Enlisting and Providing Support

• Questions you have with which your colleagues may be able to provide help and support.

My advocacy plan is on Early Literacy with a focus on parent involvement. I am presenting my plan in the form of a power point. I have a lot of information on early literacy development and I want to have a question and answer period. Do you think that I should answer questions as I go through the slides or should I save the questions for the end? Also, I do not want my presentation to be too long or too short, how long do you think that the presentation should be so that I do not loose my audience?

• Resources and information you are seeking.

I am no really seeking any information on early literacy, but if any one can share website on parent involvement I would appreciate it.

• Resources and/or information you have found helpful and insightful.

•      The Community Tool Box. http://ctb.ku.edu

•      No Child Left Behind. www.ed.gov/nclb

•      Reading Rockets. www.readingrockets.org/families

•      PBS Parents. www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/

•      Ready to Read. http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-literacy/building-literacy-every-day

•      Children’s Books and Reading. http://www.childrens-books-and-reading.com/early-literacy-activities.html

•      Preschool Express by Dr. Jean. http://www.preschoolexpress.com/

•      Learning Resource for Kids. http://www.kizclub.com/

Personal Advocacy Journey

“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” Chinese proverb.

• What inspires and excites you most about your advocacy plan and being an advocate?

My advocacy topic is early literacy. I chose this topic because I feel that for children to be successful in school they need to have a good literacy foundation and that starts very early in life. What inspired and excites me most about my advocacy plan is that I will be helping children and families to promote early literacy development.

• What challenges and/or anxieties do you feel related to engaging in the advocacy efforts you have targeted?

Challenges and anxiety that I feel is coming up with both short and long term goals that are SMART. I also feel nervous about presenting my message to an audience. I am not comfortable with public speaking or speaking to a group of people. This plan is important to me so I am very nervous about presenting it.

• What do you believe will be most effective in helping you overcome any challenging emotions you may be feeling with regard to presenting and implementing your Advocacy Action Plan?

I feel that to over come these challenges I need to continue to use the knowledge that I have gained from colleagues’ feedback and read and revise my plan often and practice presenting the plan.

• How can you encourage others in their advocacy efforts, and how can others encourage you?

Whatever topic we chose is important to each of us, so do your best and keep revising your plan until you are satisfied with the end result.