Professional Hopes and Goals

It is my hope that I can provide a setting where all children, no matter where they come from, feel safe and a part of my class. I want to promote a successful learning environment and understand that this may take a little more effort on my part, but am willing to do whatever it takes to help them all succeed.

One goal I would like to see for the early childhood field would be to incorporate cultural awareness into my classroom more so that when we do acquire children form diverse backgrounds, it provides for a smoother transition for the children and their families.

I appreciate all the comments and posts that you each shared throughout this course and wish you the best of luck as you continue on this journey. It has been a great class full of information that will help us as educators in the early childhood field. Hopefully we will meet again in future courses!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The family that I will be working with is from Guatemala, which is located in Central America.
As a child care center worker, I have the opportunity of integrating and acclimating this family into our community. Some of the things that I would do to help be culturally responsive to this family are:
1. Share common vocabulary words in both our language and their language.
2. Invite the family to come and share things with our group that pertains to their culture - games, items, foods.
3. Research information about how education system is in Guatemala.
4. Research information about special holidays and have the children share about holidays as a group activity.
5. Share books in my classroom library that pertains to their culture.
I hope that by gaining a more indepth study of their country and through sharing about where they came from in the classroom, I can help them see that I am excited that they are here and that I am interested in their family both personally and culturally.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

In considering bias, prejudice, and oppression and how these have affected me personally, I would recall an incident that was reflective of my identity as a pastor’s wife. Speaking from experience, being a pastor’s wife is not an easy job. Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you choose to look at it, we are often defined by what our husbands do. I remember being asked questions and thought, “I am not the one that you are seeking for the pastoral position, I am a school teacher.” Another incident directly related to being a pastor’s wife that I would share involved a group of people that I worked with. I was not invited to participate in an outing with this group because I was a “pastor’s wife.” This incident initially belittled me. It was terribly hurtful and to think that these people were supposed to be my friends. It took me some time to realize that these people that chose to not include me in their evening activities, were probably more ashamed of what they were going to be doing than the fact that I was a pastor’s wife. They were embarrassed and not inviting me to participate with them kept them from feeling bad for doing whatever it was they were going to be doing. After a while, and a few hurt feelings, I realized just how fortunate I was to have been called to be the wife of a pastor. I love my husband and my church and would not change this part of my life for anything. If others wanted to shun me for who I am, then so be it. After praying about this situation, I knew that I had to change the way that I felt about this situation or I was going to be the one who was miserable and I did not want that.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

During this week I overheard a conversation that was taking place in the hallway within a group of children. There were two little white girls (1st grade) and a little Hispanic girl named Josenia. (also 1st grade). Josenia was coming back from speech therapy and the two little white girls noticed she had a pink toy in her hand. They walked over to her and began asking her questions about the toy and where she had gotten it. Josenia was very shy acting and as she lowered her head, I heard her mumble something. The speech therapist was just a couple steps ahead and she stopped and looked back at Josenia. I could tell the speech teacher was listening in on the conversation and then I heard one of the other little girls ask her why she went with that teacher. I truly believe that these little girls were unintentional and meant no harm in anything they said, but Josenia sure looked scared.

I felt scared and nervous for Josenia as I know that she speaks some English as I have some interaction with her in the bus room, but her English is somewhat limited. I think she really was not sure what to say to them.

I can see after reading and learning about microaggressions that this is something that happens very frequently, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes intentionally.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

After speaking with a family member, and asking about him to define the terms culture and diversity this is how he described them:

Culture can be described as an identifiable group of people with common values and customs.

Diversity can be described as variations within a culture of those values and customs which are not necessary common to the culture but not sufficient enough to break from the culture.

A colleague of mine defined these terms as follows:

Culture can be described as the way people think and live.

Diversity can be defined as the differences in people and places.

I asked a friend from Iceland to also define these two terms and these are his responses:

Culture can be defined as the norms and the conditions under which a society lives.

Diversity can be defined as recognition of different cultures and different norms between more than one group of people.

I believe that each of these responses are very similar and reflect what I think and believe as the definitions of both terms. I also believe that through my educational courses I have a better understanding of these terms. I do not believe that the terms offer any omission, but I do believe that these terms have been described somewhat superficially, which is how I would have described them before studying them more thoroughly in my classes.

My Family Culture

What three items would I take with me, in the event that my country was devastated by a major catastrophe, and the emergency government had decided that the surviving citizens would be best served if they were evacuated to outher countries that were willing to take refugees,and me and my immediate family are among the survivors? I would take - My Bible, my family photos, and my passport.

I would take my Bible because as a Christian, it is where I find my strength. It is something that I can rely on to help me through troubled times.

I would also take photos of my family. I love my family and pictures would offer me some sort of comfort if they could not physically be with me.

My third and final item would be my passport. I know that when I have been out of the country in the past, that my passport is golden. It is my way back to where I am from and if the opportunity ever came to return to my country, I would hope that it would get me there.

If I was told that I could only keep one item it would be my Bible. I would just have to rely on my Lord and Savior to help me through.

This exercise really got me to thinking about what was most important. My bible and my photos are relevant to my family culture and who I am.

When I Think of Research...

I have gained several insights about research after completing this course. I have an increased knowledge about how to conduct research and how to dissect what I am reading when considering research – weeding out the good and the bad. Research is not something that can be taken lightly, and although there is a lot of research out there, it should not all be considered valid.

I think that I have realized that there is a lot more to consider when doing research than I had previously thought before taking this class. I have learned many lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood. When planning research, it is important to take time to carefully design your research. Through carefully designed research, you can ensure that your research provides you with the data that allows you to achieve what you have set out to achieve (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).

I think that a challenge for me is that I struggled with how to organize and implement all the different methods for my research simulation. I have realized that research offers us a lot of information and there is a lot of research already out there that we can use to our benefit. Again, not all research is reliable, but with what I have learned through this course, I feel that I am better able to distinguish what can be considered valuable and what cannot

I appreciate all the comments and posts that have been shared throughout this course and I look forward to continuing through this program with many of you!

References

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Research Around the World

I chose the Early Childhood Australia website.

There were several research topics listed on this website that dealt with early childhood. Some of them are: Learning and Teaching through Play, Children’s Resilience, Early Childhood Framework, and the one that I chose to look at more closely, Respecting Diversity.

These articles were, “practical, easy-to-read resources, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children. The Research in Practice Series focuses on the practical, 'hands-on' aspects of early childhood – making them ideally suited to early childhood workers. The wide range of topics covered throughout the series offers something to anyone interested in children's early years (Research in practice, 2011).”

I think it is interesting to see that research study topics from other countries are very similar to the topics that we are researching right here in our country. We can learn so much through reading about the same topics and we can gain a lot of insight from the research studies that have been conducted elsewhere. I specifically chose “Respecting Diversity: Articulating Early Childhood Practice” due to my research simulation on inclusion. It clearly suggests that all children, regardless of their abilities, the family constellation to which they belong, or the community in which that family resides, have a right to simply belong, be and become. It is therefore common practice to see philosophies emphasizing the need to create equitable and inclusive learning environments that acknowledge human diversity in all its many forms and that include children as capable of being engaged in and advocating for social justice (Richardson, 2011). This website offered a free e-newsletter that I felt was well worth subscribing too. There are links to the latest news and developments that could prove to be beneficial when conducting research as well.

References

Research in practice series. (2011). Early Childhood Australia: A Voice for Young Children. Retrieved from http://earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. Richardson, Carmel. (2011). Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice. Research in Practice Series. 18(1), 6.

Research that Benefits Children and Families - Uplifting Stories

I have had the opportunity to work with another teacher who spent some time researching an entire group of 4th graders in the school where he was working and the effects of free and reduced lunch and academic achievement vs paid Lunch and academic achievement. After completing a survey which measured a variety of issues concerning their homelife, he was able to take this information and use it to supplement specifically where needs existed. Some of the questions that were asked were: 1. Number of parents in the home. 2. What kind of help they received? (if any.) 3. What kinds of food they typically ate? (any nutritional value or not) 4. Was there technology in the home? 5. What their neighborhood community and housing was like? After conducting this research, he was able to take this information and share it with a support team where they were able to identify what their needs were. This information did show that the children that were identified as free and reduced lunch scored lower and struggled more academically, whereas the students that were full pay scored much higher and achieved greater success academically. I did ask him if the students and their families were informed about this research and if they understood that this information would be shared with a support group at his school, and he shared that he had sent a letter to all the families of his students and that they were required to sign and return the consent form which he has kept on file. There were no photographs taken and no names were shared through his research, only the number of students and their status of free and reduced vs paid lunches. I appreciate the research study that he did and know that there can be many other factors that can be related to academic issues. All children need to be given the opportunity to succeed, but through identifying where we can apply our focus and individualize these needs, hopefully we can work together and help bring these children through this time in their educational journey so that history does not continue to repeat itself.

Personal Research Journey

I selected the topic, Pros and Cons of Inclusion in the Classroom, to research for this assignment. I chose this assignment because this is becoming a real possibility in our school system and I interested in learning what I can about this topic and how effective it is. As an educator, I have had experience with mainstreaming students, and I believe it did not go well because of my lack of training for this type of setting. So, if our county does move to an inclusive setting in the elementary school, I want to be ready and I want to be able to discuss this topic as professionally as possible. I believe that through this research, and through the help of my colleagues and their experiences, I will be able to attain this goal. The articles that were shared that helped us identify quality and credible resources have helped me narrow my search as I have looked through several on this topic. I appreciate all the help that I can get on this topic and any links that have already been identified as quality resources. I know that we can learn through quality resources, but I am also interested in learning from past experiences as well! Please share any knowledge that you have regarding inclusion in the classroom.

International Early Childhood - Consequences of Learning

I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more from my international contact in Thailand. It was a blessing to hear about her passion that she had for her children. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences that we shared in education. One issue that I found interesting when I spoke with my contact and as I researched the issue of poverty, was that poverty in Thailand (29.9%) is a problem just as it is in the United States (15.1%). Another issue that I think is important to share about is with policies. After speaking with the international contacts about some of the poilices, she was able to shed some light on some of the issues that we discussed in class in regard to professional development and high quality programs. There is a lot to be learned from international collaboration and research. Hopefully we can take what we have learned from them and share it with others here. Last, I think that we can take what we have learned from our international contacts and our colleagues here at Walden and use some of the strategies and websites that were introduced to us in this class. We are seeing more and more children in our classrooms that speak different languages and this information that others have researched and shared with us can help us as we seek to provide the best that we can for these children. International Goal - I would love to visit the place where my international contact lives and teaches. I think that it would be a great opportunity to actually work alongside her and see her daily routine.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Some of the professional hopes, dreams, and challenges that my contact from Thailand shared with me with regard to the children at her school were that all children would be able to attend an educational setting and see it through to graduation. Most children can not afford to go to school and if they are fortunate enough to get to go to a school, very few ever get to graduate. Most have to return to their families and work on the farms. She shared that if they were able to graduate, they usually only received the education that took them through the twelfth grade. The few that she has seen graduate she would have loved to see go to some sort of college, but most have had to return to their families and work with them. It is so sad that many of these children will fall back into the same patterns and situations that their families are in.

Sharing Web Resources

When reviewing the outside link The Early Head Start program and it opened up a multitude of webcasts. One in particular that caught my attention was called A Closer Look at the Early Head Start Home-Based Program Option. This webcast examines how this option can help programs expand opportunities for low-income families with very young children, increase access to services, and enhance program quality.

There is also a link to the National Training Institute where you can find information that has been developed to meet the needs of individuals that are working with infants and toddlers in Child Welfare, Early Childhood Education, Early Intervention, Mental Health, Parent Education and Pediatrics. This link allows you to design your own professional development according to your specific needs and can be used for continuing education.

The e-newsletter that I received talked about play and shared a number of resources that goes along with the issue of play and its importance. Here is what was shared on this issue:

The long days of summer mean more time to play—and learn—with the kids you love. These resources focus on the ways children learn through play, both with their peers and with the important grown-ups in their lives.

As I looked into the Zero to Three journal index, I found several articles that depending on what you were researching, could serve as valuable resources. These articles dated as far back as the year 2000. An article that I chose to look at more closely, that was aligned with issues that I have been studying was called Supporting Quality in Home Based Childcare. This article talked about why families chose the type of home base care that they chose and goes on to talk about the regulations, complications and opportunities that goes along with their working with children and families. There is another article in the index titled Children in Immigrant Families. This article is one that I will be using to gain new insights for the issues of this week’s assignments.

International Contacts - Part 2

After talking to Amy Campbell about the issues of equity and excellence in education in Thailand, I have found out many interesting things. First of all, due to issues of poverty in certain areas in Thailand, many children are not able to attend schools. If these children are lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the schools, they usually only do so until the age of 12 because they are needed to work in the rice fields with their families. Some children live in a type of boarding school where the parents drop them off and return to pick them up at the end of the 9 months. There is not any type of preschool program for younger children, but they have housed some of the younger siblings in desperate situation. The parents that cannot afford to pay for their schooling with money will pay with bags of rice. Most children however, do not finish school and go on to college but return to their families farms where they continue to work in the fields.

Teachers in Thailand are supposed to have a teaching certificate with a bachelor’s degree. However, she said that there are circumstances where the teachers do not have a teaching certificate or a degree, but because of the poor situations that the children live in, it is not pushed. In certain areas, since the parents are not able to pay for the schooling, the teachers that they are able to hire, do not have degrees in education and are hired with a much lower income.

Sharing Web Resources

ZERO TO THREE website had a great video that related to the importance of banding together and rallying for learning as babies. This early learning was compared to building a house which I thought was a great comparison in that when you build a house you must have that firm foundation or else everything else will crumble. This is much like the way we need to look at educating our babies. We must start very early so we can make those early connections and develop that firm foundation.

I did not find anything that I thought to be controversial, but I did notice that there is an article where ZERO TO THREE applauded the President for making babies and toddlers a priority in his 2014 budget proposal, with a substantial investment in early learning. This issue is something that I have found to be of high importance and one that much research has been placed on and that is that we need to start early with consistent, high-quality, evidence-based supports that match what parents need and help parents nurture the early development of their babies and toddlers. This website and the articles included all fall right in line with what we have been discussing and researching over the various courses that I have taken as I seek my early childhood degree. On this website, the video also shares that congressmen have joined in and signed the petition to support early learning, and the article from the president in support of early learning shows us how politicians have shown their support for the early childhood field.

On this website I was able to see that you can choose any state and find quick fact sheets that share information about how each state ranks in child well-being as well as important income facts and statistics. I found it interesting that Tennessee ranked 39^th among all states in the well-being of children. It also shares the Federal Programs that help Tennessee build strong families and grow healthy and productive children. This website is full of information pertaining to the importance of supporting children and families in helping get them off to a great start and is available for all 50 states.

International Contacts - Part 1

I have had the privilege of speaking to a couple of people about poverty in Thailand and how it has affected education there. Nongnuch Sitkongthang is an educator in Thailand at a school for a group of Kindergarteners. She is also a house mother, and has about 50 in children in this house, similar to a boarding school, that she stays in throughout the school year. The children that live there are all ages K through 12^th grade. These children live at this house because their families are rice farmers and live so far away from the schools that they are not able to transport them to and from the school. These children only return home during summers and very long breaks. When I asked about finances and how they were able to support all these children in this house, she shared that most families pay for their children to stay there with rice from their farms because they are so poor. Children all have chores to do and have an inspection daily. This ensures smooth running each day. As I continue to research the issue of poverty, I am amazed at how different countries respond to their own situations. I could not imagine sending my five year old child off to live, some eight hours away, especially when most of these children will return to their parents homes after completing their education, to become rice farmers as well.

When talking with Amy Cate Campbell, missionary working in education in Thailand, shared how these children compare to the children living in poverty here in the United States. She said that children there only know life in Thailand so even though they seem to have so little, they are very happy with what they have and life as they know it.

Website: Zero to Three

The website that I chose was Zero to Three. It can be found at http://www.zerotothree.org

ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development. Their mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. They were founded in 1977 by top experts in child development, health and mental health. They are an organization that plays a critical leadership role in promoting understanding around key issues affecting young children and their families, including child care, infant mental health, early language and literacy development, early intervention and the impact of culture on early childhood development. They envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

Zero to Three works together to provide support in all domains of development and work together to promote overall health and well-being in all families and cultures. They do this through research, collaboration, and experience.

I chose the article, Putting Infants and Toddlers on the Path to School Readiness as my current issue. Here is a small selection that I chose to share from this article in regard to what a wise investment it is to support early development.

                At the same time that science reveals the importance of development in the earliest years; program evaluation research is able to highlight effective strategies to improve the lives of at-risk children and their families. Strong relationships can help buffer children from the toxic stress that can undermine healthy brain development. Proven approaches—some beginning during the important prenatal period—can help diminish the gaps and promote stronger social-emotional foundations.

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I have emailed four contacts, but have not heard back from two of them.  My third contact is to a missionary that worked with our church team that went to South Africa last year. His name is Kurt and he is a missionary in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He will be one contact that I will use and he will use his contacts to supply me with the information that I need. I hope to hear back from the other two who are also out of South Africa. My fourth contact is a lady from Thailand. She is a kindergarten teacher at a boarding school in Thailand. Her name is Nongnuch Stikongthang. I am very excited to communicate with them!

The resource that I chose to use is Zero to Three.  I have also subscribed to receive their newsletter. I feel like I have used this website throughout the different classes that I have taken and that it was a resource that was very informative. 

"My Supports"

When I think of the supports that I need on a daily basis, I think first of the support of my husband.  My  husband has always been my encourager.  He encourages me to strive to complete whatever goals I set for myself.  He loves me and supports me along every step of the way.  Without him and this encouragement and support, I would not be doing what I am today.  This support helps me as I seek to grow professionally but also by knowing that I have his love and support behind me as I work toward completing this goal.
I also consider my mother a support to me as she also encourages me as I strive to complete this portion of my educational journey.  She helps me by assisting with my three boys in their daily routines as well as helping do things around the house.  Without these supports in place, I would probably not pursue furthering my degree and I know that I would not be in education today.  I received my degree in education while I my 3 boys were 7, 8, and 12.  It was not easy to do, but because of the support system that I had at home, I was able to complete it and now as they are 13, 14 and 17, I am able to continue and pursue my goal of completing my Master's Degree.

I imagined my challenge being that I had moved to another country and was experiencing issues due to the language barrier.  I had the opportunity to visit Guatemala a couple of years ago and I got a taste of how difficult it was to communicate with people due to language.  I would definitely want/need a translator and someone that could tutor me as I strived to learn their language.  Emotinally, this would be frustrating as communication would be difficult.  Having a translator and a tutor would help as I communicated with others on a daily basis.  Practically and physically, I know that this would take time, but eventually, this would allow me to become a part of their community and gain that sense of belonging.  If I did not have the support of a translator or a tutor, I would become frustrated and probably would really never become a part of their community.  I could potentially become depressed and withdrawn as I felt that I would never really fit in.

As I write this, I think more about children and diversity in the classroom.  We are gaining students everyday that do not speak English and struggle with trying to communicate with others.  We need to be aware of these struggles and make sure that we are making them feel a part of whatever we are doing.

My Connections to Play

Quotes

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." ~ O. Fred Donaldson

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers

Essential play items -

When I was younger, I used to put on plays using my Strawberry Shortcake dolls.  I would set up a box and put on a show for my parents.  Of course I always had audience participation!




I loved to create different clothing designs using my fashion plates.  I would create them and then "sell" them to my family members.




I always enjoyed playing the part of the "teacher".  I used to sit and create students names, activities to be taught and would have my family and friends participate in the activities.  I loved to grade the papers at the end.

I am grateful to my family for supporting me through my play.  They never discouraged me from doing what I loved to do.

I feel that play today is much different than it used to be.  Children do not participate in pretend play like they used too.  It has become a more technological world for our children today.  They are playing more games on game consoles, watching more television shows, using ipods, ipads, and computers more now than ever before.  I would love to see more children playing outside.  That is something that you rarely see anymore.  I would like to see less time indoors using electronics.

Play as a child was less structured and more pretend.  Neighborhood friends would gather and we would: play cowboys and indians, climb trees, catch crawdads in the creek, ride bikes, play wiffle ball, and kick ball.  We did not have electronic devices like they have today so we had to be more creative.  I do not think that this was a bad thing.  I feel like I am the person I am today partially because of the activities and games that I used to participate in.

Relationship Reflection

• Relationships are important to me because that is what has helped and what helps make me the person that I am today.  There are several people in my life that I have a meaningful relationship with and am a better person because of them as well as being blessed by having them in my life. 

• My husband Mark, my three sons - Stephen - 17, Collin - 14, and Zachary - 13, my mother, and many other friends and family.  I also am blessed by my relationship with my Savior.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phillippians 4:13  I believe that with all my heart!  All of these relationships are important to me, but in different ways.  I am blessed by the relationship that I have with each of these mentioned and know that when I need any one of them, they are there for me.

• My husband, also a minister, is my encourager.  He listens to me, helps me, lifts me up when I feel like I want to give up, and loves me for who I am. 
• I have a great relationship with my children and they know that I am there for them whenever they need me.  I have always been told that I have the most loving and caring children and that it is rare for boys at the ages that they are now to still be this way.  I feel that they are this way because of the relationship that we have shared and continue to share over the years.
• My mother has always been a loving, caring and supportive mother and seeing how she loved my father and their relationship before he passed away has always been an inspiration to me.

• I think that communication and honesty has been and is key to all of these relationships.  Spending time with each other is important to me in building and maintaining a healthy relationship.  Everyone needs time together and those are special when it comes to forming relationships and partnerships.  I feel that a challenge in relationships is lack of communication.  Without communication, you are setting yourself up for a multitude of problems.  Find a way to communicate so that you do not create a relationship of misunderstanding or confusion.

• I feel that these relationships are also partnerships becuase of the level of commincation, support and love tht is shared among them all.

• I think that because of my personality and my relationships with my family, I have those qualitities that I can share with others.  My principal calls me "The Nurturer".  I take that as a compliment as I try to share these qualities with my students and hope that the families see this and hear this from their children at home.  I think that this can impact my work becuase relationships are a huge factor in the success of our children at school and in throughout their life.
  
                                     My mother and my oldest son Stephen.
  
  
                                       Stephen and my middle child, Collin.
  
  
                                     My husband, my oldest son, and me.
  
  

My youngest son Zachary and oldest son Stephen.

Note of Thanks to my Colleagues

Just wanted to say thank you for all your support and for the posts that you have shared not only through blogging, but also through discussions.  I am blessed to be able to continue my educational journey and am thankful to have the support of each of you as well as your thoughts and experiences on various issues that we may encounter as we look at early childhood together.  I hope to share again with you in future classes.  Good luck as you continue on your journey and I hope that we will "meet" again!

Amy McCoig
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.."
Collosians 3:23

Childhood Development Quotes

“Play permits the child to resolve in symbolic form unsolved problems of the past and to cope directly or symbolically with present concerns. It is also his most significant tool for preparing himself for the future and its tasks.” ~ Bruno Bettelheim

 

"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand."

~Chinese proverb

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” ~ Dr. Hiam Ginnot

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child learns to feel shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

He a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

- Dorothy Law Neite

Testing for Intelligence

When thinking about children as a “whole child”, and consider what should be measured or assessed, I think first about who the child is and where they come from.  What is their family situation?  What is their home life like?  Do they have siblings?  Are they healthy?  Do they live in a safe environment?  Are they being raised by a parent, parents, grandparents or some other person?  After getting a good glimpse into what their life is like, then I think you need to look at assessing or measuring what they know.  Through carefully observing these children, we can tell a lot about what kind of learners they are.   When children enter school, we need to make sure they are healthy and that they feel safe so they are ready to learn.  When a student feels connected to their school, they are more likely to stay in school. 

One thing that I think we need to look at is each child as their own individual.  Children do not learn the same way and therefore we need to carefully observe and think about how we can best meet their learning style.  Do they learn better through:

Ø  hands on activities

Ø  visual – pictures, graphs, diagrams

Ø  music – turn lessons into lyrics

Ø  interaction with peers

I think that we have to identify our children and include all types of learning styles when we are assessing or measuring the success of our children.  I do think that we over assess our children.  We will soon be testing our kindergarten children with a Brigance test, SAT-10 test, and STAR test.  First and second not only has the SAT-10 test and the STAR test, but also will be taking their nine weeks tests.  Third, fourth, and fifth will be taking TCAP, STAR, a 6^th grade placement test and a Math Common Core (CRA) test.  All these tests begin April 23^rd and will be completed by May 9^th.  I do think that we need to measure and assess our children, but I think that we may over assess our children to some degree.  Children are more than a test score.

School age children in Mexico are assessed by teachers who give examinations five times a year in each grade.  The tests must cover the national curriculum, but are developed locally.  There is a national examination at the end of the school year, and students who score less than 6 out of 10 on the test are retained in the same grade level for the coming year (McLaughlin, 2003).  Many children will drop out after primary grades (1-6) or secondary grades (7-9) as Mexico deals with a high rate of education failure.  Only about one-third of the children in Mexico who start school complete a high school-level education and one-tenth complete a post-secondary university or technical degree (Stein, 2004). 

References

McLaughlin, J. H. (2003). Schooling in mexico: A brief guide for u.s. educators. ERIC Digest,

Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org

Stein, R. (2004). Mexican and u.s. schools: A world apart. The Term Paper, 3(1), Retrieved from http://www.piton.org

Hunger: Stress on Childhood Development

As a teacher in an elementary setting, I have come into contact with many families that are dealing with hunger issues.  I had a student at one time that had been found eating from a dumpster.  I could not imagine what his life must have been like.  You don't think about stuff like this right here in your own community.  It was not long before this child was taken into custody and became a foster child.  That was when he came into my life.  This young boy of 6 years old had several problems.  He was developmentally delayed and was a sickly child.  He had a hard time relating to the other children and often played alone during recess.  He did not communicate well with others.  It hurts me to think that any child would have to go to a dumpster in search of food.  Families fall on hard times all the time, but there are so many resources out there that we need to make sure families like this know about.  I would love to be able to see this child today and see how he is doing and what strides he has made in his life.  I wondered if he was able to go back to his father or if he was adopted by a new family.  I feel that once he left that lifestyle that he would progress in some way, but have always wondered to what degree.  I do feel that hunger played a major role in his biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development.  Through his lack of necessary nutrients, he struggled to fight of illnesses, performed poorly academically, and lacked the social skills when it came to interacting with his peers.

Hunger is also a problem in other countries as well.  Just like right here at home, there are children out there seraching for food in the worst of places.  I visited some sites that shared hunger issues as seen in Somalia.  It was shocking to see what was happening in this area.  So many children are dying due to lack of proper nutrition.  Hunger has displaced people, murdered thousands and has put half the population of Somalia in starvation. In fact, charitywatch.org states, “More than 12 million people are affected, with the malnutrition-related death toll in Somalia already in the tens of thousands before famine was declared" (Komukyeya, 2012).  So what is being done to help?  There are many organizations that are working to help Somalia in their fight for food.  Some of the ones mentioned are: The World Food Programme, Action against Hunger, Unicef, Save the Children and others, but still they are fighting to live due to lack of food.  Stomping out hunger is not something that we can change overnight, but over time, is something that we can strive to minimize through the help of organizations. 

Komukyeya, R. (Producer). (2012). Hunger in somalia. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://prezi.com

Child Development and Public Health

Hunger and Malnutrition

I have always had a heart for children and families that are affected by hunger and malnutrition.  This is not a health topic that is a problem only in certain areas.  Granted, it is worse in some areas than in others.  I come into contact with children each and every day that are affected by hunger.  I have had children share with me that they did not get to eat over the weekend or last evening.  I am very passionate about this topic and will do whatever I can to help with this situation.  No child should have to go to bed without something to eat. 

 When I went to Guatemala, I had the opportunity to be a part of creating a feeding center in one of the villages.  Children ages 2 to 12 would come from all around the village and wait for several hours for the food to be prepared and served.  These children all received a bowl of some sort of chicken either with spaghetti or just in a soup, a tortilla, and a cup of powdered milk.  If they had anything left in their bowls, they would pour it in a type of plastic grocery bag and they would save it for later that evening.  This absolutely melted my heart.  Hunger and malnutrition is very evident in Guatemala.  In Guatemala, the face of poverty and hunger is young, indigenous and rural. Guatemala, with the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean, faces a serious challenge to reduce chronic undernutrition, currently at 49.8% among children under 5.

In the county where I teach, and through a partnership with Second Harvest food bank, we provide our students in need with a backpack of food.  Each Friday, we send home a backpack that contains enough food to get them through the weekend.  We also provide our students with free and reduced breakfast and lunch as well as share what resources we have regarding food pantries in the area with our families so that they can go and get things that they might need.  I know that we cannot completely eradicate hunger and malnutrition, but with the right people and resources, we can make a difference.

Childbirth in my Life and in Haiti

When I had my oldest son, Stephen, I was 24 years old.  I started out with extreme morning sickness.  The doctor tried everything to try and stop the morning sickness, but this continued throughout my entire pregnancy (can’t believe I had two more children after this).  I remember going to the doctor the day after Labor Day for a visit and my blood pressure was elevated.  The doctor decided to put me on bed rest and bring me in two days later and induce me.  So, I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 on Thursday, September 7^th.  The nurses quickly put me in a room where I changed into a gown.  It wasn’t too long after that the doctor came in and broke my water.  (This was not a pleasant experience at all.)  He then started me on a drug called Pitocin to encourage my labor process.  It was about 12:30 when the contractions got to be so uncomfortable that I called for an epidural.  About 1:00 the anesthesiologist came into the room and proceeded to give me my epidural.  What a relief that was!  I continued to progress and the nurses came by and checked on me periodically.  At about 6:45 the doctor came back by and said that I was seven centimeters dilated, so, he decided to turn up the Pitocin to help speed up the process even more.  My body did not like that at all and that is when things started going haywire!  My contractions started coming so quickly that the baby was showing signs of distress.  The doctor came running back in the room and along with him several nurses.  My husband said he has no idea how he got from standing right beside me to the other side of the room.  They started giving me shots in my legs to try and stop the contractions and even put the head of my bed down where they could get the pressure off of my cervix.  That is when they decided to head for a C-section.  The baby’s heart rate would not come up and there was no other choice.  They rushed me into the operating room where they put me to sleep and took the baby.  When they delivered him at 7:05 p.m., he weighed seven pounds two and a half ounces and he scored a zero and a one on his Apgar test.  He remained in the hospital for 8 days after which we were able to take him home.  He is a very healthy young man today and will be graduating this May from high school.

This experience was one I will never forget.  I chose this example because I was told that my son might possibly have developmental problems due to the lack of oxygen.  He is completely healthy and will graduate this May, ranked 20^th in his class with a 3.919 GPA.  I have come to realize that babies are a lot more resilient than you might think.  But, if it had been for the state of the art doctors, nurses and facilities, my son and I may neither one be here today.

In reading about birthing in Haiti, I am amazed at the high number of babies and mothers that die during childbirth.  Depending on where you are in Haiti, determines the conditions in which you will give birth.  Most babies are delivered in areas that are unclean and a lot of times at home with a midwife, who a lot of times are not necessarily medically trained.  Women are not given any drugs to help them with their pain and the fathers are not a part of this process.  Thus, the women are left to do this on their own for the most part.  Conditions are unsanitary as there is usually not a lot of water so you are left to use some sort of hand sanitizer.  Births in Haiti verse United States is very different.  The mortality rate is much higher in Haiti due to lack of prenatal care and poor facility conditions.    

A Note of Thanks to my Colleagues

Thank you to all my colleagues for your support and encouragement as we embark on this journey together.  Your kind words and support as well as the knowledge you have shared with me has been a blessing.  I look forward to learning more about each of you as we move on to the next phase of this journey.  As I look back to when I began this class, I have come along way.  From my first post, "Struggling with Blogging" to where I am  now.  I have enjoyed reading and posting to you all!  Good luck as you complete this class and move to the next!

Significant Ethical Codes and Ideals

Ideal1-1.9

 - To advocate for and ensure that all children including those with special needs have access to the support services needed to be successful.

Children are unique and we need to be committed and supportive of each child  so that they all can be successful.  Some children may need more support than others, and it is our job to recognize that need and help them  in every way possible.

Principles P-1.1

 - Above all, we shall not harm children.  We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, exploitative, or intimidating to children.  This principle has precedence over all others in this Code.

- Doing any kind of act in any way that is harmful to a child is something that I am very passionate about.  We are trusted to care for many children each and every day.  Children are all different and no one should harm any child in any way.  We need to show our children love and affection and be encouragers in all ways.

Professional and Interpersonal Behavior #2

- We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work.

- Developing a good relationship with our families is important so that we can strive to meet any and all needs.  Relationships are also important so that parents and children will see that we do what we do for them.

Professional Development and Preparation #2

- 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.

- It is important to stay abreast of new ideas and issues as well as how things in early childhood development are changing.  Advocating for changes in laws and policies that we are passionate about is also very important.  It is all about improving in the areas where services for our children are involved.

A Wealth of Information: Books, Articles, Websites and more

WEBSITES

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division of 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://fpg.unc.edu

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

Children's Defense Fund
http://childrensdefense.org

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress

Raising Readers
http://www.raisingreaders.org/parents_and_families/books/current_books_collection/
This website has books that you can read that are categorized by age.


Books

The Essential 55 By: Ron Clark

Articles

NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children

http://www.naeyc.org

National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families

http://www.zerotothree.org

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Some evidence suggests that early childhood professionals may not be adequately prepared to serve young children with disabilities enrolled in inclusive programs. A growing body of empirical evidence suggests that professional development on any topic is more likely to be effective when it is (a) content specific and focused on well-defined professional practices rather than general issues; (b) aligned with intervention or instructional goals, learning standards, and the curriculum materials used in practice; and (c) intensive, sustained over time, and designed to give feedback and guidance through methods such as coaching, consultation, or facilitated group collaboration.          – Pamela Winton

“We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better.”    – Sandy Escobido

“I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference.” – Raymond Hernandez, MS Ed  

“The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.”                  - Marian Wright Edelman

“When Jesus Christ asked little children to come to him, he didn't say only rich children, or White children, or children with two-parent families, or children who didn't have a mental or physical handicap. He said, 'Let all children come unto me.'”

                - Marian Wright Edelman

Personal Childhood Web

My Personal Childhood Web



My father was a hard working, caring, supportive, loving, Christian man.  He showed me how to love others no matter what.  As my father lay in the hospital, dying, he was concerned about the man in the room next to him.  He was concerned about his faith.  He sent a footprints plaque to his room as a reminder of how God would never leave him.  My favorite times with my father were when we would go riding on the motorcycle together.  I am so glad that God blessed me with such a wonderful father and that I got to call him my Dad!

 

My mother was a supportive, loving, caring, respectful, fun, and a Christian woman.  She wanted to stay home with my brother and I when we were young, so she kept a couple of other children so that she could do just that.  She always made sure that my brother and I were involved in our church and some sort of sports activities - for me it was gymnastics and soccer.  She was the girl scout cookie mom for my troop and the mom that all the kids wanted to come and visit because she would bake cookies with us.  I love that about my mom and I have always wanted to be like her in that way.

 

Hank Pulliam

Hank was a member of the church where I started attending at the age of 5.  He drove our church van and would pick up people that wanted to come to church that may not have been able to get there for whatever reason.  He loved his church and he loved his church family.  Even though my family would go to church, I loved for him to come by and get me on the church van.  He also had a wood working shop at his house and I would visit him and his wife often and he would let me make things with him.  The impression he left on me was that of love, because he was always showing love to others.

 

Alex Dunn

Sunday School Teacher

Alex was a great Sunday School teacher and a great friend.  He wanted to make sure that we knew about God's love but also about how we should show our love to others.  He was very instrumental in leading me to Christ and I thank him for that.  One of his favorite quotes that he would share with us as we would leave his class was, "Tell me who you run with and I'll tell you what you are!"  He stressed to us the importance of how we should walk so that others could see Christ in us.  Another quote he would share was, "It rains on the just the same as the unjust, and sometimes it just rains."  Things would not be easy along the way but God would always love us.

 

Mrs. Brock

Kindergarten teacher

Mrs. Brock was a great teacher and I loved that she took an interest in me.  I would go to class for half of a day and during that time she allowed me to be her helper.  I would help her with the kids who were less fortunate than I was and now realize that it was probably because they did not have the same support system that I had at home.  She was a nurturing teacher and had every child's education at heart.  The word that my principal described me as in my evaluation last year was just that - Nurturing.



Favorite Children's Quote

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! --- Dr. Seuss

I love this quote as I speak this to my students each and every day!  I always stress how important it is to keep trying!

A Favorite Children's Book

My favorite children's book is The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn.  It makes me think of when I sent my three boys off to school for the first time.  I also used this when I taught first grade.  I would read this story to them and then we would make a kissing hand which we gave to their parents at open house.

Struggling with blogging!

Wow!  This has been an adventure!  Hope I figure this out soon!