http://www.issa.nl/index.html is the website of International step by step association. I keep exploring in this resource this week, and I have another look at those two following links too. One is http://globalchild.org/new/, and the other one is http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/.
When I was going through the first website, I know the mission of the organization to to help children who suffer from the war, the violence, or the natural disasters to have access to education, and health care. I am very interested in what they do. They have different programs to help children around the world in various ways. They have summer camp for children with a safe and healing environment. They also have the programs to offer enough high quality opportunities for play, creative self-expression and friendship. Children from the suffer, most of time, feel unsafe, violent, defensive, and cold, but the aim of the programs and camps that they are holding is to let participants live and learn alongside one another in a safe, nurturing environment, hearts, minds and souls are opened to understanding, trust and hope.
When I was exploring the above website, I started to think and reflect on the current situation. As a teacher in early childhood field, we need to be observant to know our children, and we are responsibly to help children if they have any difficult times. The high quality education is not only about academic performance, but also about the emotional attentional that children are gained. We need to support children to develop healthily physically and mentally. Those are the two important elements of a high quality program.
The other website that I explored is about all the newest news about early childhood. It has news section for us to know the information of this field, it has teaching ideas section to give teachers some inspiration in their teaching, and it has resources section too. I found a very good article about diversity in this website. It tells me what diversity is, and what is not. It is not a curriculum, not a lesson plan, not Chinese New Year, not a dress up time. It is more about making sure children can learn about their own backgrounds and the backgrounds of people who are different from them, and see themselves, their families, and their communities represented throughout the center. At the same time, children are supposed to be exposed to activities, materials, and concrete experiences that destroy stereotypes. The last important thing about diversity is to make sure children learn to enjoy, appreciate and seek out differences. It also gives many other ideas of how to make diversity learning happen in the classroom and the curriculum. What’s more, it also suggests the activities that we can do about diversity in our communities. I think this is a brilliant article. I like this link a lot.
References:
Francis Wardle Diversity in Early Childhood Programs http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=548
Hi Sissi,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your Blog this week. I also really enjoyed the website on the organization global Child, it seems like they are doing wonderful things for children. I think you made some great points in regards to helping children through difficult times, you are so right. And I completely agree with the comment you made about it being our responsibility as professionals in the field to ensure that we are not only meeting children's academic needs, but more importantly their emotional ones as well. I think your so right sometimes we forget that sometimes children just need that emotional support from us, someone to talk to them, listen to them, or someone simply to just give them a hug. Great job and thanks for the important reminder of what we are here for in the first place!!
Sylvia
Hi Sissi
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post, I agree as early childhood educator we have to be observant and protector of our children. Children now days have to deal with so much and it is so crucial that we help protect them.
Hi Sissi,
ReplyDeleteI feel as strongly as you do about the nurturing part of teaching young children. this area of development is very important and we must be tuned in to respond to the individual needs of the children in our care. I just read an article on a child traumatized by the handling from his teachers. He was literally stripped and bathed and told that he stank and he needed to have better hygene. The teachers could have handled this situation in a better way; a way that would have benefitted the whole family rather than shaming the 8 year old boy and bring reproach to the school.