Getting to Know my International Contact--Part 3

The challenges, hopes and dreams are maybe similar for early childhood professionals passionate about young children and the future of their community. Here is the conversation with my international contact in Guatemala (personal communication, Madariaga, I., 2012, October 19).

           

Q:  What do you see as the issues in your early learning program that create a barrier to quality?

A:  One of the many problems of pre-primary education is the little investment by the government to improve the pre-primary/preschool educational system as well as lack of funds to improve teacher skills. Because preschool education is not compulsory, the government invests in other levels of education. Early childhood has been left to the initiative of the private sector to fund and as a result a large number of preschool children do not attend school. The cost of private preschool is very high and the majority of families do not have the resources to pay for private schooling.

 Q:  Do pre-primary teachers have the opportunity to participate in professional development?

A:  To promote the professional improvement of the early childhood teachers, every year they complete education conferences on different topics.

Q:  What are some of your professional goals?

A:   To make the parents of families aware of the importance of preschool as integral in the formation of the personality of the child and their success in the primary school as well as in the society.  Second, I desire to help children develop the skills and abilities to be good citizens.  Finally, I strive to establish and maintain constant communication with the parents to connect the home and school setting.

Q:  What are some of your professional hopes, dreams and challenges?

A:  One of my hopes as a professional is to improve the level of quality of the curriculum in Guatemala as it was previously very low because access and attendance  in the schools were not within reach for a large part of the population, due to economic inequality, social and political factors as well as linguistic and geographical disadvantages.

“My dream and my challenge was that all teachers would contribute in raising the level of literacy and to improve the educational quality so that we could have a better Guatemala” (personal communication, Madariaga, I., October 19, 2012)

I appreciate the perspective of my international contact.  She understands that what we do as teachers of young children has the potential to make each of our communities and country a better place.

Special thank you to M. Hoover for her assistance with translations.

Sharing Web Resources

 

When you choose the Accreditation tab on the NAEYC website there is an invitation to share ideas about early childhood initiatives.  NAEYC sees strong early childhood systems as an intentional way to improve quality in early care and education.  On the “Can We Talk?” page you can follow a link to see how your state incorporates NAEYC Accreditation into quality rating systems. 

The key components strengthened through Accreditation self study and assessments are listed with links to deeper reading.  The topics that caught my attention were staff supports, policies for engaging families and community involvement.

NAEYC offers three types of Accreditation:  one for children’s programs; another for Associate Degree Programs and the third for Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Programs.  The summary of quality indicators directs readers to a link to the National Data Warehouse.

NAEYC Center for Applied Research

http://www.naeyc.org/resources/research/overview

“A major goal of NAEYC’s Office of Applied Research is to bridge the gap between early childhood research and practice. Those who work closely with children must have access to high-quality research in order to ensure the practices they use in the classroom are best for the children and families they serve.” (NAEYC, n.d.)

http://www.naeyc.org/resources/research/accessing

For early childhood professionals not affiliated with an institution of higher learning the list of research documents, reports, search engines and current articles is very valuable. 

The national attention in early learning to quality rating systems is helping to define an early childhood professional career opportunity.  Technical Assistance Professionals are adult educators with the skills and knowledge to provide mentoring on the job with early childhood teachers.  The presentation materials are available to read on the website at the link below.  As a center director, I enjoy the technical assistance aspect the most and there are many strategies for me to utilize in the webinar materials.

“Technical Assistance Professionals (coaches, mentors and consultants) New!

We provided an overview of:

·         NAEYC’s new public policy report, Strategic Directions: Technical Assistance in State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems, and

·         NCCP’s recent report, Coaching and Quality Assistance in Quality Rating Improvement Systems: Approaches Used by TA Providers to Improve Quality in Early Care and Education Programs and Home-based Settings”

Policies and Practices that Strengthen Technical Assistance

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/TA_Professionals_Webinar_Aug8.pdf

While searching for support materials on excellence and equity, I discovered a recently added webpage:

“States Policies on NAEYC Accreditation, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems and Tiered Reimbursement Programs”

http://www.naeyc.org/policy/statetrends/qris/accreditation_tieredreimbursement

Tackling QRIS requirement with the documentation and change that is recommended can feel daunting.  Looking at the states that are undergoing QRIS and the strategies being used provides encouragement and the spirit of collaboration. 

"Children’s Champions Update" provides information regarding legislative action. Federal budget resolutions impact appropriations to early childhood programs that provide access to quality early care and learning for low-income families.

Join Children's Champions email list to receive regular updates and action alerts on important child and family issues being considered by Congress and the Administration. 

The website has a page of quotes, I chose to share:

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.

—Marian Wright Edelman,
U.S. children’s rights activist

Reference

National Association for the Education of Young Children (n.d.) Accreditation. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org

Getting to Know Your International Contacts--Part 2

Guatemala

            The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is providing international leadership to countries seeking to create or improve early care and education. (UNESCO, n.d.).  “Implementation should be carefully planned based upon each country’s culture….early childhood care and education should be holistic, relevant, involving the whole body” (Teachers College, Columbia University, 2009, p. 16).  The countries highlighted are striving to engage parents in safe, nurturing and stimulating care and education of young children with attention to indigenous culture, health and nutrition.  After reviewing the worldwide examples on early care and education, I reflected on the struggles outlined by my international contact in Guatemala. 

            Madariaga (personal communication, October 1, 2012) shared that the indigenous Mayan people living in villages exist in a system of oppression and discrimination.  People don’t respect the ethnic or cultural diversity and the racism promotes social inequalities.  Madariaga (personal communication, October 1, 2012) went on to say that the inequity creates problems for Mayan children who suffer from psychological fears borne of the lack of communication in the national language of Spanish; the fear causes school absenteeism.  Poverty is severe and as a result the parents of Mayan children obligate them to work at an early age to help support the family; hence, restricting their involvement in education.

            How does a beautiful country rich in cultural history come to such a desperate state?  To get additional background I searched for an organization involved in humanitarian work in Guatemala.  The Peace Corp has been working in Guatemala since 1963, with periods of inactivity during violent unrest (Peace Corps, n.d.).  I was able to capture a glimpse of daily life from blog entries of Peace Corp Volunteers that have worked in the country over the past three years.  Although, the Ministry of Education of Guatemala has set goals to encourage early education and learning in indigenous language and culture, progress is slow; I was touched by the following observations:

 “On that day, the symbols of poverty that I’d learned as a child suddenly connected to everything I’ve learned here as an adult. It’s not the poor state of Frankie’s shoes; it’s what they stand for. I saw intellectual poverty, a lack of life opportunity, restrictive gender roles, poor access to health services, and the plague of alcoholism stretching out before those exposed, dusty toes. It just broke my heart that Frankie is such a good kid who deserves so much more, and all I could promise him was a carrot.” (Fanjoy, 2010a)

“The Q’anjob’al (Maya) are fighting this constant struggle to maintain their culture. But it’s not a fight against conquistadores, or oppressive government troops, or even zealous missionaries. It’s become a fight against television, fancy imports, and their very own children. Being Maya isn’t “cool”, the clothes aren’t trendy, the beliefs seem quaint compared to the technology they encounter in school.” (Fanjoy, 2010b)

“We encountered a tremendously happy and bright 3 year old girl who insisted that we take pictures of everything so she could scream in excitement as I showed them to her (many children, due to malnutrition, basically look like zombies with minimal facial recognition or interaction with the world, same as the adults. It is an extreme pleasure to witness a child that has interest in her world).” (Reed, 2012)

References

Fanjoy, E. R. (2010, July, 23).  The grand finale. Newspaper Articles. Retrieved from http://www.jfanjoy.com/blog/?p=4165

Fanjoy, J. (2010, February 27).  The Mayan blessing. Jim’s Guatemala. Retrieved from http://www.http://www.jfanjoy.com/blog/?p=3114

Peace Corps (n.d.). Guatemala.  Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com//photos/peacecorps/sets/72157626350403862/show/

Reed, J. E. (2012, February 3). The most difficult decision. Peace Corps Guatemala. Retrieved from http://jaronelizabethreed.blogspot.com/2012/02/most-difficult-decision.html

Teachers College, Columbia University. (2009).  Early childhood care and education:  Worldwide challenges and progress.  Current Issues in Comparative Education, 11, 1-44.  Retrieved from http://www.tc.columbia.educ/cice/Issues/11.00/PDFs/11_Complete_Issue.pdf

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (n.d.) Education: How we work. Retrieved from the UNESCO website http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/about-us/how-we-work/mission/

Sharing Web Resources-NAEYC

This week, I received the most recent e-newsletter from NAEYC, “NAEYC Affiliate Connections” (2012).  As a member-at-large on the state governing board it is important to keep abreast of the issues and position statements and advocacy work being conducted by the National association.  The current issue highlighted the launch of online interest forums.  There are twenty different communities of learning currently posting discussions, suggestions and questions.  The most popular group is the “Play, Policy, and Practice” forum.  In addition to updates on legislation that will impact the work of early childhood professionals, there is a link that encourages people to register to vote, by connecting people to their local voter registration information. 

            There is information on the upcoming National Conference and the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development in San Francisco in June 2012.  The professional development institute is focusing the conference on developmentally appropriate practice.  The summary lists three core considerations:

            1.  knowing about child development and learning

            2.  knowing what is individually appropriate

            3.  knowing what is culturally important

            The NAEYC website’s “Public Policy” section informed readers that Congress will be voting on the end of or the continuation of tax cuts to the wealthy when they return to Washington, D.C. after the election.  If tax cuts continue, the reduced revenue will require cuts to federal programs impacting young children and their families.  The Child Care Development Block Grant will be cut by $187 million in one year.

            The “Position Statements” section provides free access to NAEYC position statements; readers can choose the two-page summaries called “Where We Stand,” or read the full-versions, which are also available in Spanish. 

            A section that caught my attention is titled “Research News You Can Use.”  The current article summarized a research review on the importance of play.  I was intrigued and concerned that the article, “Pretend Play is Important, but its role in learning is complex,” concluded that “The pattern of findings does not support a claim that pretend play is the primary driver of children’s development across a range of other areas of interest” (Snow, n.d.).

            The September issue of Young Children (2012) contains an article that highlights the national focus on school readiness, and presents that neuroscience suggests that school readiness is a function of the brain foundations that occur in the first three years of life (Peterson, 2012).  Peterson (2012) claims “The infant/toddler field owns the concept of school readiness because we are devoted to having the enduring, nurturing relationships with young children that help create the healthy brain (p. 13). The article is a great summary of the ways early caregivers support the developing brain.

            Finally, I just received my copy of the “Teaching Young Children (TYC)” publication.  The article I chose provided strategies for documenting assessment opportunities during the teaching day.  I especially appreciated the sample conversation starters for teachers to use with children.  It is great language modeling for teaching staff that may be struggling (Jablon, Stetson & Dombro, 2012).

References

Jablon, J., Stetson, C., & Dombro, A. L. (2012). Powerful Interactions. A bridge between teaching and assessment. Teaching Young Children, 5(5), 18-20,

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2012, September 28) NAEYC Affiliate Connections. Retrieved from http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/naeycac/issues/2012-09-20.html

Peterson, S. (2012). School readiness for infants and toddlers? Really? Yes, really! Young Children, 67(4), 10-13.

Snow, K. (n.d.) Research news you can use:  Pretend play is important but its role in learning is complex.  Retrieved September 28, 2010 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/research-news-pretend-play-is-important

Getting to Know an International Contact

Ivonne Madariaga is a school principal of pre-primary education in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  She has been a teacher and now administrator for more than twenty years.  To become a teacher in Guatemala you must obtain a teaching certificate that is earned by completing a diversified studies program at a vocational school.  Teachers must also complete continuing education courses each year.  The training is provided by the Ministry of Education. 

            The children in the pre-primary school attend classes for a half day.  In addition to the introduction of literacy and mathematics concepts, the children enjoy art, music, outdoor play and a weekly special experience.  The children are provided a snack during their class time.  Class enrollment is thirty children.

            When asked about her concerns for the families using her school Madariaga shared that the children's families in public schools are at risk because in Guatemala there are very pronounced economic inequalities that generate poverty, hunger and inadequate basic services such as health care. “As a result of this we see an increase in crime and children working at a young age, causing school absenteeism” (I. A. Madariage, personal communication, September 15, 2012). Also, in Guatemala there are families with better economic resources and they can afford private schools for their children, adequate health care, and improved nutrition.

            Our email conversation piqued my interest in the condition of families and education in Guatemala. I turned to the RTI International website for research based information.  RTI is “dedicated to improving the human condition” (RTI International, n.d.).  The goals are to encourage a public-private partnership that supports improved health, nutrition and education.  I learned that a new Minister of Education had recently been appointed.  Cynthia del Aguila’s agenda for improving education is similar to the over arching goals in the United States: to increase access to quality education for pre-primary and secondary students, to advance learning by improving teacher training, and to supply textbooks and equipment to schools (RTI International, 2012).

            Finally, my search more details led me to the Ministry of Education newsletter reporting the strategic plan for 2012-2016.  I could not read the Spanish newsletter, although there were familiar words scattered on the page.  I had the best time discussing the four strategic goals with a Hispanic colleague.  She read the words to me in Spanish and together related the ideas to concepts for which we had shared meaning. It was fantastic!  As I reflect on language acquisition for infants and young, we used similar strategies to create shared meaning around the words.  I had an advantage with my language partner, because we had a history of shared experiences that she could relate to while giving me Spanish labels for concepts I had learned in English---fascinating. 

            From the Ministry of Education newsletter I learned that the majority of the population in Guatemala is from Mayan descent, but the political and financial power over policy is Spanish speaking and of Catholic belief.  There is concern and a renewing effort to preserve the Mayan language and culture that is reflected in the strategic plan.  In addition, the government, through the Ministry of Education is investing in building schools in rural areas of the country.  Many citizens have only attended elementary school if school was available. (Government of Guatemala, Ministry of Education, n.d.)  The challenges are many as the country has a history of violence that has penetrated into the social relationships in communities and invaded the peace of family life (Latta &Wittman, 2012).

References

Government of Guatemala Ministry of Education. (2012) Education strategic plan, March 2012.  Retrieved from http://www.mineduc.gob.gt/portal/contenido/anuncios/images/Plan.Estrategico_de_Educacion_marzo_2012.jpg

Latta, A. & Wittman, H. (Editor). (2012). Environment and citizenship in Latin America: Natures, subjects and struggles. Berghahn Books.

RTI International (2012). Cynthia del Aguila names Guatemalan Minister of Education. Retrieved from http://www.rti.org/newsroom/news.cfm?obj=8A64CF93-5056-B100-31208E8EF1E779F0

Sharing Web Resources

Sharing Web Resources

The August 29, 2012 e-newsletter from NAEYC launched a new featured section or the NAEYC website: naeyc for families, retrieved at http://families.naeyc.org.  The focus of the articles and resources are to provide “a wealth of research-based information about children’s learning and development that families can trust.”  The families section contains a column titled, Families Today, written by Brazelton and Sparrow and feature articles “about the meaning behind young children’s behaviors.”  A current article featured a cultural parenting difference that helps parents and teachers understand toilet learning strategies.  Another section of the site is titled, Learning and Development; articles support parents as a child’s first teacher.  Titles that caught my attention:  Listen, Talk, Answer-Support Your Child’s Learning, Healthy, Fit Families, Books for Laughing Together, and Playdough Power.  Found in the sideline of the articles are resources for sale with messages to parents “For your child’s teacher.” An attached blog encourages families to post their child’s learning stories.

I discovered a fantastic summary of the Ten NAEYC Program Standards each with a description of the standard and evidence you should see in an accredited program.

Finally, the section titled, Find Childcare/Preschool, provides a guide for finding quality programs.  “When you choose an NAEYC-Accredited program, you are joining a program that has demonstrated its commitment to excellence in early childhood education.”

I was excited to discover a resource that encourages a partnership between teachers and families.

Getting Ready: Professional Contacts and Resources

To begin my search for professional contacts out of country I turned to the first generation immigrants with whom I work.  I felt getting to know their educational experiences will help me better understand the strategies and priorities they implement in their classrooms.  I have secured two contacts so far, but I am interested in two or three others.  My first contact is a primary teacher that lives in Taiwan.  She is excited to share ideas, as one of the objectives in her classroom is to teacher the children English.   The second contact I have made is with a director of a preschool program for four and five year olds in Guatemala.  I do not know very much about 

her program yet, but I am excited to learn.

There are two other contacts I am hoping to establish, one from the Ukrainian and another from Afghanistan.

I am anticipating increasing my cultural awareness and improving my relationships with my staff that are first generation immigrants.

Administrators!  NAEYC welcomes your ideas on possible collaborations with promising early childhood initiatives. (Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation).  

I have chosen to dig deeply into the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) website.  Although I have been a member for many years and served on the local affiliate board, I have not taken advantage of the resources available from the NAEYC website.  I attended a regional meeting over the summer to discuss the challenges and issues being faced by the organization.  I am very interested in how they use the national survey and forum input to encourage membership and to engage in the national trends in early childhood education.  I became a member at large for the state organization and feel a responsibility to understand the work currently occurring at the national level.  In addition, I intend to formulate a list of current barriers my center/sites will have to overcome to become accredited.