Sharing Web Resources

Unfortunately my web resource of choice has not sent me a newsletter yet but I did continue to explore the website.  The National Black Child Development Institute had something relevant to my current professional development.  In the early childhood section of the website it talked about the president of the organization, Carol Brunson Day, attending the speech President Obama gave at a middle school in Arlington, VA.  He was speaking about education funds not being cut at the federal level.  He wanted everyone to know that education is being supported at the federal level.  Obama wants to fix no child left behind.  President Obama says, "It's not enough to leave no child behind.  We need to help every child get ahead."

On the National Black Child Development website they have different initiatives listed.  One of the initiatives is literacy.  The NBCDI partners with Reading is Fundamental to offer an early literacy training program to early childhood educators to build their capacity and resources to develop and enhance early literacy skills of African Americans.  This made me think of early literacy in a new way because literacy is very important and it is important for the educators to be well trained in this area.

The only thing this website about the way a politician feels about is what I mentioned above about President Obama wanting to fix no child left behind and supporting education on the federal level.

I'm sorry to say that I haven't had any other new insights because parts of the website are under construction and I haven't received any newsletters yet.

Bolivia

I did not think I was going to make any international contacts.  I sent over 15 emails, most of them came back to me saying it couldn't be sent.  I was giving up and preparing myself to listen to the podcasts.  But late this week I received not one but two responses.  They were both from Bolivia.  My first contact is Juan Carlos Borda.  He works in the early childhood area of UNICEF/ Bolivia like a social communicator, making advocacy and communication activities.  I got the most information from him because he responded on Wednesday and I was able to ask some questions.  Bolivia is among the five poorest countries in South America, with high maternal and infant mortality rates.  Two-thirds of the population live in poverty.  In 2005 Bolivia changed political administration and now have an indian president (Evo morales Ayma). Many changes have occurred, including laws that seek to provide greater benefits to the poorest in the country. One of the most important changes was the State Constitution. One of this changes is the educational law "Avelino Siñani - Elizardo Pérez" who insert in his content those articles:
"Article 11. Structure Subsystem Regular Education
Regular Education Subsystem includes:
a) Community Family Early Childhood Education
b) Community Primary Vocational Education
c) Productive Community Secondary Education
Article 12. Community Family Early Childhood Education
Is the fundamental basis for the formation of the child and the child is recognized and
strengthens the family and the community as the first social and learning.
Five-year, comprises two stages:
1. Community Family Early Childhood Education-school
Responsibility is shared between family, community and state-oriented
to recover, strengthen and promote the cultural identity of the environment and child, the
family support in prevention and health promotion and good nutrition to
psychomotor development, socio-emotional, spiritual and cognitive development. Three years
duration.
2. Community Family Early Childhood Education schooling
Develop the skills and cognitive skills, language, psychomotor, social-emotional,
spiritual and artistic attitudes favor of autonomy,
cooperation and decision making in the construction process of his thought,
to initiate systematic learning processes to the next level. Two years
duration."
Unicef, from the first childhood area is working for viable this law through same actions:
1. construction of the curriculum for early childhood.
2. Making advocacy with Mayors and Governors to include the issue of first childhood in their local politics.
3. Make a mass media communication about First Childhood with the objective to increase de knowledge of the subject.
4. Produce educative material for the educational technics
5. Help to the Ministry of education to build a public policy about first childhood.
6. Coordinate with other Agencies, NGOs and ministries activities looking the integrated child development.
7. Implementation of a measurement of first child development.

My second contact is Olga Alarcon. She just responded on Friday so all I have from her is information about what she does. She works in the Ministry of Education. She is charge of beginning education in Familial Communities that cover ages 0 to 6 years of age, the first primary ages 0-3 are non enrolled school age children, 4-5 years are enrolled school age children. She also mentions the new educational law. I hope to get more information from Olga before our next assignment. I would like to learn more about what she does.

As for new insights for me, my eyes are wide open now. I have always heard of poverty but never took the time to understand what it is and what it means. To see all these people around the world living so poorly makes my heart ache. I didn't have a hard childhood so not having was never something I had to deal with. I could not imagine having to live like other countries.

Sharing Web Resources

I viewed several different sites before choosing one.  I chose The National Black Child Development Institute.  The website is www.nbcdi.org.  For the past 40 years the National Black Child Institute has been working towards its mission to improve and advance the lives of Black children and their families, through advocacy and education.  The affiliates, which are volunteers from across the nation, have been working to improve child welfare services, make universal early care and education a reality, build family support services, press for educational reform and provide vital information regarding our children’s health.

One of the Institutes initiatives is Literacy.  Love to Read is the National Black Child Development Institute’s (NBCDI) national early literacy public education initiative designed to help parents and other caregivers improve African American children’s academic performance. Love to Read is targeted towards parents and caregivers of children ages 0 through 6. NBCDI has partnered with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) to offer an early literacy training program to early childhood educators to build their capacity and resources to develop and enhance early literacy skills of African American.

I chose this site because African American children are falling farther and farther behind other children in school.  Many of them don't even complete high school let alone attend college.  Their are many affiliates in major cities.  I am thinking of joining the one in mine!

Professional Contacts

Part 1

When I first read this assignment I was intimidated.  I couldn't understand how I was going to create contacts in other countries.  My biggest concern was the language barrier.  I must have looked at the sites for the blog resources about four times before I chose anybody to contact.  In the end I chose South Africa, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.  I just did this yesterday so I haven't heard back yet but hopefully someone will respond. I'm actually anxious about getting the responses.  I'm looking forward to what I might learn from these professionals about early childhood in their countries.

Part 2

I looked at a couple different sites for this part of the assignment.  But I chose National Black Child Development Institute.  This organization's mission is to improve and advance the lives of black children and their families, through advocacy and education.  I chose this organization because I agree with the things they are working to accomplish.  I signed up for newsletter updates and I am thinking of joining the organization.  I found out their is an affiliate in my city.