Week 8 - Final Blog Assignment

During the past 8 weeks, I’ve learned a lot from my classmates whom have been in the field of early childhood education; however I can say I learned the most from reading about and discussing issues and trends that are happening in other countries besides the United States. Although I never made contact with any of my international contacts, reading about different issues has opened my eyes on many different levels. These weekly readings have increased my knowledge, changed my mind on different beliefs, and have molded me to be a better educator in the future.  Having this knowledge will help me to pay closer attention to a child and their families to see if they need help, with not only in the education area, but perhaps with household situations, such as having comfort because they may have cultural differences, language barriers or needing help providing necessities. I have also learned that what I may see or hear in the United States has become an even bigger issue in other countries.

My overall goal in regards to international awareness is to be more of an advocate for these families, regardless of cultural background. I believe that we all can use someone to lean on every now and then, and I do not mind being that person. Although I cannot speak other languages fluently, I would not mind being able to see that the family gets the proper help from someone who does. Coming into this field of study, I had a passion to help and I plan on seeing that plan through to the end.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Still haven’t heard anything from my international contacts as of yet, I decided to do the alternative blog assignment this week. In doing so, I visited UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education webpage. UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. It organized the first World Conference on ECCE in September 2010, which culminated in the adoption of a global action agenda for ECCE called Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation: Harnessing the Wealth of Nations (UNESCO, 2012).

UNESCO focuses on High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness (UNESCO, 2012). Because there are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality, the useful factors to consider include pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement. Learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centered interaction.

Where government resources are limited, the last year of pre primary education is frequently placed in a formal school setting or there may be efforts to lower the entry age. This is particularly daunting in developing countries, where early childhood may be overshadowed by other pressing priorities, such as universal primary education.  Governments, if they deal with the issue at all, often approach early childhood from the context of national social policy or health services. They must also use complementary financing measures to ensure equity of access for poor and disadvantaged children, as a pure market approach to increasing the level of early childhood provision has been shown to favor the privileged, who can afford the service.

Of all the websites I have visited in the past, this website has to be the most interesting of them all. It gives a good summary of background information on the most important matters, such as Quality and Investment and Financing. Reading such websites as this one, furthers gives me the push I need to succeed in this field of early childhood education.

Resource:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Sharing Web Resources

For this week’s assignment on the National Institute for Early Education Research, NIEER, I decided to explore the economics and finance tab of the website, since this has been the majority topic this week. On that tab, there is an article titled, Investing in Early Childhood Education: A Global Perspective. NIEER Director Steve Barnett presented the key note address at an international conference on “Early Childhood: Secure Childhood. Promising Future” at Princess Nora University in Riyadh, Saud Arabia. Interestingly, the article talks about Public investments in high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) can yield high economic rates of return. In contexts where child care needs are already met for most parents through other private or public options, the primary advantage of new public investments will be from improvements in child development. Even where there are substantial benefits from increased parental employment, policy makers should give strong consideration to the potential benefits to children (NIEER, 2012). 

On NIEER’s website, the most recent informational post was called Panel favors pre-K overhaul written by Will Sentell of the Capital News Bureau on December 7, 2012. The article touches on an issue that hits close to home. The article covers the situation with Louisiana’s top school board and its approval of plans to overhaul the state’s often-criticized pre-kindergarten system. The issue sparked mostly positive comments from child-care leaders, and was backed by a committee of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education without opposition.

From this approval, the plan that won approval is aimed at revamping what critics call a pre-K system that features uneven quality, standards and availability. The state will establish early learning performance guidelines for those from zero to age 3 and academic standards for 3- and 4-year-olds. Pre-K centers and schools will get letter grades, and state aid will be linked to how the centers perform. The pilot projects are set for the 2013-14 school year (NIEER, 2012).

Although I signed up for the e-newsletter, I still have yet to receive anything from the site. I would love to see what new information the site has to offer, however I still have not received anything. I may have to re-sign up for it to see if that helps.

Resources

National Institute for Early Education Research. (2012). Investing in Early Childhood Education: A Global Perspective. Retrieved from http://www.nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/InvestinginEarlyChildhoodEduationGlobalPerspective.pdf

Sentell, W. (2012). Panel favors pre-K overhaul. The Advocate - Capital News Bureau. Retrieved from http://theadvocate.com/home/4599940-125/panel-favors-pre-k-overhaul

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 2

I have still not received a response from any of the international contacts I emailed, so for this week’s blog assignment, I chose to research Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website.  The general initiative of this research is built on a three part basis, which is mental health and children in crisis, early childhood development and conflict situations. Global Children’s initiative has begun their outreach by launching three projects around the world.  To start, mental health is an area that I gained a better insight about. I have known about the mental stages that people may face in their teen years or adult life, but I did not know that mental illnesses can begin at such an early age. Addressing the mental health system in China, developing family based strategies to prevent mental health concerns within families dealing with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda and addressing mental health concerns and child maltreatment in the Caribbean (Center on the Developing Child, 2012). Another is  addressing early childhood development’s main goal; which is to educate, conduct research and be able to communicate effectively to policy makers the importance of investing into early childhood educational programs within the United States and around the world (Center on the Developing Child, 2012). As a final point, the Global Children’s Initiative is addressing children within crisis and conflict situations. The goal of this is to work collaboratively with other organizations which bring together a science based and developmental approach to assessing and managing children in man made or natural conflicts (Center on the Developing Child, 2012).  

There was another interesting article, “Targeting Toxic Stress in Children,” which discussed the impact of toxic stress and the affects it can have on children. It basically gave answers to several questions regarding the importance of a child living in a stable environment. This type of environment helps a child feel secured and teaches them to cope with stress a better way (Weintraub, 2012). 

Global Children’s Initiative also gave information relating to equity and excellence as it relates to the early childhood field. They are known for educating, researching and communicating the importance of investing in early childhood programs and the benefits that can come out of doing so. It mainly wants everyone, policy makers included, to know that without the proper funding and policies, children development will be on hold and the focus will once again be on a monetary gain, which everyone should realize by now is not the way to go. So many schools are closing because of this and once the legislative boards realize this, hopefully things will take a turn for the better.

References

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2012). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

Weintraub, K. (2012). Targeting toxic stress in children. Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/02/27/targeting_toxic_stress_in_children/

Sharing Web Resources

The National Institute for Early Education Research, NIEER, as one seemed particularly relevant to my current professional development because it gives an overview of the entire organization. It covers many different aspects of early childhood education, such as quality and curriculum, governance and accountability, as well as targeting those with special needs.  Knowing that all of the above mentioned categories is significant to early childhood education is relevant, makes me find this website to be full of knowledge to intrigue someone like myself, stepping into a early childhood career from business. 

Knowing that special education is a sensitive subject in regards to early childhood education, NIEER promotes social and emotional development, and describes characteristics of programs most likely to benefit children.  NIEER also gives highly used recommendations that include establishing standards on the outcomes programs which are expected to achieve for social and emotional development and expanding access to high-quality preschool programs (NIEER, 2012). 

Since I am not looking to become a special education or special needs teacher, reading this part of the website gives me a further insight as to how valuable these types of programs truly are in early childhood. From the sound of things, this program allows the child to feel as special as the next. It allows the child to engage in and learn different ways of learning.  I believe it is important for economists, neuroscientists and politicians to fully support the early childhood field simply because children are our future and they need to ensure that everything is accessible to very child, regardless if they have a disability. Each day I am learning new concepts in regards to early childhood. I look forward to take what I’ve already learned and practicing them in the future.

Reference

National Institute for Early Education Research. (2012). Special Education. Retrieved from www.nieer.org

Getting to Know Your International Contacts – Part 1

Even though I have reached out to my potential International contacts on several occasions, I still have not heard anything from either of them. I am a bit disappointed because I was actually looking forward to being a pen pal with someone not from the United States.  I was hoping by now, I would have gained a better insight as to how the early childhood education programs were conducted as well as some statistical information in regards to their economy, poverty, homelessness among the young, etc. 

While I will not be able to share the information I was hoping for, I am now forced to do the alternative for this week’s blog assignment.  I have chosen to research and learn about the poverty levels in Mongolia. According to the Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre (2012), Mongolia's transition from a socialist, centrally-planned one-party state to a multi-party democratic state with a liberalized economy started in 1990, which in turn, with such rapid structural adjustment of the economy hit Mongolian families hard. They were faced with high unemployment while inflation and prices hit an all time high. In 1998 a major survey indicated that 36% of the population was living below the income poverty line and that poverty in Mongolia tends to be higher in many urban areas than in rural (NSO/UNDP, 1998). Although there was a decrease in the percentage of poor people between 1995 and 1998, the number of poor people, actually increased to over 40,000(NSO, 1995). Additionally, the lives of families beneath the poverty line also appear to have got worse over the 1990s. 

The most interesting information that I learned from this website is that the numbers of children living in poverty in Mongolia, are also those who live in female headed household or are children aged 0-16 years. Besides poverty being a major concern in this country, so is malnutrition in the young. In Mongolia, 30% of children under five in 1998 had a low height for their age and 10% were underweight (UNDP/GOM, 2000). Many children and their families also show signs of nutrient deficiency. Some 51% of the population did not have access to safe drinking water in 1998 (NSO/UNDP, 1998).

The increasing responsibility put on the young at such an early age is also a major concern, in my opinion. For example, with increased domestic workloads and more time looking after younger brothers and sisters, children have been forced by circumstances to work for money outside the home, such as fetching and cutting wood for others and working in factories and markets. As a result, some children never enter school, others drop out of classes.

I would have to say that I gained a huge insight about this country. Although I knew other countries were dealing with a lot of issues, just as the US, I did not know to what degree. It really breaks my heart to know how much others go through just to make ends meet for their families. We all get upset when we are unable to buy something we really want, but we should all be thankful for what we have because after reading this article, it could really be worse.

References

Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre. (2012). Mongolia. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org

NSO. (1995). Living Standards Measurement Survey. 

NSO/UNDP. (1998). Living Standards Measurement Survey of 1998, Ulaanbaatar.

NSO/UNDP. (1998). Living Standards Measurement Survey.

UNDP/GOM. (2000). Human Development Report.

UNDP/GOM. (2000). Human Development Report Mongolia.