Final blog –
Week 8
Although I
was unable to establish a contact with an Early Childhood Professional, I gained
new knowledge from the site I explored. I took the option of reviewing the Zero
to three website and interacted with many resources and information on the
site. It was an eye opening experience for me. ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit
organization that informs trains and supports professionals, policymakers and
parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddler.
There are obvious
consequences of learning about international early childhood for my personal
and professional development.
1. 1. The studies helped me to understand
that there are many organizations and institutions that focus on child growth
and child care; many are conducting research to better the life of the growing
child. Organizations like NCCP, UNESCO, NAEYC
are in the forefront of development of standards and establishing
guidelines to regulate the practice.
2. 2. Another consequence is the knowledge
that children are part of the communities of the world. Children are the same
in their growth and development even though they live and grow in different
places and have unique experiences that are unique to them. They all deserve
love, care, acceptance and nurturing environment, no matter the family they
come from.
3. 3. Now, I understand that Early Childhood
Education is an international issue, there are similar issues all over the
world like the changing demograhs, many families have moved from their home countries
to other places of the world, the issue of poverty, it is highly revealing that
even in the so called rich and developed countries, there are children living
below the national poverty line. Many families need both parents to work to
support the family, then the question of where to keep the babies become the
issue. I have gained wider perspective of what happens in other countries of
the world.
My major
goal for the Early Childhood Professional field is to create awareness for the
importance of the first few years of life by engaging parents and partnering
with them to find quality programs to enroll their children. Children need to
be taken care of for us to guarantee their growth and the future economy of the
nation. I am getting involved in educating the care givers and those who work with young children in effective child minding.
Mercy,
ReplyDeleteIt has been a joy to learn with and from you these past 8 weeks. I think this course has challenged our definitions of poverty; I know my definition was limited.
Your passion for helping others is evident. I do pray that you achieve your goal of spreading awareness of the importance of the first few years of life. I know you will touch many lives in the future. You have touched my life!
Hi Mercy,
ReplyDeleteThe issue of poverty is a big one. When both parents have to work it is important that they have the peace of mind in knowing that they have access to support that will help then afford a quality early care program for their child. All parents want the same thing, that their child be in a safe environment and that they are learning the important skills they need to succeed in the future. I admire your goal to create awareness about early learning by helping parents understand this and helping them find the right program for their child. A lot of parents do not know what to look for or what questions to ask and it is important that they have access to resources that will guide them to in a making good decisions.
Mercy,
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ on your first point... You have made international contacts: me and the rest of your classmates! You have added to my perspective on Early Childhood Education in Nigeria that complimented and helped clarify some of my findings from my friend in Mali. I very much have appreciated your feedback, encouragement and views on the issues we have been studying.
Blessings for the rest of your studies - your passion is contagious!