Professional Development on Inclusion eNews, August 2008

August 2008

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Wiki

It became a forum.  Wiki: Help Define Approaches to Professional Development fostered quite a bit of online discussion over the last month.  Our thanks go to the over 40 persons who participated and provided insights and examples!  What we learned from this activity was 1) there is confusion over the definitions of certain approaches to professional such as coaching, consultation, technical assistance and communities of practice mean; 2) there is interest in working toward consensus; and 3) participating in a wiki is a new experience for many.  As promised and as a result of this activity, we will be making at least one contribution to Wikipedia on behalf of the field this month (see link below).  We are also going to work with small groups to continue to develop definitions of key terms.  Keep an eye on the following link for changes in coming weeks. Wikipedia: Professional Development

Getting Our Acts Together

Recent federal legislation supports cross-sector planning and professional development. The 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act includes a system of grants for states to establish comprehensive cross-sector professional development systems for early childhood educators. The 2007 reauthorization of Head Start includes a requirement that governors create an Advisory Council to facilitate collaboration and coordination among early childhood agencies around a statewide professional development and career plan for each care and education. NPDCI states also have a Steering Committee of leadership-level partners from multiple early childhood sectors. This is a great time for states to think strategically about how to integrate early childhood professional development efforts.

NPDCI has developed a step-by-step Planning Guide to assist states and organizations in developing a comprehensive, cross-sector system of professional development. The Planning Guide will be available on the NPDCI website soon.

"Speaking of Inclusion..."

The National Professional Development Center's blog entitled "Speaking of Inclusion..." is now in full swing.  Each week we invite your comments on inclusion insights, stories and resources.

• Inclusion Benefits - How does inclusion benefit children without disabilities?
• Tropic Blunder - The spirit may have been comic but the outcome for many people is a painful revival of old stereotypes.
• Supportive Individuals - The power of supportive individuals outside of "the system" (e.g. family friends, neighbors, college fraternity members, teachers and therapists) in making inclusion work.
• Success Stories - Using stories of success to make a greater impression with early childhood professional development providers.

Inclusion Institute Resources Now Available

Resources from the July 2008 Inclusion Institute are now available online. Options include

• Audio and video clips from Ann Turnbull’s keynote address and parent interviews
• Downloadable versions of session PowerPoints and handouts
• Access to an ongoing conversation about what therapists and teachers need to know about inclusion.