The

The SECA
SECA

Reporter

Summer 2015

The Next 20 Years:

Technology Leads the Way!

Join us in Tulsa in 2016 for the

67th Annual SECA Conference!
Kathleen C. Gallagher, Ph.D.

Meet Our Keynoters!

The Whole Child in Harmony: What It Means & What It Takes

Kathleen (Kate) Gallagher, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist and early childhood professional, with over 30 years of experience teaching and leading early childhood programs. She is a
Scientist at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and Clinical Associate Professor at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Gallagher designs and evaluates approaches
that promote the development and wellbeing of young children, families, and early childhood
professionals particularly in the contexts of poverty, disability and cultural diversity. Dr. Gallaghers passion and ability to communicate and elevate the importance of high quality early care and education are
manifest in her talk at TEDxUNC 2015, The Healthy Child: Assembly Required.
Patrick Mitchell The Down To Earth Dad
How to Talk to Dads So Theyll Listen
...Getting (and Keeping) Good Men Involved!
Patrick Mitchell, known nationally as The Down To Earth Dad, shows preschool, kindergarten, and
primary school educators, child-and-family advocates, policy makers and practitioners how to get good
men optimally involved for the sake of childrens cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Patrick is a columnist for Childrens Voice magazine published by the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, DC,
directs the National Dads Matter! Project, and hes the founding editor of The Down To Earth Dad monthly newsletter.
The Down To Earth Dad provides school readiness and parent and family engagement Family Storytelling Night events,
and staff trainings, for programs and schools across America. Patrick lives in Coeur dAlene, Idaho and is the father of three
children.
Stephen Fite
The Magic of Music & Movement
As long as Stephen can remember, he has always loved music. At the young age of five he had big dreams
of being the fifth Beatle. That whole British band thing never panned out, but, he has found something
just as cool, if not cooler. He has realized his dream of playing before crowds of screaming fans - the very
young variety. The bonus is that through his play he is able to touch their lives by aiding in their education.
Stephen Fite is an award-winning childrens musician/writer whose albums have received eighteen nationally recognized honors. Suitable for the classroom, car or living room, his upbeat brand of childrens music has been delighting students, teachers and parents around the nation for three decades. His Concert Tour draws over 70,000 teachers and children to theaters
throughout the Southeast and Midwest while his trainings infuse educators with the passion he holds for music as a dynamic
tool for teaching.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathy Attaway
President
Kentucky
Carol Montealegre
President-Elect
Florida

AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVES
Alabama
Richard Hardison
Arkansas
Deniece Honeycutt
Florida
Sister Roberta Bailey
Georgia
Anita Dailey
Kentucky
Maureen OBrien
Louisiana
Jo Carroll
Mississippi
Kathy Young
Oklahoma
Marti Nicholson
South Carolina
Deni Titcomb
Tennessee
Lisa Maddox-Vinson
Texas
Cille DAscenzo
Virginia
Susan Barnes
West Virginia
Suzi Brodof

A Message
from SECA
The SECA Reporter Becomes a BLOG!
This issue of the SECA Reporter will be the last in the form of a newsletter.
With the advance of technology, there are new ways to provide information
that enhance the member experience and provide for interactive communication among our members throughout the SECA states. Well continue
to produce our e-newsletters such as The Leadership Letter and Public Policy
Notes, but we think that changing The SECA Reporter to another information format will allow us to keep you updated more frequently and provide
another avenue for you to participate professionally. The SECA Reporter
will now come to you in the form of a BLOG post with a new post at least
once a month.
During the last couple of years, weve moved from print and mail to 24
hour on-line access and in the process have increased the resources and content that we can provide. You can now go on-line and access your copy of
Dimensions of Early Childhood, the e-mail archives, public policy information
and other resources anytime it fits your schedule. You no longer have to wait
for these resources to appear in your mailbox.
Were looking for innovative and creative ways to serve you better and to
provide member value. Youve probably noticed the change in the way the
monthly member e-mail looks. Thats just one of the changes that weve
initiated to make our member resources more relevant and useful.
Youll receive notification when the posts are made and we hope youll
share your thoughts and ideas with your colleagues. Let us know what you
think about this new adventure at SECA!
The Board and Staff of the Southern Early Childhood Association

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Jeff Leffler
Mississippi
Joan S. Smith
Virginia

STAFF

Glenda Bean
Executive Director
Maurena Farr
Executive Assistant
Southern Early
Childhood Association
1123 S. University, Suite 255
Little Rock, AR 72204
(800) 305-7322
info@southernearlychildhood.org
www.southernearlychildhood.org

Copyright 2015, Southern Early

Childhood Association (SECA). Permission is not required to excerpt or make
copies of materials in the SECA Reporter
if they are distributed at no cost.

For information about joining SECA,

contact the executive offices at P.O. Box
55930, Little Rock, AR 72215-5930,
(800) 305-7322 or on the web at
www.southernearlychildhood.org

SECA serves the interests of early childhood educators concerned with child development, including university researchers
and teacher educators; early childhood,
kindergarten and primary-grade teachers;
and early childhood program administrators and proprietors. The association has affiliates in 13 Southern states. Non-affiliate
memberships are available to anyone living
outside the 13 affiliate states.

Members receive a variety of publications throughout the year, discounts in the

SECA Store and conference registration
fees.
The SECA Reporter is produced by
Glenda Bean, Executive Director. Design
by RB Fine Art (www.rbfineart.com)

The SECA BLOG

A New Platform for
The SECA Reporter

Whats a BLOG?
A BLOG is a Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences. Many blogs
provide commentary on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries; others function more
as online brand advertising of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, images, and links
to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. In our case, the BLOG will be available at www.
southernearlychildhood.org. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important contribution to the popularity of many blogs.
Sources: Merriam Webster On-line, Wikipedia.

The SECA Reporter newsletter was designed to provide up-to-date information on the latest trends in early childhood education and its provided a timely and effective vehicle to do just that. Weve worked to make sure that
you knew what was happening in the field and pointed you in the direction of resources (data, reports, projects,
highlights from the states, etc.) that would be useful to you in your work. Weve also provided a platform for your
colleagues to share their thoughts and ideas with you in written form.
That will continue to be the purpose of The SECA Reporter, but it will now come to you in the form of a BLOG
post that will be available once a month and provide an avenue for you to share your thoughts and perspectives on
the issue that we highlight that month.
The BLOG post will contain:
a brief summary of the issue.
links to resource documents.
an interactive platform that will allow you post comments, initiate a dialogue about the issue with your colleagues and share your experiences from the field.
The post will be short and easily readable but will provide connections to resources from both SECA and other
organizations that will allow you to explore the issue more in-depth. At that point, we hope youll take the time to
post a comment and share the wealth of experience that has come your way through the day-to-day operations of
your program.
We will also invite submissions for the original blog post, so if you wish to submit a brief
article (like the ones weve printed in previous issues of The SECA Reporter), well consider
those as well.
Youll still be able to retrieve the archived newsletter versions of The SECA Reporter,
so youll find the best of both worlds on the SECA website: an on-line interactive forum
with updated information of interest to professionals and those colorful, attractive on-line
newsletters that have come to you the last few years.

The Seca Reporter

Summer 2015

OUR
NEW
WORLD

What a Difference
Technology Makes!

With the growth of technology and Internet use, there are a variety of sources that provide information on different platforms. Some are BLOGs, others are E-newsletters and some are e-mail lists.

Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP)

The Center promotes policies that support both child development and the
needs of low-income working parents. The website includes a variety of policy
resources on child care and early education such as the blog post by Dr. Joan
Lombardi, The Highs and Lows of Early Education and Child Care. If youd like
to receive e-updates from CLASP on issues in early childhood education, click
here to sign up.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)

The Centers electronic newsletter, eNotes, shares news items related to early intervention and early childhood special education gathered from a variety of reliable sources. It is mailed weekly to subscribers of their
Part C and Section 619 discussion lists and others who choose to subscribe. eNotes subscribers also receive
announcements of their products and activities. To subscribe, contact Sue Goode at sue.goode@unc.edu.

Education Commission of the States (ECS)

This organization covers a variety of education issues including early childhood education. They produce
eClips, a daily summary of the leading education stories published in newspapers across the country. To subscribe, to eClips, send your name, title, organization and e-mail address to e-Clips@ecs.org with the words
subscribe in the subject line.
is a monthly e-newsletter of research and policy updates about developments in
the Pre-K3 field. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

The Seca Reporter

Summer 2015

Futurity Today
Futurity Today features the latest discoveries by scientists at top research universities in the US, UK,
Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The nonprofit site, which launched in 2009, is supported solely by its
university partners in an effort to share research news directly with the public. A list of those partners is
included on the site and early childhood information can be found here. If you would like to subscribe, you
can fill out the subscription form. (Remember, its a daily e-mail, so if your in-box is already full enough,
you may just want to check on the site periodically to see whats new.)

New America Ed Central

Voted the Best Blog in 2013 by the Education Writers Association, New America Ed Central covers a variety of education issues. Two sections of the website are devoted to early education and Prek-12. Examples of
blog posts of interest include the June 17, 2015 post, Five Big Changes in the New Head Start Performance
Standards. These posts are all easy reads (even telling you about how long it will take!) and include a summary of the most important points on the issue.

The Ounce of Prevention Fund

Since 1982, the Ounce of Prevention Fund has persistently pursued a single goal: that all American childrenparticularly those born into povertyhave quality early childhood experiences in the crucial first five
years of life. They produce a bi-monthly e-newsletter on topics of interest to early childhood educators. Email Ashanti Huey, Policy Associate, at ahuey@ounceofprevention.org to subscribe. Youll also find a wealth
of advocacy resources on their site, including an Advocacy Tool Kit.

We Heard
You!

Professional publications too expensive?

Portfolio and Its Use:
Second Edition is now available as an E-book for 1/2
the price of the print copy!
Purchase it now through the SECA website for
only $10 and download to your computer, tablet or
mobile device.
http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/online_store.php
Watch for announcements in the coming months about new e-books
available through SECA.

The Seca Reporter

Summer 2015

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center Blog

Digital learningits here to stay! Very young children are quickly learning how to manipulate technology devices and we, as early childhood professionals, need to stay abreast of the latest research in the field to
ensure were approaching the issue appropriately.
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is the foremost research center in the country focusing on the use of technology and digital learning and they provide a wealth of resources on early learning. They are embracing the
digital age but have a rich history in the use of technology with Sesame Street, the first real attempt to utilize
technology to support education for young children.
If youd like to see what a BLOG post looks like and the type of information thats available from the Joan
Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Street, just click here! Youll find posts such as these on early education:
Reading with Preschoolers: Just Do It! by Jennifer A. Perry May 2015
I Was Read To: I Was One of the Lucky Ones by Teri Rousseau March 2015
Kids Need Truly Interactive Experiences by Jason Boog July 2014
Reading with Young Children: Something Old and Something New?
by Michael H. Levine, Ph.D. September 2012
Youll find that when you read one post, youll be directed to another on a similar topic. Easy reading and
easy researchwhat could be better?

Connecting to Learn
For more in-depth information on issues concerning technology and digital
learning, youll find reports on a variety of issues, including a recent report,
Connecting to Learn: Promoting Digital Equity for Americas Hispanic
Families. This brief combines original research and policy analysis to examine a key issue that is often overlooked in debates about the proliferation of new
technologies, education, and equity: the potential for digital media investments
to support a promising learning pathway for children in our nations increasingly diverse, low-income families. A growing body of evidence confirms that accelerated technological innovation and adoption rates have
roiled family routines across the economic spectrumand also, that the opportunities associated with these
technologies have not been evenly distributed across the population. New technologies have contributed to
new equity and opportunity to learn gaps between higher- and lower- income families, and their meaningful participation in a knowledge-based economy is further constrained by limited local efforts to support
parents, educators and other community stakeholders in taking advantage of them.
SECA is already providing e-newsletters and e-mail resources
but well soon enter the new frontier of BLOG posts! Hope youll join us.

The Seca Reporter

Summer 2015

Reprinted from Volume 39, #3, Dimensions of Early Childhood

E-Professionalism for Early

Care and Education Providers
Wondering how to use technology in a more professional manner?
Follow these recommendations to make wise choices with electronic
media use.

Teachers of young children work hard to be professional and to be viewed by others as professionals.
These efforts to maintain professionalism must include
e-professionalism. E-professionalism involves behavior
related to professional standards and ethics when using
electronic communication (Evans & Gerwitz, 2008).
Cellular telephones, social networking sites, videosharing sites, online forums, electronic mail (email),
wikis, blogs, and a range of Web 2.0 technologies allow
for sharing of personal and professional information in a
variety of ways with an extended audience. With any of
these forms of communication, it is important to consider professionalism and what it entails.
Unprofessional incidents dealing with social media
have influenced the public perception of certain professions, including educators, lawyers, and doctors (Greysen, Kind, & Chretien, 2010). While social media, such
as Facebook, may be the focus of some less-than-professional episodes, simple daily communications through
electronic mail must also be handled with the utmost
professionalism (see sidebar for an example).
Email allows for nearly instantaneous sharing of information and documents. It has enhanced and expanded
opportunities for efficient and immediate communication. Both personal and professional emails can easily be
forwarded to people other than the intended recipient
and can go viral almost instantly. After the information is out there, it cannot be retrieved (Carter, Foulger,
& Ewbank, 2008). Double check before sending every
email message to ensure it is
professional,

One
Click Undoes Years of Professionalism
Miss Christine arrived home after an exhausting day of teaching.
She had several challenges in her classroom, including Kevin. After
a recent meeting with his mother and learning more about socialemotional development and challenging behaviors, things seemed to
be going better.
Today she had many positive interactions with Kevin. He did not
hit, spit, bite, swear, or run in the classroom. Miss Christine read
books about emotions with the class, used music and finger plays to
smooth transitions, and built on Kevins interest in animals to keep
him engaged. Before circle time, she read a story about the expectations for behavior in circle time, and Kevin participated actively.
Later, when Kevin drew on the window with a marker, the logical
consequence was to have him to clean it off. She then redirected
him to the easel and sat with him as he filled the paper.
Happy and tired, Miss Christine sat down at her computer to
check her email. She thought about contacting Kevins mom to let
her know about how hard he worked. Instead, she found an email
from Kevins mom. She complained that her son told her he cleaned
the windows in the classroom. She felt that was inappropriate because he is not a custodian, but this task had reflected the teachers
expectations of her son. Kevins mom then accused Miss Christine
of mistreating her son.
Miss Christine was devastated. She thought the day had gone so
well. She also noticed that her director was copied on the email.
Frustrated, she forwarded the email to several friends and coworkers, including an introduction in which she insulted Kevins
mother. She then logged on to Facebook and updated her status:
Parents of children at Cheery Child Care are awful and ungrateful.
They drive me crazy!
After a couple of hours, Miss Christine calmed down and thought
about contacting Kevins mother to explain what happened at
school. Unfortunately, the forwarded email already made its way
back to several parents of children in her class. Her center director
was not happy about the Facebook posting.
While Miss Christine had worked so hard to be a reflective practitioner, furthering her professional development, and collaborating
with families, in her anger she had unintentionally undone much of
what she had worked so hard to do. Years of professionalism were
erased by a few moments of unprofessionalism.

free of errors, and

is going only to the intended recipient(s).

The Seca Reporter

Helene Arbouet Harte

Summer 2015

These simple steps may also prevent mistakes such as hitting reply
to all, especially when it is not
desired (Evans & Gerwitz, 2008).
Professionals are urged to be very
conscious of what they send and to
whom. In addition to communication via email, there are a variety of
ways to communicate and connect
online, all of which must be handled with professionalism by early
childhood educators.

Double check before sending an email

message to ensure it is
professional,
free of errors, and
is going only to the intended
recipient(s).

establish privacy settings, resulting

in access by unintended audiences
outside of their peer group, such as
future employers. These unanticipated viewers may well have different
norms and expectations and may
misinterpret the content posted
(Cain, 2008).

Balance the
benefits of social
networking with its
disadvantages.
The benefits of social networking
must be balanced with its disadvantages. Negative consequences
can result when inappropriate

postings are identified, such as denial

of a degree for students, disciplinary actions, or job loss, and convey
a negative reflection on a profession
overall (Carter, Foulger & Ewbank,
2008; Foulger, Ewbank, Kay, Popp,
& Carter, 2009; Manning, 2010).
Sometimes even more than a lapse
in professionalism in person, a lack
of professionalism displayed online
can result in negative consequences
for the individual and the profession over time, because each posting
leaves behind a digital footprint
visible to a wide audience (Greysen,
Kind, & Chretien, 2010). Social
networking sites can serve as a mirror, reflecting both the best and the
worst for all to see (Greysen, Kind,
& Chretien, 2010).

Benefits and Challenges

of Technology
Teachers sometimes use Web
sites to enhance school programs,
share information, provide a forum
for students, or improve their own
professional development (Carter,
Foulger & Ewbank, 2008). Professional organizations often provide
online opportunities for members
to engage in discussions or network
with other members.

Social networking sites, such

as MySpace and Facebook, allow
participants to connect, maintain
contact, and communicate with others (Cain, 2008). Members can share
comments, videos, and photographs.
Unfortunately, some users do not

Subjects & Predicates

Teachers of young children may

also use professional online networking sites such as LinkedIn, which
allow individuals to post resumes
and connect with others in their
field to extend a job search or obtain
information, for example.

Email allows for nearly instantaneous sharing of information and documents. It has
enhanced and expanded opportunities for efficient and immediate communication.

The Seca Reporter

Summer 2015

Subjects & Predicates

participation (Kist, 2008). The lines

between personal and professional
lives can easily be blurred. Teachers
must constantly make informed decisions about what to share and how,
weighing the benefits and risks, with
an awareness of professional responsibilities (Carter, Foulger & Ewbank,
2008; Manning, 2010).

Professionalism is a lifelong process that involves enhancing knowledge and skills

while managing ethical responsibilities to children, families, colleagues, employers,
and society.

Whether the forum is a professional

networking site or a social networking
site, users are urged to carefully consider what information and photographs are available to others. Teachers of young children should reflect
on their responsibilities as professionals before posting anything.

Professional
Responsibilities
Professional responsibilities apply to every online persona (Cain,
2008). Posting careless comments
and questionable images online
can magnify less-than-professional
behavior. While individuals in
the United States have freedom of
expression, this may sometimes
conflict with another persons right
to privacy and can breach confidentiality. For example, if a message
contains the name of a school, it

may imply the school condones the

opinions or images presented
(Farnan et al., 2009).
The rules that apply to face-to-face
professional relationships also apply
online. These rules are grounded
in trust and respect (Farnan et al.,
2009). Teachers may find it helpful to be proactive, engaging in a
dialogue with colleagues about the
risks of posting online and exploring
ethical dilemmas specific to social
networking (Foulger et al., 2009).
Considering the challenges that are
inherent in participation in social
networking, some teachers choose
not to participate at all.
Lack of participation online may
not be the answer for everyone,
however. Pre-service teachers who
were cautioned against participation
struggled with feelings of isolation
versus fear of the consequences of

The Seca Reporter

Make informed
decisions about
what to share
and how.
Ethical Responsibilities
Early childhood professionals
make a commitment to the standards of the profession, its code of
ethics, and the profession overall
(Castle, 2009). For teachers of young
children, this commitment to the
practice of professionalism begins
with utilizing the National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethical
Conduct as a resource for developing
professional partnerships with families and colleagues as well as trusting,
respectful relationships with young
children (NAEYC, 2005).
Families, Children,
and Colleagues
Professionalism is a lifelong process
that involves enhancing knowledge
and skills while managing ethical
responsibilities to children, families,
colleagues, employers, and society
(Castle, 2009). As professionals,
teachers must be diligent in their
efforts to be competent practitioners
as well as dedicated to adhering to
ethical guidelines. In any of early
childhoods diverse roleschild care

Summer 2015

providers; family child care providers; public or private preschool

teachers; primary school teachers;
and students or faculty in higher
educationtwo resources serve as
guides in making decisions as professionals:
NAEYCs Developmentally
Appropriate Practice (DAP)
Guidelines (2009) and

According to DAP guidelines, effective teachers are skilled decision

makers (NAEYC, 2009). Systematic
reflection enables teachers to make
informed decisions about a variety of topics and strategies (Castle,
2009). Decisions made about online
practices ought to involve the same
depth of reflection as other professional topics. These choices are not
to be taken lightly.
Developmentally appropriate practice guidelines call for teachers to
create caring communities of learners
in which they model responsibility
in communication with colleagues
and families (NAEYC, 2009). Connecting families to resources as well
as engaging in frequent two-way
communication are also important
components of developmentally
appropriate practice. All of these
interactions should involve mutual
respect with families as partners
(NAEYC, 2009).
Electronic resources and communications can be part of facilitating
this community of learners. Use of
media must be guided by the same
standards as other areas of professional practice. Among the core values of the NAEYC Code of Ethical
Conduct are relationships based on
trust and respect and respect for the
dignity, worth, and uniqueness of
each individual. Avoid making any

Subjects & Predicates

the NAEYC Code of Ethical

Conduct (2005).

Teachers can create caring communities of learners in which they model

responsibility in communication with colleagues and families. Connecting
families to resources as well as engaging in frequent two-way communication
are also important components of developmentally appropriate practice.

statements or postings online that

violate those core values.
Among educators ethical responsibilities to children is the need to
avoid any harm, including doing or
saying anything that may be disrespectful. Status updates on a social
networking site can unwittingly
reveal unprofessional attitudes. For
example, one educator posted comments stating she was not looking
forward to another school year. She
referred to her students as germ
bags. Although she was joking,
thought her statements were private,
and never intended for students or
parents to see her post, they did see
them, and she was asked to resign
(CBS, 2010).
A teachers ethical responsibility to families and co-workers is to
maintain confidentiality and respect
everyones privacy. Comments and
photographs posted online violate
this ethical tenet.
For co-workers, one principle
is particularly relevant to what is

The Seca Reporter

posted online: P-3A.1We shall

recognize the contributions of colleagues to our program and not
participate in practices that diminish
their reputations or impair their effectiveness in working with children
and families (NAEYC, 2005).
Before sharing information or
pictures, ask if the content will
affect any colleagues reputation.
Much of what teachers do to ensure
professionalism online deals with
ones own professional reputations.
But the professional reputation of
co-workers can also be tarnished by
decisions about what to include on a
social networking site.
A similar guideline exists for teachers responsibilities to employers.
I-3B.2To do nothing that diminishes the reputation of the program
in which we work unless it is violating laws and regulations designed to
protect children or is violating the
provisions of this Code (NAEYC,
2005).

Summer 2015

Table 1. Ethics and E-Professionalism

Ethical Guideline
Responsibilities to Children
P-1.1Above all, we shall not
harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful,
disrespectful, degrading, dangerous,
exploitative, or intimidating to
children. This principle has precedence over all others in this Code.
(NAEYC, 2005)
Responsibilities to Families
P-2.11We shall not engage in or
support exploitation of families. We
shall not use our relationship with
a family for private advantage or
personal gain, or enter into relationships with family members that
might impair our effectiveness working with their children. (NAEYC,
2005)
Responsibilities to Co-workers
P-3A.1We shall recognize the
contributions of colleagues to our
program and not participate in
practices that diminish their reputations or impair their effectiveness in
working with children and families.
(NAEYC, 2005)
Responsibilities to Employers
P-3B.1We shall follow all
program policies. When we do not
agree with program policies, we shall
attempt to effect change through
constructive action within the organization. (NAEYC, 2005)
Responsibilities to Community
and Society
P-4.2We shall apply for, accept,
and work in positions for which
we are personally well-suited and
professionally qualified. We shall
not offer services that we do not
have the competence, qualifications,
or resources to provide. (NAEYC,
2005)

Examples of
E-Professionalism
Kim takes pictures of children in her class
on a field trip. She has permission from
all parents before taking pictures. She uses
the photos for portfolio assessment and
documentation panels. She uses a photosharing site that requires a login to share
photos with families of children in her
class. Any comments included describe
childrens learning.

Examples of the Absence of

E-Professionalism
Kim has a page on a social networking site that is open to the public.
She posts pictures of children in her
class, wearing T-shirts with the name
of the school on it, on a field trip.
She makes comments under each
photo, some of which mock the
children.

In an effort to communicate with families

frequently and in a variety of ways, Taneka asks parents for their preferred methods of communication. For those who
choose to provide email addresses, Taneka
uses email to send classroom updates and
positive messages about children to families. She does not send any confidential
information or forward any emails.

Taneka asks all families of children

in her class for email addresses.
She emails solicitations for sales
for her other job, selling cosmetics
and jewelry. She also uses the email
addresses to search for families on
social networking sites and asks
them to connect with her there as a
friend.

After a fun evening out with a co-worker,

Sally waits until the next day to ask before posting ANY pictures on her social
networking site. She avoids any photos or
comments that could in any way damage
her own or her co-workers reputation.

Sally does not consider her co-workers reputations. Immediately after

arriving home from a night out with
co-workers, Sally posts pictures and
comments on her social networking
site, Miss Betty sure knows how
to party!

Michelle is concerned about practices she

observes that seem inconsistent with the
programs stated philosophy. She is overwhelmed by challenging behaviors in her
classroom. She avoids airing her frustration online. She meets with the director,
expresses her concerns, and asks for opportunities for professional development.
Shannon uses online resources for professional development to enhance her
knowledge of child development. She is
honest about her current level of expertise
and continually looks for ways to build
her skills and qualifications.

Michelle posts complaints on her

blog and Twitter feed, alleging
that her employer, Sunshine Child
Care, does not care about appropriate practices and has driven her to
drink. She posts pictures of herself
wearing a T-shirt with the school
logo while drinking alcohol.
Shannon posts a resume on a professional networking site that misrepresents her experience and education
in working with young children.

The Seca Reporter

10

Summer 2015

Professional Development
Pursuit of professional development is part of every teachers ethical
responsibility to community and
society (NAEYC, 2005). Participation in professional organizations,
studying professional literature, and
collaboration with colleagues are
key components of professionalism
(Castle, 2009). Online forums, Web
sites, and Facebook pages of professional organizations such as the
Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) and NAEYC encourage
communication, collaboration, and
education that are essential for professional practice. Table 1 includes
illustrations of e-professionalism,
and the absence of e-professionalism,
with regard to ethical guidelines.

agree to check with each other before

posting any pictures or comments.
Directors may find it helps to add a
policy about the use of media messages and images.
Finally, be PROFESSIONAL.
Before accepting a friend request
from a social networking site, ask if
the relationship should be that of

Table 2. Strategies for Successfully Maintaining a Professional Image

Strategy

Example

PAUSE

Krysia pauses and reads through all emails and potential

postings on social networking sites. Before sharing information or photos, she asks herself these questions: Why
am I sharing this? What response do I hope for? What
might the response be? Who are the intended recipients?
Who else might see it? Is there anyone who should not
see this? Only after stopping to think about the responses
to all of those questions does she share information or
images.
Cheryl uses the privacy settings on her social networking site, limiting those who can view her page to family
and close friends. She is sure to check the privacy settings
in each area including applications, her comments or
updates, photos she posts, photos others post of her, and
comments others make. She checks the settings periodically in case the site has changed the default privacy settings.
Being proactive, Anya works to prevent possible issues
with professionalism through dialogue. Anya reminds
friends, family, and co-workers whenever they take
pictures of her to please not post them online without
checking with her first. Anya does not post any pictures
on her social networking site that she would not want her
mother to see.
Heather receives a friend request for a social networking
site from the parent of a child in her class. She does not
accept the request and is sure to communicate to all parents her policy on use of social networking with families
in order to maintain a professional relationship.

PRIVACY

Strategies for
Maintaining
Professionalism
In order to be professionals when
using electronic media, the first step
is to PAUSE. Stop and think before
sending an email or posting any information online. Remember that regardless of disclaimers put on emails
or privacy settings on social networking sites, the opinions or photos
shared are not private and cannot be
taken back. Ask how people might
feel, or what the implications might
be, if the information or images were
broadcast on television.
The next step is to use the PRIVACY settings provided on social
networking sites. While this does
not ensure complete privacy, it does
help limit who can access information that is posted.
The next step is to be PROACTIVE. Talk to colleagues and friends
about professional expectations and
the importance of maintaining professional reputations. Colleagues can

a friend. Think about the boundaries

of the relationship in person. What
expectations are there for relationships with parents, students, and
colleagues? Be sure to maintain the
same guidelines online. See Table 2
for examples of these strategies for
success.

PROACTIVE

PROFESSIONAL

Use the NAEYC Code of Ethical

Conduct as a guide. Be aware of the
expectations that supervisors, families, or funders may have. Employees, students, faculty members, and
others are urged to find out whether
their employer or school has written
guidelines about social networking,
technology use, or e-professionalism.
If not, recommend that pertinent
policies be developed.

The Seca Reporter

11

Early childhood professionals

use electronic communication and
online resources to build professional knowledge and skills as well as
connect with others in the field. The
benefits of online interactions come
with responsibilities. Part of being a
professional is being aware of these
responsibilities and making informed
decisions in all practices.

Summer 2015

References
Cain, J. (2008). Online social networking issues
within academia and pharmacy education. American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 72(1): 1-7.
Carter, H.L., Foulger, T.S., & Ewbank, A.D.
(2008). Have you Googled your teacher lately?
Teachers use of social networking sites. Phi Delta
Kappan, 681-685.
Castle, K. (2009). What do early childhood professionals do? Dimensions of Early Childhood, 37(3):
4-10.
CBS. (2010). Teacher fired for ripping students,
blames Facebook. Retrieved from http://newyork.
cbslocal.com/2010/08/20/teacher-fired-forripping-students-blames-facebook/
Evans, T., & Gerwitz, A.E. (2008). E-Professionalism dos and donts. NALP Bulletin. Retrieved
from http://www.tourolaw.edu/cso/docs/
eprofessionalism.pdf
Farnan, J.M., Paro, J.A.M., Higa, J.T., Reddy, S.T.,
Humphrey, H.J., & Arora, V.M. (2009). The relationship status of digital media and professionalism: Its
complicated. Academic Medicine, 84(11), 1479-1481.

Foulger, T.S., Ewbank, A.D., Kay, A., Popp, S.O.,

& Carter, H.L. (2009). Moral spaces in MySpace:
Preservice teachers perspectives about ethical
issues in social networking. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education, 42(1): 1-28.
Greysen, S.R., Kind, T., & Chretien, K.C. (2010).
Online professionalism and the mirror of social media.
Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25(1) 1227-1229.
Kist, W. (2008). I gave up MySpace for lent: New
teachers and social networking sites. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(3): 245-247.
Manning, A. (2010). Educators advised to be
cautious on Facebook profiles. Education Week,
30(5): 8-8.
National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC). (2005). NAEYC Code of
Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment:
A position statement of the National Association
for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved
from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/
positions/PSETH05.pdf
NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate
practice in early childhood programs serving
children from birth through age 8: A position
statement of the National Association for the

Education of Young Children. Retrieved from

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/
PSDAP.pdf

About the Author

Helene Arbouet Harte, Ed.D., is
Assistant Professor of Early Childhood
Education, College of Education and
Human Services, Northern Kentucky
University, Highland Heights. She
teaches courses in collaborating with
families as well as trends in early childhood education. Harte has 9 years of
experience teaching online and hybrid
courses, and has served as a mentor for
the SECA student Facebook page.

Are You Our Next SECA President?

Its time again to select our candidates for SECA President for a term
beginning in 2017. The winning candidate will assume office as PresidentElect in 2017, serve as President in 2018-2019 and end their tenure on the
Board as Immediate Past-President in 2020.
Kathy Attaway is completing her term as President in 2015 and will assume the office of Immediate Past-President in 2016. Carol Montealegre,
currently our President-Elect, will assume the office of President in 2016.
According to SECA Election Policies, nominations may be made in the
following ways:
By state or local affiliates.
By individuals who are SECA members.
By individuals who are SECA members and wish to self-nominate.

President Kathy Attaway, 2014-15

The SECA Nominating Committee will interview all nominees for

the position prior to the 2016 annual conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma on
February 11-13, 2016. This year, the SECA Nominating Committee will
be composed of representatives of the following states: Alabama, Florida,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, State affiliate presidents have been asked by President Attaway to appoint their states representative.
Persons who wish to submit for consideration by the Nominating
Committee should send the following to the SECA office by October 1,
2015.

Carol Montealegre-Elect 2015

A letter of interest stating their qualifications and rationale for submitting for consideration.
A resume or professional vita.
For more information about SECA election policies and procedures, click here to access the SECA Policies and
Procedures Manual. Youll find the information about the election policies on pages 37-39 and more information on
the Nominating Committee on pages 28-29.

The Seca Reporter

12

Summer 2015

Other Resources from SECA

Copies of Dimensions of Early Childhood are archived on the members-only section of
www.southernearlychildhood.org. Use your member number to access these archives.
For non-members, contact the SECA office at 1-800-305-7322 to determine availability.
Playing with Technology: Is it All Bad? by Slutsky,
Slutsky & DeShetler, Dimensions of Early Childhood,
Vol.42, #3 (2014), pp. 18-23.

Providing a System that Supports Teachers

Potential Growth with Technology Tools by Walsh,
Sanders and Randolph, Dimensions of Early Childhood,
Vol. 41, #1 (2013), pp. 36-40.

Revisiting the Early Use of Technology by Lentz, Seo

& Gruner, Dimensions of Early Childhood, Vol. 42, #1
(2014), pp. 15-23.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Early Education Can

Play a Role and Educational Media: Using it at
Home, The SECA Reporter, Summer 2014

Transforming Teaching for Todays Tech Savvy Young

Children, The SECA Reporter, Winter 2012

The Seca Reporter

13

Summer 2015

Save the Date!

Join us in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
for the

67th Annual Conference of the

Southern Early Childhood Association!

The Whole Child in Harmony

February 11 -13, 2016

Hyatt Regency Tulsa