Activity 1.3 | What does "Quality" mean?
| Site: | RRU Open Educational Resources |
| Course: | Leading and Innovating in the Early Childhood Education Sector |
| Book: | Activity 1.3 | What does "Quality" mean? |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Saturday, 23 November 2024, 4:45 AM |
Introduction to Activity 1.3
In this activity, you will consider how "Quality" is defined in the ECE sector and in the context of managing and leading in an ECE setting.
By completing the various learning events within Activity 1.3, you will:
- Reflect on the impact of professional accountability and ethical, values-based ECE leadership practice
- Consider what "Quality" means as an ECE leader and manager
- Examining definitions of "Quality" in the context of ECE management and leadership in British Columbia (BC)
- Critically examining and reflecting on visual imagery and making connections to your own practice as an ECE manager and leader.
ECEBC Code of Ethics
The Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC) developed a Code of Ethics that represents:
"the collective beliefs, values, and ethics that early childhood educators in British Columbia share. The 10 principles guide us in our daily professional practice with children, families, and colleagues" (Para. 1).
Principle 2 of the ECEBC code of ethics specifically offers this perspective concerning quality:
"We provide high-quality early care and learning environments for all children by drawing on specialized knowledge, education, and diverse perspectives".
After reading about Principle 2, begin to consider what "Quality' looks like in your context.
Consider:
- How do you perceive and prioritize "Quality" in your role?
- What measures or benchmarks do you rely on to assess "Quality' in your managerial and leadership practices?
- What does "Quality" mean in the context of ECE management and leadership?
Reference
Early Childhood Educators of BC (2024). ECEBC Code of Ethics. https://www.ecebc.ca/resources-merchandise/code-of-ethics
Definitions of Quality
What does "Quality" mean?
"The Role of the Early Childhood Educator in British Columbia," position paper (ECEBC, 2022) builds upon the ECEBC Code of Ethics (2021) and shared a ethical vision of "quality" leadership:
"by envisioning an early childhood educator who co-creates pedagogical spaces with children, families and communities. Through an ethics of care (Langford & Richardson, 2020), the early childhood educator holds a disposition to listen, to be open, to be challenged to think otherwise, to hold space for complexity, and to live joyfully"
In this activity, you will examine and consider how some of British Columbia's (BC) ECE leaders and advocates articulated what "Quality" means to them, including the ECEBC Executive Director, an Aboriginal Early Childhood Development (AECD) Leader and a BC Post-secondary institution's Child Care Services Leader.
Three questions frame the conversation, namely:
- What counts as a quality ECE program?
- How do you encourage program quality in your ECE program?
- What is the role of a leader or manager of an ECE program in creating a quality program?
Access each accordion tab to read their respective responses:
Reference
ECEBC (2022). The Role of the Early Childhood Educator in British Columbia. [PDF].
Reflection
What does "Quality" mean to you?
In this self-assessment, you will reflect on how the other ECE leaders and advocates in the sector defined "Quality" and articulate what it means to you in your context.
This assessment has two parts: (1) selecting an image or images that represent what "Quality" means in your context, and (2) explaining how the image(s) you have selected represent what "Quality" means to you.
Part 2: