World View

In searching through the www.unesco.org website, I discovered that many of the same things we are working on in the United States has been in the works worldwide for many years.  I will share just a few of the statements and challenges posed in the Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation Harnessing the Wealth of Nations. 

The first insight I gained as I read this document is that the world is facing the same reality because it is proven with scientific research, a comprehensive early care and education system is need to address the gaps in our nation’s population as well as worldwide.  Children who are well cared for nutritionally, physically, and socially will predict our nation’s success or failure in the future.   Education can be the key to overcoming poverty and homelessness as well as generations of underemployed minorities.  “ECCE is part of the right to education and the main foundation for holistic human development. In addition, ECCE is instrumental in poverty eradication and a critical stage to lay the foundations for sustainable development. ECCE is an investment in the wealth of nations. (WCECCE, 2010, p.2)’

“Value multilingualism as an asset (WCECCE, 2010, p. 3)” We need to embrace the remarkable value there is in our diverse population, not just tolerate or give it lip service.  When we truly value the benefits of a diverse community systematically every program regardless of group dynamics will embrace the use of minority and indigenous languages and expose young children to the concept of those who live in other parts of the world as a part of getting to know the world community.  This will require education of staff, classroom materials, and access to guests from other countries to share their culture; but it will also require the families that represent their own unique culture to also become engaged in this movement to help children understand the value of diversity.

The next insight I had was that of quality.  We have spent a lot of time studying how to define quality in our teachers and in our programs and yet I still come away with no clear message of what constitutes quality.  I have learned though about many factors that contribute towards quality.  Engaging families, the community, and the teachers to join together to demand support for quality programming for all children, this is everyone’s responsibility.  We need to “empower and strengthen the capacity of parents, families and service providers, so that they can provide protective relationships, quality care and education to the young child. (WCECCE, 2010, p. 3)” Empower means to give power to, we must give power to those who have no voice in politics and bolster their abilities by making it easier for them to voice what they know what is right and good for children.

I found it very empowering to know that the DAP that I believe in and consult around are also valued around the world.  “Improve curricula and methodologies in tune with childhood, valuing play, affection, cooperation, talent and creativity, joy, the fostering of self-confidence and autonomy, as well as active learning pedagogies that take into account a child’s point of view; (WCECCE, 2010, p. 4)”

Just this week and last we were discussing how best to prepare our workforce.  This document shine the light on this as a world wide value.  “Develop new approaches and methods to build professional capacity, in areas of critical importance to quality improvement; improve and expand teacher training, accreditation and the professional development of ECCE professionals; (WCECCE, 2010, p.4)”  The conundrum we face in professionalizing our field is one that the world recognizes as being critical.  We need to examine other countries’ practices that are putting them ahead of us in educational outcomes to see where we need to begin to make changes.  I think we need to grandfather those experienced teachers that can meet competency skills tests and then start requiring higher educational standards for the profession.  Start small, but start, without that first step we will continue to go nowhere.

“Increase knowledge of medical professionals, social workers, parents, caregivers and other professionals about child development and how to promote it. (WCECCE, 2010, p. 4)”  Increasing the knowledge of all who are interacting with young children is critical to making this the national health issue that it is.

How do these things help me in redefining my goals that I started the program with?  Goal 1: I want to refine my coaching, consulting and teaching skills with regards to adult learners.  This resource alone gives me a broader perspective so I can now more confidently support what I know about children as a world view not just a local, state, or federal view.  2)I want to be better versed on the theories and research behind best practices so I can answer questions about how and why.  I believe that I have gained additional information about why we should follow DAP and how they are beneficial to children.  3) I want to learn more about how to respect, value and embrace diversity in classrooms and in life.  The classes I have taken thus far and the world focus we have had this class in particular have helped me to grow in this area tremendously, but I also realize I have much more to learn.

Reference:

World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education Building the

Wealth of Nations (WCECCE), (2010), Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation Harnessing the Wealth of Nations, retrieved April 16, 2016 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001898/189882e.pdf

Exploring DEC Website Resources

·       Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

I followed the Policy and Advocacy Link on the http://www.dec-sped.org/greatpolicyresources page and it led me to a page showing links to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) http://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/More-Issues?sc_lang=en , which led me to select the Early Learning tab, http://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/More-Issues/Early-Learning, which led me to Early Childhood Techinical Assistance Center, http://ectacenter.org/#4, which led me a 60 minute webinar featuring Linda Smith, on the topic of Preschool Inclusion: What's the Evidence, What Gets in the Way, and What do High-Quality Programs Look Like?

·       Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?

A series of videos on recent research findings of early childhood special education.  The first one asks the question: Where do practitioners go for most up-to-date information to inform their work?  The answer is the 2014 DEC Recommended Practices.  This short clip describes the features of the latest DEC Recommended practices.  The second video talks about how sharing the DEC Recommended Practices can them understand the rights of their child and how to communicate with and support the teachers and support workers involved in their child’s case.

·       If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?

Additionally, find out if the site you selected at the beginning of this course offers any information about the issue of this week:

It had information on 2016 Federal Elections and the following tabs for exploration: Policy and Advocacy, Great Policy Resources, Children’s Advocacy Network, U.S. Congressional Committees, Federal Agencies, Recent Policy updates, etc.

Having all of this information at my fingertips made for easy exploration to happen.

·       Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

Yes, reading through the 2014 DEC Recommended Practices gives me a new perspective that I hadn’t had before on quality practices for children with disabilities.

·       What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

Again I gained perspective from those who specialize in working with children with special needs and how to individualize instruction.  It reinforced the idea that we need to check ourselves for any bias’s we might have towards children with behavioral issues or those who can’t attend well (for example), it is especially challenging since these issues don’t manifest themselves physically, it takes getting to know the children individually to understand them better and then making decisions or judgments  that are appropriate to the situation.

References:

http://www.dec-sped.org/

http://www.dec-sped.org/greatpolicyresourceshttp://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/More-Issues?sc_lang=enhttp://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/More-Issues/Early-Learninghttp://ectacenter.org/#4

Global work

I explored the website in the area of Saving Brains, partly because I am currently working on my EC Mental Health Credential and so it appealed to me.  I found it fascinating that they are now building on the research done on Adverse Childhood Expeirences.  This project is “A partnership led by Grand Challenges Canada, Saving Brains seeks to improve outcomes for children living in poverty through interventions that nurture and protect early brain development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.”  The video quotes statistics that showed 1/3 of the world’s children under age 5 are living in toxic stressful environments.  The research quoted talked about how giving children, who had experienced toxic stress, the right kind of nutrition and stimulation (play, skin to skin, etc.) made dramatic differences and even helped children some children totally recover from stunting.  I loved the short video that explained the research, it was easy to follow and looked at both the factors that inhibit strong brain growth and the strategies that can be used to support early brain development.

The website also had information and resources on toxic stress and brain development translated in Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (Mexico); and filmed using localized examples to bring the research and resources to other countries.  The goals were to raise awareness in these countries and offer parents and caregivers strategies to give all babies the best start possible as it much less expensive to invest in young children so they can grow and be better able to cope and flourish in spite of toxic stress in the environment.

            “In order to achieve significant change for children facing adversity, the field needs innovative leadership. Individuals, organizations, and systems need to actively use science to think outside the box and drive new ideas. (Harvard Developing Child, 2015)” This quote was found in the collective leadership section on the website. We need to continue to push policy makers to understand current science on how brains are built and the crucial period of the first 1000 days.  Sometimes that means taking risks, “Individuals, organizations, and systems utilize their knowledge of science to explore new, yet-to-be-tested ideas aimed at improving long-term outcomes for children facing adversity and their caregivers. (Harvard Developing Child, 2015)”

Reference:

Harvard Developing Child, (2015) http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/saving-brains/

Harvard Developing Child, (2015) http://developingchild.harvard.edu/collective-change/key-concepts/distributed-leadership/

Further Exploration of Division of Early Childhood (DEC)

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

The website showed examples of how the government had come to this professional organization to gain their feedback on important policy issues.  This shows that the government is looking to engage this group of professionals on a topic they have expertise in and will be the end user of the system they are creating.  The DEC held a conversations with the candidates and asked them pertinent questions relating to the plight of early childhood today and the candidates all seemed to support the idea of investing in early childhood.

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

            The Division for Early Childhood in their News & Notes tab listed a recent letter submitted in support of the new requirements the HHS is requiring states to impose on programs who receive child are funds through the CCDBG.  As I read through the comment they were proposing, it helped me gain a different perspective on the new requirements.  Since I work for the Lead Agency in our state consulting and coaching in childcare centers, homes, and preschools, these new regulations will directly impact my future work very soon.  I did find one statement in their comments that was new to me.  I did not know that child care programs could initiate a referral without parental consent. “Language should also be included in this section indicating that while discussing a referral with a child’s parents is certainly recommended, parental consent is not required by IDEA before a referral is made to an IDEA program. Further, as primary referral sources, child care programs should make referrals whenever it is suspected that the child may have a disability. (DEC, 2016, p. 4)” The website also had links to political platforms of the major candidates zeroing in on the content that affects their members.  I think it is critical for all Americans to make informed choices by understanding where each candidate stands on the issues important to us.

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

            A link to an article on the topic we have been reading about agreed with what our resources have been telling us, but was very forth right in taking all adults to task for our poor support of young children, “First, “readiness” needs to be defined as children living within ready families, going to ready schools, and participating within ready communities. Readiness for families means access to healthcare, options for housing, adequate nutrition, and quality childcare. Readiness for schools means involvement of families, inclusive classrooms, well-prepared and supported teachers, and manageable class sizes. Readiness for communities means economic stability and growth, safety, civic involvement, valuing of cultural differences, and coordinated social services. (Pretti-Frontczak, 2014, p. 53)” “School readiness” continues to be a hot topic, I think because it is so complex.  There is no one size fits all answer and that is what is so frustrating at times.  The author gave a new perspective in including the health and well being of the family as being a key contributor to school readiness.  She also commented on the idea of having engaged communities, which I know first hand can make a huge difference.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

            Another letter expressing feedback from DEC to the Department of Health and Human Services on the topic of Family Engagement, the comments recommended in the letter were on the mark and reflected what we have been learning in our coursework.  Again reading the remarks gave me a different perspective on a topic I am quite passionate about.  They were able to suggest wording that would more appropriate and respectful of families’ uniqueness.  “Supporting family capacity as informed, equal participants, leaders, etc., must be systematic and ongoing, and is not only comprised of peer-to-peer mentoring (albeit this is a very important practice that deserves significant support). The work of parent training centers and community parent resource centers are one resource to these ends, but a much greater investment is needed in this area if the outcomes of family engagement are to be broadly realized. (DEC, 2016, p.4)

DEC, 2016, DEC responds to the U.S. departments of health and human services and education's request

for comments for their policy statement on family engagement, p. 4, retrieved on March 25, 2016 from http://www.dec-sped.org/news

DEC, 2016, Comments on child care and development fund notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), p. 4,

retrieved March 25, 2016 from http://dec.membershipsoftware.org/files/FinalDECComments%20on%20CCDBG%20NPRM.pdf

Pretti-Frontczak, K., (2014), Stop trying to make kids “ready” for kindergarten, Young Exceptional

Children, March 2014, retrieved March 25, 2016 from http://yec.sagepub.com/content/17/1/51.short?rss=1&ssource=mfr