Professional Development on Inclusion eNews, May 2009

May 2009

In this issue

Inclusion Institute Update

Discussions

• Speaking of Inclusion Blog
• Quick Poll: Professional Development

Resources

• Recent and Upcoming Presentations

Inclusion Institute Update

A list of invited presenters is now available on the Inclusion Institute’s website, along with information about this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Joan Lombardi, the Director of The Children’s Project and Chair of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance. Registration for the 2009 Inclusion Institute remains open.  In its ninth year, the Institute is a place where parents and people who serve young children come to learn and share about inclusion. This year’s Institute runs July 14-16th in Chapel Hill, NC.  For more information and/or to register, see the Inclusion Institute web site.

Quick Poll

What type of professional development do you most often experience? 

Find out about the results of the survey in next week’s Speaking of Inclusion blog.

Discussions

Speaking of Inclusion Blog

Visit NPDCI’s blog “Speaking of Inclusion..."Each week we invite your comments on inclusion insights, stories and resources.

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Professional Development to Support Inclusion
By Tracey West
I work with states on professional development to support inclusion for young children with disabilities. Recent information about the Inclusion Institute has led me to consider my own professional development. Staying up-to-date on the latest research on inclusion and professional development is of great importance to me both personally and professionally, as is finding strategies to help states increase professional development opportunities for their early childhood workforce.

One question that I have been hearing from states is how they can best use Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to support inclusion in early childhood. The Inclusion Institute offers me an opportunity to learn about current research on inclusion and professional development as well as to hear about the use of ARRA funds. Dr. Joan Lombardi, the keynote speaker for the conference, works nationally and globally on policy issues that impact young children, and will provide insights into current policies including the ARRA.

The Inclusion Institute runs Tuesday through Thursday, July 14-16, 2009 in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information, see the Inclusion Institute web site.

Community Question

Where do you go to get professional development to help you support inclusion?
Add a comment

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by Linda Eggbeer

[ Community note: Special thanks to Linda Eggbeer, M.Ed., Director of Professional Development at ZERO TO THREE for hosting last month’s community discussion on Reflective Supervision.  The community discussion generated over 1,000 visitors and 80 comments. ]

Thanks to everyone who participated in the recent discussion on reflective supervision* and practice. It's clear that this is a topic of keen interest and one that has resonance for a number of infant and family disciplines and settings. The generous sharing of perspectives about the importance of beginning to document the impact of reflective supervision, the significant training and workforce issues involved, and the perceived benefits and struggles of trying to move in the direction of more reflective environments for very young children and families is a testament to the potential we all see for this approach to our work.

The question of how to begin to assess the impact of reflective supervision and other reflective experiences on practice seems to have generated a lot of interest. While we all believe that reflection does make a difference, we could use some “evidence” to back us up.  We could use it to make the case for embedding it in standards, including it in training, and setting aside time in busy service programs to nurture it.

 All the best, Linda 
Add a comment

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More Blog Postings: 

• Stimulus Package Funds: A Support for Inclusion?
  A brief published by the BUILD Initiative highlights how ARRA funds could be targeted for supports for inclusion. (1 comment)
  
• Special Olympics "Joke" Fuels Discussion
  How can we better prepare people to both avoid gaffes and to take proactive steps in enhancing dignity? (3 comments)
• Maximizing Resources from the Stimulus Package
  Special thanks to Anne Mitchell, former president of NAEYC, who facilitated this hearty discussion in March. (29 comments)
• Inclusive Program Quality and Professional Development
  How do early childhood programs get their ratings as part of a quality rating system? Is inclusion of children with disabilities and their families taken into consideration in a program’s rating?
  (7 comments)
  

Resources

Recent Presentations

The Big Picture: Building Cross-Sector Early Childhood Professional Development Systems, 2009 National Smart Start Conference
This presentation provided information about an approach to help states develop cross-sector professional development plans to increase opportunities for high quality inclusion.  Read More

WEBINAR: Developing Intersecting Interests - Building the Capacity for Cross-Sector Professional Development
The March webinar used anecdotes and lessons learned from states to frame a guided tour of a 7-step process for developing an integrated, cross-sector state professional development system. Tools to support this process, including a planning guide and a definition and conceptual framework for professional development, power point presentations, and videos are available on the website. 
Read more

Upcoming Presentations

By NPDCI personnel at the 2009 NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development:

• Using NAEYC's Definition and Position Statement to Support Inclusion

• Web-based Professional Development Resources to Support Children with Disabilities (in conjunction with CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge)

• Playing Well with Others: Supporting Cross-Sector Approaches to Professional Development

• Maximizing Tools for State Professional Development  (in conjunction with NCCIC and NAEYC)

"Word of Mouse"

This newsletter is a monthly mailing from the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).