International Professional Goals

International Professional Goals

Learning about early childhood at an international level is beneficial for professionals because it helps us to know how to help others. The three consequences that I experienced from learning about the international early childhood field is that once you become involved, it's hard to let go. Every week I longed for podcast and readings that enlightened me about what is done in other countries so that I can learn and incorporate them into the classroom. The second consequence that I felt was on a personal level, and this was that the children in third world countries receive a better lifestyle and education. These children deserve the best opportunities that they can get, and it saddens my heart that they do not have the access to quality education. The third consequence is that the international early childhood field allows us to become more involved with ourselves and our community. When we begin to look at the lives of others and how they live it makes us better people to help ourselves.

The goal for international issues is that others can become major contributors to a country and help them develop so that we all can become internationally successful. When we all help each other, we see what each person has and how it can benefit us. This is why we all need to work together and not against each other, and think about the children and families who could benefit from the advancement of other countries. 

I really enjoyed this course and all the websites and readings that came along with it. I have never been so involved with international studies, and now that I have been enlightened, I will gladly continue my studies in International early childhood studies. 

Professional Goals, Hopes and Dreams

Professional Goals, Hopes, and Dreams

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

      Where I live, the issues being discussed regarding quality is that the professionals do their job in a proper manner in which is pleasing to the parents.  Some professionals could care less of the feelings of the child and/or parents and this issue affects the quality of the professionals and the work that they produce. Where I work, the issues being discussed are privacy and how it effects the confidentiality of families. When we as early childhood professionals talk among ourselves, or tell parents information regarding other children and professionals, it weakens the quality of the professional field. This is why it is important that early childhood professionals, we keep information regarding our families confidential because we never know who is listening and who knows who.

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

         When a professional practices professional development, it leads to them giving their very best to that child and their family. We early childhood teachers conduct themselves in a professional manner, it allows for other to see your glow and doors become opened that you never knew existed.

What are some of your professional goals?

       My professional goals consist of becoming employed with the states "Bright From the Start" program in which they manage all Pre-K over Georgia and the Quality Rated accreditation program. Working with Bright From the Start is a goal because it means that I am able to give back to the programs in which I currently work and help them become more developed to help those in low-income families and prepare them for Kindergarten. If I am not able to become employed with "Bright From the Start" my next choice will be a program in Georgia called Babies Can't Wait, where they work with children who are developmentally delayed. They work in the homes of their clients and help them accomplish developmental milestones that they have not yet mastered. Both programs are beneficial to the development of children in order for them to be successful and ready for preschool and kindergarten.

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

     The challenge that I can see right now is not be able to reach my potential because of experience, but my hopes and dreams are that someone would take into consideration all that I have accomplished thus far, which is more than most my age have. Although I may not have been on jobs long, I still learned a lot from all of my experiences, which can help to take me a long way in my future endeavors.

Walden University M.S. in Early Childhood Studies

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National Center for Children in Poverty

For the past few weeks, whenever we have been asked to discuss our websites it has been predominantly about what their mission and expectations are for the poor. I am glad to be able to focus on a different aspect of the website and the other benefits that they have to offer for those who are poor or living in poverty. 

NCCP has blogs that help others to better understand the situation of the poor and needy. One of the blogs I chose to read was "Why Do We Expect Food Stamp Users to Make Perfect Food Choices?" The blog explained how others viewed SNAP participants because of their choice to make unhealthy choices in food and drinks. It also said that the reasoning behind these poor choices stem from the convenience of the grocery stores. Participants of SNAP are on SNAP for a reason, and this is because they are living in poverty, and they have to buy cheap. Everyone knows that if it's cheap, it is not good for you. 

The section that I chose to dig deeper into was the newsroom. The newsroom gives insight into what the NCCP will be working on throughout the year, and where they plan to go into the future. The NCCP has news that enlightens its readers on what is going on with the organization and how they can be a contributor to helping them grow as they help those in poverty.

The newsletter for this month focus on the undergrad interns that worked with NCCP this summer. Their mission is to help fight poverty in America and improve the public health for those who live in poverty. One is a graduate of the public health community and the others are still studying public health in their junior years of college. 

The main focus of this website was ways to help those who are in poverty and to give statistics of the poor and poverty rates. I would say that the website helped my understanding in the equity segment because it explains that no matter the race, shape, or size poverty has no particular person. It has no reference to the educational point. 

The insight that I gained from this website is that they are dedicated to helping those who are poor and in poverty and providing them with avenues for a better life. 

Inequality Issues

I have yet to hear from any podcast members, so I with the alternative route. According to the Center on the Developing Child, they work globally to build a broader movement to achieve breakthrough outcomes for children around the world ( Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010). The center works with countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Canada; other countries are involved as well. 

The Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância (NCPI) is a collaborative that involves the Center on the Developing Child, and other major corporations throughout Brazil that partnered together to create a science driven early childhood movement to inform policymakers on how to apply science to Early Childhood programs. This is a good collaborative because science has a lot to do with Education from the teaching standpoint and the benefits of helping children learn through exploration.

Canada has the Albertha Family Wellness Initiative a program in which science plays a big role as well. Like Brazil, Canada uses science of child development to inform public policies. They support research in early brain and biological development, mental health, etc and translate the research. This is a good program that can also be used in the United States so that others can see the benefits of science working in the Early Childhood field. It also helps policy makers to make decisions based upon the research of scientist, which will be very beneficial to children, especially those of Early Childhood. 

The equity is strong in the countries because they want all children to succeed. The Center on Child the Developing Child has three propositions that guide their international work and they are:

• Coordinated strategies to support child development can multiply the effects of investments in child survival, health, education, and economic development.
• We need to protect children from significant adversity, in addition to providing them with enriched learning opportunities.
• The early childhood years are critical building blocks for lifelong health, not just school readiness (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010).

All three points focus around children, and there is not one race or culture being singled out. 

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

Walden University M.S. in Early Childhood Studies

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