Presenters: Amanda Schwartz, Ph.D. and Lorelei Pisha, Ed.D.
This session is sponsored by the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education.
Engaging families can be a challenge, particularly if their infant or toddler has a disability or may show signs of developmental delay. Families of children with disabilities are often deluged by service providers and advice from early intervention teams, therapists, doctors, and other professionals. However, strong relationships between program staff and families are an essential component of effectively including infants and toddlers with disabilities in programs. Join this session to learn strategies for enhancing family engagement practices for your program as well as your staff’s confidence in building culturally responsive partnerships with families of the infants and toddlers with disabilities included in your program.
Participants will learn:
1) The every day context for families of infants and toddlers with disabilities
2) Strategies for enhancing program systems to support and engage families of infants and toddlers with disabilities
3) Professional development strategies to enhance staff’s competence and confidence in talking with infants and toddlers with disabilities
All sessions are 1.5 hours long, and include a brief announcement from our sponsor.
Unifying and strengthening the early childhood workforce may be the single most important step towards closing the opportunity/achievement gap. The Foundation for Child Development has committed its energies and resources towards professionalization of the early childhood field, improving the quality of professional practice, and enhancing early childhood teacher preparation.
In 2000, the National Research Council’s Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers report and the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) From Neurons to Neighborhood: The Science of Early Childhood Development report gave the early childhood field its scientific foundation and the standards for high-quality teacher preparation. We also support the long-term vision and teacher competencies proposed by the 2015 IOM report, Transforming the Workforce for Children from Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Moving forward, the Foundation has positioned the research base and recommendations from these landmark reports at the center of our 100-plus years of funding research into the care and education that all children need for a strong start in life.
The Foundation’s support of Power to Profession was spurred by the 2015 IOM report and the vision it articulated. We acknowledge both the importance and difficulty of asking the initiative’s Task Force to do what has never been accomplished in the early childhood field: Envision a unified, diverse, well-prepared, appropriately compensated workforce and determine the competencies and qualifications early childhood professionals must have at every level of practice in order to guarantee that all children have equal access to high-quality early care and education. Recognizing that increasing competencies and qualifications among a diverse workforce would require an equitable pathway for professional development, and the compensation that must come with it, the Foundation also funded the 2018 National Academies’ Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education report that outlines a financing framework and funding strategy based on increased competencies while also retaining diversity in our workforce.
Therefore, we view Power to the Profession’s work as framed by these seminal reports, which emphasized what works for all children and developed a vision that demands equal access to high-quality care and education, access that begins each day in the arms of qualified professionals across every community, not just for those who can afford the best for their children.
THE TASK FORCE’S PURPOSE.
The work of the initiative’s Task Force is an opportunity for social and systemic transformation that cannot be squandered. It is within this context that we strongly believe that the draft recommendations in Decision Cycles 3-5 fail to seize the moment to look beyond the systemic and fiscal constraints of the present. Instead, we urge the Task Force to envision what could be and embrace what educators do best by setting higher professional standards that lead all children to better school and life outcomes.
The question today is not whether quality early childhood education works, but rather how we can make it work for all children and for all early childhood educators.
Much has been done over the past decade to convince policymakers and the public of a fundamental truth: High-quality early care and education is the vehicle of social mobility, the accelerator of better education, health, social, and economic outcomes for children and our nation.
Our charge is to close the opportunity gap that too many children and families in our society experience due to lack of access to quality early care and education. The reality is that children in the greatest need deserve early care and education provided by professionals with the highest qualifications — yet they are least likely to get them. A diverse group of competent, qualified, and fairly compensated early childhood professionals, working in every community, is a force that can eliminate the gap and lift an entire generation out of poverty to make sure that each child — regardless of the zip code in which they live — has a clear path to their full potential.
We must see the early childhood workforce as the engine of positive social and economic change that it can be. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo. We cannot be so constrained by the present realities that we cannot envision a new and better reality for children, families, and the profession of early childhood educators.
The time is now. Parents, stretched to the breaking point between their aspirations for their children and what they can afford to provide, demand something better. That demand can be harnessed to drive greater public investment, but only if early childhood educators leverage the trust that parents have in their work and their professional knowledge and skill. We have a golden opportunity to deliver a vision of and transition towards a professional structure that elevates a diverse workforce while providing uniform access to high-quality care and education for all children.
The Task Force’s vision, as currently drafted in Decision Cycles 3-5, will fail to accomplish these big but necessary goals.
We cannot have progress without change. The draft document settles for the low bar of the status quo — which further perpetuates the reality that both the quality of children’s early childhood experiences and the compensation for early childhood professionals are highly dependent on the settings in which they are enrolled or work.
In its current form, the document does not describe a clear strategy to incentivize and facilitate upward mobility across professional roles in the profession. It does not provide specific individual competencies that would describe what early childhood professionals should know and be able to do across professional roles. Nor does the current iteration of the document ensure that all children and families have access to competent professionals across all settings at every stage of early childhood education and care.
This webinar will outline the benefits of developing a repository of course modules designed for early learning professionals and the ways in which administrators of state learning management systems (LMS) can join the effort. Listen to representatives from Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island as they discuss their respective LMSs, involvement with the repository, and a description of currently available materials. Join the webinar to see how your state might get involved!
Who Should Participate
This webinar will be of interest to professional development system leaders, LMS administrators, and related staff members.
Viewing the Webinar
Select this Web link to register for the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Questions
If you have questions, contact the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning at ecdtl@ecetta.info or call (toll-free) at (844) 261-3752.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The authors of Picturing the Project Approach: Creative Explorations in Early Learning agree! In this unique webinar, you will have a rare opportunity to peek inside the life of The Project Approach in practice in real classrooms with real children and teachers featured in the book. The authors will share the power of projects through photographs of children from toddler to upper elementary ages in a school committed to high quality project work for more than a decade.
How the book can be used as a manual for teachers learning to engage their students in in-depth project work
How to lead teachers through the steps of incorporating the Project Approach in toddler, preschool or elementary classrooms
All sessions are 1.5 hour long, and include a brief announcement from our sponsor.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time.
To ensure you receive confirmation and reminder emails, add customercare@gotowebinar.com to your contacts list. If you do not receive your email confirmation, check your Spam or Junk mail folders in your email system.
Can’t participate in our webinars at the appointed time? Never fear! All of the webinars are recorded. To view the recording, simply register now and you will receive an email with a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed. You can still download the certificate by watching the recording to the end when the certificate link is announced and displayed on the screen.
Only 1,000 people at one time can attend our webinars, but registration often tops 4,000. Only the first 1,000 people to click the link to attend the webinar will be able to get in. We start the webinars 30 minutes in advance of the start time. Arrive early to make sure you get in.
Please be advised that you will only be eligible for the great door prizes if you participate in the live session.
Explore and register for upcoming T/TA events, sorted by topic. Scroll down for General Interest; Education & Child Development; Family & Community Engagement; Financial & Program Management; Health & Social and Emotional Well-being; Partnerships in Education & Child Care; and Non-ACF Events in the Early Childhood Field.
Join this webinar for a 45-minute introduction to MyPeers, a community of practice forum for Head Start programs, staff, and partners. MyPeers is a virtual space for brainstorming, exchanging ideas, and sharing resources. Local program staff across the country can connect with and lend support to fellow early childhood colleagues.
Webinar Repeats (all ET): March 19 at 1 p.m.; April 12 at 2 p.m.; April 23 at 3 p.m.; May 8 at noon.; May 16 at 2 p.m.
This is a live repeat of the December webinar which introduced the updated resource Relationship-Based Competencies for Professionals Who Work with Young Children in Group Settings.
Join this Teacher Time webisode to hear from experts about early math development. Learn how to integrate early geometry concepts and skills, like shapes and puzzles, into everyday teaching practices.
Discover the importance of infusing language and culture in early learning programs. Hear about the newly updated Making It Work, a guide for implementing cultural learning experiences in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) programs.
Nearly two-thirds of low-income families go through significant changes in household income during the year. Head Start and Early Head Start programs can play a key role in helping families develop a plan to handle sudden income changes. This webinar is part of the Building Foundations for Economic Mobility (BFEM) webinar series.
This session will give an overview of the Program Planning and Data and Evaluation sections of the Head Start Management Systems Wheel. Topics will include coordinated approaches and how data supports continuous improvement.
Explore both grantee and state perspectives on building relationships that support access to the Child Care and Development Fund subsidy. Hear from state representatives and two Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grantees, one rural and one urban, about the benefits of these relationships and what steps they took in building them. This webinar is part of the “Making Strides” series.
This session continues the exploration of the Head Start Management Systems Wheel. Review key considerations in facilities management. This includes an overview of the facility development and renovation cycle, as well as the health and wellness implications in facility management.
This Head Start Management Systems Wheel session will address the fundamental concepts that support the systems of Transportation and Technology and Information Systems. This will include transportation planning, ensuring child safety, and the role of internal staff and external consultants in supporting your computers and software.
Tummy time gives babies a chance to stretch and strengthen their muscles, which helps them push up, roll over, crawl, and walk. Join this webinar to explore a new suite of materials for home visitors and other professionals working with families with infants. Learn to encourage and incorporate tummy time into families’ routines. Help caregivers use tummy time as a special chance to bond and interact with babies.
Learn about evidence-based hearing screening for children 3–5 years of age. Explore newly released instructional resources designed to assist those using Pure Tone screening.
Nutrition is key for children’s healthy development, but it can be challenging to make it a part of your daily routine. Explore tips and strategies to create healthier eating environments for children in the classroom and at home.
I Am Moving, I Am Learning (IMIL) is a Head Start program enhancement created to address childhood obesity. It was not designed as a curriculum or an add-on. Join the team training to find out how IMIL fits seamlessly into what programs are already doing to meet the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Apply online by March 9, 2018.
The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, in collaboration with the BUILD initiative, will facilitate a discussion about state and local revenue-generation strategies that fund quality services for children.
Explore the latest findings from evaluations or programs, policies, and services that support low-income and vulnerable families on the path to economic self-sufficiency. RECS is presented by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Applications are now available for the 2018 UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program. This 12-day intensive leadership and management development training session is for Head Start and Early Head Start directors and managers. Designed from a strategic planning perspective, the curriculum focuses on applying current management concepts to Head Start needs and interests. More than 80 hours of classroom instruction include lectures, group discussions, case studies, and workshops. The program is June 18-29, 2018.
Graduates of the Fellows Program are awarded a certificate from UCLA. They are also given the option to receive academic-level credits at an additional cost. The program has enhanced the management and leadership capabilities of more than 1,500 Head Start directors and managers nationwide.
Target Audience
This program is open to Head Start and Early Head Start directors and managers who have been in their current position for a minimum of two years, and have experience in a leadership role at a local, state, or regional community organization. Participation in a community organization does not need to be current.
In addition, participants must identify a “co-participant” who will attend the final two and a half days of the program. The co-participant is identified as the participant’s supervisor or board chair. Two-person teams from the same program also are eligible to apply (limited number selected).
Cost for Participants
The National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations (PMFO) will defray the majority of program costs for both the participant and co-participant. This will include tuition, training materials, lodging, and most meals. Participants are responsible for a registration fee of $3,100. Participants and co-participants are also responsible for their travel expenses to and from Los Angeles.
Early Care and Education Innovations Series Audio Conference:
January 10, 2017
8:00 to 8:45 pm ET
7:00 to 7:45 pm CT
6:00 to 6:45 pm MT
5:00 to 5:45 pm PT
Why is it important for you to help children stay physically active and well nourished?
Join this webinar to learn more about why healthy eating and physical activity is important for the children in your program. Panelists will discuss important topics including:
Feeding infants
Helping families obtain healthy and culturally appropriate food
Giving children safe spaces to play
Providing positive adult examples
Presenters:
Facilitator: Emily Keenum
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
Panelists:
– Mona Liza Hamlin, Nemours
– Christine Twait, Partners in Nutrition
– Dianne Stanton Ward, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Who Should Participate?
This webinar is designed for early care and education providers including teachers, administrators, and family child care providers working with children from birth to five and their families.
Do you have questions?
If you have questions about healthy eating and physical activity, please send them to a_l_schwartz@yahoo.com with the subject header “Question for the Keeping All of Us Healthy Webinar”. We will answer as many questions as we can during the webinar.
Convened by the Early Care and Education Innovation Collaborative, an ad hoc activity associated with the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
In a time where there seems to be many negative messages in the media and beyond, we in early childhood programs experience the effects on young children. This webinar will share a variety of ideas and strategies to use in your programs that embrace a culture of acceptance and kindness.
Objectives:
Description and examples will be given defining a classroom that embraces a culture of acceptance and kindness.
Concrete strategies and ideas will be shared that participants can bring back to use in their settings.
We are in the process of revising and updating the Position Statement and Concept Paper on Personnel Standards for Early Education and Early Intervention.
Review the DEC Position Statement on Personnel Standards for Early Education and Early Intervention here.
Webinar Time: December 9, 2015, 2pm – 3:30pm ET
Presenters: Libby Hall and Michael Assel
Your program is proud to be an inclusive environment. Children of all abilities are welcome, and your teachers work hard to facilitate learning that meets every child’s needs, but they are frequently challenged when it comes to engaging children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Without specialized training and/or individual aides, teachers often are often unable to find the right strategies to meet the needs of children with ASD. This actionable webinar will offer participants strategies they can use to engage and facilitate learning for children with ASD in early education classrooms through the lens of an expert, Dr. Michael Assel, and the lens of an experienced practitioner, Libby Hall. Both Mike and Libby have rich experience working with children with Autism in classroom settings. Join this webinar to learn the strategies they have used and refined through years of experience.
All sessions are 1.5 hours long, and include a brief announcement from our sponsor.
Can’t participate in our webinars at the appointed time? Never fear! All of the webinars are recorded. To view the recording, simply register now and you will receive an email with a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed. You can still download the certificate by watching the recording to the end when the certificate link is announced and displayed on the screen.
*Please be advised that you will only be eligible for the great door prizes if you participate in the live session.
Early Childhood News Update 
You must be logged in to post a comment.