I have yet to receive contact from my international contacts, therefore, I am going to complete the alternate assignment. Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative website: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
The Global Children 's Initiative focuses on three strategic objectives:
The first one is to build a multidisciplinary science of health, learning, and behavior which would explain the early roots of lifelong impairments in the environments in which children live.
The second one would be to support research and demonstrate projects in selected countries or regions which will expand global understanding of how health development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track.
The third one it to build leadership capacity in child development research and policy between individuals and institutions of low and middle income countries in order to increase the number of influences for diverse perspectives that are contributing to the global movement on behalf of young children.
The Global Children's Initiative also, consists are three domains: early childhood development, mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. The insights that I have gained about early childhood systems around the globe is that the Global Children's Initiative are working together with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights in an effort to foster a science-based developmental perspective which includes the assessment and management for children well being in a range of natural and man made crises which focuses on immediate circumstances and long term adaptation. The two issues for this domain are: exploring comparable approaches for surveying child status in post earthquake, Haiti, and Chile, and using strategies of science of child development for addressing acute malnutrition.
This website have opened my eyes that all children of the world deserve a healthy start and live in a prosperous environment.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sharing Web Resources
The website is: http://www.preknow.org/ Newsletter: http://www.preknow.org/
What specific section (s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?
All of the information from the pre[k]now website were relevant for my current professional development. The reason I say this is true because the website offer me a variety of information that will be helpful for me as a developing and growing educator working with young children in pre-kindergarten. In addition, the website keeps me updated on the current issues in the early childhood education. For example, the section on Educators provide for teachers information about pre-k-standards, virtual pre-k classroom tour, and articles about exceptional teachers who are making a difference in their student lives.
Which ideas/statements /resources, on the e-newsletter, did I find controversial/or made me think about an issue in new ways?
With the recent cut backs in pre-k, this article: NC Pre-K Programs Still Up In The Air by Melvin, (2011) have only thirty-four days and counting until the new school year, and thousands of parents in Greensboro, NC, do not know if their kids can go to school. With the budget cuts most Pre-K families would have to pay part of the cost to send their children to school. These budget cuts means fees will be set on a sliding scale fee based on family income and limits the number of students who can enroll. The state legislature is going back in session and the education committee will sit down with the lawmakers and work on the budget to try to fix the Pre-K Program before hundreds of kids are supposed to start school (Melvin, 2011). This article helped me think about pre-k cuts back in a new way. In the school where I work with pre-k, the funds were cut, but the Board of Education decided to pay the extra funds for pre-k programs to run the entire year. I am grateful because the pre-k program in my community could be going through the same uncertainty as the families in Greensboro, NC. In addition, the article showed me how important the pre-k programs are for children to start learning and developing at an early age.
What information does the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?
According to the article, Education funding a vital investments by Zucker, (2011), talks about how the country and state are neglecting to provide funding that provide education for children and train future workers are in trouble. With cuts to local, state and national education budgets are putting limits for highly educated and motivated individuals who will be future parents and leaders. In addition, we must educate and train children to compete globally in a complex world. Our future as a nation is being determined by the quality of education and training we provide today. Especially, in the areas which we have been weak: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Economists, neuroscientists and politicians must continue to work together to invest in education funding because supporting education should not be a hard decision (Zucker, 2011). Families, children, educators, and health providers are supporting and depending on them to help save our educational programs throughout the country.
What other news insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did I gain from exploring the website or newsletter?
The pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/ : under the Fact Sheets, I learned about the benefits of high quality Pre-k provides for children, their families, and their communities. Pre-k benefits are: successful students, responsible adults, stronger communities, and pre-k improves efficiency and productivity in the classroom. In addition, the pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/: offers a fact sheet for Pre-K and Latinos. Our country future commitment to provide high-quality early childhood education programs for all children. Especially, the Latino population which includes: demographics, school readiness gap, enrollment, English Language Learners (ELLs), and assessment. This section on the pre[k]now website provided me a lot of information about working with Latino children is a trend in the early childhood field that I needed to learn about.
Reference
Melvin, L. (2011), NC Pre-K Program Still Up In The Air, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/183759/57/Pre-K-Program-Still-Not-A-Go
Zucker, A. (20111), Education funding a vital investment, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jul22/education-fundinga-vital-investment/
What specific section (s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?
All of the information from the pre[k]now website were relevant for my current professional development. The reason I say this is true because the website offer me a variety of information that will be helpful for me as a developing and growing educator working with young children in pre-kindergarten. In addition, the website keeps me updated on the current issues in the early childhood education. For example, the section on Educators provide for teachers information about pre-k-standards, virtual pre-k classroom tour, and articles about exceptional teachers who are making a difference in their student lives.
Which ideas/statements /resources, on the e-newsletter, did I find controversial/or made me think about an issue in new ways?
With the recent cut backs in pre-k, this article: NC Pre-K Programs Still Up In The Air by Melvin, (2011) have only thirty-four days and counting until the new school year, and thousands of parents in Greensboro, NC, do not know if their kids can go to school. With the budget cuts most Pre-K families would have to pay part of the cost to send their children to school. These budget cuts means fees will be set on a sliding scale fee based on family income and limits the number of students who can enroll. The state legislature is going back in session and the education committee will sit down with the lawmakers and work on the budget to try to fix the Pre-K Program before hundreds of kids are supposed to start school (Melvin, 2011). This article helped me think about pre-k cuts back in a new way. In the school where I work with pre-k, the funds were cut, but the Board of Education decided to pay the extra funds for pre-k programs to run the entire year. I am grateful because the pre-k program in my community could be going through the same uncertainty as the families in Greensboro, NC. In addition, the article showed me how important the pre-k programs are for children to start learning and developing at an early age.
What information does the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?
According to the article, Education funding a vital investments by Zucker, (2011), talks about how the country and state are neglecting to provide funding that provide education for children and train future workers are in trouble. With cuts to local, state and national education budgets are putting limits for highly educated and motivated individuals who will be future parents and leaders. In addition, we must educate and train children to compete globally in a complex world. Our future as a nation is being determined by the quality of education and training we provide today. Especially, in the areas which we have been weak: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Economists, neuroscientists and politicians must continue to work together to invest in education funding because supporting education should not be a hard decision (Zucker, 2011). Families, children, educators, and health providers are supporting and depending on them to help save our educational programs throughout the country.
What other news insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did I gain from exploring the website or newsletter?
The pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/ : under the Fact Sheets, I learned about the benefits of high quality Pre-k provides for children, their families, and their communities. Pre-k benefits are: successful students, responsible adults, stronger communities, and pre-k improves efficiency and productivity in the classroom. In addition, the pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/: offers a fact sheet for Pre-K and Latinos. Our country future commitment to provide high-quality early childhood education programs for all children. Especially, the Latino population which includes: demographics, school readiness gap, enrollment, English Language Learners (ELLs), and assessment. This section on the pre[k]now website provided me a lot of information about working with Latino children is a trend in the early childhood field that I needed to learn about.
Reference
Melvin, L. (2011), NC Pre-K Program Still Up In The Air, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/183759/57/Pre-K-Program-Still-Not-A-Go
Zucker, A. (20111), Education funding a vital investment, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jul22/education-fundinga-vital-investment/
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 1
So far, I have not been able to establish contact with a early childhood professional from around the world. I sent e-mails to professionals from the NAYEC website, and I sent e-mails to my past professors from college. None of my old professors knew any early childhood professionals outside of the United States. I am going to do the alternative assignment.
From CNN.Com, the podcast I listen to was: Feeding kids when parents, school can't. This podcast talks about during the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States, but during the summer, parents struggles to feed their children. One community in suburban Atlanta is delivering food and hope in brown bags. This organization called Must Ministries headed by Paula Rigsby provides food, clothing and assistance to families in need. During the summer, volunteers pack hundreds of bag lunches for nearly, 46,000 kids in the county who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year. Parents appreciate the help because today's economy has caused more families hardships, not only in suburban Atlanta, but nationwide. The number of kids who qualify for free or reduced price meals is growing nealy 6% in the past three years. This Must Ministries Organization headed by Paula Rigsby and volunteers taught me that by working together in your community can make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty.
The Childhood Poverty Research and and Policy Centre (http://www.childhood.poverty.org/): The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre is a collaborative research and policy programme which involves Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre(CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. In addition, this website is a resource for policy makers, practitioners and activists concerned about childhood poverty. The international community has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Developments Goals by 2015; which includes halving property rates, cutting two-thirds the death of children under five and ensuring that all children in the world complete at least primary education.
The three insights or ideas I learned from this website: http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
I had no idea that over 600 million children live in poverty world-wide. Although I live in a small rural community, I never had to deal with poverty in our community. This does not mean that these families do not exist. Most of the people living in our community must travel out of town to work. Almost all of these families are receiving food stamps and living in assistance housing. Another insight I learned that, over 10 million children under the age of five still die every year from preventable diseases living in developing countries. Children are the most powerless groups who bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty. I am thankful and grateful that this website is fighting to change this national tragedy because all children should receive the medical care needed to live a healthy life. I had not idea that "today's poor children are tomorrow's poor parents". This statement helped me to open my eyes and realize that poverty is real and I must work harder and help children and families to overcome this crisis. This website is a great resource to use to use to overcome this crisis.
Feeding kids when parents, school can't, CNN.Com Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://cnn.site.printhis.clickablilty.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Feeding+kids+when+parents%2C+schools+can%
CHIP: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre, Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
From CNN.Com, the podcast I listen to was: Feeding kids when parents, school can't. This podcast talks about during the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States, but during the summer, parents struggles to feed their children. One community in suburban Atlanta is delivering food and hope in brown bags. This organization called Must Ministries headed by Paula Rigsby provides food, clothing and assistance to families in need. During the summer, volunteers pack hundreds of bag lunches for nearly, 46,000 kids in the county who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year. Parents appreciate the help because today's economy has caused more families hardships, not only in suburban Atlanta, but nationwide. The number of kids who qualify for free or reduced price meals is growing nealy 6% in the past three years. This Must Ministries Organization headed by Paula Rigsby and volunteers taught me that by working together in your community can make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty.
The Childhood Poverty Research and and Policy Centre (http://www.childhood.poverty.org/): The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre is a collaborative research and policy programme which involves Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre(CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. In addition, this website is a resource for policy makers, practitioners and activists concerned about childhood poverty. The international community has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Developments Goals by 2015; which includes halving property rates, cutting two-thirds the death of children under five and ensuring that all children in the world complete at least primary education.
The three insights or ideas I learned from this website: http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
I had no idea that over 600 million children live in poverty world-wide. Although I live in a small rural community, I never had to deal with poverty in our community. This does not mean that these families do not exist. Most of the people living in our community must travel out of town to work. Almost all of these families are receiving food stamps and living in assistance housing. Another insight I learned that, over 10 million children under the age of five still die every year from preventable diseases living in developing countries. Children are the most powerless groups who bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty. I am thankful and grateful that this website is fighting to change this national tragedy because all children should receive the medical care needed to live a healthy life. I had not idea that "today's poor children are tomorrow's poor parents". This statement helped me to open my eyes and realize that poverty is real and I must work harder and help children and families to overcome this crisis. This website is a great resource to use to use to overcome this crisis.
Feeding kids when parents, school can't, CNN.Com Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://cnn.site.printhis.clickablilty.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Feeding+kids+when+parents%2C+schools+can%
CHIP: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre, Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Sharing Web Resources
The name of the organization I selected: Pre[K]Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States
http://www.preknow.org/
Pre-K Now is a public education and advocacy campaign that offers free high-quality pre k-kindergarten for all three and four years olds. In addition, Pre-K Now raises awareness about the need for pre-k for all children.
Identify one current issue/trend from the Pre-K News Clips (info@preknow.org) that caught my attention was about: Hispanic achievement gap is narrowing in Oregon. According to the National Center for Education Statistics released a report that look at the performance of both white and Hispanic fourth-graders and eighth-graders in all fifty states. Although the change were small, however, Hispanics and white students are showing higher level of skills in both states. In Eastern Oregon, where fifty-percent of the student population is Hispanic. The fourth grade reading achievement is higher than the twenty-five point nationwide average. Teachers at the Oregon schools are encouraged to get their English Language Learners endorsement or at least attend short institutes on language development. Also, the school recruits as many Spanish speaking teachers as possible. In addition, with the help of special programs such as Generation College at the high school, many Hispanic students are becoming the first in their families to earn a college degree (Mills,2011). This article helped me to see that Hispanics attending school in Oregon are capable of learning and achieving as long they are given the right tools, such as English language teachers and special programs (Generation College).
In addition the Pre-K Newclips (info@preknow.org) talked about an article: Opportunity: Saving future of education. The U.S. Department of Education released data that included surveys that a total of three-thousand of the seven-thousands school district offered no Algebra II classes. Over two-million students in some seven-thousand-three-hundred schools had no access to calculus classes. Also, they found that schools serving mostly black students are twice as likely to have teachers with only one or two years of experience, compared to schools within the same district that serve mostly white students. According to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution said, "those numbers mean that the country's future labor force will depend on how well this country is able to educate a new population of children." On the other hand, children who are being born now without proper education, they will be a burden, not a blessing, in the future. This is definitely food for thought!
http://www.preknow.org/
Pre-K Now is a public education and advocacy campaign that offers free high-quality pre k-kindergarten for all three and four years olds. In addition, Pre-K Now raises awareness about the need for pre-k for all children.
Identify one current issue/trend from the Pre-K News Clips (info@preknow.org) that caught my attention was about: Hispanic achievement gap is narrowing in Oregon. According to the National Center for Education Statistics released a report that look at the performance of both white and Hispanic fourth-graders and eighth-graders in all fifty states. Although the change were small, however, Hispanics and white students are showing higher level of skills in both states. In Eastern Oregon, where fifty-percent of the student population is Hispanic. The fourth grade reading achievement is higher than the twenty-five point nationwide average. Teachers at the Oregon schools are encouraged to get their English Language Learners endorsement or at least attend short institutes on language development. Also, the school recruits as many Spanish speaking teachers as possible. In addition, with the help of special programs such as Generation College at the high school, many Hispanic students are becoming the first in their families to earn a college degree (Mills,2011). This article helped me to see that Hispanics attending school in Oregon are capable of learning and achieving as long they are given the right tools, such as English language teachers and special programs (Generation College).
In addition the Pre-K Newclips (info@preknow.org) talked about an article: Opportunity: Saving future of education. The U.S. Department of Education released data that included surveys that a total of three-thousand of the seven-thousands school district offered no Algebra II classes. Over two-million students in some seven-thousand-three-hundred schools had no access to calculus classes. Also, they found that schools serving mostly black students are twice as likely to have teachers with only one or two years of experience, compared to schools within the same district that serve mostly white students. According to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution said, "those numbers mean that the country's future labor force will depend on how well this country is able to educate a new population of children." On the other hand, children who are being born now without proper education, they will be a burden, not a blessing, in the future. This is definitely food for thought!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Blog Assignment 1: Getting Ready -Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources
June 29, 2011- e-mails rejected from the NAEYC website:
sklaus@issa.nl- Netherlands,International Step by Step Association
siobhanf@nippa.org - Ireland, Nippa The Early Childhood Organization
ydionne@cccf-fcsge.ca -Canadian Childcare Federation
jsm@wace.org -Europe, World Association of Early Childhood
July 1, 2011- e-mail rejected from the NAEYC website:
2kdotcom@ghana.com- Ghana
These are the only two websites on the NAEYC website that I have not received a rejection from. Hopefully, these will be the two websites that I will be able to use for professional contacts from around the world:
arebimbo@yahoo.com, Niger Delta Academic Foundation
child_ceccdd@yahoo.com- Philippines, Center for Early Childhood Care & Development
Also, I contacted some old college classmates and I asked them did they have any contacts with any outside early childhood professionals? Although I have not received any replies from them, I am praying they will contact me soon. I am ready to compare and contrast issues and trends that we are currently facing in the early childhood field.
Since I have had no responses from any outside early childhood professionals. I have decided to use the World Forum podcasts just in case all of my contacts do not work out.
Part 2: Expanding Resources
The website I chose for my expand resources: http://www.preknow.org/
This website has come to mean a lot to me because I have been working in pre-k for the last four-and-half years. This website will keep me updated with the current issues that is happening in pre-k, and information that will be helpful in my profession working with parents and children. Also, I subscribed to their newsletters. On July 1, 2011, I received my first pre-k news clips.
sklaus@issa.nl- Netherlands,International Step by Step Association
siobhanf@nippa.org - Ireland, Nippa The Early Childhood Organization
ydionne@cccf-fcsge.ca -Canadian Childcare Federation
jsm@wace.org -Europe, World Association of Early Childhood
July 1, 2011- e-mail rejected from the NAEYC website:
2kdotcom@ghana.com- Ghana
These are the only two websites on the NAEYC website that I have not received a rejection from. Hopefully, these will be the two websites that I will be able to use for professional contacts from around the world:
arebimbo@yahoo.com, Niger Delta Academic Foundation
child_ceccdd@yahoo.com- Philippines, Center for Early Childhood Care & Development
Also, I contacted some old college classmates and I asked them did they have any contacts with any outside early childhood professionals? Although I have not received any replies from them, I am praying they will contact me soon. I am ready to compare and contrast issues and trends that we are currently facing in the early childhood field.
Since I have had no responses from any outside early childhood professionals. I have decided to use the World Forum podcasts just in case all of my contacts do not work out.
Part 2: Expanding Resources
The website I chose for my expand resources: http://www.preknow.org/
This website has come to mean a lot to me because I have been working in pre-k for the last four-and-half years. This website will keep me updated with the current issues that is happening in pre-k, and information that will be helpful in my profession working with parents and children. Also, I subscribed to their newsletters. On July 1, 2011, I received my first pre-k news clips.
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