Dynamics of Policies and Systems: Course Goals

 

The course, Dynamics of Policies and Systems, within my doctoral program presented me with the feeling of concern.  What do I know about systems and policies?  What experiences have I had in this foundational area of early childhood education?  Although I am presented with apprehensiveness toward this topic, I am beginning to acknowledge that these policies and systems largely impact my role as an early childhood professional and an advocate for positive social change within this area of education. 

According to the text, Policy Studies for Educational Leaders, “Policy is the dynamic and value-laden process through which a political system handles a public problem.  It includes a government’s expressed intentions and official enactments, as well as its consistent patterns of activity and inactivity.”  (Fowler, 2013, p. 5).  An early childhood system is defined by Kagan and Kauerz as, “including early care and education and the early elementary grades and also extends to embrace comprehensive services for young children, including health and mental health services.” (Kagan & Kauerz, 2012, p. 9).

 One goal that I intend to pursue throughout this course is to enable myself to effectively analyze polices and systems that impact the work of early childhood professionals.  “NAEYC members, most of whom work directly with young children and families, see daily the toll of ill-conceived policies on the lives of the children and families we serve. Existing programs have too often taken fragmented, piecemeal approaches to the complex issues facing children and families. Effective policies have seldom been funded at sufficient levels to provide adequate support to all families who might benefit.”  ("National Association of Education for Young Chldren," 2015, p. 1).  Expanding my knowledge on analyzing these policies will equip me with the information needed to contribute to a positive change and/or support in this area.

As an early childhood educator, it is my aim to successfully evaluate existing systems of early care and education to improve outcomes for young children and families. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAECY), “Several decades of research clearly demonstrate that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs produce short- and long-term positive effects on children's cognitive and social development.”("National Association of Education for Young Children," 2015, p. 1).  As a scholar-practitioner working toward positive social change in early childhood education, my work begins within my own classroom and that of the child care center in which my own children attend as well.  In analyzing these systems, I can provide quality, educated feedback on how to continuously improve early childhood care and education.

Evaluating the skills needed to manage change and build relationships in the field of early childhood is another goal I intend to reach throughout the course of this semester.  A key component of quality programs is the quality of teacher.  Continuing to build my knowledge base, as well as building reciprocal relationships with colleagues and families, will allow me to strengthen my impact within the field of early childhood education.  Parental involvement and positive relationships within the workplace allow the community to view the educator as professional, confident, and equipped with the ability to create positive changes within the community and more. 

It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be a goal in itself.  Throughout the course of this semester, I will continue to build on my knowledge base in order to continue to strive to make a positive difference in the field of early childhood education.  All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, my aims are high and I intend to reach them one step at a time.

 

 

 

References

A call for excellence in early childhood education. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence

Fowler, F. C. (2013). Policy studies for educational leaders (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kagan, S. L., & Kauerz, K. (Eds.). (2012). Early childhood systems: Transforming early learning. New York City, New York: Teachers College Press.

Blog Post: Family Culture, and Society

 

 

 

Family, culture, and society have been the focus of my course work during my current doctoral semester course.  I was exposed to in depth information regarding diverse families in the text, The Spirit that catches you and you Fall Down: A Hmong Child, her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, which gave me the opportunity to take an in-depth look into the struggles of cultural differences, as well as language barriers and disabilities.  I was able to take into perspective how I would handle this story if I were faced with some of the same challenges within my own classroom.  The Unites States is filled with diverse families and educators have the opportunity to work with students and families that present many challenges throughout the course of the school year. 

“Families come in all shapes and sizes.  Regardless of the configuration, the one universal descriptor is that families are diverse in nature.  They vary along all dimensions, such as structure and membership, size, beliefs and values, culture, language spoken, roles and functions, and living arrangements.  The concept of family is largely a personal concept.  Individuals view their families through their own lenses; members of the same family may offer quite different accounts and perspectives on the workings of their family.” (Marci & Eleanor, 2013, p. 43).  Because cultures adapt and change, making assumptions about family dynamics is problematic; families in the United States today from all cultures display a variety of configurations. Arguably, there is no longer any such thing as a “typical” family.

The information that I have acquired throughout the course of this semester will allow me to better serve my students within my diverse community.  It is my goal to continue on my journey as a doctoral student and work toward inspiring not only my students in the future, but my coworkers, my community members, and more.  The saying, it takes a community to raise a child gives educators all the more reason to encourage family involvement in education and working toward reaching further than the classroom walls.  It is imperative that we, as educators, continue to strive in equipping ourselves with the knowledge and the skills that it takes to be leaders in our communities and bestow a love of learning among all we come into contact with.  Teachers hold the key to the future, for children are our future.

 

References

Fadiman, A. (2012). The spirit that catches you and you fall down: A hmong child, her american doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Marci, H. J., & Eleanor, L. W. (2013). Understanding families: supportive approaches to diversity, disability, and risk (2nd ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Company.