Sharing Web Resources

I reviewed the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and this week focused on the section Topics. I read the NAEYC's position on Common Core. This is a current issue and is controversial. While currently there are 45 states who have adopted the Common Core standards, there have been a lot of criticisms of these standards. While Common Core standards may not have a direct impact on preschools and children birth through 5, it is still important for early childhood professionals to understand these standards to better help children transition into school. 

This topic is very important for researchers to understand the impact Common Core standards on children and ensure the standards represent and maintain the current research such as understanding the need for child centered curriculum. Politicians have a major impact on states adapting these standards. They must also understand the research and ensure these standards are the best option for our children.

While this week I focused on the topic of Common Core, I also briefly read through some of the other topics on the website. There were so many other topics that I will be reading more thoroughly later. I have found such a great resource on current information through this website. 

Getting to know your international contacts-Part 1

Unfortunately, I have not received any responses to the emails I sent so I went to World Forum Radio and listened to a podcast by Barbara Jones. Barbara founded the Pine Grove School in Maine. She moved to southern California looking for schools that had a more modern philosophy. She saw an ad for a Montessori school and began working there. She received her Montessori certification in England. After seeing a school boarded up she waited for it to be on the market. Once it was available, she bought it and opened her school in 1985. The school follows the Montessori values. This theory was developed by Maria Montessori which believes children learn best in an environment that promotes hands-on learning. 

I was unable to load the website childhoodpoverty.org, but I have learned the extent of poverty. It is important to change our views of poverty and understand that families who may appear middle class can actually be suffering from food instability (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). The family may be making rent and utilities, but not have enough left for food. Living without food or not getting enough to eat can affect kids in the classroom. We can have the best classroom environment and a child-centered curriculum, but if a child is hungry they will not receive the full benefit. This is important to remember as teachers. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2013). The Effects of Poverty on the Early Childhood Communit5y[Video]. Retrieved fromhttps://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4745165_1%26url%3D

Sharing Web Resources

I have signed up for a newsletter from National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), however I have not received it yet, so this week I chose to review the organization's policies and focused on NAEYC's A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. This policy outlined the importance of high quality education and described the goals for all early education programs. NAEYC makes it clear that the responsibility for improving early childhood programs does not rest with one group or level of government. In order to provide our children with the education they deserve we must work together to achieve the high quality education and environment to have the best short- and long-term results. 

NAEYC states the principals needed in order to achieve the goals and included was the need for equality for all children regardless of family status, income, disability, gender, national origin, ethnicity, or race (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence). Diversity is also needed to ensure programs respect each family's culture differences and are flexible to the needs of the child and family (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence). 

This supports the importance of educating teachers and administrators on the importance of being respectful to every family's culture and traditions. With the changing demographics in our country, classrooms are going to be diverse. To be able to provide the best for our children, teachers must be prepared. It is the responsibility for every level of government and early childhood professionals to ensure our children have the best chance for success later in life which can be achieved through increasing the quality of our early childhood programs.

NAEYC. (n.d). A call for excellence in early childhood education. Retrieved 
         from http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence. 
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Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I emailed a representative for UNICEF in Brazil, Sarah Klaus with the International Step by Step Association in the Netherlands and Mrs. Eva Hammes-DiBernado with the German National Committee for Early Childhood Education. The email address for Sarah Klaus does not work and I have not heard back from any yet, so I may have to move to the alternate assignment.  I will still try to connect with others because I was very excited about discussing issues and trends in other countries.

I chose to to study the NAEYC because this is an organization that I would like to join. I want to learn more about their mission and involvement in the early childhood field. I did sign up for their newsletter.

I would love to get any tips from those that have been able to connect with professionals in other countries.