My Final Reflections on International Early Childhood Education

Where do I  start?  I have learned so much from Kaylee and it has been especially enjoyable considering that I have watched her grow from a small child into the wonderful adult she is today. 

The three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my professional and personal development has been:
Poverty:  Although we see and even experience poverty here in the United States, poverty is on an entirely different level in some countries.  I couldn't imagine having to wear the same clothes for weeks at a time and having a limited amount of food to eat.  Having a make-shift home and going to school in the middle of a rice field with limited school supplies is heart wrenching. 

Assessments:  The fact that there are no real way of measuring the student's development and growth over in South Korea is also alarming to me.  Early Childhood Education seems to be none existant in many instances and the primitive way they view children as little adults is also a concern I have.

Rote Learning:  Simple memorization is in my opinion, one of the worse facts I learned about the way children are educated in Korea.  I believe rote learning does such a disservice to children because it stiffles their creativity and imagination.  Also, memorizing something does not mean they understand how to apply those things to everyday situations that occur in life. 

I realized through communicating with Kaylee that I don't know enough about what the educational issues and trends are in other countries.  I have challenged myself to learn more about other countries so that I can better understand any ESL students I may come in contact with in my journey as teacher and administrator.  I will be keeping in touch with Kaylee to stay abreast of any new developments that may surface concerning education.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3 (Week 7)

Answers to this week's questions:

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

Answer:
Poverty is a big issue here in Korea. It is not unusual to see my students wear the same clothing all week. 

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

Answer:
Being that I work through an agency, I am required to take continuing education courses on-line and I really don't mind because I am currently pursuing my Master's Degree.

What are some of your professional goals?

Answer:
My professional goals are to complete my degree, and to continue to teach abroad so that I can learn as much about other countries as possible.  I have bucket list of things I want to accomplish before I retire and I am slowly working my way down that list.

What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

Answer:
My professional hopes and dreams are to learn to speak the Korean language fluently as well as to go into another country to teach and learn their culture.  I am currently researching that possibility; meanwhile my contract has been renewed to teach at my current school for another year.  The challenges I face are trying to help my children learn through scaffolded learning instead of by rote memorization as seems to be the way of teaching hear in Korea.

Additional information from Kaylee:

      Each province in Korea sets their educational standards. Then each school gets to interpret those educational standards and how they'll go about them. So standardization of education doesn't really exist except for national testing which happens in 6th grade, the final year of middle school and in high school (in order to get into college). To my knowledge there is no communication between preschool educator and public school educators. For the most part students stay at home until they are ready for kindergarten. Another option: students can stay in kindergarten for 1-3 years until their ready for 1st grade if they don't stay at home. Babysitting or preschool for students that are younger than kindergarten age is rare.

      For the most part, teachers teach to the test. It's important to note that in American classes, teachers use a more Socratic style of teaching. But in Korea, teachers literally say the information and the students memorize it and apply it the same exact way they learnt it, on their tests and homework. That constitutes "learning" in Korea. There's not much room for creativity or teaching to a student's strong suit (verbal, visual, audio, etc). Additionally, in America there is a strong focus on all subjects, especially writing, history, English. In Korea, the emphasis is more on science and math. Imagine teachers dryly spitting out this information and then students taking tests. They usually do pretty well if they have fantastic memories. But do they really know the material? Do the tests really demonstrate their aptitude and intellectual abilities? Where does critical thinking come in to play?

       In elementary school (prior to the national test in 6th grade) learning is much more lax. A lot of crafts, origami and music classes. It's important to note that a student's acceptance into a particular middle school is based on the results of their 6th grade national test. Students don't go to schools based on the jurisdiction or where they love. National test results come into play. Same goes for the exit test in middle school as it correlates to their high school placement. Then high school to college.

       However, when the prep for the national tests come around, memorization kicks up a notch. So essentially the students are not "learning," they're simply memorizing and regurgitating it. I've had a hard time undoing this type of learning in my own English classroom. The curriculums do not allow much for adapting lessons and materials to student's knowledge base. It is just assumed the student has learned the curriculum that was established for the previous year at their particular school and that they will memorize the information in the current curriculum.

       The Korean education system and education culture is a tricky one especially when kids get to high school. Students spend all day in school (8:30-3 or so) and then go to private academies for English prep, Math prep, music lessons, et cetera and then stay up until 9 or 10pm studying. Then go home and start it all over. However, are they really "learning"? I don't think so. They're memorizing. And simulataneously stressing themselves out. Which in turn results in Koreas high suicide rate, poor work ethics, and socially ineptness.

Sharing Web Resources

In researching the Zero to Three website, I was very excited to find the following information pertaining to trends in the field of Early Childhood Education:

The President’s Budget Proposal: A Groundbreaking Moment for Our Nation’s Babies

“The release of President Obama’s budget today marks a groundbreaking moment for babies and toddlers in this country --especially those who are at risk and may lack the positive early learning experiences they need to succeed in school and life, ” says Matthew Melmed, Executive Director of ZERO TO THREE. “I applaud President Obama for his leadership in emphasizing how important it is as a nation for us to begin where learning begins – at birth."

The President’s Plan for Early Education for All Americans is the roadmap for the early learning components of the budget released today. The budget includes $1.4 billion to expand the comprehensive supports offered to the most vulnerable families through Early Head Start – which for almost 20 years has proven it improves both child and parental outcomes. The plan would provide $200 million in 2014 specifically to create more high-quality child care options for babies and toddlers with working parents, using Early Head Start’s quality benchmarks, expertise, and resources. Looking ahead, the budget proposal provides for $7 billion over 10 years to ensure young children and families have access to high-quality child care.

The President’s plan also extends and expands home visiting -- which has been warmly embraced by states, communities, and parents -- to reach more families where they live, with information, guidance, and encouragement. The budget proposal released today allocates $15 billion of funding over 10 years to invest in this effort. “Babies don’t come with an instruction manual, and every parent can benefit from reliable information about early learning and a helping hand,” says Melmed. “The President’s plan helps parents utilize what science and evidence-based practice has to offer in order to give babies, toddlers, and young children the best start in life.”

The President’s plan is rooted in brain science, which tells us that babies are born wired to learn. Starting on the first day of a child’s life, positive early experiences establish a strong foundation upon which all later learning and healthy development is built. But infants and toddlers who lack quality early learning experiences can fall quickly behind. Research clearly shows that gaps can appear even before their first birthday.

The President’s plan builds on what we know works: start early with consistent, high-quality,
evidence-based supports that match what parents need and help parents nurture the early development of their babies and toddlers.

“This is a smart plan. We know what quality looks like and what babies need,” concludes Melmed. “By leveraging what we know works to help families, our nation can improve the care for babies and give them a strong start toward future success.”

ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit whose mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.
(Zero to Three, April, 2013)

This article is a great leap into the improvement of the Early Childhood Education field.  I am really encouraged when I see that what i am learning in the courses I am taking directly correlates with what is going on in society!

Additionally, it was very interesting to learn that the President's decision is a result of brain science which states that an infant is born wired to learn. His plan simply builds on what we have know for many years.  I feels good to finally have the attention of people in positions of power and authority to fund much needed programs.

Getting to Know My International Contact - Part 2 (Week 5 Assignment)

In communicating with Kaylee this week, I asked the following questions:
1. Is there Standardized Testing in Korea and if so, what grade level does it start?

Answer:  There is "testing" however, I'm not sure if these tests equate to what we call Standardized in America.  I will get back with you once I do some research in this area.

2. How does the Korean Education system address school readiness from the Preschool level entering into the "public" school system?

Answer:  Being a Kindergarten, English Teacher, I have not witnessed any collaboration between Elementary teachers and the Pre-school teachers since I have been here.  When I met my class for the first time, I had to assess the students on my own to see where they were academically because unlike in the United States, "recordkeeping" is not a common practice here.
 
Also, there are numerous technological advances that could be utilized in the classroom to help with assessments and advancement of education but my school does not have the finances. The school is extremely conservative with any school supplies such as folders and paper, which forces me to buy or create my own supplemental supplies. Korea is an energy conservationist nation which translates to limiting wasteful air-conditioning and heat. However, working outside of Seoul in a small town, it's even worse. Imagine working in minus 0 temperatures without full-heat in your classrooms. Or working in 90 degrees with only fans and open windows. It's a bit frustrating.
3. What are your thoughts on Developmentally Appropriate Practices within the school system there in Korea?

Answer:  In my opinion, I don't think they really understand Developmentally Appropriate Practices here in Korea.  They tend to treat their children like little adults.  Their academic expectations for their children is very stringent and robotic.  I can remember when I first arrived here, I had so many tools that I wanted to use that was met with resistance because the activities looked too much like play which is a no-no at least in the school I work.  I must admit, I am proud to say that I convinced them to observe and needless to say, I am now able to use my method of teaching freely.