Final Blog Post for the Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field

While listening to the podcasts and looking over different websites, I have learned so much when it comes to the early childhood field internationally. The website that I chose at the beginning of this course was The Child’s Defense Fund which is where I learned about programs that were helping out in the U.S.

Delfena Mitchell taught me that there needs to be more programs that are designed to helping children in tough situations. She has the patience and understanding to give a child a safe place to open up about his life at home.  We as professionals can take a cue from Delfena Mitchell and give every child, which crosses our path, a safe place to express themselves.

I also learned that there are programs that are trying to connect what each country is learning and developing with each other.  The Global Children’s Initiative was set up to build activities that promote early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations.

Finally, I learned that many countries are experiencing the same issues and trends. Personally I have seen that there is changes that need to occur across the world. We as educators need to come together and find ways to help bridge the gap with these issues and trends.

My goal is to find contacts around the world that I can collaborate with. By doing this, I will learn from their experiences and their knowledge.

I want to say, thank you to all my classmates and Dr. Klein for everything that you have taught me these past eight weeks. It has been a pleasure reading your posts and your comments to my posts. I have learned some valuable tools from each and every one of you! I wish you all the best as you continue down this road.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

The podcast that I listened to was from George Forman.  Dr. Forman’s main interest was figuring out what children saw when they played. He talked about teachers teaching about colors and shapes but not about the action taken to make those colors and shapes. Dr. Forman talked about a child that he watched play and the delight that the boy got when he realized that a log could stand up. Dr. Forman couldn’t figure out why this child was so delighted by this until he came to the realization that the child was learning. Dr. Forman said that we need to see the world in terms of change and not change instead of how they are. I think the concepts that Dr. Forman talked about is what teachers learn as they grow professionally.

After listening to the podcast I went to, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ to learn more about early childhood education.  When looking through the site I found a topic that relates to one of my goals. One of my goals was to become an advocate for the children in my area. Right now, the children that I have focused my attention on are the ones that are living at or below the poverty level. UNESCO wants a “policy of universalisation with targeting can minimise inequity where governments aim for universal access among the target age group, but simultaneously prioritise the poor.” (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/access/). What they are saying is that they want every child to receive the benefits from the government but that they must start with the children who are in need the most.

The website also talks about quality. I think that quality is very important for teachers, which is why one of my goals is to become a high-quality teacher. The website mentions, “Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling” (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/quality/). I think that this statement is something that we all believe in. We must not teach towards moving on to the next grade but focus on teaching what the child is interested in.

Finally, I wanted to talk about investment. We need to invest in our children today by giving them the resources that they need to learn. I think that this website says it best by saying that we need to view early childhood education as part of the basic education. By doing this we are helping our children start down the right path of growing academically and socially.

Sharing Web Resources - Week 6

While exploring The Children’s Defense Fund’s (CDF) website I found a link that took me to Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) found at http://www.aim.ca.gov/Home/.  This website is set up to inform expecting mothers of their benefits in California. “AIM is for middle-income families who don’t have health insurance and whose income is too high for no-cost Medi-Cal.” There are many benefits that are covered through AIM like prenatal and postnatal care. This website is all about keeping a mother and baby healthy so that they have a good start. Once the baby is born, they are automatically enrolled for insurance so that their healthy start can continue. I really liked seeing programs like this out there for expectant mothers. Many feel like they can’t afford to go get the prenatal care that they need, but programs like this help.

While looking at The Children’s Defense Fund’s newsletter I found out that as of November 7^th the “U.S. Census Bureau released its first report using the new Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)” (http://cdf.childrensdefense.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=25802.0&dlv_id=0). The SPM was designed to take care of some problems with existing official poverty measures and found that child poverty is declining. CDF states that this is due to the federal programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit and food stamps. As CDF states though, in no way does this mean that our children are suffering less. We need to still support the basic needs of our children and still fight for their rights.

This week we have been talking about accessibility, affordability, availability, and equity for our children. CDF has a program that runs after school and all summer long that works with children. The program is set up to teach children about their culture, reading, writings, and expressing themselves in a safe place. One of the students mentioned that it was nice to walk into the school in the morning and see all the smiling faces from children of all ages. They have breakfast as a community along with a sharing time where everyone is dancing, singing, and cheering. They also have a designated time throughout the day where everyone has to drop everything and read (D.E.A.R). All the teachers and students sit down for fifteen minutes of quiet time and read a book.

My new insight for this week is this program. I had no idea that something like this existed in my area. I would have thought that my undergraduate studies would of encouraged us to take part in this over the summer since it is right down the street from the university. They have interns which are college students who teach the classes. One teacher said at the beginning of the year she had children complaining that they had to write a story or a letter. But by the end of the year, her school mailbox was filled with letters from her students. There needs to be more programs like this to help our children by giving them a safe place to learn and grow outside of school.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

The podcast that I listened to featured Barbara Jones. Barbara Jones is the founder of Pine Grove School in 1985. Pine Grove School is located in Maine and is surrounded by pine trees. She talked about liking the Montessori program and finished her training in London, England. When she came back to the U.S. she saw a boarded up school house and fell in love with it. When looking at the Pine Grove School website every teacher had their B.A. in education and had some Montessori training. Even the administrative staff had background in education. This was nice to see since the last daycare I worked at, the director that hired me had no knowledge of early childhood.

I could not find contact information for Barbara Jones so I went to http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/. There I found out that the Center on the Developing Child is committed to “building a unified science of health, learning, and behavior to explain the early roots of lifelong impairments.” They are also committed to “leading the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative program and practice models that reduce preventable disparities in well-being.” Next, they are “catalyzing the implementation of effective, science-based public policies through strategic relationships and knowledge.” Finally they are “preparing future and current leaders to build and leverage knowledge that promotes the healthy development of children and families and brings high returns to all of society.”

The Global Children’s Initiative is working to build activities that promote early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations.  Faculty are working together to implement new projects and getting others involved. Currently they are expanding their resources to Brazil to promote stronger policies and gain larger investments to help the children.

Sharing Web Resources 2

The one section that I wanted to point out to everyone is the Policy Priorities: Ending Child Poverty at http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/ending-child-poverty/index.html#hard_times. This page tells the stories of children in poverty. The stories that I looked at talked about how some of these families were middle class and now are having troubles putting food on the table. Other stories talk about running out of government support which has reduced some families into homelessness. We have been talking about poverty for the last few weeks but these stories have truly put everything in perspective for me.

The main thing about The Children’s Defense Fund is that they are always contacting politicians to make changes. They also encourage others to contact their representatives and take action.  They give advice on how to contact your representatives and give links to different issues that need support. This is where you can find the information http://www.childrensdefense.org/take-action/advocacy-that-works/.

I think that one of the major insights that I have realized while looking through this site, is that early childhood is the start of it all. If we find ways to help educate our young children, they will have fewer problems as they get older. CDF focuses on the delinquents and teens that are getting into trouble because they are not given the support that they need. We need to start making changes to our education so that every child is given the chance to succeed.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

I had to go with the alternative assignment and watched a podcast from Delfena Mitchell. Delfena Mitchell is the Director of the Liberty Children’s Home in Belize. The center serves children from age birth to five years of age and sometimes older based on whether family is already at the center.

From listening to the podcast I learned about the struggle of a nine year old boy. He was kicked out of school because he was not developmentally ready. It was Delfena Mitchell who was able to get the boy to open up about the experiences that he had at home. She found out that his grandmother would hit him with a stick and his food would be taken away from his family members. He talked about having to hide under his bed with his food so that he was able to eat everything that was given to him. I emailed Delfena Mitchell and she has not gotten back to me. Therefore, I went to http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/ to find out more information.

“The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre (CHIP) is a collaborative research and policy programme which involves Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and MongoliaAchieving change to tackle childhood poverty involves” (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php). From this site, I learned that over 600 million children world-wide live in poverty and that 10 million children die every year form diseases that could have been prevented. CHIP was set up to start filling the gap about the knowledge of childhood poverty due to the fact that some countries know very little.

Something that I wanted to share with everyone from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php

                   Achieving change to tackle childhood poverty involves:

• Positive action at different levels

• Positive change in a range of policy areas

• Attention to policy implementation as well as content

• Effectively using research findings

                           • targeting key fora and institutions/departments who make and influence policy

I have learned so much from this week but I think the most important thing that I have learned was to listen. Children need time to open up and by actively taking part in their life they will feel more comfortable to share their stories. We need to get the information out there that poverty is everywhere we look and we need to start making changes. The main thing that we need to remember is, “Lost opportunities in childhood cannot always be regained later - childhood is a one-off window of opportunity and development. Poverty experienced by children, even over short periods, can affect the rest of their lives” (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/).

Sharing Web Resources

The Child Defense Fund (CDF) is the organization that I chose, and can be found at, http://www.childrensdefense.org/home.html. The focus of this organization is to “ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.” They talk about being the voice for all children since they cannot vote. The CDF was set up to educate the community about the importance of keeping children healthy and keeping them in school.

One issue that caught my attention also involves what we have been talking about this week. In the newsletter that I read, there was a headline that stated, Congress Leaves Student Accountability Behind. The issue at hand is that legislators are not taken into account the accountability that they must have when it comes to our children’s education. The CDF wrote a letter addressed to two senators who are part of the Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions. The first sentence read:

On behalf of the millions of students with disabilities, low-income students, students of color and English-language learners studying in our nation’s schools, we would like to offer our initial comments on your Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization proposal. (Edelman, Haycock, Henderson, Murgia, Podesta, & Wendorf, 2011)

Six people came together to write this article and wrote out their proposals and what they thought was wrong. They mentioned how states were setting their standards too low and taking advantage of the system. The letter mentions setting long-term state wide goals and demanding that the gap be closed for higher learning achievement.

The CDF wants the best for every child and devotes all their efforts to make sure that every child is getting the same education. They want funding for all day kindergarten so that children do not miss important foundational steps. The CDF works on lowering dropout rates in hopes of seeing more children graduate from high school.

References:

Edelman, M., Haycock, K., Henderson, W., Murgia, J., Podesta, J., & Wendorf, J. (October 11, 2011). The reauthorization of the elementary and secondary education act. Retrieved from http://www.edtrust.org/sites/edtrust.org/files/Harkin-Enzi-ESEA-goals-letter.pdf

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

My goal for finding professionals outside of the United States was to pick two professionals from each website. So far, I have had no luck with my emails even going through with using the http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance. I also am not sure who is receiving my emails when using the http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html. The main thing that I made sure to do in each email is to show how I am interested in the country I chose or how they relate to me. I chose Ireland because my grandma says we are part Irish and I thought that I could get to know a little more about my heritage. I chose Australia because it has always been a country that I want to visit one day. Also, I know a few people from Australia and I thought it would be interesting to contact a professional from there.

My hope is that by Monday or Tuesday I will have heard something back. If I haven’t, then I will have to choose the alternate assignment which I guess is okay, but I would rather be talking to the professionals that I have emailed. I think they will be a great resource and I am keeping my fingers crossed that someone gets back to me.

The process I took to choosing an early childhood organization was to first look at all the website and see if any would catch my eye. I wanted to pick one that I had not been to before which narrowed down my choices a little but not a lot. The organization that I finally chose was the Children’s Defense Fund.  One reason I chose this organization was because part of their mission statements said, “The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities” (http://www.childrensdefense.org/about-us/).

I guess my main question to my colleagues is, has anyone looked into the alternate assignment and found a way to contact the people in the podcasts? I was looking ahead at some of the blog assignments and noticed we would need to try to contact them, but I have not seen any way to do this.

My Supports

My family
      My family gets me through all the hard times in my life. Without my husband, I don’t know what I would be doing with my life. He has supported me in going back to school and encouraging me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. My parents are always here for me when I need them. My mother is a phone call away and I am constantly talking to her and asking for advice. These are the people that keep me going throughout the day.

My Computer
      My computer is a major support for me. I am constantly on it to keep in touch with friends and family. It also helps me do the research that I need for my classes. School used to be so easy for me. Now working on my master’s degree, I constantly have to look up more information on the topics we are talking about. Without my computer, I feel that I would be lost in the world.


My Animals
      My animals seem to always know when I need them. Even now as I am stressing over my school work, my cat is sitting in my arms purring away. They bring happiness to my life and remind me that life can be so simple.

I am unemployed for the second time since graduating with my bachelor’s degree in 2008. It has been my family, my animals, and my computer that has kept me going. My husband is always supporting me and reminding me that my time will come and I will have a job that I love. My parents are supporting me emotionally and financially when things get tough. My husband and I have given up so much to make ends meet that the computer is a major support system for us both. It is our time to get away and not stress about the things that are happening in our life. Our animals are the reason that I feel I have a purpose right now. Recently our cat had become very ill and it was my job to get her better. Now we have six kittens that we found in our yard, and it is my job to find them good homes and care for them. Even through this tough time, I forget about it all because of the supports in my life. Without these supports, I feel that I would be walking around with a frown on my face. I wouldn't be able to see the happiness in life and be striving to better myself as a person and as a professional. I see myself being stuck at a dead end job and being miserable.

My Connections to Play

The world is your playground.  Why aren't you playing?       -Ellie Katz

 “As astronauts and space travelers children puzzle over the future; as dinosaurs and princesses they unearth the past. As weather reporters and restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters and gremlins they make sense of the unreal.” ~ Gretchen Owocki (childhood educator)

Stuffed animals in general were always a must

Barbie dolls went everywhere with me!

I loved to color and draw

I will never forget this toy

Great pass time for my brother and I

The original Little People

While growing up, play was something that my parents supported whole-heartedly. Our basement was full of toys that used our imaginations and our backyard was always filled with friends. We built sandcastles in our turtle sandbox and pretended to fly to space on our swing set. My mother would even take time out of her day and come downstairs and play games with my brother and me. She would be the student when I wanted to be the teacher and she would build pirate ships with my brother and me when we were dreaming of the ocean.

Play today is so much different than it was when I was a child. Now children are sitting at computers or in front of the television with video games. When I was young, that time was limited and then we were told to go outside and play. Now it seems that there are barely any kids playing outside. You have children talking about playing Halo and Call of Duty when the games I played were Sesame Street and a Barbie game on the computer. Walking around a store, you can see the toy section getting smaller and smaller and the video game section getting bigger and bigger.

Play made me realize who I wanted to be when I grew up. I was always playing school and as I was teaching my younger cousins, my parents would tell me how great of a teacher I would be. Even at a young age, I would come up with fun ways to teach the concepts that I already knew. I would get such enjoyment from teaching that for birthdays I would ask for chalk and workbooks so that I could be a more realistic teacher. Play also gave me a chance to get away from the world. We didn’t always live in the best of areas and playing was the chance to get away from it all. As I grew older, play started to change. It turned into sporting events and playing games on the computer (still in limited amounts). As an adult play time is limited, but I still take the time to go swimming, play with my little cousins, and play computer games. Play for me now, is the time I take to relax. I don’t think about anything else and just enjoy what I am doing.

Relationship Reflection

I believe that a strong relationship with someone is the reason you get out of bed in the morning. The strong relationships we have when we are young are the reasons that we grow up to be who we are. It is those people that help nurture us and teach us right from wrong. As we grow older more people come into our lives that help us strive to be the best we can be. It’s those people that put smiles on our faces and make us feel better when we are sad. I was raised by my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My extended family has always been so close that I believe I have a strong relationship with most of them. Below is my family and friends that I have a great relationship with. Further down are the three people I believe I have the strongest relationship with.

 

My Family and Friends

My husband is my life. We have a positive relationship because we care for each other and support each other 100%. I believe the main factor for this is because our relationship goes beyond love. He is my best friend, my partner, who has helped me get through some of the roughest years of my life. I believe that we maintain such a strong relationship due to our honesty and trust in one another. We do everything together and decide on everything together.

 My mother is my first strong relationship in my life. I was her shadow growing up, always following her and idolizing everything that she did. I believe that she is the reason I grew up to be who I am today. Growing up, I could tell her anything and she never judged me. She supported me and guided me in the right direction. We maintain such a strong relationship due to talking at least once a week. She’s still that ear when I need to talk and that voice when I need advice.

 My best friend, Sara, is another person to whom I have a strong relationship with. I have known her for fourteen years now and I can’t even imagine who I would be today if I had never met her. She’s the person who can turn a bad situation into a good one, and can put that smile on your face when you think you’ll never smile again. I believe that we have a strong relationship because no matter how long we go without talking or seeing each other we always feel like we picked up where we left off. She is like a sister to me and I know that is a bond that will never be forgotten.

 I believe that the relationships that I have in my life is a key contributor to being an effective early childhood professional. I can take the knowledge that I have gained and build a trusting relationship with each of my students and their families. I believe that the guidance I received from my family and friends will help me guide my students. The relationships that I have had through the years have taught me to love, communicate, and respect people for who they are.

When I Think of Child Development

A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer. ~Author Unknown

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

Which way is the school bus going? Left or right?

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2007/02/24/exercise-your-brains-visual-logic-brain-teaser/

This was given to me a few years back in an email chain, and I always think about it when I think of a child's mind. Children see things completely differently then what many adults do. We need to remember that and open our minds as we teach. We can learn so much from our students and they in return will learn from us.

I want to say thanks to all my colleagues. I have learned so much from each and every one of you. You all have opened my eyes to new ideas and encouraged me to think outside the box. Special thanks to Dr. Darragh for the continuing support that you have given me throughout this course. I will take the knowledge that I have gained from everyone and put it to great use where ever I go.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their adventure in finishing this program and I hope to see many of you in the next set of classes!

Testing for Intelligence?

I have mixed opinions on whether children should be assessed and what skills should be measured. To assess a child I believe that it should be something besides a test on paper with a time limit. There are so many variables that can lower a test score that is not the child’s fault. Scores can be low and children can be left behind due to a simple times test that might not even assess information that they have been taught. I believe that children should be assessed in math and writing, so that we are able to help them learn what needs to be learned. To do this, I believe that children should be assessed on an individual basis with no pressure of being done during a specific amount of time. I was a horrible test taker and would have anxiety attacks when I knew that I was going to be assessed. The teachers were stressed, trying to cram everything in and that would rub off on me, and I would get stressed out. When test time came, I would freak, and would have a hard time concentrating. In fourth grade, we were told that if we didn’t pass the test, we would not move on to the next grade. That kind of pressure should not be put on a child. Not only do they get pressure like that, but they also get the pressure to do well on their ACT and SAT scores so that they can go to a good college. I don’t understand why these scores would determine my ability to take classes at a university.

In Ireland children take standardized test, but it seems that the information taken is just for the teachers. They use that information to make individual plans for their students and can have some students opt out of the test if they are not capable of taking the test. During primary school they only have to take a standardized test twice. The test seems to show achievements and pick out students with higher learning then children with lower learning.

Stressors

My husband grew up in poverty where they moved around a lot and had very little to eat. His mom was a single parent just trying to get by. His dad was an alcoholic, who lived on unemployment and paid the lowest of lows of child support. He said that his coping measure was to be a child who could help out as much as possible. He learned how to fix cars and how to make that car last way longer than anyone would think of doing. Another coping measure he used quietness. He went from being the boy who wanted to make everyone laugh to a boy who became very quiet and didn’t make any new friends. He knew that he probably wouldn’t see the people again after school was over, and his thoughts were that it wasn’t worth it to get attached to something just to have it taken away. The support system that he had was his family. His grandparents would watch him and his sister during the summer and they would go to their other grandparent’s house to be watched in the early mornings so that their mom could go to work.

The county that I wanted to know more about in this area was Ireland. I am part Irish and have always been curious about my heritage. Some of the stressors that children face are; political violence, illness, isolation, and poverty. The political violence that is going on in Northern Ireland is due to the fighting of the Protestants and the Roman Catholics.

Ireland came up with the Convention on the Rights of the Child which is the most popular human rights treaty. It involves civil rights, family environment, health and welfare, education, and much more. Ireland also has Children Protective Services to help and provide support for the children in need.

Immunizations

I chose this topic for one specific reason. While growing up, I received all of my immunizations and my parents made sure that everything was kept up to date. When I was a teenager, I met a family who got to see the side effects of those immunizations. Their first son received all his immunizations at birth and when it came time to receive the few shots for starting school, things went wrong. At five years old he became paralyzed from the waste down and lost most function in his hands and arms. Daily tasks could no longer be performed on his own. His speech was impaired and most times it was hard for me to understand what he was saying. His mother spoke passionately about how she no longer believed that the vaccines, that the government was requiring, were safe and her youngest son never received a single vaccine. I know that immunizations are important to make sure that we do not have any more outbreaks of certain diseases and illnesses, but do we really know the long term affects of these shots? There are always side effects to every drug and shot, but could these side effects be stopped if more testing was done, and more time was spent on making these drugs and vaccines safer?

While thinking about immunization in the US I decided to look into a few other countries to see if they had the same immunizations or if they thought differently about it. First country that I looked into was China. I found that China basically immunized their babies just the same as the US does. I decided to try to find a country that was different from my own. India was actually the country that caught my attention. Starting in 1975 India started the Expanded Programme on Immunization which provided immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, typhoid and childhood tuberculosis. In 1985 they renamed their program to the Universal Immunization Programme where the measles vaccine was added and the typhoid vaccine was taken out. “India’s Immunization Program is one of the largest in the world in terms of quantities of vaccines used, numbers of beneficiaries, and the numbers of immunization sessions organized, the geographical spread and diversity of areas covered” (http://www.whoindia.org/en/Section6/Section284/Section286_506.htm).

Ways this information will impact my future work is quite simple. I now will understand when a child is not immunized and just as always will respect the choices that a parent makes. It takes reading and thinking about certain areas that bring back memories of something you would not think about. I really liked this assignment because it reminded me of the importance of knowing the facts and considering all of your options even when it comes to basic things as “required” immunizations.

A Birth That I Saw

It all started with a phone call that said, “We are going to be induced at 8PM tomorrow and you should bring clothes to stay the night.”

This was my cousin calling to let me know that his wife would be heading to the hospital and that my godson will be born soon. I had promised to be there for everything so that I could take any pictures that they wanted.

I went to the hospital and they induced my cousin and we waited and waited. It took 3 inducements and 2 nights later my cousin was starting to get harder contractions. By the next morning, my cousin was ready to have the baby, but the baby was still not ready to come out! Since I knew that the baby loved hearing his dad’s voice, I talked my cousin into going to the foot of the bed and reading to the baby. The baby starting kicking and moving and it was about an hour later that we were in the process of delivering a baby.

I chose this example because the lead up and the process it took for my godson to come out was amazing. He was and is a determined little boy and the long hours of sitting at the hospital, was well worth it all.

My thoughts on birth are very simple; it’s a natural part of life. My godson came into a warm, inviting hospital room with his mother, father, and godmother there to support him. I believe that because of the process of talking to the baby in the womb and playing with him, my godson will grow up to have a connection with his parents that some may not have.

In America there are doctors and nurses that are there to take care of a mother and baby. In Africa, there are not only doctors and nurses but there are midwives and doulas. The midwife goes into their homes or the hospital and is there to deliver the baby. Doulas are coaches for the mothers and there to relax the mother by reducing stress. It seemed that many women only went to the hospital if things started to turn for the worse. In America birth outside a hospital is mainly unheard of. Both countries are the same though in the thought of having a stress free birth so that the baby comes into the world without the extra stresses that will come later in life.

Thank You!

I just want to thank everyone for coming here and reading my post and giving me helpful feedback. This course has opened my eyes to things in the ECE field that I never knew before. It's been a pleasure working with you all, and I hope to see you in further classes!

Code of Ethics

"We shall use individually appropriate assessment strategies including multiple sources of information such as observations, interviews with significant caregivers, formal and informal assessments to determine children’s learning styles, strengths, and challenges" (The Division for Early Childhood, 2000).

            Assessment is key to any program that involves children. I use assessment and observation in everything that I do so that I know my students are learning at the level they are at.

"We shall continually be aware of issues challenging the field of early childhood special education and advocate for changes in laws, regulations, and policies leading to improved outcomes and services for young children with disabilities and their families" (The Division for Early Childhood, 2000).

            There are so many laws out there, that I honestly did not know existed. I want to become aware of all of these laws, regulations, and policies so that I can become a better teacher for my students.

"We shall use every resource, including referral when appropriate, to ensure high quality services are accessible and are provided to children and families" (The Division for Early Childhood, 2000).

            There are resources everywhere and it is important to read as much as one can. I am an open minded person, and will listen to what anyone has to say, and then use what I know to make the best decision.

"To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training" (NAEYC, 2005).

            I always want to be informed and I think a good way of doing this is through continuing my education. I like that my state requires teachers to take so many classes to renew your license.

"To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions" (NAEYC, 2005).

            This is very important to me and I plan to do this in any classroom that I am in.

References

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved June 14, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved June 14, 2011, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

Course Resources

Complete early childhood behavior management guide written by Kathleen Pullan Watkins and Lucius Durant. Jr.

This book was passed down to me from a teacher who retired and is now working with my mother. I found this book to be very resourceful as a first time teacher. It is set up to help with children ages one through nine and has quizzes for teachers to test them self on how they are doing.

A Child Called “It” written by Dave Pelzer

This book is a true story about a boy who was abused by his mother. This book opened my eyes and helped me see the warning sides that something is wrong at home. Here is a description of the book: “This autobiographical account charts the abuse of a young boy as his alcoholic mother first isolates him from the rest of the family; then torments him; and finally nearly kills him through starvation, poisoning, and one dramatic stabbing. Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable, but falls short of providing understanding of extreme abuse or how he made his journey from ``Victim to Victor.'' It takes some work to get past the poor writing and the self-aggrandizing back matter, but the book tries fervently to provide a much-needed perspective. One of the greater obstacles to healing for males is admitting that they have been victims, especially if their perpetrator is a woman. This author has overcome that obstacle and succeeded in life by such masculine norms as joining the Air Force and receiving awards for his volunteerism. However, while personal accounts of child maltreatment provide crucial information about the realities of childhood, youngsters need insight and hope in order to digest the raw material of abuse” (http://www.amazon.com/Child-Called-Childs-Courage-Survive/dp/1558743669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307039694&sr=8-1).

This quote was given to my graduating class as we received our diploma in Bachelors of Science in Education and Allied Professions. I have it in a binder that has all my teaching resources that I want on hand when I teach.

“Children Learn What They Live”
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.


Resources from our class

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/ 
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
• 
  World Forum Foundation
  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission.  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Quotes from three professionals

Dr. Edward Zigler

“It troubles me that most of the states are starting preschool at age 4. Most middle-class families send their children to preschool at age 3. That's when a child is ready for a preschool experience. It's particularly important for poor children. We have evidence from the National Institute of Early Education Research demonstrating that two years of intervention give you more benefits than one year So we want a program for 3- and 4-year-olds.”

“The United States has no system of child care like other industrialized countries have. We have a hodgepodge of for-profits, not-for-profits, family day care, kith-and-kin care. The average quality of care in this country is somewhere between poor and mediocre, and a certain percentage is downright awful. This nonsystem is compromising children's school readiness.”

Dr. Marilyn Friend

“At the broadest level, collaboration is important in schools because it has become a defining characteristic of society in the 21^st century. If you examine publications in business, health, social services, technology, and other major disciplines, you will find that collaboration is a unifying theme.”

“Teachers can help administrators understand the importance of collaboration by providing information, discussing its importance, undertaking collaborative initiatives that are as result of their own efforts. They also can participate in collaborative endeavors if they are personally satisfying.”

“The Passion for Early Childhood” Video

“The passion to make sure that all children were taught in environments and in ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and develop to their fullest ability.” -Louise Derman-Sparks

        I relate to this quote because this is one of my main goals in life. I believe that no child should be held back due to the environment that they are being taught in.

Refences:

Zigler, E. (2007). Giving Intervention a Head Start. Educational Leadership, 65(2), 8-14. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Brownell, M. T., & Walther-Thomas, C. (2002). Dr. Marilyn Friend. Intervention in School & Clinic, 37(4), 223. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Personal Childhood Web

Ann Heiser

This is my mother. She is kind, caring, energetic, and a big kid at heart.

I was always in my mother’s shadow, so to say she had a part in my childhood is an understatement. My mother not only nurtured and cared for me, she was a friend to me while growing up and still to this day. My mother taught me many things in life but the two most important things were to stand up for what I believed in and to be myself. As

I stated above, my mother is a big kid at heart, and there was a time when I was embarrassed to be seen with her; mainly because of the way she acted. As I got older, I realized how much she enjoyed life and I came to the conclusion that you can’t hide who you really are. My mother made me feel special because even with her busy working schedule, she always had time to be there for me. She read to me at night, even though she felt she couldn’t read very well. She helped me with homework, even though she didn’t feel she was smart enough too. My mother not only pushed me to be the best that I could be, but she pushed herself so that she could help me with whatever I needed.

I believe that I am who I am today because of my mother. She is a major influence to my life and still makes me push for what I believe in. I talk to my mother about three times a week, and at least once throughout our conversation she is making sure that I am happy with what I am doing. She is also making sure that I am pushing myself to my fullest ability and loving life while doing it.

Richard Heiser

This is my father. He is a hard worker, smart, and realistic.



I was a huge daddy’s girl growing up and still am today. I remember when I was younger, turning on my dad’s stereo and listening to the song, “Daddy’s Girl” sung by Red Sovine. I could listen, sing, and dance to that song for hours. Even at a young age, I knew how important my father was to me and my family.

My father worked a lot of long and hard hours and when he got home, it was known to leave him alone so that he could relax. Even though he was tired, my father always made the time to sit down with me and help me with my homework or sit down and play with me. My father taught me to be a strong, independent woman who knew right from wrong. He taught me to be realistic about the world and that life wasn’t always fair. I remember while growing up, my brother and I would always hear the saying, “You can’t always get what you want” (The Rolling Stones, 1968). When he was in a playing, sarcastic mood, he would walk around the house singing that song over and over again, until we stopped asking for something.

My father influences me today by still being there when I need him. One saying that always stuck in my head from my father was, “if you want the truth about something come ask me” My father was always blunt and to the point and when you needed advice that was going to help, you always went to him. He has helped me get through schooling and get through working at jobs where I felt I couldn’t go on. Due to this, I am the type of person who always has to tell the truth, even if it will hinder me.

Charlotte Heiser

This is my Nana or grandmother. She is strong, family oriented, and caring.

My Nana was like a second mother to me. She had a major part in my up bringing because I was always with her when I could be. All while growing up my Nana made me see that family was everything in life and that you had to cherish everything that you have and love. She also taught me to let things go and to not hold on to conflicts. Any time that I had a problem, I could go to my Nana and tell her what was going on. She would sit and listen and then tell me what she thought. In the end, it always came down to that life was short and you could not hold on to the small things.

When my Nana was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer she was told that she only had a few months to live. Not only did she live past those few months, she lived almost a year and a half later. Her determination to prove people wrong and her strength to keep going, let her meet her first grandson and to see his first year of life. We are so grateful for the time we had with her and she showed me that if you are determined to do something, you just have to work hard at it and it will happen. My Nana was a strong woman and I believe that my strength today comes from her. She taught me to cherish the things that I have and I am grateful to take the knowledge she gave me and pass it down to my future kids one day.

Ken Moehl

This is my Uncle Ken, or as I called him, Papa Ken. He is strict, funny, a handy man, and loved the military life.



Papa Ken was my godfather and like a second father to me. He watched me when my parent’s were working and on weekends when I wanted to come and stay the night. My Papa Ken taught me that I could be anything that I wanted to be. He taught me to work hard at school and do my best and I could choose any career out there. He cared for me just like I was one of his own children. The one thing that I remember the most about him, was all the camping trips I used to go on. At least once a summer we go to a campsite and I would help him get the pop up camper up and running and we would spend the weekend boating, fishing, and making s’mores.

Papa Ken influences me today because I took his hard work ethics and put it towards my schooling and my career.

Tamara Moehl

This is my cousin. She is fun, caring, and a big kid at heart.



Tammy is not only my cousin but my godmother. She lived with us for about a year when I was young. She cared for my brother and me when my parents were working and when they would have their date nights. Even as Tammy got married and had children she was still a major part of my life. She constantly invited me over to hang out and trusted enough in me to watch her children. Tammy taught me how to cook, bake, and sew, which is something that my parent’s couldn’t really teach me. Tammy was also always there to listen to me when I had problems at home. She never judged me and would always try to help me see both sides of a story. She also would always tell me the truth about things that I wanted to know. Growing up, my parents would “sugar coat” things that happened in our family because they didn’t think I could handle the truth. But she knew that I could and would talk to me like an adult and would answer any question I had. When my Papa Ken was killed, I had so many unanswered questions that my parents would never answer. I knew that by going to Tammy she would tell me anything that I needed to know so that I could gain closure with what happened.

Tammy has influenced me today because I learned to tell children the truth about things in ways that they would understand.

References: The Rolling Stones. (1968). Let It Bleed [CD]. London, England: Olympic Sound Studios.