California MAP* to Inclusion and Belonging… *Making Access Possible June 2021 Newsletter
Professional Development: A New Publication, Conferences, Webinars and Videos
The California MAP to Inclusion & Belonging… Making Access Possible website, funded by the California Department of Education, is devoted to being a one-stop clearing house for all things related to inclusion of children with disabilities in child care, preschool, after school and community settings. This edition of the MAP Newsletter features resources for professional development including a new publication, conferences, webinars and videos. You will gain access to the new California Department of Education publication, Inclusion Works! Second Edition, essential for all early childhood educators and care providers of children from birth to age 12, highlights from MAP’s newly updated Professional Development Opportunities web page and a collection of videos chosen specifically for their use in professional development. Don’t miss the award-winning films at the end of the newsletter. They are both educational and enlightening!
In this issue:
- CDE Publication: Inclusion Works! Second Edition Now Available!
- Fall 2021 Conferences Supporting Inclusion
- 8th Annual Inclusion Collaborative Conference
- Division of Early Childhood’s 37th Annual Conference
- International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
- Zero to Three Annual Conference
- Webinars- Upcoming and Recorded
- DEC and ECTA Equity Series: In Pursuit of Equity in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
- Head Start/ECLKC Highly Individualized Practice Webinar Series Experiencing Inclusion Through the Pyramid Model
- Coffee Chats with Brooks
- Videos for Training and Inspiration
- Inclusion Training Modules
- Streaming Videos Demonstrating California Department of Education Publications
- Animated Video Series on Inclusion
- ECTA: Preschool During the Pandemic: Early Childhood Education in Extraordinary Times-16 Episode Video Series
- Award Winning Films for Hope and Inspiration!
1. CDE Publication: Inclusion Works! Second Edition Now Available!
The California Department of Education, Early Learning and Care Division has recently released Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs that Promote Belonging for Children with Disabilities, Second Edition. This publication is the revised version of the original Inclusion Works! (2009).
Inclusion Works! Second Edition is updated with new information and is an essential guide for anyone providing child care for children from birth to twelve years old. It provides successful strategies that promote inclusion and belonging for all children. This online-only publication has a companion video series that can found at https://www.cdevideos.org/ . Learn more about the video series in the Videos area of this newsletter.
To access Inclusion Works!, please visit the ELCD Publications web page .
2. Fall Conferences Supporting Inclusion
Now is the time to plan to attend the fall conferences focused on working with children with disabilities and their families and inclusion! They are all virtual for easy access and the opportunity to attend with general education and special education colleagues for the shared experience!
The 8th Annual California Inclusion Collaborative Conference October 20-21, 2021
Hosted by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, this virtual conference provides the opportunity to understand and learn evidenced based practices for individuals involved in the care and education of children up to age 24 with and without disabilities to create or enhance equity and inclusive practices. Internationally known keynote speakers are Dr. Rosemarie Allen and Shelley Moore! Early bird registration starts July 1, 2021.
Division of Early Childhood’s 37th Annual Conference
The Division of Early Childhood’s 37th Annual Conference is September 20-24, 2021. Explore the national response in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education to issues of inclusion, equity, and social justice as well as virtual learning and other critical issues. Early bird registration is available until July 1, 2021.
International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
To be held virtually October 25-28, 2021 and is sponsored by ECTA and Brook’s Publishing. In the past this premier educational opportunity was held in person in Chapel Hill North Carolina with a limited number of registrations available. Virtual attendance allows far more people from across the nation and around the world to learn about the latest research findings, models, and resources that guide inclusive policy, professional development, and practice. Dr. Betancourt from Sesame Street is the keynote. Registration is only $185.
Zero to Three Annual Conference October 25-29, 2021
“We invite you to Take Heart and join us for our second virtual annual conference. Mark your calendar and get on the list to be the first to know about special offers and registration updates.”
Early Bird registration is now open!
3. Webinars- Upcoming and Recorded
High-quality webinar offerings, both upcoming and recorded, are gathered on the Professional Development page to give you an opportunity to learn at your leisure. The MAP Team provides links to webinar sponsors and pulls out sample webinars that are specific to inclusion.
DEC and ECTA Equity Series: In Pursuit of Equity in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
“This (free) five-part series will be offered live as well as recorded and available on the DEC website for future viewing.”
Upcoming webinars are below:
- The ABCs of Anti Racist Early Intervention
Friday, July 23rd 2021, 12:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern Time
Presented by Jen Newton, PhD; Mira Williams, PhD
Register here - Uncovering and Resisting Racism and Ableism in Early Childhood
Wednesday, August 4th, 2021, 4:30 - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Presented by Hailey Love, PhD; Maggie Beneke, PhD
Register here
Head Start/ECLKC Highly Individualized Practice Webinar Series
Head Start/ECLKC webpage holds high quality recorded webinars directly focused on resources and professional development related to inclusion. MAP highly recommends:
- Inclusion Resources to Boost Professional Development
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) for Everyone
Experiencing Inclusion Through the Pyramid Model, Webinar Recording, March 19, 2021, 54 minutes
“The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children is designed to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities within community programs. In states where there is a focus on increasing the use of high-quality inclusion practices, the implementation and scale-up of the Pyramid Model offers an effective approach. Join us for a webinar featuring new products and resources focused on increasing the use of inclusive practices in Pyramid Model programs to better support children diagnosed with disabilities or needing individualized supports. Learn about important research, statewide implementation potential and an assessment used to support inclusive practices in the classroom.
Coffee Chats with Brookes
“Tune in to this series of free video chats with Brookes authors, renowned experts on inclusive education, early childhood, and communication and language development. These brief, informal chats are a great chance to get tips and guidance from the experts on the topics you care about the most.”
The live series has wrapped up for the summer but you can access the recordings at the Brook's Resource Library under "Early Childhood" and "Coffee Chats".
You may be interested in "Supporting Early Childhood Inclusion Through Professional Collaboration" or "Unpacking the Pyramid Model: Friendship Skills and Strategies to Teach Them".
4. Videos for Training and Inspiration!
Summer is a great time to get out the heat and enjoy videos to help you learn about and reflect on inclusion! Some amazing educational and inspirational videos related to inclusion have become available in 2020 and 2021. MAP has gathered five sets of videos for your education and enjoyment. Each set has unique characteristics that can serve as resources for professional development for various audiences. Think about how you might use these videos in your training or work with families.
Early Choices, Understanding Inclusion Training Modules for Families and Caregivers, February 2021
The Understanding Inclusion series contains 6 topics that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. This is a series of bite-size videos with embedded resources and activities to help understand, promote, and advocate for inclusion for children birth to age 5. Developed for families with family input, it is just as meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5.
Available in English and Spanish.
Family Engagement: Collaborating with families of students with disabilities, The IRIS Center Module (2008, 2020)
This one-hour training module—a revision of Collaborating with Families, which was originally developed in cooperation with the PACER Center—addresses the importance of engaging the families of students with disabilities in their child’s education. It highlights some of the key factors that affect these families and outlines some practical ways to build relationships and create opportunities for involvement. The recently updated module includes insightful questions for early childhood educators to reflect on as they learn first-hand from the voices of families about their experiences and the joys and challenges of raising a child with a disability. One section (Page 7 under Perspectives and Resources) is devoted to issues related to COVID-19 and its impact on families of children with disabilities.
Streaming Videos Demonstrating California Department of Education Publications
The California Department of Education Streaming Video Service is providing free access to all of its videos including the recently released videos from Inclusion Works!
Visit the CDE Streaming Video Subscription Service website to see the complete menu of videos which support CDE publications.
TheInclusion Works! six-video set is designed to be used in conjunction with the recently revised Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs That Promote Belonging for Children with Disabilities publication. The video set provides practical tools and resources for use when implementing high-quality, inclusive practices and creating a culture of belonging.
The second edition of Inclusion Works is now available on the CDE website , currently as an online only publication.
Animated Video Series on Inclusion
If you are designing professional development to explain and promote key elements of inclusion in straight forward and entertaining ways, you might want to consider these animated video series. The Why Inclusion Video Series from STEM Innovation in Early Childhood Inclusion is a 3-part animated series that looks at changing attitudes and beliefs, characteristics of high-quality inclusion and social outcomes from inclusion.
Another animated video set from Dr. Julie Causton shows you the beauty of inclusive education in the story of Oliver and may help you change attitudes with Circle Makers that takes a playful look at school systems that draw sharp lines that label and segregate students.
Why Inclusion Video Series from STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Childhood Video Series
This 3-part animated video series presents the research supporting inclusion including the biggest barriers and how to overcome them, characteristics of high-quality inclusion and the most important outcomes from inclusion.
Additional videos support professional development for providing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning opportunities for young children with disabilities (O-5). For more information, visit: https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu
- Why Inclusion Video Series Part 1: Let’s Change Attitudes and Beliefs , March 9, 2021, 2:12 mins
- Why Inclusion Video Series Part 2: Key Characteristic of High-Quality Inclusive Education , March 9, 2021, 4:54 mins
- Why Inclusion Video Series Part 3: Social Outcomes of Inclusion , March 9, 2021, 1:50 mins
- See more videos on inclusion in the MAP Video Collection
What Does Inclusive Education Look Like? Dr. Julie Causton of Inclusive Schooling shows you with the new book and video, “Because of Oliver.”
“Ever have a hard time explaining what inclusive education looks like at the classroom level? This book does a beautiful job of showing the reader the beauty of inclusive education.”
“Follow Oliver as he experiences school before and after inclusion- and how his story impacts everyone around him.”
You can hear Oliver's story and watch the video here, and get your own copy of the book on Amazon here.
Watch “Circle Makers” too!
Our outdated school systems of drawing sharp lines, labeling and segregating students has never made sense. The first in a series, this book takes a playful look at what is possible when we think differently about human difference. Intended to inspire everyone to widen our school communities to finally and actually include all.
ECTA: Preschool During the Pandemic: Early Childhood Education in Extraordinary Times-16 Episode Video Series- by Larry Edelman, June 22, 2021
This 16 episode series shares the experiences of practitioners and families from across the country, illustrating how the fields of early education and early childhood special education are successfully supporting preschoolers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each episode focuses on a different topic and manages to show the challenges and the joys of teaching during the pandemic.
Award Winning Films for Hope and Inspiration!
One award winning documentary and an Oscar nominated Short Film will open your eyes in completely different ways. Enjoy an evening watching children learn about anti-racism and then act on it in Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education: The Early Years. Then take a glimpse at the world of the deaf and blind in the joyful Feeling Through.
Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years , Antibias Leaders In Early Childhood Education, 2021, 48 minutes
The award-winning short film, Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years, is 48 minutes long and features vignettes of anti-bias strategies in early childhood classrooms interspersed with teachers reflecting on their practice. A facilitator and viewer guide are available.
“We partnered with filmmaker Filiz Efe McKinney of Brave Sprout Productions to create a film that shifts the focus away from the talking heads of experts and on to the voices of teachers committed to equity on a daily basis. By taking viewers into diverse ECE classrooms, the film seeks to demonstrate the importance of teacher reflection on identity, context, and practice in anti-bias education and provides a much-needed resource for teacher education and professional development. Here is a recent blog post .”
EmbraceRace.com hosted a screening and discussion
Feeling Through, 2020, 18 minutes
“After a late-night chance encounter with a DeafBlind man on a New York City street, writer/director Doug Roland wrote the award-winning short film, Feeling Through. Doug knew from the start he wanted to cast a DeafBlind actor to star, so he partnered with Helen Keller Services to realize that mission.” This Oscar nominated, award winning short film “has connected thousands of people in the DeafBlind, blind, and low-vision communities, and is connecting non-disabled people to the people and missions of those communities.”
The Feeling Through Experience is a 90 minute 3 part video that includes the 18 minute Feeling Through short video, Connecting the Dots 24 minute documentary about the making of the video and Engaging Community 48 minutes which brings together the DeafBlind community to discuss the video.
See more videos on inclusion in the MAP Video Collection
Direct questions or comments about this newsletter to map@wested.org