I chose to listen to Episode 8 of the World Forum Foundation. I still await response from a early childhood professional, but still have not heard back.
Episode 8: George Forman
George Forman grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, received his doctorate in developmental psychology at the University of Alabama, worked with Howard Gardner at Project Zero, and then moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, where he is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of Massachusetts and the President of Videatives, Inc. He has also been involved with programs in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Foreman is relevant to the topic of children and “play.” He took the time to watch children play and understood much more was going on in the learning process and in the mind of the child. He also thought it was important for people who surround the early childhood field to have the understanding of play being a necessity for learning and exploring for children this age. This is also relevant to the work I do as a teacher. We talk to parents about what children learn through play so they have a better understanding of how children learn.
One of the issues which made me think in a different way was the Rights of Children in Children’s Homes this is a World Forum Initiative. It made me think about how different things are in other countries. I started thinking about how children are separated from their families and how difficult this must be. The Working Group represents 10 countries who work in institutions. These representatives are from El Salvador, Ecuador, Singapore, Nicaragua, France, Hungary, Belize, México, Indonesia, and the USA. The group was formed with the belief that all children should have the benefit of being raised by their birth parents. Yet, that is not always viable due to death of a parent or parents, abandonment, illness, abuse, natural disasters, and war. It is paramount that each country be ready to provide children the best care if their fate is to lose their family and they are placed in a group care setting through no fault of their own.
The website of the World Forum Foundation is a wonderful resource because it has information on initiatives around the world and the current work the foundation is involved in. One area I found interesting was Working Project for Teacher Educators. College instructors, independent trainers, and trainers in private and public organizations from six continents gathered in Auckland for an intense three days of idea sharing and brainstorming on issues and strategies in training the early childhood workforce worldwide. I think this is a wonderful way for educators to collaborate on current issues.
I agree with George Forman's beliefs about the importance of play in the classroom. Play is how children explore their world and understand complicated concepts.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your statement about the importance of collaboration. Early childhood educators could make a huge impact on the early childhood education field if they all came together and collaborated.
Alissa,
ReplyDeleteI still have not heard back from three of the early childhood professionals that my emails successfully went through to. Hopefully, both of us will have some luck and at least hear from one professional. Don't give up hope!
Play is very important in the classroom and I also agree with George Forman's view on play. Children learn through play and if we take that away from them, their only outlet to learning is lost. As I look at the children in my classroom, so many of them discover new things through play that even I would not had been able to discover. It is truly amazing what play does for children.
Education is different in other countries. Often, I tend to forget the circumstances and situations that makes receiving an education in other countries impossible. It is important that even in the roughest events that educators seek to provide education to all children. Great blog Alissa!