Developing Blended Competencies for inclusion

Hi everyone,

Have been percolating on our call from last week, and wanted to send out a

general question to the group...Illinois, as I mentioned, is exploring the

development of blended CEC, NAEYC, and Illinois Professional Teaching

standards at the associate degree level.  I appreciated Tom's idea of

creating specific inclusion standards shared at the meeting, and have

been thinking about the advantages of such a system.  I am thinking that

blending CEC and NAEYC standards would not necessarily support inclusion,

that although the blended standards would support knowledge and practices

supporting children with diverse abilities, translating this knowledge into

inclusive practices requires that third aspect represented through inclusion.

 A related thought is something Camille has mentioned in the past--inclusion

is more than quality programming.  So might professional development

programs (and related standards) that support inclusive practices represent

the best of ECE, the best of ESCE, and that third layer that synthesizes the

two...

Thanks for indulging the question--I think I have been hanging out in the

trees for a while and it is difficult to see the forest.

Hope you each enjoyed the weekend,