Time Well Spent

During my time in the Early Childhood Studies program, I have learned so much thanks to my colleagues and instructors.  One of the most important learnings I have taken away from the program is the need to be an advocate for children.  Until I became involved with this program, I did not understand the magnitude of issues and challenges that children are experiencing around the world.  In one class, I remember reading about children from Myanmar who were child soldiers.  Much of the information I learned about the injustices regarding children were absolutely shocking and definitely made me understand the significance of advocating for children’s rights.  Another learning that has stuck with me is the importance of play based curriculum in our children’s classrooms.  I was researching the pre-kindergarten programs in my area during this class and noticed the emphasis on aligning with Common Core, which is nice when the children transition, however Common Core has an emphasis on college and career readiness, and unless learning through play experiences is being incorporated, the curriculum may need another glance.  Finally, I learned the importance of taking time to develop and understand my own personal identity, including biases and stereotypes that I may hold.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this topic and how to create a culturally diverse, friendly, and welcoming environment for children and families.

My long term goal would be to travel abroad in an effort to work with foreign communities who are trying to build and establish an educational infrastructure.  There have been so many countries in a state of unrest and outright war that many of the children do not have access to education.  I would love to be a part of rebuilding this and providing these communities with support and hope. 

            I would finally like to express my gratitude to my colleagues and instructor during this course.  I have learned so much from your thoughtful and insightful comments and posts to the discussion board and blogs.  I feel as if there is a wealth of knowledge being shared in every class I have taken and I truly appreciate your sharing that with me.  Best of luck!