Getting to Know Your International Contacts--Part 2

One insight that I have learned through conversations with my international contacts is that there seems to be some common issues when it comes to including immigrant children into the countries early childhood program.   Both contacts have said that the UAE and Italy are not receptive to supporting non-nationals.

Another insight is the Reggio Emilia schools were founded in Italy and are used as models ffor many countries, especially the United States.  The philosophical model of her nursery school and kindergartens focused on constructive theoretical foundations with a learner-centered curriculum.

My international contact in Italy said that if all the countries would look at the Reggio Emilia program that uses the child’s natural curiosity of learning and implement this into the early childhood program then we would have well rounded children.  We should be addressing the holistic child and not what is best for the politicians.

My contact in the UAE does not have a standard curriculum being used at this time.  They have some basic standards that are very open to interpretations.  There are apparently ‘new’ standards currently being written in Dubai (one of he seven emirates, UAE comprises of) with the aim for ALL private Nursery Schools to be inspected and graded on a Rainbow system.  She feels that there are huge gaps between private nurseries and school expectations: no standards being enforced; unrealistic expectations of Primary Schools due to high competition and lack of school places; and many different Nationalities living in the UAE all with their own curriculums, standards and expectations.

Sharing Web Resources

Relevant information to my current professional development on the zero to three website was the availability of Federal agencies that work with implementing programs for children with special needs in this age group, while providing an overview of the agency.  The information that is provided is current and up to date, providing valid resources for early childhood.

On the site was a new video titled “Starting Life Without a Home” that caught my attention.  This video brought tears learning that 1 in 4 infants and toddlers are homeless or born into homelessness.  This is heart breaking and yet at the same time makes me angry.  Our country is spending so much money on re-establishing a country that we went to war with instead of spending that money on our own children and families.  There should be no reason that we have homeless if we (country) can afford to spend that amount of money on a war.  Stop the war and start loving our own!  This video was created off of a Congressional briefing where Congresswoman Judy Biggert is fighting to protect infant and toddlers that are homeless or living in or at poverty.  Her information is provided by the National Center on Family Homelessness.

The zero to three website has a section called Action Center where you can join policy networks, advocacy alerts and tools that can be used to assist educators or parents, a contact source with other advocates, and policy video library.  There is a lot of information on this site regarding trends and issue along with the information how to help fight for early childhood rights.  I find something new every time I look at this site.

Getting to Know International Contacts Part 1

My contacts for this assignment are depending on who is available to respond back in time.  This is summer vacation for most of my friends and they are in between places where they can access the internet.  I was able to contact a colleague (Deepa) from a previous course and ask her about the area in which she lives.  She lives in the United Arab Emirates.  Per our conversation the area that she lives in does not have any issues dealing with poverty nor do the children face any challenges. 

My other contact is Jen who lives in Italy.  She has been working in education for 16 years.  Her career started with working with the children on an Indian reservation.  She has worked as an assessor, sure start, kindergarten and 1st grade teacher.  She is a single mom with four children all of whom have special needs.  She is an amazing lady.  Before she left for vacation she told me that Italy has the highest rate of poverty in Europe.  They have garbage piled on the streets and rats as big as cats.  She said the economy is very different.

Sharing Web Resources

The link I like to use is http://www.zerotothree.org

Zero to three site is a non-profit organization that offers support, training and information on the various topics for children in this age range. You can find topics on brain and child development, how to assist children in dealing with separation or divorce, parent separation from the child and many more topics. Most of these topics can also be implemented with a few modifications for older children as well. This is one of the reason I like this web site. There are links to review called “Military Family Projects.” The issue that caught my eye on this site is information it provides from the Early Head Start National Resource Center that deals with caring for infants and toddlers with disabilities and special needs in inclusive setting. The information on the site stays current with the new trends and issues surrounding our children. The site also offers scholarly articles.

One item I found of interest while exploring this site was the “Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers: Recommendation for States.” This document assists in guiding states in creating or revising their early learning guidelines for children ages zero to three. Zero to three is a commented organization in working with organizations to create an environment that is productive and healthy for children.

My Supports

Factors within my daily life that offer support are my daughter and boyfriend.  My daughter is my biggest support daily.  We talk several times a day, even with her living stateside.  She has been my motivation for years; now that she is grown she encourages me to continue to be my best.  We are a support system for each other.  With each new task that arises we inspire each other to do our best to be successful.  My boyfriend of many years reminds me of how far I have come over the past few years.  He lets me be me, no matter what challenge I take on.  He continues to boost my motivation in advancing my education to open my own early childhood facility.  I can’t even image what life would be like without either of them.  Life would not be complete without either my daughter or boyfriend.

Living abroad my students and colleagues are my adopted family.  They offer support where my family is not able to due to the distance between us.   My students keep my job interesting, as each day provides a new challenge and new outcome.   My students are like my own child, and I set high expectations for them in turn motivating me to stay current will new trends and issues in special education.  My student’s parents are willing to assist in and out of school.

A challenge that I would not want to have is the same heart condition that my father and grandmother have had for many years.  Living abroad to be diagnosed with this type of condition would be detrimental to me, as my daughter and boyfriend are stateside.  This condition would limit my abilities to participate in the activities I enjoy with my students.  I would not want to be on medication for the rest of my life or have to be treated in a country that I don’t fully understand the language.  My adopted family support is amazing, without them I would be lost. 

My Connection to Play

Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play.

Donna R. Barnes
Contemporary American psychologist

1896–1980

It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.

D.W. Winnicott
British pediatrician
1896–1971

Our all time favor game was hid-n-seek, as we used multiple yards to play.

 

As a child growing up play was a way of escaping from the daily chores, since both of my parents worked and as the oldest child a lot of responsibility fell to me.  The neighborhood we lived in was amazing as everyone had gates that connected them to the house behind them.  We will often play hid-n-seek between the yards.  Even the neighbors who did have children didn’t mind us playing in their yards as long as we respected their property.  I can remember playing until it was dark and going home so tired that I was relaxed from my other responsibilities.  The neighborhood supported all of the children in play allowing us an open area to roam and explore.

Play today is different from when I played as a child.  There is so much technology out that children stay inside playing games, on the computer or watching television.  As a child television wasn’t important.   We created our own games as most parents didn’t have extra money to buy games.  Children don’t know what it is like to go outside and play.   I would love to see more parents and education systems encouraging play for all children.  Play offers a nice break in the academic day and is a good stress reliever for all age’s of children.  Play is the first steps to children learning socially, emotionally, cognitively and helps to promote a healthy development all around.

I think play has helped me to be creative in my own hobbies.  Looking back play was a time for me to escape and be a kid.  Often time was not permitted for play and I think that has affected some of my social confidence, especially when speaking in front of others.  I remember the times the neighborhood children got together to play we had fun laughing, hanging out and just being with others our age.

Kickball was the best when all the neighborhood kids could get together for tournament.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they are my life line living overseas.  Through my relationships I am able to love and care for the people that mean the most to me whether it is family or my extended family.  These individuals are a support system for me whenever I need to call or ask for help.  It is heartbreaking to build relationships with my extended family as they eventually move, with the military, after three to four years. 

My daughter and I have a wonderful relationship.  Now that she is older we are friends as well.  She knows that we have an open line of communication and can discuss any topic with me.  This relationship has taught me patience and amazing listen skills.  It is because of her that I challenge myself in so many different aspects.  I can always count on her to be there and I likewise for her.  Her relationship is special in that we have grown with each other each and every day since she was born.

For relationships to work you have to care and be able to trust the other individual.  Learning to trust someone is not an easy task.  I’ve trying living by the rule that I will trust until you do something wrong.  I try to enter every relationship with an open mind and heart.