International Contacts - Part 3 (Alternative Assignment)

Well, with week 7 now here, I have had absolutely no contact with anyone I have emailed. However, I have gained some new insights through browsing the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage.


*UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. (UNESCO)

*Global Action Week is from April 22-28, 2012. 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. UNESCO actively supports the campaign by organizing activities in its Headquarters and Field Offices, mobilizing networks and encouraging Ministers of Education and all EFA partners to participate.

Under the slogan "Rights from the Start! Early Childhood Care and Education Now!", Global Action Week 2012 will focus on the first of the six Education for All (EFA) Goals:

"Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children". (UNESCO)

*It seems, in many countries, that poor children are not given assistance; rather, they are given "alternatives." I do not see the equity in this as all children deserve the same education as their peers, regardless of income!

              "Countries often promote alternative services for poor children with limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services which can be cost-effective and pedagogically innovative, but often raise concerns about sustainability and quality.  In cases where the government has limited resources, a pro-poor policy can redistribute resources by reducing state support for the more privileged." (UNESCO) 

UNESCO also discusses the quality of a child's education; early childhood programs should emphasize the holistic development to aid in the transition to formal schooling. It stresses the importance of a child developing as a whole. In Early Childhood, that should be the goal of all educators - to aid in the development of a child as a whole. Below are the words written from UNESCO's view on Quality Education.

      "Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness.

There are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality but 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-centred interaction. Where appropriate curricula exist, there can be problems with implementation with the emphasis remaining on early primary education and preparation for formal schooling due to pressure from parents and the fact that it is easier for teachers than child-centred learning. 

The ECCE workforce is often made up of a diverse group of pre-school teachers, care workers, informal carers and other professionals. Adequate training and work conditions are essential so they can integrate the content and practice of early childhood care and education and address the transition to formal schooling. The service setting and physical infrastructure may vary greatly within countries. Regular inspection and follow-up of the service setting as well as adequate health and nutrition components are also crucial for meaningful learning to take place.

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. Such trends dilute the importance of holistic development by placing too much emphasis on preparing children for formal schooling. However, when pre-primary education cannot be afforded as part of early childhood, it is more strategic to consider ways of improving the pedagogy of pre-primary education placed in the formal school setting. 

Active involvement from parents and communities and relevant play and learning materials ensure that early childhood services remain relevant to the needs of the children and all other stakeholders and increases sustainability" (UNESCO) 

This is quite an interesting website.  If you have an opportunity, I would encourage you to take a look at this site, especially the information on Global Action Week! 

Blessings!

Susan

References:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/

 

Resources - Week 6

Hello, all!!

I have been receiving newsletters from NIEER, (www.nieer.org) and it has some valuable information! For this week, however, I found an outside link that caught my attention pretty quickly.  The city of Manhattan is considering killing Pre K classes to accommodate waistlined kindergartners. (http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners)

The city is facing the problem of space for kindergartners, but should pre k be eliminated just because there is not enough space for all kindergarten students? I am shocked that the Department of Education in this state is considering getting rid of one program to make room for yet another program! Maybe this would be a time to consider more schools? Below is the link to this full article:
       http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail

I would love thoughts on this.......I know it is difficult to obtain adequate funding for building new schools; however, there are many grants and other funding options out there. I believe ALL children deserves an education, starting at the preschool level. I believe it is crucial for children to come to preschool; the social/emotional development is of the utmost importance! Thoughts?? How does this show equity to all children? There are several parents within this article that believes preschool should be eliminated just so their children can attend kindergarten. How is that fair?  It seems to me that somehow, funding should be made available to, one, build new schools, or two, find buildings that can be renovated and used as schools.

I believe, since I am an early childhood educator, that all children need to attend formal schooling. I have witnessed the benefits of preschool. Having the social/emotional development is crucial for children to be successful. We are in a world where everything is a team playing position, and we must be able to work as a team, or with a partner. Without that social/emotional development, one will not be successful. I have seen children become better problem solvers, and not always run to me and say, "But I don't know how to do this! or, I can't do this, Mrs. Franklin! It is too hard!" They are now experienced problem solvers, and I will observe them actually solving something on their own without help.

How, then, by removing a preschool program offer any type of equity, or excellence for that matter? If preschool is removed from this state to offer more room for kindergarten, I do not see the fairness in this. As I previously stated, all children should be entitled to an education that offers excellence and fairness.

Please, I welcome any comments you may have! I am truly appalled at this! I truly feel as if the Department of Education could do more for this state, as I have read about the lottery (supposedly) going to the education fund. One person who commented on this article stated it was a "scam." I will definitely follow this story and see where this goes.

There are MANY, MANY resources available on this site. I actually went to another outside source, and there is a blog from the Huffington Post discussing teachers are rarely asked about teaching. I think you will find it interesting. I will copy it below:
 
     

Did you ever notice how teachers are rarely asked about teaching?

From the Huffington Post, by Linda Darling Hammond

American teachers deal with a lot: low pay, growing class sizes and escalating teacher-bashing from politicians and pundits. Federal testing and accountability mandates under No Child Left Behind and, more recently, Race to the Top, have added layers of bureaucracy while eliminating much of the creativity and authentic learning that makes teaching enjoyable. Tack on the recession's massive teacher layoffs and other school cuts, plus the challenges of trying to compensate for increasing child poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and you get a trifecta of disincentives to become, or remain, a teacher.

Indeed, this year's MetLife teacher satisfaction survey, the 28th such assessment of teacher, parent, and student perspectives on how school life is going, shows the impact of these conditions. Teacher job satisfaction has dropped 15 points since 2009, from 59 percent who were very satisfied to 44 percent, the lowest level in over 20 years. The percentage of teachers who say they are likely to leave the profession has increased by 12 points -- from 17 percent to 29 percent -- now nearing a third of all teachers.

Much has changed in those two years; in 2009, the impacts of recession-based cuts had yet to fully hit schools. Larger classes; laid-off colleagues; cuts to libraries, physical education, foreign languages, arts and music; and reductions in supports like health care, counseling, and afterschool programs that help low-income students overcome impediments to effective learning -- all factor into teachers' decisions about whether to stay on the job. Teachers, parents and students surveyed all reported rising levels of economic insecurity, hunger, poor health, homelessness and anxiety over lack of sufficient resources to pay for household basics. In my own region of Northern California, child homelessness has increased by more than 30 percent in the last two years, with some districts seeing more than 1 in 10 of their students without homes.

At the same time, public discussion and policy increasingly place the full weight of these problems on teachers alone. Despite repeated warnings from leading scholars that test-based "value-added" ratings cannot be reliably used to evaluate individual teachers because they reflect home and other school factors as much as the teacher him or herself, more states are urging that they be used to fire and reward teachers. This is particularly problematic given evidence that teachers' ratings decline when they teach the neediest students -- especially new English learners and students with disabilities.

Indeed, New York State's new policy effectively makes continuing to teach contingent on such test-based ratings, and New York City recently insisted on publishing teachers' names alongside their ratings. This created a furor as it became clear that the scores are wildly unstable from year to year and across subjects, are often based on inaccurate data, and appear unrelated to the known successes of good teachers or the failings of poor ones. This is prompting many great teachers to make plans to leave a profession they loveand children who need them.

Bill Gates noted in a recent op-ed in the New York Times that "using employee evaluations to embarrass people," is something a smart firm like Microsoft would never even contemplate, "much less publish in a newspaper." Even if it is legal, he points out, "as a harbinger of education policy in the United States, it is a big mistake," because "the surest way to weaken [systematic teacher development] is to twist it into a capricious exercise in public shaming."

The problem is not only that the ratings are poor measures of actual effectiveness, but that such policies fundamentally misunderstand what drives teachers to improve and to stay in tough jobs. In his recent best-seller Drive, Daniel Pink draws on years of research to confirm that the personal satisfaction of getting the job done right -- in this case, teaching students well -- is at the core of our drive. That's why bonuses handed out to teachers based largely on test scores turn out not to improve achievement and are often resisted by teachers who want support to succeed, not bribes that undermine intrinsic motivation and collaboration.

We have never heard more policy rhetoric about the importance of developing, recruiting, and retaining strong teachers, especially in our most troubled schools. Ironically, our policies have also never done more to ensure that good teachers will have little incentive to serve and stay in those schools. We need to get the incentives right. According to the Met Life survey, that means enacting a Broader Bolder Approach: treating teachers as professionals, providing them with opportunities to learn with one another and improve their practice, ensuring that schools offer decent teaching and learning conditions, and supporting children with the services that enable them to be ready to learn each day.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education

Blessings!
Susan

References:

www. nieer.org

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120329/manhattan/city-may-kill-pre-k-classes-accommodate-waitlisted-kindergartners#.T3-ZKq7TSnw.gmail

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-darlinghammond/teacher-satisfaction_b_1367251.html?ref=education

         

International Contacts - Part 2

Week 5, and NO contacts have emailed me back. I have checked my spam filter and trash, but nothing has been sent there. I am hopeful someone will email me back, even if it is in week 8. 


I did, however have my curiosity peaked when I was attempting to listen to a podcast participant. I had great difficulty understanding him, but I wanted to know more, so I went to his website.

His name is Meridas Yora, and he is the Founder and Director for the Yayasan Fajar Hidayah Foundation. After the 2004 tsunami hit Aceh, there were over 140 orphans and 120 casualties under the ages of 5 years old. He knew these children needed homes, so he created a boarding school for them. The teachers had to become not only teachers, but like a mother, father, and nurse because these children had lost everything. I was impressed with his desire to ensure these children were not left homeless, and were given an education. Below are the Foundation's Vision, Mission, Strategy, and Implementation. The children as well as the teachers and Meridas give their thanks to God for allowing this to happen.

"Our Vision

A world of religious, independent, creative, and technologically advanced Moslem generation perceptive to the dynamics of global changes.

Our Mission

To continuously develop high quality Islamic educational institutions for the present and future generation of Moslems.

Our Strategy

Harnessing the spirit of Islam to endure, progress, and achieve excellence by setting mission, opportunity, resource, and timing in a balanced configuration.

Fajar Hidayah schools are developed, constructed and operated by an integrated management team which generates efficiency both in investments and operation.

Implementation                            

Fajar Hidayah has been given operational license and accredited fully by the Ministry of Education of The Republic Indonesia both for its primary school and junior high school. Fajar Hidayah adopts the “Active Learning” approach and method of teaching, enriched with Islamic and International orientation.

Development, construction and operation of the schools are done by an integrated management team with diverse expertise, and are fully funded by the foundation supported by receipts from operation." (http://www.fajarhidayah.com/en/aceh_web/aboutus.htm)

I also explored Harvard's website about Global Children's Initiative.

The Global Initiative focuses on 3 specific strategies:

        

• reframing the discourse around child health and development in the global policy arena by educating high-level decision-makers about the underlying science of learning, behavior, and health, beginning in the earliest years of life;
• supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects to expand global understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track; and
• building leadership capacity in child development research and policy—focused on both individuals and institutions—in low- and middle-income countries to increase the number and influence of diverse voices and perspectives that are contributing to the growing global movement on behalf of young children.

 Moreover, these strategies also involve activities for specific domains. They are:

• early childhood development;
• child mental health; and
  
• children in crisis and conflict situations.

"Each of these domains is being guided by a designated faculty working group that will facilitate continuing cross-disciplinary collaboration; design and implement new projects; and engage additional faculty, students, and collaborators beyond the Harvard community." (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/) 

This is quite extraordinary, in my opinion, because it allows a specific group to organize specific activities and projects beyond the community they are in. It is a collaborative effort to help children from all areas and all issues.

What an informative website! I would encourage all of you to look at it and read about it. I would love to be able to report about emails I am receiving; however, the websites we have looked at have been very informative!

Blessings,
Susan

 

References:

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

http://www.fajarhidayah.com/en/aceh_web/aboutus.htm

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/




 

Sharing Resources.....

Hello, all.

I am still awaiting contact from the numerous emails I have sent out. However, I will not get discouraged as I am enjoying listening to the podcast participants.

I have been reading many, many articles on NIEER's website, as well as their newsletter. There is a wealth of information for early childhood professionals on this website.

When I began reading the current newsletter, I was immediately drawn to the "Early Play=Academic Achievement" tab. This was taken from the publication, Family Science. In this article, it is quoted, "toddlers engage in cognitively stimulating play, such as pretend play, which can have long lasting effects on academic success." (Family Science) It continues to elude to the fact that if this type of parental involvement takes place, even as early as 2 years old, it can be a predictor of 5th grade math and reading achievement. I read that, and I sat back and thought of that for a few moments.

As an educator for early childhood, I believe it is crucial for children to play. They are learning so many skills while at play, and it makes total sense that this could be a predictor of how well they achieve in upper grades. I have seen so many children lose that imagination and creativity, as well as social problems due to the lack of play. On NIEER's website, there is a publication dedicated to Growing and Learning for preschoolers, which is all about incorporating play into the classroom. There is a short video about play. I would encourage you to view it! It is well worth your time to watch it! I have posted the link to the video; please watch it when you have a moment.

http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=65

There are many, many publications, resources, research, etc. on this website. I was particularly impressed with the writings about Ted Kennedy. For me, I have thought most politicians were all about their own agendas. However, according to NIEER's co-director, Steve Barnett, this senator was fighting for healthy child development before he died. He also went on to say there would be far less federal support had Kennedy not been involved. Below is an interview Mr. Kennedy did back in 2009 with Preschool Matters.

Senator Ted Kennedy on the Federal Role in Early Care and Education

Few people have been as involved in the struggle for health and education services for children for as long as eight-term Senator Edward J. Kennedy. A staunch supporter of Head Start and other early childhood programs, Kennedy serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Preschool Matters asked him about the state of early education and the federal role in it.

Q: Perhaps more than anybody in Washington, you have fought the longest and hardest for early childhood education. As you well know, garnering support for dedicating the kind of resources needed to effectively educate young children has been an uphill battle. Now that substantial new funding is coming by way of the stimulus plan, what are your thoughts?
A: Overall, the recovery investment is a major step toward ending the current economic nightmare and renewing the promise of the American dream, and early childhood education will be one of the most important beneficiaries. More teachers can be trained and hired, and the quality of early learning programs will be increased. There will also be needed new support for child care, which means that more young children will be cared for while their parents are at work or looking for jobs. These steps are significant, but more remains to be done. I look forward to working with Congress and the administration to see that all young children receive the early learning and support they need to be successful when they reach school. 

Q: What do you say to those who maintain that ramping up funding for early care and education in a stimulus plan is setting up the early childhood community for a fall since the money coming from stimulus is not permanent funding?
A: Each year of a child's life is important. We can't deny young children today based on what we may or may not do two years from now. These funds are critical to keeping parents working and children in safe and productive early learning environments. In Massachusetts alone, I've heard countless stories of parents no longer able to afford the high cost of child care, and schools struggling to cover basic costs for transportation, food and staff. Few federal dollars are better spent. These investments need to be maintained and even increased, so that all children are not only ready for school, but are also well-prepared to become successful members of the workforce.

Q: With the enhanced funding for Head Start and some bills in Congress aimed at helping states fund their pre-K programs, some say we should be moving toward a more coordinated system of federal/state preschool. Do you think that's a good idea?
A: Yes. Many states have begun to invest in early childhood education and child care programs. In Massachusetts we have Head Start, Early Head Start, state-funded prekindergarten and other community-based early learning programs for children and their families. Better coordination of these investments at all levels will reduce gaps in services, increase cooperation among early childhood educators and providers, and optimize the impact of these investments. That's why state advisory councils were included in the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act passed by Congress in 2007. Councils will help states align their programs and coordinate investments in early learning and child care. The role and responsibilities of these councils will assure the continuing success of early learning programs. We must also see that the Department of Education and the Depart­ment of Health and Human Services coordinate in ways that optimize programs for young children and their families.

Q: Taxpayers need to know how effective any new investments in early childhood education are at producing positive results. Are there issues or questions that research might address that would help you and your colleagues develop better policy?
A: The science of brain dev­elopment and years of data from high-quality early childhood programs such as Head Start, Perry Preschool and Abbott have made Congress and the country much better aware of the importance of investing in this area. In coming years, it will be important to have research that sheds additional light on the short-term benefits associated with high-quality early learning opportunities and gives us a better understanding of the key components of high-quality programs, such as staffing and professional development, curriculum, class size, standards, and resources and their direct benefits. Research will also give us a better analysis of workforce development; beyond general statistics on early childhood educators, broadly it would be helpful for legislators to have a more detailed understanding of the skills, training, opportunities and challenges facing early education providers working with infants and toddlers in quality early learning settings. 

Q: The preponderance of responsibility for public education has traditionally rested with the states but the federal role is clearly growing. How big do you think the federal role should be?
A: The aim of the federal government is to become a resource by providing a framework for setting achievement benchmarks that will make our country globally competitive. Because of the unfortunate reality of unequal access and unequal quality in education nationwide, the federal role has to expand in order to level the playing field among the states, improve early childhood education and child care standards, and make certain that students are educated in ways that will enable them to be successful in the 21st century global economy. The challenge is for the federal role to grow in a constructive partnership with the states. 

Q: During the previous administration you made a special effort to reach across the aisle and work with your Republican colleagues on issues such as the Head Start Reauthorization. Yet examples of that spirit have seemed the exception rather than the rule in recent years. Do you see us returning to an era of more bipartisanship?
A: Reaching consensus on the issues and achieving the best outcome for the nation will always be our priority. We'll continue to reach across the aisle to achieve our goals on these issues. All of us are encouraged by President Obama's commitment to such bipartisanship, and I'm hopeful that we can keep these key issues out of the partisan arena.

This website offers a wealth of information for educators. I would encourage you all to take a moment and browse through this website and subscribe to this newsletter. It is wonderful! I have learned, while I once believed all politicians had their own agendas, some actually do have the best interest of children at heart. I realized this by reading what Mr. Kennedy had to say

References:
www.nieer.org

My Podcast Participant.....

Hello, all!!


Unfortunately, I never heard back from ANY contact outside of the United States. :-( I was very excited; but now I am having to do the alternative assignment. When I first thought of the podcast, I was not looking forward to it. However, upon hearing what some of these professionals do, it is quite interesting. I would encourage everyone to go listen to some of the interviews.


I chose, for this week that is, Maysoun Chehab. She is quite an amazing person, in my opinion. She works in Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Egypt, and Yemen raising awareness of early childhood care and learning to parents, families and educators. She trains caregivers of early childhood children on best practices, as well as providing resources. (Mainly Arabic resources)


During the podcast, she spoke of a devastating storm that demolished a school; she made sure she trained parents, caregivers, and educators on how to help young children cope with this type of situation; she taught them how to provide emotional services to these children.


The website; www.worldforumfoundation.org has a wealth of information.There is information on current, as well as past projects; becoming involved with this work; to numerous initiatives. Please, go take a look around. I am considering joining this wonderful community of educators!

Poverty

This week has been quite eye opening for me! I have always thought other countries dealt with poverty; however, since I have been digging into resources and speaking with people in my community, I now realize people are dealing with this issue each day! It has made me appreciate what I have, but be more aware of what to look for, as well as offer aid to those in need. I believe, just as this picture says, that we can end poverty together. We must be educated on poverty, as well as what to look for! 




References:

World Forum Foundation; 2012. www.worldforumfoundation.org

Expanding and Sharing our Resources

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org

"The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high quality, effective, early childhood education for all young children." (nieer.org) This research aids in enhancing children's cognitive, physical, and social development. It works with policy makers as well as educators in all areas for the success of education. It evaluates programs as well as state progress towards creating an excellence of early education. 

As I was reading through the newsletter, the very first topic caught my attention. CBS news actually did a news segment on this; kindergarten redshirting. Parents (that is, male children of caucasian families who are from higher income families) believe, if they keep their children from entering kindergarten for an extra year, they will be maturer and be better able to handle the rigor of school. This is, in my opinion. not a logical decision. While it does help children mature, it also prevents students from participating in the social/emotional areas of development. Children need to learn to handle situations with their peers, as well. Below is a link that discusses the pros and cons of kindergarten redshirting.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57389721-10391709/kindergarten-redshirting.-what-would-you-do/

As a parent, I would have not chosen this for my daughter, especially since she was an only child. I knew the importance of social development. As you watch this interview, what would you do if you had children? Would you redshirt from kindergarten?

I also found a video on the effects of high quality preschool programs on NIEER's website. I will post the link below.

http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=65

I enjoy reading the newsletters from NIEER. I would encourage all educators to join this newsletter, as well.

Traveling Around The World And Back......

What a challenging assignment this has turned out to be! It has been quite frustrating! I have sent out over a dozen emails to many different countries. I did this on Monday, and as of today, NOTHING! I did, however, get emails stating the the email would be sent but at a delay due to technical difficulties. 


I really do not want to have to revert to the optional assignment. Rather, I would enjoy talking to a person and being able to ask questions and have those questions answered.


Unfortunately, I do not have anyone at my district, or know anyone that is from another country. :( So, that option is not available for me.


I will certainly keep my fingers crossed!!


For part 2 of this assignment, I looked at many of the different websites for Early Childhood. However, I chose National Institute for Early Education Research because, in my opinion, we need to know everything about children before we can be effective educators! I want to keep up with the research so I can help all of my students succeed. I feel I can never learn enough!


I am sure I will keep up with many of the websites. I have been going back to Pre-K now numerous times. I enjoy have the endless supply of resources available to me!


Blessings!
Susan