Sharing Web Resources Week 4

As I have explored the website Zero to Three further, I have found many podcasts that share a great deal of information about children and how to take further action in policies.  There are several links in which one can access to take action on behalf of children.  There are alerts that you can register to and keep up to date on changing policies as well as link in order to contact my local electives to advocate for the importance of children’s early education.

Through the links, I was able to send an email to my local affiliates in order to advocate for early childhood and the importance of new funding.  I have always desired to take the opportunity to be more involved in community awareness and advocacy, but wasn’t sure where to begin.  I felt a sense of gratefulness that I took a step forward to help children.

I could not find any direct information in regards to economists, neuroscientists, or politicians on the website.  There were however, indirect citations in regards to policies and how it relates to children.

Zero to Three has given me greater insight to health and development as well as maltreatment of children.  The maltreatment link gave alarming statistics.  Infants and toddlers are disproportionately at risk for maltreatment. They account for over three-quarters of child maltreatment fatalities (http://www.zerotothree.org/maltreatment/child-abuse-neglect/child-abuse-and-neglect.html).  Children deserve a better life than what some are experiencing.  It is important that website like Zero to Three be shared with other to continue the education of adults. 

Reference:

http://www.zerotothree.org/

International Contacts - Part 1

I was fortunate enough to make contact with a professional in Moyobamba, Peru.  His name is Odaer Aflatoun.  I have found our conversations to be very interesting since he does not speak English and I have had to rely on Google for translation.  Not everything he has written has translated perfectly to English.  

I recently asked Odaer how poverty is effecting the education of children in Peru. Odaer (personal communication, May 10, 2012) stated that the conditions of poverty are greatly effecting quality education.  Some children are not able to access quality education due to lack of state funds.  Classroom materials are insufficient and schooling is only available in urban areas.  This means that if children want to attend school, some are walking one to two hours just to get there.  From Odaer’s perspective, little is being done to help change the poverty issues in Peru, but he is an advocate supporting many organizations in their efforts. 

Through my conversations with Odaer Aflatoun, I have better insight about how poverty is effecting children outside of the United States.  It is sad to me that some children do not have school readily available for them.  This is a concern for the future of these children and their families.  Odaer referenced a couple websites that he uses for resources on poverty that I explored for further information about Peru as well as other countries.

www.worldvision.org 

and

www.care.org

  

Sharing Web Resources

One of the professional website that I chose to follow and subscribe to their monthly newsletter is ZERO TO THREE, www.zerotothree.org.  ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.  Their mission is to promote the health and development of infant and toddlers.  The tools provided on the website derive from research and is presented in many formats for adults working with young children.  The website contains materials that promote the understanding of key issues affecting young children and their families, including mental health, language development, early interventions, and the impact of culture of early development.  

I found many resources within ZERO TO THREE's website that linked a child’s diverse culture into learning and development.  The newest resource for parents is the e-newsletter.  It offers science-based information on how children learn and grow each month from birth to age 3. The monthly e-newsletters include:

-Age-based information about child development

-In-depth articles on common child-rearing issues and challenges

-Parent-child play activities that promote bonding and learning

-Frequently asked questions

-Research on child development and what it means for parents

Another resource included on this website is podcasts.  I listened to a couple of them in regards to this week’s topic of diversity and found the information helpful in understanding the upcoming demographic changes.  There were multiple resources available on this website alone, that I spent hours just perusing many articles.

Global Contacts

I have taken several steps in order to obtain professional contacts outside the United States.  I used the resources given through the course as well as a few of my own personal leads.  I have attempted to make contact through two community college representatives, a cousin who lived in Germany for ten years is getting my a couple phones numbers, and I have also emailed some contacts through searching Google.  None of my attempts have paid off yet, but I am hopeful that in the upcoming week I will establish communication.

The early childhood website I decided to study is Zero to Three, http://www.zerotothree.org/ .  I particularly liked this website due to the various topics the website addresses.  Zero to Three mission is to inform, train, and support professionals, policymakers, and parents to improve the lives and promoting the health and development of infant and toddlers