Course Overview

Course Overview

Welcome to the Self-Leadership course!  

1. Welcome, and introduction Describes the background and purpose of the course and further defines and establishes the resource’s parameters. Introduces the ECEBC Code of Ethics as a guiding framework for ethical decision-making and professional conduct in early childhood education. Explores key terminology, concepts, and principles central to the field, focusing on how they inform personal and professional growth. 
2. Module 1: Situating Ourselves and Anti-oppressive Frameworks Consider racism in context and the structures, supports, and schedules that support early childhood educators to enact anti-bias pedagogies.
3. Module 2: Anti-oppressive Frameworks Explores the questions, "Who am I? Why am I here?" and the ways systems of oppression harm everyone in society.
4. Module 3: Leading into unknowable futures Unpacks the idea that we need to know who we are, where we are, and where we got here before we can collectively sit at the table to determine where we want to go. 
5. Course Wrap-up Offers a course summary highlighting key learnings and a curated list of references related to the course content.
6. Assessment: Includes the final assignment, which allows you to demonstrate what you’ve learned in the course. Summarizes key takeaways and provides space to reflect on scaffolded learning.   

Accessing the sections and modules in sequence is critical as the materials and activities are designed to be scaffolded to support your success and optimize your learning experience.  

To learn more about OERs at RRU, visit this RRU library resource which provides guidelines for finding, using, and creating Open Educational Resources https://libguides.royalroads.ca/OER

Navigating this Resource

This openly licensed resource is hosted within the Royal Roads University (RRU) open educational resources (OER) Moodle site. There are various instances of Moodle at RRU, and you can learn more about the versions used and how to navigate Moodle by visiting this RRU Moodle OERsite. 

Learning outcomes (LOs) serve as a valuable resource to guide your learning journey and ensure you can maximize your learning experience. The primary purpose of this section is to communicate the intended learning outcomes of the Self-Leadership Course. 

By outlining these outcomes, you will have a roadmap of the knowledge, skills, and competencies you will acquire throughout the course. These outcomes are carefully crafted to align with the overall goals and objectives of the course, ensuring that you are equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

The learning outcomes for this course align with the content, activities, and assessments you will encounter, enabling you to track your growth and identify improvement opportunities. Within each module's section, an overview is provided, including the respective LOs that are relevant to that module. You are encouraged to review the learning outcomes thoroughly and to refer to them throughout your learning journey to support your success in completing all provided activities and assessments.  

Course Learning Outcomes

After completing all activities and assessments (32 total hours) in this open course, participants will:

• Understand the role of child care leaders and managers, including professional responsibilities articulated in the ECEBC Code of Ethics. 
• Explore intersectionality as a framework for understanding various levels of power and privilege that structure society. 
• Think critically about the roots of racism entangled with the history of British Columbia, alongside the ethical responsibility of early childhood educators to promote dignity and to foster spaces of well-being and belonging for all children. 
• Identify skills and dispositions required to practice anti-racism as a leader in early learning and care communities.
• Articulate your personal commitments to visionary leadership, grounded in your identity and in honouring your unique gifts

Activities and Assessments

You will need a journal for your work in this course. 

This journal is a place to reflect, revisit, question, and trace your learning. Do not skip over the journal prompts. The journal prompts will appear throughout the course under the heading, “Calling yourself in…”

This course begins by situating early childhood educators within ethical commitments, as articulated by the Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia (ECEBC). It is critical that all child care managers and leaders familiarize themselves with the ECEBC Code of Ethics (2021) as a governing document committed to advancing the profession of early childhood education. 

The ECEBC Code of Ethics (2021) acknowledges:

"While having a set of principles is important, it is another matter to take them to heart and live them. We may be challenged by others who think and act differently about what is acceptable for children and families. We may want to avoid confronting situations where this difference causes a sense of insecurity in addressing the issue at hand. Belonging to a professional body that shares principles for ethical practice provides an extraordinary level of support for all early childhood educators and unites us in our practice. These principles reflect standards of conduct designed to prompt us to think and act of the best interest of the children and families we serve. Living these principles means, not being silent about what needs to be addressed. Advocacy and taking action are grounded in the Code of Ethics." (p. 3)

This course is designed to prepare child care managers and leaders to recognize anti-bias, anti-racism, and anti-oppressive frameworks as a requirement of ethical practice in the 21st century. Within this course, early childhood educators are positioned as professionals with the capacity to respond to inequity and injustice. Child care managers and leaders are positioned as professionals with a responsibility to enact ethical change, to lead by example, and to advocate for practices and conditions that make more caring worlds possible.

Ethical practice, what is it?

Before we can go much further in this course, spend time revisiting the ECEBC Code of Ethics. Make notes as you read, highlight areas where you feel that your practice excels, and make note of terminology, concepts, or implications for practice that you recognize room for your personal growth.