to 2010. During the last ten years, he has also been active as a lecturer and mentor in kindergartens, in early childhood teacher education, and other contexts on the topic of gender equity.
Leif.askland@hioa.no

Dr. Rachael Burke graduated with a PhD in social anthropology from Massey University in 2013. Her doctoral thesis examined implicit cultural practice in early childhood education in New Zealand and Japan, with ‘the body’ as a central focus. Her Masters’ thesis focused on how the dropping birth rate might affect socialisation processes in the Japanese early childhood context. Prior to this, Rachael spent six years living and working in rural Hokkaido, Japan, where her three children were born and attended kindergarten. Her research interests include the cross-cultural study of early childhood education, visual anthropology and comparative education.
rachadrian@hotmail.com

Dr. Claire Cameron is Senior Reader in Education at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. She has a long standing record of research on children's services, including studies of the early childhood care and education workforce. She undertook, with Charlie Owen and Peter Moss, the first comprehensive study of male workers in ECEC services in England, and, with Peter Moss, a study of quality of employment in care work in six countries, Care Work in Europe (2007). She contributed to the European study Competence Requirements in Early Childhood (Vandenbroeck et al. 2011) and has a well established record in studies of social pedagogic approaches to children's services in continental Europe and the UK. She edited Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People: Where care and education meet (with Peter Moss) (2011).
C.Cameron@ioe.ac.uk

Pukha Dhawan worked in India, publishing children’s magazines, where she read about the high quality standards of ECE in New Zealand. She completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from New Zealand Tertiary College in 2013.

Yinan Fan is a Graduate Research Assistant of the Bilingual Programs and Center for Research and Development of Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition in the Department of Educational Psychology of the College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University.
yinanf@neo.tamu.edu

Michelle Gillespie is a lecturer in New Zealand Tertiary College. She was trained as a primary teacher in China and graduated with a Master degree in language teaching from Auckland University. She has been working as a court interpreter, language teacher, business and ECE lecturer for a number of years. Her interest is children’s learning and development, particularly in language acquisition, multiculturalism in early childhood education, and the differences in education between countries.
Michelle.Gillespie@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

Sujatha Gomathinayagam is a lecturer in New Zealand Tertiary College, Auckland. Originally from Mumbai, India, she has a Masters in Commerce and worked in education for 17 years, teaching high school students. In New Zealand, she was motivated to train in early childhood at the University of Auckland and was an educator for many years before qualifying further and moving on to teacher education. Her current research interests include looking at the cultural perspectives of parents for supporting the effective transition of infants and toddlers from home to early childhood centre. She lives in Auckland with her husband and two daughters.
Sujatha.Gomathinayagam@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

Dr. Mia Heikkilä has a PhD in Education, graduated from Uppsala University in Sweden. She is also a lecturer and teacher in early childhood education at Mälardalen university in Västerås, Sweden. She has been working with different authorities concerning gender issues, both as employee and consultant. Lately, gender issues at preschools and schools in Sweden have become her area of expertise. She has been working on different assignments for the Swedish government, during the last years, within the area of gender and power relations in education. Her research interests are gender, ethnicity, early childhood education and gender mainstreaming in education.
mia@miaheikkila.se

Vivienne Hogan is currently a Lecturer at AUT University School of Education Te Kura Mātauranga, teaching on the BEd Early Childhood Education and Masters Programme. Her research interests include Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Feminist Pedagogy and Gender and Education.
vivienne.hogan@aut.ac.nz

Beverly J. Irby is the Professor and Chair of the K-12 Education Administration Programs, and the Director of the Educational Leadership Research Center in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at the College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University.
beverly.irby@tamu.edu

Dr. Rafael Lara-Alecio is Professor and Director of Bilingual Programs and the Center for Research and Development of Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition in the Department of Education Psychology at the College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University.
a-lara@tamu.edu

Barbara Polnick is Associate Professor of the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling in the College of Education at Sam Houston State University.
elc_bep@shsu.edu

Dr. Lata Rana has a PhD in Education from the University of Melbourne and is currently a lecturer at New Zealand Tertiary College. She has extensive experience of teaching and research. She has taught students from economically low-income families at Navyug School (special schools set up in New Delhi – India, to promote education among low-income groups). Lata has done extensive research on globalisation and women’s access to education. Lata’s research focus is on globalisation, development and early childhood education.
Lata.Rana@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

Mark Smith studied with New Zealand Tertiary College, qualifying in 2013 with a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education). He was born and raised in Wanganui and worked in New Zealand and Australia for 36 years in his original trade as a diesel mechanic, until injury required retraining. Being involved with youth programs, particularly St John youth, made the transition to early childhood teaching a natural progression. Mark now lives with his wife and three children in Ngatea, near Thames, where he works for Pukekos Educare, thoroughly enjoying his new career path. His passion for music, science and technology are utilised extensively in the centre programme. Mark is particularly passionate about children’s’ rights and the identification/care of children with diverse needs in early childhood education.
smiffnz@gmail.com

Trish Thomas has a background of teaching in the Aotearoa/New Zealand early childhood sector, followed by 15 years in early childhood teacher education with New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC). She is currently the Curriculum Advisor at NZTC. Trish has been actively involved in the development and implementation of distance education and, more recently, programs of study through NZTC online. Trish’s teaching experience and professional interests include culturally responsive early childhood education, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Tiriti-based practice, child and family advocacy and mathematics. Trish completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Child Advocacy in 2012.
Trish.Thomas@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

Dr. Fuhui Tong is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Bilingual Data Center, and the Associate Director of the Center for Research and Development of Dual Language Literacy Acquisition in the Department of Educational Psychology at the College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University.
fuhuitong@tamu.edu

Kirsty Weir graduated with a Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from New Zealand Tertiary College in 2013.

Jeong Eun Yang came to New Zealand from South Korea in December 2008 with her sister to study early childhood education. Prior to this, she did voluntary work with children with special needs in Korea. Through these precious experiences, she wanted to gain in-depth knowledge about early childhood education and decided to study in New Zealand. She has a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from New Zealand Tertiary College and became a provisionally registered teacher in July 2013. Now, she works with toddlers in Herne Bay. She respects and supports children and their families/whānau from diverse cultural backgrounds. Building respectful and collaborative relationships with children, families/whānau and colleagues is a crucial part of her teaching practice. As a dedicated, calm and passionate educator, she always tries to provide a high-quality curriculum within a warm and safe environment.
jjeeyang@hotmail.com