Final Thoughts...for now.

I knew that studying current Issues and Trends in the field of Early Childhood would be fulfilling, but I never would have guessed the roller coaster of emotions I have felt during this course, how much new knowledge I have gained, and how conflicted I would find myself as I pushed deeper and deeper into each issue.

The concept of developing international contacts was one that I likely would not have attempted on my own.  It was a struggle, but I can say that I am pleased with the outcome.  First off, simply determining who I wished to contact seemed difficult, but once I began making contacts, the choices were made for me.  I was surprised to see just how many people from a wide variety of countries were interested in also making contact with me.  The greatest struggle is in the waiting to hear from the other professionals, even in this day and age of superior technology.

The discoveries I made internationally were quite interesting.  While many of us share the same set of values and goals for the field, we also are up against many of the same roadblocks.  It is refreshing and disheartening all the same.  Most of all, it is unsettling to know that while we all understand that we must build up the next generation if we are ever to sustain our nations, they are the first to face hardship, cutbacks, and misrepresentation among politician and big business in most industrialized nations. 

I was also quite challenged by the notion that while Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, they are living an extremely different life on the island.  While it can be understood that they may not receive full representation within our country, I never would have believed the disparity of aid they do receive from us, even though some of it seems to be at the will of their own individual government.

I hope to maintain and strengthen the contacts I have made in hopes that a continued sharing of information will lead, not only to a greater understanding of global early childhood issues, but also in a greater ability for all parties to feel more comfortable sharing their concerns.  Perhaps if we all placed the same value system to our own professional development that we expect of the children and families we work with, we will be able to establish an open forum for creating the change in the field of early childhood that is so desperately needed.

I wish each and every one of my colleagues and professional connections nothing but the best in their quest to improve themselves, the field, and the lives of children and families.

Words from Around the World

I never thought that my experience reaching out internationally would be so difficult yet rewarding all at the same time.  Although I never had a “pen pal” as a child, I can now imagine the anticipation of waiting for the next letter.  I check my email and message center feverishly in hopes of more information.  This week had some highs and lows.  I did finally receive a brief response from my contact in Puerto Rico regarding poverty struggles, and managed to make two new connections, which added two more countries to the mix.  I have now made contact with representatives of Puerto Rico, Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Scotland, and two other American women who have seen great success in the field.  Unfortunately, it is not always easy getting a fluent conversation going across the miles. 

While I still hope to get responses from those I reached out to, I will share a few tidbits of what previous responses have offered me.

In Puerto Rico, my contact reiterated that conditions are bleak for many of their residents.  Their struggle lies furthermore, in the fact that due to they are a territory of the United States their representation is different.  Global agencies working with the US do not always consider the unique needs of Puerto Rico or even provide services to them because of their status.  While they do receive some federal and local governmental support, they must also rely heavily on citizen driven, non-profit, volunteer workforces or NGO’s (non-governmental organizations).

In Australia, my contact wholeheartedly believes in the ELYF (Early Learning Years Framework) under which they currently operate, but fears the day that big business and political concerns overshadow the field resulting in big changes.   Due to their ELYF implementation , they were able to reduce teacher: child ratios and prioritize early care quality over profits.  She inferred that if the government there ever removed the current system in favor of one that took away some of the beneficial, family/child oriented policies, that would be the day that she closed her doors for good and walked away.  While I can guess from her passion that this would not actually be the case, I can relate to her frustration and comforted a bit by the fact that we share many of the same struggles.   

Opening the Treasure Chest of Information

I have mentioned the NIEER.org website many times, for many reasons.  It is an incredible resource for early childhood information due to it’s current information on the relevant issues in the field today.  As our research this week and last took us down the path toward removing the barriers between children, families, and quality care, I found myself reaching into the NIEER treasure chest yet again.  

The NIEER site has a section dedicated specifically to “ACCESS”.  Additionally they have sections dedicated to other similar issues such as, ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, STATE PROGRAMS, AND UNIVERSAL AND TARGETED, among others.  Within these sections I was able to find an incredibly intriguing article written by NIEER Senior Fellow Jim Squires entitled, Promoting a Culture of Inclusion for Birth-Third Grade Systems within State and Local Education Agencies.   His discussion aids in the understanding of proposed Birth-Third Systems frameworks regarding barriers, strategies, cultural supports, inclusion, classroom practices, and state and local policies, practices, and values.

I have included a link to his presentation .pdf file from the 2013 National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute event in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. http://nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/NII%20Presentation.pdf

  

After learning, that Mr. Squires work was more pointedly for CEELO (Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes, a division of NIEER, I decided to further investigate their website (ceelo.org).  Their practice is dedicated to, “fostering sustainable change in state policy and practice for children birth to third grade” by working with State Education Agencies to develop effective early learning opportunities and promote innovation and accountability in the field of early education.  Their work is seen frequently in the NIEER newsletter and blog updates and is interesting to read as it contains not only positive breakthroughs, but also reflects and informs about disappointing setbacks and struggles.

I am also including a link to the Trends in State Funded Preschool Programs: Survey Findings from 2001-2002 to 2011-2012 research project performed and compiled by NIEER and CEELO.

http://nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/Trends%20in%20State%20Funded%20Preschool%20Programs_0.pdf

Not only did this research initiative point out current data, the latest statistics and field composition, and program evaluations within specific attributes, but it also offered some suggestions as to how to improve conditions from their standpoint.

By mentioning this site so frequently, I hope that it is understood how truly grateful I am for all of the hard work they do over there.  It is incredibly valuable for busy early childhood professionals to be able to share critical information as quickly and easily as possible.  Without their organization of the latest and greatest, I know that my journey for sure would be much more complicated.

International Contact!!

I am beyond thrilled to report that my persistence has paid off!  It may have taken more than half of the class, but I have finally made four international connections and have received an informative response from one of my contacts in Australia!  I am incredibly appreciative of the information that was shared with me and hope to learn so much more about methods across the globe.

I have learned that, in Australia, they operate in much the same fashion as we do.   The particular center discussed utilizes a Reggio Emilia approach in conjunction with influence from Rudolf Steiner.  They have instituted a national policy referred to as EYLF (Early Years Learning Framework) which offers a much more holistic approach to learning than we currently offer in the United States.  This policy was just adopted in 2009, so I feel that we have much to learn from the benefits they are receiving from an approach that we had implemented so long ago, but have since neglected. 

We have become so consumed with testing and standards that, more often than not, we focus on “teaching to the test” rather than respecting the individuality, respect, and acceptance that this nation was founded upon.  In Australia, especially in Tasmania, where my contact is from, they readily practice within our ideals of a strong community, family support, and individual instruction.  If we truly desire to “catch up” with the rest of the world once again, we need to put our egos aside and embrace the values that we have always held dear, instead of becoming “slaves to the system”.    We will survive—we always have—but only if we maintain the morals and principles of a productive and empathetic social value system

NIEER's Contribution to my greater understanding

I am always grateful for the depth and quantity of information shared by the NIEER website (nieer.org).  Not only do they offer information covering the broad expanse of early education, but they also collaborate with other organizations which work more specifically within the field.  Over the past month, along with reporting their own research, the online newsletter Preschool Matters…Now! offered articles from CEELO (Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes and NAEYC PDI (National Associate for the Education of Young Children, Professional Development Institute). 

This week, to coincide with this week’s topic of the economic impact of early childhood education and development, there were several articles related to budgets and spending.  Several states posted updates on the economic payback for universal and/or non-regulated preschool, pre-Kindergarten and full-day Kindergarten programming.  It saddened me a bit to think that there are so many children nationwide who will suffer a future with less due to a lack of opportunities in their youth; however, at the same time I was enlightened by how many states were actively working toward improving early childhood conditions.  The more we can share our knowledge, the greater importance we can bring to the topic at large.

One of the most interesting articles I read this week had to do with achievement gaps.  Not only can we now recognize the well-established achievement gap between the lower-income and higher-income families, but there is now a gap developing between what would be considered “middle class” and “wealthy” defined in “lay” terms as the opportunity gap (McManus, 2014).  Up until recently, there has been an obvious income disparity which has resulted in conditions of poverty among a large sizable portion of the nation, however education used to be the way out for those forced to live modestly.  Currently, as the economic gap widens, the “have nots” are suffering more than ever and the effects are reaching an ever-growing population.  What the United States refers to as the middle class has taken a huge hit over the past decade regarding economics, employment opportunities, and housing.  As such, they are now also experiencing an opportunity gap as the top pulls away from the middle.  Research has shown that the most obvious difference is among children in the first few months of Kindergarten.  When testing is conducted at this point it indicates just how important preschool education and high-quality out-of-home care can be—something that many “middle class” families have put on the backburner in order to pay for more immediate expenses.

References

McManus, D. (2014, May 18). To achieve the American dream, mind the opportunity gap. Los Angeles Times.  Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-mcmanus-column-opportunity-gap-20140518-column.html

NIEER. (n.d.) National Institute for Early Education Research. www.nieer.org

Poverty Insights

Gathering information from international sources has been a challenge for me.  I have reached out to several associates from several countries without success.  I did, however, manage to connect with a professional from Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately, I have yet to receive a response regarding my inquiries about poverty in her region.  I still hope to hear from her and will be sure to post her insights, suggestions, and struggles when I do.

In lieu of an actual conversation with a  citizen of Puerto Rico, I have chosen to follow the lead of some of my other colleagues and perform some independent research on the challenges faced by residents of the island.  The relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico has made this even more interesting in that we share a responsibility through Congress to ensure their well-being, yet they operate as an independent nation. 

Puerto Rico, in 2009, reported that a staggering 41.4% percent of people lived below the poverty line.  What makes this statistic even more remarkable is that, as they do not recognize the Federal Poverty Line established by the United States they use their own figure, which is significantly lower (by almost half) than what is used across the nation.  This disparity is reflected in data presented by CNN in 2012.  They stated that 56% of Puerto Rican children live below the poverty line, compared to 22% in the U.S.  They also reported that over 80% of children overall live in high-poverty areas, compared to 11% in the U.S.  What was left unmentioned in the report was which poverty line they were using to conduct the study, so these figures may be skewed.  Regardless of the standard used, the figures are quite disappointing.

Several factors also add to troubling living conditions for the commonwealth, including high pollution, high unemployment,  and low wages for the adults that manage to work.  Due to sub-par living conditions, most families have taken it upon themselves to try and make repairs to homes, streets, and sewer systems without the help of the government just to be able to live.  This takes valuable time away from wage earning for adults and schooling for children, especially the older boys.  Generally speaking, women are left to tend to the younger children and provide food, much of which is provide by the Food Stamp program of the U.S.

While the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, is not easily defined, it is certainly one that needs tended to.  The small island nation provides great value in agriculture and tourism, yet living conditions for residents are deplorable.  Perhaps by targeting some of our resources and building strong partnerships among government officials, we can help them feel as though they are a valued part of our economy with the ability to positively contribute to the global community.  This would allow us to lend a helping hand and for them to become more self-sufficient and a critical player in the world.

What we see

What they live

    

References

Alexandrino, D. (2012, August 1).  Study: Puerto Rico’s children mired in poverty that dwarfs rest of U.S.  CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/us/puerto-rico-child-poverty/

Welcome to Puerto Rico (n.d.) Economy. Retrieved from http://www.topuertorico.org/economy.shtml

Sharing Web Resources

I have been greatly impressed with the amount of information that I have been receiving from the web resources to which I have subscribed.  In a day and age where every second is precious, I am thankful that I am able to keep up on the latest research research and data by simply opening my email.  Additionally, I visit several other websites and follow embedded links from relevant articles.  In this manner, I am able to keep myself connected to areas of Early Childhood that I am not otherwise exposed to in my daily work.

In my previous post, I mentioned NIEER (National Institute for Early Education Research; nieer.org; preschoolmatters.org).  Their blog, "Preschool matters...today!", provides detail regarding some of the most current early childhood topics in our nation.  They also provide a monthly newsletter relating to all topics in the field of Early Childhood with reference to research, policy implications, and practice.  I have had the opportunity to read updated opinions regarding play in the classroom, literacy, mathematics instruction, the relevance of scientific concepts, and general misconceptions in the profession.  I have been pleased that the content spans the United States and often includes a discussion of new political matters.

Most recently, I was provided with information regarding "The State of Preschool 2013: State Preschool Yearbook".  The article discussed trends among state funded  preschool programs in light of budget adjustments.  While there has been some increase in "per student" funding in the last year, programs and children are still suffering.  Noteworthy strides are being made toward increased funding and critical benchmarks being met, but NIEER has suggested that “If ever there were a time for leaders at the local, state, and national levels to unite in their efforts to provide high-quality preschool education to our next generation, this is it” (NIEER, 2014).

 Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, called for just such participation on a media call discussing the Yearbook. “We just need Congress to catch up and pay attention to what is happening in the real world,” he said. Duncan added:

“Today, nationally, as the NIEER Yearbook shows, fewer than 30 percent of 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded preschool programs, and 10 states still do not offer it at all. Sadly, we’re 25th among industrialized countries in enrollment of 4-year-olds in early learning. If we’re going to lead in the global economy, we must do better – in countries like Germany and Japan, more than 95 percent of 4-year olds are enrolled in early childhood education. Quality early education can be a game-changer for the kids who need the most support.  It’s good for them and their families, and for our country’s long-term economic success.  Ultimately, it’s an investment in our collective future.” (NIEER, 2014)

Alongside the information I receive from NIEER, I also frequent the websites for PBS, Hatch, NPR, NAEYC, YC (Young Children) magazine, Let's Move!, and other STEM related resources.  I also often enjoy the articles presented in the resources for our coursework and local links provided to me through my memberships to museums and associations in my area.  

Thus far, the majority of the information I have researched related to the field of Early Childhood Education has been in a broad, pedagogical framework, or in a manner specific to my area of specialization or need.  I look forward to the contributions of others I follow, so that I may broaden my horizons to become more knowledgeable in my field of study.  I whole-heartedly enjoy learning from others and frequently feel more enriched in doing so.  I also anticipate learning about what is on the forefront of others' minds and which issues relate to them directly in their own work.  I have to admit that pursuing my Master's in Early Childhood has not only deepened my commitment to the field, but also afforded me the opportunity to gain perspective in relation to issues in other parts of my working world. 

I thank each and every colleague of mine for aiding me in this process!