International Consequences

Learning about international early childhood education is very interesting. There is so much to learn and so many opportunities to grow as a professional. I have truly enjoyed exploring websites and seeing what else is out there. 

One thing that was difficult was getting to know other professionals in other countries. I really wanted to build a relationship with someone overseas so that we can help each other grow but I did not hear back from anyone. 

Learning more about other countries early childhood education has caused me to want to give more. There are several countries that are struggling and need our help. While I think it is important to work on the issues we have here, if there is anyway to help advance education as a whole. 

Exploring the websites has also made me see the need for more of a consistent form of early childhood education. Getting all of our children learning the same things internationally will help bridge the gap of our educational differences. This is one of my goals. It is my goal to be an advocate for the early childhood field. One of the things I really want to see is equal opportunities for all children, not just the children who are schooled in the united states but children everywhere. 

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

The UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education website really highlights some areas that are personal goals for me. I am a huge advocate for seeing a better future for children who are less fortunate. Under quality they discuss how a high quality child care facility can help motivate children who are underprivileged. A high quality program can promote confidence, good cognitive skills, language development, and school readiness. I see lots of great programs in good areas, but I would like to see some more effort put into the children who can’t get to those schools. I think it is extremely important to ensure that all of our children are afforded the same opportunities when it comes to their education. They all have the right to learn and grow, and we have the responsibility to ensure that we fulfill that right.

I was also impressed with the part under quality that discussed the lack of an agreed criteria for a quality early childhood education program. We are all operating on different standards and rules, which causes there to be such a dissention between different groups of children. This section did mention however that a quality program should have several things. The one thing that aligned with my personal goals as an educator is that programs should offer parental education and involvement. I currently am a director of a child care center and one of the things that I want to see improve is our parent participation. I feel that so many parents come in get their kids and leave. They are not interested in talking to the teachers, nor do they pay attention to notices and information posted around the school. While I feel that a huge part of this is our fault for not offering programs. I am working diligently to get our parents more involved. While this has been a struggle and I often times get discouraged about it, I am glad to see that this is what it takes to have a quality program. I am dedicated to seeing my school be one of great quality and I will do all I can to get it there.

It was also great to see the stand that the website takes on culture. I live in Georgia now, but I was raised in New York. Culture was everywhere when I was growing up. I saw people of every color, religion, and creed. I gained a huge respect for people and their differences growing up in that environment. I am starting to see that here in Georgia many things are black and white. While culture is very important, we just do not explore several different cultures. We only talk about the differences of two races. I am glad that there is a huge push for culture in early childhood programs. It is great for children to see other cultures as they learn about the world around them. The website goes into great detail about culture and even offers several different programs and activities for us to get involved in.

Reference:

   http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Exploring ZerotoThree.org

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

There are two great links that are on the Zero to Three website. I enjoyed the Early Head Start National Resource Center www.ehsnrc.org This website has some great tips for almost any topic you can think of. There are tips for math and science for infants and toddlers, working with teen parents, and supporting infant/toddler language development. It also has links to other great websites and great podcasts. The other great link is the 27th National Training Institute www.zttnticonference.org this is actually a website designed to offer training for early childhood professionals. It is designed to work with those who deal with Infants and Toddlers in child welfare, early intervention, mental health, parent education and more. This year they will be hosting the 27th conference November 28 - December 1, 2012 in California. Registration ranges from $495 - $560.

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?

I chose one area of the Zero to Three website to search through and I chose the Behavior & Development section. There are different topics like Brain Development, Play, Early Development, Sleep and so many others. Under each topic there is some great information about how to correctly work with children. The area that really interested me was Promoting Social Emotional Development. There are several podcasts that offer tips on how to promote children’s self esteem, and their social emotional skills. I really enjoyed the tips on nurturing your child’s curiosity. While we often get nervous when children begin to wander and explore, it is great to encourage their curiosity and let them see what the world is like around them. 

• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?

I found an article on the Zero to Three website about children who experience trauma and stress. I learned the the children who deal with traumatic experiences do not express their feelings the same way adults do. Children will show their feelings in the way they eat, play, and behave with others. 

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

I found that there are more infants and toddlers now receiving care from people who are not relatives than ever before. This website was designed to make sure that our children are receiving the best care. While this is a website that gears more towards parents it is a huge resource for educators. I understand that there is a huge responsibility on the childcare professionals. 

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

I really enjoyed reviewing the website. I found so much information on the early head start national resource center. I saw several tips that I want to print out for my staff and show them how we can enhance our classrooms. Infants and toddlers are always changing and all of the tips and suggestions we can get to enhance that age group is helpful. 

The Global Children’s Initiative

The Global Children’s Initiative is a great initiate designed to strengthen our youth around the world.  They have placed their focus on early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. These three areas are relatable in every culture. We all have to take into considerations the importance of how our children are effected by each of these domains an d how we can be of service to help them grow and succeed in these areas.

It was very interesting to learn about Zambian Early Childhood Development. Not too many studies have been done there, and this was an opportunity to see where the children were with their development. In May of 2010 the students were given the first assessments done there. Several students were assessed and they found the assessments feasible. The center is hoping that these assessments can offer better practices for the school system and new ideas to help globally.

Learning that this initiative is taking an active roll in learning more about child mental health is great. I think that our children are going through so much more than we ever had to experience in the past. It saddens me that they are exposed to so much at an early age. At Harvard they are building a team to study the significant gaps in information on this issue. They are doing research, and public engagement to get to the bottom of things. They are looking at several countries and how the children may be facing different types of mental health issues. I look forward to hearing more about their findings.

Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), “A Good Start,” is and initiative in Chile to help early childhood development through the teachers. By strengthening their teachers they feel that the students will benefit highly. I think this is such a good idea. One of the main focuses is language development for children ages 4 – 6 years old. I am glad to see that they are starting with the teachers to improve the development in their school systems. I think it is also important for them to look at the policy makers and administrators too and allow them to see how much work and effort goes into teaching our children daily.