College basketball and DEC

I love college basketball, men's basketball in particular. So of course, every opportunity I get to talk about it, I take. If you were at the Opening Session at the DEC Conference, you would have heard my basketball reference in my speech (my chance to rile up the KU fans in the audience!).

This is me with Steve Warren (a KU basketball fan) 

minutes before the DEC Conference Opening Ceremonies

After an inspired game by my favorite team tonight, I just had to find a way to bring my passion for basketball once again to the DEC world via this blog.

Our school team played the Tar Heels of North Carolina for the 11th annual Big 10-ACC match up. It was a fun game to watch especially with Illinois coming out on top. The rivalry between these two schools has intensified over the years and thus every time they meet, it's almost always an emotional game.

Illinois and North Carolina on the court 

during the pre-game warm up

During the pre and post game interviews, both Coaches Bruce Weber and Roy Williams talked about their admiration and respect for each other as a competitor and as a human being. Don't be fooled however by the niceties between the two because both teams battled long and hard on the court. But once the game was over, the hand shaking and verbal exchanges between the two teams remind us that there is more to the game than what is played in those 40 minutes.

Behind the North Carolina bench at the start of the 2nd half. 
That's Roy Williams getting ready to sit down (or maybe stand up)!

For those of us in the university world, we really are not much different from these basketball teams. We do compete with each other -- in terms of federal grants, US News and World Report rankings, faculty, students, etc. Yet, my experience has been that while we are competitors, more often than not most of us folks tend to hold a deep respect for each others work, accomplishments, and humanity.

I have found this to be true among colleagues I have met through DEC. We eagerly learn more about each others work. We celebrate those who receive awards, grants, etc. After all, what we all do should always be about the young children with special needs and their families.

In my own experience, one of the the biggest benefits of committing my time to DEC (whether it be as a board member, an editor, a reviewer, a presenter, a work group member, etc.) has been the opportunities I have had to work with colleagues from all over the country.

The chance to network with colleagues from other universities (and from all across the field) has opened many doors for me as a professional.Over the years, I've been fortunate to work with colleagues from Washington to Florida, from Texas to Minnesota, including colleagues from  "basketball rivals" schools in Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky! Many of these collaborations were formed and continue to form through DEC.

The University of Illinois Drum Corp perform at half-time.

Yes, we will continue to compete with each other but once those grants are submitted, we go back to friendly ribbing when our favorite basketball teams meet each other again in the basketball court.

What you did not see on TV

I just finished watching tonight's episode of Extreme Home Makeover. It's not a show I typically watch but tonight I wanted to see it because it was about a preschool program that was being rebuilt after it literally floated away when major floods hit Nashville early this year.

 

 This is a photo from the Lighthouse Christian School Website of the preschool building as it got carried away by the flood. Click here to watch the video.

This was also THE episode that our friend and colleague (and former DEC President) Mary Louise Hemmeter was asked to consult to help the designers come up not only with "fun" designs but ones that meet children's learning needs.

Mary Louise with the EHM designers

Throughout the episode, the designers talked about how they wanted the classrooms and indoor/outdoor play areas to be fun for the children but also that these areas are appropriate for and facilitated children's learning. I definitely saw and heard Mary Louise in this episode, via the designers and their design choices.

While it is not that easy to make classrooms always look pretty, I think it is harder to make sure that these rooms are substantive. As my colleague Tweety Yates (and another former DEC President) says in her presentations, "Cute is not enough!" 

One thing I know from my CSEFEL colleagues is that designing and creating high-quality supportive learning environments for young children is key to building a strong foundation for children to learn.

 The CSEFEL Pyramid Model 

Many of us may not necessarily make it on prime time TV, but every day we have the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of children with special needs and their families!

Mary Louise and to all of you our colleagues around the globe who give ECSE/EI a good name -- we are so proud of you for what you accomplish for children and families every day!

Strategic plans to market and disseminate DEC products are underway...

One of this year’s Work Groups has completed its charge from DEC.  

Work Group 2.1 focused on developing recommendations for Marketing and Dissemination of DEC, its Recommended Practices, and other products.

The Work Group’s tasks fell under Goal 2 of the DEC Strategic Plan (which may be accessed via our members only site): To increase the competence and confidence of the early childhood workforce who provide services for children (birth through age 8) who have or are at risk for disabilities and their families. 

The work group reviewed the marketing plan that the DEC Executive Office developed this year. The work group used this marketing plan as the basis for their discussions and ultimately to develop recommendations for action.

Below is the summary of the recommendations (which are listed in no particular order) that was presented to the DEC Board in October in Kansas City.

Recommendation: Develop a new organization logo

The current logo lacks connection to early childhood and looks dated.

• Next steps: The DEC Executive Office is currently working with designers to develop a new logo.
 

Recommendation:  Be more explicit with the benefits DEC offers to members

DEC needs to do a much better job communicating the overall benefits of membership to both members and prospective members.

• Next steps: Focus on stating the benefit from the member’s perspective-making it personal and explicit and addresses the ways in which DEC offers value to members and to others.

Recommendation:  Develop a core message

DEC is a wonderful organization but this message doesn’t come through clear enough. Prospective members may not truly understand what DEC is all about. The shortened mission statement, which is often used as DEC’s tagline (“promoting policies and advancing practice), is not especially compelling.  It doesn’t carry the “heart” or “passion” of DEC to our members and to our field. 

• Next steps: Further explore DEC’s “branding” and create a cohesive core message that is communicated throughout all of DEC’s marketing efforts.

Recommendation:  Focus on a target population

DEC’s target population is challenging because it is so diverse. DEC's products and services should be promoted to an audience that includes professionals (i.e., therapists, teachers, intervention specialists, providers serving infants and toddlers and preschoolers, administrators, faculty members, researchers, trainers), family members, policymakers, and students.  In discussing the target population, these challenges are not unique to DEC but familiar to many who market to the early intervention/early childhood special education community.   

• Next steps:
• Identify a “who first” or “best prospects” list to give a focus to marketing efforts.  DEC has two immediate targets:  (1) students and (2) current consumers of DEC products/services. 
• Recruit new audience of interest as well as promote to members.

Recommendation:  Address the needs of members and non-members

DEC exists primarily to serve its members and to do so effectively it needs to serve and represent the broader audience in policy, research, and practice issues by creating relevant products and professional development opportunities.   

• Next steps: The DEC Board has approved to distribute a minimum of 2 issues of the DEC E-Communicator to members and non-members per year. DEC members will receive an additional 4 issues of the DEC E-Communicator. This very popular electronic newsletter has proven itself as both an effective marketing tool and a popular resource.

Recommendation:  Utilize cross-marketing activities

Make explicit DEC’s cross-marketing activities in which DEC promotes the conference while selling products or promoting membership while delivering professional development. This strategy captures an interested audience and makes potential connections to other products and services.

• Next steps: Address already planned cross marketing activities in the current marketing plan. 

Recommendation: Make the most of DEC’s Recommended Practices

DEC’s Recommended Practices as a very important and central focus to the organization. Focus our efforts on continued product development in this area. 

• Next steps: Explore the ideas for marketing the DEC Recommended Practices, including:
• Developing a “CARA’s Kit” type of product on the Recommended Practices;
• Creating web-based activities related to the practices; and
• Creating sample assignments related to Recommended Practices that could be broadly disseminated to faculty members as a way to showcase Recommended Practices and engage students.

Recommendation: Continue to use the personal touch for recruiting members

The highly personal, grass roots activities DEC have implemented the last few years have been effective in recruiting members.

• Next steps:
• Implement the activities explicitly described in the marketing plan to engage more people in helping to get the word out, specifically about membership. 
• Add a member-get-a-member focus to the October membership appeal.
• Engage the DEC Board and others in extending efforts like notes and letters to members, recruiting new members, and acknowledging contributions

Much of the next steps will be implemented by the Executive Office with support from the DEC Board and the larger membership.  

On a final note, many thanks to the following work group members who volunteered and committed their time and resources to fulfilling this task…

• Ann Bingham (DEC member, NV)
• Sharon Darling (DEC Board Liaison, FL)
• Bonnie Keilty (DEC Vice President, NY)
• Joan Melner (CEC representative, VA)
• Sarah Mulligan (DEC Executive Director, MT)
• Dan Ratner (CEC representative, VA)
• Jessica Reighard (DEC member, MD)
• Heather Shrestha (DEC member, MD)

So, what do you think of these recommendations? 

Share with us your ideas!

Welcome to our new home!

In an effort to make the DEC President's Blog more interactive, we decided to move it to a new home in blogspot. It is my hope that with the "comments" features this site offers, we can engage in conversations about DEC and other current issues in the ECSE/EI field.

Do you have any questions or comment on topics I have covered on my previous blog entries? You can still read the archived President's Blogs located in the DEC Website.