My International Contacts-Sharing ideas between EC professionals

                I was able to establish a phone conversation with each of my international EC (Early Childhood) professional contacts. They are Ms. Nestoria Wright from the Philippines and Ms. Pon Wetzel from Thailand. I asked them each of the major questions from the Blog Assignment in the following order

1) What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

2) What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

3) What are some of your professional goals?

4)       What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

As I listened closely to their answers I found that some of their answers were similar to each other. Although I wish I could share in detail each conversation I will try my best to briefly describe the similarities between each EC professional.

My first conversation began with Ms. Nestoria Wright from the Philippines and just in case you haven’t read my previous blog post (week 5) she is currently teaching classes at Minot Air Force Base Health and Wellness center for adults reaching their goals to quit smoking. Her previous experience included: teaching first grade students in the Philippines, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching and Education, receiving her Master’s Degree and is currently working on her dissertation for PhD for Walden University.  

The main issue regarding quality with EC professionals discussed in her country by N. Wright (2012) is “modeling character development.” She describes the importance of teachers taking “time to understand their students and helping children understand their parent’s responsibilities… because teachers spend more time with them than their parents or nannies every day” she continues to say “teachers must cultivate their passion for teaching consistency and dedication.” The opportunities available for professional development is described as “limitless” (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012) she expresses the importance of teachers continuing their personal education and teacher’s in the Philippines are provided training by a sponsor for instance if a teacher wants to learn about “common behavioral issues, there is training for that and sponsors can help guide them to attend national conferences, seminars, workshops or meetings…it just depends on what the teacher wants to learn” (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012). Her professional goals include “applying my knowledge in the field, not giving up teaching because I love it so much, I try and take stress management and public speaking courses. Ultimately I just want to cultivate my passion in teaching and share my knowledge with others and pass it on…I want to continue teaching graduate students how to teach and teach well” (N. Wright personal communication 2012) One of her challenges she mentioned was keeping her attitude positive when she comes across difficult students. By difficult students she explains teaching students at the graduate level that are significantly older than her and struggle with retaining information. She experience difficulty with these students in a way that they often question her knowledge and character when she teaches them. However she says “despite them you must still be respectful to them but encourages me to be prepared, try not to take criticism personally…I try and be nice and be positive about those experiences.” (N. Wright personal communication 2012)  

My next phone conversation involved Ms. Pon Wetzel from Thailand; I was unable to mention her in my last blog assignment because I felt the assignment was going to overall look like I wrote a book.

P. Wetzel holds her Bachelor’s (teaching) degree from Thailand and taught pre-school up to 6^th grade. And a Child Development (CDA) credential from the United States.  In our previous conversation she described the major teaching issue in Thailand as not having enough money or a school budget for school supplies. The ways she and her colleagues made teaching work was to be creative in the resources that they had around them for example she compared a child development classroom as having materials to teach the students numbers and counting “in my country we don’t have that we use leftover chop sticks, clean them and bundle them up and lay them on the table to help children move them over to count to twenty, instead of having jump ropes for outside here in America we use rubber bands, tie them together so the children can jump and play…the schools were very poor.” (P. Wetzel Personal communication 2012)

The main issue regarding EC professionals and quality education by P. Wetzel (2012) is budget for schools in Thailand. She describes teachers overcoming this issue by “sharing each other’s strengths” for example “In America teachers go to training together but in Thailand they tell them to go out individually then at the end come back and share what they found out with everyone else…most of the time the teaching came from our ‘old people’ because they are much wiser and they know more” (P. Wetzel Personal communication 2012) Her experience she described was going out into the local community and going to the “old people” to help them find the tree or branch for paint and color or learn how to make clay pots or toys to play. Her answer also tied into professional development that exist in Thailand, going out and learn from the “older teachers” (P. Wetzel Personal Communication 2012) Her personal goals include just wanting to teach in a preschool here in the United States. Her challenges include having a “license to teach” in the schools. “ It’s hard because in Thailand once you have your degree there is already a job for you to teach, here in America you need a license.” P. Wetzel Personal Communication 2012).

One of the interesting similarities I found from both my contacts was there desire to learn from each other or other professionals in the field. I found that they both mentioned similarities in keeping up with the current technology and asking Early Childhood associations to donate and support in placing computers in classrooms. In terms of excellence and quality they both agreed quality begins in continuing professional development and to always train or learn.

Pictures from

http://www.ihbangkok.com/page/33-ih_bangkok_english_language_school_english_courses_for_thai_school_summer_break.html

Sharing Web Resources-Open Various Pathways (Ms. Jay)

As I continued to explore the Association for Childhood Education International website, http://acei.org/  I came across some interesting “quick links”acei.org (2012). The first link was called “Chapters” acei.org (2012) and this link took me to a list of states within the nation which provided names of educational leaders or associates that want to connect more and show information like news and current events that are happening within other countries. I decided to click on “Country Chapters” and follow the link to an international website for Hong Kong China.

 I found this website fascinating because not only did the website provide links posted in their native language but also pictures and hints of the English language as well. I clicked on the first link to the left of the screen with Lego blocks as the picture, scrolled down and found a newsletter for a 35^th Anniversary Conference held in the Philippines. Acei-hkm.org (2012) the website provided a pdf. File of the newsletter and delivered basic information and what the educational professionals addressed as far as inclusion, story-telling and emotional development. Since I didn’t see anything related to the topic this week I decided to go back to the Associate for Childhood Education International website and search some more. I found under the “Conferences” “quick links”acei.org (2012) again a link that said “Childcare: Exchange Childcare leaders” and found myself on a website which supports administrators and educational professionals looking for ideas with “Supporting early childhood professionals worldwide in
their efforts to craft thriving environments for children and adults.”secure.ccie.com (2012) this link provided information on an issue concerning raising money online.

 From reading this short information encouraged my thinking on how much people rely on social networks to keep in contact with each other and the network receives money. I thought what an idea! How awesome would it be to have a “social network” for individuals, teachers, researchers, colleagues, professors, and community partners etc. that have a passion for child development, current events, research, study and education? Imagine the type of funding for education can be raised worldwide through this social network? The possibilities with this network could grow pretty big. People can donate towards different areas of children’s needs like food, clothing, medical supplies, toys, and supplies for local schools and educational programs. What a massive communication tool for everyone.

 I then decided to look towards the Global Campaign for education link. I know I signed up to receive an e-newsletter and haven’t received one yet. I found that children of Chile are struggling for free education. How interesting to read on about people demonstrating their fight for their children’s free education by protesting. I read about how they protest by going on hunger strikes and sleeping in their schools. This information only adds to my understanding of equity and excellence in education by revealing the reality of struggles and hardships for those who truly want a better life for our world’s children. I provided a list of links below please check them out to further particular interests.

Reference Links

Chapters

http://www.acei.org/chapters/locate-a-chapter.html#CC  

Hong Kong

http://www.acei-hkm.org.hk/news.asp

Conference Link

http://www.ccie.com/conference_calendar/index.php

Exchange Link

https://secure.ccie.com/eed/issue/3048/

Global Campaign for Education Chile

 http://www.campaignforeducation.org/chile

My International contact (Ms.Jay) Insights

-The Philippines

            I was thrilled to run into an educational professional from the Philippines. Her name is Nestoria Wright. She is one of the few Minot Air Force Base Health Educators and Individual Tobacco Cessation Counseling representatives working on base.  Our school age program previously participated in National “Kick Butts Day” a Campaign held for children learning and becoming aware of harmful uses of smoking, using tobacco and the effects on the human body as well as diseases cause by the drugs and prolonging living a long healthy life. Mrs. Wright along with some fellow Airman set up booths that encourage children to understand what smoking does to our bodies. One particular booth was a breathing simulation of comparing healthy lungs to a smoking lung. The Teens were able to demonstrate with a simulated contraption of pumping air into the lungs threw a tube and release the air also threw the tube. The lungs were not human lungs but pig lungs. The children were amazed as they watched how full the healthy lungs breathed and how little the darkened deformed lungs breathed. It was during this booth that Mrs. Wright was standing by and we exchanged information.

 Earlier last year I ran into her as she was teaching classes at the School Age Program for adults wanting to quit smoking and mentioned her experience of teaching first grade students in the Philippines, Receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Education, received her Masters Degree and is currently working on her dissertation for PhD for Walden University.  I finally met with her yesterday to discuss issues related to excellence and equity.

During our meeting she spoke very passionately about her job and her experience teaching first graders in the Philippines. I will share a brief description of our session as she shared with me a great amount of information. I would rather go into detail about what she shared during our entire interview however, I’m pressed for time.

First, I thanked her for meeting with me and discussed a little bit of her educational background. I found she received her Bachelor’s Degree at 19 years old and was immediately hired to teach at a private school. She mentioned her family was able to pay for her education and taught at a wealthy school. I asked her if she noticed any issues related to quality teachers or a quality education program as well as excellence in teaching children. She began to explain how as a teacher discrimination in the classroom as well as internally should be minimized. Focusing on a child’s “strengths and weaknesses using assessment tools should be a balanced,” (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012) She mentioned the importance of “setting judgment’s aside and be flexible,” “If you’re a teacher and you do not have a bundle of patients or our passionate about teaching then you’re in the wrong job.” (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012) Bottom line she says “teachers must have cultural competence, must be fair, have honesty and respect family values and beliefs”

The issue she runs into the most that personally affects her is children getting vaccinated, she described her experience even in the present of encouraging parents to vaccinate their children so the spread of diseases don’t “jeopardize the health of other children” (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012) She helps parents understand the importance of vaccination for children’s health but also respects their decision to not have their children vaccinated on the other hand should their child get sick, she asks that the child be removed from attending classes until the child is better.

 N. Wright also discusses the importance of school readiness and compared her teaching experience at the private school in the Philippines to her internship at the public school. Her emotions changed from excitement to sadness concerning children attending public schools having not enough funding and hardly any support. She describes children unable to afford school lunch and how she would always try and buy children bread to eat from the government school lunch trucks.

The picture to is a plate full of white rice, fried pork tips called lechon pronounced (le chone instead of saying gone add the sound of ch at the begining) and a type of sauce for the meat.

 She hopes that the education budget system will improve and changes are made. She continues to say “It makes me sad to know that public schools don’t have any supports. I know some children have to work at a farm just to help the family survive, and if there is no food kids don’t have good health so they can’t function in school, life is hard but what can I say but no education no progress”. (N. Wright Personal Communication 2012)

 Lastly, she discusses how people living in her country know that education is the key to survive and if they want “greener pastures” people take their education from the Philippines and strive for a better life in the United States.  For example her brother is a Dr. in the Philippines and she says the average medical Dr. only makes 50,000 pesos a month which is only equivalent to about $1,200 dollars a month to live on. Educators and teachers only receive 15,000 pesos a month which is about $300.00 dollars a month for a teacher that has a Bachelor’s degree. I was amazed.  She continues to work hard at her profession and whenever she has a chance she sends money for her nieces and nephews still living in the Philippines to pay for their private school.

At the end of the meeting I wish I had recorded our conversation so that I could reflect more on her knowledge and wisdom a bit more. I enjoyed our conversation and was definitely enlightened. Some of her experience helped me realize some of my mom’s personal experience to still work and send money every year for my cousins to attend school. I concluded that for excellence and quality begins with the child and their health. Their health and survival comes first before education. If they are able to continue their education then they are fortunate.

Link

http://www.kickbuttsday.org/

http://pinoyoverseasjobs.com/20-filipinomapeh-high-school-pre-school-teachers-for-qatar/

http://todayilearned.co.uk/2011/04/20/what-kids-of-the-world-eat-at-school/

Thoughts on Web Resources

Thoughts on Sharing Web Resources

As I explored the Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/  website I found links and resources relevant to my professional development like the Global Campaign for Education. This website encourages professionals to stay updated with education in the news and provides an opportunity to quickly sign up for e-newsletters. The most current news that I also found disappointing is “President Obama’s decision to “cut international education funding” (Global Campaign for Education 2012) the nature of the idea saddens me because I asked myself “Why would anyone make a decision to cut funding in education?” I believe education is the foundation for success. Doesn’t education encourage us to become professionals? Learning starts immediately its human nature. I understand that people can develop hands on skills but without the foundation of learning how are individuals successful? I must be unaware of the details of funding for education however cutting funding seems like a wide and constant http://acei.org/  controversial issue. I don’t believe this information adds to my understanding of how politicians support not just early childhood education but education in general. Since reading this current news takes my interest in politicians a bit lower. This issue bothers me personally because I just don’t see the benefit for our children’s future by cutting any type of funding for children. It seems any type of education program that involve children struggle for funds. Clearly the importance of investing in children’s futures with funding education is not on the top of everyone’s priority list.

Reference and links http://acei.org/http://acei.org/

http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/news-and-resources/press-room/president-obamas-budget-gets-a-failing-grade-on-international-educatio

Children, Families and Poverty: My Personal Insights

Since I was unable to establish contact with early childhood professionals that expand outside the United States I decided to work with this week’s alternative assignment and share some of my personal thoughts and insights gained from reading information on children families and poverty. The website Childhoodpoverty.org (2012) or CHIP focuses on a few different countries like China,  Kyrgystan and Mongolia. My insights focused on the country of China.

As I explored the website I came across the “CHIP Rationale” to discover some of the general assumptions on children and poverty. I found information that helped me change my vision from a fantasy of children and poverty to the reality of children and poverty living in these countries. The first rational information that became new to me mentioned that some policies set forth to "reduce poverty” (Childhoodpoverty.org 2012) may not positively affect poverty rates and can make matters worse. I was surprised by this rational information because in the fantasy world I would think a policy meant for children and families put into play always makes matters and circumstances better. However the reality of a policy put into place for children and their families living in situations of poverty turns out better for some family matters and worse situations for others. I became slightly unhappy to realize that policies meant to help families, does not necessarily support them all.

I also read case studies on two children and their family living situations in different areas of china. These case studies concerned children younger than 15 years old. These children shared their stories of their parents struggling and working hard to provide better lives for their children’s futures and mainly education matters. The fantasy of these stories shows that all children have the opportunity to go to school and be successful. The reality of these stories and web site information shows that some children have little opportunities to reach or even complete the beginning education level like primary school. The child Xiao Bo mentions his father’s highest level of education as completing middle school. I began to understand that these cases are just a few of many around the world.

 The last insight I gained is just by looking at the photos under the photo gallery. The fantasy of this link is reading the stories (or case studies) knowing and visualizing their circumstances on how the children and family are living and learning, and the reality of the photos of family and children living and learning speaks for itself.

Overall I believe the insights that I gained challenged my vision on children, families and poverty.  I think the difference of my insights before exploring this website gained is not only reading and understanding the information I come across but also coming to a realization that these events are still happening. I provided a link list below to a few of my findings.

Reference Links

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=casestudies

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=publicationdetails&id=46

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=photos#Chi

Discovering Web Resources

I chose the Association for Childhood Education International
website. I searched for a variety of information under the website and found several resources that include membership online registration, a link to a featured program which is the Institute for International Education Diplomacy which looks like a great program for educators that are willing to communicate with other educators across the world and share great ideas on children and their education. I also found a link to the Association for Childhood Education internet radio (ACEI Radio) and listened to a professional discuss his thoughts on  childhood education curriculum around the world and mentioned a second volume from the first book he published. This radio cast gave me food for thought on information regarding curriculum across the globe.

 From what I understand this association is a global community that supports children, their education, and examines current issues that seem to be familiar across the globe. For example within the link to Global News follows several headlines of common topics that I believe educators in America have conversations about such as supporting quality education, family involvement, children’s rights, and training teachers just to name a few.  It seems a majority of issues educator’s face with child education is Universal. I believe the organizations focus is to provide peaceful global communities. A community that comes together as a whole from different parts of the world with the main focus set on child education. A global community that communicates with each other with not only sharing issues and current events but also positive ideas and practices composed from a variety of studies with children that everyone can understand.

Studying and exploring a variety of links throughout this website encouraged my thoughts on child education. I found myself nodding my head and saying to myself “hmm that’s interesting and I wonder what it would be like to be not only an educator but a member of this Association, or a delegate traveling the world discussing information on children and their education that is so neat!” This may sound funny but I got excited about an educator participating in home visits here in the small town I live in. I found traveling to different states and observe other childhood programs even better. When I learned educators are able to travel out of the country to observe children I found this amazing! I started to wonder is it really possible for an educator is able to be employed and travel as part of the job? It was almost as if I forgot about just reaching the goal of certification in just one state and thought about reaching the goal of becoming a traveling educator. I began contemplating on saving up money to become a member or looking into the diplomacy program and how this would also be beneficial to me. I believe this website gave me insight to new information and to consider different career opportunities not just in the United States but across the World within the field of child education. Below are a list of links within the website

 

Link

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/

Links within

http://www.acei.org/conferences/annual-conferences.html

http://www.acei.org/programs-initiatives/institute-for-international-education-diplomacy.html

https://www.acei.org/news-publications/acei-radio.html

https://www.acei.org/global-news/page-3.html

Establishing Contact: Unique Early Childhood Professionals

This week I had the opportunity to establish contact with Early Childhood professionals outside of the United States. At first I was excited to contact professionals that share the same concept of caring for children as I thought about where and how to begin. I took a look at the blog resources and narrowed down my interest to three countries South Africa, China, and the Philippines. I thought “Well, what’s the easiest way to contact a professional then by email”. I sent out two emails one for the country of China and the other from the Philippines on Monday. I figured I would wait and check my email every day until I got a response. Every day that I checked “no response” Next I said well maybe I will get on Skype (an internet calling website) and see if I can call one of the numbers listed from the blog resources link.

 I found to contact someone with a Skype account is free (because I have an account) but without a Skype account I would have to add credit to call internationally as the country I was trying to contact charges about $0.03 cents a minute. I thought to myself sarcastically “Great I’m going to have to invest in a calling card or look for people internationally on Skype with an account it seems it would take forever” Logically I thought to myself that maybe I should just be patient. I then sent out two more emails and they came back as an “error delivery” I became frustrated and waited some more. Finally I got an email saying one professional was “out of the office and would not return until around March 3” I thought yes!, I should have contact with at least one professional by Monday for course 2.

It seems for this week’s blog Assignment I was unable to establish contact with 2 professionals and might have to result in completing the Alternative part one and two assignments. If I don’t receive an email in the next few days the early childhood organization website I would use (link) as an alternative would be the Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/ because my countries of interest reside within the website. As a whole I believe education for every child no matter where they live is important. I will also attempt to establish contact with these professionals this week.

            Interacting with the website The National Association for childhood Education International believes in “promoting the inherent rights, education, and well-being of all children in their home, school and community.” They help support the childhood community by providing global resources for the countries that they represent including Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. They provide links to other childhood organizations as well.

Reference:

http://acei.org/