Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/tending-the-treasures-of-the-emerald-isles/5013591/
Over a decade ago, my family and I spent a year in Ireland. My husband, Michael, was on a Fulbright, and I was on a developmental leave from the University of Nebraska. Together with our three children, we lived and worked in the Irish community of Bishopstown in County Cork, developed professional and personal relationships that would last a lifetime, and discovered an Irish touch point to which we would return many times over subsequent years. As an early childhood educator and program administrator, I have been fortunate to visit a wide variety of programs for young children and families across the Republic of Ireland.At every stop, I met extraordinary people who shared their time, expertise, and insight with me. One of these people is No¡r¡n Hayes, the head of the Department of Social Sciences at the Dublin Institute of Technology. Ms. Hayes is
recognized in Ireland as a national leader in the field of early childhood education, teacher education, and public policy.
The work of Dr. Frances Douglas, lecturer at University College Cork (UCC), is highlighted in the thumbnail sketch of Irish early childhood programs. Dr. Douglas is known throughout the Republic as a leading authority on the history of ...