Consequences of learning about International Early Childhood

Consequences of learning about International Early Childhood

 

Learning about the International early childhood field to me, is considered as a life-changing experience and getting a first hand look at the many issues and trends that children are facing in other countries than our own. Although some countries face different issues as us, such as poverty, malnutrition and access to healthy drinking water, some issues are just the same as ours as well, such as children and families receiving an equal and fair education. on the Professional side, administrators and instructors are given the chance to understand what diverse children and families lack in their home countries, which can help them to better understand what is needed of them and how to offer those things if they were to ever enter their classroom. This would also apply to me as well, considering the fact that I plan to one day become an early childhood instructor.

 

GOAL:

I believe that One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations should be to produce a better pathway of communication between American early childhood educators of the U.S. and international early childhood educators in order to build strong partnerships, share ideas on how to spread the awareness regarding the well-being of young children to ensure that they receive the best education as possible and work towards bringing a reduction to inequity in the early childhood field nationwide.



Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

Due to the fact that I still have not received a response from any early childhood professionals through the podcast, I chose to navigate UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/) and share insights I have learned that reflect my professional goals. There was not much that I could find on this site because many of the pages were considered as a forbidden area unable to access, therefore I decided to share what was available and also happened to be interesting to me. One of UNESCO’s themes, “Education for the 21’st Century” followed by the Education 2030 Framework, is an organization developed to enhance equitable services such as quality education, gender equality, rights of humanity, health awareness- specifically focusing on HIV and AIDS and vocational skills. Using global and regional systems, building partnerships and collaborating with governments, UNESCO plans to affect education systems in this exact matter worldwide. I was very intrigued to learn that the UNESCO has been in effect since 1945 and seeking to promote benefits for the betterment of education for children in many countries. Considering the fact that advocating for quality education for children in the early childhood program has become part of one of my newly revised professional goals, this theme of UNESCO showed much relativity to my future plans and goals upon entrance in the early childhood field.

Sharing Web Resources

      After following links outside of Zero to Three for the first time, I discovered the website under the  malnutrition in children sub-heading: http://www.nctsnet.org/content/defining-trauma-and-child-traumatic-stress

     This link leads to a website, titled, "Defining trauma and Child Traumatic Stress" The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) explains the purpose of their network, gives full details of the types of trauma children face, that can lead to stress and offers methods of treatment and a wide-range of resources as well.

       Although I created an account with Zero to Three to receive an e-newsletter, which were supposed to come around the first of every month, I have not yet received one.

        Upon exploring Zero to Three throughout this week, I have learned this website offers valuable information on care an education for children, maltreatment and behavior and development and methods to improve each aspect in children. there are links provided on the advocacy of children and offers tips on how to support or become one, I really admire the fact that the "Public Policy" section provides and updated factsheet (2015) on the living status- including health, family ties and positive learning of infants and toddlers in each of the fifty states including the District of Columbia, along with data and resources. I found the factsheet pretty interesting due to the fact that our assignment for this week relates to it.

      

Getting to know your international contacts-- Part 2

While exploring the website, Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative”, I gained a few insights about early childhood systems around the globe. Center of the Developing Child by Harvard University’s Working Globally runs a program based on science to create policies and practices. After reading the information on the website, I have learned about how Brazil has that Harvard and Brazil has an organization, formed in 2011: Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, which invests in Latin American children who are facing socioeconomic inequalities. I admire this program because it is reaching out to the culturally diverse families who are facing issues with income and education etc. In the years 2012-2014 Policy makers in Brazil came to Harvard for a week-long workshop in hopes to return and make changes in their policy and creating action plans. Upon returning to Brazil and continuously working together in San Paulo for workshops, the Brazilian policymakers developed three major investments for children in early childhood which were:

 

• “A comprehensive national “Legal Framework for Early Childhood” was developed by the 27 members of the Federal Congress who participated in ELP and it was adopted by the lower House of the Congress in early 2015.
• A new early childhood development program in the city of São Paulo led by its First Lady.
• A new home visiting program, designed by the coordinator for child health in the Federal Ministry of Health, and piloted by the First Ladies of São Paulo and Fortaleza”. (Harvard University)
  Canada, which has a program called: Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) focus on implementing science-based research and studies on the development of the brain to share with early childhood policymakers in hopes to support the betterment of child development. The AFWI has its own website, http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/ which runs different programs, has news and events, valuable resources and programs and interesting and educational videos and games. Overall, I have learned that there are quite a few countries working with Harvard University here in the U.S. for the sake of young children and investing in programs for their support along with families as well. Working globally can have some positive benefits when working together.