Learning on an International Level

     Before beginning my studies of Early Education at Walden University, I did not think beyond the scope of the world I was familiar with. From the first assignment in The Developing Child in the 21st Century by Sandra Smidt I was introduced to global issues children face that are much different than the ones the children I had taught and cared for face.
     This awareness was enlightening. To think about improving the lives and experiences of children around the world, not just here in America, was exciting. Currently going through NAEYC accreditation at my center, I find myself constantly wondering if other countries are aware of the standards we strive for.
     A consequence I have experienced is a constant comparing of America to other countries. I can get lost for immeasurable amounts of time following links from one article to the next, trying to decide: are doing better by our children or are we falling behind? As with most things, there is no exact answer when many factors come into play.
     I have developed a new appreciation for the amount of work being done in advocating for young children. Researching the many websites devoted to causes and backed by scientific research has given me hope that the future of our profession will be taken more seriously. I must do my part but am still working on how to be more effective than 8 families at a time.
     A goal of mine would be to take part in and possible even head a committee at one of the organizations introduced to me over these courses, many of which have offices in Washington, DC, such as:

Association for Childhood International
NAEYC
ZEROTOTHREE
Children's Defense Fund
Stand for Children
Save the Children

Early Childhood Deveopment in Mpumlanga, South Africa

   

      Through my chats with Lindiwe, it seems high turnover and low education of providers is a problem there as well as in America. Not only are those new to the field undercompensated, most are volunteers! Most become volunteers through word of mouth and relative referrals, then become paid contracted teachers after years of experience and further education, which is costly. There are home providers, private centers, and government run centers. Trainings are all provided by government departments of education, social services, and health.
     Lindiwe is satisfied with her position and does not intend to pursue further educations other than the recurrent trainings she receives from the school and the government. She has been teaching preschool for 12 years, and is happy. I did not receive any response when I asked her about her hopes and dreams.
     I did a bit of further research because the conversations intrigued me to learn more, but I did not hear back from her as often as I had questions. Training of "child minders" and ECD practitioners through workshops has been done on curriculum knowledge, skills development and assessment of children's knowledge and skills. They received certificates of different levels, the highest without university studies being a 4 (N.I.H.E., 2011)
     Major issues for educators are overcrowding of schools (in the province of Gert Sibande, the rural school studied had 390 children and 3 practitioners), educators who hold certificates in ECD are paid the same as those who don't, salaries are often paid late, and many "educators" are not qualified to teach (N.I.H.E, 2011).

References:

N.I.H.E, National Institute for Higher Education. (2011). Early childhood development in Mpumalanga: A review of the integrated ECD provision and implementation, Mpumalanga Department of Education, pp 79-89 Retrieved from: http://www.nihemp.ac.za/images/Report%20on%
  

 The website I have been following has this link along the right side of the page, toward the middle. Each of the categories leads to articles written by the various sponsors who are experts in the headed fields. While all the links have pertinent, current information, the E-Learning category led me to an article that relates to
my discussion post suggestion this week


.

An article entitled Bringing World Language Education to Everyone describes a tablet program issued to 100 students in a small rural town in Vermont. It enables students beginning in kindergarten to learn Spanish, French, Chinese or German through interactive activities. The tablets go home with the children, where they can practice and easily involve parents. The following paragraph is from the paper, which does not designate an author but is more of an advertisement with validation.

                                      The result has been a different view of world

                                      languages, one that recognizes its importance in

                                      putting students on a path to academic achievement

                                      and cultural empathy. “The language program has

                                      grown from being perceived as an enrichment activity

                                      to a core subject area that is increasingly integrated

                                      with and central to the rest of the school curricula,”

                                      said Principal Johnston. “Middlebury Interactive’s

                                      courses have been transformative to our school and

                                      is unique in my 40 years of experience as an educator.”

To read the whole presentation, click on the link:https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/WP-Middlebury_BringingWorldLanguageEducation.pdf

An area I found by a tiny link in the upper right corner of the screen was the Education Week Digital access. It displayed an interactive version set up like a paper hardcopy. In the "inside cover" was a listing of their supporters, which I was unable to find on the regular webpage. A short list of the many foundations includes:

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-supports college and career ready reporting and standards
Hope Foundation-supports educational equity and school reform
Joyce Foundation-supports improvements of the teaching profession
NOYCE Foundation-supports the institution of STEM in public schools
School climate and student behavior are supported by a number of different foundations, including but limited to Atlantic Philanthropies, Raikes Foundation, and California Endowment
The Ford Foundation supports visionary leaders and organizations on the frontline of social change, the strengthening of democratic values, the reduction of poverty and injustice, the promotion of international cooperation and advancement of human achievement.

There are so many more, all with FANTASTIC GOALS AND PURPOSES!! I love this website.

My e-newsletter alerted me to a free webinar High Quality Early Education: Policy and Practice with guests Laura Bornfreund, deputy director, Early Childhood Initiative, New America Foundation
and Debi Mathias, director, QRIS National Learning Network. They discuss current early-childhood policy, efforts underway to bolster preschool quality, and suggestions for improvements at the local, state, and federal levels.  Although I was not available to attend the webinar on October 6th, it will be available to me through the archives for 4 months.

This website is so full of information on current issues that it is impossible to read it all every issue. I have found it extremely resourceful every time I have gone to it regarding the subject at hand. By searching "excellence and equity", I accessed the following article:

Excellence and Equity: Policy Lessons From Around the World by Anthony Jackson. It was a summary of the ideas discussed at the 4th  International Summit on the Teaching Profession  held in Wellington, New Zealand.  this past April and attended by countries as diverse as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The result of their discussions of what works to reduce the achievement gaps seen in lower socio-economic students was a combination of solutions, including bonus incentives, increased technology as additional teaching tools, training of skills and data to identify problems early, along with mentoring and coaching, forming collaborative cultures among teachers for support (Jackson, 2014).

Reference:

Jackson,A. (2014). Excellence and equity: Policy lessons from around the world. Education Week. Retrieved from:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2014/04/excellence_and_equity_policy_lessons_from_around_the_world.html?qs=equity+and+excellence

 

More conversation with Lindiwe

My attempts to communicate with my new friend in South Africa are strained, even though she knows English. Some of my questions are not understood, and answers I have received are very vague.
I understand she teaches grade R (for reception), which is similar to pre-K in the United States. It is available to everyone but not mandatory to attend, and most children transition to full time school settings straight from home. The children who do attend grade R typically perform better in their primary grades than children who come straight from home.
The teachers in her school have been told that kindergarten readiness testing will be in place in the near future. Some teachers are so worried that they make the children repeat over and over what they are needed to know for the test. She said school is no fun anymore. Playtime was limited anyway because it is so hot, and they have no money for outdoor equipment or shaded coverings. Indoor play becomes too wild, so it is mostly eliminated.
The children who go to school straight from home score low on the tests, but are required to begin school anyway. Many are orphans living with relatives, so they start behind and get no help along the way. Feeling defeated early on, they often quit school and work low paying jobs. Because they are poorly educated, when they start their families the children are already behind. It is a cycle that is difficult to break.

This was the extent of the information I received from Lindiwe. I could not get her to give me her view or opinion on any of this. I did some research for some additional information on the state of Early Childhood in South Africa, and found: Although Grade R is available to everyone, currently 64% of children attend. In 1995, South Africa signed the Conventions of the Rights of a Child, pregnant women and children from birth to six receive free health care, and the government provides grants-in-aid for anyone to attend Grade R(Atmore, 2013) The situation for children in South Africa is improving since Apartheid, but slowly.

Reference:

Atmore, E. (2013). Early childhood development in South Africa – progress since the end of apartheid. International Journal Of Early Years Education, 21(2/3), 152-162. doi:10.1080/09669760.2013.832941