I am happy to announce that I have finally made contact with an Early Childhood professional located in Mexico.  Her name is Liliana Cosio Molina who specializes in special education.  I was able to find her on the International Society on Early Intervention web page (special thanks to MaryJo).  I have been in contact with her through email.  She has not been able to respond to my latest email about her thoughts and insights on poverty.  As soon as I receive her email and information I will update this post. 

In the mean time I have been listening to podcasts through World Forum Radio.  This week I have been listening to George Forman, PH.D.  Dr. Forman has over 33 years of experience in university teaching, cognitive research, multimedia design, and educational consulting in the area of early childhood learning and development.  He has written 7 books, 3 videotapes and many research articles on how children think and how teachers can help children reflect on their work through drawing, video feedback, and play with objects.  Past president of the Jean Piaget Society, invented The Gravity Wall for children's museums, founder of The School for Constructive Play, and Co-founder of Videatives, Inc. 

Dr. Forman's podcast, episode 8, was about how he became interested in children's thinking.  He mentions having an epiphany while watching a 2 year old walking with a log.  The 2 year old had stopped to see something and placed the log vertically.  When he let go he was surprised and amazed to see the log still standing and not on the floor where he thought it would end up.  Dr. Forman's interests are Piaget, Montessori, and play.  He talks about children learning better through acts and events as opposed to nouns.  Influenced by Reggio Emilia, he discusses teaching children to think about thinking and solving problems at a higher level. 
The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center (CHIP) web page gave me some new insights to childhood in other parts of the world.  The research is intended to be a resource for policy-makers, practitioners, and activists who are concerned about childhood poverty.  They highlight important elements of policy change for children in poverty and ways to reach it.  In order to achieve change in childhood poverty you must have:
• positive action at different levels
• positive change in a range of policy areas
• attention to policy implementation as well as content
• effectively using research findings
• targeting key fora and institutions/departments who make and influence policy

I then read a case study on children in rural eastern Mongolia who talk about their lives.  The CHIP Mongolia Team talked to a group of out-of-school children to find out more about their lives and their views.  The group was made of 5 boys and 4 girls between the ages 11 and 15 years.  The majority had now started school recently, either having dropped out previously or never having attended school to start with.  As I read about the children's daily activities it became clear that carrying out their household responsibilities was an important part of their routine. All the children in the group fetch water and firewood and collect dung for fuel.  This is a part of their daily routine and it is very time consuming.  At harvest time, they all collect berries to eat at home with their families.  These children are serving their families as mini adults with household chores and income-generating activities such as collecting aluminium waste for selling, and during harvest time the older boys collect berries for adults who take them to sell.  These children don't have the time nor do their parents have the means for their education.  So sad to read about these children and the trials they face on a daily basis.  They would love to be in school and learn but they are forced to help their families with earning income.  This situation takes place all over the world and needs to be changed.  I do understand that these children are in need of helping their families but they are in dire need of education so that they may break the poverty cycle. 

Resources:
http://depts.washington.edu/isei/
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/
http://childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=casestudy&id=201

Expanding Resources

As I searched through the list of websites I carefully looked at each ones mission statement and how they affect children's lives.  I first started looking through the resources for the United States and was very interested in a couple.  The more I thought about the possible issues we may face the same thought kept running through my head.  This is for ALL children, not just a specific region, so I expanded my search and have selected Save the Children and NAEYC.

Save the Children has helped with over 120 nations.  This organization is the world's leading independent organization for children. Their vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Their mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.  Some of the programs they offer are Child Protection, Child Survival, Education, Health and Nutrition, HIV and AIDS, Hunger and Livelihoods, and Emergency Response.  This organization has an electronic newsletter and I have subscribed to it. 

NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1).   NAEYC expresses its mission in terms of three broad goals.  These goals are to improving professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education, support early childhood programs by working to achieve a high-quality system of early childhood education, and to building high-performing, inclusive organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.

Save the Children's website is focused on saving children around the world.  I found a program designed especially for the United States under the take action tab.  Save the Children is joining forces with the Children’s Health Fund, Every Child Matters, First Focus, Harlem Children’s Zone and Share Our Strength to call on President Obama and Congress to establish a new National Commission on Children to ensure the safety and well-being of every child.  Our children need YOU and together, we can protect them today and give them hope for tomorrow. They have a petition you can electronically sign to take part in this program.  The time to take action is NOW and then share it with your friends!  Lets advocate for our children.

Establishing Professional Contacts

Returning to work and school has proven to be difficult coming from a two week holiday.  I have been spending quality time with my family, relaxing, and enjoying each day with all its activities.  Getting back to the routine was a little harder than usual.  I definitely enjoyed every moment at home with my family. 

This weeks assignment was to contact two early childhood professionals outside the United States.  My goal over the next few weeks is to grow in my understanding of their perspectives on issues and trends explore in my course.  I immediately started my search for these professionals that I will learn from and in turn will share information with my colleagues.  I have emailed and emailed 15 different early childhood professionals with no end result.  No responses, delivery failures, and returned emails have saddened and have stressed me out.  Since I was unable to establish contact with international early childhood professionals I had no choice but to move on with the alternative part to this assignment. 

World Forum is a foundation which promotes an on-going global exchange of ideas of quality services for young children in diverse settings.  I listened to several podcasts and have emailed two professionals.  I hope  to hear from them soon.