Week 4 Sharing Resources

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

1. For this week’s Blog Assignment, I chose to visit http://www.pewstates.org/. I reviewed the research and analysis section of the website. One article I chose to read is entitled “Using Pre-K Advance Education Reform Opportunities for State Advisory Councils” (http://www.pewstates.org/research/reports/using-pre-k-to-advance-education-reform-85899378028) because I am interested in what councils say about closing achievement gaps and improving school performance.   The article verified that high quality pre-k programs have a vital role in improving student outcomes and will be stronger if states connect policies between pre –K and early elementary grades.  Some states have already have jumped on the bandwagon utilizing funds from the Early Learning Challenge.

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

2. a. PEW reports that nearly 51 million people are not registered to vote. That is amazing to me because I value my right to vote.  PEW says that is 1 in 4 people are not registered. (The reason, I enjoy this website is because it has a variety of information, it is like reading the newspaper not like viewing a website that covers only one central topic.) 

b. I viewed what looked like a chart with printed statistics called an infographic. This infographic displayed information on the topic Child Abuse.   In a brief moment I was thrust into statistics about what age abuse takes place and how an alternative call home visiting program can diminish these stats. This was more powerful that any 10 page report I have ever read on the topic.

http://www.pewstates.org/research/data-visualizations/child-abuse-prevention-month-infographic-85899376583     

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

3. In this letter to the editor, “Money Spent on Early Childhood Education Would Be a Wise Investment” by Terry Alexander expresses  is what we have been talking about in class this week.  The author says for what we know about brain development we would be wise to utilize our tax dollar in a child’s early stages of life.  This article gives views from economists, neuroscientists and politicians regarding finances, taxes and brain development. 

http://www2.scnow.com/news/2012/mar/26/letter-editor-money-spent-early-childhood-educatio-ar-3484797

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

 http://www.pewstates.org/news-room/video-library/pre-k-now-marking-a-decade-of-pre-k-milestones-85899379929

4. I viewed this awesome informative video entitled, Pre-K Now: Marking a Decade of Pre-k Milestones.  Professionals speak of their beliefs about pre-school education envisioning a day when all children have access to a high quality program no matter what their socio-economic status.  One person says that she hope a day comes when pre-K is as essential as 7^th, 8^th grades and so on. Another person says that there is no science that places artificial barriers between grade levels.  Bottom line is that research supports  pre-k education and that it holds its ground and prepares children to learn.  View it for yourself, it’s a must.