Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

This week I only received two responds back from my question.

Here is my original post:

Thank you are for helping with my class this is the last set of question for a while
What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?
•What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?
•What are some of your professional goals?
•What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?
if you can please feel free to answer any or all of the above questions

The responds:

Kitty Cardway Here's a ECE study group you may find helpful Sherry. Well over 350 members, and facilitated by trainers, you're sure to find some support when you have questions or need clarification
https://www.facebook.com/groups/357227694446099/

Sherry Daniels thanks for the add

Kitty Cardway It's a pleasure. Post your question there and I'm sure you will get pointed in the right direction

Sherry Daniels The question or the personal thoughts and goals of others

 

Kitty Cardway Whichever you are looking for professional support with

Sherry Daniels Thanks again I did post the questions there

 

Kamal Gondara Q1 by legislation staff are required to do aleast 3 workshops or seminars for professional development and the government had provided funding for services to organise professional development training for the staff which will be paid by the government.

 

Kamal Gondara For more information on this you can go on this website https://www.education.gov.au/long-day-care-professional...

Long Day Care Professional Development Programme | Department of Education

On 10 December 2013, the Australian Government...

education.gov.au

 

 

FACT SHEET: PLANNING AND EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

It is strongly recommended that services funded under the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP) take a strategic approach to identifying and planning their approach to professional development. There is no “one size fits all” way to do this.  This fact sheet provides a list of questions services might ask as they consider how best to spend, and report on, funds allocated under the LDCPDP.

 

1.      Undertake an environmental scan

·         What qualifications are required to meet the National Quality Standards?

·         What has the service achieved already in terms of improving outcomes for children? What is going well? Are there areas for improvement identified in the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)?

·         What are your aspirations for educators and for the service?

·         Do the priorities in the QIP need to be updated?

·         Use evidence to assess the progress your service is making towards the QIP. Record this as a baseline and use it to report on the decisions you made under the LDCPDP.

 

2.      Planning for professional development

·         It is recommended that educators are engaged in the professional development decision making process in order to build ownership and commitment

·         What do educators need to learn, know about, understand and put into practice in relation to each of the identified priorities in the QIP?

·         How does professional development meet the workforce requirements of the service

·         Select professional development activities strategically: choose  activities that will have a long term impact on the quality of the service and resist ‘quick fix’ or ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that may not improve service quality

·         What are the requirements to achieve the next level of rating under the NQF? Use this to set goals and milestones against which you can track the outcomes

·         Will activities be more focussed on training (hands on practical and technical skills or competencies to carry out a particular task) or professional development (designed to stimulate longer term sustained changes in the thinking, knowledge, skills and approaches to educators’ practice)? Or a balance between the two?

·         Are there benefits in networking and coordinating professional development across other services in your local region?

·         How will the professional development plan be reviewed? How will you measure the outcomes of the professional development? How is it making a difference?

·         What information will you need to collect to report on improvements?

 

3.      Undertaking Training and Reflecting on Professional Development

·         What are we learning?

·         How will the new learnings be embedded into programs, practices or policies?

·         How are educators sustaining engagement over time?

·         Is there sufficient time and ongoing support for educators to undertake professional development, and reflection?

·         Are your choices in line with the LDCPDP programme guidelines?

 

4.      Evaluating Professional Development

·         How have individual educators, and the service, applied what has been learnt?

·         What support is required to apply new knowledge and skills?

·         What have been the overall benefits for children, educators and families?

·         Are you now delivering a higher quality in those areas identified as priorities?

·         What milestones have been achieved?

·         What would you have done differently?

·         How will the results contribute to planning future professional development?

 

5.      Reporting

·         How might you report what has been achieved in the QIP? Do the priorities need to be revised as a result?

What have you documented in relation to expenditure of LDCPDP funds as you have worked from identification of professional development priorities through planning, implementation and evaluation

 

http://docs.education.gov.au/node/36303

 

I first like to thank the ladies for their insight and a look into their culture and education system.  I plan to continue to learn from them after this class is over.  The plan thing I pulled from this experience is no matter where you live that there is issue with every educational system.  I believe that as humans we need to improve the educational system worldwide.  We need to continue to reach out to other across the world and get their insight and give them ours.  We can learn from each other.