"WELCOME"

Hello everyone and welcome to class!!! I'm looking forward to working with you and sharing lots of great information and ideas.  Good luck to you all!!

"Advocacy Messages"

"Teach your kids how to stop bullying and be more than a bystander"

-This message is effective because it encourages children to take a stand against bullying instead of standing around and watching someone be bullied.  It lets children know that bullying can be prevent and/or stop if they step in and let the ones doing the bullying know that it's wrong and they won't tolerate it.

"Give. Advocate. Volunteer.  Live United"

-This message encourages people to become involved in making a change in their community.  It also encourages them to advocate for the needs of others regardless of who they are and it encourages unity among all people.


(http://www.adcouncil.org)

"My Own Capacity"

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the fieldof early childhood fuel your passion?

               

                Issues that fuel my passion include poverty, improper healthcare and inadequate educational oppourtunities.  These are all basic needs that children and families should have in order to develop and survive.  This country should have better system in place to make sure that nobody has to live in poverty or suffer through health and educational shortfalls due to the lack of effective programs and/or resources in place to make sure their basic needs are being met.

What knowledge, skills, dispositions and/or talents do you possess that will contribute to your advocacy work?

                  My years of experience as a educator working with children and families and the education and training I have receieved over the years has prepared me to identify and understand issues that impact children and families and the directions I will need to take in order to become an effective advocate.  I have learned about identifying stakeholders who have a vested interest in the issues concerning children and families.  I have also learn how commuinty resources, policy makers,  other advocates, and even families play an important role in advocating for children.  I believe this combination of training, education and experience, along with my desire to continue learniing as much as I can about advocacy will continue to be a positive contribution to my advocacy work.

In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

                I hope to continue to learn as much as I can about becoming an effective advocate by continuing to work with other advocates and by continuing to expand my knowledge of the issues that impact children and families.  I also hope to continue to stay informed of changes and challenges that occur by using available resources and information to strengthen my advocacy efforts. As wel I hope to continue to build effective, positive and trusting relationship with children and families.

"My Role as an Advocate"

What motivated you to start advocating for young children?
Young children can not speak for themselves, therefore, they need a voice to speak for them to make sure that their needs are being met on a continuous basis.

Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?
Great advocacy efforts work best at all levels, micro and macro.  It takes working together on all levels to become great advocates for children.

What does it take to become a community leader on early childhood issues?
It takes actively partnering with the community to identify and address early childhood issues.  It involves listening to the concerns and challenges within the community and working together to provide more effective early childhood opportunities.

What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?
It takes a commitment to making sure that everything possible is being done at the state level to make sure the needs of children and families are being met.  Leaders at the state level must work closely with leaders at the local level to reach the same outcoome.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?
Sharing information about advocacy efforts and opportunities to expand efforts and get others involved.  Join professionals organizations and share information from these organizations with others.  Create new opportunities for involvement by soliciting ideas and suggestions from others and working together to put these ideas into action.

What advice do you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?
I would advise them to identify the issues that are the most important to them and work to create partnerships with others who can relate to these issues and those who could become a valuable resources as they work to resolve the issues.  I will also advise sharing information and strategies that have proven successful and incorportating these strategies in current advocacy efforts.

"HELLO"

Hello Everyone,
     I'm looking forward to sharing with you as we continue on our educational journey.  Good luck to all!!!!

When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

Being a part of a professional learning community has contributed to my professional growth and accomplishments by creating an environment for me that allowed me learn and develop along with others who share the same passion for educating young children as I do.  It has also allowed me opportunities to share in the experiences of my colleagues and learn new things that have provided me with valuable insight into various aspects of the early childhood field.  I've had the chance to learn more about changes and challenge that occurring in the early childhood field by collaborative efforts of my professional learning community and their dedication and commitment to becoming better advocates of early education.

It has also been a rewarding experience being able to relate to others who understand how important early education is and how important our roles as educators and advocates are to ensuring that young children are given a fair opportunity to grow and learn in a healthy, creative environment that will have a lasting impact on them.
One goal I hope to accomplish is to expand my knowledge of the different types of special needs presented by my colleagues, as well as, other special needs that affect the lives of young children and families daily.  I also want to increase my knowledge of the current services that are available to these families and what additional services are needed.

My Hypothetical Family Situation

I am a married woman about to adopt a child with my husband of six years. Quincy is a five year old little boy and has been diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome. The Mayo Clinic defines shaken baby syndrome is a serious brain injury resulting from forcefully shaking an infant or toddler (Mayo Clinic). As a result of this brain injury, Quincy has cerebral palsy , frequent seizures and developmental delays. He has had several surgeries and numerous procedures to correct the damages to his brain. He also takes several different medications, receives speech and language therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

My husband and I both have very good jobs, and I am currently enrolled in graduate school. Quincy came to us as a foster child at five months old, and although we have tried to adopt him before, the parental rights of the biological mother prevented us from doing so.

My husband and I both speak English as our first language. We have a have large family, but no one that can help with child care needs on an ongoing basis. Quincy attends a child development center during the day, and we are in the process of hiring a caregiver to transport him from school and address his personal needs for a few hours in the afternoon until we arrive home.

Health services will benefit Quincy now and in the future due to the extensive procedures, medications, and therapies he requires. Also, early learning and development is needed to help him grow and learn since is currently at a nine month old developmental level. We also need supportive services to help us learn to help him and to be able to understand as much as possible about his diagnosis, treatments and other ongoing care.

http://www.mayoclinic.com

Have I given a complete picture of my family, or are there details missing that I should include in order to complete the assignment successfully? If so, what are your suggestions?

Are there any specific websites I should be reviewing with regard to learning about quality services and programs for my child and family in this hypothetical family situation?