Final Blog Assignment

I was really excited to learn about the international early childhood field. With that being said, the consequences of learning about the international early childhood field that could and may affect my personal and professional development is that for one, international early childhood field needs more awareness and attention than the US early childhood field. The issues are more sensitive internationally, and more emphasis needs to be made on the trends and issues that are going on internationally. Secondly, with the scope of the US and international issues and trends in early childhood education, the scope is much bigger than anticipated, and more people need to be involved to advocate the needs for children and their families. Lastly, it makes me appreciate my own educational experiences, which is a positive, but as a consequence, I may not truly be able to understand the strife on children and families going through the struggle, both In the US and internationally. Even though I have been a witness to the issues and trends presented in the course, I have not personally gone through it, so it makes me feel somewhat inadequate to make pure assumptions or opinions. When I looked into poverty this week, I have had family members in my extended family, as well as close friends go through the struggle of poverty, and not being able to afford the quality education for their children, and I empathize as well as sympathize and can understand it from a research and an associative view, but not to the point where I can understand it as an individual that has gone through it. Personal assumptions and biases can be a consequence in my personal development, but I can change that.

One main goal for the field in relation to international awareness of the issues and trends is to make sure to I volunteer in a country where I can help, and then bring back what I have experienced, witnessed, and learned to others in the field, and try to make sure I present the information in a way that brings awareness, humbles me even more, as well as touch one EC professional. I also want to bring the awareness to my classroom, and incorporate what I have learned to show the children what a gift education is.