Sharing Web Resources

I explored the Zero-to-Three website. One of the most important section of the website for my professional growth was the section about play. I think promoting play in a child care setting is still one of the toughest things to explain to parents and policy makers. The website calls play "the true work of childhood" (Zero-to-Three). As a early childhood professional, I understand the importance of play. However, the website also offers many links to explore different areas of how play promotes development and gives information about how play can be used to communicate with children.

Another great resource that I found at the website over the past view weeks is promoting social and emotional development. While working with children, I came across many children that need to emotional support. Finding more information about how to respond to challenging and how to use children's curiosity to help them explore the world around them, helped me gain perspective on how to help children better handle their emotion.

When I explored how the website promotes how policy makers and economists helped promote early childhood education, I came across a very interesting document about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Act offers funds to benefit infants, toddlers and their families. However, with new funding also came challenges and questions. The document Zero-to-Three offered provides a plan how to spend the funding in a meaningful manner.

Debbie M. Rappaport, Project Director, ZERO TO THREE Policy Network,  states: "From the time of conception to the first day of kindergarten, development proceeds at a pace exceeding that of any subsequent stage of life. It is during this time that the brain undergoes its most dramatic growth, and children acquire the ability to think, speak, learn and reason. Early experiences can and do influence the physical architecture of the brain, literally shaping the neural connections in an infant’s developing brain." This statement made me realize that we need to start advocating for children much earlier than I thought we needed. Reading about how brain development already begins with conception, I began to realize that we need to start advocating for mothers as well to promote their healthy development as well.

References:

Rappaport, Debbie (2007). Partnering with the Business Community & Economists to Advance a Birth to Five Policy Agenda. Retrieved from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Partnering_with_the_Business_Community_final.pdf?docID=4361Zero-to-Three (2011). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/play/.

Getting to Know Your International

Unfortunately, I was unable to make contact with anyone from the website. However, I chose to listen to one of the pod casts of the world forum. The person I chose was Susan Lyon. She is the director of the Innovative Teacher Project in San Francisco. Susan has been an educator since she was 22. She started her career by working with children with learning disabilities and emotional problems. Working with children from often disadvantaged families was the beginning of her passion. She was also inspired by an Italian art exhibit displaying the "hundred of language of children." This inspired her Innovative Teacher Project which consists of educator from public and private schools who form discussion groups. The project started in 1994 and is used for professional development. Susan also started a pilot project in Persidio. She founded a child development center 10 years ago which is now thriving.

Listening to Susan, made me realize how important it is for educators to collaborate all over the world. Having many minds work together can help find new ways to help children who face challenges every day. She did not talk very much about poverty but I am assuming that many disadvantaged families are struggling with receiving high quality care and education. Having a project like the Innovative Teacher Project can help educator find ways to help everyone.

When researching the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center, I chose Kyrgystan to find out more about international poverty. I was surprised to learn how many people were unemployed in Kikyangak, a town in southern Kyrgyzstan. Due to the high number of unemployment, children (Bakt's who is 11) are forced to work to earn enough money to sustain their families. It was shocking to learn that instead of going to school, children are forced to work. I was shocked to learn how children were preferred as workers since they are small enough to get through the narrow tunnels.

I think what shocked me most about Bakt's story was the fact that we take education for granted. The recession has struck our society hard and more and more families and their children are struggling along the poverty lines. However, becoming more aware of other countries where children are even worst of, made me realize that early childhood educators have to speak up and become advocates for children all over the world.

References:
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=casestudies#Kyr

Sharing Web Resources

The website I visited was Zero-to-three at http://www.zerotothree.org/. The website focuses on providing parents and early childhood professionals with information, trends, issues and much more for children ages infants and Toddlers. They also support professionals and policy makers to advance the life of children ages zero to three. Their mission is to further healthy development children up to age three.

 One of the articles that caught my attention this week from the website is an article about early literacy. I love books and literacy is very important to me. Reading strategies on how to improve literacy early on to help with school success was interesting and informative. The article states that in early year, children learn to enjoy books. The article Early Literacy (2003) points out that by "focusing on the importance of the first years of life, we give new meaning to the interactions young children have with books and stories" (p 1). The article also gives advice on what children at different stages like about books and how to evolve their interest in books and stories.

For the topic of this week, I also found an article about the PCAN Curriculum (2011) which focuses on child abuse and neglect. However, the article also goes into detail how this curriculum can be used to form closer relationships with families and how to get to know the cultural diversity. The curriculum is based on a relationship and partnership approach that includes a link between home life and school life.

References
Zero-to-three.Homepage. http://www.zerotothree.org/
Zero-to-three (2003). Early literacy. Retrieved on 12 March 2011 from http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-language-literacy/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf
Zero-to-three (2011). PCAN: Curriculum. Retrieved on 12 March 2011 from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/areas-of-expertise/training-and-professional-development/pcan-curriculum.html

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

When I read this weeks blog assignment, I got excited. I thought it would be fairly easy to establish professional contact with other professionals. However, it turned out to be more of a challenge then I thought it would be. I started out contacting two organizations to see if they could get me in contact with other early childhood professionals. One of the organization wrote me back that they cannot put me in contact with anyone but they referred me to another website. The other organization did not answer yet. I also used the Global Alliance of NAEYC website to find email addresses from early childhood professionals. One of the email addresses I found was unfortunately an undeliverable. The other person I emailed has not emailed me back so far. I am still trying to contact others in hope to find at least two other early childhood professionals for this assignment.

I have decided to study the Zero-to-Three website. I was fortunate enough to take part in one of their workshops. The workshop I attended was very helpful and informative. Looking over their website, I found that their mission is to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Having a toddler myself, I am always interested in learning about ways to improve his life. Another reason, I chose this website is that it is easy to navigate and it has many useful features. The website has videos, a newsletter, and different articles on a variety of topics. Zero to Three also advocates for children zero to three. Their research has helped influence policies. All this and more has me interested in this website.