Final Blog Educ 6162

Teachers here in the United States are not the only educators that are facing unrealistic measures enforced by the school systems.  What I found interesting is the American School in Riyah is NAEYC accredited and its a school ran by the US.







Mar and I have built an on-going relationship.  We are friends on facebook and have learned much more about one another that our connection through early childhood development.    I don't consider this a consequence but a blessing to learn more about another countries systems and to build a friendship.






Mar stated this statement is what she instills in the children in her classroom.  She has worked and lived in a country that deals with poverty.  She loves and works diligently for the children.





My goal is to continue discussions in regards to early childhood development.  I want to share the knowledge that I have acquired during my career and education.  Play is taken out the classrooms at the American School.  I was to encourage Mar to include play whenever she has the opportunity with her students.

Getting to know International Contacts Part 3

Conversation with Mar......

There are so many issues about quality education in our country or even other countries in Asia like we lack facilities the educators need to use to give good quality education. The teachers needs to have salary fitted as professionals so can focus to their lessons and not to other things like looking for an extra work outside the school.

Educators/teachers are advised to go schooling and seminars to enhance their skills and knowledge so that they can give good quality education.

As teacher in pre-school my goal is to instill to my pupils the best possible knowledge no one can steal from them for the rest of their lives. Pre-school is the foundation every knowledge a child can have. If you start the right way will carry that in the future.

I have dreams and hope for the better education in our Country and that someday we will meet good quality education for every Filipino.

Marenal Liva, Personal Communication, 2014.

Education near and far teachers alike share many frustrations.  We are being faced with standards in which we are required to teach our children but not always equipped to provide such standards.  Salaries are not adequate to pay teachers for the most important role that they have in a child's life.  I love Mar's statement that knowledge is not something that anyone can ever steal from you.  Very powerful statement!  Teachers with passion also want every child not just the ones in their community to have quality education.  I will also question why doesn't every child deserve a quality education.

Thank you Mar for being an inspiration for all the children's live you touch and for having a vision for every child in your country.  Thank you also for sharing your knowledge and education experience with me!

Sharing Web Resources

On the Zero to Three website there is a link that is title What’s New.  It was providing information at the White House Summit.  I found it interesting because the assignment this week was writing a letter to the White House Council on the importance of funding early childhood education. The graphic was titled Juggling Jobs and Babies-the Challenges of Working Families.  It was providing statistical information about how working families are still having difficulty providing basic needs to their families and often times face many adversities.  “Many factors contribute to these difficulties, but there are things we can do—ensuring families have access to paid family and medical leave as well as affordable, high-quality child care” (Zero to Three, para.1, 2014).  I found the information truly disheartening that 62% of woman have to go back to work within the babies first year.  I am sure the number of woman within the first 12 weeks is even higher although the statistics was not provided.  I know because I was a mother that went back at 7 weeks and my role was directing programs to support other children and families yet was not financially able to stay home and take care  of my infant. 

There is not a summary on what the White House Summit will do with the provided information.  It would have been more informative to detail what was going to be done to support woman, children and families. 

Zero to Three. (2014).  Juggling Jobs and Babies-the Challenges of Working Families.  Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/working-families-infographic.htm

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Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 2

This past week I was only able to have a very brief yet informative conversation with Mar on Facebook messenger.  I informed her I had sent her an email earlier in the week and she apologized that she had been unable to respond. Mar stated they she has been busy since last Sunday because they have conducting examinations called Long Test at her school.  They give the Long Test at the end of the month every month.  I was very surprised when I asked even in her class for 4-5 year olds?  Now I realized that the standards that the US is attempting to move to other countries have been doing to their children as well to advance their academic skills. Early learning standards are really taking a vast amount of time and energy. “This is because most public systems are pairing their early learning standards with an accountability system that includes sanctions when children do not get to their destination by the end of a particular leg of the journey.  The pressure to get there is palpable” (Graue, 2008).  There are 4 subjects the children are tested on.  They have 3 long examinations for them as well each month.  I explained that early childhood professionals tend to be against standardized testing for our children at such a young age.  We feel it causes stress and takes away from a holistic child-centered curriculum.  Play is being taken out of the curriculum because of the stress of introducing academics.  Mar stated “in our curriculum, actually we don’t have play time every day.  Only during physical education class they can play.  Our kids are used to this type of curriculum” (Mar Live, Personal Communication, 2014).  “The curriculum is modeled on the AERO standards and a variety of US national and state standards in all subjects” (US Department of State, 2012, para. 2). When viewing the website for the school I learned that the school that Mar teaches at uses US standards yet there is a focus on the “Saudi Arabian culture, Arab culture and Arabic language” (US Department of State, 2012, para. 2). 

I found this statement interesting based on the differences that Mar has stated about what her classroom focuses on.  She teaches what I believe in kindergarten.  This is for the 3 year old classroom. “The program is play-based with lots of opportunities for children to interact with other children their age. The rooms are chock full of developmentally and educationally appropriate toys such as puzzles, puppets and building toys. Pre-K is a half day program. Our program is based on current research and best practices established by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Our program is designed to foster the individual and developmental needs of each child, paying attention to social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs and appreciating the unique experiences that each child brings from his or her home culture. Because children develop and different rates and learn in different ways, we provide a child-centered program that is developmentally appropriate” (The American School International School-Riyadh, nd, para. 1-2).  Although NAEYC accredited it is my assumption based on my conversation with Mar it is much more rigorous and academic focus.  It would have to be to prepare children for their transition to kindergarten and the academic testing that is conducted each month.  She stated the children are used to the curriculum.

Graue, E. (2008). Teaching and learning in a post-DAP world. Early Education & Development, 19(3), 441–447. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

US Department of State. (2012).  Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: American International School – Riyadh, Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/1517.htm       

        

The American International School Riyadh. (nd.).  Pre-Kindergarten.  Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.aisr.org/es1/pre-k