Hello everyone, I just got back from the mainland and had a great time! We went to conferences ...also 6’s flags and horseback riding.
Looking at Sumison’s reading; she quotes “By advocacy, I mean speaking on behalf of others, often from within existing political, social, and economic frames of reference. In contrast, activism involves resisting and challenging those frames of references and the power bases that support them (Kenny, 2004).” Activism is concerned with ‘control, recognition, participation and action’.
Compensation is a concern of most people in the early childhood education field. Where will the money come from to pay the increasingly higher educated and professional people of this field? Chapter 13 of our text book says that professionals are typically rewarded with high pay and elevated social status. Relating this to the Sumison reading we could conclude that, although they are interrelated, we not just become an advocate but also become activist for change.
Training in communication will help us to give clear messages about what is needed. If an administrator were advocating this would change the way the administrator spends their time. A more global picture of childcare would become the focus.
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Hi Judith,
ReplyDeleteYou mention Sumison's ideas of activism. How might an administrator enact activism as a central part of both her role and the center's teachers' roles?
Are there other issues of activism that might impact an early childhood center beyond compensation? What other changes could be essential to a shift in early childhood education, empowering children, families, teachers, and administrators?
In chapter 13, there is discussion about teachers as researchers. Is this a possibility in activism?
I wonder how the Exchange articles might impact your blog reflections.
Jeanne