Consequences

 Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my professional and personal development was, I realized that there are universal problems affecting children and their families. Many families struggle with poverty, low-quality education and more. For my professional development and personal development I need to be aware of how to help families with these issues. The second consequence of learning about international early childhood field is that I found it very hard to make contacts with professional internationally. I did not get a single response back and I sent out many request. I really would have liked to communicate with someone internationally for my professional and personal development. The third consequence was I realized that there is so much more to learn and do considering early childhood in the United States. We have so many poor families here that are seldom mentioned. I believe that this is because of the image it wants to give. I know that for my professional and personal development I should focus on learning more and growing.

 One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations is to have more correspondance between educators and other other childhood professionals around the world. I would like to see some type of program where professionals from around the world collaborate on issues and trends affecting early childhood.

International Contacts

While conducting research on international childhood education I realized that more countries have taken an approach to where they are putting mandatory importance on early childhood. Many countries are beginning implement programs to target children in poor areas and children age 0-6. If more programs are funded then this means that more jobs will be available in the early childhood field. Another insight gained is that Brazil policymakers have begun to look toward the federal government funding of early childhood education. They are looking towards preventive measures such as increasing federal funds to allocate towards early childhood education to ensure that all children have access to quality education.

In addition, the third insight that I have gained is the problem of programs focusing on children who need the help the least. “…governments must use complementary financing measures to ensure equity of access for poor and disadvantaged children, as a pure market approach to increasing the level of early childhood provision has been shown to favour the privileged, who can afford the service” (Investment Financing, 2012, p.1). Private sectors have marketed so that education in their community is available, accessible, and affordable.

References:

UNSECO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” Retrieved August 10, 2012 from, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/investment-and-financing/

Sharing Web Resources

I decided to explore the NAEYC website. The website has a ton of information on many topics. One specific area contains a list of accredited child care programs. This would be very useful to parents when searching for quality programs in their area. I have not received any newsletters from NAEYC as of yet, but the website does have articles on access and availability.

In addition, the site I selected at the beginning did offer information on availability. There was a section on the ACEI website that talks about how India’s Supreme Court has upheld a law concerning availability of spots to children that are disadvantaged. As stated by ACEI, “the law makes education a fundamental right and reserves 25% of school seats in both public and private institutions for economically and socially disadvantaged children” (2012, p.1). Through exploring the websites I learned that many countries are now taking an interest in making sure that all children are able to participate in quality early childhood programs. This is very good to know because many children and families are disadvantaged and need someone to advocate for their rights concerning education.

References:

Association for Childhood Education International (2012). Global News. Right To Eduation Ruled Valid. Retrieved online from,

 http://www.acei.org/global-news/right-to-education-law-ruled-valid.html