Final Post for Issues and Trends

It is hard to list any consequences from learning about the early childhood field in other countries. With changing my focus from just America to around the world, it has made me ”pop my bubble” and realize that there are not only kids in America but everywhere who can benefit from a proper early childhood education. I want to be able to go to every country to help make the needs of children aware to the local communities to get quality programs started for every child.

Although I was never able to make any contacts with early childhood professionals around the world, it was great to read others experiences. Even from reading others discussions with professionals from countries such as Poland and Australia, it is proven that it is a great resource to have contacts outside of our country to put into perspective the issues and trends that involve children everywhere. When we work together we have a higher chance of making a larger impact for the needs of children.

The websites that were offered as alternatives were great for exploring new resources on beliefs and systems of the early childhood field around the world. Getting more information of the needs around the world can help me change my local practices to help to make an impact around the world. You can never have too many resources.  

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations: Early Childhood Care and Education

The UNESCO works with countries to create quality programs available for all children to be able to have the experience of being in an early childhood program. In these programs they attend to health, nutrition, security, learning and a child’s development. The organization also initiated the first world conference of ECCE in September 2010 to create a global initiative to better ECCE programs.

This organizations priority is located in Africa. They are in great need of education to help the regions development. The main focus of this organization is to improve quality teachers in education programs. They also provide education programs to everyone throughout life.

In Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO is working on emphasizing the importance of education as a fundamental human right. These countries struggle with who should be educated and as professionals in the early childhood field, it is crucial to emphasis the importance that everyone should have access to an education.

These topics are important for my professional goals because as an early childhood professional, I should want to help to change the lives of every child no matter their need or proximity to me. I should be an advocate for all children and help provide programs to everyone.

References:

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

NAEYC: part 2

NAEYC provides many links to the latest and newest information on the world of early childhood programs and practices. Some of the links on the website are for the NAEYC’s take on professional ethics, technology in the early childhood classroom, tips for safe playing and the findings on DAP. The website also provides many ways to keep up on public policies, current topics in the field and professional development.

I selected the portion of the website that explored professional development to see what other tools I can use to better myself to help my own program. NAEYC offers online programs to explore “must-know” topics, training-of-trainers sessions, training DVDs and an annual conference for workshops and networking. Many of the development programs that they offer are ways to better suite yourself to make a good impact on the children you are working with.

For this week’s topic on awareness, accessibility and responsiveness for early childhood programs, the organization is all about helping EC programs become more known and be able to provide proper care for every child. The aim of this organization is to make these inequities and barriers a thing of the past. They offer books on the topic and what is happening in the government to change these inequities.

While exploring the NAEYC website further this week I learned more about developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). DAP is an approach to teaching that uses both research based knowledge and what is known about effective early education. This method has teachers meeting young children where they are as individuals and as part of a group and help them meet achievable and challenging learning goals. Developmentally appropriate practices are the basis to all of NAEYC’s work in the early childhood field.

References:

http://www.naeyc.org/

“Global Children’s Initiative”

For this blog assignment I explored Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative.”  The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University was created in 2006 and pushed for global efforts of improving the lives of children. The Global Children’s Initiative acknowledges the moral responsibility to provide economic productivity, positive health, and a strong civil society for all children from the poorest to well-off.

One of the areas that the Global Children’s Initiative is focusing on is the development of children in sub-Saharan Africa. The Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) was started in 2009 to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia.

The Center on the Developing Child is launching Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância in Brazil making it, its first major effort outside of the U.S. The goal of this program is to use science of child health and development to create policies and investments to benefits the children and families of Brazil. These programs can ultimately create a prosperous, sustainable and equitable society.

Un Buen Comienzo, “A Good Start,” is a project in Santiago, Chile that the Global Children’s Initiative is providing to improve early childhood education through teacher professional development. This program is also designed to help intervene in critical health areas that improve school attendance, while also involving families in their child’s education. There are two schools currently working this program which will eventually expand into sixty.

These efforts outside of the United States help make the world a better place. Most Americans know the importance of any early education and there are several programs in place to make sure every child has access to a program but in some of the poorest countries around the world this information is new or nonexistent. As more efforts are made to set up programs and initiatives around the world each child can change their country for the better.

References:

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/