Final Blog!

This course has opened up the consequences of poverty, the need for quality education, accessibility, responsiveness, and awareness to name a few issues. During all this we also found international, and some national webcasts that gave a broader view of these subjects. We all came to see how large some of these problems are and how we all have to do our part to change these issues. Poverty was one issue that seemed to interconnect with most, and this issue has existed for as long as I can remember. “ In 1990 the world made a commitment to its children; that we would do everything in our power to protect and promote their rights and ensure they have the  means to survive, develop and thrive…”(UNICEF, 2015). It would seem that there are lots of promises to keep concerning poverty already made. Nevertheless, it does not make our class any less sincere in our agreement to combat the effects of poverty, and poverty itself.  This semester we have advocates who will fight for Head Start, Early Head Start, for childcare for every child, and advocates who will make policy compatible with what teachers and children need. Our eyes are wide open; we know that our wages need to compensate our profession, and we must continue to grow and become professional. We know that our children come from all parts of the world and we must be culturally responsive. And we know that everything we do will affect those entrusted to our care.

 Putting one goal above all that is needed is very easy for me because the greatest need is for all children in the US to receive quality ECE. Early childhood education is a deterrent to poverty: “Put another way: for a child, poverty can last a lifetime” (UNICEF, 2015).  When a child does not eat nutritional foods or have early education, no dental or medical care:”…or experiences violence and neglect; it results in diminished opportunities which can have a life time consequences” (UNICEF, 2015). There is an obligation for everyone who has received the things we take for granted; food, education, care, to commit to those who are helpless to fight for themselves.

Reference

UNICEF (2015). Towards the end of child poverty. United Nations          International Children Emergency Fund. Retrieved from

                  https://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Towards_the_End_of_

                  Child_Poverty    _Joint_Statement_by_Global_Parterners_Oct2015pdf

Professional Goals, Hopes, and Dreams!

Professional Goals, Hopes, and Dreams

  In my center Quality Rated and NAEYC, and Bright from the Start, are always being discussed. Because the first two are accreditations, and the other represents the state of Georgia licensure. The thing that is not professional is that on the days when they come to inspect and rate the center everyone is in a frenzy. For example, Pre-K uses the bathrooms in preschool classrooms, but when visitors come, they take pre-k to the bathrooms outside the resource lab. That is because of convenience at least that is the supposed reasoning for sharing bathrooms with preschool, which is not supposed to happen. Changing habit on inspection days gives you an idea of how the teachers are doing things their ways instead of what the accreditation suggests. Personally, I disagree with this method, I have voiced my objections, and we are teaching children to be deceitful. We should do the requirements every day, so when we have visitors, we are doing the right things, confusing the children, it is not ethical. I am trying to share information with the teachers and the director of what I am learning, understanding how children develop, being team workers, and continuing their education. At least three teachers have listened, two are working towards their associate, and one for her bachelor.

We have a center that houses Early Head Start, Georgia Lottery Pre-K, Quality Rated Subsidy Grant, and the Atlanta Technical College Early Education Center, there are lots of professional training done through Early Head Start, Atlanta Technical College EEC requires each teacher to acquire 10 credit hours of professional training each year, Pre-K have training for their teachers each year and Quality Rated.  On April 2, 2018, I had 8 hours of training with Early Head Start teachers on ITERS and QRIS. 

My professional goals involve doing the right things for the right reasons, continuing to learn and grow in knowledge, and advocating for free early childhood education, and wage compensation for ECE teachers.  I want to teach the future educators in early childhood education.

I hope that I can inspire the new teachers of tomorrow to be continuous learners, team workers, who care about their children, colleagues, and communities.  My challenges are doing homework almost every day while working, caring for my Mother, exercising and caring for myself. I hope to continue my education after I receive my Master, not only with professional training but certificates and my Doctorate.  I have to pass the GACE test to work with children in elementary school, to earn the most pay if I work in Pre-K.  My challenge is time, time is scarce, and I never seem to have enough to give my best efforts in school, home, or work.

Sharing Web Resources

On March 21, 2018, there was a live broadcast about “Understanding Education Equity- and Achieving it” on a weekly newsletter I receive from EdSource. One question on the webcast that made me think out loud when the Sacramento Superintendent voiced that: “…some asked what are we making up for with this equity?”  This webcast is everything we have been discussing in class; I am excited because this issue is being addressed today. In the webcast was a panel to discuss reform for closing the gap and ensuring the outcome for equity for all children. The panel of scholars and practitioners see the need to close the opportunity gap which even the nation knows exists. Professor Tyrone Howard said:”….the conversations about equality and equity keep in view the disparity, we should leave off equality and move forward towards equity”(EdSource, 2018). Howard said equity makes us face our past and move toward immigrants, ELLs, people of color; the need to do more for people who have always gotten less and create an authentic pathway. Communities mirror schools, and schools mirror communities, both viewed as interrelated. The superintendent of Sacramento schools Jorge Aquilar explains that:”…tried to advance equality, screwed up and now we have to move through an equity lens” (EdSource, 2018). Aquilar spoke of having to provide an additional resource for certain students: facilities, IT, student support services, and staffing (EdSource, 2018). Professor Andrea Venezia discussed the barriers to equity in college, low expectations for one, and also the bridges created using dual enrollment (EdSource, 2018). Professor Thomas also mentions ECE as being the front end that can be used to stop the outcomes of the past. Professor Thomas stated that:” Equality typically expect the one size fits all,” …and how that does not work. This panel was talking, planning, and moving forward with final actions towards projects for quality that align with equity.

Reference

EdSource (21 March 2018). Understanding education equity-and achieving it.

          Retrieved from

          https://edsource.org/broadcasts/understanding-education-equity-    and

          -achieving-it

Excellence and Equity in Early Childhood

    In the Harvard University’s Global Children Initiative, I learned that at least 200 million children fail to reach their full potential by 5 years of age. And that seeing this astronomical deviation they have initiated partnering with several countries to rectify this problem.  In Brazil, Canada, and Mexico they are using techniques that partner them with the ones who can actually help. By training Brazilian policy makers how to apply developmental science in early childhood education they show them how to use technology intervention. The Brazilian Innovation clusters as they are called were surprised to find out children have and know how to use technology, including their families. In Mexico they are working with at least 50 thousand children and they did home visits which allowed them to get to know the families. All these things North America are already doing and it works so Harvard is sharing the techniques. They are using the two-generational approach to address the unmet challenges of children and their familes facing adversity.

    The Global Fund for Children is one of my podcast I selected to interact with, and they find, fund, and strengthen innovative, locally led organizations helping them to realize their potential and build their capacity for social change. According to Global Fund for Children the number of children and adolescents out of school worldwide is 124 million. And then there are the millions in schools where they are not learning the basic math and reading. Since the majority of these live in war torn areas, poverty, or natural disasters these issues disrupt their schooling.  So Global Fund for Children are helping where these children are, in refugee camps.  In Kyangwali they joined forces with COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA). This organization and Global are supplying needed supplies for schooling in the camps, they also have an early childhood care, and provide secondary education. 

   During this course of Issues and Trends I have been exposed to poverty, supporting early childhood education, politicians, economists, and neuroscientists, and I concluded through research that policymakers are the key to eliminating poverty, and supporting early childhood education. And I feel encouraged that the Harvard University‘s Global Children Initiative is working with policy makers in how to apply developmental science in the three countries Mexico, Brazil, and Canada. Both organization are doing admirable deeds to combat the global problems facing children who have no voice. They are tackling the hard problems, helping to educate young children and adolescents in a refugee camp is innovative. Because providing that bit of normalcy is giving them hope and an opportunity to have an impact in their world. The first thing I would think for a refugee camp is food, clothes, and shelter and those are all needed, but education is inspirational.

Harvard University Center on the Developing Child (2017). Global children initiative.

         Retrieved   from  

        https://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

Global Fund for Children (2018). Education.

           Retrieved from

           https://globalfundforchildren.org/our-partners/focus- areas/education/