Discussion: Including Every Child

“Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Field” Program Transcript

MICHAEL TRAPANI: Hello. I'm Michael Trapani and I'm the program director for your masters and early childhood program. Though you're about to begin your second term, I hope you take a moment to reflect on what you've accomplished so far.

You should be proud of yourself and excited for what's to come. You're setting a strong example for all those around you while gaining the knowledge and critical thinking skills you'll need to be successful in your career and to truly make a difference in the lives of young children. Let me give you a little insight into one of the courses you'll be taking next, Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field.

The title of this course speaks for itself. However, during the first week of the course, you will learn how to examine issues and trends from three different awareness viewpoints, personal, professional, and within the context of your community.

In addition to looking at topics from different viewpoints, you will also apply what we refer to as the four C's to each of these issues and trends discussed. The four C's include change, context, consequences, and constants.

And you'll learn how economists, neuroscientists, and politicians influence our field. And how you can use those perspectives to be a more effective advocate for children.

In this course, will also learn the role demographics and diversity play in early childhood, as well as understand how poverty and equity of care influence child development. Let's hear the student perspective.

REBEKAH CONRAD: This course was super interesting to me. Something that, kind of throughout my courses at Walden, I started to somewhere find a passion for this, you know, working with children in poverty. And I don't know where that came from. But I just started getting interested.

And then this course came up. And this was an awesome opportunity for me to really dive into the research and dive into resources about the achievement gap that was occurring between kids. So this was something that was really up my alley. So I really enjoyed this course.

The most critical issue in early childhood, I think to me, is the constant change that's occurring. There are always new and better things to do that we can help with our students.

© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1

You know, and I think especially in terms of this course, I think learning ways to work with those children who are living in poverty. This course gives you a lot of insight and a lot of research-based ways that you can really work with those kids and help them succeed.

MICHAEL TRAPANI: As you'll soon find out, Issues and Trends in Early Childhood is a course that will give you a lot to consider including the affordability, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and equity of the early childhood systems. These are topics that you will not only find throughout the duration of your studies, but throughout your career as well.

I hope you enjoy the course.

© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 2