5Assignment Task Part 2Read a selection of your colleagues.docx

5
Assignment Task Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Respond to 2 of your colleagues in
150 word Responses, commenting on areas of
agreement, disagreement, inconsistency, and challenge with
regard to how courage can be used to support policy and
advocacy within the field.
7 days ago
Katheryn Gonzales
RE: Discussion 2 - Module 4
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
The presentations for this week’s discussion have
influenced my perceptions of the common good. They have
highlighted the importance of policy and practical wisdom and
their fantastic effect on education. For example, in Bruno’s
presentation, she discusses the importance of due process,
which leads to others owning their decisions and making
necessary changes that affect the greater good. Bruno also
imparts her wisdom on the importance of documentation to
support due process (National Association for the Education of
Young Children, 2014). Schwartz outlines the importance of
using practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is the moral will to do
the right thing and the skill to know the right thing (TED
Conferences, LLC, 2011). A wise person can be flexible when
dealing with others and knows how to bend the rules for the
greater good with the proper needs in mind. Practical wisdom
requires the person to have a desire to do the right thing.
Schwartz uses the example of a teacher who listened to

a consultant trying to help the school boost its test scores. The
consultant’s advice was for educators not to waste their time on
students who will pass the test, don’t waste time on students
who won’t pass no matter what, and kids whose scores will not
matter. This consultant’s idea is to focus on the bubble kids, the
kids that will make a difference. The teacher was upset by this
advice because she believed all students matter. Schwartz’s
point is that rules are essential, but some rules will demoralize
the practitioners and the practice. Rules and incentives create
people who only work for the incentive.
Similarly, we, as educators, work to reach students
through incentives. Students begin to work for the incentive
rather than the desire to learn. Thankfully there is a way out of
the rules and incentive system through people willing to be
system changers. The system changers use courage not to leave
the system but to work to change the system (TED Conferences,
LLC, 2011).
Courage is needed to make system changes. We have
policies and rules because we see the importance of having a
standard of operation. However, not every situation fits the
standard. Therefore, flexibility and practical wisdom matter.
Fromberg presents the idea of high-stakes testing as sanctioned
child abuse. She highlights the importance of play and risk-
taking in the learning process. Unfortunately, administrators
and teachers are placed in positions to use standardized tests
and scripted lessons. However, there are system changers using
courage to break away from high-stakes testing. Some programs
are pushing back the age for kindergarten and hiring teachers
that have been through early childhood education courses and
understand the unique needs of kindergarten students (TED
Conferences, LLC, 2012). Robinson points out that high-
performing education systems understand the importance of
individualizing teaching and learning. They attribute high status
to the teaching profession, which requires investing in the
profession. These education systems know that the decisions
must be made at the school level. Education is not a mechanical

system but rather a human system that requires an approach that
is flexible and individualized.
Current early childhood educators and leaders need the
courage to make decisions for the greater good. Education
leaders should focus on creating a climate of possibility.
Leaders need to learn to be flexible, be system changers, and
focus on revoluntizing education by taking the emphasis off of
standardized testing and placing it on the needs of individual
students. To make the necessary changes in education, school
leaders need courage.
References
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(Producer). (2014).
Reflections on early childhood program management
[Video file
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9ftoju83fE
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2011).
Barry Schwartz: Using our practical wisdom [Video
File]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDS-ieLCmS4
How to escape education’s Death Valley: Sir Ken
Robinson [Video file].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhlnsc
What kindergarten should be: Doris Fromberg at
TEDxMiamiUniversity [Video file].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YhpM_jbVopo

REPLYQUOTEEMAIL AUTHOR
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3 days ago
Beryl Watnick WALDEN INSTRUCTORMANAGER
Dr. Watnick to Katheryn RE: Discussion 2 - Module 4
COLLAPSE
3 days ago
Simon Kim
COLLAPSE
6 days ago
Simon Kim
COLLAPSE
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3 days ago
Dr. Watnick to Simon RE: Discussion 2 - Module 4
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Simon,
I appreciate your passion and commitment to encouraging
parental involvement. Working with diverse parent populations
can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. I always opened
my initial conversations by asking them to share what they
wanted me to know about their child. I made sure they saw my
sincere interest in my facial expressions and my intentional
listening. It takes multiple conversations to establish trust and
help parents feel comfortable with an educator in a school
setting. But this is key to all that follows.
Dealing with trauma and abuse can be devastating. But the law

is clear about such issues. I had a second grader who was
physically aggressive in my class. I spoke with the counselor
who instructed me to request a meeting with his mother. His
mother came to my room, listened to my concerns, and punched
her child in front of me. I was given no choice in this situation.
It also made it clear as to why this little boy was so aggressive
with his classmates.
I also taught for a term in an elementary school in a very
wealthy suburb. The principal told me not to assume that the
children in my class did not have issues at home just because of
their socioeconomic status. She was absolutely right!
Some folks underestimate the courage it takes to work as an
educator!
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2 days ago
Katheryn Gonzales
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Thank you for your post Simon. I agree with you that to have
courage means to be bold, be forward acting, acting with
integrity, and taking action. As educators it is easy to say we
think of the "whole" child and that we are working with the
child in mind. However, it is also easy to slip into old habits
and routines that may not always be "best" for the child. When
thinking about policy and practical wisdom, the needs of the
child are not always put first. As an educator and an advocate
we are challenged to lead with courage. As a kindergarten
teacher I have had to speak up for what is developmentally
appropriate for my students even when it was not the most
"popular" decision. Most of the time I am brushed aside and
given excuses, but I know that I am a voice for my students and
I do not regret speaking up.
Berkowicz, J., & Myers, A. (2018, January 16). Educating the

“Whole Child” Requires Courageous Leaders. Education Week.
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-educating-
the-whole-child-requires-courageous-leaders/2018/01
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2 days ago
Brionna Boyd
COLLAPSE
Hide 1 reply (1 unread)
2 days ago
Katheryn Gonzales
COLLAPSE
1 day ago
Michelle Hampton
COLLAPSE
Hide 1 reply
1 day ago
Dr. Watnick to Michelle RE: Discussion 2 - Module 4
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Michelle,
Thank you for your post. I think it takes courage to be an
educator in today's school system. Many policies are being
crafted by politicians rather than educators. I previously shared
a report from PEN America in previous module discussions.
While I certainly understand the role of politics in crafting
policies, I am also concerned about the direction we are
heading. I was a Florida public school educator before entering

higher education. There are certainly policies being
implemented that I consider dangerous and unacceptable. I do
not believe I could sit by silently when told "Don't say gay" or
be forbidden to introduce my students to the New York Times
1619 Project which speaks to the roots of slavery in the shaping
of our nation.
There are policies being pushed forward that diminish the
critical thinking skills of our students. Are there specific
policies in your school district that make you question your
position as a teacher leader?
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11 hours ago
Amy Brown
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Main Post
Early Childhood leaders create and manage change by
improving educators knowledge, beliefs and practices in the key
areas of the classrooms. Sir Ken Robinson mentioned that high
status to the teaching profession recognize, you can not improve
education if you do not have great people to teach, and the
system must provide support in the professional development, it
is not a cost but an investment to the school. Teachers should be
given the opportunity to learn academic content and literacy
skills during professional development training. A challenge for
early literacy education is finding ways to facilitate literacy for
children in the preschool classrooms. Teachers want more
literacy trainings, but the Board of Education wants more
training on assessing how well the child knows their upper case
and lower case letters. Children at early levels of primary
school require appropriate guidance in their literacy skills.
When talking to a preschool teacher, she mentioned that
teachers are teaching the test to students, and not much learning

is going on in the classroom, because schools are being
pressured to make sure the child's test scores show an
improvement in their learning. Some teachers are bending the
rules when it comes to their teaching strategies in the
classroom. Bob Schwartz commented in his talk, we need
people who want to do the right thing and wise people who
know how to improvise. Everyday teachers are being courgeous
in using different strategies in their lesson plans, some are
taking a risk by bending the rules when assessing the children in
their class. Teachers are capable in increasing and improving
children's insight in their progress.
Children who show great enthusiasm in their academics such
as literacy will want to become more interested in their reading
routines. According to Sir Ken Robinson, the system has to
engage students in their curiosity, creativity, and individuality,
that's how you get children. Teachers have a huge responsibility
and are expected to create everything while at the same time
ensuring that children achieve learning outcomes. Early
childhood leaders create change in the curriculum and in the
system, this means listening and learning from professional
development trainings and implementing what they learned into
the classroom. Teachers can assess by looking, listening and
writing (Fromberg, 2012). Intentional teachers have a purpose
for the decisions that are made for the children and can explain
the purpose and reason for the decision.
Sir KenRobinon's quote from Benjamin Franklin: There are
three sorts of people:
1. People who are movable, these people do not get it.
2. Movable people, people who see a need for change and are
prepared to listen
3. People who move, these people make things happen.
Teachers today are people who want to make things happen.
Teachers and parents are working together in New Jersey to
make sure that the students have the resources and support they
need for childre to learn, grow, and thrive. Children want to
learn, just not in the way we want them to, children need access

to diverse and innovative tools that can make learning exciting
and help build bridge literacy gaps.
References:
Ted Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2011). Barry Schwartz:
Using our practical wisdom [Video file].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v==JDS-ieLCms4
Ted Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2012). What kindergarten
should be: Doris Fromberg at TedxMiamiUnviersity [Video
file]. https://.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpM_jbVopo
Ted Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2013). How to escape
education's Death Valley: Sir Ken Robinson [Video file].
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhlnsc
Bottom of Form
7 hours ago
Kelli Barnes
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Initial post- Main Discussion Post
Courage is a trait that we often use when referring to our hero
and when bravery is shown. However, it takes courage to love a
child, accept them for who they are, instruct them, and guide
them into developing achievers. While manuevering through
education as a teacher, we must take into mind our
responsibility as teachers and what is best for the common good
of our students. Abiding by the code of ethics and best
practices provided for teachers is not the only requirement that
we have as teachers. Do what is right for our students, their
families, and our community is also a concern. Of course, we
know that as teachers becomes veterans at their practice, they
exude a level of experience that is unlike those new teachers to
the profession. In addition, with that experience comes the
knowing how to balance power of leadership roles, politics
within a school, and of course the ethics that are laid before us

(Glanz, 2010). But what about courage? Does managing a
balance of power and politics make teachers brave? What does
courage look like in the profession of education?
As a former kindergarten teacher, I especially was drawn into
the presentation by Doris Fromberg. Her Ted Talk What
kindergarten should be had me agreeing aloud (TED
Conferences, LLC Producer, 2012). Kindergarten is not what it
used to be. Playtime and centers have become a thing of the
past, and often, young children are required to sit in a desk for
hours in a day, pencil in hand, working to complete tasks. This
is most certainly not developmentally appropriate for a five year
old, who should be engaging in play and social developing
skills . To make matters worse, high stakes testing has become
implemented into kindergarten programs and it is dire. Our
education system has become broken. When No Child Left
Behind was introduced, children were to be supported and not
left in the wings of failure. However, in a sense of irony, our
system has done just that. A program designed to support has
left children failing high stakes testing and dropping out of
school in older grades (Microsoft Partners in Learning, 2012).
Here is where courage is imperative. It takes courage for
teachers to step up and become a voice for more play in the
primary grades. Speaking on what is important developmentally
versus a test to record data. It takes courage to eliminate
programs that are implemented for the sake of a dollar. These
are the crucial steps that teachers can take now to be the hero
for their students, their families, and for our education system!
Glanz, J. (2010). Justice and caring: Power, politics, and ethics
in strategic leadership. International Studies in Educational
Administration, 38(1), 66–86. Retrieved from
http://gseuphsdlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/justice-and-
caring.pdf
What kindergarten should be: Doris Fromberg at
TEDxMiamiUniversity [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpM_jbVopo
Microsoft Partners in Learning (Producer). (2012).
Sir Ken Robinson – The role of policy in
education [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVjEkM3g38
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1 hour ago
2
8085 Module 4 Discussion 2: Policy, Practical Wisdom, and
Courage
Think about different types of factors that influence your
advocacy topic, including policy, guidelines, and regulations.
Carefully reflect on how the context provides both opportunity
and constraints. Also, consider levers—such as policy—as well
as your own practical wisdom and courage. Keep these factors
in mind as you complete the following Discussion.
To prepare:
Consider factors that influence your advocacy topic, including
policy, guidelines, and regulations. Carefully reflect on how the
context provides both opportunity and constraints. Also,
consider levers—such as policy—as well as your own practical
wisdom and courage. Keep these factors in mind as you
complete the Discussion.
Advocacy Topic:
“ Exploring Language and Literacy Development in Early
Childhood Education “Assignment Task Part 1
Write an 1pg. analysis of the issues of policy and practical
wisdom as presented by Bruno, Fromberg, Robinson, and
Schwartz in this module’s media pieces. How do these ideas and
presentations influence your perceptions of the common good as
related to early childhood, education, and schooling? In each of

the presentations, it takes courage to address the needs
identified. Within your post, consider and comment on what it
means to exhibit courage. Specifically, how might courage help
early childhood leaders to create and manage change?
presented by Bruno, Fromberg, Robinson, and Schwartz
module’s media pieces below:
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2011). Barry Schwartz:
Using our practical wisdom [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDS-ieLCmS4
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2012). What kindergarten
should be: Doris Fromberg at TEDxMiamiUniversity [Video
file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpM_jbVopo
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2013). How to escape
education’s Death Valley: Sir Ken Robinson [Video file].
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInscAssignment
Task Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Respond in (2)
150 word Responses to your colleagues, commenting
on areas of agreement, disagreement, inconsistency, and
challenge with regard to how courage can be used to support
policy and advocacy within the field.
Assignment Task Part 3
Write a
1page summary of how the information reviewed in this
discussion aligned with or expanded your summary of the first
Discussion in this module.
.

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