Content Creation Standards
Category: Application of course materials to ECE settings
Standard A22: Respectful cross-cultural interactions
Description: The session prepares participants to respectfully and meaningfully engage in cross-cultural interactions within their early learning settings (where appropriate).
Note that “early learning settings” includes community-based programs that support early learners, such as after-school/OST programs, summer camps, museums, and science centers.
Examples
- Engaging participants in self-reflection on their own cultures, identities, and biases
- Assignment that prompts, “Identify an issue, concept, or subject that you at one time viewed as right or wrong…”
- Assignment that prompts, “Consider how you have come to understand your race and ethnicity…”
- Providing multiple opportunities for participants to build relationships with children and families in their communities, such as:
- Neighborhood walk–Ask a local community member to walk with you around the neighborhood where children and families live and are served by an early childhood program. Ask the individual to share with you about the community’s assets. (Family Engagement, Session 2)
- Assignment that prompts, “Interview a parent of a child with diverse learning needs…”
- Assignment that prompts, “Have a conversation with the family of the child who is a multilingual learner that you are working with in your learning setting. Include at least one question that focuses on the family’s goals, attitudes, hopes, expectations, and beliefs around their child’s education” (Supporting Children Who Are Dual Language Learners, Session 9)
Standard A23: Tools that support building equity and further understanding of anti-racism
Description: The session provides participants with tools to help them facilitate conversations that support building equity and further understanding of anti-racism in their early learning settings (where appropriate).
Example
- Learning Leaders in ECE, Lesson 7-2, Skills focus: Conversations
Sample question stems:
- Would you be willing to explore your reasoning about this?
- Would you be open to examining the assumptions behind your reasoning?
- I’d like to ask you about __. Is that OK?
- What’s another way you might…?
- What would it look like if…?
- What do you think would happen if…?
- How was…different from (or similar to) …?
- What sort of an effect do you think…?
- I’m noticing (some aspect of your behavior)…what do you think is going on?
- What criteria do you use to…?
- When have you done something like…before?
- How did you decide …(or come to that conclusion)?
- What might you see happening in your classroom if…?
Source: Aguilar, E. (2013). The art of coaching: Effective strategies for school transformation. Jossey-Bass.
Standard A24: Opportunities to reflect upon systemic policies and practices
Description: The session provides participants with opportunities to reflect upon systemic/classroom policies and practices in their early learning settings and analyze ways in which they promote or discourage equity, inclusion, and belonging (where appropriate).
Example
- Supporting Multilingual Learners (Session 10: Bringing it All Together with Advocacy)
Sample program-level reflection questions:
- What qualifications and qualities do educators in your program possess that apply to working with children, some or all of whom are multilingual learners?
- How are children who are multilingual learners portrayed in books, on signs, and in other educational materials?
- Is there a discrepancy between which families participate in classroom and program activities and which do not?
- What modes of communication and accessibility are available to families?
