Prior to this class I had very little knowledge of the state of the early childhood field in other countries. I have to admit I was disappointed that none of my attempts to connect with an international early childhood professional proved successful. I was so thankful Caty was able to share her friend's experiences in Mexico. It makes more of an impact if someone is sharing their personal perspective of the field. I think that is also why I enjoyed listening to the podcasts.
My understanding of the influence international professionals in the field have had on early childhood programs in the states has expanded. Susan Lyon's podcast led to a deeper research of the Reggio approach (http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php).
I now realize the issues of defining early childhood professionals and ensuring quality programs for all children are topics facing the international community as well as our own. Ms. Vasquez mentioned the need to value the early childhood field; the need to define an early childhood professional which is challenging because two workforces are trying to merge; and adequate pay as challenges facing our field in the United States (Laureate Education, 2011). Interestingly, those were the same hurdles mentioned in the UNESCO policy statement in reference to the international early childhood workforce (http://www.unesco.org.new/en/education/themes/strengthening-ed-systems/early-childhood/) . All professionals can learn from the mistakes and successes around the globe as we tackle challenges facing our profession.
The changing demographics in our country mean greater chances that children from other countries will be in my preschool classes. Learning how other countries view childhood helps me communicate more effectively with culturally diverse families.
My goal would be to pursue an international connection to correspond with to share insights, successes, and challenges we are facing in the field. In the meantime, I will continue to visit the World Forum website to listen to the podcasts so that I can expand my knowledge of various teaching methods, whether it be the reggio approach as applied to the Presidio Project or the environmental learning demonstrated by Inma Allen in Swaziland, one has to be open to new ideas to add to our teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of the children we serve.
As this is the last blog for this course, I would like to say thank you to all of you who have expanded my world by creating interesting and informative blogs. You have my highest respect and my heartfelt wishes for continued success in your Walden journey. I hope to be blessed with your insights in future courses!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). "Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families - Part 3". Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
International Early Childhood Professionals
Regrettably, I was not able to make any international contacts for our class discussions. This week I visited UNESCO's website in search of information regarding the state of our profession, internationally (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ ). One of my goals in earning my Master's is to gain more knowledge of current issues and trends in our field. One of the issues we researched this week was the barriers to defining quality early childhood professionals. That issue is currently being tackled by many nations as the early childhood profession finds itself in the spotlight with increasing research coming to light on the importance of early childhood education.
In fact, in response to the developing interest in Early Childhood issues, UNESCO's Global Action Week which is organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) focused on Early Childhood Care and Education for this year's theme. The theme was entitled Rights from the Start! Early childhood Care and Education Now! The goal of the annual Global Action Week is to raise political and financial support in reaching their goal of Education For All (EFA).
The barriers in defining quality early childhood professionals in the United States are similar to those facing many of the other developed nations. The divide between the responsibilities of child care workers and early childhood teachers makes it difficult to establish standards for the early childhood field as a profession. According to the UNESCO Policy Brief No.27: Terms used in Europe are teachers and pedagogues, the latter providing a more holistic approach to child care (2004). Sweden addressed the divide by bringing the preschool teacher, school teacher, and free-time pedagogue (school-age childcare worker) under one government agency regardless of the educational setting (preschools, preschool classes in schools, schools, free-time services) (UNESCO, 2004). Everyone in the field takes 18 months of post secondary basic education courses followed by approximately 18 more months in their specialized field. Even with this core of professionals in the workforce, there are still workers considered "assistants" who generally have the equivalent of a U.S. high school education. So, even after attempts to professionalize the field, there still remains the question of how much education should an early childhood professional have? According to UNESCO three barriers must be addressed to answer this question:
The image of the early childhood professional must be changed from that of a substitute mother figure to that of a facilitator of learning. Society must place a higher value on early childhood. For example, a high percentage of Swedish teachers choose to teach older children as early childhood work is viewed as a lower status. The third barrier to face is the challenge of paying for the cost of educating the workforce to the standards of other teachers and then fairly compensating them.
(2004).
Another link took me to information about issues facing early childhood teachers in Africa. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) partnered with UNESCO in launching a series of children's books to address subjects affecting their lives such as war and conflict, HIV/Aids pandemic, and the issue of water resources (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/new/adea_and_unesco_launch_). These issues are not frequently conerns of children in the United States, but the overall lessons taught by the books sound very familiar. The books' characters, Bouba and Zaza, show children how to address issues of right and wrong; the series also provides opportunities for lessons on oral communication; and the books also serve as discussion topics for family members. It would seem the issues of right and wrong, family inclusiveness, and developing language skills are goals shared by teachers worldwide.
UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. (2004). The Early Childhood Workforce in 'Developed' countries: Basic Structures and Education. No. 27.
In fact, in response to the developing interest in Early Childhood issues, UNESCO's Global Action Week which is organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) focused on Early Childhood Care and Education for this year's theme. The theme was entitled Rights from the Start! Early childhood Care and Education Now! The goal of the annual Global Action Week is to raise political and financial support in reaching their goal of Education For All (EFA).
The barriers in defining quality early childhood professionals in the United States are similar to those facing many of the other developed nations. The divide between the responsibilities of child care workers and early childhood teachers makes it difficult to establish standards for the early childhood field as a profession. According to the UNESCO Policy Brief No.27: Terms used in Europe are teachers and pedagogues, the latter providing a more holistic approach to child care (2004). Sweden addressed the divide by bringing the preschool teacher, school teacher, and free-time pedagogue (school-age childcare worker) under one government agency regardless of the educational setting (preschools, preschool classes in schools, schools, free-time services) (UNESCO, 2004). Everyone in the field takes 18 months of post secondary basic education courses followed by approximately 18 more months in their specialized field. Even with this core of professionals in the workforce, there are still workers considered "assistants" who generally have the equivalent of a U.S. high school education. So, even after attempts to professionalize the field, there still remains the question of how much education should an early childhood professional have? According to UNESCO three barriers must be addressed to answer this question:
The image of the early childhood professional must be changed from that of a substitute mother figure to that of a facilitator of learning. Society must place a higher value on early childhood. For example, a high percentage of Swedish teachers choose to teach older children as early childhood work is viewed as a lower status. The third barrier to face is the challenge of paying for the cost of educating the workforce to the standards of other teachers and then fairly compensating them.
(2004).
Another link took me to information about issues facing early childhood teachers in Africa. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) partnered with UNESCO in launching a series of children's books to address subjects affecting their lives such as war and conflict, HIV/Aids pandemic, and the issue of water resources (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/new/adea_and_unesco_launch_). These issues are not frequently conerns of children in the United States, but the overall lessons taught by the books sound very familiar. The books' characters, Bouba and Zaza, show children how to address issues of right and wrong; the series also provides opportunities for lessons on oral communication; and the books also serve as discussion topics for family members. It would seem the issues of right and wrong, family inclusiveness, and developing language skills are goals shared by teachers worldwide.
UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. (2004). The Early Childhood Workforce in 'Developed' countries: Basic Structures and Education. No. 27.
Friday, August 3, 2012
New Discoveries on the NAEYC Website
Since I am in the "back to school" mode I decided to look more closely at the resources available on the NAEYC website. Under the Topics tab I found Back to School. This area offered library book ideas, suggestions for helping children get to know one another, topics for letters to parents, and ideas for making parents feel welcome. Though I had implemented many of the ideas in years past, I was pleased to find several new ideas and different ways to update other techniques I had been using. This area would be extremely helpful for new teachers!
The suggestions came from the Teaching Young Children publication, also a benefit of NAEYC membership. The Teaching Young Children (TYC) articles are shorter and offer more "hands-on", practical teaching ideas and strategies. One of the links in the TYC area is called Message In A Backpack. These are one page tips for parents on topics like "Help Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control", "Finding Low Cost Toys for Home Learning", or "Suggestions for Developing Fine Motor Skills". These would be helpful resources to send home for parents. I write a monthly newsletter to the families in my classroom and I am going to include one of these messages each month. Especially helpful for new staff trying to learn the early childhood lingo is the section called Glossary of Early Childhood Terms There is also a Resources & Links tab which connects you to different websites, and resources for teaching strategies on a variety of topics.
While I was looking at the Resources and Links area I clicked on Dual Language Learners since we have been looking at equity in early learning, especially for families of diverse culture and language. There were several helpful resources mentioned:
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center-Dual Language Learners - When you click on this it takes you to a site created for Head Start but can be used by anyone looking for information about dual language learners and disabilities, family and community partnerships, health connections, and professional development topics. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/Dual%20Language%20Learn
Language Castle - clicking on this gets you to a site by Karen Nemeth who authored the book Many Languages, One Classroom as well as Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An Introduction for Educators of Children Birth through Age 8 (both books reviewed elsewhere on the NAEYC site). She offers teaching tips and blogs about teaching dual language learners.
http://www.languagecastle.com/Language_Castle/LANGUAGE_CASTLE_HOME.html
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs - this site offers research and resources for teaching dual language learners.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) - this site gives tips on teaching English to speakers of other languages and gives English proficiency standards for children pre-K - 12.
http://www.tesol.org
The TYC section of the NAEYC site is going to be a very practical area to visit!
Information retrieved from http://naeyc.org
The suggestions came from the Teaching Young Children publication, also a benefit of NAEYC membership. The Teaching Young Children (TYC) articles are shorter and offer more "hands-on", practical teaching ideas and strategies. One of the links in the TYC area is called Message In A Backpack. These are one page tips for parents on topics like "Help Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control", "Finding Low Cost Toys for Home Learning", or "Suggestions for Developing Fine Motor Skills". These would be helpful resources to send home for parents. I write a monthly newsletter to the families in my classroom and I am going to include one of these messages each month. Especially helpful for new staff trying to learn the early childhood lingo is the section called Glossary of Early Childhood Terms There is also a Resources & Links tab which connects you to different websites, and resources for teaching strategies on a variety of topics.
While I was looking at the Resources and Links area I clicked on Dual Language Learners since we have been looking at equity in early learning, especially for families of diverse culture and language. There were several helpful resources mentioned:
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center-Dual Language Learners - When you click on this it takes you to a site created for Head Start but can be used by anyone looking for information about dual language learners and disabilities, family and community partnerships, health connections, and professional development topics. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/Dual%20Language%20Learn
Language Castle - clicking on this gets you to a site by Karen Nemeth who authored the book Many Languages, One Classroom as well as Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An Introduction for Educators of Children Birth through Age 8 (both books reviewed elsewhere on the NAEYC site). She offers teaching tips and blogs about teaching dual language learners.
http://www.languagecastle.com/Language_Castle/LANGUAGE_CASTLE_HOME.html
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs - this site offers research and resources for teaching dual language learners.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) - this site gives tips on teaching English to speakers of other languages and gives English proficiency standards for children pre-K - 12.
http://www.tesol.org
The TYC section of the NAEYC site is going to be a very practical area to visit!
Information retrieved from http://naeyc.org
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