Final Blog for #6162

Final Blog Assignment

This was a very enlighten course and I have learned so much when it comes to global early childhood education and the issues and trends surrounding it. From this course I have learned that the US is not the only country with an agenda of advancing early childhood education to streamline the standards of teaching in the field as well as creating standard credentials for early care teachers so that each teacher across the board will enter the field or classroom with equal knowledge. I made several efforts to reach out to an international contact and was not lucky in receiving responses.

However, I did enjoy visiting the podcast and various global websites that I researched and learned about how other countries educate their young children and what they require for early care teachers. I have also joined several new international and local organizations so that I can stay abreast of the changes to early care that will benefit all children.

The three consequences of learning about international early childhood field for my profession as an educator and on personal development are:
• The opportunity to learn more about what policymakers and educators are doing to improve early childhood education;
• improving the professional development for teachers so that they would be respected and compensated as the professionals they are globally;
• Focusing on strategies to end the poverty levels across the nation and degrease it especially for the very young children.

I have learned that when the global leaders are discussing raising the standard of developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood; it creates interesting and meaningful creates conversation on the individual country level that streams down to states and local communities. The same goes for Early Care teachers and administrators and also to decrease the percentage of children living in poverty.

My goal for the early childhood field as it relates to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations is to continue to learn more about what is happening around the world regarding early childhood education. Also be to be able to find ways where I can contribute my knowledge and experience in this field. As I continue my journey in the ECE field, I am hopeful that everything I have learned I will have the opportunity to share it globally. I also hope that classmates that I have met through classroom discussions and blogs will continue to contribute so that early care will always have a voice especially from the professionals that have learned the theory and practices of the field. I hope to eventually create some international contacts so that we can share our experiences going forward as early care changes for the best.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts — Part 3

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

 The UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage – “is an advocate for ECEE programs that provide for children’s holistic development.” (UNESCO.org)

 Topics one – “What are the three most important skills a child should learn?” But what skills are the most important? What skills should we be learning today? (UNESCO.org)

             The director discusses the challenges for the educational systems that are providing the children with the skills to increase their knowledge.

The three skills they said that children need to learn is culture because it keeps us together, because our world is so diverse, children need to learn about each other and how the live.

The second challenge is that they need to learn values which are usually taught at home because parents are the child first teacher. Education begins at home.  Thirdly, children need to learn about their history so that they would know how to improve the future.

             Topic two was “National Qualifications Frameworks for Lifelong Learning and Skills Development” (UNESCO.org)

“Asia-Pacific Regional Policy Forum on ECCE 10-12 September 2013, Seoul, Republic of Korea” (UNESCO.org)

This forum will have over 200 participants of high levels of officials from the ECCE from around Asia to discuss and share knowledge and discuss strategies for improving young children’s “readiness to learn” with a focus on equity. The people responsible for the finance or economic planning will attend this event to ensure that children can survive to their fullest potential. This forum is supported by the Japanese ministry of education. “The Asia-Pacific Regional Policy Forum on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) will be organized from September 10-12, 2013 in Seoul, Republic of Korea” (UNESCO.org)

Third topic is – “Global Action Week 2013 (21-27 April)”

“Global Action Week is a worldwide annual campaign organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to raise awareness of the importance of Education for All. The campaign slogan for this event is “Every child needs a teacher.”  “Without a teacher a school is just a building” (UNESCO.org)

This slogan resonates with me because of the basic fact in that a school can be filled with children but if there are no teachers it’s just a building. The Global action week discussed the world is shortage of over 6.8 million teachers that is still needed…  They also discussed the shortage of educators and how the gap can be filled with trained teachers and the obstacles to achieving universal primary education.  UNESCO participates in Global Action week to be doing its best to enforce national standards of training and to enhance teacher’s professional status in order to assure quality education for all students.  They also organize their partners and networks by gathering and allocating policies and practices around the world. (UNESCO.org)

 I have learned that the UNESCO organization is one of those that is global and that they are involve in many different world forums about early childhood education.  I didn’t realize that there was a Global Action Week that focuses on the importance of education.  I also didn’t know that there was such a shortage of teachers throughout the world. I just wish I was in a position to be able to attend one of those global conference or forums to be able to interact with educators and policy around the world as they implement changes to the early childhood field.  There are new global standards that will be implemented by the year 2015 and I just hope American teachers will be ready and fully trained to implement those new standards.

 “The Ministry of National Education, Malaysia – Learning begins even before child walks through the classroom door. Comprehensive early childhood care and education (ECCE) aims to foster holistic growth, development and learning of children from birth to eight years of age.”(unescobkk.org)

 

 

 

Reference

 

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

 

Sharing Web Resources

Sharing Web Resources

 

 

NBCDI – National Black Child Development Institute

 

The newsletter “Child Health Talk” – discusses several things –

• Fun and Free Family Activities – this is encouraging families to get outside and do fun activities with their children like playing ball, going to the zoo and museums just simply doing things that engages physical activities.
• Building Resilience – to encourage Children as they grow up to confront difficulties with controversial conditions and topics.  To encourage caregiver and parents to give children strength to thrive in the midst of challenges.

 

The website had several articles I choose the following:

1. Comments on “Enhanced Assessment Instruments” – Kindergarten Entry Assessment (February 2013)

This statement and letter is from Felicia DeHaney, PhD, President and CEO of NBCDI to Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education responding to the request for comments regarding Enhanced Assessment Instruments.  NBCDI responded with the following

 

“NBCDI supports the development and enhancement of high-quality Kindergarten Entry Assessments; however, we want to raise three specific issues that, if addressed, will be more likely to lead to the stated outcome of having a “well-designed and properly implemented” assessment system that can “inform teaching and program improvement and contribute to better outcomes for children.”(DeHaney, F, NBCDI.org)

I encourage all of you to read the entire response at the following link the letter discusses three specific proposed priorities with the implementation of Kindergarten Entry Assessments which are:

• The Intended Uses of the Data Should be Explicitly Limited
• Guidance Should be Provided Around Using KEA Data to Engage Families
• Standards Should Be Revised To Address All Domains

 

 (http://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/resource-files/NBCDI%20Comments.KEA_.pdf)

 

 

1. 2.       T.E.A.C.H. D.C. Presents “Coffee & Donuts” for Early Childcare Center Directors

June 27, 2013 – 10:00am – 11:30am “All early childcare center directors are cordially invited to our “Coffee & Donuts” session on Thursday, June 27, 2013 from 10:00-11:30 am. This session will be held at NBCDI Headquarters at 1313 L St., NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC. Join us to learn more about the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program and how it can benefit early childcare providers in your center.” (NBCDI.org)

 

The new insight I learned today was about how CGI America partnered with a new organization call “Too Small To Fail” that will provide research and resources to business, parents and caregivers learn about the brain research and how it can help children in the early childhood field. I watched the initial video on the website and was very impressed on what they will be doing for the early care community.

 

• On the Facebook page of NBCDI there was several posts and this one caught my eye “Excited that NBCDI’s President and CEO Dr. Felicia DeHaney will be part of today’s discussions at the Clinton Global Initiative!” (http://new.livestream.com/CGI/CGIAmerica2013)

 

I watched a live stream of the Clinton Global Initiative discussing how business and organizations can help early childhood education.  Some on the panelist were actress Eva Langoria talking about her organization that focuses on educating Latinos so that they can achieve the American dream with education and the president of community affairs at Target Lysha Ward talks about how the Target foundation focuses on the priority of early childhood education to ensure that children are ready to enter elementary school and progress through their school years.

 

The CGI website made a great announcement to partner with a nonprofit organization in San Francisco designed for parents, business leaders and caregivers learn from the research of brain research on children 0-5 year old. The organization is called “Too Small To Fail” – www.toosmall.org

 

• President Obama talks about the inequality and too many children living in poverty in our country.Read the full article on Politico here: http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/06/obama-too-many-children-in-poverty-165836.html

“Even though the economy is growing, too many middle class families still feel like they’re working harder and harder and can’t get ahead,” Obama said. “Inequality is still growing in our society. Too many young people aren’t sure whether they’ll be able to match the living standards of their parents. We have too many kids in poverty in this country, still.”(By REID J. EPSTEIN)

 

 

 

References:http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/06/obama-too-many-children-in-poverty-165836.htmlhttp://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/06/obama-too-many-children-in-poverty-165836.html

 

http://new.livestream.com/CGI/CGIAmerica2013

http://www.nbcdi.org

http://www.politico.comhttp://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/06/obama-too-many-children-in-poverty-165836.htmlhttp://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/06/obama-too-many-children-in-poverty-165836.html

http://toosmall.org/

Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

 

Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

 

1. Applying the Science of Early Childhood in Brazil

“As part of its Global Children’s Initiative, the Center is launching Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, its first major programmatic effort outside the United States. In collaboration with local experts, this project aims to use the science of child health and development to guide stronger policies and larger investments to benefit young children and their families in Brazil.”(Global Children’s Initiative”)

This program is a collaborative efforts with a few organizations inside the United States and Brazil to work with Brazilian scholars, policy makers and civic leaders to acclimate the center’s programmatic model for the local context to increase more successful policies and programs that will be more booming, workable and reasonable society. These organization will participate in the following undertaking:  Create a community of scientific scholars in early childhood development; create a partnership with the organization to discuss the science of child development in the Brazilian culture; firm up the leadership around early childhood development by teaching a leadership class to policymakers; and by explaining and acclimating to the multimedia resources for a Brazilians audience. (Global Children’s Initiative)`

I believe that this will be a greatly beneficial program to Brazil and the early childhood programs there.  I really did not know that countries such as Brazil was so involved in early child development given that Brazil have a large population of their people living in poverty.  I am however very happy about this collaboration and hope that it provides the appropriate information to the policymakers so that the children of Brazil will benefit.

 

1. 1.      Zambian Early childhood development project

 

“While a large number of studies have investigated the impact of early childhood experiences on children’s developmental, health, and educational outcomes in developed countries, relatively little evidence is available on early childhood development in sub-Saharan Africa. To address this knowledge gap, the Zambian Ministry of Education, the Examination Council of Zambia, UNICEF, the University of Zambia, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009, a collaborative effort to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia.” (Global Children’s Initiative)

This program focuses on the impact of malaria and child development by creating a new assessment tool to assess children’s development from their physical to cognitive development before and through the school years.  In 2010, the child assessment test ZamCAT was refined by using the existing measures along with newly developed ones to arrive at a wide-range of assessment of children in preschool. (Global children’s initiative)

 

The goal is that the ZECDP collaborators are optimistic that the information collected and potential work will advance the understanding of child development and help to recognize the key inventions towards the improved results in a constant changing developing world.  This is another program that I did not realize was being conducted as far as early childhood education is concerned. I really feel that this program along with all the programs that the Harvard University center of developing child Global Children’s initiative make adequate improvements in early childhood care and education in many other countries.

1. 2.   “Strengthening Adult Capacities to Improve Child Outcomes: A New Strategy for Reducing Intergenerational Poverty”

“This commentary by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff advocates for a new strategy for addressing the factors that contributes to intergenerational poverty. Drawing on advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral sciences, Shonkoff proposes the use of innovative “two-generation” programs to help build the types of core adult capabilities that are critical for success as parents and as workers.” (Global Children’s Initiative)

Shonkoff states in this article that “achieving sustained prosperity in any society depends on building a strong foundation in all children in order to help them fulfill many roles: successful learners, healthy and productive workers, contributing members of their community, and effective parents of the next generation. Early childhood policies and programs contribute to these goals by providing enhanced learning experiences for children living in poverty, as well as parenting education and supports for their families. But while these policies and programs have produced long-term benefits for individuals and society, the quality of implementation and magnitude of impacts have been inconsistent at best.” (Shonkoff, J. P. 4/2013)

“If we want to do better for our children, we must aim higher. It’s clear that high-quality early childhood programs can make a measurable difference for children in poverty, but we must do more. Science tells us that children who experience significant adversity without the buffering protection of supportive adults can suffer serious lifelong consequences.” (Shonkoff, J.P, 4/ 2013)

 

This is a good read article about intergenerational poverty and how we as teachers and the community as a whole in the early care field can do more for the children and families we care for to help reduce the problem.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/articles_and_books/

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

Blog Assignment: Sharing Web Resources

 

NBCDI is an organization that is always working for children because that they supports federal, state, and local efforts to provide increasing numbers of low income children with access to quality early care and education. (NBCDI)  I like this organization because it provides information that is helpful to me an early care professional and my professional development.  The national section of BCDI always is providing training, annual conference, webcast, career opportunities and health fairs in support of children and their families. This information will inform and help early care professionals provide families with resources that is relevant to them. There is also information for early care professionals to participate in the webcast and also register for the annual conference.

The local BCDI-Atlanta mission is preparing our children to function in a global society where having access to the latest technology is considered the norm makes education extremely critical to our future work. Every child deserves a chance, and we are committed to uncovering every chance available to our children. (Bcdi-atl.org)

Currently I am interested in the My Little World Curriculum which is a program that works with Early Childhood programs locally to train early childhood educators (ECE) on fun ways to get children moving and learning about healthy eating. Teachers receive training and resources to implement the My Little World Curriculum; which integrates multi-cultural music and physical activities while promoting healthy nutrition practices. (Bcdi-atl.org)

NBCDI has several articles and events to support professional development such as the following:

National Webcast on Early Childhood Development: Investing in Our Children and Our Future June 4, 2013 – 1:30pm – 4:00pm (nbcdi.org)

• NBCDI proudly presents our 43^rd Annual Conference in New Orleans on September 28—October 1, 2013. This year’s conference will be held at the newly renovated the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Join with us as we celebrate “One Voice: Standing Strong for Our Children.”(nbcdi.org)
•  Spring/Summer 2013 Child Health Talk Is Here! The Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Child Health Talk is now available. Check out this issue on “financial health” and find new articles on managing your finances during a crisis, explaining money matters with your children, creating a savings plan for your child’s college fund, and much more.(nbcdi.org)

One of the programs that BCDI supports  that made me think about how we can serve more than just early care but also include children in middle school.  The program is called Entering the College Zone (ECZ).

“Since 1995, NBCDI in collaboration with its Affiliate network implemented the Entering the College Zone (ECZ) program in cities across the country.  NBCDI accomplished the mission of ECZ through an extensive network of partnerships between families, major urban school systems, colleges and universities and NBCDI’s own network of community-based Affiliate chapters nationwide.” (Bcdi-atl.org).

“The program was founded on the premise that access to information is key to opening the door of opportunity and closing the achievement gap between students of various races, ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds.” (Bcdi-atl.org)

After reading about this program on BCDI website and talking to an associate of mine that coordinates this program here in Georgia, I realized that this particular program is vitally important and very informative because our under deserved children around the country and here in Georgia in middle school don’t have a clue if or when they will go to college and what they want to do when they start college.  The resources that BCDI and major urban school systems, colleges and universities provides to families on ECZ will help them navigate through the college application but it will also give children the information to keep them in school so they can graduate high school and go on to college. (Bcdi-atl.org)

I never thought of the importance of providing college information to middle school children because they still had another four years to go in school before graduating to go onto college.  What I realized was it was a good age to plant the seed for  the future accomplishment for the child by giving them the opportunities and resources so that they can make decisions on where they may want to go to college and what career path they may want to take.  I also feel that children that are in low income families are usually not thinking of college in middle school because the family is not saving money for college but focus on paying the necessary bills. I really feel that we should plant the seed in preschool as we shape those early minds giving them hope for the future with planned activities especially in dramatic play.

What I realize is that this organization is a non-profit voluntary membership base organization, it is also funded by charitable contribution and grant funding from The Department of Early Care and Learning to assist childcare centers acquire NAEYC accreditation and Quality Rated. NBCDI also receives funding from their partners and like-minded organizations to provide support and services to childcare programs.

This organization believes that it is important to invest in early care and learning as recommended by neuroscientist and will be a voice for the early care communities to inform economists of the necessity of investing in early care .  The will also become a voice and hold forums for the early care community to voice their opinion when the state starts cutting funding to  preschool programs like Head Start and prekindergarten programs.

BCDI-Atlanta believes as stated in President Obama proposed agenda.  “A robust body of research demonstrates that high-quality early learning programs and services can improve young children’s health, social-emotional, and cognitive outcomes; enhance school readiness; and help close the school readiness gaps that exist between children with high needs and their peers.” (ED.gov)

“To help all children begin school on a level playing field, the Administration is continuing to work to expand access to high-quality early learning programs. The President’s 2014 budget request includes a historic new investment in preschool education that supports universal access for all four-year olds from low-income and moderate-income families through a partnership with the States.”(ED.gov)

Here in Georgia BCDI-Atlanta is an advocate for children and their families by giving a voice to the voiceless.  “The affiliate leadership, first and foremost, takes steps to make sure we are included in crafting discussions affecting our community. This practice ensures that we receive information as soon as it becomes available so that we can get it into the hands of our membership. Members receive public policy alerts so that our community voice is represented in the countless messages that go to local, state, and federal officials. When legislators needed to hear about children’s health care, BCDI members made calls, wrote letters, and sent emails. When public officials needed to know how we felt about changes to pre-k, our members rose to the occasion.” (Bcdi-atl.org)

BCDI-Atlanta is an organizaiton that is always there to support and provide childcare providers and their staff with resources that informs them of all the issues and trends taking place in Georgia and also around the country.  BCDI-Atlanta jumps in and get things done for example they hosted a public forums in Georgia to let the Commissioner know how the early care and education community feels about the cuts to the Lottery Funded Pre-K program and Head Start.  “The core of what BDCI-Atlanta stands for is to advocate for public policy that positively affects our children and families and communities.” (Bcdi-atl.org)

References:

http://www.nbcdi.org/

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget14/crosscuttingissues/earlylearning.pdf

http://bcdi-atl.org/