International Research: Australia

In this week's post I was given the opportunity to explore early childhood research internationally. I chose to find out more about Autstralia's efforts in the field. To guide my search I focused on these guiding questions:

• What are some of the current international research topics?
• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

 In Australia some of the current research topics are how to teach children sustainability practices, how to teach children positive behavior and the importance of play and the quality of play.I was very intrigued by the work being done to integrate a strong understanding of the importance of our environment and how to sustain it. I have a friend who is currently working on a masters in Australia in the field of environment protection and sustainability. Through his experiences I have learned more about the general perspective of Australians regarding the environment and the research that is being done. So, I was pleased to learn that the influence is trickling down to the children, educating them so that as they grow up sustainability practices are the norm rather than a hassle. I certainly believe the U.S. should adopt similar practices.While visiting the website I learned that the organization produces a publication that explains and summarizes recent research findings in language that is clear and free of jargon for any child care providers to read including parents and professionals. I often find that many of the latest findings in our  field remain within the field rather than being shared with the general public so that they may also make use of the new knowledge in their daily practices with children. I am pleased to see that there is a forum for new research to be shared with the general public.

Research Benefiting Children and Families

This week I was charged with responding to the following prompt:

Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?

I would choose to study families and poverty. Previously this has not been a huge interest for me however I have always recognized the significant impact it has on families in all aspects of life for generations. I know that any research with significant findings would be beneficial to these families. While I am not sure exactly what the research would focus on I would like its findings to provide practical guidance for impoverished families. The research would give hope to families proving that the means that are available to them are enough for their children to overcome the cycle. Such means would include the ability to instill love, a sense of safety, and self-worth in their children among others. The research would even give examples of how this can be done. In time and with hard work these sensibilities could help children lift themselves at least one level higher within the income level of their community. This would lead to a new cycle of prosperity. I am not naive enough to think that just one study can do all this but I am hopeful that it can be a catalyst to a few who with hard work ,and opportunity can improve their way of life and that of their family for generations to come. The most important part in the research and quite possibly the most challenging would be to share its findings with families and to get them to believe in the study and put forth what is sure to be hard work. Great research is beneficial to no one if it is not first believed in and then implemented with fidelity. 

 

Research Simulation

 The topic I have chosen for the simulation is; How can parents help establish a strong mathematical foundation before children reach school age. I choose this topic because many parents don't realize small steps that they can take to help support mathematical concepts at a young age. Many families understand the importance of reading or just do so natural as it is a common practice to read to children. When it comes to math many wait for school and teachers to begin this process. I would also like to learn about what parents can do once their children become school age. I think a challenge to this topic will be findings articles as I tend to have some trouble thinking of key words and phrases to search for in the library database. Any suggests would be appreciated.

International Lessons

      Learning about the international early childhood field has allowed me to widen my concept of the field. Previously I had only thought of the field in terms of my immediate community and country. I also realized that there are opportunities for me and my peers to learn from initiatives abroad and to bring them to to my own community. Finally, the opportunity to communicate with other educators from around the world is not something I considered but would afford me the opportunity to learn of different approaches as well as share my own experiences. A goal I have for the field is to see one culture learning from another and trying out successful approaches. I have heard of many other countries' success stories and wondered why the U.S. doesn't try tout he same approach to combat the same or similar challenges. 

Education Based Initiatives Around the World

       While exploringg UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organization) “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/),I came across a few interesting initiatives. The first is a teacher forum occurring in Thailand. The goal of the forum is to raise awareness and interest in the teaching profession and help it become a profession that is desired again.The idea is to connect teachers from around the world to give young adults who are considering the field an opportunity to talk with current teachers, learn about new approaches to teaching and create an open line of communication among educators around the world. The event is titled,The Powerhouse of Education: Teachers for the Future We Want.
         The next initiative the I read about was supporting the education of women and girls.Poverty, geographical isolation,disability, early marriage and pregnancy are some of the obstacles that prevent women around the world from receiving an education equal to their male counterparts. UNESCO has made many efforts to end inequality and support the education of women and children through support of global education policies and laws, help countries develop education systems as well as teacher preparation which includes gender sensitivity training, help countries address gender based violence, and gender discrimination in textbooks.
         The final initiative that I learned about is UNESCO's commitment to teachers." Teachers are the single most influencial and powerful for for equity,access and and quality in education"- Irina Bokova, Director- General of UNESCO. The organization works to protect the rights of teachers and to increase the number of qualified teachers in the field world wide to ensure that all children have access to quality education. According to the organization at least 2 million new teaching positions will need to be filled around the world to ensure that children in the primary grades have access to education by 2015.

Teachers are the single most influential and powerful force for equity, access and quality in education”, says Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/teachers#sthash.I3fKRVYy.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

A Closer Look at the National Black Child Institute and its Resources

    This week I explored the National Black Child Institute further and discover quite a few things. While looking at the resources and links I found where the organization has provided a rubric designed by the Flamboyan Foundation for family and engagement based on teacher's beliefs and actions. The rubric includes such points as "the teacher values and respects families and sees them as important partners in supporting student learning.", "The teacher sees engaging all families as part of his or her core role and responsibility and works to continuously increase his or her effectiveness." and "the teacher builds relationships with families and students and invites their engagement" (Flamboyan Foundation 2011). It is also worth mentioning that the NBCI's website has its resources organized into categories of issues and trends such as health, policy and advocacy,early care and education, family engagement, literacy and child welfare. Another unique and interesting link is to a parent advocacy training for parents of children with learning disabilities. The resource is focused on educating parents on the importance of advocating for their child and how to do so.
       The NBCI has a few articles and resources that relate to trends that we have studied in recent weeks. I was however particularly drawn to an article regarding inequality due to a federal loophole in that allows governments to allocate less money to children of color. "the law explicitly requires districts to exclude teacher salary differentials tied to experience when determining comparability compliance. This is a major exclusion because experience is a chief driver of teachers’ salaries. This misleading process leads to a misleading result—districts think they are providing equal spending on high-need schools and low-need schools, even though they aren’t. This problem has been frequently called the comparability loophole" (Spatig-Amerikaner, 2012). Essentially what is occurring is that teachers working in areas with a student population of greater need ( generally children of color) make less money than their counterparts. This is often in due to less experience as most who teach in these areas are new to the field and therefore make less money. As these teachers gain more experience they move on to positions with better salaries that are generally outside of the district with the greatest need. Essentially, districts who serve large populations of children of color employ teachers who they can pay less. Without competitive salaries the only teachers these districts can employ are those who are new and in desperate need of a job. The loophole comes in to play because districts are required to report how much money is spent per child,however this report did not require the inclusion of teacher's salaries. This means that the amount of money spent on students looked more comparable across districts. When teacher salary is considered a "purchased resource" and therefore added to the equation the disparities become very apparent.
        I didn't have any new insights while viewing the website however I was reminded of the importance of the health of children and education. Often we get caught up in theory,policy, curriculum and instruction delivery and forget how important health is to education. If a child is ill they are not capable of learning at their full potential if they even make it into school. The NBCI has links to articles on children's health including obesity and insecurities.

Resources

National Black Child Institute Resources page
http://www.nbcdi.org/resources-page/from-our-partners

Unequal Education article by Spatig-Amerikaner
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2012/08/22/29002/unequal-education/

Global Initiatives in Children's Development

        Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative is working to learn more about the mental health of children in different parts of the world facing various challenges. The organization will look at the  mental health services in Shanghai,China, develop and evaluate strategies to prevent mental illness in children as a result of HIV/AIDS in their family and community in Rwanda, and Explore the maltreatment and mental health outcomes for children in the Caribbean.Another project the Initiavie is working on is in Brazil. Their goal is to use science to help guide political decision in support of large investments in children and families.In Santiago, Chile a collaborative project called Un Buen Comienzo which means "good beginnings" is working to imporve early childhood education. This is beingi done through teacher education programs. What makes this project unique is that is is designed with critical health issues in mind to improve school attendance as well as encourage families to become a part of the education process.