EDUC 6162:Sharing Web Resources

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

I took special notice to the information about 2011 International Mud day. The very first 'Mud Day' was started in Nepal and Australia.  Two doctors who are a part of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children, a committee in the World Forum Foundation, planned with two groups of children a day to "take a step closer to Mother Nature (Bhatta)."

• 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?

I didn't find anything really controversial on this topic. However, as I was reading the "stories" section where people around the world could discuss their experience with Mud Day which was really interesting. One woman who works in the city discussed how her  center took the children to a local woodsy park where they were actually able to find  a mud puddle. I really liked how they prepared for the celebration by  announcing the day to parents and giving them the articles from the web site as handouts.I have never heard about Mud Day before reading this article but I think it's a great way to bring children of the world together on the same day and have them participate in the same activity. Even though they are not "together" it promotes a sense of commonality amongst people who are so different from one another. 

• 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?

I believe that the 2 doctors who began this tradition really had a unique and wonderful idea of not only how to support the field of early childhood education, but also to bring the children of the world together.

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

I can honestly say this is the first time I have thought about early childhood education "togetherness" on an international level. I wish this was something I had known about when I was working in the classroom. I also think it's a wonderful way for children to express themselves.