Being part of a caring, collaborative learning community

• Being part of a caring, collaborative learning community allows an individual to make a hypothesis, provide information to support it, and then receive questions and feedback to take their understanding further. 

• Being part of a caring, collaborative learning community can only happen when the group of learners uses the 3 Rs of communication – Respect, Reciprocation, and Responsiveness.

 

• Being part of a caring, collaborative learning community and counting on others to help to advance your work can be can be both challenging and rewarding.

 

With these three conclusions in mind, the goal I have for myself to enhance my collaborative efforts in advocacy, policy, and/or system development work on behalf of young children, families, and the early childhood community is to always be respectful of everyone’s perspectives, reciprocate with questions for understanding and feedback for development, and respond in a timely manner.

Thank you Dr. Todd, Vanessa, Jacqueline and Elnora for supporting my work in the last 8 weeks. 

I wish you the best in all your future advocacy efforts!

Hypothetical Family Situation

This week as part of our study of comprehensive early childhood systems my colleagues and myself have been asks to create a hypothetical family and to think about how they would benefit from a comprehensive early childhood system.

The framework for a comprehensive early childhood system "consists of four substantive components. These four components – health, mental health, and nutrition; early learning; family support; and special needs/early intervention – themselves include a number of different services and supports that young children and their families need to access and draw upon" (Bruner. C, n.d.).  To have a true comprehensive system these four components must work interconnectedly by communicating, coordinating, and collaborating with one another.

Below I am sharing the hypothetical family I have created as I move further into our assignment.  It is my hope my colleagues will take a minute to read and provide me with any feedback they have to offer.  Do I have enough detail?  Is my story clear?  Can I build the rest of my paper from this scenario?

The hypothetical family for this project is a European American middle class dual income working family.  As newly weds the couple moved across country and do not have any nearby family.  They have friends who are all working hard just as hard as they are to make ends meet. The mother in this family works in the local supermarket where she receives an hourly wage with health benefits. Because her husband does not have health benefits most of her paycheck is used to pay for the additional premium to cover her family. Although it is helpful to have the health benefits the deductible is $300 and the insurance only pays 80 % of the first $2500.00.  Often the family chooses not to seek medical treatment because they cannot afford the co-pay.   The father in the family works in construction and makes an hourly wage, which is used to cover the rest of the family’s monthly bills including childcare expenses for their three and five year old children.  The construction business where the family lives has been slow since the 2008 economic downturn and the father has been temporarily laid off several times.  To survive the lay-offs the family has used all their savings to keep up with their bills. 

Six months ago the family was surprised to find they were expecting another baby.  Because the mother is over 35 it was recommended to her that she have an amniocentesis for fetal chromosome testing.  Upon completion of the test it was discovered her fetus had Down syndrome.  The family was told, “all people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate. People with Down syndrome also have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions” (National Downs Syndrome Society, 2012).

From the perspective of a comprehensive early childhood system this hypothetical family would benefit from all three components health, Early Learning and Development, and Family Leadership and Support.  Because the new baby will be at risk for increased medical conditions the family’s health care bills may increase significantly.  All three children need access to affordable health care. The new child will need a consistent physician who can help the family find the proper specialists and care as needed.  The new baby as well as the other two children will need access to affordable high quality early childhood care and education programs in which to safely play and learn while their parents are at work.  The new child will need affordable access to special early education programs and supports to make sure she reaches her full potential.  And finally the family will need access to programs to teach them strategies to help with their financial stress, the stress of raising a child with Downs Syndrome and the stress of supporting their other two children.         

References:

Bruner, C. (n.d.). A framework for state leadership and action in building the components of an early 

           childhood system. Retrieved August 1, 2011, from the Build Initiative website: 

          http://www.buildinitiative.org/files/resources/Bruner%20Four%20Ovals.pdf

National Downs Syndrome Society. (2012) Retrieved from: http://www.ndss.org/Down-

Syndrome/Down-Syndrome-Facts/

Advocates Are Connected

At the opening session of the NAEYC Annual Conference last November, the new Executive Director Rhian Evans Allvin asked everyone to take out their smart phones and tweet simultaneously the same early childhood public policy message.  As I looked around the room, it was obvious that the majority of those in attendance that knew how to tweet, were the professionals that were younger then I was.  Rhian Evans Allvin was reaching out to a new crop of early childhood advocates in the way they communicated regularly.  She was also daring the old guard to rise to the occasion. Now… I have been on Facebook for years, but not Twitter.  I realized that if I was going to be an affective early childhood advocate I must keep-up with the times.  I had to join Twitter.

Organizations such as the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC), The Children’s Defense Fund, and Zero to Three use social media to advance their public policy agendas.  They use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate positive updates, as well as alerts for early childhood advocates to help support time sensitive legislation. 

As I have spent the last 2 weeks investigating websites of organizations whose missions are to support the well-being of children, families and the professionals that work with them everyday for my course work, I have also connected to the organizations through social media.  I now follow many more organizations through my Facebook and Twitter accounts.  As soon as I receive an alert or update I can repost it or re-tweet it so not only my early childhood colleagues can see the information, but also the many people I connect with outside the field.  I believe this is a way to begin to engage and educate the general public to the importance of strong foundations for young children.  I have also begun to follow my elected officials via social media. I am convinced, to be an affective advocate in the 21^st Century a person or organization must use 21^st Century technology…. Even if it is mildly uncomfortable! 

Quality Family - Program Relationships are a Must for Early Childhood Programs

“All learning takes place in the context of relationships and is critically affected by the quality of those relationships” (Edelman, 2004)

I believe quality relationships are the foundation for all success.  My definition of a quality relationship is the connection between 2 or more people that is respectful, reciprocal, and responsive. 

Children are shaped by the people, customs and attitudes in their homes.  When they enter an early childhood program for the first time they have only the knowledge from their home to help them understand the world.  To respectfully begin to build a relationship with a child and help them develop to their full potential, an early childhood professional must understand what a child knows and what they have learned from their first teachers… the members of their family.  Therefore early childhood professionals must build respectful relationships with the child’s family so they can understand who the child is.  This is done through reciprocal communication.  Then the early childhood professional can respond to what they learn from the families and build on it with the child.  Families can respond to what they learn form the early childhood professional and build on it with the child.

“Research tells us that family-program 
relationships influence young children’s
outcomes. Family engagement, as well as teacher perceptions of positive family attitudes and beliefs about preschool, are linked to the development of cognitive and social skills. Not only do strong family-program relations matter for children’s early outcomes, but the benefits continue over time” (Lopez, 2009).  Based on this understanding family – teacher/program relationships must be a tenet of any early childhood program, or system.

As I watched the Parent and Family Stories video clips on the website of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) (http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs, 2014) this week as part of this blog assignment, my belief in the importance of relationships was well supported.  It was wonderful to hear the family members who participate with their children in Head Start programs describe how important the family – program relationships were to them.  Hearing personal stories allowed me to understand more deeply how important these relationships are.  I must say what struck me most was how much the family members felt they learned and grew from their involvement in Head Start.  Taking the time to listen to these dedicated family members was inspiring.

 References:

Edelman, L. (2004).  A Relationship-Based Approach to Early Intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved from: http://www.cde.state.co.us/earlychildhoodconnections/Technical.htm

Lopez, M. (2010). Valuing families as partners. Retrieved from http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/valuing-families-as-partners


From Cradle to Career

Recently public opinion on the significant impact early childhood experiences have on a child’s positive development and future has begun to change because it is being talked about in the business community, the media and by politicians.  The greatest example of this is when on February 12, 2013 President Barak Obama stated in his State of the Union Address “Every dollar we invest in high-quality early childhood education can save more than seven dollars later on -- by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime.  In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own.  We know this works.  So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let’s give our kids that chance” (The White House, 2013).  Seeing the importance of a strong early childhood foundation discussed in the media and the political arena is exciting, but it is only a small step toward the shift in public opinion that needs to take place so all children and families have access to affordable high quality early care and education programs.

This week in the news there has been discussion about a Higher Education Summit that took place at the White House.  The purpose of the summit was to launch a plan of action for increasing college opportunity for low-income and disadvantaged students.  I watched Michelle Obama speak to the participants of the summit and was moved by her commitment to seeing all high school students have access to higher education opportunities.  As the First Lady concluded her remarks she said “We will win by tapping the full potential of all of our young people so that we can grow our economy and move this country forward” (The White House, 2014)

            It is my hope in the next 5 years the public comes to truly understand that in order for young people to reach their full potential and be able to become contributing citizens it starts long before high school graduation.   It is my hope that they see if we want all young people to have a chance at reaching their full potential, we must develop programs and policies that create a unified early childhood system that includes the many strands or service that exist today.  It is my hope that the general public begins to advocate for such a system that is affordable and accessible for all.

References:

The White House. (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/12/remarks-president-state-union-address

The White House. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/16/remarks-president-and-first-lady-college-opportunity-summit

What Resonates With Me About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy?

Why did I choose the specialization of Public Policy and Advocacy as part of my Master’s Degree program?

For over 25 years, I worked in direct care as a teacher and early childhood program administrator.  During the course of that work I began to see, feel and understand how important it is for all children, birth to age 8 to have access to early childhood programs and schools that are of high quality and developmentally appropriate.  Through my work as an administrator, I became involved in the Wyoming Early Childhood Association the Wyoming Affiliate of NAEYC. As a leader of the Wyoming Early Childhood Association I found a place where I could come together with likeminded people in the name of young children, their families and the professionals who work with them every day.  I began to understand the necessity of being an out spoken advocate and supporting policies that promoted the well being of children, families and the field of early childhood.

In 2012 I reached a crossroads in my career.  I knew it was time for a change.  Although I still enjoyed working with children, families, and staff, I wanted to do something more to advance the field of early childhood.  I decided to enter the Walden University Master’s in Early Childhood Studies program so I could better articulate to the outside world what I knew from all my experience and years in the field.   The obvious choice for my specialty and my future career aspirations was Public Policy and Advocacy. 

My personal reach for the stars vision for the field of early childhood is that all young children and their families have access to affordable high quality early childhood programs.  If I am gong to help our field reach this goal, my skills as an advocate and driver of public policy must be well developed.

Why do I think advocates are essential in the early childhood field?

A heightened public appreciation for early childhood education is increasing across our nation as early brain development research has become common knowledge and the affects of high quality early childhood programs on a person’s future have been documented    It has the attention of business leaders and elected officials.  It is exciting to hear and see about the need for children to have a strong foundation so they can succeed in school and life in the media.  There is lots of talk about new local, state and national programs and policies being developed in the name of what is best for young children, their families and the people who care for and teach them everyday….. But who is developing these programs and policies?  Do they understand what high quality means? Are they focused on what is developmentally appropriate for young children or the bottom dollar?  Is it about the process or the product?

In the book Early Childhood for a New Era: Leading for Our Profession (Goffin, 2013), Goffin suggests, “the field’s contribution of specialized knowledge and practitioner expertise to program and system development is being sidelined.  Early childhood education increasingly is the recipient of others’ decisions, leaving it reactive to others’ agenda” (Goffin, 2013).  

As our nation focuses on President Obama’s Early Childhood Agenda, it is imperative that we, the early childhood professionals, see ourselves as experts in the field of early childhood.  It is imperative that we as the experts guide the development of systems and programs that will affect the work we do.  It is imperative that we become skilled and confident advocates for policies and practices that promote the well being of all young children, their families and early childhood professionals.  It is imperative we lead the way.

If not us then who…

What do I hope to learn about public policy and advocacy?

Three goals related to public policy and advocacy that I have entering the Early Childhood Systems Course are….

·       To think deeply about public policy and advocacy as it relates to the field of early childhood, so I can begin to set a more defined vision and goals for my early childhood consulting business upon the completion of my master’s degree.

·       To have a greater understanding of the necessary skills and practices of a great advocate.

·       To use the ideas and understanding I gather to inspire other early childhood professionals to become active advocates.

Reference

Goffin,S. (2013). Early Childhood Education for a New Era: Leading for our Profession. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.