For several weeks now I have studied the website called the world forum foundation which is related to the early childhood field, and the sheer volume of information available on this site is truly very impressive. This week per our homework assignment, as we explored the website, we had to contemplate and answer the following questions:
- What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?
In all honesty not one particular thing stood out to me as relevant to my current position. All of the information seemed valuable for something I'll need in the future....but nothing per say for right now.
- Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?
What struck me this week, that made me think about an issue in a new way was a comment in "Bonnie's Blog" from December of 2010. She was describing different people that she met at some of the "power meetings" while she was in Africa. She met a woman, Jane Gatimu who has attended the World Forum who is a part of a PhD program, who researches graduates, that cannot find jobs that pay because the government does not fund Early Childhood Education. When I was reading I was kinda amazed and is awe. Now I read it assuming Jane researched graduates in Africa because they were in Africa, but it could be she researches people around the world. But Never-the-less, regardless of what country or countries she's researching, I find it incredulous that there are people out there with their hearts set on helping children in the EC field, but can not because there are few jobs that pay and the government doesn't believe in it.
- What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?
Well by going through the site I can say I can see how politicians would want to support the field. If they could be a part of something as big as the World Forum, their name would be all over and have strong ties with such a positive organization. It definitely would help their political gain in the future whether negative or positive.
- What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did your gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?
Well, the newest insight I learned about, was the WFF's strong desire to impact 2,000,000 children through their nature action collaborative. They called upon not only EC professionals but they also utilized
health advocates, landscape architects, environmental educators, conservationists, horticulturalists, water planners, aarchitects, community gardeners and many more, to create nature friendly spaces for children. Between Oct 17 and Oct, 20, 2010, The World Forum’s Nature Action Collaborative for Children gathered with 70 interdisciplinary teams from 32 nations to create action plans to re-connect the world’s children with nature. Now if that isn't awesome, I don't know what is.
Your story about Jane Gatimu from the World Forum is really a shame. It's hard to imagine that there are willing educators ready to work with children around the world and are unable to do so. I was actually just talking with my mother about that very same topic today. She is an Educational Assistant in a public school autistic support class and has been warned that the district might be laying off all assistants at the end of the year. It seems that getting into education after graduating is becoming more and more of a challenge.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin