Pre-K Now! Part 2

I have been enjoying my exploration of the Pre-K Now website.  Although I feel that much of their e-newsletter is not directly relevant to my personal professional development, they do present valid concerns throughout the early childhood field that pertains to Pre-K.  Many of the articles in the e-newsletter simply do not involve the area in which I teach. 

The website itself, however, has many resources that are relevant to my current professional development.  

One section in particular that I enjoy is the Pre-K Advocates section.  Often, I feel that Pre-K is not seen as being a valid step in a child’s education.  Many times parents will tell me that their child needs to go to Kindergarten and learn to read, regardless of the fact that they will not turn five until they have already begun their year.  I like this section because it voices the reasons as to why Pre-K is important as well as gives us information on current pre-K accomplishments, affordable pre-K opportunities, and ready-made slide shows that advocate for the programs.  I also enjoy the educator’s link. 

In the Educator’s section of Pre-K Now, I have utilized the Pre-K Teacher’s Resource Center, as well as the Virtual Classroom Tour.  It’s helpful to have a visual of what a developmentally appropriate classroom looks like.  I was happy, after going through the virtual tour, to assess my classroom and pleased that we have a quality classroom available to my students.  In the Resource Center, I appreciate the tips and ideas to implement in my classroom. 

One issue that I found interesting in the e-newsletter was an article discussing politicians and how they often fail to see the benefits of early childhood education and cut resources to such programs.  “When political beliefs cause politicians to deny solid trends in empirical research, those beliefs need modifying. Preschool teachers work cooperatively with both the young children and families they serve to ensure long-term results.” (Gartrell, 2011)  It amazes me that with the amount of research there is supporting early childhood programs and the lasting impact they have on child development and learning, that politicians still seek this out as a suitable place to make financial cuts.

In addition to the article listed above, the Pre-K Now website offers an entire section on policymakers and how they affect early childhood education programs.  It not only speaks to policymakers that are letting us down in this field, but it also glorifies those that are helping and gives us the tools we need to make a case and advocate for the importance of Pre-K programs. 

References:

Gartrell, D. (2011). Politicians ignore studies in cutting early childhood. PreK Now.

Poverty and Education in Bulgaria

I was able to discuss poverty with one of my contacts this week.  Emil is the Executive Director of the Step by Step preschool program in Bulgaria, Sofia.  Although Emil was not able to give me much information about poverty in his country, ("From an educational standpoint, I do not know a lot about this issue- poverty.")  Emil did let me know, however, that there is a minority group in his community; Romas.  This group of children is not integrated into the mainstream of the Bulgarian education system and many of them live in poverty. Emil stated that this is a very big political issue in his country, for which he believes there is no solution. 


Due to the limited amount of information I could obtain from Emil on the topic, I decided to do a little research.  "In Bulgaria, 70 percent of young Roma, (approximately 30,000 children), attend sub-standard schools in segregated Romani neighborhoods. Inadequate material conditions and the poor quality of education provided by unmotivated teachers contribute to low attendance rates of Roma pupils. Altogether, they alienate Romani children from schools and perpetuate the cycle of illiteracy, unemployment, and poverty." (http://hub.witness.org/en/action/campaigns/campaign/1023)  Although there has been some change in the ways in which Romani children acquire their education, (selected groups are bussed into Bulgarian mainstream schools), they are still facing discrimination and poverty.  


"The main problems stem from the fact that the Roma districts are turning into ghettos.  Most Roma neighbourhoods consist of slums, precariously built without planning permission on land that often belongs to the municipalities. As the Bulgarian authorities have not taken steps to address the situation, the people living in these districts have no access to basic public services, whether health care, public transport, waste collection or sanitation." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_in_Bulgaria)  It seems to me that the segregation of this group of people runs deep and it was difficult to discuss it further with Emil, as he was very brief with his statement to me about Roma families and poverty.  


Speaking with Emil about poverty in his country has made me contemplate the causes of the continuation of poverty within certain groups of people.  Because there is no alternative being provided to the Roma population, they are forced to live in poor conditions and have limited access to education.  This begins a cycle; the members of this community remain under-educated and therefore do not have the necessary tools to provide their children with a better education.  In order for this cycle to end, the segregation of this community of people would have to end.  We see similar cycles in certain areas of the United States.  


In addition to our discussion of poverty, I have learned a lot from Emil about his country's education system.  He provided me with pictures of local classrooms and a Power Point presentation about education in Bulgaria.  From viewing the pictures, I can see that classroom sizes are large.  There are many students in a small space.  However, the materials in the classroom appear to be new and children seem to have a great deal of resources available to them.  Language barriers are also an issue in Bulgaria; whereas many children do not speak the native tongue and there are no accommodations made for them in schools.  In addition, the preschool system seems to be ineffective and many children are not properly prepared for moving forward in their education and there is a high rate of drop-outs.  


It has been rewarding to discuss education with someone from a different part of the world.  I feel that I am appreciative for the things provided to me in my community and in my line of work.  I am excited to learn more about Emil and his country's education system throughout this course.  I was unable to get in touch with  my contact in Denmark this week; hopefully I will be able to do so for next week's blog post.  


References:


-Personal Communication with Emil from Bulgaria
-http://hub.witness.org/en/action/campaigns/campaign/1023
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_in_Bulgaria

Pre-K Now!

The organization that I have selected to focus on during my studies of this course is Pre-K Now.  (http://www.preknow.com)  This organization focuses on the needs and functions of a pre-K curriculum, as well as issues that affect pre-K programs throughout the country.  It includes parent and school viewpoints, as well as federal and state issues regarding pre-K programs.  I enjoy the fact that for each topic discussed on the website or in the e-newsletter, there are links to other articles and scholarly journals that can help the reader develop a clearer understanding and add differing viewpoints. 

The current issue that caught my eye on the website this week was the importance of engaging parents in order to have a successful program.  Often times, we focus so much on our students, we fail to properly engage their families in the program as well.  When looking through the “educator resources” on the Pre-K Now website, I found what I believe to be the most effective way to include families in their child’s pre-K  program; “Open your program. Invite families and community leaders to visit the program and to observe classrooms and visit with teachers, staff, and other parents. Provide opportunities for parents to meet with school district officials and learn about the school system.”  (www.preknow.com) 

In order to include families in my program, we have an open door policy.  Families are welcome to visit the classroom, join on a walk, or participate and create activities with us any day of the week.  We have had fathers come in to read stories, and moms join us for an art project; we’ve even had older siblings come in to read a story and play for the morning.  Because our students’ families are so involved in our program, the children feel comfortable there and continuously connected to home in our classroom. 

As an organization, we provide opportunities for parents to socialize through fundraising events, and social gatherings.  For example, we had an auction and party in our greenhouse on a Saturday to raise money for the preschool.  This party gave staff and parents an opportunity to get to know one another without the children present.  Building relationships like this with families assists us in providing their children with quality education. 

Another suggestion on how to engage families in the program is to “recruit and retain appropriate staff. Offer professional development workshops for teachers on diversity-related topics and on how to foster a family-centered program. Make an effort to recruit a culturally and linguistically diverse staff.”  (www.preknow.com)  It is important for the staff to be diverse.  This doesn’t limit to just cultural diversity though, I feel that this also includes a diverse group of individuals who are all different and offer the children something unique.  For example, we do not have a very culturally diverse staff at my school, but we are all very different individuals.  I feel that each of the students has a special connection with one of us that allow them to feel safe and comfortable in their classroom.

Having a “diverse” staff also allows children to be exposed to the different ways that people choose to present themselves.  For example, I have a nose piercing and tattoos on my ankle and foot that are visible to children.  When I asked my boss how she felt about this exposure to the students, she said; “I would rather their impression of someone with a facial piercing and tattoos be their teacher; someone they love and respect; than have them be frightened by such things.”  I couldn’t agree with her more. 

Engaging families and respecting diversity amongst staff and students ties in with our topic of the week; changing demographic and diversity.  “By recognizing, respecting, and accommodating the range of family backgrounds, arrangements, and circumstances, engagement can offer benefits to parents and family members as well as to children.” (www.preknow.com) 

References:

http://www.preknow.com

Early Childhood Education Across the Globe

I am excited to learn more about other cultures and their early childhood education programs.  I feel that it’s important to do so in order to develop an appreciation for what I have within this field in my country, as well as to develop an understanding and appreciation for what early childhood educators do in other areas of the world. 

I used a few different methods in order to establish contact with early childhood educators from different countries.  I first went to the websites offered in this week’s resources and emailed fifteen different professionals.  I explained my assignment, why I chose to contact them in particular, and what interests me about their country.  As a teacher, I felt that if I were to be approached by someone from a different country to learn more about my classroom, I would be more prone to respond if they showed that they were already looking into our education system and they had a legitimate reason for choosing me to contact.  I was able to establish communication with a male teacher from Bulgaria through the use of these websites.  I have already begun emailing back and forth and am waiting for his response to my numerous questions about his school, classroom, country, and field. 

To establish a second contact, I asked my colleagues at work if they knew any early childhood educators in other countries.  My request was met with a series of “No’s” and “Sorry.”  After racking my brain for a while, I suddenly remembered that I had a student last year whose family returned to Denmark at the beginning of this school year.  I had a great relationship with this mother and have continued communication with her since they’ve left.  I decided to email her and ask if there was any way for her to put me in touch with my former student’s new teachers.  She has said that they would be more than happy to do so and she will give them my information when they return to school on Monday.  This contact was particularly exciting for me; I will learn more about another culture and be able to learn how one of my former students is re-acclimating to life in Denmark.  I look forward to hearing from them.

When choosing a website to study, I was unable to limit it to only one.  I have signed up for three newsletters; The National Black Child Development Institute, Zero to Three, and Pre-K Now.  I chose The National Black Child Development Institute because I used to work primarily with African American students.  I currently live in a predominantly white community and would like to stay up to date with the needs of the African American community.  I chose Zero to Three because I read many of their articles throughout my coursework in previous classes and would like to receive the newsletter and share it with my co-teachers.  Lastly, I chose Pre-K Now because I teach in a Pre-K classroom.  I want to serve my students to the best of my ability and I feel that by exploring this site and receiving their newsletter, it will be beneficial to developing best teaching practices. 

I chose to focus my studies on the Pre-K Now website.  I feel that this will be most beneficial to my professional development.  While initially exploring the site, I enjoyed the articles and information provided by educators from all over the country, (which were offered in Spanish and English).  There were also stories published by families about how pre-k has truly helped their child and their family.  I look forward to printing some of these out and using them when recruiting new families to join our program at the Nature Center.  There were also links to conversations had by pre-K professionals about their programs and their dedication to provide their students with a positive and developmentally appropriate school experience.  I feel that these will be beneficial when creating my curriculum.  I also enjoyed the resources made available through this site.  I want to stay up to date with what decisions are being made in our government that will affect my classroom now and my future children’s classrooms down the road. 

I am excited to build these bridges throughout my work in this course.  I am also excited to learn more through the research of my colleagues.  I’m curious to know what other countries they will be communicating with and how our educational system compares with those in other parts of the world.  I feel that this will be extremely beneficial to my professional development; it is important to build relationships with other early childhood professionals within our country and otherwise.