Sharing Web Resources:

~Sharing Web Resources~

• What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

The ZERO TO THREE policy agenda for the Administration and 113th Congress seemed relevant to me. It discusses school readiness for infants and toddlers. Zero to Three (2013) stated, “The solution: public policies that ensure children are ready for school and life by incorporating the infant-toddler years as an essential part of the birth-to-8 continuum.

• 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?

I know there is the debate of whether play should be in or out of the curriculum. Here is Zero to Three’s outlook on PLAY:

“There’s a lot happening during playtime. Little ones are lifting, dropping, looking, pouring, bouncing, hiding, building, knocking down, and more. And while they are having all this fun, they are also learning. They are learning how to solve problems (such as how to get the block tower to stand up) and discovering new concepts, like what sinks and floats. They are experimenting with new roles and language during dress-up time, and figuring out how to use their bodies in new ways on the playground. Play is the true work of childhood. When you join in your child’s play, she is also learning that she is loved and important and fun to be around. This gives her the self-confidence she needs to build loving and supportive relationships as she grows.” (Zero to Three, 2013).

• 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?

Supporting early development is a wise investment:

“Economists estimate that for every dollar invested in early childhood programs, saving $3.73 to $17.07 can be expected in future expenditures, in part by reducing the occurrence of negative educational and life outcomes” (Zero to Three, 2013).  

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

The Policy of Zero to Three:

“The ZERO TO THREE (2013) Policy Center promotes good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences for all infants and toddlers, with special emphasis on those who are the most vulnerable and in need. The Policy Center advances public policy solutions and investments for the health and development of very young children and their families. In doing so, the Policy Center synthesizes and disseminates knowledge, cultivates advocacy leadership, and engages policymakers.” 

Reference:

Zero to Three (2013). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/ 

Introducing My International Contact

Hello Colleagues!
I chose the podcast alternative assignment. The podcast I listened to was by a man named Meridas Eka Yora. Although I have not heard anything back from him, I would like to share what I have learned from listening to the podcast. Mr. Yora is the founder and director of an institution called Fajar Hiayah for Islamic Education. He is also the director of the Yayasan Fajar Hidayah Foundation. In 2004, a devastating and catastrophic earthquake and a tsunami killed over 200 Indonesians and left over 500,000 of them homeless. Because of this disaster, many children became orphans. To help the orphans, Mr. Yora developed three boarding schools. He provided the children with shelter, food, and clothing. He even assisted them with physical and mental health care. Mr. Yora had a goal to make sure every child received education, regardless of the circumstances. He did not allow homelessness or poverty effect the education of the children. I applaud him for his actions. After reading additional information about Meridas Eka Yora, I found out that he has established several other schools in which thousands of students are enrolled. What Mr. Yora has accomplished is remarkable. He took matters into his own hands and came up with solutions to help children who needed help. His story will have an everlasting effect in my life. Mr. Yora is an outstanding individual for all he has done for the children in Indonesia. I have learned that there are people in this world who will go out of their way to help people in need of assistance, no matter the situation.   
I have learned a few insights from studying and reading about poverty in India from the website of the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. I learned that India is home to the majority of poor people in South Asia (Child Poverty Research and Policy Center, n.d.). I was not aware of this fact. I also learned that life is very hard for many of India’s young children, especially females. Many children are malnourished and are not in school because they are too busy working. This saddened me. I read that India has the largest number of working children in the world (Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre, n.d.). After all of the horrible things that occur in India, I found out that India has anti-poverty programs that are run by the central government. The largest program is targeted for young children. The name of the program is the Integrated Child Development Services Program (ICDS). I was glad to hear that there is a program over there that supports young children.     

Resources

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre (n.d). (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/)

World Forum Foundation Radio. (2013). http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/world-forum-radio/

The Organization I Chose to Explore:

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/  

The focus of this organization is to provide information to make sure babies and toddlers have a strong foundation and a good start in life (Zero to Three, 2013).

One current issue/trend:

Zero to Three commended the President for making babies and toddlers a priority in his 2014 budget proposal, with a considerable investment in early learning. Here is the budget for early learning:

“The budget includes $1.4 billion to expand the comprehensive supports offered to the most vulnerable families through Early Head Start – which for almost 20 years has proven it improves both child and parental outcomes. The plan would provide $200 million in 2014 specifically to create more high-quality child care options for babies and toddlers with working parents, using Early Head Start’s quality benchmarks, expertise, and resources. Looking ahead, the budget proposal provides for $7 billion over 10 years to ensure young children and families have access to high-quality child care” (Zero to Three, 2013.

I am very pleased and ecstatic to learn about this because children are the future and they need all the support they can get. I am interested in learning more from this organization.