What I Have Learned

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds

I want to be able to acknowledge families that come from diverse backgrounds.  I want to make them feel welcome, secure and openly to talk to me at anytime of the day.  By posting different cultural activities, such as dancing, eating, and religion on the bulletin board and talking about the different ways children live will help children realize that everyone is different and don’t need to be talked and taunted.  As we sit around in group circles, I want to allow our young ones to be able to talk openly and continue to have that respectful relationship like anyone else.  Because we all know that everyone deserves to be treated right and let’s continue to have social justice for all.

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice

I want to be able to create social justice for children in the early childhood field.  Being able to let the families, along with their children participate in any activity that is going on related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.  Furthermore, I want to be able to talk about the many different issues that are going on pertaining to prejudice and bias in the field of education.

A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

I would like to thank my colleagues and professor for being such loyal individuals to my discussions and blog posts.  I’m looking forward to many of your comments and hope to see you in my next class.  Good Luck and Happy Holidays!!

Start Seeing Diversity Blog:  Creating Art

Thinking about what I have learned in this course about children identities and development and the ways in which each is impacted by bias, discomfort, and trauma.

Diversity is accepting people for who they are in the light

Even though it may cause pain in another person’s eye sight

People come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors

But who’s the blame, when everyone decides to take over one another

There’s so much to see on television and through books

I guess that’s the reason why many people give us “that” look

We have been told what’s right and what’s wrong

But we haven’t been told not to leave our comfort zone

This journey is long and tough

But with trust and respect we’ll overpass the rough

So let’s continue to love and respect

Because in the classroom, children don’t see pass the neck

Continuing to bow and give our teachers a hand

The more we learn, the better we’ll be able to stand

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

        I can remember one particular incident when my son, at the age of seven was walking in the sand on a beach.  Out of the blue, here come two men, holding hands, one of the men looking similar to a woman (lip gloss, eye lashes, short pants and plenty of jewelry).   My son looked up at me and said “mom is that two men, do they suppose to be holding hands like that?”  I was absolutely stunned and couldn’t say anything at the moment.  Once I snap back to reality, I told him they was just close friends and decided to hold hands on the beach today. I also told him there’s nothing wrong with holding hands, but some individual have disagreements with people of the same sex holding hands.  This is the reason why we need to listen and be attentive to our children at all times. Even though children may not understand the full meaning of their biased comments, these can become the basis for more developed prejudice if adults do not respond to them (Pelo, 2008).

What messages might have been communicated to this child by the adult's response?  A lot of times when children see couples holding hands it’s a sign of affection for one another.  When I looked stunned at my son, the message that probably was communicated to him was “this just doesn’t look right”.  I wanted to reply to him with a short and comfortable answer because there are so many forms of miscommunication taking place every day in the world.  We all know that children observe everything at home, school, and on outings and we love our children.  But we also know that society has changed since their upbringing, so we must be honest and open with them when communicating. 

An example of how an anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child's (or classroom’s) understanding.  Many children are unaware of the different basis of gender, but they learn from the environment in which they live.  As an educator, having an anti-bias approach help children learn to treat everybody the same and with respect.  We cannot eliminate prejudice, but we can help a child respect the ability to work together with different viewpoints and have the commitment to act against bias relationships.

                                            Reference

Pelo, A. (2008). Rethinking Early Childhood Education.  A Rethinking Schools Publication.

“Start Seeing Diversity Video” Blog:

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

       My response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families would help engage children in learning and knowing about gay and lesbian individuals. In today’s society there are so many individuals that are coming out the closet and living together and getting married.  Many of our children are becoming confused, seeing women engaging with women and men engaging with men.  As a parent, I would sit down and let my child know that many children have same sex families and even though they may experience discrimination, they are still considered a family.  As stated in the media segment, many families consist of two women, single parent, two men or foster parents, but they still care and nurture their child/children just like any other parent.  They are always there when you need them, a shoulder to lean on and an arm to carry you.  Many children are explore to this a school, mall, movies, radio and even television shows, that’s the reason why we need to sit our children down and let them know what’s happening in the world and what to expect. As stated in the text, some states recommend high schools to establish policies protecting gay and lesbian youth from harassment and violence; teachers and counselors being able to receive professional development to respond to the needs of the students and also establish a support group, so topics can be talked about (Pelo, 2008).

       My response to a parent/family who informed me that they did not want anyone who is perceived homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child is to let them know that it’s all about the job and not about the person’s beliefs.  I live in a fairly small community and the school district does not discriminate a person of who they are, it’s all about what you can teach my child and your qualifications.  I would love to sit down with this family and listen to what they have to say and explain to them it’s all about education and we need to support our children.  We need to find out why so many families fall out with individuals that are perceived to be homosexual/transgender, if we would listen, we’ll probably learn something.

Reference

Pelo, A. (2008).  Rethinking Early Childhood Education.

                      Professional Thanks and Support

       Taking a minute to let my colleagues know how they have supported me through this course.  It gives me great courage to say, I enjoyed reading and sharing stories about families and heartaches through discussions and blogs.  I have a passionate for early childhood education and I have a ton of love for children.  I want you all to continue to promote diversity in the classroom and care for the kids as though they are your owns.  Let’s continue to have that solid foundation through communication and encourage them daily.  If we continue to allow our children to practice educational skills and don’t forget about a little fun, we can make a difference in their lives!

       Thanking my colleagues for taking the time to read my blogs and supporting them.  I hope they have been enlightening to you and I wish you all the best! May God bless you and I as we continue this journey together.  For those of you that are going in a different direction, continue to reach for the stars.

                                                    ADJOURNING

 

We have successfully made it through the five stages of team development, from introduction in the student lounge to reading each other inspirational discussion posts and blogs.  Now it’s time for the adjourning stage, a time to come to an end and go our separate ways, this is where we should be able to reflect on our accomplishments and failures.  Our group will split up and go on to other classes or jobs and this will be a thing of the past.  This is all a part of life, as you enter into another class continue to use the skills you learned in this class and it will make you stronger.  In order to make effective decisions you have to work hard as a team and be able to accomplish tasks.

        I have participated in many groups in my life and it was easy for me to adjourn them, the simple reason I enjoyed them and the time we shared together.  There was some groups that wasn’t good in working with, always wanted to give out orders or wasn’t there to work towards the goal.  That’s why the team leader should ensure that there is time for the team to celebrate the success of the project (Abudi, 2013).  That’s why it’s likely we as classmates will meet again in another class or via facebook and be able to say “I remember you”.

        Once you have developed a close relationship with team members, the break up can be hard.  Many members also feel a compelling sense of loss because you have worked so hard to get things done and get alone.  As leaders, one should be able to emphasize valuable lessons learned and pass it alone.  The breaking up of a team can be one of the hardest routine.

        One closing ritual that I experience was on an outing with my church.  We went into the mountains and meet other church organizations.  At the end of the two-week stay we gathered around and held hands and each one was allowed to say a short prayer.  We acknowledge the end of the time together and mark the transition point, because the closings should provide time for personal farewells.  This was a very exciting times in my life, because the reflections generated energy through the group.

        This is time in my life in which I have to accept the adjourning from the group of colleagues in this class at Walden.  Some of my classmates, I have seen come and go and others is my first time meeting.  I enjoyed reading your stories about your conflicts, families, and concerns.  I applaud you for continuing your journey towards your master’s degree and hope you accomplish what you are reaching for. 

        Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it’s all about being and working together.  Once you have worked together as a team you must separate and go your separate ways, which is hard for some people to do.  May God bless you all!

 

                                               Reference

Abudi, G. (2013). The Five Stages of Team Development:  A Case Study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

                Disagreements/Conflicts

 I recently experienced a disagreement with a co-worker, who happened to be a close friend at work about taking orders and giving demands.   Even though she’s much older than I am, she expects me to stop doing my job and help her with her unfinished work.  I know there are different ways to handle conflicts, but when it comes down to not respecting each other, it’s considered to be power dynamics.  This is when one person has power over another and handles the conflict unproductively (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).  On the job, the discussion became so heated; our supervisor had to come in between us. 

 The two strategies I have learned about what might help me manage or resolve the conflict more productively is to analyze and focus on the source of this disagreement.  We need to center on a surroundings on how we can express our concerns and be able to compromise, because if these emotions continue there will always be debating issues.

 I always believe compromising is a good substitute to resolving disagreements in your work environment.  We all know that everyone do not like to compromise about particular issues, which leads to an argument, which leads to being written up.  One advantage of compromising is that it lets you and the other person quickly resolves a conflict by agreeing on a decision-making method (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012)

  Nonviolent communication offers powerful skills for compassionate giving and receiving.  I would be able to apply these principles during this disagreement to inform my co-workers of the consequences we could tolerate.   So in order to work together, we must avoid the blame and try to improve the situation.  Therefore, we must be able to increase our communication skills and push our responsiveness towards what we are working towards (Center for Nonviolent Communication, 2013).

                                         
                                                       Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real Communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (2013).The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org

                Similarities and Differences

I noticed that my average scores from being evaluated were very close to each of my participant’s scores.  As for the communication anxiety inventory, my score was 26 and it placed me in the low category.  This category stands that I feel comfortable when I’m communicating in most situations and feel confident in anticipating such encounters. I agree, I do feel very relaxed when I’m speaking in front of a crowd whether it’s big or small.  As for my two participants (close friend and co-worker), they scored me at 35; this is considered the mild category.  I guess they can see something I can’t, meaning from the description I seem to feel uneasy in some communication situations and somewhat more confident in other contexts. 

On the verbal aggressiveness scale my score was a 76 and it placed me on the significant level, which means I might cross the line and tend to disagree and argue with some individuals.  My participants also scored me as 75, which I do agree and sometimes can get carried away with my words and actions when I speak, but in a respectful way.

Under the listening styles profile my score was Group 1 and it placed me as being people-oriented.  It stands that I’m empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others and this listening style helps me to build relationships, but can also interfere with proper judgment.  I believe you should be concerned and trust other people feelings when speaking in front of a crowd, so we should not be judgmental.  My participants also listed me in the Group 1 Category and both of them stated that I do show concern about other’s people feelings.  But I sometimes let my guard down when trusting others; everyone is not trustworthy and leads to me being stressed.

           I honestly have to admit that the two participants that I used to evaluate me knew me better that I thought.  Compared to the answers I received from evaluating myself, they were so much similar to my surprise.

          This assignment showed me the insights about communication and made me see how other individuals perceive me as a communicator.  We all know that your self-concept is something that comes naturally, your understanding and awareness of who you are, as influenced by your thoughts, abilities, and goals.  There is always room for improvement when working in the field of early childhood and it should be considered.  Communication is used through gestures, symbols, signs, and others means and I come to realize that we all need to learn to listen for information that is helpful and not hurtful.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN COMMUNICATION

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?   I do find myself communicating differently with individuals from different groups and cultures.  We all know that relationships are all different and in order to communicate with people from different cultural groups, we have to base it on understanding, trust, and shared goals. Everyone has grown up under different customs, values, and humor, but in order to build a relationship with people of different cultures, we have to be active and make a determine attempt to do so.

What ways do you communicate differently?  I sometimes have to be careful when I speak to certain individuals, depending on who they are. Whereas some people that I speak to, I can open myself up and say whatever comes to mind.  We all need to be careful when speaking to people of different cultures, because there is a language barrier. Just like being a hubcap on a wheel, we have to provide the necessary strengths in order to keep it rolling.

Share at least three strategies I could use to help myself communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

1.      Understanding their language and culture differences

2.      Being able to use non verbal  language

3.      Expand awareness of different cultures

                                   Blog Assignment: Honey Booboo

With the sound turned off:

I chose to watch the TV show: Honey Booboo.  This show is something I rarely watch, but when I do, I get my laughs.  The episode I watched was Mama June (June),Sugar Bear (Mike Thompson), Alana (Honey Booboo), Lauryn, Jessica and Anna preparing themselves for a wedding and this particular day the girls go out looking and shopping for dresses. 

What do you think the characters’ relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating? The characters’ relationships in this show are very much alike.  They love to play, eat, laugh, talk about each other and have fun with their mom. After entering the boutique, Mama June watched all her girls try all these different styles of dresses on and afterwards they watched her and became emotional when she walked out with her gown on.

What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing? I feel as though Mama June and Sugar Bear is very much in love.  Their children want to see them get married and be happy, as well as become a family.  It seems as though everyone is on one agreement and wants to make it come true.

With the sound turned on:

What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed? I assumed that Mama June and Sugar Bear was about to tie the knot and live happy ever after.  Based on their communication, I observed that love was in the air and the children were ready for a stepdad.  I enjoy looking at this show and eating popcorn, it really makes you laugh and snort sometimes like them.

Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well? There’s a possibility; I feel the more you are familiarize with a show, the more comfortable you are in watching it.  Honey Booboo is a comedy show that is portrayed in real life, it’s amazing how some families live and act this way.

**write about my experience in the blog, what I have learned about communication from this experience and insights or “aha” moments I believe would be helpful to my colleagues. It’s very different when you are watching a television show off than watching one on.  Sometime things are being said and acted out that is not what we think is said or acted.  You have to sit back and wonder what’s really going on and realize that everyone has their own different communication style.

Competent Communication

Think of someone (family member, celebrity, or friend) who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context.  What behaviors does this person exhibit that make him or her effective?

The one person I could think of who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context would be my 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Lewis.  She was an excellent teacher and also a great role model for me.  When I entered into junior high school, Mrs. Lewis made sure her class met their expectations.  Mrs. Lewis was more like a second mother to me and showed that nurturing and kind relationship towards her students.  She always carried the most beautiful smile and I was able to open up to her about many issues.

Over the years, as Mrs. Lewis and I became older, we also became closer.  I would sometimes go by her classroom after school and listen to some of the daily stories about her little ones.  She was the chief of her classroom and I admired her for that.  I can truly say that she played a part of where I’m at today and also assisted me to become a successful leader in life.  I am so thankful I was able to gain her trust; something I would pass on to my kids.

Would you want to model some of your own communication behaviors after this person? Why

I consider myself as an honest, amusing, and open; love to give advice, and a great listener.  I love to sat back and listen to other people problems and give my true reply.  I know you have to respect other individuals view points and sometimes we don’t be on the same page.  Mrs. Lewis was a magnificent woman that had her own ideas about what she expected out of a child.  That’s why it is so important to be a great listener and understand what a child is saying, once you grasp the situation, the individual will suddenly open up to you.  

                       Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds would be having the power set values and principles that recognize diversity and become aware of cultural bias. 

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to be a loving and compassionate educator for my children and their family.  I want to be able to increase their academic achievement and hope for high expectations for their future.

I would like to say this has been an overwhelming learning experience for me these pass seven weeks.  I have met some caring and considerate classmates who I have enjoyed throughout this course, through your posts and blogs.  I would like to thank my peers and Professor for all of their support in sharing their personal reflections and wish you all LUCK!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

                                        

     

The new child and family I’m going to be working with as a social service therapist is from the country of Tonga.  Even though I know nothing about this country, Tonga; I’m ready to prepare this family with five things that will help them be culturally responsive in their new environment.

1.   I would do some research and give the family information about local translators, medical care, and education in the area

2.   I would learn some basic words that the family use; such as Hello and How may I help you

3.   Learn some of their views about education, that will give me a better sense on how she was treated

4.   Show large labels in the classroom about Tonga’s cultures (food, pictures, people, costumes, and music) and talk about it

5.   Also, do research about their dominant culture, in reference to their race, religion, language, and family structure

I want to make this family feel welcome and hopefully the information will benefit me and the child about her background culture.   By helping me relate more to them on an individual basis, I also want to be a dedicated and supportive therapist they can rely on. Lastly, I want to give their child the best I can give in learning about a new culture.   

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

  

One very unpleasant memory I have is of an incident where I experienced bias, prejudice, and oppression on a hot day while living in the South.   On this particular day, my boyfriend, who is biracial, and I were walking together in a shopping mall, along with my son.  Two little old ladies were standing at the entrance talking and when we walked pass by, one said, “This is unbelievable, everyone should stay with their own color”. 

Without hesitating, we stopped in our tracks and confronted these ladies.  I wanted to know why she said, “I just think it’s just a shame and whites should stay with whites, and blacks should be with blacks”.  One then looked at my boyfriend and said, “You look white and should be with a white girl”.

My boyfriend said, “Well, my mom is black, but my dad is white, so now who should I be with?”  We walked away and left them standing there, with their mouths hanging open.  Although I looked calm, I was simmering on the inside, but I was glad I confronted these two black women.  People are still prejudice about color and their behaviors will change when they want it to change.  We may never be accepted by others, but then we don’t eat or sleep with them, nor do we depend on them. 

Race relations have really increased in this generation and it’s our country that needs to become more accepting of the different cultures.  Individuals that date outside their race still face challenges from bigoted individuals.  Racism exists and it really doesn’t matter where you live, although I have found racism in practiced more openly in the South, where in the North, it is hidden. 

It is my decision to date someone I fell in love with and he just happens to be biracial and together we can overcome any obstacles that come our way. After growing up and learning and knowing better, I have truly begin to accept the way people look at each other.  This is not going to leave and hopefully one day it will get better for future generations, who are more open-minded and tolerant.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

        Racial microaggressions create an unfriendly and invalidating environment for people of color saps their spiritual and psychic energies, and their cumulative nature can result in depression, frustration, anger, rage, loss of self esteem, anxiety, etc.  This microaggression can also occur nonverbally, and their message conveyed to persons of color is that their contribution is irrelevant.

        I, along with my son traveled to Washington DC some time ago for his internship, on a small airliner.  During this time, the plane was not full and there were plenty of empty seats.  One of the flight attendants, which were white, came over and told us we could sit anywhere because the plane was not going to be full.  So, me and my son decided to sit on the front row, we had more leg room and felt very comfortable for the both of us.  All of a sudden, the flight attendant stated if we could go a couple seats back and let a couple sit on the front row. 

        A course this couple was white and wore business type style clothing and appeared to me to look wealthy. We both looked at each other with a negative reaction and asked the question “Are we being singled out because we are black?”  I wish you could have seen the look on her face, with such a surprise.  I felt resentment and angry at the same time, because we felt like we was treated like second class citizens…mainly because of our skin color.  The flight attendant had a reason for every allegation I made towards her.  I was so mad at this lady, and wanted to tell her a piece of my mind; this really left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most white Americans see themselves as decent and good human beings some just possess a biased racial attitude and engage in discriminatory behaviors.

Perspective on Diversity and Culture

I spoke to two friends and one family member of various ages that was willing to share on providing their insight/ideas on how they think culture and diversity is defined. 

Fatima, my best friend stated that culture is your beliefs and values in which you were brought up in, such as your thoughts and beliefs.

Diversity is being able to understand that individuals has different backgrounds such as (religion, gender, and political choices)

Lindsay says that culture and diversity goes hand and hand, meaning when there are particular groups with different ways of living, such as their language, the way they dress, and the foods they eat.

Diversity is when we accept people living different and being able to accept their differences. 

My guy friend, Calvin stated that culture means people having different traditions and beliefs and he bases it on his experience as a gay guy in the society.

Diversity is the aspect that defines one culture from another, depends on where it originated from

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?  I believe every aspect of culture and diversity is included in my answers I received.  For instance, people with different sexual orientations, different lifestyles, and having are rejected by other people.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

I believe deep culture have been omitted from these aspects.  Let’s not forget that we all have different social identities and this contribute to our culture and diversity.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?  It makes me fully understand what culture and diversity really about and everyone thinks different when it comes to defining what culture and diversity is.  Talking to my friends, made me realize that everyone is aware of the different customs, foods and costumes in other countries.  I enjoyed reflecting on the differences that each individual gave, even if they were right or wrong.  It has been stated that ‘cultural is a unique topic to explore.’

My Family Culture

 

If a major catastrophe hit and completely devastated the infrastructure of my country and I was a survivor and had to move to a completely different country and might have to live there permanently.  The three small items that I would take with me that I hold dear and represent my family culture would be (exluding family/son): 

 

1.  All of my photo albums with pictures of my family and friends

2.  The Holy Bible that was given to me by my grandmother at an early age

3.  Supply of paper and pens to write down everything I did and saw throughout my journey

I would explain to others that these three items means a lot to me.  I love to take pictures and collect photos (old and new).  There are so many memories in a photo, pictures of my son, my family and also my close friends.  I don’t want to forget these memories and always keep them near my heart.

Taking my grandmother’s Holy Bible also means a great deal to me.  She gave me that Bible when I graduated from high school and I continue to read it and go by it.  This is where I get my strength and wisdom, from reading the Bible.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me

Philippians 4:13

I can’t lose staying in touch with my family and friends.  I will write down what I see and what I do on a daily basis, so when we do reunite, I will have an awesome story to tell.  I love to talk about different sights and people I met along the way.

Upon arrival and I have to give up two of my personal items and keep one, they would be the paper and pencils and the photo album. This will be so much pain in leaving behind my pictures of my family and friends.  I do know, the Holy Bible will continue to guide me and give me the strength that I most definitely need in times like these. 

I also did gain some insight about myself during this exercise, along with my family culture and cultural differences.  It really made me realize the importance of material things verse the importance of my family and friends.  Just the thought about moving to another country, away from my friends and family would break my heart.  This really makes me want to re-evaluate my priorities of what comes first in my life.  I don’t like to take things for granted, but some things you cannot change.

“We have the ability to achieve, if we master the necessary goodwill, a common global society blessed with a shared culture of peace that is nourished by the ethnic, national and local diversities that enrich our lives.”

Mahnaz Afkhami (Iranian-American Human rights activist; b. 1941)

When I Think of Research...

When I started this course, I already knew that I did not possess much knowledge on how to properly research and after reviewing the course content, I realized that I would face many challenges with this course. I was thrill to learn how much thought has to go into creating just the right research question in my assignment; every aspect had to be  planned out before establishing a research project.  I learned how to research material the correct way and it made me more effective and efficient and this skill will be very helpful in the future, because there is quite a bit of research involved in the early childhood education field.

While planning my research, there are many facts and issues to address. First, you should consider which research design best fit your topic.  Because, ethics is very important and must be well thought-out, along with validity; also how statistics will be composed and if there will be any fairness in the procedure.

I found the differences between quantitative and qualitative research to be very challenging. Dr. Kien provided web links to assist in our discussions questions and this really helped me understand the different topics. Fortunately, with the help of my colleagues, I successfully completed this course. I now look upon researchers, in the early childhood field, with respect; because they go the extra step in improving the classroom and helping the children become more successful.

A warm and heartfelt thank you to my colleagues in Group 1, because reading your discussion posts and your helpful responses helped me to better understand the topics, therefore ensuring I was on the correct path. Again, thank you, Dr. Kien for your patience, encouragement, and sharing your knowledge with us while conducting this course.  

Research around the World

 

Early Childhood Australia

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au  

I have chosen to research the Early Childhood Australia website.  I did notice some of the topics in this particular site are similar to topics in the US websites.

Their mission statement is to advocate making sure quality, social justice and equity in all the issues relating to education and care of children from the age of birth to eight years old and securing the best options and outcomes as they grow.

Some of their values are:

• The rights of children
•   Leadership, excellence and respect
•  Courage, honesty and openness
•  Collaboration and diversity
•  Justice
• Social inclusion of children

Early Childhood Australia is a peak national, non-profit and non-government organization that acts in the interest of young children.  It assures quality knowledge and information to those who are need of it and also work with government, early childhood professionals, parents, and various organizations.

If you decide to have a membership of Early Childhood Australia it will enable you to:

1. be a voice for young children
2. receive discounted access to our quality assured publications and conferences
3. be kept abreast of early childhood news and happenings
4. network with others in the field through your local branch
5. identify issues and influence policies concerning the care and education of young children

This year they will be celebrating Early Childhood Australia (ECA) celebrates 75 years of continued service to Australian children. Started in 1938 as the ‘The Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development’ and the longevity of the organization is testament to its leaders and members.

What surprise me is how Australians creates a vision for high quality inclusive practices in early childhood education and care. It will assist everyone in ECEC services, as well as support professionals, to fully include children with a disability and to achieve high quality outcomes for all children. It will also provide a framework for the development and implementation of policy and programs designed for all young children.