As recommended, I took a close look at the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s website.
Moto: Building
Peace in the minds of men and women.
UNESCO is a MASSIVE United Nations Subgroup, which in and of
itself supports 5 sub-subgroups- One of those 5 sub-subgroups is
EDUCATION. Within the EDUCATION
sub-subgroup 22 “themes” are focused upon including, but not limited to: Early Education, Inclusive
Education, and Languages in Education.
Geographically UNESCO interacts with groups from Africa, Arab States,
Europe and North America, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the
Caribbean.
One aspect of the site that I found of interest to myself
and related one of my goals to create an Early Learning and Teacher Education
Institute of Northern New Mexico was the section on resources, which is packed
with hundreds of substantive articles, news, videos etc., related to what we are
learning in the Walden U. ECS program.
Because New Mexico, at this time, has no institutions
providing high quality early childhood teacher education, and certainly not
advanced degrees in early childhood teacher education, I was drawn to an UNESCO
article entitled, “Mobile learning for Teachers in North America: Exploring the Potential of Mobile Technologies to Support Teachers and Improve Practice.” This technology includes online learning such as the advanced degree in Early Childhood Studies, offered by Walden
University of which my colleagues are able to take advantage. Without this MS in ECS offering
from Walden, my options for greatly advancing my EC studies in New Mexico are
zero. The name of the article (reference above) basically says it all. The article
delves into great detail about the way in which mobile technologies, including social
networks can be used for professional development, and teacher support. Part of my idea to create an Early
Learning and Teacher Education Institute of Northern New Mexico, is to enhance
the natural link there is between Santa Fe University and Walden University,
both operated under Laureate Education Inc. With this link it is proposed that a small part of the
Santa Fe University be utilized to house an extremely high quality early
learning center for children birth through age 5, and to make Walden U.’s
online program accessible to current and pre-service teachers in Northern New
Mexico. As teachers earn
their online degrees, they will have access to the early learning environment
for hands on practice working with children, in well-established high quality
environments. This proposal is intended to create an ideal environment in
which to learn for children and
teachers.
Continuing on this theme of environments, the
title of the next article which I would like to recommend is, “A Place to
Learn: Lessons from Research on
Learning Environments” (UNESCO, 2012) also a UNESCO article. This article reiterates the importance
of early learning environments. To
quote:
In
the race to achieve Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015, the importance of
creating optimal conditions to enable and
sustain learning has sometimes been overlooked as a ‘peripheral’ factor in
the provision of quality education.
However, a rapidly expanding body of research on the conditions of
learning suggests that physical, social and organizational environments in
which teaching and learning processes take place have a more central role than
previously acknowledged. As the evidence gathered for this report asserts, the
design and management of learning spaces is fundamental to the achievement of positive learning outcomes as
well as to the health and well-being of learners. Simply put, good
learning environments foster quality learning, and bad learning environments do
not (UNESCO, 2012, p. 9)
Montessori “teachers” are taught that in actuality the
“well-prepared environment” is the teacher, and what most people would call the
“teacher” is actually the facilitator of that environment. And on the same page of thought, John
Dewey stated rather succinctly:
The
environment consists of those conditions that promote, or hinder, stimulate or
inhibit, the characteristic activities of a living being. –John Dewey (UNESCO, 2012, p. 9)
Just out of curiosity, I rounded out my investigation of the
UNESCO website, by doing a search for Maria Montessori “anything” through out
the education documents. Although
not surprised, I was sufficiently impressed that 207 articles published by the
UNESCO site, at least in part, make reference to the Montessori method. In browsing some of the articles, I learned about the “UNESCO
Prize for Peace Education” (UNESCO, 2002). The prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding activities
aimed at promoting peace building by
individuals or institutions.
The 2002 award went to City Montessori School in Lucknow, India. Drs. Jagdish Gandhi and Bharti Gandhi
started the school in 1959 with 5 students and 300 barrowed Rupees. The schools spread throughout India and
now serve over 42,000 students.
Yikes! Co-founder Dr.
Bharti Gandhi, wife of Jagdish Gandhi, has a PhD in Child Psychology (UNESCO, 2002).
Another tidbit I learned was that UNESCO was formed in 1946
immediately upon the establishment of the United Nations. None other than Jean Piaget and Maria
Montessori headed-up the initial governing board. One of the first significant documents drawn up by the
organization was the “Rights of the Child”, which Maria Montessori was asked to
author (Bokova, 2012). I knew about “Rights of the Child” by Maria Montessori, but I
did not know that it was written as a UNESCO document. Live and learn.
I have found the UNESCO website to be a wealth of up to date
and highly relevant information regarding the global perspectives of education. I cannot imagine what it takes to keep
a site this large up to date and functioning as well as it does. Kudos!
References:
Bokova, I. (2012, May 24). The
significance of lifelong learning in today’s world / role of UIL with some
historic milestones. UNESCO Presentation, Hamburg, Germany. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=216455&set=4FDCE851_3_475&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
Orville,
Hans d’; Stark, Clare; Siebold, Caroline. (2006). Dialogue among Civilizations:
the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Dialogue among Cultures and
Civilizations for Peace and Sustainable Development, Hanoi, Viet Nam, 20 and 21
December 2004; 2006. UNESCODOC. Retrieved June 16, 2012, from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=148378&set=4FDCB6ED_3_422&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
UNESCO.
(2002). UNESCO prize for peace education. Paris, France. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=129085&set=4FDCE60B_3_392&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
UNESCO.
(2006, 2008). Strong foundations: early childhood care and education;EFA global
monitoring report, 2007; 2006; 2008. UNESCODOC. Retrieved June 16, 2012,
from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=147794&set=4FDCB6ED_3_422&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
UNESCO.
(2012). A Place to learn: lessons from research on learning environments; 2012.
UNESCODOC. Retrieved June 16, 2012, from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=215468&set=4FDCE984_2_34&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
UNESCO
Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific.
(2008). Compendium: conventions and laws guaranteeing all children the equal
right to a quality education in an inclusive setting; Philippines; 2008. UNESCODOC.
Retrieved June 16, 2012, from
http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=158523&set=4FDCB6ED_3_422&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
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