As mentioned my international contacts that I have established are Jenny Eljas from Sweden and Andrea Paulula in Mexico. This week, our assignment consisted of asking these international EC professionals a variety of questions. Here are their responses.
Jenny
- What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?
Jenny responded that one of the biggest quality related issues that are being discussed right now where she lives is gender equality. Until recently, it was believed that male students had access to and were treated differently in early childhood environments, all educational environments, and in the job market. It is a priority of the Swedish government, EC professionals, and Jenny to ensure that female students receive the same quality of education that their male counterparts receive. Another quality issues is funding for EC in Sweden. Although EC programs are available for most young children in Sweden, they still struggle to provide access to all children within the country. At times, EC professionals believe that they are also limited to funds which can impact the quality of education.
- What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?
There are many opportunities for professional development in Sweden. Almost all early childhood professionals have access to pre-service educational and vocational training when working with children. Additionally, all educators have access to ongoing in-service training in the form of educational and vocational training.
- What are some of your professional goals?
Some of Jenny’s professional goals include treating all of her children like her own, providing the best quality of service to all of her students, and continuing to learn and grow in an educational and vocational manner.
- What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?
Some of Jenny’s professional goals and dreams include having her students succeed academically throughout their life, to establish solid relationships with children and parents, and to provide her services to all of the young children that live in Sweden. The biggest challenge faced by Jenny is becoming too emotionally attached to the children that does not allow her to be unbiased or objective in her services. Working with limited resources can also be a challenge at time. However, Jenny insists creativity is the key to overcoming this challenge.
Andrea
- What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?
According to Andrea, there are many issues that she has encountered in Mexico regarding quality in the early childhood. One of the biggest challenges that she faces is a lack of funding by the governments. Because funding is limited, EC professions including Andrea does believe that it compromises the quality of services that they provide. Additionally the amount of poverty in her city in Mexico and access to early childhood services other issues commonly experienced.
- What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?
Andrea insists that not many opportunities or requirements exist for professional development. Many of those working in early childhood are not even required to have a formal education. For the most part, EC childhood educators in Mexico are responsible for establishing their own standard and developing on a personal and professional level.
- What are some of your professional goals?
According to Andrea, some of her professional goals consist of obtaining a formal education for EC, developing skills that will help improve the quality of education she is providing to the children, and to remain passionate about her profession.
- What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?
Some of Andrea’s professional hopes and dreams include receiving adequate funding for EC programs in Mexico, becoming more educated and skilled in her work, and having the government realize the importance of EC education. As mentioned, Andrea constantly experiences challenges caring for student stricken by poverty, funding the financial and non-financial resources to provide her services, and getting the community involved in the EC process.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog this week! That is good your professional partners stuck with you throughout the class. My partner started out great and then I think the time difference was to much to keep up with. I was able to identify with the things Andrea mention in her conversation. My blog this week also talked about girls not being educated in 3rd world countries. Money and funding children must really be a big issue across the world. I was glad to hear that Andrea is able to receive professional development classes that will continue to ensure her students the best education possible. After reading the information this weekend it shows me that even with all our troubles here in the United States we are still a country that has continued to support children in their the quest of receiving an education. It is seems like to me all that we have read these past weeks is how other countries across the world want education for children. But, seem to constantly playing catch-up to provide children with a education.
Hi Audrey. Thank you for your comments and insights. I was very lucky that mine stuck it out. I think it was because my contacts with either relatives or close friends to some of my good international facebook friends. I think they felt obligated ;0). The hardest part of making contact was with Jenny even though she came through in the end. Sweden is six hours ahead and Jenny works full time and has to children of her own. Andrea's limited English and my limited Spanish also made our conversations interesting. Non-the-less, I learned so much from them.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting to learn this information from your international partners. I was curious about Jenny's information about the many opportunities for professional development in Sweden...did she mention about the costs of this for teachers?