Final Post

The three things I have taken from blogging are

1.     Making international contacts are great for collaboration which can help us to solve the bigger problems that plague children and families worldwide, namely poverty

2.     I also learned that we share some of the same issues pertaining to early childhood.

3.     I learned that making an international contact is very challenging and I hope to one day make a contact because it would be a great connection to have.

education in Africa

This week I looked at the website and looked at the information under the world wide tab. I chose to take a closer look at Africa. I did not know that Africa is a priority for UNESCO and education is key to the region’s development. I strongly believe that we need to follow Africa’s example and work to keep education high on the agenda of governments and development partners. While browsing under the tab I also learn about the Major push for adult and youth literacy in Nigeria. The aim is to educate 4 to 5 million illiterate adults and 2 million out-of school children over the next three years. I think it is great that they can come together and push for the improvement of education in not only children but adults too. I was actually shocked to know that almost 40 million adults are illiterate and the overall literacy rate is close to 57 % because most of the time I find that people of African or Asia descent read very well.

Resources:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/dakar/about-this-office/single view/news/major_push_for_adult_and_youth_literacy_in_nigeria/

NAEYC

I chose to take a closer look at NAEYC. One article in particular talks about developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. The article points out the shortage of good care for children in the highly vulnerable infant and toddler years have become critical. This difficulty is especially acute in the under-funded early childhood arena, especially the child care sector, which is losing well prepared teaching staff and administrators at an alarming rate.

Resources:NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

Education in Brazil

I still have not heard from my international contact. I chose to look at Applying the science of early childhood in Brazil because I think it is cool to see other countries take on early childhood. I was excited to see that the Center is making history because it is launching Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, which will be the first major programmatic effort outside the United States. I also noticed that they collaborate with a lot of people which in my option is always great because two heads are better than one.  I believe that they are headed in the right direction, I like how they plan to strengthen leadership around early childhood development through an executive leadership course for policymakers. I believe we should all do this for policymakers in our area that would like to get involved in the early childhood field.

Resources

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/applying_the_science_of_early_childhood_in_brazi/