Sharing Web Resources

The section that has much relevance to my professional development this week is the article on education for sustainable development. This got my attention because we know that children are the future and it is necessary that we invest in them in a sustainable way, for example making quality early childhood education accessible to all of the world’s children. This is in harmony with the organization’s banner “Bright futures for every child, every nation” (ACEI, 2014). Therefore as early childhood professionals, we are called upon to teach children resilience, and how to become responsible contributing citizens to the society they will grow up to be a part of.

There is a large number of children in the world who are living in poverty, and have no opportunity for education. If these families are given the opportunity to receive quality education, it would turn their lives around for good. ACEI (2014) states that “sadly, sixty-one million children of primary age are out of school, suffering the acute and long-term effects of poverty and ill-health.  Increasing the number of in-school children with the capacity to learn is necessary to reduce poverty and ensure that all children can partake in education and learning opportunities that secure a sustainable future for our world”.(p.1).  

The idea that I found controversial, came from The Global gateway section of the ACEI website. The highlight was International comparisons and scenarios in which a number of studies that were designed to provide information about the education system of different nations around the world, were examined. Some competitiveness came into play because of the results of these studies. Countries began to show interest in using them, desperate for improvement in their education systems. However, there must be caution taken in ensuring that the data is not used to generalize sweeping outcomes. There are some important factors that have to be taken into account, based on the origin of the studies and the context in which the research was done.  ACEI (2014) explains that “Despite the common goal of providing equal access to quality education to all students, national and regional contexts and instructional situations can differ dramatically depending on a country's resources, culture, demographics, and education philosophies. Even though studies are very valuable to the improvement of quality, the results do not dictate that education for all children across the globe is a one size fits all.

The Childhood Explorer is an online publication of ACEI, it is very informative and shares experiences of children in various parts of the world. It also tells about the different projects that are being sponsored and what is being done in an effort to improve the lives children globally. This week there was an article “Hope in the mountains heights” about the life of children living in Haiti’s, their resilience even in the heart of poverty. I look forward to reading this article and increasing my knowledge of how children survive in the clutches of poverty and what I can do to help.

Reference

http://www.acei.org/

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part I

It was nearing the end of this week that I got an email from one of my international contacts,the Early Childhood Commission of Jamaica. Dr Joan Reid the director of the commission, informed me that she has passed on my name and email address to a colleague of hers who will be in touch with me soon.(Reid, Early Childhood Commission). I did not get the name of my partner as yet but I look forward to the conversations that we will have. I will be sharing what I am learning, the insights and challenges as we progress over the next few weeks.

I have been waiting for a response from my connection in Sweden and also a possible connection from Belize. I will share as soon as I know what is happening. Later in the coming week, if I do not connect with the second person by then, I will email a friend in Europe with whom I have already spoken.

In the meantime, I have researched on the issue of poverty and its effects on early childhood in Jamaica. I found a very interesting report on an academic publication that is a 20-year follow-up to an early childhood stimulation program. This was a randomized intervention carried out one hour per week by Jamaican community health workers. They would administer psychosocial stimulation to developmentally delayed toddlers who were living in poverty. This was carried out over a 2-year period where the mothers were taught about the benefits of playing and interacting with their children, to help in developing their cognitive and personality skills. The authors (Chang-Lopez, Girtler, Grantham-McGregor, Heckman, Pinto, Vermeerch, Walker & Zanolini, July 2013) re-interviewed the participants 20 years later and found positive results. You may find the article at; http://www.povertyactionlab.org/publication/labor-market-returns-early-childhood-stimulation-20-year-follow-experimental-intervention. I will be discussing more about this project with my partner and share more from what I will learn from time to time.
                                                                             

 Reference

Reid, Joan.Re: Early Childhood professional connection. Retrieved from email message to Sherron McFarlane. May 21, 2014.

Sharing Web Resources

The international website that I chose to know much more about is; Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). Their web link is http://acei.org/.

ACEI is a charitable organization whose mission reads; “Our mission is to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide”. This organization was first started as the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) in 1892, this was established by educators who were worried about the training and professional preparation of kindergarten teachers. They got the attention of other like-minded entities and in 1931, the National Council of Primary Education joined with the IKU, changing the name to the Association for Childhood Education (ACE). In 1946, having realized the critical need for advancing childhood education throughout the world, association for childhood education added "International" to its name, making it the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).( http://acei.org, 2014).

The association’s areas that they are focusing on for all children in the world includes; access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child's right to education.

ACEI’s main purpose is to promote international and intercultural understanding through much dialogue while showing respect to all people. The members of this organization have pledged to be agents of social change, addressing critical issues in society, in an efforts to ensure that children everywhere are protected, supported, and given the educational opportunities that may help them reach their full potential. (acei.org, 2014).

As I explored the ACEI website, I came across many articles on current issues that are impacting education and the early childhood field. One current issue that caught my attention, which I believe is of serious global concern is; “Worldwide Teacher Shortage: Regional and Global Implications”. The opening statements of this article highlights some facts that lead to this shortage. It stated that “This issue brief sheds light on the teacher shortage as a global crisis, although this crisis does not occur uniformly across different regions of the world.Teacher shortages can be the result of varying socio-political, economic, and educational infrastructure conditions. Therefore, the recommendations suggested here indicate the importance of addressing the crisis in a context-sensitive manner”.(acei.org, 2014).You can also see this information and much more at: http://acei.org/global-action/worldwide-teacher-shortage-regional-and-global-implications#sthash.6ABqjHg1.dpuf.

Establishing Professional Contacts:
Part I
Our blog assignment for this course is very interesting and exciting, connecting globally with other early childhood professionals. I am so excited about making a connection with early childhood professionals in Jamaica. It will be very interesting to share and compare notes about trends and issues in early childhood especially as it relates to culture and practices.

At first,I went to the resources to make a connection through the Global Alliance NAEYC link. I was disappointed when I did not find Jamaica listed. I checked out the UNICEF link and was satisfied to find them there. I explored the cite and tried to email but the address would not open for me so I moved to my personal connections. This was more fruitful, I spoke to a few people who gave me some connections. I am waiting for feedback from one person.

I have emailed the director of the Early Childhood Commission and is now awaiting her response. I did not think that , having being a Jamaican teacher myself, that I would have such difficulty getting off the ground with this process. I will give updates on how that worked out. I really do want to establish a connection with the Jamaican link.

I have also emailed a past colleague in Sweden to see if I can find a connection there. We worked together a while back and it was very interesting to hear her speak about their elementary system, it will be very interesting to learn about the trends and issues in the early childhood system there. I am working on other sources as well so that I will have options open to me, now that I am aware that getting started can be challenging.

Part II:Expanding resources:
I chose to look at: Association for Childhood Education International( ACEI:)
http://acei.org/
I thought that since I am learning from international resources , I may as well get to know something about other international organizations that are available to me. I am drawn by their mission of "Bright futures for every child, every nation". I have signed up to receive their e-news of program and events, education grants, advocacy, global news and research. I look forward to getting informed at the global level and broadening my horizon on global early childhood happenings. i swill be sharing much of this exciting journey as I blog, watch out and return often to share along with me.

CHILDREN ARE GOD'S GIFT!
It's my birthday!!

I woke up this morning and it was 6:19 OMG!! Normally, am up by 5:45. I like to get up in the mornings and fix Neville breakfast, fix his lunch and sit with him and chat a little before he leaves at 6:30 or so. So you can just imagine how shocked I was that my alarm didn't go off and no one woke up on time!! I hurried to the kitchen and what a surprise I got! Now, I went to bed at about 1:10 and I was the only up, yet when I got to the kitchen, there was a cake that says" Mom Happy 55th Birthday!! Our children are truly God's gift, they may not be perfect in our eyes but we should remember that if we train them right, when they are older they will not depart from it. StaceyAnn McFarlane, got up when she was sure I was asleep and made and decorated a cake, made dad's lunch and cleaned up the kitchen.. Thanks Stacey, you really made my morning beautiful!! Lets see what's up but if nothing else I am truly blessed and am happy (hubby was in on it )

                                      Three of our four

MY SUPPORTS

When I think of support, I think of my connections, my family, friends and acquaintances. These are the people who I talk to, laugh with, disagree about issues and join forces with for a cause that is of benefit to someone’s need. However, I am most thankful for my greatest support, my husband who is my rock. He inspires me to think that I can do, endure, create and withstand anything that I need to. He taught me to believe in myself and value my own opinions. He is very patient and understanding and it helps that we are both studying at the same time. He helps without complaining and is always calling me where ever he is, checking if all is well and if I am on top of my school work. I have grown from doubtful and fearful to brave and strong because of his encouragement, I truly appreciate him.

Then there is my daughter, who is my big fan, she supports me in things that are challenging for me, for example, technology stuff that I declare I do not want to learn about, she holds my hand and guide me through. She is the ear that listens when I need to speak without interruption, I vent until am dry and is ready to take another try. She would always ask if I am feeling better. She encourages me to be myself and to take on any project that I feel I need to do and just do it. Everyone else in my circles calls on me for help support, advice, prayer, home remedies and parenting tips, just to name a few of the areas that I am called upon as resource person.

If I did not have my husband and my daughter as my daily support, it would be very difficult to cope and to make sense of my life and to find purpose in what I do. I would not have been able to face the challenges that I do without them by my side. I would have given up on my dream and not further my studies, I would be a very unhappy person who would not be able to encourage others and discovering that I am gifted in doing so, I am grateful for my husband and daughter and I always let them know.  

The challenge that I would not like to have to face without my supports is the loss of a loved one. When this happens, and it has happen to me over and again, it feels like something knocked the wind out of you and you are floating away effortlessly. That is the time when support is most needed, not just the few days but months after, when everything reminds you of the one gone. A song on the radio, a favorite food, a trip to the grocery store or a neighborhood event. Even relative coming to visit can be trying if there is no support after they are gone.

There is a song by Dennis Brown (1969),that begins with the verse “No man is an island, no man stands alone, each man’s joy is joy to me, each man’s grief is my own……each man as my brother, each man as my friend”. I think that is what support really means, that we all need someone to lean on, everyone needs support.

MY CONNECTIONS TO PLAY








Essential play items when I was young:
1.Friends



2.Dolls                                                              



3. A bat and Ball (very versatile items)

Childhood connections

When I was growing up, play was a natural part of life for children and adults alike, it was in our daily routine. During summer vacation, adults would sit outside under a tree and watch us as we play games such as cricket, marbles, hopscotch, jacks, market, just to name a few. They would cheer us on and often times join in, while others kept scores or played dominoes while they commentate. Play was a community affair, and an important part of our culture, it was how we practiced to become adults

 Play was sometimes even more important than our meals and that was normal. I remember times when we were engaged in a game of dandy shandy or baseball (rounders) and no one thought of food. So it was with any kind of play, we lived to play as it was the most important activity to us as kids. When we were doing our chores, we involved play and then it did not seem like work at all. For example, when we were cleaning the floor, which was pure wood, we would sing songs and make extra sounds with the cleaning brush as we danced, it was beautiful and motivating.

Play today seems very different, the activities are not the same and the benefits are very limited. When we played as children, we were boisterous, noisy and sweaty, we used up a lot of energy. We learned skills that built our creative ability and sharpened our thinking, we were very confident because we made choices and enjoyed the outcomes. Almon (2002) says about play that, “It allows them to digest life and make it their own. It is an outlet for the fullness of their creativity, and it is an absolutely critical part of their childhood”. We were not familiar with the word stress. We did not sit for long periods of time except during church or school lessons so obesity was a foreign word to us. We played hard and slept hard and was ready to go again the next day. We made great friendships and lost some to a game or two, we made up with some and moved on with others, remembering the great times we spent together.

My three year old nephew (now 10) stayed in my care for a year, I taught him and gave him recess time. He was so excited about recess that he said he wanted to attend my school so he can have recess because it was fun. The activities that young children are engaged in is either sitting with a hand held electronic game. Their fingers, mostly their thumbs, do all the activities or the computer mouse does the clicking while they sit and eat. The children do not spend free time outdoors socializing and learning with each other. If they are outside playing, its instructor directed and formally scheduled. It is not a spontaneous choice decided by children who just want to have some fun.

Our attitudes and abilities that we display as adults can be traced back to the days when we were young children. The games and the roles we liked when we played, are mirrored in the way we function as adults. As children, we played with others and developed our social skills and creativity, flexibility and patience. We lead, cared, shared, bargained, some stole, fought, followed and made decisions as we role played the adults around us. However we learned to think, decide and function as children, is typically the way we operate as adults in our lives today.We probably still “play” in the same manner today, unless we experienced something different and by whatever means, changed for the better.

Reference

Almon, K. (2002). The vital role of play in early childhood education. Gateways, 43. Retrieved from http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BAPlayAlmon.pdf