International Early Childhood Field For My Professional And Personal Development.

Learning about the international early childhood field for my professional and personal development was truly wonderful. This gave me the opportunity to contribute my voice on an international level regarding early childhood education. The topics discussed were quality child care, diversity, teacher qualifications, multicultural issues, children’s learning and sustainable development, recent issues in early childhood education and care and questions relating to their curriculum questions.

The first consequence was that I was able to gain new information, knowledge and develop a partnership. As a professional in the field of early childhood education we need to be connected with those on a national and international level if we want to promote healthy development for all children and families.  Learning about the international early childhood field not only expanded my knowledge on global issues that affect children and their families, but gave me new resources to draw upon.

The second consequence was that it gave me the opportunity to learn about the issues, trends, and challenges related to early childhood professionals in other countries are facing. Many of these countries still have a great deal of problems with regard to early childhood programs. Some of these countries are in what I call the developmental stage where as some countries had no idea of the importance of early childhood education. If they have some knowledge then it benefits those who are wealthy. The poor lay by the wayside.

The third consequence was being able to develop an awareness of the international early childhood community and the resources others use. Because of the issues and trends related to poverty and malnutrition many parents do not have the education they need. As a result they are not in a position to impact their child’s ability to learn. Parents need to be educated, and made aware of the resources that are available to them.

As a result, I have not gained new resources, but I have awareness for the international early childhood community and international organizations that promote the well-being of children and families worldwide. We can learn so much from others if we keep an open mind, and knowing that I can communicate with someone from another country or read about an initiative in another region is truly a wonderful experience. I now have a sense of how strong the early childhood community is and I have gained more confidence from discussing early childhood issues and trends with a professionals outside the United States.

I am very surprised at how many international organizations for the field of early childhood there are and my awareness of this field at an international level has increased. There is a large community of professionals out there with great ideas, opinions, advice, and perspectives that they are willing to share! We just have to reach out to them.

The one goal for the early childhood field in relation to international awareness of issues and trends should be to collaborate more with others and to share the resources we have with other countries. In addition we can assist them in providing workshops and helping them to create newsletters as it relates to the issues and trends of early childhood education. If we are going to promote healthy development of children and families then we need to provide and share whatever resources we have at our disposal. Developing a partnership and networking is the key. As an educator in the field of early childhood education I intend to continuously network and share my knowledge with others in the field no matter how far. Just like we need support they need the support as well. We as educators have to work to make that happen.

As my colleagues continue their professional path I wish all of you lot of success. I hope that we can also continue to network with one another and assist those in the field of early childhood education with the issues and trends that still exist.