It's a Small World After All

While I have to admit that I have not had much luck in conversing with people from the websites I have chosen, I did explore the Global Children's Initiative site and found that they are working on three main activities in their advocacy efforts for ECE.

The first project includes working with high level leaders across the globe to share research in an effort to educate policy makers on the true science of child development. Just the ability to communicate with other countries and stand unified in a cause is amazing to me.

The second project includes linking the health and well being of children to the positive outcomes. As I have learned throughout this coursework, stressors have a tremendous effect on learning. For example, linking cases of Malaria and it's effects on overall development in children in Zambia or the effects of war on children in Sierra Leone.

I feel that I have always supported the concept of providing a secure environment for the children in my care. Often times, I have still observed that some children need additional support services through our Mental Health specialists in our region. The need for these services reaches across our oceans and into other countries. Something that made my awareness increase was the funding provided to support children with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. Based on our discussion boards recently, we've been so wrapped up on standards and curriculum, that we may have lost sight that other children need services to survive first rather than preparing them for Kindergarten. If we can't meet their primary needs, how will we ever meet their secondary ones?

I believe that each person looks at what excellence is as something completely different. After reviewing the Global site, I believe in the 3rd world countries, the ability to survive into adulthood would be considered excellence, while in the more industrialized nations, the ability to obtain a college degree with the foundation set in ECE would constitute excellence. I reviewed The Australian Early Childhood Network page and found multiple posts on what professionalism means to the member. Things like completing reflections or just having a mind set that no matter what is thrown at you, you are a professional.