Early Childhood Australia

“Early Childhood Australia will advocate ensuring quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children from birth to eight years.” (Early Childhood Australia, 2012)

Some of the current Australian research topics addressed are the early childhood framework, school readiness, children’s transition to schools/grades, children’s health, children’s obesity, baby and toddler sleeping, sustainability, global warming, and climate change. There was a vast majority of research topics which touched base on many of the topics we focus on in the United States related to early childhood education.

I found it interesting that the website has the state/territory branches separated and describes the goals of each state/territory branch. I also found it interesting when I read the paper, “ECA Position Paper on Children of Asylum Seekers, Children of Refugees and Children in Detention”. It was interesting to see the perspective of Australia for children who are refugees. The paper discusses how children’s needs should/can be met and how individuals in Australia can help these children have special protection and care. “Half of the world's refugees are children. They need special protection and care.”

I found The Research in Practice Series was very interesting and worth taking notes on. “The Research in Practice Series is a practical, easy-to-read resource, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children.” The books are a resource for individuals who work within the early childhood field. The series focuses on the ‘hands-on’ aspects of early childhood education. I believe that ‘hands-on’ is so important to incorporate into the field of early childhood and is the core of children’s learning.

Resource:

Early Childhood Australia - http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

 

 

Conducting a Research Study

The one research study that I would conduct is a study of the impact that television has on children – mentally, emotionally, and physically. Within this study, I would focus primarily on children who have parents of the upper-middle class, who have very busy life styles. I would want to find out the percentage of children who have television take up most of their free time outside of school. I want to find out how many of these children have social issue concerning their ability to communicate with others and hold friendships and/or are in the percentage of obesity.

The positive contributions of this particular study would be the result of having the upper-middle class realizing the negative impact that television has on children. I would hope that this would positively influence parents to have their children become active and involved in society.  I understand that these studies have already taken place but I think it would be interesting to be able to conduct a study and choose the children to focus on relating to their mental, emotional, and physical abilities.

Research Simulation Topic

Hello all!

The subtopic that I decided to focus on during my Research Simulation for the duration of the course is the following: How building relationships with family members can positively affect a child’s life. I chose this topic because I believe that it is extremely important to have open communication with family members when working within an educational setting. I want to find out ways to handle situations when family members place their involvement in their child’s schooling as a last priority on their list of importance.

Throughout my research thus far, I have learned that it is important to take into consideration the demands of parents/guardians time and the expectations that are held to a parent in our society. I have also learned that teachers/leaders in the educational field should not expect family members to know how to be involved/judge a family if they are not involved. It is important that we as educators focus on the families strengths and look at the family communication in a new light.

I just received my first position in management in the early childhood field. I am going to be an Assistant Director in a day care center. I would like to ask my fellow colleagues a question – can you give me any advice on what to do in building relationships with families as a new leader in the center? Also, do you have an advice on how to deal with difficult parents/guardians? Any advice at all to give a beginner related to building rapport with family members within a center? Any information/advice is very much appreciated!

Final Blog ~ Consequences & My Goal

The first consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is I have broadened my understanding of the way in which early childhood programs are run in other parts of the world. It was interesting to be able to compare international programs to many of our programs that are run here in the United States. I was able to gain an understanding of schooling in different parts of the world which overall, helped me have a better understanding of our world.

The second consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is I was able to read about the connections that many colleagues had with ECE professionals in different areas of the world. It was interesting to hear the perspective of other early childhood educators in the field. I also felt a connection through their responses because many of the educators are in the field for the same reason as I am - to change the lives of children we are surrounded by.

The third consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is I formed a relationship with many of my colleagues through the connections and research that we prepared. We learned from one another if it were unintentional or intentional. I was able to learn about new resources available, international early childhood programs, and feel connected with early childhood educators in other areas of our world.

One goal for the early childhood field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations is that we continue to work together for the children. Every voice counts. If we continue to learn from each other about the resources and commitments we can make through the field then we are able to grow together to ensure quality education and care for children across the world. We must take a step towards making a difference in the field. I believe it will all pay off one day.

UNESCO

While exploring the website for UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) I gained some new insights about issues related to international early childhood education that relate to my professional goals. UNESCO works to build peace with individuals and is a worldwide network with headquarters in Paris (France) and 52 field offices, as well as six Institutes and two Centres which specialize in education. UNESCO specializes in education and at the same time, I specialize in early childhood education. UNESCO touches the lives of children around the world. Having an impact of the lives of children is a professional goal of mine so I can relate to UNCESCO.

I have learned the mission of UNESCO, which I believe is very powerful. I also feel that I can relate to their mission in my professional goals as an early childhood professional. The mission of the UNESCO Education Sector is to: 

·         provide international leadership to create learning societies with educational opportunities for all populations.

·         provide expertise and foster partnerships to strengthen national educational leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all.

·         work as an intellectual leader, an honest broker and clearing house for ideas, propelling both countries and the international community to accelerate progress towards these goals.

·         facilitate the development of partnerships and monitors progress, in particular by publishing an annual Global Monitoring Report that tracks the achievements of countries and the international community towards the six Education for All goals.  

The one goal of the UNESCO relates to my professional goal because it aims to work as an intellectual leader. As a member of Walden University within my master’s program I am working to become an intellectual leader in the early childhood education field. I am learning the background of the field as well as many resources that are available to me so I am able to further my knowledge in the field and work to become an intellectual leader.

The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All stated that learning begins at birth. A decade later, the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action reaffirmed the importance of early childhood by including the development of early childhood care and education as the first of its six main goals. It is very rewarding to hear that early childhood care and education if held at such high importance. I work as a member in the early childhood field because I want others to understand the importance and the impact education has on children in the early childhood field.

Overall, I believe that many of the goals that are set and accomplished through UNESCO can relate to my professional goals. Individuals who care about the education of children realize the importance of focusing on early childhood education and the impact it has on children.

Resource:

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

NAEYC ~ Week 6 Blog

One of the outside links from the NAEYC organization website that I have not yet explored that I decided to explore is the June/July 2012 issues of Teaching Young Children (TYC). The link led me to a description of the TYC magazine and the current issue. Each issue of the TYC magazine provides useful, research-based ideas that preschool educators can use in their classrooms. This issue includes articles about gardening, family-friendly practices, sorting activities, and using graphic organizers. (NAEYC, 2012)

Another outside link from the NAEYC organization website that I have not yet explored that I decided to explore is the Young Children magazine. The one issue that I explored is “Finding the Education in Educational Technology with Early Learners.” Young Children is an award-winning, peer-reviewed professional journal published bimonthly by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (NAEYC, 2012) Young Children issues are organized around topical clusters that devote special attention to issues in the field of early childhood education. (NAEYC, 2012)

The one area which I chose to be my focus is the membership section of NAEYC. This section describes how to sign up to become a member of NAEYC and the advantages you receive as of member of NAEYC. There are 6 reasons stated why to become a member of NAEYC. The six reasons are the following: Get great content, Save 20% off NAEYC books and resources, get discounts off conferences, build your network, change the world, and become a leader. This section also includes a list of benefits of becoming a member of NAEYC as well as FAQs listed for those individuals who may need some question answered. This section also lists the resources that are available at discount through a membership of NAEYC.

Yes, NAEYC does have information which relates to the understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education. There are training videos as well as an abundance of resources which correlate to the equity and excellence in early care and education. There is also a very helpful resource called the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, which helps guide professional development through research, policies, and practices. Walden University is actually a sponsor to the institute which is something that made me very proud of the school that I attend.

http://www.naeyc.org/institute/

I have learned and come to the realization of how important professional development is in the field. Professional Development is a continuum of learning and support activities designed to prepare individuals for work with and on behalf of young children and their families, as well as ongoing experiences to enhance this work. (NAEYC, 2012) These opportunities lead to improvements in the knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions of early education professionals. (NAEYC, 2012) NAEYC has a variety of learning opportunities designed for early childhood professionals. I believe these opportunities will help early childhood professionals understand equity in the field and the definition of excellence: Online learning programs on “must-know” topics, Intensive Training-of-Trainers sessions on critical early childhood subjects, Training DVDs for self-study or group instruction, and NAEYC’s annual Conference and Institute for workshops, networking, and more.

Resources:

http://www.naeyc.org/ecp/dvd

http://www.naeyc.org/institute/

Global Children’s Initiative

Three new insights that I have gained from exploring Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” Global Children’s Initiative is the centerpiece of the Center on the Developing Child to focus on children’s health around the globe and development an agenda. Through exploration of the website, I learned about some of the activities that are a focus on the Global Children’s Initiative.

One activity is the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project. The Zambian Early Childhood Development Project focuses on the early childhood experiences and development within sub-Saharan Africa. A number of states have shown the impact a child’s development, health, and educational outcomes but there is little evidence on the areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The Zambian Ministry of Education, the Examination Council of Zambia, UNICEF, the University of Zambia, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009, a collaborative effort to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia. In order to do this successfully they created a new comprehensive instrument for assessing children’s physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling careers—the first assessment tool of its kind in Zambia. The ZECDP collaborators hope that the data collected as part of this project, as well as future work in this area, will not only improve understanding of child development in this context but also help identify key interventions towards improved outcomes in a rapidly changing developing world.

Another insight is I learned that the Center on the Developing Child is launching its first major programmatic effort outside the United States. This effort is a part of the centers Global Children’s Initiative and is called Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância. In collaboration with local experts, this project aims to use the science of child health and development to guide stronger policies and larger investments to benefit young children and their families in Brazil. Through this effort to work towards benefits of young children and families in Brazil, organizations are working together to catalyze more effective policies and programs that will, ultimately, foster a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable society.

The third insight that I learned about was the video Super-Cérebro. Super-Cérebro is the Portuguese translation of Brain Hero, a three-minute video depicting how actions by a range of people in the family and community can affect a child’s development. This video corresponds to the child’s development and what impacts a child’s development including but not limited to their brain development, the community in which a child grows, the experiences a child faces throughout early childhood development. This video was a very informational piece for parents of children of young ages.

Reaching excellence is every parents dream for their child. Many children do not have a chance when it comes to the standards of excellence our society sets. With organizations such as the Center on the Developing Child and initiative programs which work at finding excellence and equity in children, many more children have the opportunity to excel.

Resources:

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