Sharing Web Resources

The Internet has so many resources that it can become overwhelming.  It is helpful when there is some sort of guidance to navigating sites, especially for reliable information.  

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?
• As I have been navigating the sites that I have been recommended or I have found on my own, I find more and more information that supports my reasoning for becoming involved in the early childhood field.   I also found valuable information in the articles that were on many sites.  Information can be found in bulletins, newsletters, e-letters, blogs, facebook and various other social media outlets. Information is being posted on the severity of the early childhood crisis, but it is being ignored.  One site would lead to ten other sites that give even more information!

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?
• Childrensdefense.org is one of my absolute favorite sites to obtain information from.  One reason I like this site is because it is so user friendly and isn't overwhelming.  Yes, there is a lot of information, but it is laid out nicely and it isn't loaded with a lot of professional jargon.  On this site there is policy and programs listed, library, taking action, and supporting their work.  I have looked at several job postings here because I strongly believe in their philosophy and mission.  This organization developed out of civil rights movements, which to me means there are even stronger roots in this organization.  As with many other organizations and programs, it is underfunded and doing its best to stay active and help as many people as possible.  
• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?
• I follow this organization through Facebook, so quite often I get updates regarding news.  Sadly, one of the posts I see all too often is the amount of children that are killed by meaningless violence. One can also subscribe to receiving alerts.  One link from the site took me to the Washington Research Project which was used to expose schools and organizations that were misusing funds. This was started in the 1960s and was the bases for the Children's Defense Fund.

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?
• The newsletter and updates provides a lot of information to all readers.  
• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?
• There is more to helping families and children with only food and education.  There needs to be a change in standards through which society sees these families and the programs that are there to help them.  Children are suffering which is not there choice.  Parents are put in situations that are not always preventable.  This is why these organizations exist.  There are not enough people looking at these organizations to help, and their missions need to become more prevalent in society.