Child welfare
across borders
   Session 8 - Towards a globalised child welfare

 

 

 

Exercise 1 - back to the beginning

There are three parts to this exercise:

Bullet reviewing progress against the learning outcomes for the course
Bullet undertaking a self-assessment using the learning goals you set for yourself in Session 1
   
Bullet preparing a summary statement of your learning to share with others

Part 1 - reviewing progress against the learning outcomes for the course

To begin this part you are invited to refresh your memory of the learning outcomes of the course presented in session 1, supported by key themes in session 2.

We now invite you to rank these outcomes according to what extent at this point in time you feel each outcome has been achieved for you personally.

You might want to share some of the process, particularly 1-3 below with another student or group of colleagues.

Task
1. Go back to session 1 (1.3) and remind yourself of the learning outcomes set out for the course. These were not intended to be prescriptive or limited but helped you to understand the way the course had been designed.
2. You are advised to print the page with the 9 learning outcomes on it.
3. Hopefully you have kept a record of the learning points you noted at the end of each session. Look back at these now.
4. What other written material have you produced for the course? Once essays and assignments have been marked they often get put away in a file and forgotten. It is suggested that you blow the dust away and read your work again. You may find yourself looking with fresh eyes at what you have written and this may help you to identify how your perspectives have shifted over time.
5.

Now consider each learning outcome for the course and

  • rank your progress against each outcome on the chart below
  • write a general comment about this progress
Learning outcomes 5. To be more confident in addressing local needs and issues in child welfare by comparing and using perspectives and information from other countries
1. To have enhanced research skills in accessing child welfare information, ideas and networks through the use of information and communications technology
6. To be more aware of child welfare work as a global activity and the implications of this context
2. To be aware of the possibilities and limitations of the world wide web for advancing child welfare policy and practice
7. To have a deeper respect and appreciation for other cultures
3. To be more informed about child welfare policies and practices of other countries, particularly Canada, England, Netherlands and Sweden
 8. To be more critical in analysing different models of practice and policy and legislative developments
4. To be able to engage in ongoing analysis of children's rights and social justice and apply these in child welfare practice
 9. To be able to initiate and sustain networks and links with practitioners and others in other countries

 

Part 2

Now you have looked at your experience in relation to the general outcome for the course you are invited to do the same for the goals you set yourself in session one in Activity 1.2 - Personal Audit. In this you used a five point scale below:

1
 lots of room for development
2
 quite confident but could still do better
3
 an area for refining rather than developing from scratch
4
 must not get complacent
5
 feel competence in this area will allow me to focus on others for development

You should have a printout of the gaols you set yourself for each area using this scale. If so, put these in the left side column. Put a five point score in the right column. This provides a measure of your progress.

Goal Now Using the World Wide Web for research
 
Keyboard skills
 
Essay writing skills
 
Networking skills
 
Knowledge about child welfare systems in Canada
 
Knowledge about child welfare systems in England
 
Knowledge about child welfare systems in Netherlands
 
Knowledge about child welfare systems in Sweden
 
How to use the United Convention on the Rights of the Child to understand and improve my work
 
Knowledge about the level of disadvantage, discrimination and abuse experienced by children in different countries
 
Confidence in using a social justice framework in my work
 
Understanding of the different roles child welfare workers take
 
Understanding of the difference between theories and practice of empowerment
 
Awareness of how to relate work at local level to global issues and trends
 
Skills and understanding of how to use a strengths-based perspective in work with children
 
Confidence for making more of the resources I have
 
Awareness of my professional strengths and limitations

 

Part 3

Your reflections and self-assessment are intended primarily to assist you in identifying what the course had provided for you and how you can take this in to your practice.

It can also be interesting to compare and share your learning with others, particularly if you have been in quite an isolated position whilst taking the course.

The final part of this exercise invites you to draw together a short summary of your course experience to be shared in a discussion forum with other. How you do this will depend on your course provider's interactive facilities.

Undertaking programmes of study inevitably generates some ups and downs and it is fine to share some of the aspects or impact of the course that have felt less than positive.

You might want to continue a dialogue with course peers or others in your own country and beyond its borders. Many of the web sites cited in this course have options for subscribing to news or discussion forums. Two other electronic professional networks include:

Child Welfare Resource Centre (Canada)

Building links in the world of child welfare.This includes a chatrromm, email discussion area and helpline.
http://www.childwelfare.ca
UK Social Work Network

This includes a social work discussion list at http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/

Next

Great! When you have finished please go to 8.2 Thinking outside the box