Over the span of one's career it is important to expand learning and reflection on practice and quality within the field. For example, my dad found his way to the United States in 1967 when a motorcycle dealership posted an ad for a motorcycle mechanic in a magazine distributed in the UK. During that time, the UK was well known for mechanic specialists in the motorcycle arena. During this course I have found myself intrigued and impacted by such global learning. I have focused my efforts on the podcasts and researching the current trends in the United Kingdom, specifically, England.
I have compared and contrasted the differences in the professional requirements of the early childhood educator in the UK and the US. Because my every day work stems around professional development and counseling others on their education choices in the field, I of course wanted to research this topic abroad. I was happy to find that the UK stresses the importance of training and professional development, just as we do in Ohio.
Through my global explorations, I learned of new programs and initiatives around the world. While listening to podcasts a few weeks ago, I was impressed by Delfina Mitchell, Director of the Liberty Children's Home in Belize City. Her dedication to children and families is prominent through her work and direction at the Children's Home. She ensures that competent staff are working with these children who have no true home. The children find solace in this safe, learning environment.
Lastly, I acquired information on trends in the early childhood field across the world. From the podcasts, to websites like the Harvard University and World Bank, to my chosen website of the British Association for Early Childhood Education, I learned about initiatives, training, and support groups that are offered in different parts of the world. These have all provided me with new eyes on what we could be offering here in Ohio, as well as how we can be proud of what is already being offered and implemented across programs in Ohio.
I wish you all continued success in your educational program and in your professional career. Thank you for your insights and shared dialogue over these past 8 weeks.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
The EC Profession in England
While I have not been able to get response from my email inquiries, I continue to learn more about how early childhood looks in the United Kingdom. With our focus this wee on high-quality and professional characteristics of early childhood educators, I researched the qualifications for early childhood professionals in England.
As the early childhood field has evolved, and continues to do so, a new model has been established that introduces the idea of the Early Years Professional (EYP). Lumsden (2010), states, "This new professional in England is being presented as the 'Gold Standard' in early years and every full-time day-care setting should have an EYP by 2015" (p. 173). The Early Years Professional must attend anywhere from four to twelve months of training and education, depending on their current knowledge and experience. I like this model for education because it is individualistic, while meeting a standard as a high-quality educator who is considered professional. In Lumsden's piece on the professional, a respondent on the relationship with teaching stated, "It is about time early years practitioners received professional and financial credit for the valuable work they do...which are the most important years to invest in" (p. 179). We can all agree with this statement.
According to the Competence Requirements document compiled and disseminated by the University of East London and Universiteit of Gent (2011), "The quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) depends on the competence of people working with children, families, and communities" (p. 21). In my research of the requirements of early childhood professionals in the UK, I found many commonalities to what we believe and advocate for in the U.S. This document also mentions, "ECEC refers to a holistic approach to education." Furthermore, "quality needs to be considered as an on-going process rather than as something that is achieved or not" (p. 23). Once again, this is similar to what we believe to be true in our country. Through the implementation of quality rating systems, programs are offered guidance, via benchmarks, that have been identified as markers of high-quality care and education. My colleagues and I work diligently every day to assist programs directors achieve, and more importantly, maintain their star rating under Ohio's quality rating system, Step Up To Quality. Providing high-quality, holistic early childhood care and education services requires daily work and dedication to the profession.
References:
As the early childhood field has evolved, and continues to do so, a new model has been established that introduces the idea of the Early Years Professional (EYP). Lumsden (2010), states, "This new professional in England is being presented as the 'Gold Standard' in early years and every full-time day-care setting should have an EYP by 2015" (p. 173). The Early Years Professional must attend anywhere from four to twelve months of training and education, depending on their current knowledge and experience. I like this model for education because it is individualistic, while meeting a standard as a high-quality educator who is considered professional. In Lumsden's piece on the professional, a respondent on the relationship with teaching stated, "It is about time early years practitioners received professional and financial credit for the valuable work they do...which are the most important years to invest in" (p. 179). We can all agree with this statement.
According to the Competence Requirements document compiled and disseminated by the University of East London and Universiteit of Gent (2011), "The quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) depends on the competence of people working with children, families, and communities" (p. 21). In my research of the requirements of early childhood professionals in the UK, I found many commonalities to what we believe and advocate for in the U.S. This document also mentions, "ECEC refers to a holistic approach to education." Furthermore, "quality needs to be considered as an on-going process rather than as something that is achieved or not" (p. 23). Once again, this is similar to what we believe to be true in our country. Through the implementation of quality rating systems, programs are offered guidance, via benchmarks, that have been identified as markers of high-quality care and education. My colleagues and I work diligently every day to assist programs directors achieve, and more importantly, maintain their star rating under Ohio's quality rating system, Step Up To Quality. Providing high-quality, holistic early childhood care and education services requires daily work and dedication to the profession.
References:
Competence requirements in early childhood education and care. (2011). Retrieved from ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/doc/2011/core_en.pdf.
Lumsden, E. (2010). The new early years professional in england. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 1(3). Retrieved from http://www.infonomics-society.org/IJCDSE/The%20New%20Early%20Years%20Professional%20in%20England.pdf
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Sharing Web Resources
Some websites are packed with information and resources that makes it possible to learn something new every time you visit. The British Association for Early Childhood website, http://www.early-education.org.uk, is no different. As I navigated in new sections of the website this week, I learned of branches and special interest group that are facilitated through the association. One such group offered is the Baby Room Group. Within this support group of sorts, they explore ideas and questions such as, "Are you interested in the links between attachment and early language?" This provides a time to examine how the Early Years Foundation Stage (UK standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five) may affect baby room practice. I found it interesting that they referred to infant and toddler environments as baby rooms.
Visiting this site every week keeps me informed of late news and events. It was posted that Early Education, "launched Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), new non-statutory guidance produced by Early Education with support from the Department for Education that supports all those working in early childhood education settings to implement the statutory requirements of the EYFS Framework 2012." The director stated, "Development Matters demonstrates how the four themes of the EYFS Framework and the principles that inform them work together to support the development of babies, toddlers and young children within the context of the EYFS framework."
Lastly, I re-visited the publications and resources link to find that Early Education's own Nancy Stewart wrote How Children Learn: The Characteristics of Effective Early Learning, with a foreward by Early Education President, Helen Moylett. "This book explores effective early childhood learning through focusing on how rather than what children learn." While this is an important topic to the UK in regards to their EYFS structure, this is important to remember when working with young children anywhere. As we have all been studying the process of learning, not what is being taught.
Each one of the examples I provided here addresses the inequity in who teaches young children and tackles issues related to responsiveness. Early Education offers a plethora of resources and supports to early childhood professionals on a variety of topics and issues in the arena of child development and working with families. I hope you take a minute, if you haven't already, to take a look. I'm sure you will find an article that addresses a topic of interest for you.
Visiting this site every week keeps me informed of late news and events. It was posted that Early Education, "launched Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), new non-statutory guidance produced by Early Education with support from the Department for Education that supports all those working in early childhood education settings to implement the statutory requirements of the EYFS Framework 2012." The director stated, "Development Matters demonstrates how the four themes of the EYFS Framework and the principles that inform them work together to support the development of babies, toddlers and young children within the context of the EYFS framework."
Lastly, I re-visited the publications and resources link to find that Early Education's own Nancy Stewart wrote How Children Learn: The Characteristics of Effective Early Learning, with a foreward by Early Education President, Helen Moylett. "This book explores effective early childhood learning through focusing on how rather than what children learn." While this is an important topic to the UK in regards to their EYFS structure, this is important to remember when working with young children anywhere. As we have all been studying the process of learning, not what is being taught.
Each one of the examples I provided here addresses the inequity in who teaches young children and tackles issues related to responsiveness. Early Education offers a plethora of resources and supports to early childhood professionals on a variety of topics and issues in the arena of child development and working with families. I hope you take a minute, if you haven't already, to take a look. I'm sure you will find an article that addresses a topic of interest for you.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Global Initiatives for Children
"The Center's Global Children’s Initiative has begun to build a portfolio of activities in three domains: early childhood development; mental health; and children in crisis and conflict situations" (Harvard, 2012). Through this work, advocates are making efforts to get more people engaged in making investments in the earliest years of life. Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, has launched a national campaign against ‘‘toxic stress’’ in childhood. In an interview he responded to a question regarding asking for political support for additional human services support for children and families, "What’s exciting about the biology is it takes it out of the political realm and asks us how it is that poverty and maltreatment result in problems later and how we could prevent that. It offers more ideas for new solutions and new approaches, rather than just the same old political arguments. Everybody wins if we prevent toxic stress in young children, and everybody loses if we don’t" (Shonkoff, 2012). We know that children who live in stressful living conditions are under chronic stress, and therefore, are susceptible for low self-esteem issues, delayed or challenges in learning, etc. If we don't work to break the barriers of poverty and chronic stress for parents and families, we will all lose.
This brings me to the podcast I listened to in which Delfena Mitchell, Director of the Liberty Children's Home in Belize City, described the condition in which children typically arrive at the Liberty orphanage. The children "come broken down and have to heal" (World Forum). Delfena described this area of Central America as being #1 in incidences of child abuse. Dr. Eck stated, "Liberty should be the blueprint for other orphanages"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsMr1Su-nzo). Caregivers working at Liberty expressed passion, understanding and care for the children they work with every day.
Gunther Fink, Assistant Professor of International Health Economics at Harvard University worked on an assessment tool for all children. Through his study he declared, “Where you are at age 6, before you enter school, predicts so many things in your life, and yet we have no way of comparing one country to another.” We need to take a look at children's inequalities across the globe to assess the ways in which to best serve all children. Through the Global Children's Initiative work, "we" have made great strides toward these efforts.
References:
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/global_children_s_initiative__activities/
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/02/27/targeting_toxic_stress_in_children/
This brings me to the podcast I listened to in which Delfena Mitchell, Director of the Liberty Children's Home in Belize City, described the condition in which children typically arrive at the Liberty orphanage. The children "come broken down and have to heal" (World Forum). Delfena described this area of Central America as being #1 in incidences of child abuse. Dr. Eck stated, "Liberty should be the blueprint for other orphanages"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsMr1Su-nzo). Caregivers working at Liberty expressed passion, understanding and care for the children they work with every day.
Gunther Fink, Assistant Professor of International Health Economics at Harvard University worked on an assessment tool for all children. Through his study he declared, “Where you are at age 6, before you enter school, predicts so many things in your life, and yet we have no way of comparing one country to another.” We need to take a look at children's inequalities across the globe to assess the ways in which to best serve all children. Through the Global Children's Initiative work, "we" have made great strides toward these efforts.
References:
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/global_children_s_initiative__activities/
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/02/27/targeting_toxic_stress_in_children/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsMr1Su-nzo.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
New Insights
While researching The British Association for Early Childhood Education website further, I was glad to see that this association offers training and professional development for "early years practitioners working in maintained, private, voluntary, independent, and home-based settings" (http://www.early-education.org.uk).
Knowing that early childhood settings look differently in other countries, I was excited to learn that the UK focuses on professional development for family child care providers as part of their programming. This is a unique audience that sometimes gets left out of the professionalism of child care. Although the United Kingdom training programs appear to offer a variety of opportunities similar to what I coordinate in my job, there is a much smaller offering scheduled for this spring/summer.
The British Association believes membership is important. A member shares her experience and what she has gained from her connections."I will never forget attending my first meeting of Early Education in the 1970s...As the years have gone by, the journals and the clear and concise information and updates have continued to be invaluable. I can rely on Early Education to research and evaluate the facts, figures and events carefully and to campaign in a measured, articulate and informed way."
Professor Tina Bruce CBE Early Education Vice-President
The British Association works to influence decision makers. A member of the early education co-production group advocates for children and families through her work on the Daycare Trust, a national charity campaigning for child care. I do not care for the word daycare as I feel it does not speak to the work we do in educating children and supporting families; however, I did find great resources on the Daycare Trust site. They put focus on the essential components of child care (information for parents, training, and policy and campaigning). Some of the information includes sharing what quality child care looks like and how it can be measured, as well as some data on how the cost of child care is increasing in Great Britain. It appears that the educators all over the UK have their work cut out for them to influence policy makers on the importance of quality child care and making it accessible and affordable for families.
www.daycaretrust.org.uk
http://www.early-education.org.uk
Knowing that early childhood settings look differently in other countries, I was excited to learn that the UK focuses on professional development for family child care providers as part of their programming. This is a unique audience that sometimes gets left out of the professionalism of child care. Although the United Kingdom training programs appear to offer a variety of opportunities similar to what I coordinate in my job, there is a much smaller offering scheduled for this spring/summer.
The British Association believes membership is important. A member shares her experience and what she has gained from her connections."I will never forget attending my first meeting of Early Education in the 1970s...As the years have gone by, the journals and the clear and concise information and updates have continued to be invaluable. I can rely on Early Education to research and evaluate the facts, figures and events carefully and to campaign in a measured, articulate and informed way."
Professor Tina Bruce CBE Early Education Vice-President
The British Association works to influence decision makers. A member of the early education co-production group advocates for children and families through her work on the Daycare Trust, a national charity campaigning for child care. I do not care for the word daycare as I feel it does not speak to the work we do in educating children and supporting families; however, I did find great resources on the Daycare Trust site. They put focus on the essential components of child care (information for parents, training, and policy and campaigning). Some of the information includes sharing what quality child care looks like and how it can be measured, as well as some data on how the cost of child care is increasing in Great Britain. It appears that the educators all over the UK have their work cut out for them to influence policy makers on the importance of quality child care and making it accessible and affordable for families.
www.daycaretrust.org.uk
http://www.early-education.org.uk
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Expanding International Connections
Unfortunately, I have not received response from the many correspondences I have sent to international early childhood professionals. Therefore, I have spent time listening to several of the forum discussions provided as the alternative. I have learned from many professionals of their journey in early childhood, and the lessons they have learned along the way.
I was most captivated by the work of Meridas Eka Yora, who founded Fajar Hidayah in 1998. He established boarding schools across Indonesia over the next few years. When the earthquake and tsunami took over the land of Aceh, Indonesia in 2004, Yora opened the schools to 2,000 children of which 400 were orphans and 300 were underprivileged. "The teachers became the nurse and counselor for the children." In the World Forum podcast, Yora speaks of how the staff helped cultivate families between the children, even though their biological families had been destroyed. "Credit for this turnaround should go first and foremost to the stoicism of the Acehnese. Helping to shelter each other in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami" (World Bank).
I am always energized when I hear stories such as these, in which people are overcoming tragedies and obstacles to make a difference for children and families. I look forward to following other stories and projects happening in Indonesia.
The World Bank (2011). http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/INDONESIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21653738~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:226309,00.html
World Forum Foundation Radio. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sharing Web Resources
I have continued my research on the British Association for Early Childhood Education international website this week. They have been in existence since 1923 and focus their efforts on issues around early childhood and how the issues and trends affect the work of providers. According to the website, www.early-education.org.uk/, "They began their existence as the Nursery School Association whose aims were to advance nursery education and to promote the training of nursery teachers" (our history). Through their work, "Early Education supports the professional development of early years practitioners working in maintained, private, voluntary, independent and home based settings."
Telephone: 0207 5395 400 Facsimile: 0207 5395 409
office@early-education.org.uk
My Interest -
What interests me most about this website is the plethora of resources and training opportunities offered by the Association. They offer many articles on child development topics to enhance a providers learning and application in the early childhood programs in England. As I coordinate and design professional development in our local area, I am always researching new resources of important information on child development and program topics to integrate into curriculum.
Issues/Trends --- Project Work
The work of The British Association for Early Childhood Education is conducted through projects, campaigns, and policy work. One issue I found as I researched the website and the work of the Association, is that "government decisions threatened to decimate quality early childhood education and care in England and undermine their own agenda to support the most disadvantaged families first and foremost in 2010" (projects). This threatens the emphasis on universal services for all children; the focus would be on providing care and education for only the most disadvantaged children. Where does this leave the rest of the children who deserve the best care and educational experiences? This contrasts with our study of quality care and education for all children, no matter the demographics (race, ethnicity, economic status, etc). Furthermore, a specific consequence of this issue concentrates around the requirement to hire qualified staff. This upsets be greatly. According to Early Education, "Early Education has grave concerns that this change will inhibit the drive to ensure that all early childhood education settings deliver the highest quality early years provision." One of the benchmarks of quality care for children is the requirement of highly-qualified teaching staff and providers. I commend the work and campaigning of people who are connected with the Association to advocate for the highest of quality in the early childhood programs in England, for all children deserve the best care and learning experiences to be successful in life.
The British Association for Early Childhood Education
136 Cavell Street London E1 2JATelephone: 0207 5395 400 Facsimile: 0207 5395 409
office@early-education.org.uk
My Interest -
What interests me most about this website is the plethora of resources and training opportunities offered by the Association. They offer many articles on child development topics to enhance a providers learning and application in the early childhood programs in England. As I coordinate and design professional development in our local area, I am always researching new resources of important information on child development and program topics to integrate into curriculum.
Issues/Trends --- Project Work
The work of The British Association for Early Childhood Education is conducted through projects, campaigns, and policy work. One issue I found as I researched the website and the work of the Association, is that "government decisions threatened to decimate quality early childhood education and care in England and undermine their own agenda to support the most disadvantaged families first and foremost in 2010" (projects). This threatens the emphasis on universal services for all children; the focus would be on providing care and education for only the most disadvantaged children. Where does this leave the rest of the children who deserve the best care and educational experiences? This contrasts with our study of quality care and education for all children, no matter the demographics (race, ethnicity, economic status, etc). Furthermore, a specific consequence of this issue concentrates around the requirement to hire qualified staff. This upsets be greatly. According to Early Education, "Early Education has grave concerns that this change will inhibit the drive to ensure that all early childhood education settings deliver the highest quality early years provision." One of the benchmarks of quality care for children is the requirement of highly-qualified teaching staff and providers. I commend the work and campaigning of people who are connected with the Association to advocate for the highest of quality in the early childhood programs in England, for all children deserve the best care and learning experiences to be successful in life.
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