My Family Culture

A major catastrophe has completely devastated America, and I've just been told that I will be transported to another country. Though I'm a bit scared, I'm glad to get out of here. I've never been outside of America until now. I don't know what to expect, but what I do know is that I can only take several items with me, three to be exact. As I think about what's most important to me, I try to make the best possible decision and take what I know I will need to survive and may or may not be able to find in another country.

The first item I choose to take is my Bible. For my family, our relationship with God is our source of strength, stability, faith, and it gives us the ability to love one another and others. We believe in transaformation from the inside out and as long as I am connected to God, I believe that I will have everything else I need to survive and if I don't, I believe that God will give me wisdom to get what I need.

The second item I choose to take is my cell phone. Though international rates may apply, if I am separated from my family and friends, I can always call see how they are doing. If the country has wi-fi access, I can also check on my friends and extended family members to see if they are okay. My cell phone also houses pictures of my family and friends. In case I miss them, I have plenty of pictures to keep me company.

The last item I choose to take with me is my wallet. This will ensure that I have cash of my own that can be exchanged for the currency of my new country. With this money, I will be able to purchase necessary items to at least get me through until I find out where I will permanently be.

If I were told that I could only keep one item, I admit that would be a little disheartened. After all, three items alone was a stretch. I would definitely keep my Bible. The memories of my family I will always have with me and money can always be earned.

As a result of this exercise and having to sit down and think about what I would actually take, I have had to think about what is most important to me and reprioritize my life accordingly. It's so easy to get off track and so busy with the day to day responsibilities, but making time for God and family is important will provide for a well-rounded, balanced life.

Consequences of Studying Early Childhood on an International Level

Throughout the course, I have been provided with a plethora of resources that have given me insight on early childhood care and education around the world. I was shocked to find out that languages may be different and culture may change, but the principles of how children learn pretty much remain the same. There are several consequences to learning about early childhood programs around the world and I am excited to share them with you.

The first consequence is that I would like to travel to another country to teach. I think this would immerse me in another culture and allow me to practice what I have learned with a different group of students. Another consequence is that I have embraced the concerns and barriers of all cultures and have attempted to address them within my classroom. The third consequence is that I am encouraged to stay abreast of information that might give me insight on how to reach students who come from different countries and who speak different languages. It has helped me to increase my awareness of my ability to provide an equitable and excellent education to the students I teach.

One goal that I have for the early childhood field is to provide more interactions with early childhood specialists and teachers from other countries, and even opportunities to swap classrooms and experiences.

Sharing Web Resources: Professional Development

           Over the past four weeks, I have been navigating through and studying the resources located on the website for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This This week, I decided to visit the Professional Development section of the NAEYC website (www.naeyc.org). While exploring this section, I learned that the NAEYC offers several different professional development opportunities that include online training sessions, training dvds for use at home, and annual conferences to increase the knowledge and skill of early childhood professionals.

Online learning classes range from information regarding developmentally appropriate practices to an opportunity to eLearn using the Teaching Young Children Magazine. Early childhood professionals also have the opportunity to engage in face-to-face trainings about communication in difficult situations as well as classroom based assessment for preschoolers.

NAEYC’s annual conference is held nearby in Atlanta, Georgia this year and the focus is “Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the 21^st Century. The keynote speaker is Mem Fox, an Austrailian picture book author. Surprisingly, I also learned that the Walden University Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership is a year-round sponsor or the NAEYC. Given that the focus of the conference is on developmentally appropriate practice, this ensures that children enrolled in the programs of attendees have the potential to ignite their learning in new ways. It also guarantees that these participants will receive training in how to use strategies that agree with the way children develop and learn.

Harvard University Center on the Developing Child

After thoroughly exploring Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website, I was originally struck by the interactive resources, especially “How Early Experiences Get into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework.” In this interactive resource, researches discuss how a strong foundation is necessary for a productive society. “These scientific advances explain how early experiences are biologically embedded in the development of the brain and other organ systems and have long-term impacts on physical and mental health as well as cognitive, language, and social skills” (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/).  The resource seeks to identify ways to prevent unhealthy developmental experiences in an attempt to strengthen our families, communities, and society as a whole.

            From exploring the website, it is evident that the Center on the Developing Child has tapped into, is aware, and is sharing its findings on the role of science in the development of children. Several articles and publications discuss the brain and how it shapes experiences during the early childhood years. When I think of how this applies to equity and excellence in early care and education, I can’t help but shift my mind into preventive mode to ensure that each child, under my care, has positive experiences to build on. Sharing this information with parents, colleagues, and community members may help increase awareness as well as encourage others to begin ensuring that they provide children with the opportunity to make positive connections with the world around them. If this is done, children and students may inherit a desire for learning and interaction and explore the world around them more freely, without fear, hesitation, and limits.

Sharing Web Resources: NAEYC

Over the past four weeks, I have been navigating through and studying the resources located on the website for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This website offers a plethora of informational resources, but this week, I decided to focus on their position statements. As an early childhood professional, these resources help me to remain centered on child development and early learning within the classroom and are crucial to my professional development. They help shape my beliefs and classroom practices as we move towards a central focus on early childhood care and education within the United States.

            This week, one particular position statement, titled “Still Unacceptable Trends in Kindergarten Entry and Placement”, caught my attention. After reading articles about economists, neuroscientists, and politicians supporting early childhood education, this article helped continuously bring awareness to quality early childhood programs and practices in which investments can be made and lifelong benefits can be achieved. Reading this article provided greater clarity and balance as it pertains to administrative and educator roles and the way young children learn.

            Due to outside factors, administrators, educators, and parents are pressured for children and students to learn developmentally inappropriate standards using developmentally inappropriate methods. Given this outside influence, economists, neuroscientists, and politicians have the ability to make decisions and share information that promotes quality early childcare and education. The opportunity for collaboration across each field is evident as we all work together to ensure children are receiving a quality developmental experience.

Source:
www.naeyc.org

Poverty in China

            Though I have yet to give up hope on making professional contacts with those from another country, while I await responses, I have taken a look at the condition of poverty amongst children in China, courtesy of the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center’s website. I was particularly interested in China because of its One-Child Policy. Naturally, one would think with such an attempt to control the population, childhood poverty couldn’t possibly be a threat. Well, like many others, I have had to rethink my thoughts. In China, a surprisingly 4.2 million children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions. This is significantly less than the 16.4 million children who lived in poverty when the 2010 Census was taken.
            Though China does have a one-child policy, population can’t and hasn’t protected the country from experiencing poverty. Over the years, China has increased its interdependence on other countries which has increased the amount of goods, services, technology, and capital leaving the country. This alone increased the nation’s vulnerability to poverty. Also adding to the likelihood of poverty becoming a striking trend throughout the country, education costs drastically increased, and due to the economy, families were not able to afford them (www.childhoodpoverty.org).

References

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. (n.d.) Country overviews. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

NAEYC

This week, I reviewed the website for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The mission and vision of this organization is to “is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources.” One prominent theme presented throughout the website that ties directly into the organization’s purpose is informing the early childhood community (professionals and families) about current news in the early childhood field. The homepage of the website is filled with excerpts from recent publications of Young Children and other NAEYC books. The website’s resources have a clear focus on assisting the community in providing quality childcare and encouraging the whole development of young children.

For more information, visit the National Association for the Education of Young Children online at www.naeyc.org.