8085 MD1 Assignment
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8085MD1Assignmentinfo.docx8085 Module 1 Assignment:
Early Childhood Education Topics and Professional Organizations: Focus on Leadership
Effective leaders must remain current within the early childhood field. Leaders need to understand changes and opportunities within early childhood education, as well as the influences of and fluctuations within the broader societal context. There are numerous resources available within the field to support leaders in remaining current; however, leaders must have skills in critical analysis, compilation, and networking in order to use these resources most effectively.
Some of the more accessible resources available to leaders within early childhood education are professional, credible websites. Websites can provide current news, research, job opportunities, evidence-based applications, networking opportunities and resources, and information on critical advocacy issues. As a leader, developing knowledge of websites as an essential resource is critical. Skills in processing and sharing information with others are also important aspects of leadership capacity.
This Assignment requires that you begin to explore and develop advocacy topics you are interested in, with the goal of developing an initial advocacy action plan. In Module 4, you will be responsible for developing an advocacy action plan for your Learning Outcomes Plan. As this point in your course, you will explore advocacy topics in which you are developing an interest and begin to develop competencies needed to become an effective advocate.
To complete your Assignment, consider an advocacy topic you are interested in learning more about, carefully reflecting on your interests and passions, and where you would like to devote time and effort to make a difference in the lives of young children, their families, and the field. Consider something you would like to study, a topic about which you would like to connect with others, and where you would like to invest time and effort in order to make a difference.
After selecting your topic, you will use professional websites as a tool to increase knowledge of that topic. Also, you will compile websites and resources, which will allow you the opportunity to build, or add to, your own professional “tool kit” of resources and connections.
This Assignment is designed to support your skills in advocating regarding an issue you are passionate about, as well as your leadership skills in the areas of compiling resources, identifying issues, determining stakeholders, and identifying leadership opportunities.
Professional Organizations and Advocacy
To prepare:
· Consider your passions in the field of early childhood education, (my passion is to become an Early Childhood College Professor) and think about an area of the field where you would like to direct your advocacy efforts. To support you in determining an area of advocacy you would like to pursue, review the websites of the professional organizations listed in the Learning Resources.
· As you review the websites, consider what you would like to know more about, how you would like to support others, and which topics presented seem to fit best with your current passions and professional interests. You may select topics and websites other than those presented. The professional organization websites in the Learning Resources are designed to serve as a guide.
· Select three organizational websites and three resources from one or more of the websites you chose that complement your selected advocacy topic. These resources may include such items as positions statements, articles, videos, etc., providing research, information, and insights that relate to your topic. Your goal in selecting these resources is to provide an overview of your topic, familiarize yourself with advocacy work that has been conducted on the topic, and analyze how the information presented can assist you in working toward your advocacy goals.
To complete this Assignment:
· Provide a brief overview of the advocacy topic you selected and a rationale for your selection. As you develop your overview, consider the following:
· Why is the topic you selected important for young children, families, professionals, and/or the field of early childhood education?
· What draws you to the advocacy topic you have selected?
· Based on the organizational websites you selected (3 total), provide a summary that includes the following:
· A general overview of how the work of the organization complements your advocacy goal
· Opportunities for engagement/collaboration with the organization around your selected advocacy topic
· How becoming involved with the organization might assist you in achieving your advocacy goals
· For each of the resources you selected from one or more of the organizational websites (3 total), provide a summary that includes the following:
· A general overview of information from the resource that relates to your advocacy topic
· Three to five main points that you feel would support your advocacy goals
· A citation
Be sure to cite appropriate references in APA format to substantiate your thinking.
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6–14. doi:10.5923/j.mm.20150501.02
Beyer, B. (2012). Blending constructs and concepts: Development of emerging theories of organizational leadership and their relationship to leadership practices for social justice. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/contents/CZKCR71m@4/Blending-Constructs-and-Concepts
Bloom, P. J. & Abel, M. B. (2015). Expanding the lens—leadership as an organizational asset. Young Children, 70(2), 10–17.
Hallet, E. (2013). We all share a common vision and passion: Early years professionals reflect upon their leadership of practice role. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11(3), 312–325. doi:10.1177/1476718X1349088
Hard, L., & Jónsdóttir, A. H. (2013). Leadership is not a dirty word: Exploring and embracing leadership in ECEC. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21(3), 311–325. doi:10.1080/1350293X.2013.814355
Leeson, C. (2014). The pressures of leading early years services in a changing world. In J. Moyles, J. Payler, & J. Georgeson (Eds.), Early years foundations: Critical issues (2nd ed., pp. 143–154). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264688756_
Lewis, J., & Hill, J. (2012). What does leadership look like in early childhood settings? Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/every-child-magazine/every-child-index/every-child-vol-18-4-2012/leadership-look-like-early-childhood-settings/
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. (2015, Summer). An international perspective on early childhood leadership. Research Notes. Retrieved from http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RN-Summer-2015.pdf
Muñoz, M., Boulton , P., Johnson, T., & Unal, C. (2015). Leadership development for a changing early childhood landscape. YC Young Children, 70(2), 26–31.
National Policy Board for Educational Administrati
Orr, T., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2015). Appreciative leadership: Supporting education innovation. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(4), 235–240.
on. (2015). Professional standards for educational leaders. Retrieved from http://www.ccsshttps://www.proquest.com/docview/1789785813?accountid=14872&forcedol=trueo.org/Documents/2015/ProfessionalStandardsforEdu
Professional Organization Websites
Save the Children Action Network. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2016, from https://www.savethechildrenactionnetwork.org/
American Educational Research Association. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.aera.net/
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
Zero to Three. (2016a). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
National Association of Elementary School Principals. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.naesp.org/
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.nieer.org/
Harvard Family Research Project. (2016). Early childhood education. Retrieved from http://www.hfrp.org/early-childhood-education
Required Media
California Department of Education (Producer). (2013). Invitation to leadership in early childhood [Video file]. Retrieved from http://ececompsat.org/competencies/lead/lead.html
Note: This video is part of a series of California ECE competencies
