Sharing More Web Resources

 

Most of the links on the website brought me to events and news from the organization and its partners but also to social media, facebook, twitter, even pinterest.  They use each of these links to inform members and others about events, publications and to facilitate discussions on topics in education.  

As I begin to look further in the National Black Child Development Institute I began to see that they have published many articles about equity and access for black children.  They have published various articles called Being Black is Not a Risk Factor: A Strengths-based Look at the State of the Black Child and A Preliminary Blueprint to Improve Educational Excellence and Opportunity for African American Males in Urban Public Schools.  The Preliminary Blueprint article speaks to equity in early education and education by listing policies that can aide meeting the academic, mental, health and school readiness.  Access to high-quality early education is listed as an important factor in helping black males and other children to be ready for school and college-prep.  
While reading "Being Black is not a Risk Factor" it was interesting to read how important it is to have the culture of the children/community embedded in the school.  Low-income students who were able to have representation of their culture at school were more resilient than those low-income peers who did not.  

I also was able to find information in the link Family Empowerment.  This organization as a Parent Empowerment Project.  This project's initiative is to fully engage parents in the education of their children.  They are fully aware the first and influential impact of parents on their child and are using this important fact as a way to connect to children's culture and to communities. A quote so true and packs a punch from this website:

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

- James Baldwin, Author 

While exploring this website and all it had to offer.  I found that the information that the NBCDI puts out is geared toward African American children but can be used for all young children.  Access and equity are not just issues that plague one ethnic community.  There are children all over this world who are unable to get high-quality education let alone, early education.  Being an educator of children is a difficult job!  It takes care, meticulous details and lots of energy.  The excellence in early childhood care comes when parent, teachers, politicians, and communities work together to do what is best for the child.  Children can tell when you are faking.

Standards, DAP, Assessment...

As I spoke to my international contact this week we came to the topic of standards.  She expressed that the education system in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) is based off of models of the UK, Australia and New Zealand.  This is where the big disconnect comes.  Many of the issues and trends and culture are different in all these places, therefore the standards and year end goals do not meet the needs or match the culture of the students that are being taught.  Much of the material does not take into account that the students are English Language Learners.  Some of the standards many teachers find inappropriate, such as the standard that 3 1/2 year old should learn 25 sight words in English and in Arabic.  According to DAP even in America this standard is just unrealistic and inappropriate.  Students, are just understanding letters and numbers at this age, they should not be expected to learn sight words!!!
My contact also expressed that the assessments that are expected to be done throughout the day and semester is causing alot of stress for the teachers.  She says "tensions are high".  While I am not in an environment where assessment is about 20% of my teaching day, she is expected to do formal and informal assessments along with school-based assessments, as well as, graph students learning each trimester and after each completed theme. 

As far a professional development she says that teachers do not get any input on the topics covered and also the topics have information that is usually taught in a university, therefore teachers usually know the information already.  Overall she feels that their approach to standards should be altered and those that are in charge of the educational system could be more aware of the students that they are serving.

She feels that excellence on the UAE is also contingent on what is being done at home.  If the parents are involved in their child's education they usually do better in school than those students who have parents with little involvement and who do not have an English speaking nanny.

In the UAE there are some similar issues that are happening in the US but as you can see their culture is different and their home life is different.  This makes the comments by Graue (2008) even more relevant that it is important to take into account where a child is coming from when they enter school and the importance of their parental relationship and home life because parents are the first people children learn from.


Reference:

Graue, E. (2008). Teaching And Learning In A Post-DAP World. Early Education &     Development, 19(3), 441-447. doi:10.1080/10409280802065411

Sharing Web Resources: NAEYC

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

As we talk about Issues in the early childhood education programs of America the issue of quality and the gaps in quality are on the spotlight.  The availability of a high-quality early childhood program is a necessity in America and many people do not have access.  NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) is an association that has standards and a positional stake in the issue of the early childhood education, thus making them a program that is a pillar in the early childhood field.  Their accreditation validates programs all over the country.  In order for early childhood programs to be high-quality they need to hire and sustain teachers who are high-quality and involved in constant professional development.  Professionals need to be aware of issues and trends in their communities, have a deep understanding of pedagogy and up to date teaching strategies.





 
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?

NAEYC posted "A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education" (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence).  This call includes guidelines for advocacy for students, holding teachers, PARENTS, and students accountable, and also a call for early childhood access in general.  A child's early experiences are a critical dimension to their development and the proper support for families and their young children is an investment that will be returned to society through a "vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children and more stable families" (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence).







The NAEYC website offers a plethora of information to professionals and parents that can help each to understand early childhood education, its stance on issues and topics, and what each can do to get involved.  I looked up information on their stance for Play which is a controversial topic because of the push-down for American students to achieve higher, I found information on developmentally appropriate practices for young children and all the initiatives NAEYC is a part of for the advocacy of young children and their families.

Poverty in Other Places

Going Unnoticed: The Poor in Abu Dhabi

 This week I spoke with a college friend who is teaches Pre-k & K in Abu Dhabi.  Our correspondence was about poverty in her school community and what resources families have if they are in need.  I prompted my collegue with these questions and she answered with honesty from her experiences in America as compared to those in the Middle East.

Are there any particular issues of poverty that you have encountered professionally in Abu Dhabi?  Is poverty one of the top issues where you teach or are there others that are more challenging? Are there prominent organizations that are involved with your school or school district? Is poverty seen differently there than in America?

 She answers:

"Poverty definitely exists in this country; however, it is very different than at home. There aren't many programs that work with schools for poverty stricken families. It is also generally frowned upon to be poor. It is difficult to distinguish the wealthy from the poor. Typically, the wealthier families speak English very well, but that doesn't mean that some families who don't, don't have money. It's a very tricky situation." 

She explains it is very difficult to distinguish between students who are poor and those who are wealthy.  They say it is more prevalent than we actually see and notice. What can be said, is that all of the children come to school in a clean uniform and with a lunch. It is easier to pick out someone who is wealthy rather than someone who is poor. All of the men and women wear traditional dress.  This means that it isn't easy to distinguish by what they wear, and generally only the mothers come to pick up their children, of which some of them she has only ever seen their eyes, as they are completely covered.  Poverty definitely does exist, but since it is frowned upon it's less likely that you can tell the difference within the schools.

Some of the main issues that she has encounter on a regular basis are lack of most parent involvement. There are parents in her classroom that are very involved.  But in general, most of the children have nannies at home who do most of their work for them or are the ones who are encouraging them to learn. 

Attendance rates aren't important and are often changed by administration in order to reflect higher attendance rates for the school, which reflects negatively on learning. Language barriers are also quite difficult. Many of my parents speak no English, and there aren't always enough staff to sit with you and translate.

This is interesting because of the recent bills being pushed through the house of representatives and the senate to eradicate the food stamps program in the US.  Is seems as though there are Americans that also want to ignore the fact that other Americans who are working and are still unable to make ends meet.  Its very enlightening to find this information out about the poor in Abu Dhabi.  I am appreciative of resources we have in America and that there are people all over the country advocating for children and those that cannot.

Sharing Web Resources

National Black Child Development Institute

Dr. DeHaney is the CEO of the national black child development institute (NBCDI).  She and other leaders in early childhood education field joined in a podcast to discuss poverty due to the economic downturn this past decade.  The discussion also included how schools and communities need to come together in new ways to combat the affects of poverty in their communities.  Realizing that schools are a pivotal part of helping families is an important part of addressing issues such as poverty.  Economic recovery is the main issue highlighted on the http://www.nbcdi.org/news/early-childhood-education-takes-center-stage-clinton-global-initiative website. This project is called the Global Clinton Initiative. 

As a whole the organization provides scholarships to children and works with black children from ages birth to age 8.  They are also involved with preparing teachers for teaching and students for college.  They are a country wide organization but have local branches all over the US.

The success of low income children is the primary goal for the organization. 

References: http://www.nbcdi.org/

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

- Frederick Douglass 

 

Establishing and Expanding Resources

Establishing Professional Contacts

Trying to contact correspondence with the provided resources was sure a challenge!  I, like some of my colleagues, used social media as an alternative to contacting others around the world.  Through facebook, I found an old friend from college that teaches in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and is willing to participate in this journey with me!  I must say after hours of searching I am grateful for her willingness to help and her co-workers as well.

Expanding Resources

The organizations that I have chosen to subscribe to are NAEYC and NBCDI (National Black Child Development Institiute).  I chose these two because NAEYC has contributed some great articles to the research I have put into assignments for this program.  NBCDI is an organization that I am just getting familiar with and most of my students are black and many of the issues and trends of today affect black children.  I thought it would be an appropriate organization and applicable to my classroom now. The also have a facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/nbcdi

My Supports!!!!

My Supports

The supports in my daily environment include my parents, my boyfriend and the two friends I confide in Vanessa and Jenn.  Along with the people that support me, I do pray.  When I’m feeling stressed or I’m happy or I just need to talk, I pray.  It is something that centers me and allows me to sleep at night.   My family and religion are some of the most important things in my life, I would not be able to live without them.  If either were ever to leave me, I would be a lost depressed soul.  Good thing for me God says “I will never leave you nor forsake you”!!!!

A Challenge I might have in the near future will be buying a new car.  I’m sure everyone knows that buying a new car comes with negotiations, dealing with a salesman who probably is not that trustworthy, figuring out down payments and getting a loan but also trying to get a good deal.  For this challenge I would need someone to be with me that is knowledgeable about cars and buying them, someone I can trust and someone that can lend me their perspective.  For support for this decision, I would go to my father and boyfriend.  My dad has taught me many things about cars, nonetheless it is important to have a man with you when you buy a car just to keep salesman on their toes.  My father or boyfriend would lend support towards making a definite decision, figuring out how much to spend and helping me to maintain the keep of the car.  If these two were not in my life I may make the wrong decision or even begin to feel overwhelmed with the facts while making a secure decision on a car.