As you know from previous
courses in the Masters in Early Childhood Studies program, innovative research
in the field is happening not only in the United States but all over the world.
This Blog Assignment affords you the opportunity to read and think about international early childhood research.
Website chosen is Early
Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Developed and maintained by the
University of Victoria, Canada, this virtual university is the international
gateway for early childhood research worldwide found at: http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
Having visited 5 countries in
Africa, I was intrigued to learn a bit more about this organization.
·
What are some of the current international research topics?
Chalamanda (2004) pinpointed 12
thematic areas using the Human Rights Approach to assist in developing a better
framework for Early Childhood Development in regards to Orphans and Vulnerable
children in association with their National Action Plan (in Malawi):
1. Integrated Early Childhood
Development
2. Health
3. Basic Education
4. Child Protection
5. Nutrition and Food Security
6. Water and Environmental
Sanitation
7. Gender and Child Care
8. Social Welfare
9. HIV/AIDS
10. Mass Media and Child
Participation
11. Leisure and Entertainment
12. Youth and Child Development
Other topics noted within the
sites "Country Team Updates" (2002), yes dated but best information I
could find for a bigger scene are:
1.
Effects of environmental
factors on child development
2.
In-service training of Primary
Teachers for lower grades
3.
to spawning community initiated
ECCD in neighboring villages, by chiefs who caught a vision
4.
Strengthening of Growth
Monitoring through ECD centers but the set machinery collapsed because the caregivers lost interest
in the job due to the following reasons:
a.
Non payment of caregivers
salary
b.
Non participation of parents
·
What surprising
facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this
international early childhood website?
Our nation experiences these
same struggles. While similar poverty
levels exist so greatly within our country, many organizations focus their
attention on assisting those within more poverty stricken countries. The networking within the different countries
and states from this organization seems well run back when it first began, yet
current documents are not present. There
were a total of 16 documents from 2003 to current. None the less, the topics that were being
discussed as concerns are similar to our concerns here in the States.
·
What other noteworthy
information did you find on this website?
As mentioned before,
something noteworthy that I noticed when viewing this website was the agreement
that our country struggles with the same areas that this continent does. Being able to use international contacts and
resources to assist in adjusting our curriculum and help make changes within
our quality programs is a huge advantage that not many people are taking
advantage of. I travel the world during
my summers helping other countries better their early childhood educational programs,
helping parents understand and learn new strategies within their homes, and
helping organizations run more smoothly to meet their goals. I'm sure many people have experienced this
realization, but when we each are able to step down from the pedestal that we
may be on and understand that there is so much to be gained when helping then
our lives are bettered as well. They
become better not because of the good works being done, but instead bettered by
realizing in any situation there are life lessons to be learned.
Chalamanda, Francis R.W. (2004).
Coordinating The Development and Implementation of the 2003 - 2013
National Action Plan (NAP) for Children in Malawi. Retrieved 5 April 2014. Website: http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Chalamanda%20-%20MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf
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