Final Blog:::

Post at least three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development.

 Throughout this course, with many attempts, I was unable to build a relationship with an international contact. By reading my colleague’s blogs, I was allowed to gain insight on the information their contacts offered. One reward that I received was gaining knowledge of what many educators around the world are doing. Not only are they teaching but advocating for an improvement in education I also learned many ways to utilize resources through the active blogs of my colleagues. I was able to explore many websites and look into articles that peeked my passion. At the beginning of this program I had a set of goals that I wished to accomplish. Utilizing the many resources I was able to explore other options and I found other issues in education that peaked my interest

One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations is to always keep abreast of current relations that occur worldwide. It was a great idea to engage and build relationship with these international contacts. We as educational advocates can use techniques that are proven to be effective in the field of education. I have had a great experience in this course and have learned so many new insights. Thanks to all my classmates for the continuous support and I wish you all well upon your future endeavors!!!

Three insights I gained from the website this week was:

Teaching preschool children about the environment – How important it is to encourage young children to learn and engage with energy and environment issues in a playful manner by discovering solar and wind power through play and hands on activities. Young children are curious by nature, eager to learn and sensitive to natural environment. Early childhood programs should introduce young children to sustainability issues in ways that are appropriate and relevant to their needs and age.

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

Better monitoring in sight for the well being of young children-  this article provided information on the Holistic Early Childhood Development Index and how it intends to overcome the existing fragmented perspective on early childhood by adopting a vision of monitoring children from the prenatal period to age eight measuring the following elements: Legal protection of children, social problems and welfare, cognitive and social emotional development, access to quality and care education and health and nutrition.

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

Every child has the right  to education-This article provided information about how children who have access to school often suffer from poor quality education and leave school without having acquired basic skills. Several points were bought up in this convention stating that states have legal obligations to ensure the right to education.

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

The website that I have been following is the NAEYC at http://www.naeyc.org/.

I love this website because it offers so much information to teachers and I have gained so much from this website as a beginning teacher. This website provides outside links  for various materials for teachers and parents such as basic kits for preschool teachers, It offers professional development workshops all over the world and books on ethics for the early childhood educator. This website gives you an opportunity to join to gain access to many other things as well.

Exploring the article this week, I found an amazing publication on finding the education in educational technology with early learners. This article went into how to provide guidance for using technology in early childhood programs. I was not able to find any information pertaining to the issue of the week. I did gain new insights on how to implement technology in an early childhood setting.

International Contacts

This week, I listened to a pod cast from World Forum Radio (http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/) 

 Susan Lyon was intrigued by a small child’s conception of the word “city”, and began pondering how children think. She initiated the Innovative Teacher Project, and began working with the Presidio Child Care Center and the San Francisco public schools.  She is now working with an Italian architect to rehab a San Francisco structure into the first Italian immersion preschool. Susan worked with children with disabilities. She shared her insights on how children see the world and how much of her inspiration comes from children. She brought the exhibit the 100 languages of children to Northern California. She also started the innovative teacher project where teachers present their schools and discuss initiatives for teachers. 

I was unable to contact Susan. I visited Harvard University’s “Global Children’s website(http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/).  I was able to learn some important information about the Global Children’s Initiative.  There three-fold focus was 1. Reframing the discourse around child health and development, 2. Supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration project and 3.Building leadership capacity in child development research and policy.  I also learned that their focus concentrated on three different areas: 1. Development in early childhood, 2.Child mental health, and 3. Conflict solutions for children in crisis.