Web Resources Pt.2

The National Association for Bilingual Education has information regarding improving the productive use of existing resources. As school districts and states have increasingly struggled with outdated accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, President Obama announced in 2011 that with ESEA flexibility innovations quality of instruction and student academic achievement would increase and improve (NABE, 2013). As I work towards becoming a teacher making significant changes in early childhood, I find that resources, such as from NABE, help provide me with ideas and information for how to use existing resources when provided with situations where there may be a lack of resources available. 

An interesting piece of information regarding initiatives included the priorities of improving affordability and quality in post-secondary education, elevating teaching profession to the same high status it has in nations with highest-performing education systems and strengthening the connections between school and work and better aligning job training programs with workforce demands (NABE, 2013). These priorities make me consider the relation of education between different countries and what the benchmarks should be. 

NABE helps outline the reasons for why economists support the early childhood field. It supports the funding for individuals with disabilities with the research that state and local activities help Americans navigate through changing job markets and overcome career challenges created by global competition and economic recession.

Resources:

National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). (2013). Fiscal year 2013 budget summary and background information. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget13/summary/13summary.pdf

International Contacts: Introductions

May-Ie Tan was my first kindergarten teacher when I was 3 and a half years old living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Realizing that Ms. Tan is still a teacher at the same school, it was a real pleasure getting in touch with her. We began talking about how our lives and catching up. As I don't remember much of my time in her classroom, she told me about the things we did and how the school has changed. Ms. Tan is an American Chinese who married a Malaysian Chinese, which is the reason she moved to Malaysia 20 odd years ago. She mentioned that she adapted to the environment quickly and found teaching in an international school rewarding and enlightening. This week I brought up the topic of poverty and inquired about how she views the impact of poverty in Malaysia on education, whether it be at her particular school or others. She mentioned that in many of the rural areas and slums of Malaysia, it is difficult for children to have access to a proper education because of their limited resources. Crimes in the city often arise from poverty, which have lead to many kidnappings of children outside school gates. It is a problem that is difficult to eradicate but there are organizations that aim to limit the poverty and crime. At this moment, with the typhoon disaster in the Philippines, many efforts are targeted towards helping them.

Carmel O'Brien is a first grade teacher in an international school in Singapore. She is originally from Australia and moved to Singapore a few years ago. With Singapore being such a diverse country with many expatriates and nationalities living together, the large city was not much different to Melbourne. However, moving to a different country is an endeavour that can be daunting and it does take a while to adjust to the new environment, especially to the humidity in Singapore. There is not much visible poverty in Singapore but one will see a beggar here or there, yet it hardly seems that any children are affected. Even with lower income families, the adults ensure that they work overtime or take on more in order to provide their children with the best education possible.

I look forward to learning more from Ms. Tan and Ms. O'Brien and am grateful for being able to be in contact with people from various parts of the world, giving me new insights to education and day-to-day life in different places.

Web Resources Pt.1

The National Association for Bilingual Education (http://www.nabe.org/) addresses research with regards to diversity in education and maintains the mission statement of advocating to the nation's bilingual and English language learners to "cultivate a multilingual multicultural society by supporting and promoting policy, programs, pedagogy, research, and professional development that yield academic success, value native language, lead to English proficiency, and respect cultural and linguistic diversity.

A specific article addresses the fact that "recent vote in Arizona underscores that many people don't appreciate the importance of bilingual education." It continues on to suggest that supporters to bilingual education should improve on explaining to the public that quality bilingual programs are one of the ideal ways for students to lean and succeed academically in English.

The available resources on the NABE website specifically relate to the topic of changing demographics and increasing diversity as it emphasizes the importance of maintaining native languages when learning English within USA. We should advocate bilingual programs and make sure that the have the teachers, resources, and leadership to succeed.

Resources:

National Association for Bilingual Education. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.nabe.org/

Professional Contacts

Both my mother and my stepfather are educators. This has made it easier to contact other early childhood professionals outside of USA. I have contacted a Grade 1 teacher at an international school in Singapore where my parents work. Additionally, I have tried to establish contact with a Kindergarten teacher in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She was my Kindergarten teacher and still works at the same school. Her email was accessible via the school's website and I was able to easily reach out to her. She has already replied back to me and I am sure that she will be a great asset for me and it will also be interesting to learn how education has changed since when she taught me. As I have personal affiliations to both schools, it was a natural choice for me to reach out to teachers in those particular schools. For this particular project, I would recommend that one firstly defines the school system to look at, for example the International Baccalaureate. Then it would be advantageous to search for international schools that use that curriculum, narrow down the specific school that one is interested in (Elementary School or Kindergarten) and proceed to search for the staff list for that particular grade level (should be available on the website). It is key to contact as many teachers as possible if one does not have a personal connection to them in order to have a greater possibility of getting a positive response. Hopefully, many will extend a professional courtesy of answering any questions that one may have.

A Child's Potential

"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."
- Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori's statement is simple and effective. A child's development is subjected to many various factors and his/her potential can be boundless. Children are able to develop at rapid speeds and act like sponges that soak up knowledge and experiences. This quote also ties in with how opportunity is a key factor in child development as potential can only be extended if the situation allows for it and many children are unfortunately unable to be exposed to such opportunities.

Assessments for Children

To assess a child holistically, one should consider the child's relationship to the world around them. The way that children interact with others, use their knowledge in different circumstances, and challenge themselves in new environments demonstrate a sense of self and can determine a child's knowledge of empathy and being a part of a community. Making holistic portfolios, providing book reports, and giving children progress cards can help a child learn about their strengths, weakness, and steps to improve their learning. These tools will also help parents understand how to help support their child's learning and growth, which can be further established through parent-teacher conferences. As children become older, regular topical tests, short writing, reading and performance tasks can be used to provide children with more opportunities to experience success and increase their desire to learn.

Singapore's education system has a bilingual policy aim to equip children with the language competencies to incorporate Asian culture into learning and develop a global outlook. This provides children with a competitive edge and allow them to appreciate culture and heritage as well as respect people from different backgrounds. Children are allowed to explore their interests and goals by developing talents in music, arts and sports. Enrichment programs help hone children's leadership skills and help develop socio-emotional competencies. These programs, however, are set apart from school life and are usually used as creative outlets for after-school activities. In Singapore, children are graded starting at the age of 6 and are able to learn a second language at the age of 8 (if able to). Without a second language, older students may not attend certain junior colleges. In grade 6, the grades from their Primary School Leaving Exams will determine the schools that students go to (elite vs non-elite schools). Because children are graded and streamed at such a young age, a large percentage of Singapore' population are not given opportunity as certain children take longer to learn certain skills. Singapore's educational system favours those with "book-smarts" and does not cater to the holistic idea of incorporating emotional, interpersonal, and artistic intelligence. The emphasis on meritocracy alone provides no equity among children.

Authentic assessments consider particular situations surrounding an evaluation of individual children, which can include different issues from the settings and the appropriateness of the assessment instrument used. Performance-based assessment focuses on daily activities and skills where keen observation and anecdotal notes are important. It is important, at a certain stage, for a child's family to be involved in the assessment of a child through, for example, parent reports and observations.

Violence in the home

Domestic violence can involve physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional abuse. Emotional and behavioral problems may occur in the short term as well the long term. In the short term them may experience regression to earlier development stages, anxiety, aggression, or speech difficulties brought on by stress, amongst other difficulties (Domestic violence and children, n.d.). A close friend of mine grew up in a home where her father would physically and verbally abuse her mother. She was exposed to this ongoing behaviour throughout her entire childhood and early adulthood. As she grew older, her mother was exposed to verbal abuse without the physical aspect. As a child, my friend remembered being reserved, uncomfortable in different situations, and depressed (even at a young age). The impact it made on her as a toddler caused her to have problems with self-esteem, which caused her to experiment with harmful drugs as well as self-abuse. Throughout her life, teachers noticed her difficulties and would initially bring it up with her parents. However, as the problems were occurring in the home, not much was done. Unfortunately, my friend was unable to receive the proper care, such as therapy or other active outlets. Despite her situation, she is doing well working towards a masters degree and continues to strive. She lives with her mother, who has recently separated from her father. However, these detrimental issues that she faced as a child has contributed to her dysfunctional relationships as she has experienced physical abuse in her relationships as well.

Regarding violence, civil unrest occurs often in Thailand due to different political views. Ethnic division has caused violent movements against the Thai movement in the past and the failure in negotiations have leaf to a greater "monopoly of power of the government, controlling all ministries, the police, and military" (Militante, n.d.). Civil unrest can cause harm to a young child's development. Diseases and children that are caught in a cross fire of fighting that are caused by armed conflict will physically be harmed. Civil unrest can also lead to disrupted health services and limited food supplies. Cognitive development can also be stunted with psychosocial concerns as they witness their caregivers and/or family in vulnerable situations (Impact of armed conflict on children, n.d.). Talks and negotiations are made regularly to control the unrest and try to ensure that problems are being confronted. However, I would like to understand more about these situations in Thailand to comprehend the specific details of how issues are being dealt with and how children are currently being affected with the more calmer situation.

References:
Domestic violence and children. (n.d.). Better Health Channel. Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/domestic_violence_and_children

Impact of armed conflict on children. (n.d.). United Nations Organization. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/rights/impact.htm

Militante, C. (n.d.). Thai intellectuals grapple with issues of democracy and civil unrest. Focus on the Global South. Retrieved from http://focusweb.org/content/thai-intellectuals-grapple-issues-democracy-and-civil-unrest