Sharing Web Resources

I find all of the information and resources relevant to my profession in one way or another. Early childhood education is where I feel I belong. I really believe it is my destiny. I found the U.S. Chambers of Congress of Commerce article to be very interesting. The wealth of information entails strategies for providing services to children that can lead to successful outcomes. It references to why it is best to invest in early childhood, promotes the strengths behind high quality education, and the guided suggestions that businesses can take to get to a high quality status. This is a great resource that will certainly be used.

I think about the controversy around funding. It is great that attention is placed on the issues pertaining to early childhood education, what impacts the child’s brain development, and poverty. My question remains, when we will actually see a change. There are still millions of families living in poverty, children are still surrounded by stressful situations, and some teachers have not received a cost of living raise in years.

The websites gives the breakdown of how economists, politicians, and neuroscientists has made connections to research, positive outcomes and why this is a valuable investment. As a result, I have a better understanding of the importance of continuing to be an advocate for our children. Early childhood professionals must be the voices that continuously bring the issues to center stage so our children will not be forgotten.

The insights I gained from the resources this week is hope. If everyone does their part to ensure they are making a valuable investment with future payback, now is the time to put it all together and make a difference for the sake of our future generations. I pray they keep moving this effort forward.

Getting to Know Your International Contact – Part 1

I am still waiting to hear from the two organizations I contacted earlier. I have been trying to network with someone else in Jamaica. I am hoping to be successful. I have however been in contact with someone but she lives in North Dakota. Her name is Julie Jahner, she has taught Early Childhood for 23 years before moving into the Early Childhood Education Coordinator position. She stated that she love talking about the field of Early Childhood. I am confident this will be a great experience. Although I am still trying to make connections outside the United States, I still plan to include Julie in my communication circle.

The new insights I have on Poverty is the myths about people who live in poverty. First, poverty does not reflect that a family consist of lazy individuals, it is a matter of circumstance. A person could work 2 to 3 jobs and still fall at or below the poverty level. Second, families living in large homes with 2 cars could still suffer from issues of poverty “food instability”. Third,  I  learned about food deserts which is an area where low income families does not have easy access to grocery stores. Finally, food prices in poverty stricken areas are more expensive than they are in middle class communities.

Sharing Web Resources

I receive newsletters from two organizations. The first is the Maryland Excels. Maryland EXCELS is a system that awards programs based on the level of quality services that is provided for children and families. It is measured on a tiered rating ranging from 1 to 6 levels. The letters EXCELS stands for Excellence Counts in Early Learning and School-Age Care. The link to the website is http://www.marylandexcels.org

The other organization I receive newsletters from is the National Head Start Association. As a member the organization offers training opportunities through conferences and various networks to trainings for staff. One of the goals of NHSA is to help programs to provide the chance for every child to become productive learners. The link to the website is http://www.nhsa.org

The website that I utilize more often is http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov there is a wealth of information that benefits early learning programs. My research has been geared toward resources for teachers and families. The article on Planned Language Approach has been instrumental for me because The Planned Language Approach (PLA) is a comprehensive, systemic, research-based way for Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure optimal language and literacy services for children who speak English and for those who are dual language learner ECLKC (2015). I am also still trying to connect with resources outside the United States. This organization allows you to customize the current events for your newsletter. I was able to update my choices to Partnerships between early childhood programs, I am hoping to be successful with networking this way as well.

 

Reference

Office of Head Start (2016). Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1 – Establishing Professional Contacts

Part 1 of my Blog assignment was not as easy as I intended it to be. I tried the links provided which led me to an unauthorized page and a non-existing page. I tried to gain access to other lists on line but to no avail. I then referred to my old resources. I attended a Head Start Summit in February of 2011. I was able to network with many early childhood professionals from a variety of states from Alabama to Wyoming. I contacted Ms. Tiffany Franklin from the Lee County School District in Fort Myers Florida. The email address http://earlychildhood.leeschools.net . I left a message explaining that I am a student at Walden and a little about my professional experience in the early childhood field. I also contacted the Community Action Partnership Head Start in Dickinson North Dakota. I spoke to Carolyn and explained the same information as before. I gave her my contact information and she stated she will give my information to staff and someone will call. The email address is http://www.dickinsoncap.org/Head-Start.html . I have not heard from either person so far. North Dakota and Florida are within the United States but I am still waiting for a response from them so that I can begin to network with organizations outside and within the United States. Finally, I was able to email two agencies outside the United States. The first was Ashley Oaks Children’s Center located in London, ON email address is enquiries@lcc.on.ca . This program creates attractive, stimulating learning environments that engage the children’s interests and imagination. Their educators provide indoor and outdoor environments that nurture the children’s natural curiosity about their world (London Children’s Connection (2014). I chose the program because of the mirrored practices that we do at our program. The second organization is Child Care South Africa located in Eshowe, South Africa. The email address is info@childcaresa.org.za . Child Care SA was established in 1995. Child Care SA is a community based initiative, which seeks to improve the capacity of families and community structures. The program provides quality care to children, access relevant government services; protect the dignity of children and develop the self-esteem, talents and skills of children and youth CCSA (n.d). This program is different with age groups but similar to my program’s practices involving families and communities.  Once again I sent introductions and an explanation for contacting them. As I am still waiting for a response, I am looking forward to building a professional relationship with each program contacted.

 

Part 2 – Expanding Resources

The early childhood website I chose to explore is the National Head Start Association. I chose this website because Head Start is where my passion for teaching and learning is geared towards. I genuinely enjoy learning as much as I can about my chosen path. This organization supports the right that every child deserves the right to a high quality learning experience. They promotes for children’s successful outcomes in early education as it sets the foundation for success throughout their grade school years and lifetime. Head Start was established in 1965 geared toward underprivileged children. Since then, programs has flourished throughout the states. Head Start programs continues to grow and provide high quality experiences, partnerships with resources, and empowering families. According to NHSA (2016), Head Start has improved the lives of more than 32 million children and their families.

References

 

Child Care South Africa (n.d). Retrieved from http://childcaresa.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=17

London Children’s Connection (2014). Retrieved from http://lcc.on.ca/child-care-programs/childrens-centres

National Head Start Association (2016). Retrieved from http://www.nhsa.org/why-head-start/why-it-matters