Blog: Sharing Your Thoughts

Assignment 4: Blog: Sharin" rel="nofollow">ing Your Thoughts An important part of your professional development is collaboration with your colleagues and developin" rel="nofollow">ing thrivin" rel="nofollow">ing communities of practice in" rel="nofollow">in which people and resources support and in" rel="nofollow">inspire, in" rel="nofollow">inform and challenge, and brin" rel="nofollow">ing unique talents and perspectives that add to your own. Over the past 3 weeks, course Discussions have provided you with an opportunity to explore healthy prenatal development, the strengths-based perspective, and brain" rel="nofollow">in development. Each of these topics can be cast as pressin" rel="nofollow">ing advocacy issues within" rel="nofollow">in the field, where powerful messages can impact in" rel="nofollow">intended audiences and ripple out, supportin" rel="nofollow">ing child and family development in" rel="nofollow">in new and excitin" rel="nofollow">ing ways. Review the Learnin" rel="nofollow">ing Resources on how to create an effective advocacy message. By Day 3 of Week 5 Post to your blog: Select one of the three Discussion posts you developed durin" rel="nofollow">ing this module and create an advocacy message designed to in" rel="nofollow">inform and educate other early childhood educators about the importance of the issue. Your blog post should in" rel="nofollow">include the followin" rel="nofollow">ing: A brief, research-based overview of the issue you selected (healthy prenatal development, adoptin" rel="nofollow">ing a strengths-based perspective, optimizin" rel="nofollow">ing brain" rel="nofollow">in development) A related advocacy message that you feel is essential for early childhood professionals and supportive of positive social change Why this topic/message is of particular importance to you Questions or calls for support from your colleagues I will upload the discussion post for you and here it is: Discussion 2: Adoptin" rel="nofollow">ing a Strengths-Based Perspective The Martin" rel="nofollow">inez family is raisin" rel="nofollow">ing their two children, ages 3 and 5, within" rel="nofollow">in a small rural community. They are migrant workers and have lived in" rel="nofollow">in the community for 4 months. Despite each parent workin" rel="nofollow">ing two jobs, the family seldom has enough money and has occasionally experienced homelessness, particularly when the seasonal nature of their work is in" rel="nofollow">interrupted by weather conditions. The family has faced many obstacles, in" rel="nofollow">includin" rel="nofollow">ing limited access to healthy nutritional choices, challenges in" rel="nofollow">in terms of accessin" rel="nofollow">ing health care, and the lack of quality, affordable child care, but always work to fin" rel="nofollow">ind a migrant Head Start program for their children within" rel="nofollow">in each community they have lived in" rel="nofollow">in. The family is workin" rel="nofollow">ing on developin" rel="nofollow">ing both their own and their children’s English skills through the community library, as they emigrated from Mexico 2 years ago. To prepare: Consider the impact of poverty and homelessness, and the vital role professionals play in" rel="nofollow">in partnership with families and buildin" rel="nofollow">ing supportive contexts. Reflect on the importance of takin" rel="nofollow">ing a strengths-based approach in" rel="nofollow">in which in" rel="nofollow">individuals are viewed in" rel="nofollow">in light of their capacities, talents, competencies, values, and hopes, recognizin" rel="nofollow">ing that these might be impacted by present circumstances (Nissen, 2001). By Day 3 of Week 4 An analysis of a scenario that provokes a research-based discussion of the followin" rel="nofollow">ing: The impact of poverty and homelessness on children’s development and learnin" rel="nofollow">ing Areas of family and child strength, and the importance of adoptin" rel="nofollow">ing a strengths-based approach Potential local and global supports and early childhood professionals who can collaborate to create webs of support around the family The overarchin" rel="nofollow">ing challenges and benefits of adoptin" rel="nofollow">ing and implementin" rel="nofollow">ing a strengths-based approach to workin" rel="nofollow">ing with children and families What is needed in" rel="nofollow">in terms of next steps in" rel="nofollow">in order to effectively support the child and family in" rel="nofollow">in the scenario?