The website that I have studied in the past weeks is called International Step by Step Association(ISSA).
The section that interests me the most lately is the section of the newest news in early childhood field. It shows the clear picture of the trends in this field, and issues that are closely related to this topic too. This week, when I was looking at it, one article caught my attention. It is about the new publication on diversity and social inclusion. The theme of the article is “All children and adults have the right to evolve and to develop in a context where there is equity and respect for diversity.” (ISSA) It addresses the importance of everyone in the early child care communities should be open-minded, be communicable, be respectful, and develop their own identity. I think it is really importance for the professionals in this field. If we want our children to respect the diversity, we need to be the good examples to show how we behave when we are dealing with the diversity issues.
It also redefines the definition of diversity, competence. I would like to talk about the definition of competence that it mentioned in the article here, as I think it is a really good point. I used to think competence means someone has certain knowledge or skills to perform a task, now I know how narrow my thought was. In early childhood education, we want children to be competent which means we want children to gain the knowledge and skills that they can apply for the usage in their later life in a long term, and the quality of it depends on people working with children, families, and communities. Therefore talking about practitioners, competence is a continuous process that comprises the ability to build on and contribute to a body of professional knowledge, acquire both practical and reflective skills and develop a professional attitude. I am glad I can have a better understanding of what competence is, so I can integrate myself in the future. Learning is endless.
The website has the information of the meeting that ISSA hosts in Turkey to discuss about the quality in early childhood education field. All the members from 15 countries share their own ideas and concerns about the quality of early childhood education programs. They all agree that high quality early childhood programs need the politicians and economists to support. We need them to give more funds to this field to gain more resources, to train more qualified teachers, and to make early childhood education more accessible to every child in the world.
The trend that I have learned from the website is more and more professionals see the development of early childhood education as a mission of the whole nation. It is no longer just a task that a group people can handle. Children are the future of our country, we need support from various people, organizations, and communities to work together to make the early child care a right for every child, and make it affordable for parents.
References:
Diversity and Social Inclusion-Exploring Competences for Professional Practice in Early Childhood Education and Care. Retrieved from http://www.decet.org/fileadmin/decet-media/publications/Diversity-and-Social-Inclusion.pdf
Sissi, as always, I learn so much from your comments. I think the definition that you developed as a result of your research is astounding and needs to be shared. It demonstrates that not everything needs to be black or white, but we can take time continuously to bring out beautiful colors. I have found that so many of my own definitions were limited, and I've learned to expand my thoughts. Thanks for sharing this new definition with me, as my "original" definition was similar to yours. I like the "new" one better, since it is continuous, allowing for new options and encouraging us, as educators, to view each child as their own entity. Just like each color in the crayon box. Thanks for sharing; great job, Sissi!
ReplyDeleteSissi,
ReplyDeleteYour post really spoke to me. Professionally, I have been struggling with incorporating my students' into inclusive settings. There are so many different philosophies on inclusion but the comment that we need to be good examples of how to handle diversity made me realize the importance of inclusion and the benefits it can have. I completely agree that children have the right to learn in an environment where they feel equality and respect. Your comments couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks!