Last Week
For the past 7 weeks, I was fortunate to have been able to
learn from 3 international contacts. My
correspondence with them brought about the following consequences:
1.
I realized how different and yet how similar
other countries are from my country.
2.
I felt relieved in a way when I found out that
the Philippines is not alone, that other countries also go through similar
problems, issues and challenges.
3.
I understood that my country is also affected
and impacted by global trends in early childhood.
4.
Made me want to advocate more for children,
families, the field and the teachers as well.
5.
I benefited from not only the course work and
reading but from my colleagues as well.
I believe that one goal of the field should be :
“building and sustaining linkages and relations between Early
Childhood Professionals around the world; helping each other, learning from
each other to be able to uplift children, families and the field together”
Sharing Web Resources: A Deeper Look into Early Childhood Australia's Website
Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?
I browsed through the site and found more outside links. There were links to:
- their position statement
- early childhood news
- their publication - the Australian Journal of Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Magazine
- Research in Practice Series
- Everyday Learning Series
- Voice Newsletter
- QIAS/QA Support
- Resource Themes
- Legal Statements
Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?
I decided to search the area- Resource Themes. This link led me to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
This framework was endorsed by the Australian government in 2009. All early childhood education programs around their country are to use this framework. The link then provides a resource list that may help practitioners in implementing this framework by giving practical tips such as:
- links to where the EYLF itself and information for parents can be downloaded;
- links to some of the evidence about high quality early childhood practice;
- links and books to support educators to understand the EYLF principles, practice and the EYLF learning outcomes; and
- links to ECA publications that have been specifically written to support practitioners to work with successfully with the EYLF.
If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?
I have subscribed to their newsletter a month ago but I have yet to receive a copy.
Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?
Though I am yet to get a copy of their newsletter, their website was able to provide some information on equity and excellence especially under the link on Resource Themes and the Early Years Learning Framework. The Australian Government seems to value addressing the issue of equity and excellence as their EYLF includes principles that deal specifically on these issues. The list of resources for EYLF includes:
EYLF Principles
EYLF Practice
EYLF Learning Outcomes
As I navigated through this area/link, I was able to read a few articles on diversity and respecting children cultures inside the classrooms. In one article, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Dora Pulido-Tobiassen discuss the nee to begin by partnering with parents in raising up and caring for children in a diverse classroom. They say this is very important for everything we do, even the minute things like how we touch children and diapering are affected by our cultural values. They also have articles and books on responsive teaching and reciprocal learning as well as a tool for analyzing learning environments and quality assessment guidelines for all programs (day care, child care and after hours child care).
Another article that I found interesting is by Montgomery (2001) that focused on creating a culturally responsive, inclusive classrooms. He suggests that programs and teachers conduct self-assessments to check their competency and responsiveness. Furthermore, he advises that programs use a range of culturally sensitive instructional materials and methods. In addition he explicitly expresses the need to create a classroom that respects diversity and individual and cultural values. Collaboration with other professionals and families, fostering an interactive classroom and employing ongoing and culturally aware assessments are his other suggestions.
What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?
Through the exploration of this website I was able to see that it is not only the US and my country that face issues on equity and excellence. I am however, very happy to note that the Australian Government is trying to address these issues by providing programs and a framework for EC programs in their country to follow.
Sources:
the Early Childhood Australia's website focus on resource themes:
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/resource_themes/eylf_early_years_learning_framework.html
Montgomery (2001). Can be accessed through the ECA's website or through
http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCEC/International/StepbyStep/ResourceCenter/CulturalandLinguisticDiversity/VOL.33NO.4MARAPR2001_TEC_Article1.pdf
Gonzales-Mena & Tobiassen retrieved February 8, 2012 through the ECA website or
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teaching-quotdiversityquot-place-begin
International Contacts: Equity and Excellence
I truly appreciate my international contacts who took the time to share with me the current issues on excellence and equity in the Early Childhood Field that their respective countries currently face.
NEW ZEALAND -
My contact from New Zealand, Mr. Cyril Siosoco, shared new information with m this week. He informed me that he just got back from holidays as the school year in their country starts in February and ends in December. I never knew this as I thought countries school years were either June to March (like the Philippines) or August to May (like in the US).
In terms of equity and excellence, Mr. Siasoco shared that the major issue they currently face is related to teacher qualification. According to him, people in New Zealand believes that excllence in education begins with qualified and registered teachers. That is why in 2002, their government started a 10-year Strategic plan for Early childhood Education in NZ. The plan aims/targets to have 100% registered teachers to ensure Excellence in early childhood education. However, when the new government (National) came in about 4 years ago, they changed the target from 100 % down to 80 % because they wanted to cut down the Early Childhood budget/funding.
Mr. Siasoco added that the EC teachers together with the NZEI, which is their union for teachers, are fighting for the 100% registered teachers in the centre.
Mr. Siasoco also shared with me the information below that can be found in the Ministry of Education website:
Strategy
Increase the numbers of registered teachers
[5]
Action
- Build on the direction created through the establishment of the Diploma of Teaching (ECE) as the benchmark qualification for licensing in ECE by 2005, to increase the number of qualified ECE teachers.
- Pay parity for kindergarten teachers. The flow-on effects of this to the rest of the ECE sector will make ECE teaching a more attractive career.
- Extend current requirements for all teachers in kindergartens to be registered to other teacher-led services so that by:
- 2007 50 percent of regulated staff in every teacher-led service are required to be registered teachers
- 2010 80 percent of regulated staff in every teacher-led service are required to be registered teachers
- 2012 all regulated staff in every teacher-led service are required to be registered teachers.
GRAND CAYMAN ISLANDS -
My contact from the Cayman Islands, Teacher Grace Masayon, also shared current issues and practices related to equity and excellence in her area. According to her, their government and department of education coordinates regularly with all the schools in the Cayman Islands. They frequently sponsor training and seminars and asks all school personnel to attend. This is because they want to ensure that teachers are qualified to provide excellent care for the children in their country.
In addition, she said that most of the schools there espouse the progressive philosophy and use the High/scope curriculum for they see the value of play and child-centered learning. They also value holistic development, that is why their curriculum and assessments include the following areas: social, physical, intellectual, and moral. Their trainings also reflect their value for holistic development for they even require teachers to attend Red Cross seminars and health sanitation courses. Assessments of children (which is done twice in a year) also based on Department of Education standards. Ms. Masayon also informed me that this week, she attended a government sponsored seminar/training on Cayman Islands Early Years Curriculum Framework and Planning.
