Sharing Web Resources

·       What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development? Specific sections or information particularly relevant to my current professional development is to keep early childhood relevant in the minds of legislation. “On November 19, 2014, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation that comprehensively updated the ChildCare and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act for the first time in nearly twenty years. The law made many important statutory changes focused on strengthening childcare to better support the success of both parents and children, while also providing a new emphasis on the importance of providing high-quality early education and care for our youngest learners”. (Administration of Children and Families, Office of Child Care (2016). It’s been almost 20yrs since the concerns of early childhood education was revisited. In that time technology has developed significantly, quality and advancements for better health, fitness, and nutrition which promotes longevity. The more active we are with the legislation in reference to early childhood the more our voice will be heard.

·       Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways? When now have The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan which, “provides an important opportunity to help the United States get back on its feet by creating new jobs and supporting programs which provide essential services to young children and their families while contributing to the economy of the country” (Lombardi, 2009). I would like to see the system expound on early childhood programs and make it better.  

·       What information does the website, or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support positive social change through the early childhood field? “There is an opportunity for what you call, future payback! Part of it is the jargon of economist, they look at things in units or commodities and educationalist don’t have a mindset to look at our children as a unit like an assembly line where you're putting lids on coca colas. The loss of innocence in childhood. We lost innocence a long time ago now we’re just trying to fight for childhood. We don’t let children play like we once did because we don’t have time to play. We have to learn things in ways that people don’t see can be learned through play. Do we have people in our profession that are smart enough to teach the skills that are going to be expected of  children in developmentally appropriate ways through engagement or are we going to use very one dimensional passing standards to help them have a joyful childhood because we have been told we don’t have time to do it that way” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).

            In reading this reminds me of how ECE has to be extremely creative with minimal resources and help. This is where educators encourage family members and or Parent's teacher's association to help and assist with bringing ideas to fruition. Today, my daughter's second-grade teachers had a field trip to Duke's campus and the children were to spot different shapes, buildings and it’s materials through a scavenger hunt. How profound this trip was for me because not only did it have children talking about all shapes and types of buildings, they spoke of what type of house they would buy when they grow up and why. They discussed what college they would attend if they’re going to stay on or off-campus etc. This stimulates the minds of youth to look at things from a bigger perspective. As I listened to them speak, they were unknowingly creating a prosperous future for themselves. These are great examples of showing how to play is directly linked to creative expression opportunities in early childhood care and the educational environment.

·       What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter? TEACH FOR AMERICA is a website I learned about which helps teachers apply and acquire teaching jobs of your desire. They, “believe that a great teacher can come from any background to make a lifelong impact on students while growing your own leadership skills” (teachforamerica.org). It’s encouraging to know additional resources are available to help with creative jobs, ideas, and how to implement them.

References

Administration of Children and Families, Office of Child Care (2016). Child Care and Development Fund Reauthorization. Available at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/occ/ccdf_final_rule_fact_sheet.pdf

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Issues and trends in the early childhood field: Economists, scientists, and politicians supporting the EC field. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Lombardi, 2009. The dawn of a new era. Exchange, (188), 8-9.

Getting to Know International Organizations: Part 1

            Hello Blog readers! I shared what I learned about my two websites last week, so I decided to do something a little different. I want to discuss new insights and information regarding poverty and opportunities for positive social change regarding, https://www.unicef.org/reports/ending-extreme-poverty-focus-children.

            How profound to say, “Children are more likely to live in poverty than adults. They’re also more vulnerable to its effects. 663 million children worldwide- nearly one in three – live in poverty, 385 million children are living in extreme poverty, forced to survive on less than $1.90 a day, Children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than adults, and Children from the poorest households die at twice the rate of their better-off peers”. What I’ve learned from this website is that UNICEF established programs such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), social protection and universal child benefits. UNICEF is trying to end extreme poverty because, “no matter where they are, children who grow up impoverished suffer from poor living standards, develop fewer skills for the workforce, and earn lower wages as adults. In Sierra Leone 85% help families overcome series of emergencies, communities come together for disaster relief. 85% of Syrian children in host communities in Jordan live in poverty. (https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty). The UNICEF’s Global social protection programme framework deals with all life threatening vulnerabilities to a child. Resolving it for a better end result thus break the cycle for generations to come.

            A positive social change I would like to mention is the, “transforming plastic waste into building materials for classrooms” in Gonzagueville. Facts such as classrooms where so greatly overcrowded they would have “more than 100 children per class, fight child mortality by preventing diseases exacerbated by pollution such as pneumonia and malaria. Providing low cost and comfortable learning spaces for children" was done through recylicling plastic waste. "Millions of tons of plastic waste are thrown away each year. This pollutes our seas, our air, our lands, our world and children’s playgrounds. UNICEF in Cote d’lvoire, has partnered with Conceptos Plasticos a Colombian social business that transforms plastic waste into construction materials to build a better world for children. In Cote d’lvoire, many children do not have access to education"  (http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_childpoverty.html). The real problem is that single-use plastic-the very idea of producing plastic items like grocery bags, which we use for an average of 12 minutes but can persist in the environment for half a millennium-is an incredibly reckless abuse of technology” (scientificamerican.com).  Society as a whole must be mindful of the amount of waste and plastic thrown away that’s polluting the entire world.

            It’s great to see UNICEF helping in so many ways with a multiple number of needs regarding natural disasters, poverty and pollution. I look forward to keeping up with these particular endevors in the near future. 

Reference

http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_childpoverty.html

https://www.unicef.org/reports/ending-extreme-poverty-focus-children.

scientificamerican.com

Issues and Trends: Changing Demographics and Diversity

          The global fund for children wrote an article on, “What’s possible when NGOs and police work together to end trafficking. Human trafficking has increased in the US significantly endangering lives. This article caught my attention wanting to see what steps other countries are making towards minimizing this crime. Anagha Khandagle is highly admired for her leads of the rescue operations for the anti-trafficking NGO Purnata. “Living in abject poverty, the woman and her daughter, Sharmila*, had been lured to Kolkata on the false promise of a well-paying job as a housemaid. Upon arriving in Kolkata illegally, they were sold to a brothel-keeper in Mumbai’s Sonapur. Since Sharmila was a minor, the brothel keeper offered to keep her ‘safe’- away from the red-light area-and promised to find employment for her. To her horror, the woman later learned that her daughter had been sold to a similar establishment. Anguished, she came to Purnata for help. This was Anagha’s first taste of prevention and rescue. This became her career path. After working in different capacities in rescue, rehabilitation, and prevention projects, Anagha is no stranger to threats of violence. In Fact, the Founder of Purnata, Aaboo Varghese, describes her as the ‘lion-hearted’ woman of Purnata” (http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/). I employ you to visit the website directly to read how a third world country was able to save two lives both a mother and daughter from human trafficking.

            The National Head Start Association, (NHSA) and the Vanessa Rich Leadership Fund gives, “scholarships for the next generation of aspiring Head Start leaders and advocates”. This helps the teachers servicing our children today become more equipped with rendering inclusivity for all in their classrooms. The disaster relief fund affiliated with NHSA is a program that, “assist NHSA member Head Start and Early Head Start programs and their staff and families who become victims of natural disasters” (http://www.nhsa.org/). Hurricane Florence in 2018, “was the most destructive and caused the most fatalities” (wikipedia.org) in the state of NC. While working for the Durham Early HeadStart program I was involved in the support rendered for Florence Hurricane victims. To date, we are still helping families return back to normal almost two years later. NHSA helped all diverse nationalities in need of assistance after the storm. I feel that NHSA shows inclusivity in all that they do which is a perfect example to follow.

             The NHSA and global fund for children are both changing the demographics and diversity of the world today through their programs and hard work. 

References

National Head Start Association. (n.d.). http://www.nhsa.org/

The Global Fund for Children: An organization that provides capital to communities worldwide to improve the lives of children. http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/

Expanding Horizons/ Expanding Resources

 Expanding Horizons/ Expanding Resources

            The National Head Start Association http://www.nhsa.org/ and The Global Fund for Children http://www.globalfundforchildren.org are the two podcasts that were highly intriguing to me. The reason why I choose these two was because the National Head Start Association is on a local level and The Global Fund for Children is worldwide. They both demonstrate the needs of the children and what priorities are imminent to help their families and the societies they dwell in.

            The National Head Start Association provides, “comprehensive health, nutrition, and education services to children in poverty” (http://www.nhsa.org/, n.d.). I became aware of The National Head Start Association through my daughter attending the Durham Early HeadStart program. It opened my eyes to several things necessary for a child to succeed. One of which is early intervention. My daughter needed physical help with crawling and walking in the beginning years something that was detected early. If I would have waited until kindergarten or 1^st grade I don’t know how detrimental this could have been. Many beneficiaries of Head Start excelled in the working world with successful professions. Head Start helps Veterans. The holistic being of the child is the core of why the National Head Start Association exists. Cornell William Brooks President & CEO of the NAACP and a beneficiary of the Head Start program states, “Head Start not only seeds the aspirations of young people but also seeds the aspirations of their parents in terms of their investments in their children’s lives and well beings” (nhsa.org/documentary, n.d.).

            Global fund for children, “is the only global nonprofit dedicated to finding, funding, and coaching truly local organizations that empower young people worldwide. To help children and youth reach their full potential and advance their rights”. (http://www.globalfundforchildren.org, n.d.). The global fund for children not only focuses on minimizing AIDS, tuberculosis, and Malaria but they save children from drugs, sex trafficking, homelessness, and female circumcision to name a few. In America, the global fund for children has 48 local partners and 10 countries total. The service; Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and the United States.

            Once I acquire an MS in Edu, I would like to take part in making a difference locally as well as worldwide and these are the two foundations, I want to take part in. I look forward to researching this further to help become more equipped in servicing areas for the betterment of children and their families as a whole.

References

National Head Start Association. (n.d.). http://www.nhsa.org/

The Global Fund for Children: An organization that provides capital to communities worldwide to improve the lives of children. http://www.gloalfundforchildren.org/