When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

· Post at least three consequences of your experience being a part of a caring, collaborative learning community for your professional growth and development.

 

1.     Ability to build healthy networks

 

2.     Ability to glean from others around me.

 

 

3.     Constructive criticism that helps me to grow in the areas those are weak.

 

· Post one goal for using this collegial experience to enhance your advocacy, policy, and/or system development work on behalf of young children, families, and the early childhood community.

 

I feel that this degree will enable me to transfer knowledge in result building up the community around me. I am excited about me future in early childhood advocacy. I hope that all of my colleagues have received everything that they may feel was vital from me. I can say that our class was small but we packed a wealth of information that was transferred.

My Hypothetical Family Situation

Hello, my name is Nicole and I am a happy mother of four. I am married to a wonder man named Donavan. Our children’s names are Isaiah (8), Eden (5), Obadiah (3), and Zachariah (1). All my life I have waited to have children. Also a desire that I have had since a child was to adopt and foster children. I was adopted a 3 months and I feel that this is truly a gift that was brought in to my life and I wanted to continue to give the gift to others. I don’t have any specific amount of children that I want to have but I do want to help as many children as I can. Currently we are researching different adoptions agencies and have found three that we are looking at. One agency is very interested in us as a family but they are located across the globe. To complete this adoption we will have to go there. This location is in Nigeria. We are very excited and are in the process of getting this together for our children because we also want them to go along with us. This is a transition in both our families’ life that will cause us to never be the same again. We want to do more research about the place we are getting our new child from and we also want to get information of getting our current children adjusted to this new family structure.

Questions:

1. Are there any specific websites I should be reviewing with regard to learning about quality services and programs for my child and family in this hypothetical family situation?

2. Have I given a complete picture of my family, or are there details missing that I should include in order to complete the assignment successfully? If so, what are your suggestions?

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

• Share one or more strategies you have discovered as you worked on the assignments in this course, and particularly this week, that are currently being used by advocates or organizations to influence the political will toward improving early childhood systems in order to foster the well-being of young children and their families.

This week I choose to research the early childhood and primary strand. In this research one area that I had to gain more information on was the professional development. As a Director of a daycare I see how important it is to promote EC professionals to go back to get more education and also more hands on experience through vital and physical travel seeing different early childhood environments. This week I was able to read a mission statement from the Center for the study of Child Care Employment. They have four priorities: access to education; rewarding environments; workforce information; and leadership development (Center for the study of Child Care Employment ,2011). In my facility I feel that it is equally as important to request each professional best when working with the  children, parents, and their colleagues. In the same respect I feel that as an employer I must have different resources available for each employee to have access to. Some ways I give them this opportunity is by having quarterly seminars and also access to webnairs form other organizations that connect them to early childhood across the globe. I fell that each professional should be given that opportunity to better advance themselves. I feel that the need to provide this type of service should provoke the state and local government to provide different funds that each state can contribute to educating each professional.

• What part of this work appeals to you most and why?

The thing that appeals to me the most is seeing teachers and also the children learning from each other because of the information that at their disposal. I feel that the children should also be connected with the world around them through the most updated technology. Most schools around me are learning with ebooks. This is an up-to-date way for children to get information. I am required as an EC professional to get my children equipped for the technology ahead of them.




Reference


Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/cscce/


 

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

Story One:

The Wrighten Family     

                This family was introduced to the Head Start program by two parental advocates that also had their children participate in this program. Once Mrs. Wrighten got involved with this program she them became an advocate and latter a policy maker and official over this program. She became active just as a parent and because of how she was pleased she obtained a place of leadership over this program.

Story Two:

Charmayne Thomas:

                Mrs. Thomas had three children that were initially apart of the Head Start family. Charmayne is currently working in the school district in Philadelphia. Mrs. Thomas started volunteering with this program and also grew to working with them in public policy. In conclusion, she has a 22 year old that is currently attending college at Penn State University.

The professional and personal significance you drew from these stories:

                In reading these stories I see how important parental involvement is the school is. In both of these stories these families were very active in their child’s academic journeys. I also see that when parent are pleased with the programs they then become advocates for you as a EC professioanal and also for the school.

Why involvement opportunities for parents and family members benefit young children, families, and the early childhood field

                I feel that involvement creates success opportunities just like these two families. One family stated that : their child never missed a day of school and also becoming a part of the school as a volunteer has provoke both of these families to work within this program as a policy changer. I feel that parental involvement is contagious. The parents with become advocates and tell others about what going on at the Head Start programs.

The value that hearing such stories has for early childhood professionals, for the public, and for policymakers and government officials

                Hearing this type of experiences within in the Head Start family creates a hope that this system has not been opened in vain. This system was created to help all families that desired to get better education but could not afford it to be able to receive the education for their children they wanted.

Your opinion regarding why or why not parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field

                I feel that early childhood development is a critical parent of a children success in early childhood development because this is the initial transition that the child is having to a new learning environment. Since this is new to the child it is so important for the child’s family to be active in this environment so that it is easy for that child to feel comfortable to receive everything they need to move into academic success.

Quality Programs for All Children

Throughout the years early chilhood education has evolved from developing Head Start programs to assit with poor familes to public policies that have influed the curriculum taught in our schools. I feel the the United States public poinion is regard to the value and importance of providing quality service for young childrne and failies have drasticllly changed over the years. From lookin gat this weeks media I see how the governments influence changed the different strands of educaiton. Presiden Lyndon Johnson, during his presidency, offered Head start and other programs to assit with ending poverty. Kindergarden was formed to prepare kids for transitioning to primary school. Some educational normalities that are common now weren't so common in earlier years. Understanding the changes that have been made makes me appreciate my position in the early chilhood field.

Their are some things that I would like to see in the next five years within the early chilhood strand. One thing I would like to see is Head Start open their doors to infant and toddlers. Learning starts in the womb of every mother. I feel that introducing chidlren to socialization and cognitive skills at an early age will help to pull up the succes rate of the Head Start program. Lastly, I would like to see the Head Starts curriculum included some form of parent invlovement where they can get their parents involved with their school.

Public Policies have changed within the United states Government. I will enjoy seeing the new regulations that are to come.

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy?

Why did you choose this specialization?

I choose to Major in Early Childhood Studies focusing in Public Policy and Advocacy because I want to help families as both my family was helped. I was adopted at 3 months and my family had lots of support that helped both me and my adopted sister transition to our new family. I want to work with foster families and also adopted families as a liaison connecting them with resources they need to transition to their new families. I also want to open a group home were I can help neglected children to be connected with families. I feel that as an advocate I can help people.


 Why are advocates essential in the early childhood field?

Advocates are very important in the early childhood field because most families don't relate know how much resources are available for their children. Most children are going from home to school and some families feel that they are the only ones going through growing pains. As an advocate I can connect these families with different support groups and also resources that can help them transition smoothly.

What do you hope to learn about public policy and advocacy?

I hope to learn testimonies from my colleagues about different resources that are out their and how they found them. I want to leave this class understanding my role as an advocate and where the needs are in my community. I will make my self available for my community and my working environment. In this class I want to also learn about different policies that are out their for early childhood learning.

Collaborative Learning Community

At the beginning of this class I started off by reading my colleagues welcome post. This was the beginning of our collaborative learning community. I feel that in this time were beginning to learn more information on the people we are working with. Throughout the class I really enjoyed the sharing that this class had through our discussion and blog post. I feel the more I read about each one of us through our post I got more familiar with everyone. I love how this school sets up the class into small groups so that it is possible to get very familiar with our teammates. The thing that I gained the most from this class was the "Platinum Rule" This rule allows me to trust and respect anyone that I am communicating with. In this exchange of respect it allows everyone to get their point across and allows a positive exchange of information. This rule makes understanding communication easier. Thanks colleagues for all you have given me!

I feel that this picture displays how this class is now after going through this class. I do hope that this class opened the door for each one of us to continue to study more about communication!

Adjourning

Sometimes the worst part of a conversation is to say good bye. In these good byes you can never say enough how much you will miss someone especially when the time spent with them was unforgettable. When think of the phase Adjourning in relation with team building this can be the hardest time to experience. When I think of this phase I can relate many group experiences like this. The main one that I can think of is in each class a Walden during the eighth week how we have to say or goodbyes. Even though we don't work directly on assignments together a bond is still formed throughout the class time. We share our ideas and experiences in relation to the class topics and by the end of the class semester we are saying good bye. This has always been a bitter sweet time in each class that I have taken. I really appreciate the time that I get to spend with my classmates and I will take all the sharing experiences with me.
I feel that the hardest teams to leave are the ones that worked together and got to know each other in the process. It is so important to get to know your teammates initatlly to get to understand each persons streights. This is vital to distributing task throughout the assignment. When you have a team that has spent lots of time getting to know each other it is hard to break the bond because it was not forced but something that actually growed.
I closing rituals that I think of are the feedback's and gratitude that are expressed in the goodbyes. This time is a good time to just say thank you to all your teammates.
Every part of the team building process is worth  taking!

Conflict Resolution

Hello Colleagues,

I had a disagreement with my sister recently about how she disciplines her children In this disagreement my sister was not happy about what I was saying. She treats the oldest a lot harder than the other children and she forces them to all go with him when he wants to spend so time with his friends. As children me and my sister did not have a good relationship and now that we are close we see how that was very harmful to both of our lives. Now that my sister has kids she tries to ensure that they are not distant from each other and they are close. In this disagreement I shared my emotions about what she is doing and I also actively listened to her side of the argument. She left the conversation feeling very upset about what I said. I wanted us to come to a conclusion about what she could do better and how I could help but she took it as me saying she did not know how to raise her kids. I am not sure how the conversation got to this but the issue is not resolve. Could anyone help me with this situation?

How I communicate through others eyes!

This week we were assigned to take different inventories that evaluated how we communicate and listen. These inventories had to be taken by us and two other individuals. I chose two participants that are familiar with my communication skills. I chose one family member and one church member. I chose the family member because sometimes we communicate differently with family than out in the public. I chose a church member/friend because she has seen me speak in different ministries we are apart of. My score varied a little in number but all were in the same categories. I am a people-oriented communicator that is shy in some atmospheres when challenged to speak. These scores flex my communication challenges and gift exactly.

Two things I have learned from this exercise:
1. I learned that I am not always nervous in all speaking environments which shows me how to channel the improvements.
2. I learned the different types of listening skills and how they are important based on the atmosphere you are in.

In conclusion, I enjoyed learning about myself through the eyes of others!

Communication and Culture

Communication is a topic that is viewed differently based on culture. When communicating with others it is necessary to communicate differently based on the particular culture. When I observe my children in my classroom I notice how differently communication is displayed based on culture. When dealing with kids that speak in other languages I have to speak a little slower and I normally get on my knees face to face so that I am on their lever. I notice when communicating with kids it is important to get eye level. This shows them that you are engaged with what they are saying. When I am talking with other cultures that are adults I normally have listen more that speak. The reason I do this is to learn traits of new cultures. Sometimes if necessary I use a translator to ensure that I understand and can communicate effectively.
Effective communication is so necessary to when dealing wtih other cultures.


When I saw this picture I wanted to use it to display the importance of communication. We live in a diverse society and it is so important teach our children how to effectively communicate with each other. If we work hand and hand we can work together. Communication is key to crossing cultural barriers.

TV Interpretation

 

I chose to watch the show "Dog the bounty hunter". I have watched this show before and based on my pass experiences I felt that it would be hard to predict what was going on. I did not want to pick a show that would be easy for me to understand without sound. I wanted to be able to use my skills that I learned this week to help me in interpreting what the show was about.

Interpretation of Show with no sound.
In the scene I watched with no sound I noticed that Dog and his employees got a new case. I new this because Dog was at the dry eraser board with a new picture and he wrote down notes around the picture. I also understood that this person was a hard catch because one of the employees put his head down and started shaking it. I felt that this meant that this person they were looking for was maybe even dangerous. When they started to search for the person I saw that they had little help. No one would give up information. I drew these conclusions from seeing them walk up to people with the picture of the fugitive and they just shook their heads.

Interpretation of Show with sound

My interpretations were correct. The person the Dog was assigned to was a fugitive that was armed and dangerous and no one was able to capture him. This was frustrating because no one would give them a lead of where to find him. In the end they found him through many days of searching.

I felt this assignment helped me to use all skills that I have learned this week to decode the conversations going on in this show. It is so important to use all forms of communication when trying to reach someone.

Professional Hopes and Goals

As a EC professional I have one hope when thinking of working with families and childeren of diverse culture. This one hope is that I can position myself to learn as much as I can and I present myself to these families as being concerned and excited about learning about who they are. One goal that I have pertaining to diversity in early childhood is that I can show children how to genuinely appreciate each other and learn how they are all a part of the puzzle and without each other it is impossible to by whole.

I really appreciate this class and my colleagues for all the excellent information that was shared. I also appreciate Dr. Anthony Morgan for being so patient with me in my transitions.

I hope to see everyone in my next class and if not I hope to see everyone in graduation. Congratulations in advance on everyone academic journey.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Country's Origin: Brazil

There is a new Mulatto family of four that will be joining my learning environment, migrating from another country. This requires me to prepare for this transition that will occur once they get here. This family has two girls that are both Early Childhood age. They are coming here to expose their children to a new culture and style of education. They will be moving to Columbia, SC were they will be staying with fam ily.Their family has contact my school to enrol their children. Here are five ways that I will prepare for this transition.

1.I will conduct a short research of all cultural differences. This is necessary so that I can understand the necessary changes that need to be made.

2. Next, I would share my findings with both staff and children  that will be in the new children's class.

3. I would like to add something special form their culture into each learning environment.

4. I would like to add one dish tot the menu that will be made once a month to make the children feel appreciated and not left out in this new environment.

5. Lastly, I will assign a staff member that would serve as their care leader. This will give the family a person that is familiar with their situation and that can serve as a point of contact if any issue arise. This care leader will be assigned to them for about one year.

These preparations will ensure a smooth transition from their country to ours.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When reading our assignment for this weeks blog I decided t use one of m favorite movies as and example of bias, prejudice and oppression. This movie was "Gifted Hands". In this movie I remembered a particular scene where Ben Carson (African-American male) got his test score back from his teacher (Caucasian female). He had made a D on his test. The teachers response was "Good job Ben". She was suggesting that this was acceptable effort for an African-American child. Since he always made bad grades in school he started to call his self dumb and stupid. After realizing his true potential ,from his dedicated mother, he became number on in his graduating class and then graduated from college as a surgeon. The main example of bias, prejudice, and oppression steamed form his race as an African-American. Some many times racial barriers are put up in class causing the children and teachers to hide their true potentials. The mindset of that teacher had a negative affect on Ben's growth in his true potential. As early childhood professionals we have to learn how to observe each child and pull out the gift that lies within them.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week in class we have discussed microagressions and its effects on people. I have noticed how frequent these mircoaggressions occur. This week I experiened one microaggresion that not only affected the person but also me as a bystander. I now know that mircroaggression not only affects the person it was directed to but also people that may hear or observe the act. The microaggresion that I observed was when I was in the grocery store and a Hispanic lady was paying for her groceries and she did not speak good English but she did know enough to understand the lady. When she walked up to be served in line the lady got close to her and spoke loud and slowly. The Hispanic lady just looked and spoke back to her to ensure her that she knew English. I was next in line and I was so offended. What the cashier was imposing was the Hispanic lady could not understand and speak English. The lady nicely paid for her food and left. This microaggression affected me also because I was upset that the lady had to experience this. I personally remember a microaggression that was geared towards me. When I went to the doctor to have my annual visit my doctor asked her normal questions. When she got to the question about birth control I said to her that I did not need them because I am abstinant. Since she looked at my chart and noticed that I had a child and I was not married she assumed that I was going to try and have more children. She keep trying to make me take birth control and I told her that I was waiting for marriage to have more children. She keep on insisting that I needed them. This was so offensive because I was excited that I was not in a position to have children and she put me in the category with other women that are also single parents. This event did not happen this week but I can still remember it. Microaggression have lasting effects that sometimes effects others around. I now understand that I can't judge people based on what I see. This week I have learned a lot.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Part 1

Definition of Culture
Karen C. (Caucasian)- Traditions that families believe in and live by.
Monika G. (Hispanic)- Family, marriage, religion, and how people view them.
Whitney W. (African-American)- Involves different viewpoints and traditions that people believe and that is normally passed down from generation to generation.

Definition of Diversity-
Karen C.- a colorful expression that is displayed through family culture
Monika G.- Diversity is compared to a "melting pot" full of different ingredients that all come together abiding together.
Whitney W.- different races, religions and beliefs that live in one community.

Part 2

1. One thing I noticed when my interviewers answered both of these questions they all related both terms to family. In week two we discussed family diversity. In the article "What is family diversity?" they discussed the different forms of family diversity. The diversity in our communities makes it hard to define what a family form consist of that is why it is important to analyze and take into consideration as many forms as possible.

2. One aspect that I did not notice was diversity that is geared toward individualism. We all have social identities that displays personal diversity.

3. In interviewing the three people I see how different viewpoints vary based on the individual. Listening to what they had to say I have added personal viewpoints to my definition of both culture and diversity.

My Family Culture

Three things I would take with me if my family and I had to evacuate:
1. My Bible
2. My personal family collage
3. Grandma's recipe book

I would first take my Bible because my family is root in faith. I feel that it is necessary to keep this first in my life and also when I move, I would want to continue to teach my children so that they can also root themselves in Christ. Being a Christan is not a tradition but it is a standard that my family stands on. Next, I would take my family collage that sits in my living room. This collage has many family photos on it that will allow me to remember the special times me and my family spent together. It can also be passed down to my children that they can see and remember their family. Last, I would take my grandmother's recipe book so that we can still experience the traditional foods that my family has passed down. Some things in the recipe I would change due to health reasons but to have the recipes that my grandma wrote down is very special to me. If I had to choose one thing out of all to take I would take my bible.
When doing this assignment I realized how important culture is in each individual family. Culture allows our communities to be very diverse. I also realize that the diversity that lies within all of us is revealed daily.

When I Think of Research...

In this class I have learned many useful insights about research in early childhood development. One thing that I learn and that I find most valuable is that research has many forms and steps that have to  be followed to ensure that all work is ethical and valid. Another topic that I enjoyed discussing was triangulation. This term is used when evaluating and ensuring that a research has validity.

Pertaining to my nature of doing research this still is not one of my favorite aspects of early childhood development. Even though it is not my favorite I truly understand now through this class that it is important and serves as a life line for future and current professionals in the early childhood field.

The most valuable lesson I have learned is constructing a reseach design. This topic focus on planning, designing, and conducting research. It is the foundation of any research and is very important when researching any topic. I encountered many challenges in this class. My main challenge was expounding on my thought within my research. Also writing a research question and producing a research form it. I feel that these encounters have drawn me closure to my teacher because through our relationship she has walked me through each step to ensure successful papers. I have realized through this class that as early childhood professionals we wear many hats. Research is an additional hat that we were and its is a vita role that we play.

Research Childhood Austrialia

Early Childhood Australia

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

International Research Topics:
1. Moral and social development
2. Attachment theory and primary caregiving
3. Multicultural education
4. Play-based learning and intentional teaching in early childhood contexts.

While viewing this website I ran across one article of the many that gave lots of vital information about literacy development. This article was entitled " Bridges to literacy: early routines that promote late school success". One insight that I learned from this article was that reading to babies ensures both relational and literacy development skills. Also in this article it stated "30% of parents say they don't read to their preschoolers even once a week (Rosenkeetter & Barton, 2002, p. 34). This insight informed the me about the importance of literacy development in early childhood.

On this website under "About Us" there is a tab "About Australian Early Childhood" it discuss who they work with. This foundation pairs with government officials, early childhood professionals, families in the communities, and various peak organizations. One of their issues that they advocate are children's rights.

This website was very interesting and allowed be to get a view of what is going on in the early childhood field in Australia.


References

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Rosenkoetter & Carton, 2002. "Bridges to literacy: early routines that promote late school success". www.zerotothree.org

Research that Benefits Children and Families

My research would be about parent/teacher relationships and how they are important to the development of our children in early childhood development. I would entitle the research "Connected: the power that works through us" I chose this title because it summarizes the importance of developing this type of relationship. This relationship creates a healthy learning and living environment that allows the child to transition well from home to school. This transition shows the child how both environments work together for their own success.
This research would discuss, through factual observations, the importance of this type of relationship. I would take two families for this observation. One family would agrees with developing this relationship and the other would not. I would watch the family over a period of time and evaluated the child's developmentally in all areas. I would record their strengths and weaknesses. Throughout this observation I would interview each set of parents, teachers, and children at different times. In the end I would re-evaluate both families record the data.
This observation would provide new parents with first hand experience showing them the importance of developing these relationships when their children enter any learning environment. This article would also provide different ways, that the teachers in this observation provided, to form these relationships.

My Personal Reserach Journey

My chosen topic for the simulation is "Poverty and How it Affects Children in Early Childhood Development". I chose this topic because it interest me of how poverty affects children in early developmental stages. These effects, if not redirected, can cause a trailing affect through a child's adulthood. I want to research this topic further to better equip myself to advocate in my community and even nation. Some of the dimple things as light ans water are not available for some children. They come to school and act out and in result are miss understood. It takes a passionate teacher or professional to reach out to this child. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and these children end up isolated in the classroom from others. This cause the child to loose out on important developmental stages that are needed to function. I have seen this issue many times and it has to stop. This is why I strongly support home visits because it gives the teacher a chance to meet the child in a more personal environment which shows the child and family that they are important and appreciated. I look forward for researching the poverty issue and its effects on our children. In this process I would love to get any feedback or experiences that my colleagues have gone through and would like to share.

Final Blog Assignment

In studying international early childhood field has been very inspiring and also has challenged me to do three things. One consequence is to stay connected  to the orgaizaitons that support early childhood education. Another consequence is to evaluate my program and implement some new ways of teaching our children the new techniques that I have learned this far. Lastly, I appreciated or educational system in the U.S., despite the major deficiencies, is a lot more productive them other countries which cause the children in our communities to get an education. My major goal is to start and organization in my community that supports parents with children in school. Also this organization will keep these families aware of things that are going on throughout the globe.

Issues and Trends: Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families (Part 3: Early Childhood Profession)

UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education

UNESCO is an organization that work’s to improve education worldwide. This organization promotes peace, celebrates diversity, and defends human rights. This is achieved by providing Education for All (EFA). On this website there are four tabs that are as follows: access and equity; quality; investment and financing; and coordination and integration. These tabs are all related to internal trends in the early childhood field. In the tab access and equity they discussed how many poor countries have programs for children pertains to health and also food programs. UNESCO is concerned about how the government is not providing money for the child’s education. When they do have programs for the poor they have little quality and sustainability. Central government must ensure an equitable distribution of resources among different populations. UNESCO is the bridge that helps connect funds to children that have little to no access to proper education. Another issue that I learned about in the website is the un-proportionate standards in Early Childhood Programs worldwide. This issue causes children to not be able to learn on a common plain. This is why schools aren’t graduating children going to first grade that are prepared for this transition. This causes inequality in the classroom. This organization desires to train all professionals in the Early Childhood field to adequately meet the needs of each child regardless of the demographics. This website allowed me to view the perspectives of other professionals in my field. Forming these relationships through research helps me to better understand how I can fit into the cycle that will help equalize the early childhood field globally.

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

Sharing Web Resources

Sharing Web Resources

Organization:

 Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) www.acei.org

Outside Link:

Global Campaign for Education ACEI supports The Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a civil society movement that aims to end the global education crisis. One campaign that ACEI supports is women and girls rights to be educated. GCE conducted gender discrimination in education survey. This survey showed that 1 in 5 school girls were unhappy to be girls. Some countries this survey was conducted were: Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Peru.

One main area of this website I chose to focus on is the area called “Global Gateway”. This section is focused on exploring the diversities of education systems worldwide. Some of the places of exploration are: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East; and North America.

E-News

Some events that are going on in ACEI are:

1.      ACEI International United Nations Advocacy Forum  at the Global Summit

2.      Launch of the Decade for Childhood

One article that is in this newsletter is “The Long-Term Impact of Teacher”. This article addresses the issues of teacher values on their students’ success. One article discuses approach to professional development that has promises for closing the achievement gap. This article relates to equity and excellence pertaining to education. The title of this article is “Teaching Children Well”. This article title is worded very simply but takes a companionate worker in the field of education to really fulfill this assignment. This website has given me lots of information  that allows me to understand the diversity in other early childhood programs across the world and it simplifies it bring it to my fingertips.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

            I have enjoyed listening to the Podcast learning about Early Childhood around the world. This experience has given me new insights of how to adjust my teaching styles and also adjust the learning environment in my center to meet the needs of each child. I had not spoken to anyone from the podcast but I have enjoyed listening to them express their views about Early Childhood in their areas across the globe.

            In the podcast that I listened to today was interviewing Maysoun Chehab. She is an activist and Director of an Early Childhood Program. This program is located in the Arab Resource Collector. This building is where predicates and policy makers work. Their children attend the school that she directs. One of her major objectives is to raise awareness of children rights. Mrs. Chehab also actively trains early educators to teach effectively in the classroom. In 2005 she produced resources that helped teachers to become educated on early childhood policies. In the area where she works there are wars that go on in the outer villages. She implemented the social conference to help aid children, parents, and educators that were affected in the war. In this conference she trained parents and teachers about emotional social reactions that children deal with after a strategic event in their living environment (the local war).

            I also visited the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. In 2006 this center was founded.  There center is committed to:

1.      Building a unified science of health, learning, and behavior.

2.      Leading the design, implementation and evaluation of innovative practice models.

3.       Catalyzing the implementation of effective science- based public policies.

4.      Preparing future and current leaders to build and leverage knowledge.

Reference:

Global Children’s Initiative” website (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/)

World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals.

http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

Association for Childhood Educational International (www.acei.org)

Association for Childhood Educational International (www.acei.org)

Since class has started I have enjoyed gaining new information about ACEI. This organization has so many attributes. Also on their website it has so many sectors that give so much vital information. One of my favorite sections that are relevant to my profession as a daycare provider was the Global Gateway. In this section you can explore childhood education, preschool, and primary school around the world. There are six tabs that are listed within this section which list six places are: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East; and North America. One article that I enjoyed reading was entitled “Fostering Social Competence”. This article talked about different ways to promote team work in the classroom. In this article the teacher conducted a study that would help foster social competence. At the end of the study students learned how to work together without disruptive behavior. Some affiliations that contribute to ACEI are: NCATE; World Forum Alliance; and Global Campaign for Education. One major thing that I learned from this website is the “One Child per Family Policy” in China. This policy causes children to be abandoned on these streets. This issue in growing and causing many children to become orphans, especially the ones with disabilities. The Chinese government is working toward providing medical care, rehabilitation, and education to more than 65 million people with disabilities. This website keeps me updated on important information about Early Childhood programs and issues globally.

Getting to Know My International Partner- Part One

Getting to Know My International Partners- Part 1

While reading about Mongolia the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre website I was amazed and sadden at the same time. Mongolia is located in North-East Asia bordering China. In 1990 Mongolia transitioned from socialistic to multi-party democratic state. This transition caused local families to be hit hard. Unemployment rose and social service benefits were cut causing families to struggle. Despite a positive increase in the macro-economy stability and growth, many Mongolians did not see or reap the benefits. There was a gap that was created causing some people to benefit from the changes and also others to not see the benefits. This state was once growing and equally striving.

In another part of this website there are case studies that were conducted with children that live in the place. These children, because of the transition, were forced to work and also quit school to help take care of their families. Some of their remarks in this study caused me to really appreciate God’s hand on my life. One of the children’s responsibilities was to collect dung to burn at home for eat. Another one fetches water and collects firewood. All these children do not attend school because of financial lack. We should be glad as Americans to have a public school system that gives everyone a chance to go to school. One of the ways the children spend their money is to give it to his mother who is a single parent another sends it on necessities for his home. One thing that caught my attention was one child stated that when they were in school they had no electricity and to watch they could not see to do their homework. The little girl said that she wanted to go to school but she could not afford the materials needed for class. These children represent a lot of children around the world. The Childhood Poverty Research Policy Centre has formed different ways to deal with this issue to change education around the world.

Reference:

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre (CHIP). (n.d.). Knowledge for tackling childhood poverty. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Associationn for Childhood education International

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)

www.acei.org

ACEI is an organization whose mission is to promote and support the development of children by promoting optimal education for children from birth to early adolescence. Also ACEI strives to influence professional growth of educators. Their vision is: Every child in every nation will have access to a quality education. This education will prepare children to become responsible and engaged citizens and ready them for life in a changing world. This vision is so important to me because some many times we are only concerned about the school we teach in or the community we live in. If you don’t see these people you are not concerned. This organization is addressing the issues of all schools globally and is striving to have all children on one accord. This prepares each child to be able to grow academically and socially. One of the main issues discussed on this website was peace and social development in relation to education. They discussed the importance of education around the world. In the article “Education is key to peace and social development” they stated that “1.5 billion people live in fragile and conflict-affected states” (Vojvoda, 2012, p.1). When most children are in schools in these communities it causes them to avoid the conflict around them in result creating peace.

Reference

Vojvoda, R. (2012). Education is key to peace and social development. http://www.educaitonaltransition.org/

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I am so excited about forming these alliances with professionals in the Early Childhood across the globe. I have initiated alliance with two professionals in Africa. One of the alliances I have initiated was with Mr. Eric Atmore. He is a part of the OMEP South African National Committee. This is a non-profit organization concerned with all aspects of early childhood education and care. Also they defend and promote the rights of the child to education and care worldwide. This committee is located in Clarinch, South Africa. The second alliance I have initiated is with Mrs. Bimbo Are. She is a part of the Niger Delta Academic Foundation. This foundation is comprised of students and professionals that advocate for all children to have academic success and to promote a healthy development among early childhood programs. I have initiated this alliance by emailing both of these people and I am awaiting a response. I have found an organization named “Association for Childhood Education International”. This association’s mission is to promote and support the optimal education and development of children worldwide and also to influence the professional growth of educators. There website is www.acei.org. I am interested in finding out more information of what they do and also to see if I could get information that I could apply to my center. It is so important to establish relationships that you can both pour out and also receive which both benefits all.