Flight Course Series FAQ

This online course, delivered by AECEA, explores Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework. Previously known as the Flight course has been reshaped from its previous 21-week format into a serialised model. The Flight Course Series includes three series: The Noticing Series, the Naming Series, and the Nurturing Series. Each series is an online, non-credit professional learning opportunity for educators and program administrators working in Alberta’s licensed and approved child care programs.

Each series explores different concepts within Flight while remaining grounded in the framework as a whole. Throughout the series, you’ll be introduced to core concepts and the holistic play-based goals of Flight, with meaningful opportunities to connect those ideas directly to your everyday work with children. The learning is designed to be reflective, practical, and rooted in real experiences from early childhood settings.

The non-credit online course is designed for Alberta early childhood educators and program administrators who are working with young children and their families in licensed and approved programs. This includes day care, family day homes, group family child care, out-of-school care, and preschools.

Noticing Series

Noticing begins with slowing down and paying close attention to children’s play, words, relationships, and ways of being. In this series, educators practice observing with curiosity and openness, becoming aware of what children are communicating through their actions and interactions. By noticing children’s dispositions to learn in everyday moments, educators strengthen their role as co-learners and deepen their understanding of each child as a capable and mighty learner. Educators notice every day—this series helps make that noticing more intentional.

Naming Series

Naming builds on noticing by supporting educators in reflecting on and interpreting what they see and hear in children’s play. In this series, educators reflect, ask questions, and collaboratively make meaning of children’s play through Flight’s holistic play-based goals. Educators will explore the role of being a co-researcher by naming children’s dispositions to learn, recognizing the value of play, and communicating the importance of children’s lived experiences. Through naming, children’s learning becomes visible to educators, families, and children themselves. Educators already interpret children’s learning; this series helps give language to what they see.

Nurturing Series

Nurturing builds on noticing and naming by supporting educators in intentionally extending and enriching children’s learning. In this series, educators explore how to make learning visible, strengthen reflective practice, and thoughtfully respond to children’s ideas, questions, and play. Educators engage with Flight’s meaning-making tools to guide their decisions and consider how environments, relationships, time, space, and materials nurture children’s dispositions to learn. Educators will explore the role of being a co-imaginer of possibilities by collaboratively creating responsive experiences that extend play, deepen inquiry, and uncover new possibilities. Educators nurture children’s curiosity every day—this series helps expand the possibilities.

A course instructor and course facilitator will support your learning. Each series is divided into 2-3 online learning modules that include discussion posts and responses, reflective assignments, and live online class conversations. Students will receive up to two free textbooks once their registration is processed.

Each series is 7 weeks long and includes live online classes, discussion posts and reflective assignments. Course participants commit three to four hours per week to independent coursework. Attendance at two live online class conversations is expected over the 7 weeks. Dates and times for the online classes will be provided by the instructor at the start of the course. The course requires consistent attendance and active participation. The course progresses on a fixed timeline with scheduled due dates.

To see a sample schedule, please click here.

We recommend that you use a desktop or a laptop computer instead of a mobile device. We also know that a reliable internet connection is necessary to support your experience, and Google Chrome is the recommended browser. You will need speakers and a microphone for the online classes so that you can hear the conversation and contribute. A webcam is optional. The use of headphones or earbuds will improve the audio experience for everyone.

Click the button below. This is where you can complete and submit the online Expression of Interest form. Watch the website for information about future offerings. 

Express Your Interest

After eligibility requirements have been reviewed by the Flight team, selected educators will be chosen at random and contacted individually. Course seats are assigned to individual educators and cannot be transferred or shared.

If you are selected, AECEA will offer you a seat, and you will need to fill in the registration confirmation. You can then expect a welcome letter that includes instructions on how to log in and access the series.

Yes. If you receive a seat offering after expressing your interest in the course, but can no longer commit, or the available dates/times do not fit into your schedule, you can decline your seat by indicating in the form that is included in the offer letter.

However, if you wish to take the Flight Course Series in the future, you will need to re-express your interest the next time an expression of interest is opened.
 

Please express your interest again the next time an expression of interest is opened. In the meantime, consider ARCQE’s Possibilities for Practice series. Find more information on the ARCQE website.

Due to a high volume of applications, we cannot offer a waitlist. Consider becoming an AECEA member or joining our non-member mailing list to receive information the next time an expression of interest is opened.

Thank you for your interest in learning more about the Flight Course Series! For more information, please contact Flight-AECEA by emailing info@flightframework.ca if you have any additional questions.
 

At this time, we have been notified that the Flight Course Series has been approved for release time funding for the 2026-2027 fiscal year under the workshops and conferences stream of funding. However, we have not received confirmation yet on how much funding will be available per series. We will provide further information as available.