- Realization that this nation still has a very long way to go when it comes to excellence and equity in education. That is why it is so important for each one of us to do our part to provide the highest quality education possible to those we teach. Each one teach one. Each one reach one. Each one pay it forward. That is how change happens.
- I have become more sensitive to issues of diversity. Unless we make quality education a priority for all, issues of inequity and injustice will always abound.
- Realization that Issues of equity and quality occur all around the world. We may all be different, but our issues are the same. I am grateful to live in a country where women are not denied an education, although we still have work to do in regards to equal pay and jobs for women. I fear equity and quality in education will be trending issues for generations to come. I hope not!
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Final Blog Assignment
Studying international
websites has influenced my professional development in many ways.
Thee consequences of learning about the international early childhood
field is:
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3
This week I explored the UNESCO
website. UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education
(ECCE) programs that attend to health, nutrition, security, learning
and holistic development.
On this website, I explored an article entitled “International Day of the Girl Child 2013.” On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child, which recognizes girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. In 2013, the theme for the day was “Innovating for Girls’ Education.” The day is certainly necessary because although great strides have been made in the last decade, millions of girls are still being denied their right to education for no other reason than their gender. Here are some facts:
On this website, I explored an article entitled “International Day of the Girl Child 2013.” On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child, which recognizes girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. In 2013, the theme for the day was “Innovating for Girls’ Education.” The day is certainly necessary because although great strides have been made in the last decade, millions of girls are still being denied their right to education for no other reason than their gender. Here are some facts:
- “31 million girls of primary school age are out of school. Of these 17 million are expected never to enter school. There are 4 million fewer boys than girls out of school.”
- “Three countries have over a million girls not in school: In Nigeria there are almost five and a half million, Pakistan, over three million, and in Ethiopia, over one million girls out of school.”
- “There are also 34 million female adolescents out of
school, missing out on the chance to learn vital skills for work
and life.”
- This nation still has a very long way to go when it comes
to excellence and equity in education. That is why it is so
important for each one of us to do our part to provide the highest
quality education possible to those we teach. Each one teach one.
Each one reach one. Each one pay it forward. That is how change
happens.
- Unless we make quality education a priority for all, issues
of inequity and injustice will always abound.
- Issues of equity and quality occur all around the world. We
may all be different, but our issues are the same. I am grateful
to live in a country where women are not denied an education,
although we still have work to do in regards to equal pay and jobs
for women. I fear equity and quality in education will be trending
issues for generations to come. I hope not.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
I have been exploring the Harlem
Children's Zone (HCZ) website (www.hcz.org).
They now have a new layout for the site. What immediately caught my
eye was their logo that spread across the center of the page in bold
white letters with a black rectangular background: A National Model
for Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Education + Family & Community
+ Health = Results. Truer words never spoken! It takes a village to
raise a child! I am so glad that the HCZ also recognizes that Health
plays a vital role in the overall well being of a child. I am sure
that includes mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, and
physical health.
What I like about the HCZ is that their motto is not just words, but words in action. The children receive a high quality education and are heavily involved in the community. I just received my first newsletter from the HCZ that featured an article about 4000 youth who competed in the HCZ's annual Summer Games. This event is one of the ways children can stay safe and actively engaged in the summer while developing lifelong healthy habits. This is just another great example of how the HCZ is making great strides in equity and excellence in Early Childhood education—helping children become their best selves for years to come!
Another link I found on the website was:
Here you will find a Section entitled Poems by Geoffrey Canada. The poem that caught my eye and touched my heart was Waiting for Whom? Every Early Childhood Educator should read this poem. It is gut wrenching and thought provoking. It is also a call to action. So many children have been tossed aside and not been given the opportunity of a high quality education. The concept of equity and excellence was lost on them and they fell through the cracks. We as Educators now have the opportunity to make a difference and save those children who are waiting for US to DO something!
Here is the poem:
http://hcz.org/documents-and-publications/
http://wac.adef.edgecastcdn.net/80ADEF/hcz.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Waiting-for-Whom-no-date.pdf
What I like about the HCZ is that their motto is not just words, but words in action. The children receive a high quality education and are heavily involved in the community. I just received my first newsletter from the HCZ that featured an article about 4000 youth who competed in the HCZ's annual Summer Games. This event is one of the ways children can stay safe and actively engaged in the summer while developing lifelong healthy habits. This is just another great example of how the HCZ is making great strides in equity and excellence in Early Childhood education—helping children become their best selves for years to come!
Another link I found on the website was:
Here you will find a Section entitled Poems by Geoffrey Canada. The poem that caught my eye and touched my heart was Waiting for Whom? Every Early Childhood Educator should read this poem. It is gut wrenching and thought provoking. It is also a call to action. So many children have been tossed aside and not been given the opportunity of a high quality education. The concept of equity and excellence was lost on them and they fell through the cracks. We as Educators now have the opportunity to make a difference and save those children who are waiting for US to DO something!
Here is the poem:
Waiting
for Whom?
If
you asked me where it all went wrong,
And
why we find today
That
certain children’s lives are ruined,
Broken
dreams just tossed away.
I
would tell you a tale so sad to hear
You
might not believe it’s true.
It’s
true, it’s sad, and terribly bad.
The
question is: what will you do?
It
seems that it is not a crime,
And
not against the law,
To
miseducate millions of children
As
long as they are poor.
You
can fail them year, after year,
And
no one will give a damn.
That
is no one except you and me,
But
we’re quiet and injustice stands.
In
fact, adults seem to have the right
To
get paid while doing harm.
Even
if they have slapped and cursed,
And
pinched those little arms.
And
some do worse, lest we forget,
Those
who punch, demean, molest,
And
they get to stay, can’t be sent away.
Who
supports this system anyway?
I
ask who created this broken system,
Where
for decades poor children have failed?
And
why can’t we change such dysfunction
Where
for most, failed schools lead to jail?
And
who in the hell defends such a thing,
Where
the evidence is clear and true?
I,
for one, have said enough is enough,
I
hope I can count on you too.
Our
children are waiting for someone,
A
hero who’s ready to fight.
To
end decades of injustice,
To
know and to do what is right.
And
what I am saying is shocking,
But
what I am saying is true.
The
hero children are waiting for,
That
hero, it’s me and it’s you.
Geoffrey
Canada
February
2010
http://hcz.org/documents-and-publications/
http://wac.adef.edgecastcdn.net/80ADEF/hcz.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Waiting-for-Whom-no-date.pdf
Saturday, August 2, 2014
International Contacts: Part 2
Unfortunately, I have not received
a response from an international early childhood professional, so I
decided to explore Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative
run by The Center on the Developing Child.
What initially stood out for me was The Center's acknowledgment of moral responsibility to meet the needs of all children in all areas of their development. What also stood out to me was that the Center helps all children from the poorest to the richest. This was interesting because when it comes to global education and outreach, I usually hear or read about children from the poorest countries receiving assistance. Rarely do I hear about rich children needing outreach services. This really speaks to the Center's commitment to equity and excellence and the acknowledgement that ALL children should be treated equally. What helps the Center in achieving excellence is their multidisciplinary approach to helping children, bringing together the best an most innovative resources.
A project developed by the Initiative that stood out for me was the ZAMBIAN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. In collaboration with others, The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009.This project focused on early childhood development and the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria campaign.
In order to measure the impact of the anti-malaria campaign on Zambia’s human capital development, the ZECDP created a new comprehensive instrument for assessing children’s physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling age. The project was completed in May 2010. After careful calibration of the new survey tool through two rounds of piloting, 1,686 children born in 2004 was assessed between July and December 2010. In 2011, successful follow-up occurred with 1,250 of those children. The early stages of the project demonstrate that comprehensive child assessments are feasible within standard population-based household surveys.
The Zambian educators hope to use these assessments to improve their understanding of child development and to help them identify if services are needed to improve outcomes for their growing and developing children.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/zambian_project/
What initially stood out for me was The Center's acknowledgment of moral responsibility to meet the needs of all children in all areas of their development. What also stood out to me was that the Center helps all children from the poorest to the richest. This was interesting because when it comes to global education and outreach, I usually hear or read about children from the poorest countries receiving assistance. Rarely do I hear about rich children needing outreach services. This really speaks to the Center's commitment to equity and excellence and the acknowledgement that ALL children should be treated equally. What helps the Center in achieving excellence is their multidisciplinary approach to helping children, bringing together the best an most innovative resources.
A project developed by the Initiative that stood out for me was the ZAMBIAN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. In collaboration with others, The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009.This project focused on early childhood development and the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria campaign.
In order to measure the impact of the anti-malaria campaign on Zambia’s human capital development, the ZECDP created a new comprehensive instrument for assessing children’s physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling age. The project was completed in May 2010. After careful calibration of the new survey tool through two rounds of piloting, 1,686 children born in 2004 was assessed between July and December 2010. In 2011, successful follow-up occurred with 1,250 of those children. The early stages of the project demonstrate that comprehensive child assessments are feasible within standard population-based household surveys.
The Zambian educators hope to use these assessments to improve their understanding of child development and to help them identify if services are needed to improve outcomes for their growing and developing children.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/zambian_project/
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
I
have been reviewing the Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org)
website. I really didn't identify a particular article that seemed
relevant to my professional development, but I am very impressed with
all the good work the organization is doing for the children in that
community.
There are several articles on the website that has made me think about issues in new ways. One article that did catch my attention was written by Geoffrey Canada for the Huffington Post on encouraging children to engage in public service, and HCZ’s extensive work with AmeriCorps workers.
In 2013, The Harlem Children's Zone trained more than 100 AmeriCorps workers, whom they called Peacemakers. The Peacemakers served nearly 2,500 children in traditional public elementary schools in Harlem. Through their daily leadership, the students were taught a peaceful path through conflict resolution and tutoring. Low-income families also received assistance in obtaining critical services. Each of the Peacemakers received tuition assistance for their education, making their dream of a college degree that much more attainable.
This
article resonated with me because it is so important to give back. I
learned this at a young age and it has helped me became a more well
rounded individual--sensitive to the needs of others. Children need
to learn the importance of service, and why not start at a young age.
The HCZ has helped bring much needed awareness to the importance of early childhood education. The former CEO, Geoffrey is very politically connected and in 2014, Fortune Magazine named him #12 on the list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. He also won the National Freedom Award and has been featured in the NY Times and Oprah—all the while promoting the importance of Early Childhood education.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Poverty in Somalia
At this point, I
have been unable to make contact with an international educator. The
link to http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
does not work, so I decided to research Somalia via the UNICEF
website.
UNICEF stands for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF is one of the largest development agencies dedicated to working exclusively with children to eliminate hunger and disease.
UNICEF stands for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF is one of the largest development agencies dedicated to working exclusively with children to eliminate hunger and disease.
Thousands
of children under the age of five die every day due to the lack of
proper nutrition, safe drinking water, affordable vaccines and other
basic necessities that most people in the U.S. take for granted.
“UNICEF's lifesaving interventions and programs around the world
have helped reduce the number of child deaths by nearly 50% since
1990, and yet 18,000 children still die every day from preventable
causes. UNICEF helped immunize 38% of the world's children in 2013.”
Somali women and children have been
living in the harshest of conditions for over 20 years. Contributing
to the hunger issue are years of droughts, crop failure, depletion of
livestock, and rising food prices. Also, many women and children are
still out of reach of UNICEF support. “By the end of 2012, 2.12
million Somalis (more than half of whom are children), were in an
Acute Food Security Crisis, a significant decrease from 4 million at
the start of 2012 when areas of the country were still suffering from
the famine.” Although this is an improvement, reports showed that
children continue to suffer greatly, with 16% acutely malnourished,
and 3.5% severely so.
One in 10
Somali children die before their first birthday. Somalia has some of
the largest numbers of unimmunized children in the world and is thus
a breading ground for vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio and
measles. UNICEF cannot reach all the children to immunize them due to
politics, infrastructure, and other conflicts. This is such a shame,
especially when these vaccines are readily available in other parts
of the world.
Learning about the poverty in Somalia
has left me feeling empathic for the plight of the women and children
in that country. I am left feeling grateful for what I have and the
liberties I enjoy in the United Sates. I also feel empowered to do
something about it. That is why I am donating to the cause. Yes, if
my donation can help even one child, then that is one child who gets
to live a little longer. Each one can reach one.
To donate to UNICEF:
https://www.unicefusa.org/donate/donate-end-preventable-deaths-children
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
I
chose the Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org)
as the organization to immerse my self in and learn more about. The
goal of this organization is to break the cycle of generational
poverty in Harlem through education and service; providing support
and resources to children and their families. I signed up for the
newsletter, but have not received one yet, so I went to the website
and perused articles in the News section. It appears that there are
1-2 news articles posted to the website monthly. I didn't find much
on the issue of cultural diversity in the articles, although I have
no doubt that cultural diversity encompasses the very fabric of the
comprehensive educational model developed by CEO Geoffrey Canada. The
schools are in Harlem where the culture is rich and diverse. Harlem
in and of itself is a melting pot where you have African Americans,
Latinos and West Indians to name a few. You can go to one block and
get soul food and the next and get Spanish rice and beans. The
students have no choice but to be immersed in cultural diversity
because of the location alone. I am speaking from experience as I was
raised in Harlem.
I look forward to reading more articles from the HCZ.
One
article that did catch my attention was written by Geoffrey Canada
for the Huffington Post on
encouraging children to engage in public service, and HCZ’s
extensive work with AmeriCorps workers. In the Article, Canada
states, “My hope is that this year
our children will learn about the world around them in a new way -
not just about geological facts and historical dates, but as a place
they can step into and make an imprint by serving others. I want them
to learn to see the status quo as just raw material that they
themselves can make better. If we only prepare our children for a
life of wage-earning and not of serving their community, we are
denying them an opportunity to experience their own greatness. It is
time for our country to make public service a part of young people's
lives just as we do with their education. Children should learn
history, but they should also learn how to make history.”
This
article resonated with me because it is so important to give back. I
learned this at a young age and it has helped me became a more well
rounded individual--sensitive to the needs of others. Children need
to learn the importance of service, and why not start at a young age.I look forward to reading more articles from the HCZ.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-canada/post_5662_b_3947738.html
Saturday, July 5, 2014
GLOBAL COMMUNICATION EFFORTS
Hello Everyone,
I chose the Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org) as the organization to immerse my self in and learn more about. This organization is especially appealing to me because I grew up in Harlem in what some might call poverty; and I am the first to graduate college in my family. The aim of the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), “Breaking the Cycle of Generation Poverty in Harlem,” struck a in chord in me because often times that cycle is very vicious and some people cannot get out of it because they don’t know how. It seems like the founder and Educator of the HCZ, Geoffrey Canada, has found a way(s), and one of those ways of course, is access to early childhood education. I signed up for the newsletter and I am looking forward to learning about new innovative ways to educate and break generational poverty.
The steps I followed to locate and communicate
with two professionals in the Early Childhood field were fairly easy.
I went to the following website:
http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance#africa
and reached out to professionals who were connected to an
organization like Center
for Early Childhood Care & Development in The Philippines.
Some countries just have a contact person and e-mail, but don’t
indicate what organization they belong to, so I didn’t touch those.
I e-mailed three professionals initially via e-mail and all three
emails were returned as undeliverable. So if you are using this site,
don’t bother to e-mail jsm@waece.org
in Spain, ydionne@ccf-fcsg.ca
in Canada, and hicham_moukram@hotmail.com
in Morocco. I did manage to find two contacts from the Philippines
and South Africa, where the e-mails were not returned.
I sent the
following introduction e-mail:
|
Greetings,
I am a student at Walden University in The United States and I am taking a course entitled Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field. I found your e-mail address on this site: http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance#Africa I would like to communicate with you on a weekly basis to discuss issues and trends relating to Early Childhood Education in your country.. I would like learn as much as possible about your work, the state of the early childhood field in your country, your concerns, as well as your hopes and dreams. I hope you are available to assist me, so that we may learn from each other. Thank you. |
I hope they all
respond so that we can begin sharing and discussing the issues and
trends that effect the field early childhood field.
WEBSITE:I chose the Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org) as the organization to immerse my self in and learn more about. This organization is especially appealing to me because I grew up in Harlem in what some might call poverty; and I am the first to graduate college in my family. The aim of the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), “Breaking the Cycle of Generation Poverty in Harlem,” struck a in chord in me because often times that cycle is very vicious and some people cannot get out of it because they don’t know how. It seems like the founder and Educator of the HCZ, Geoffrey Canada, has found a way(s), and one of those ways of course, is access to early childhood education. I signed up for the newsletter and I am looking forward to learning about new innovative ways to educate and break generational poverty.
I wish everyone
success in your efforts to communicate globally and I’m looking
forward to sharing with everyone.
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