Sharing Web Resources

The website I have been studying the past few weeks is the Global Fund For Children. You can access the website at: https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/ 

This website makes me a better educator and advocate for children because it give me access to issues that are happening globally. This website also gives me ways in which I can get involved with the organization.

One video & article on the website that made me think was, “Bangladesh’s “Boat Schools” Tackle Education and Climate Change” (The Global Fund For Children). What intrigues me is how there is effort to build schools on boats for the children in Bangladesh that are affected by flooding from the monsoons in Bangladesh, however does not mention how these children and families are living. In the video, it appears that most buildings and homes are flooded and underwater, so my question is if there are any efforts to help those whose homes are unlivable? Where do the children go home to? I mean it is great how the Global Fund For Children are helping children who cannot go to school, since their schools are flooded, however I believe that helping find/ new safe homes is more important.

References

The Global Fund For Children. (2014, May 28). Global Fund for Children Bangladeshs Boat Schools Tackle Education and Climate Change Comments. Retrieved May 31, 2014, from https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/bangladeshs-boat-schools-tackle-education-and-climate-change/

The Global Fund For Children. (n.d.).Global Fund for Children Home Comments. Retrieved May 31, 2014, from https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

I have two contacts I have connected with abroad.

The first of my contacts is Chris Hussey from Early Education—The British Association for Early Childhood Education in London, England. Chris just recently completed his Master’s Degree. Chris is a teacher working for Early Education. According to Chris, his duties at Early Education are a variety of things such as, “editing and proof-reading of our publications and general content, and being the voice of an early years practitioner” (Hussey, Early Childhood Education). My interaction with Chris Hussey is great; he is very thorough in his explanations, and will give me further details about his work and childhood education before I even ask. On the downside, Chris mentioned that he is in and out of the office and may take a while to respond to my e-mails, which could delay some assignments.

My second contact is Nektarios Stellakis from World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP). So far I have not had much contact with Nektarios, although, she has not told me her job title or about her duties, but has responded to my questions about poverty. Nektarios mentioned that poverty is a big issue in Greece, and had risen in 2009. According to Nektarios, “one in three children in Greece live in poverty” (Stellakis, Early Childhood Education). With the OEMP’s limited funding they are not able to help as much as they would like. The OEMP helps poverty-stricken individuals by spreading the word about the issue of poverty.

My exchanges with my partners have taught me how childhood educations in other countries are run. For instance, in London, it is the norm for a child to attend some sort of pre-school education before starting formal school. Luckily, for children in London, there is a major emphasis on play and creativity in the classroom. In regards to poverty, Chris Hussey mentioned that poverty in London is prevalent, and varies by the area.

Reference:

Hussey, Chris. “Re: Early Childhood Education.” Message to Elizabeth Santacruz.. 16 May 2014. E-mail.

Stellakis, Nektarios. “Re: Early Childhood Education.” Message to Elizabeth Santacruz. 12 May 2014. E-mail.

Sharing Web Resources

The Global Fund for Children invests in grassroots organizations around the world to help vulnerable/ at risk children succeed. Children of all walks of life are supported, including those that may be trafficked, worked in mines, or become child soldiers.  “Our goal is to invest early, help our partners increase capacity, and leave them bigger and stronger than when we found them” (The Global Fund For Children). Since 1997, the Global Fund for Children has reached 9 million and continues to improve the lives of children, and let children be children.

One current issue that caught my eye is child soldiers. The sad truth is that to this day many children are forced into becoming child soldiers. The article I read from The Global Fund For Children Blog told the story of Papy, who was forced to become a child soldier after armed rebels attacked his rural village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Papy finally escaped and fled back to his village where leaders of the Bureau pour le Volontariat au Service de l’Enfance et de la Santé  (BVES) helped him as well as other “displaced children and former child soldiers” (The Global Fund For Children). Despite Papy’s experiences, the BVES helped acclimate him back to civilization, and enrolled him into school.  Papy found a foster home, and continued with his education where he pursued a higher education. Today, Papy volunteers at the BVES to share his story and helps other former child soldiers.

For More Information Visit https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/

Otoo, E. (2014, March 20). Hope Amid Despair. The Global Fund for Children. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/hope-amid-despair/

"The Global Fund For Children." Global Fund for Children Home Comments. Web. 17 May 2014. <https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/>.

Getting Ready—E stablishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Week 1:
This week I have contacted three different organizations: EuropEA World Organization for Early Childhood Education, EECERA European Early Childhood Education Research Association, and Early Education The British Association For Early Childhood Education. I found all of these organizations on google after searching early childhood education internationally, or abroad. So far, I have not heard back from any of them, however I'm hoping that is due to a time difference.

I do know a few people abroad that I had in mind for this assignment, however they are college professionals, and not in the early childhood professional field:(
Regardless, I am hoping that one of the three people organizations I chose will respond to my e-mail and help me with the upcoming assignments.

I am curious to see what everyone else has chosen for their organizations, and what countries they picked.

References:
http://www.early-education.org.uk/
http://www.eecera.org/
http://www.euromep.org/

My Supports

My daily supports include my boyfriend, cat, and mom.

My boyfriend is supportive to me because first and foremost he supports me with any of my decisions. He gives me emotional support.  Whenever I need him, he will always be there for me. My boyfriend also helped/helps me overcome many of the obstacles that I have faced/ continue to face. We battle every obstacle together.

My cat gives me support because she is a great listener. I may take care of her, but she also takes care of me too. We are always there for each other, good or bad.  My cat needs me and I need her to.

Lastly, my mom is one of my greatest supporters. My mom is my motivator. My mom motivates me whenever I need it, and continues to give me constructive criticism. My mom is someone I can talk to, someone I can trust, and certainly someone that continues to push me to achieve my goals.

Living without my supports would be very difficult. I am sure I will be able to attain anything I wanted without my supports, but it would certainly be lonely, and challenging. Without the support of both my boyfriend and mom, I would more than likely not finish my goals. I would not have someone to continue to motivate me and cheer me on to reach my goals.  I tend to put all my focus into one thing, however I become disinterested fast; having my supports reminds me to continue and remember what I am working for.  Not having the support from my cat would make me depressed. My cat brings me joy; whenever I come home I look forward to seeing her and see how excited she is to see me. Like previously mentioned in other blogs, I do not have many friends, and to live without my cat would bring me to one less friend that I do not have.

The challenge I have chosen is the inability to talk. Not being vocal would be extremely hard. I would constantly need to have a translator present if I were going out, whether it was to the grocery store, a restaurant, etc. Basically anywhere where you would normally briefly talk to someone.  Without a translator I would need to rely on sign language, however many of today’s society do not sign, making it difficult to translate. If I was without a translator I would most likely be depressed or angry, as I would not be able to communicate with able-bodied people who do not sign. Making friends would also be quite difficult unless they too knew how to sign.

My Connections to Play

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation" (Plato).

"I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind" (Leo Buscaglia).

Unfortunately, I do not have many memories of playing when I was younger. However after taking some time to think about how I played in my childhood, I did do a lot of pretend play and dress up.
The few memories that I do recall is playing dress up with my dogs and strolling my cat in a stroller as if she were a baby. When growing up I did not have many friends or kids in my neighborhood, so I made the most with what I had, which were my pets.

Today, I feel play is different than how it was when I was growing up. People these days are surrounded by technology, and this includes kids as well. Kids are learning to use technology at a very young age, and I feel devices like Ipads/ tablets, television, phones, and video games is at a rise and is consuming the brains of young individuals. I hope parents catch on to the fact that long exposure to technology can be detrimental to their child's brain development. With the decrease in technology play, more kids will be reintroduced to physical play.

References

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/play.html

Reflecting on Building Relationships

Although, I may not have a lot of friends like many others, however this gives me more reason to cherish these relationships that I do have. Relationships/ partnerships are important to me because this allows to me to get a better understanding of who I am, and how I interact with others.

I currently have positive relationships/ partnerships with:

-My Boyfriend: My boyfriend and I both keep each other happy. We try to be as positive as we can be without letting the negative affect us, despite any negative circumstances big or small that may arise.  We maintain our relationship by being sincere and honest with each other.

-My friend Mary: Mary and I keep a good friendship by keeping each other company. It is always important to have good company and having someone to talk to. We maintain our friendship by communicating often and hanging out with each other on a weekly basis.

-My Grandma: My Grandma and I have a good time doing things we love, whether it is watching a movie, dinning out, shopping, or traveling. We maintain a great relationship by communicating often. I talk to my grandma at least 2-3 times a week.

I believe what makes these relationships special compared to others is that we each bring out the best in each other.

My experiences with my relationships/ friendships impact my work as an effective early childhood professional, because my friends provide direct feedback on some of the work that I do. Those that I truly care about will give me the most constructive and honest feedback, which is something that I need in order to grow and be a successful professional.