How To Improve Early Childhood Education Quality

Transcription

1 Community of Practice: Early Childhood Education Quality June 4-6, Athens

2 Introduction

3 Purpose Improve the quality of ECE services Create forum for collaboration, knowledge sharing and coordinated action Provide technical support and resources to members on quality assessments and monitoring, and design of quality improvement initiatives for ECE

4 Community of Practice Design Guide: A step-by-step guide for designing & cultivating communities of practice in higher education icohere, accessed July 14, 2011, What is a community of practice? Generate new Identify human A community knowledge of practice is a group resources of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who Connect Help people come people together organize to fulfil both individual and group goals. CoPs often focus on sharing best practices, promoting peer learning and creating Pilot initiatives new knowledge to advance a domain of professional practice. Share resources Introduce collaborative processes Stimulate learning Enable dialogue

5 Why? Enhance social capital of members Document experiences; avoid duplication Collaboration is key for results Technology is accessible, easy and free Community of Practice Design Guide: A step-by-step guide for designing & cultivating communities of practice in higher education icohere, accessed July 14, 2011, Community of Practice, Wikipedia, accessed July 14, 2011,

6 Who? Regional Experts on ECE Quality Global Experts on ECE Quality National Community of Practice (Country 1) Community of Practice Early Childhood Education Quality in the CEECIS region National Community of Practice (Country 3) Indvl Experts Govt Local & Intl Orgs National Community of Practice (Country 2) Other local partners Govt Local &Intl Orgs Research Institutes Local & Intl Orgs Govt

7 What? 1.Develop tools and strategies for assessing and monitoring the quality of ECE services in these respective countries 2. Improve the design of initiatives to improve the quality of ECE services and consequently the service delivery

8 How?

9 How do such communities really look in real life? 2 examples from ISSA

10

11 ISSA as International Learning Community As an ECD professional association, ISSA is expanding its reach and enlarging its membership - a growing learning community built around shared professional beliefs/values and common interests. On international level, ISSA uses both online tools and in-person meetings to support peer-learning, collaboration, sharing of information and professional development delivery in English and Russian: - Thematic Meetings, Seminars, Conferences using regional and international expertise - Advocacy events and policy roundtables convening stakeholders engaged in policy work - Online tools for collaboration, exchange and learning thematic groups, online courses, news, library of resources (including videos)

12 Thematic Meetings and Conferences International opportunities for professional development, exchange of good practice and forging new partnerships.

13 ISSA Online Community - An online portal open to individuals and organizations interested in increasing the access to and the quality of early learning experiences.

14 Example of a Special Interest Group

15 Key Components of Learning Communities Platform for collaboration and learning different mechanisms Common interest for a specific issue/topic Mutual support Critical reflection

16 E X A M P L E F R O M C R O A TI A ISSA Quality Principles as conceptual framework Vision Workshops Presentations Professional Learning Community How to ground ISSA Principles into practice Mutual Support Shared understanding of quality Reflection Components of PLC Activity for building trust Reflection on implemented activities Structure of PLC Meetings Introduction of new supporting materials Develop plan for Quality Improvement

17 Next Steps Decide on usefulness and format of community and goals Establish platforms Invite members to join Pilot communities in select countries

18 Thank you! International Step by Step Association Liana Ghent UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS Erin Tanner