8085 Module 4
Discussion 1: Advocacy Overview
What key advocacy issue provides a focus for your energy and professional passion? Throughout this course, you have had opportunities to explore and develop as a leader. An important aspect of this journey has included exploration of advocacy issues that stir your passions. In these remaining weeks of the course, you will refine and further develop your advocacy interest into an advocacy action plan.
To prepare:
Consider the advocacy topic you have selected and why this is such an important topic within the field of early childhood education. Think about the following questions:
What is it about this topic that stirs your professional passion?
Who does your topic influence?
Why should this topic be of interest to others?
Assignment Task Part 1
Advocacy Topic:
“ Exploring Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Education “
Write a 2-page response to the following 6 questions, You will continue to Expound on the answer provided of each question:
What do children need? Children need help building their vocabulary to develop their language skills to get what they need and want. (Expound)
What do you want for the children with whom you associate? I want the children of who I associate with to be able to have the ability to access and use language in the right ways at the right time. (Expound)
What do you want them to be like long after they leave you? Once my students leave, I would want the children to be able to use language and communicate effectively while engaging in socialization.(Expound)
What makes you mad when you think about children and their families in the world today? What upsets me the most with families today is the lack of parental involvement when it comes to talking and engaging conversations with their children. It’s important for parents to talk, sing, etc. with their children at the start of birth. However, doing so will better help parents to better notice or observe the signs of language delay in development at an early age. (Expound)
What wakes you up at night? What wakes me up at night is knowing, there is always a child somewhere there is such a need when it come to the aspects of language development in early childhood education. (Expound)
What energizes you? What makes you hopeful? (Remember, if you are working with children and families, you are in a profession of hope.)
What energizes me, as a teacher I can recognize and respond to children’s earliest efforts to communicate when it comes to language and literacy development. It is my goal to help children develop the sophisticated language skills they need to succeed, in my classroom and in the wider world. (Expound)
Assignment Task Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Write a 1page summary of how the related discussions and reactions from colleagues informed your plans and ideas related to social justice and advocacy. Cite related literature and other resources as appropriate.
Learning Resources
Required Resources
ASCD. (2016). Free resources to free your inner change agent. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun16/vol73/num09/Free-Resources-to-Free-Your-Inner-Change-Agent.aspx
DeMatthews, D., & Mawhinney, H. (2014). Social justice leadership and inclusion: Exploring challenges in an urban district struggling to address inequities. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(5), 844–881. doi:10.1177/0013161X13514440.
Duhn, I. (2012). Making ‘place’ for ecological sustainability in early childhood education. Environmental Education Research, 18(1), 19–29. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.572162
Furman, G. (2012). Social justice leadership as praxis: Developing capacities through preparation programs. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48(2), 191-229. doi:10.1177/0013161X11427394
Glanz, J. (2010). Justice and caring: Power, politics, and ethics in strategic leadership. International Studies in Educational Administration, 38(1), 66–86. Retrieved from http://gseuphsdlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/justice-and-caring.pdf
Goodwin, B. (2016). Facing resistance? Try a new hat. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun16/vol73/num09/Facing-Resistance%C2%A2-Try-a-New-Hat.aspx
Hytten, K., & Bettez, S. C. (2011). Understanding education for social justice. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 25(1/2), 7–24.
Larson, C. L. (2010). Responsibility and accountability in educational leadership: Keeping democracy and social justice central to reform. Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly, 4(4), 323-327.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (2011). Position statements on ethical conduct. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct
National Association for the Education of Young Children (2011). Position statements on ethical conduct. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct
Rosenthal, J. H. (2009). Leadership as practical ethics. Retrieved from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/001/ethics/0003.html
Santamaría, L. J. (2014). Critical change for the greater good: Multicultural perceptions in educational leadership toward social justice and equity. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(3), 347–391. doi:10.1177/0013161X13505287
Theoharis, G. (2007). Social justice educational leaders and resistance: Toward a theory of social justice leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43(2), 221–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X06293717
Theoharis, G., & O’Toole, J. (2011). Leading inclusive ELL social justice leadership for English language learners. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(4), 646–688. doi:10.1177/0013161X11401616
Tikly, L., & Barrett, A. M. (2011). Social justice, capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(1), 3–14. doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2010.06.00
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok Office, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. (2016). Financing for early childhood care and education. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002455/245511e.pdf
van Fleet, J. W. (2015). It’s time for an education breakthrough: Coming together for 2015 and the agenda beyond. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/08/07-education-sector-van-fleet
Zero to Three. (2013). Nurturing change: State strategies for improving infant and early childhood mental health. https://www.eccbouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Nurturing-Change_-State-Strategies-for-Improving-Infant-and-Early-Childhood-Mental-Health-002.pdf
Zero to Three. (2016b). Deconstructing leadership. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/498-deconstructing-leadership
Zero to Three. (2016c). You have what it takes! Advocacy tool. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/494-you-have-what-it-takes-advocacy-tool
Required Media
Microsoft Partners in Learning (Producer). (2012). Sir Ken Robinson – The role of policy in education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVjEkM3g38
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (Producer). (2014). Reflections on early childhood program management [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9ftoju83fE
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2011). Barry Schwartz: Using our practical wisdom [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDS-ieLCmS4
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 23 minutes.
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2012). What kindergarten should be: Doris Fromberg at TEDxMiamiUniversity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpM_jbVopo
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 15 minutes.
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2013). How to escape education’s Death Valley: Sir Ken Robinson [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 19 minutes.
