Who Says?...International Research Topics in ECE

This week's assignment was to take a look at current international research topics and to find out what questions are being asked in different parts of the world that can contribute to our understanding of the best practices in care and education for young children.  The first website I chose to review was the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA)  http://www.eecera.org/.  
I specifically chose this sight because I was interested to see what questions scientists from distinct cultural backgrounds are coming together to research.  Although I was only able to review abstracts by clicking on the Special Issues tab without purchasing a membership, I was still surprised at how many articles centered on the subject of play, social/emotional dynamics in a preschool classroom, and issues of diversity in ECE.

As I could not go much further with this site, I decided to also check out the Early Childhood Australia website http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/.  I was once a nanny in Australia, and know that their longitudinal study of early childhood is often referenced, so I was very interested to see what topics they are researching today.  I immediately bookmarked the page for myself because of the wealth of information and resources I found there.  Under the "Our Publications" tab is a link to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, a publication of many research articles you also need a subscription to fully view.  However, a review of the research topics and abstracts lead me to find that studies are also being conducted in this area of the globe around cultural diversity, the importance of play, and social/emotional intelligence.

The insight I really gained from this assignment was the realization that scientists from around the world are all asking some of the same important questions about early childhood.  It helps me realize that although we may share different languages and cultural backgrounds, we are all still striving for the same goal--best possible outcomes for care and education of young children.  Certainly there are schools in Europe and Australia dealing with diversity issues in many configuration.  In fact there are school around the world trying to discover the best ways to contribute to the social/emotional intelligence of a child in hopes of making positive contributions to society as well as their specific community.  Certainly others around the globe are discovering the importance of play in the development of young children's brains and bodies and working to create policies and practices that protect time and space for young children to experience play.  What a relief!  Everybody is on the same page.  While these questions are being asked in different ways, in different languages, using different methods, and resulting in many new and different discoveries/insights/understandings, the outcome is a collective amount of scientific research and knowledge that is useful to anyone working in the EC field.

So, the next time I am faced with a line of conversation about why we need more academic standardized testing in our preschools, I can respond with valid scientific information that supports the importance of play in a young child's life to foster academic skills, it's contribution to healthy development, and how we must work to protect it for both our children and the future of society.  When they ask me, "Who says?"  I can respond, " the International Scientific Research community says..."

Reference:

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

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA): 
http://www.eecera.org/

The Science Behind an Attitude of Gratitude

Who among us isn't looking for the road to a happier, more enjoyable and stress-free life?  If we, as parents, teachers, caregivers, and early education professionals, were able to find that road, what effects would it have on our lives and the lives of the young children around us?

As we approach the holiday season--the most wonderful time of the year, we all have warm, fuzzy visions of families coming together to share good food, love and laughter while sipping hot cocoa in front of a fire.  However, the reality of the holiday season--most wonderful and stressful time of the year, often turns out quite differently.  Many families suffer through this time worrying about money, feeling the pressures of busier than normal schedules, drained energy levels, long lines, travel delays and short fuses as they focus on trying to 'make' everything perfect and everyone happy.  In turn, children's lives are overloaded with stressed out adults and an avalanche of commercial marketing strategies setting them up to not only want and need more stuff, attention and entertainment, but also make them feel entitled to it.  As I began to wonder about the true, true meaning of the holiday season, and how I might convey some thoughtful ideas to the young children and families in my life, I came across this website that I thought was perfect to share.

"The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley--in collaboration with the University of California, Davis--launched a $5.6 million, three-year project, Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude"(The Greater Good Science Center, 2014)         http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude.  Scientist have now proven that an attitude of gratitude really will change your life, your health and your stress levels.  "They're finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
     -Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
     -Higher levels of positive emotions;
     -More joy, optimism, and happiness;
     -Acting with more generosity and compassion;
     -Feeling less lonely and isolated" (The Greater Good Science Center, 2014).

 The website also provides a look at both research and public education initiatives, links to other resources and a short video that helps explain their cause and purpose as well as ways to get involved in the project.  I found many of the resources useful especially for sharing with children in preschool classrooms and as supportive parent education.                                                                                          
Think about it, if more adults were able to improve their quality of life through the benefits reported by the Greater Good Science Center, what would that do to the quality of the lives of the children who surround them?  If more adults could model this attitude, children will also be more likely to adopt similar notions.  Imagine the long-term mental, health and emotional benefits for children who can learn to engrain gratitude into their belief systems regardless of religious affiliation.  Fostering gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation in our children takes work, and that work begins with us, the adults. Please check out this wonderful resource for yourself, your family, your classroom and co-workers.  I was certainly grateful to find it!

Happy Holidays!

Reference:
The Greater Good Science Center, (2014), Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude,               University of California, Berkeley.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude

Issues and Trends final post

I gained a new level of awareness about Issues and Trends in International Early Childhood Education through my own research and the information provided by my colleagues in this course.  The three major consequences of this study for me are:

1.  learning the importance of understanding different cultural perspectives on early childhood education before trying to relate to immigrant and non-English speaking families being served in my classrooms.

2. increasing my own multicultural understanding both personally and professionally as well as gaining some new ideas of how to incorporate more international studies into my classroom curriculum.

3.  identifying and learning to access resources locally, nationally, and internationally that can benefit young children of diverse cultural backgrounds in my classroom.

If I had to identify a major goal coming out of this course, it would be to start a blog or a website dedicated to assisting EC professionals in addressing issues and improving relations with immigrant and non-English speaking families within every community by outlining policies, attitudes, issues and trends related to every country in the world.  It is a small world after all...and preschool is the perfect place to foster the peace and understanding that can unite humanity.

Getting to know your international contacts

With immigration on the rise in the U.S., more and more non-English speaking children of foreign descent are entering our classrooms.  In order to properly embrace them and their families into the early childhood education field, we must begin to understand a little about the perspective on early education from their home country.  But where does a preschool teacher go for such information?  The UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education" webpage is a wonderful place to start.   (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/), 

Resources listed in the tab on the left side of the page include country profiles, country policy reviews and videos that can help us gain insights into EC programs, materials, and other resources used by people from different parts of the world.  For example, there are videos showing best practices for the care and education of young children in Kenya, Moscow, and Brazil.  I was thrilled to learn of the easy access to such information through this webpage, and, not only see it as an multicultural educational tool for myself and my students, but will also be happy to use it to relate and form talking points with immigrant and non-English speaking parents of children in my classroom.  It's a wonderful resource for anyone advocating for equity and excellence in the care and education of all young children.

NHSA

The National Head Start Association has committed itself to quality and excellence in early childhood education for 50 years.  They know that quality in the education of young minds requires quality teaching.  One way they continue to uphold their standards is by providing access to professional development, teacher training and professional consultation services.

Every year, NHSA holds an annual conference in a different location throughout the country.  However, travel expenses and time needed off of work to attend is simply unfeasible for many Head Start teachers and directors.  Therefore, in an effort to make quality professional development and teacher training accessible to everyone, they are now featuring "virtual conferences" on-demand for the low price of $25. Secondly, they provide links to impactful resources through their Professional Development Consultants Directory.  Through this tab, Head Start features trusted partners in the early education field such as Devereux Center for Resilient Children that offers professional development services centered around young children's social and emotional health as well as other professional health services, financial consultants, literacy mentors, legal advocates, family advocates, classroom management trainers, and many other partners committed to supporting young children.

The wonderful thing about all of these services it that they are not only available to Head Start teachers, but can also be accessed by anyone interested in furthering their education and improving the quality of their teaching.  These efforts are part of what makes the National Head Start Association a leader in the early childhood field.

Resources:
The National Head Start Association
http://www.nhsa.org/professional_development

A Dollar a Day Keeps Our Children at Play

As Early Childhood Professionals, we know the important work that psychologists, economists, and scientists are doing to prove the importance of play-centered, high-quality early childhood education and the benefits of early interventions practices for young children to help develop strong foundations and grow to become successful, contributing members of society.  Those of us working with young children know the validity of their research, but are often at a loss for what we can do to contribute our voices to conversations that influence business leaders, government officials, policy-makers and politicians to understand the urgency of action and commit to an investment in the young children of our country.

This is where the National Head Start Association is stepping in and providing opportunities to lend support and make a difference.  The Dollar Per Child program offers a way to get involved in the conversation and make a contribution.  According to their website, "For just one dollar for every child in Head Start, we can ensure the voices of Head Start children and their families are heard by Members of Congress and the President".  They have even put together a fundraising toolkit to assist community members in their local efforts to raise money and awareness for Head Start programs.  As well, to further influence decision makers, they have put together a fact sheet by state, Head Start Works:  The Facts, where statistics and information are recorded regarding childhood poverty, child homelessness, children with disabilities, families utilizing social services as well as economic impact.  They also recognize businesses and organizations that do contribute by posting them on their current leader board located on the website.

By contributing to and sharing information about The National Head Start Associations advocacy campaign, we can all lend our support regardless of our affiliation to the early childhood field, and make a difference in the life of a child, the health and wealth of our communities, and a sound investment in the future for generations to come.

Reference:
The National Head Start Association
http://www.nhsa.org/advocacy/advocacy/dollar_per_child

Combating Poverty Through ECE

To my disappointment, I have not received a response from the Early Childhood Professionals in Mexico or El Salvador.  So, I decided to research the state Early Childhood Education in Mexico through other sources.  Childhood poverty has also been a topic for discussion this week and what I discovered is that both these topics are interrelated.  In other words, Early Childhood Education has a direct impact on poverty, and poverty has a direct impact on Early Childhood Education. Therefore, we must work to understand and solve both issues to make true progress toward improving the lives of young children and increasing their contributions to society.

"When most of us think of a poor child, we tend to picture a rural child.  We don't imagine as readily a girl living in the shadow of a city school that she will never attend, nor a baby growing up only a short walk from a health clinic he will never enter, nor a family deprived of services enjoyed by those living only streets away" (Nybo, Thomas, (2012).  However, this is the case for many children who have been marginalized in rapid urban sprawls making them especially vulnerable to developmental delays, health problems, nutritional deficits, trauma and crime.  According to the report, "More than 75 per cent of Mexico's people live in cities and towns, including 24 million children" (Nybo, Thomas, (2012). Indigenous children, children of migrant workers, and those living in slums are the most vulnerable.
Although Mexico is showing signs of economic growth, poverty and disproportion of services remains a critical issue.  According to a press release issued by UNICEF (2013), "The human development indexes in some parts of Mexico are close to those of some of the world's least developed countries."

As Sheldon Shaeffer points out in his presentation at the 2014 World Forum Foundation, poverty is transmitted across generations, and, is therefore, a cyclical problem that must be addressed through parent/family education as well as Early Childhood Education.  Critical to this issue is understanding and changing how young children are valued in developing countries.  Through our study of Child Development, we know that early childhood represents a sensitive period of growth as well as a time of developing self-concept and core values; children look to their immediate environments and role-models to define who they will be in the world.  According to a study done by The University of Michigan, "social values as well as cognitive development which often associate with success in societies are formed during this period."

I gained several insights from these resources.  We must understand the challenges of poverty for urban as well as rural children; availability of services is not the same as access whether in Mexico or the United States.  The Early Childhood Education field worldwide can and should be an avenue to begin to combat the cycle of poverty across generations.  Through early education programs that also engage and educate parents, we can assist them in building strong self-concepts and personal values in their children that will help them grow to see themselves as contributing members of society.



References:

Thomas Nybo, UNICEF launches flagship report in Mexico City, warns that cities are failing        children, UNICEF, (2013).
     http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/mexico_61864.html

Sheldon Shaeffer, Sheldon Shaeffer on Promoting Equity with ECE,  World Forum Foundation, (2014).
     http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/media-and-resources/wofo-tv/

University of Michigan, Early Childhood Education in Developing Countries
     http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.cho/conclusion__progresses_and_challenges

Press Release:  Mexico:  Government and UNICEF launch ground-breaking study addressing child          poverty, UNICEF, (2013).

     http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/media_68584.html