Through these two contacts, I have learned that:
1. In both N. Ireland and Singapore, in the schools that my two contacts teach at, most students are not considered socially disadvantage with less than 20% receiving free and reduced lunch. In Indiana alone, 40% of students receive free and reduced lunches.
2. Families, children, and educators face many of the same challenges related to equity as we do in the US. These include location, socioeconomic status, and race.
3. A hot topic in N. Ireland right now is the qualifications of a "high-quality" educator. They are currently in discussions in North Ireland about whether the 3-4 year old teachers should be degree holders. This is currently a hot topic here in the US.
Learning about these has broadened my knowledge about education in areas other than our country. It has made me realize that countries that are very different in culture, geographical setting, language, etc., can be facing very similar challenges. This has made me realize that we have a long way to go in the US in terms of our early childhood program. During my conversations with my two contacts, I realized that their programs were far more developed than I had assumed prior to the course.
My goal is to continue connections with these two contacts. I also plan to make new connections through my recent joining of an early childhood group. This group is on Facebook, and contains members from all over the world who come together to share ideas and discuss topics.
I have learned so much these past eight weeks from reading your blog! You have inspired me to connect with others on Facebook to talk about the early childhood field. I hope that one day, our early childhood programs, are given the chance to even compare to other programs in other countries.
ReplyDeleteKristen
ReplyDeletethanks for your blog, it was good to hear what educators around the world are doing and facing. I learned through your blog we often struggle with the same issues such as quality of teachers.
I find it so interesting that other countries have the same issues as we do and that you were able to collaborate with them. I hope to see you in my future classes.
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