Week 8: International Contacts Caribbean Island

To see is to believe

To hear brings about understanding

To internationally correspond one on one up close and personal is a dream come true.

     It is amazing how fate allows some things to happen and the timing can be just right. Months ago we planned a family trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and St Thomas all located in the Caribbean Island. I had no idea that week 8 would place me international territory. With a little creativity I turned this beautiful trip into my international classroom. I must admit that while others were having fun I was trying to locate childcare centers and schools.

     Over the past week I have learned so much from my contacts that I am not able to write it all. As I take you through the Caribbean Islands come and go with me as I share with you what I have learned.

Consequences of learning about the International Early Childhood field:

·       They are bilingual and multilingual

·       They are not as advanced in technology

·       Education is a privilege not a right

My one goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends is that the United States should work towards setting themselves in alignment with other nationalities. While other countries are working hard teaching their children English we should be working harder to help our children become bi- and multilingual.

     San Juan Puerto Rico: Our tour guide stated that there are 50 schools located on the island. Once a child reaches 1^st grade they are no longer taught in their native language. Students are taught in English from 1^st grade to 6^th grade. All students are required to wear uniforms. In San Juan the U.S. government helps to pay for section 8, WIC, Food Stamps, Medicare, and Social Security. Private Child Care can cost as much as $400.00 per week. As I traveled through the island I noticed that family time appeared to be very important. One could see families just out flying kites, playing ball, running, talking and just have fun on Monday midday.

 The House of Orange School  

     St. Maarten has two sides Dutch and French. While on the island I visited the Dutch side. I think I was fascinated by this island because of their beliefs and teachings and their diversity. I had the opportunity to visit House of the Oranje School (Oranje is the Dutch word for orange). This school is 150 years old and too many may appear to be primitive. As I entered the school I was met by Ms. Donella office worker/educator. Although busy working she sat with me for almost 2 hours and shared her island with me.  Ms. Donella stated that daycare is not backed by the government and there are no educational requirements to open or direct a daycare. All childcare centers on the island are private owned. Present also was Mr. Anthony who stated they believe that the grandparents and the community help to raise the children if the parents have to work. For children kindergarten starts at 4 years old with the native language being Dutch but they are required to learn 4 languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, and French in that order. According to Ms. Donella the demographics have changed so much that there are over 101 different languages on this small island. Ms. Donella located a 2008 Foundation Based Education handbook written by the Island Government “The Department for Educational Research, Policy, and Innovations titled “Putting Children at the Center of Learning”. Looking through the book I began to see topics that had been discussed in my class at Walden University: Curriculum Approach, the Child-Centered Approach, the Value of Play-Cognitive Development, Social Development, Emotional Development, and Physical Development. Ms. Donella stated that someone came along talking about changing the way they should teach school. We don’t change we like the old way. With change come problems from the students, disrespect and aggressiveness. Students are not in control here. Hard work brings about results. 

St Thomas Virgin Islands: Ms. Detra elementary teacher for Faith Alive Christian Academy states that it is not all about me I have the knowledge and I impart it to the children but I allow them to experience and express themselves.  Most classes have 2 levels in one class. Everyone receives free lunch and all students wear uniforms. Spanish is a required language for Kindergarten – 8^th grade and then in High School the students are required to learn Spanish and French.

Ms. Wilma 28 year retired elementary teacher from Leonard Dober School and the mother of Detra states that today you do not get a chance to bond with the students. You have a lot more demands; you are required to do a lot more with a lot less time because we are focusing on testing and yearly progress instead of the students. This has made the students more aggressive and disrespectful towards teachers, parents, and adults. In the past you could raise your voice and ruler, you can’t do that anymore it is called abuse and threats. What has caused the most aggression is the children do not have any outlet, everything is held inside. Teachers are under contract to meet guidelines.

As I travel back to the United States I would like to say to all my classmates thank you for all the encouraging words posted on my discussion board you have been a great help to me and I thank you. I look forward to future classes and then graduation when we will all can come together to share our victory. Stay encouraged and thanks for sharing

Unfortunately I was not able to post the beautiful pictures taken at this time due to technology problems in the caribbeans.  

Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts

   

     This week I was able to learn a little more about my International Contact Ms. Vargas. She is an exchange teacher from Columbia South America. School is over so she will return back to her country .She received the opportunity to come to the United States to work in the public school system as a Spanish teacher.

 

     When discussing with Ms. Vargas regarding quality and early childhood professionals she stated that she would like to see all children attend school. Ms. Vargas stated that some parents keep their children home and do not send them to school. Ms. Vargas also stated that there are 40 students to a classroom; there is a great need for more school. According to Ms. Vargas there is not a shortage of teachers there is a shortage of schools. There is also a great need for technology in public schools

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     Ms. Vargas greatest opportunity was to come to the United States as an exchange teacher to teach Spanish.

     Ms. Vargas goals in life are to receive her Master’s Degree in Translation. She would like to be able to teach college level. Her hope is to return back home and be allowed the opportunity to go back and forth between her country and the United States. Ms. Vargas Dream is to be able to pay for education and continue to gain in the professional field. When asked what are her challenges Ms. Vargas stated that the language barrier has been her biggest challenge. There are times when she cannot understand the English language and there are times when people cannot understand what she is saying.

     Ms. Vargas stated that at first she just wanted to come to the United States and go home but now she is beginning to like it here and is having mixed feelings about staying and leaving.

    

Child Friendly Schools

It is good to know that there are organizations that accept nothing but the best when it comes to children. UNICEF under basic education and gender equality is located child-friendly schooling which is an approach that requires schools to operate in the best interest of the child. I found this article under UNICEF to contain information that adds to the understanding of equity and excellence in early childhood.

Markisz (2008) states that there is little point in providing the opportunity for a child to enroll in school if the quality of education is so poor that the child will not become literate or numerate, or will fail to acquire critical life skills.

According to UNICEF child friendly environments

·         Provide a safe environment

·         Assist families in their shortcoming

·         Respects different circumstances and background

·         Builds partnerships between schools and county

·         Helps to close the gap in basic education

·         Encourages government involvement

·         Integrates children with disability

UNICEF believes in working together to ensure that all children regardless of whether they attend schools in a building, in a tent or under a tree receive rights based quality education.

Connected to this article is the Big Picture which further explains that education is a human right that every boy and girls are entitled to. Through continued research I was able to locate an article on Equitable Access which addressed issues such as poverty, exposure to child labor, natural disasters, location, migration and displacement, disability ethnicity, gender, language of instruction, and religion.

Through continued research I was able to gain new insights and better understanding in regards to the importance of how large corporations such as UNICEF fight for the rights of children all over the world.

http://www.unicef.org/education/bege_61717.html

http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_pubs_dpd.html

New Ideas In Early Childhood Systems

     Science of Health and Development Activities stress the importance of healthy development through relationships, environment, and nutrition. Through new ideas policies and practice help to make an exciting future for children.   I found this information to be important to me because both of my international childcare professionals from Saint Thomas Virgin Island shared with me the importance of free meals to all the children that attend school. This statement shows how important they view good nutrition to all the children who attend school. I find it amazing that an island which is not as financially blessed as the United States but yet part of the United States is able to feed thousands of children free and we here in states are not able to do likewise.    

     Early Childhood Innovation Partnership (ECIP) is collaboration between four associations: National Governor’s Association for Best Practice, the True Point Center for Higher Ambition Leadership, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Center on the Developing Child. The main goal of this collaboration is to incorporate innovation into the early childhood field. In a joint effort ECIP encourages states to apply the most advance scientific knowledge into their programs.

     Dr. Gunther Fink Ph. D co principal investigator for Zambian Early Childhood Development launched an early childhood assessment of the children of Zambian. Prior to this assessment there was no evidence that any type assessments had been done? Approximately 1,686 children in 2012 were assessed and 1,250 children were assessed in 2011. Studies were done to determine the effect on early childhood development before and throughout their schooling career. Evidence showed that it was beneficial to do this assessment. Data collected will help improve the understanding of child development in this fast pace developing world.

     Science of Health and Development Activities stress the importance of healthy development through relationships, environment, and nutrition. Through new ideas policies and practice help to make an exciting future for children.       

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/frontiers_of_innovation/early_childhood_innovation_partnership/

Web Resources

Sharing Web Resources
UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_3951.html

Parenting Programs under UNICEF are relevant to my current professional development. UNICEF states in reference to parenting programs that all children have the need and the right to parenting. Parenting means providing continuous care and support so that a child may survive and thrive. Continuous care and support includes but is not limited to protection, nutrition, love, support group, good environment, opportunities to learn, a chance to develop, self-worth, cultural identity, and positive role models.

The article on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene was of interest to me. In the developing world 37% of the world’s population which is 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation facilities and 780 million people still use unsafe water and sanitation. In many of these areas girls are denied their right to education because their schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities and women spend their day fetching water.

UNICEF believes that without WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), development is impossible).

UNICEF’s work is centered around  Global Economic Crisis and Recovery, Child Poverty and Disparities, Social Budgeting and Public Finance, Migration and Social Protection.

UNICEF has a global commitment to make a difference in the lives of children with HIV/AIDS. The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS leaders met in 2001. Goals were set in place to fight the epidemic.

http://rosemary-daniels.blogspot.com

International Contacts

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

St. Thomas Virgin Island

It is good to have friends in distant places. I have a special friend named Sheila who attended college with me at Morgan State University in 1972. Because Sheila had to travel so far and because of finances she was only able to go home once a year and that was during the summer. I would invite Sheila to come home with me on holidays and weekends whenever I went home.

Sheila and I have had a long distance lasting friendship for 40 years and I consider her my best friend. Sheila graduated in the education field and is now retired from school. I contacted her about my class assignment and she directed me to two of her sorority sisters who are AKA. My first contact person is Lucinda who is a first grade to third grade teacher and Lucille who teaches kindergarten.

 Columbia, South America

My other international contact is Diana who is from Columbia South American. She has taught grades 1 – 3. Diana has shared with me that her country is very poor and that poverty is greater in Columbia South American than in the United States. Due to poverty there are diseases from people not eating right. Diana also stated that the children in her country have a snack period and one hour for lunch. There are no cafeterias the children eat on the play ground. Lunch is only provided from the school for children who are very poor and have no food for lunch. All other children are required to bring their lunch from home. In Columbia students are required to wear school uniforms, the girls are not allowed to wear pants they must wear skirts, and the boys wear dark pants and white shirts. If a child’s family cannot afford uniforms then other parents donate clothing to the needed children. Overall America is a blessed country, others can see that we are a blessed country, sometimes we can’t see how blessed we are because we are so busy looking at what we don’t have instead of being thankful for what we do have.   

 

UNICEF

UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html is the organization that I chose. I found this site to be user friendly and the statement that first appears “We are the leading advocate for children's rights, active in more than 190 countries and territories through country programs and national committees, states exactly what the site is about.

Since I have a special interest in Jamaica I chose to view one of their current issues. Jaevion Nelson, author of an editorial advocacy network on child rights in the Jamaica Observer is a member of the Jamaican Youth Network. In this article Nelson discusses that two decades ago (1989) world leaders made a historic agreement through the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) which acknowledges that government caregivers and state holders must respect, promote and fulfill the rights of all children within the society.