Professional Hopes and Goals

This class has brought many new insights to my mind concerning social justice, equity, and diversity. One thing that I hope for concerning children and families who come form diverse backgrounds is that everyone is respected and valued for their individuality. I hope that I can be a positive influence in the children and families that I serve as well as, a positive role model for acceptance to my co-workers.

In addition, one goal that I would like for the early childhood field is to require educators to take a training on diversity at least once a month. By doing this I believe that issues of social justice and equity will remain at the forefront of everyone's mind when working with children and families. It is very important that children and families feel welcome and respected. I also like the implementation of intergenerational relationships into early childhood programs.

In conclusion, I have learned so many things from this class. I have realized the importance of respecting everyone and looking into my own biases. I hope that this world becomes more sensitive to the feelings of others, and wish that prejudices and biases will eventually be eliminated. I would like to thank Dr. Shepard and each of my classmates for their support, and providing with their personal insight of these topics throughout this course. I wish everyone much success in their lives and their future in early childhood.

Working With Families Around The World

I chose to work with a family from Hong Kong. I will work as a family and children service worker. I know that coming from another ountry will be intimidating to the family. I will get to know the family better by visiting them in their home, through having conversations with them and asking them about their customs, beliefs, and traditions, obtaining information about their country and the specific place where they resided, and attending diversity trainings so that I can offer them the best service and support possible.

I hope that these preparations will benefit both myself and the family by allowing me to become more comfortable with the family so that I do not insult them in anyway. It will also help me provide the services that the family may need because I will know their expectations. The family will be able to have a smooth transition into this country because I have taken the time to understand them and their needs. I can help them with additional resources and work with them to obtain their goals in this country.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

There was an incident where I experienced a personal bias on a professional level. I work for a University and I have experienced other co-workers who have graduated from the University receive much higher pay than those who graduated from other schools. I am talking about a $700 to $2,000 a month difference, when some of the lesser paid had more experience. There is definitely favoritism going on in that situation. The director definitely exhibited bias in this situation. She always think that the students who graduated from that particular University knows more, and it is as plain as day that some of those graduates do not have a clue as to what’s going on in early childhood.

Also, that bias diminishes equity because everyone was not treated fairly. You cannot put some people above others because of the school they attended. That is wrong and unfair and no part of equity is in that situation. It was very clear what was happening, and it was wrong. She had bias and prejudice towards employees who did not graduate from the University in which we were employed. This made me feel unvalued and unappreciated. I felt like I had to go above and beyond to get what I deserved, when it was just handed to others.

In conclusion, I really think that the director’s opinion of others would have to change for there to be greater equity. I think that some of the employees have definitely shown her that her thinking was wrong, but it took a lot of effort before she began to see the value in the other staff. People often deal with bias such as education, but they do not talk about it.

 

Awareness of Microaggressions

Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions happen daily, often without either person involved recognizing what has taken place. One incident of microaggression occurred while I was visiting into with a friend. I went to see a friend and while I was there a man turned to me and said, “hey baby, you need me to open that soda for you, you may break a fingernail”. I was very upset with him but tried to keep my composure. This was gender microaggression and it did not feel good at all.

In addition, becoming aware of the many microaggressions has given me the incentive to make sure that I do not impose microaggression on others. It is so easy for someone to inflict microaggression on others because they are not aware that they are doing it. My experiences and learning from the coursework has helped me identify microaggressions that I commit against others.

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Diversity and Culture

The first person I asked said that culture was the way they were raised. They said that diversity was the differences in individuals. The person that gave this answer was a male. The second person I asked said that culture was your surroundings and beliefs, not necessarily having anything to do with ancestry because people move to different countries all the time and they may adopt another culture. They also said that diversity was anything that was different to any individual person. The third person said that culture was their values, beliefs and traditions. They said that diversity to them meant differences in values, beliefs, and traditions.

Some of the aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied were included in some of the answers. Many of the answers included value, traditions, beliefs and differences were included, but many aspects were not included such as; responsibilities, parenting styles, roles, and more.

In conclusion, the people that I asked offered simple definitions but many of the aspects of “deep culture” were included in the very short answers. Many of the “surface culture” aspects were not mentioned. I especially liked the answer that mentioned that sometimes your culture will change and it does not always involve ancestry.

 

 

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

If I had to suddenly move to another country one of the items I would take is a straightening comb that my grandmother used when I was a child. A straightening comb is like a metal comb that is placed on the stove to get hot. When the comb gets hot it is then used to straightened out your hair. Before perms were famous, some African Americans would use these straightening combs to straighten out their course hair.

In addition, the other two items that I would take are my bible and my blanket that my grandmother made for me when I was a child. These two things are important to me and are a part of who I am. Those three things are very important to me and my family culture. These three items have helped me throughout my life. I would explain to others that these items are very important to me and I would feel incomplete without them.

Also, if I were told that I could only keep one item I would be very disappointed. I would be sad and it would make me feel that my family values did not mean anything to others. I would feel as though my family had been disrespected. I wouldn’t feel valued and respected as a person.

In conclusion, as a result of this exercise I am starting to think how others feel. I know that everyone wants to be valued and respected. Showing others that their beliefs and customs are not important is something that is very disheartening. It has increased my awareness of how others feel. This was a very good exercise.

Thinking of Research...

Thinking of Research

I have had an amazing experience building my research competencies. I have learned many new things concerning research. I have learned the correct way to conduct research. Research involves many important steps. Finding an appropriate research question and learning if it will evolve into a hypothesis was new to me. I initially thought that anything I wanted to research would be appropriate, I was wrong. I also learned different design styles and ways to set up my research study.

Also, learning about the different aspects of research has enabled me to confidently conduct a research study in the future. I think that I would be less intimidated about conducting research in the future. This class has really taught me a lot and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to learn about research. I feel confident that I can conduct a good research and implement everything that I have learned.

In addition to learning about the overall process of research, I learned key aspects that are very important to the entire process. I learned that planning my research will help me avoid mistakes such as; using the wrong approach to research, not getting proper consent, and not choosing the best way to get the information I need to carry out a good research.

However, I encountered a few problems along the way. I learned the difference in a case study and a research study. I learned that what I had was actually a case study with a few participants. I also had trouble with the understanding of some of the definitions. I got confused with methodological triangulation and theory triangulation. With the help of Dr. Davis I was able to distinguish the differences between the two. I also read re-read the text so that I could get a better understanding of the definitions.

In conclusion, a new dimension to early childhood has taken place in my mind. I realize that contributing to research is very important to the field. As I further my education this class will have helped me in a great way. I plan on getting my Doctorate in the future and I know that research will be a big part of my study. Also, as an early childhood professional I will be able to contribute to my profession by conducting meaningful research that will help my community. I would like to thank my classmates and Dr. Davis for providing me with support throughout this learning experience. I wish everyone the best of luck in their futures.

 

Research Around the World

Some of the current research topics on The Early Childhood Australia’s website included research on resilience, diversity, learning through play, assessments and many more topics. A surprising insight that I gain from the website was the overwhelming amount of information on different subjects. The website offered many things to anyone concerned about early childhood. This is a great website and it offers membership to receive information about many research topics.

Also, other noteworthy information I learned from the website is that they are committed to Aboriginal and Torres Island Strait Islander people. They have a commitment statement that acknowledges these two groups as being original people of Australia and is dedicated to uphold the cultural identity of them and their families.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

If I could conduct research now I would choose the topic of self-regulation. I have always wondered what makes some people learn to manage their emotions and have self-control and others do not. I would like to know what was different in their lives or genes that allow some people to lack self-control. I would like to know if it is something that can be learned or does genetics play a role in self-regulation.

In conclusion, I think that this would make a positive contribution because we would have a society with less violence. This would be a great benefit to the world. I definitely think that there has to be some way to teach self-control regardless if genetics plays a part in self-regulation. The positive contribution would be a world with less aggression and anger.

Personal research journey

The subtopic that I chose for my simulation is Ways to Foster Resilience in Children. My personal experience with this process has been very scary. I wanted to make sure that I did the literature reviews correctly and I am not sure. Everything about research scares me and I hope that we can help each other through this course. I found it hard trying to find information that I wanted to use for my simulation. There is so much good information out there and I wanted to make sure that I chose wisely.

Additionally, constructing the research chart did help me to understand key terms in research which will prove to be important to my success. The terms were kind of hard for me to understand at first, but I kept reading them over and over and trying to apply them correctly in a sentence. This helped me to gain a better understanding of the terms.

In conclusion, if anyone has any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it. I know this may be new to many of us and it will be good to rely on each other for support. I do not have any resources to share at this time, but when I do I will post them to the doc sharing page. I wish everyone luck and much success throughout this process.

Consequences

 Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my professional and personal development was, I realized that there are universal problems affecting children and their families. Many families struggle with poverty, low-quality education and more. For my professional development and personal development I need to be aware of how to help families with these issues. The second consequence of learning about international early childhood field is that I found it very hard to make contacts with professional internationally. I did not get a single response back and I sent out many request. I really would have liked to communicate with someone internationally for my professional and personal development. The third consequence was I realized that there is so much more to learn and do considering early childhood in the United States. We have so many poor families here that are seldom mentioned. I believe that this is because of the image it wants to give. I know that for my professional and personal development I should focus on learning more and growing.

 One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations is to have more correspondance between educators and other other childhood professionals around the world. I would like to see some type of program where professionals from around the world collaborate on issues and trends affecting early childhood.

International Contacts

While conducting research on international childhood education I realized that more countries have taken an approach to where they are putting mandatory importance on early childhood. Many countries are beginning implement programs to target children in poor areas and children age 0-6. If more programs are funded then this means that more jobs will be available in the early childhood field. Another insight gained is that Brazil policymakers have begun to look toward the federal government funding of early childhood education. They are looking towards preventive measures such as increasing federal funds to allocate towards early childhood education to ensure that all children have access to quality education.

In addition, the third insight that I have gained is the problem of programs focusing on children who need the help the least. “…governments must use complementary financing measures to ensure equity of access for poor and disadvantaged children, as a pure market approach to increasing the level of early childhood provision has been shown to favour the privileged, who can afford the service” (Investment Financing, 2012, p.1). Private sectors have marketed so that education in their community is available, accessible, and affordable.

References:

UNSECO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” Retrieved August 10, 2012 from, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/investment-and-financing/

Sharing Web Resources

I decided to explore the NAEYC website. The website has a ton of information on many topics. One specific area contains a list of accredited child care programs. This would be very useful to parents when searching for quality programs in their area. I have not received any newsletters from NAEYC as of yet, but the website does have articles on access and availability.

In addition, the site I selected at the beginning did offer information on availability. There was a section on the ACEI website that talks about how India’s Supreme Court has upheld a law concerning availability of spots to children that are disadvantaged. As stated by ACEI, “the law makes education a fundamental right and reserves 25% of school seats in both public and private institutions for economically and socially disadvantaged children” (2012, p.1). Through exploring the websites I learned that many countries are now taking an interest in making sure that all children are able to participate in quality early childhood programs. This is very good to know because many children and families are disadvantaged and need someone to advocate for their rights concerning education.

References:

Association for Childhood Education International (2012). Global News. Right To Eduation Ruled Valid. Retrieved online from,

 http://www.acei.org/global-news/right-to-education-law-ruled-valid.html

Global Initiatives on Excellence and Equity

During my exploration of the website I have gained new ideas about early childhood systems around the world. I particularly liked the Global Children Initiative that is focused on improving early childhood practices and children’s healthy development by working with policy makers, educators and researchers. I really like the fact that an importance is being placed on early intervention strategies. Most often, there are problems that pre-existing that can really pose problems to a child’s development and learning. As mentioned in the article, “supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects to expand global understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track” is part of the strategy used to help children with some of their problems that they are experiencing. (Global Children’s Initiative, 2010, p.1).

In addition, as a part of this Initiative, I learned that Africa has taken steps to improve their early childhood practices by developing an assessment test that tracks children developmental progress before and throughout their school years. Zambia has developed this test so that they can measure the effects of the anti-malaria project used to help children who may be affected by sickness.

In conclusion, another insight gained is the awareness of different illnesses that effects the healthy development of children. Many children around the world are affected by issues such as, poverty, illness, and more. The Global Children Initiative has implemented programs around the world to help assist with these issues concerning the healthy development of children.

References:

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

The Association for Childhood Education International has been a very interesting and informative sight to study. I particularly found interest in the section on Global Summit on Childhood and their annual conference. This is important to my professional development because it allows early childhood professionals to come together to learn new and informing information, as well as the different issues that are affecting children and their families. As stated by ACEI, “the  Executive Board has opted to offer Summits on Childhood throughout the Decade. This will provide continuity to the discussions on childhood and hopefully provide continuity for relationship building and collegial networking as well” (2012, p.1). Being able to network with other early childhood professionals is very important to professional development.

Also, while reading the different articles on the website, I did read something that made me feel controversial, as well as, something that made me think about children’s rights and the association of businesses. I read an article entitled, Children’s Rights and Business Principles. There was a sentence that read, “at the close of the launch, difficult questions and considerations were brought out, particularly concerning how to mainstream children's rights and how to make them a business driver, as opposed to a set of requirements” (ACEI, 2012, p.1) The article had some great things to say concerning children, but I am a bit confused by the statement.

In addition, the website also highlighted how different countries and politicians have supported equal rights for the education of all children. India has upheld new laws concerning all children be able to get a quality education regardless of income. I think this shows how people from different countries are starting to see the importance of quality early childhood education.

In conclusion, I found an amazing amount of information concerning topics such as; gender discrimination in education, child poverty in economically advanced countries, global trends and more. One important thing I learned from researching the website is that children all over the world suffer from the same things. Poverty, poor nutrition, lack of quality education, and other issues seem to plague children worldwide. All of these things are issues that have to get better in order for children to have a fighting chance at becoming successful in their adult lives.

References:

Association for Childhood Education International. ACEI Upcoming Conference Schedule (2012). Exploring new ways of joining together. Retrieved online from,

            http://www.acei.org/acei-news/acei-upcoming-conference-schedule.html

World Poverty

Hi, I tried to contact several professionals, but yet no luck. I decided I better start studying the website so that I could gain insight into child poverty in another country. I studied childhood poverty in China. I learned that although China has a very huge population they have taken steps to reduce poverty by over 27% in about 22 years. Another interesting thing I learned was that poverty in the rural communities declined far better than urban communities. I think that more interest has to be placed on urban communities. My question is why is this happening? Through the research of poverty I have learned that many places have problems with poor living conditions and poverty in the urban community. Also, I learned that China’s poverty line is lower than the national standards which may contribute to more people living in poverty. As stated by CHIP, “China's transition from a centrally planned to a globalized market economy has helped reduce chronic poverty and disadvantage, but also created new forms of vulnerability and poverty” (2012, p.1). The western part of China has not been as fortunate concerning economic growth as eastern China. I guess China is similar to the United States because some areas of the United States experience more poverty than other areas.

References:

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre (CHIP). (n.d.). Country Overviews. Retrieved on July 12, 2012 from, http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Sharing Web Resources

The name of the organization I selected is the Association for Childhood Education International website. This organization focuses on providing quality education, living, well-being and promoting the rights of children. A primary focus is to improve living conditions and to make sure that all children have a good quality of life by lobbying for laws, improving quality care from educators and those that provide services to children. The specific article was retrieved from, http://www.acei.org/global-news/urbanization-and-meeting-the-needs-of-children.html

One current issue that caught my attention was the article retrieved form the Association for Childhood Education International website. The report was on children living in a more urban world while some are advantaged and some will live in more poverty with less adequate living conditions. As stated by UNICEF, “ cities and towns have generally lacked the capacity and infrastructure to keep up with rapid growth; as a result, the disparity between those who have access to urban advantages and those living in poverty is increasing” (State of the World’s Children, 2012. P.1). This is important because many children will lack developmentally in many areas because of poor living conditions, environmental hazards and more. As an early childhood professional it impacts the children in the classroom and how to help children in spite of these issues becomes a concern.

In conclusion, I learned that this is an awesome website. There were many articles concerning children throughout the website. I definitely will use this website for future reference. As a professional, this website provides information from issues affecting children to ways that professionals can improve their personal and professional development.

References:

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/

Establishing Professional Contacts

Blog Part 1

I think that it is very good to establish contact with professionals from around the world. I think that they could give a unique perspective and insight to the issues and trends discussed in this course. I e-mailed 5 different people, but I received two e-mails returned stating “no such sender”. Hopefully, I will here from someone soon. I tried to make more contacts than required because I felt as though someone may not respond back. I tried to contact professionals from Nigeria, Spain and the Philippines. I initially tried to contact two other professionals from Singapore and Canada. I am really looking forward to corresponding with these professionals and hope that I will not have to do the alternative to part1.

Blog Part 2

For part 2, I chose to explore the Zero to Three, NAEYC, and The Association for Childhood Education International website. I think the Zero to three website will have a lot to offer and I subscribed to the newsletter. The Association for Childhood Education International was very interesting and it had blogs that you could read and respond to as well as, e-news and radio broadcasts. I chose the NAEYC website because I recently went through NAEYC accreditation and this was a very strenuous process, but we received accreditation. Going through the process made me really aware of the quality this program enforces. There are a lot of things that you have to include in your program and practices to become accredited. I know this website will offer a lot of information that will be beneficial to me.

My Supports

I am very thankful that my life is filled with support. When I first went back to school I was a bit hesitant. I was hesitant because I was worried about my computer crashing, being too tired to complete work, and the thoughts of how my family would feel if I went back to school. I needed many supports.

In my daily life I get my support from my husband, Walden University, instructors and my children. Without the support I do not think that I would have been able to go back to school. Walden has offered me much support by making my transition to school easier. In the beginning, the advisor walked me through everything. The instructors at Walden have been very helpful and considerate whenever there was a problem. My husband has supported me by encouraging me to do my best and allowing me the uninterrupted time I have needed to complete my work. My children also have supported me by taking on more responsibility at home so that I can have time free to do my work.

In addition, my laptop has been very helpful. I do not know if some of my support would have been as supportive if I had to travel outside the home to go to school. My computer has not let me down and I am grateful. I definitely could not get anything done without my computer. Not having to drive somewhere to go to school has made all the difference in the world.

In conclusion, we all need support in our lives because it makes life a little easier. Having a support system helps me to be a better person; I am less stressed and happier. I imagine that if I had no support in my life then I would be a very sad person.

My Connections to Play

Two quotes that summarized what play represented for me in childhood are; Play is our brain's favorite way of learning by Diane Ackerman- Contemporary American author, and Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity by Kay Redfield Jamison-Contemporary American professor of psychiatry. The following pictures represent essential play items for my younger self. As a child I loved playing board games such as checkers and tic-tac-toe. It eased my mine and relaxed me. The swing and the slide made me feel free and also eased my mine. All three gave me great enjoyment.

The people in my life supported play by making sure that I had enjoyable things to do at home. My family always involved themselves in play as well. My grandparents use to take us on picnics, fishing, camping, and we always played board games. As a child, I had a swing that was hung from a tree. I think that I was fortunate to have people in my life that provided meaningful opportunities for me to play. Play was very important to my entire family. Playing on the slide was also one of my favorite play items. I always played on the slide, swings, and the merry-go-round in school.

However, play today has changed somewhat because I do not think people value play as much today as they did when I was younger. My wish for today is parents will show an increase in awareness of the benefits and value of play. Play today is filled with electronics; children today get little physical exercise because of all the electronic items available now. I truly wish that children would get out more and explore their environment.

In conclusion, play has always been important in my life. I lost my mother at the age of 9, and play helped me to mentally cope with that loss. Play has always served as a way for me to escape from the world as well as, connect to it. I learned many things from play and today I kind of view being in school as a form of play for me because I enjoy it and it help me to relax. Play today is just as important as it was when I was a child.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they help me to make it through this world with some ease. My relationship with my God, my husband, children, family and friends help me be the person I am. In the beginning my relationship with my father, grandparents, aunts, and uncles helped me to become the person I am. They taught me to love unconditionally and to put God in my life. They taught me to love all people and treat everyone with respect. I was taught that if someone asked and I have to give, then that is what I should do. I was surrounded by love growing up and this was very important because my mother died when I was 9 years old.

Currently, I have several people with whom I have very positive relationships with. My sons, husband, my friend, and my dog are very important in my life. My husband and I have a positive relationship because he supports me in everything that I do. He gives me the space I need to complete my school work and contributes to house chores allowing me time to devote to my studies. He listens when I feel overwhelmed and encourages me when I get discouraged. Our relationship is maintained through the love and respect that we have for each other, and the open lines of communication we have. Most importantly is the dedication we have made to maintain this relationship.

In addition, my two sons are always giving me praise for being the loving person that I am. They always tell me how much they love me and motivate me to always do my best in all areas of my life. They love unconditionally and it is the best feeling in the world. What maintains these relationships are love and commitment.

Also, my friend provides me with an ear without criticism. She supports me in whatever I do and the decisions that I make. What contributes to our positive relationship is the fact that we keep our conversations between the two of us. We are loyal to each other and this maintains our relationship.

Concerning my dog, I love my dog and he loves me. I am there to feed and give him love. He is there to just love me and this is more special that some people can fathom. Just to see him after work, outside where I expect him to be brightens my day. He is always happy to see me and always whimper when I leave.

In conclusion, the challenges to developing these relationships were interference from things of the world. Sometimes people may try to keep you from developing and maintaining positive relationships because they may be lacking in their lives. Also, being overloaded with work sometimes has proven to be a challenge to maintaining relationships. I see the dedication, commitment, and bond that my husband and I share as a partnership as well as, a relationship.

Quote

Hello Everyone,

I want to personally thank each and everyone for all of their insights and knowledge that helped me throughout the class. One personal quote concerning children that I love is the following;

“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”

By, Ignacio Estrada

Assessments

Hi Everyone,

I believe that if anything, children should be measured for things such as; creativity, endurance, self-esteem, creative thinking skills and etc. I think we should look at ways to help children learn to be self-sufficient, happy, positive people in the world. I think when we look at the "whole child" many things are considered. Standardized test have taken over the classrooms in the United States. Many schools only focus on those standardized test and there is just so much else for them to be focusing on. I believe this is why the United States fall far behind some other countries.

However, I wanted to take a look at how China assessed children because I have always heard that their children perform very well academically. To my surprise I found out that they are strictly standardized in their assessment of children. They have a test called the "gaoka" that is the only determination as to whether a child goes on to college. But, I did read that the leaders of China are pushing for this strict implementation of standardized testing to be changed.

Additionally, I would like to say that many people find standardized testing appropriate. I personally do not think that some of those test are fair. A lot of those test have questions on them that are from ancient times. Some of the content on these test are about things that only a select number of children have ever heard of. The question for me is, how can you make a standardized test fair? I do not believe this is possible.

Stressors

Hi Everyone,

I did not personally experience any stressors listed but, I am guardian to two great nephews who have experienced multiple stressors in their young lives. My nephews were were exposed to violence, isolation, poverty and hunger. Their mother is on drugs, I received guardianship of my nephews two years ago. My nephews talk about how they would not see their mother for days at a time. She would leave them home alone. Sometimes they would ome home and have nothing to eat. They would often have to get themselves dressed for school in dirty, torn clothes and the children would often make fun of them. When the family was notified, the children had only attended school for 56 days out of the year. My nephews coped by stealing food from grocery stores, and making it the best way they could. The oldest nephew which was 11 at the time said that he would not eat to allow his other siblings to eat. Two years later one of my nephews will still eat anything and everything in his sight. He stills food and snacks and go eat after everyone has fallen asleep. We tell him that thhis is not necessary because we will always feed him but, this life is programmed into him. He also coped with life stressors by shutting down and having no feelings for anyone and anything.

Also, I looked at stressors around the world and learned that children from South Africa experience many stressors as well. Young boys are made to fight in wars.. The young girls and women are victims of sexual abuse and many other violent crimes. I did not see how they cope with their stressors. I know it must be difficult for them. I can not imagine living a life where it seems that everything is wrong in your life yet, many do overcome these obstacles especially, if they are fortunate enough to leave the country. I wish that no children had to face these type of hardships especially, someone so close to home. Sometimes children that we come in contact with everyday experience things and we have no idea.


Michele Troutman

Malnutrition/Nutrition

Hi Everyone,

I chose to blog about malnutrition/nutrition beause, it is very important to the healthy development of children. There are many children today that are hungry on a daily basis, and this leads to health problems, social issues, concentration problems and self-estemm issues in children. It is an important topic to understand because so many childrens and families are affected by malnutrition. The very children in our classrooms may be victims of poor nutrition. Understanding this illness can possibly lead to understanding some of the problems children are having in the classroom because sometimes it is not just a behavior problem but could be the negative effects of malnutrition.

Deborah Braconnier

More than 30 million Americans experience hunger regularly or are at risk of going hungry, according to the Child Welfare League of America. Some 8.5 million Americans, including nearly 3 million children, experience hunger on a daily basis Many of them must rely on food banks and church-sponsored hot meals programs to get by. Of course, those who don't get enough to eat run the risk of becoming malnourished.http://www.livestrong.com/article/487412-malnutrition-in-america/#ixzz1ol80EkvA

 Although this is bad in America, other countries batttle with malnutrition is much worse. As reported,  "Ethiopia alone had 9 million famine victims in 1983. The most common form of malnutrition in Africa is protein energy deficiency affecting over 100 million people, especially 30-50 million children under 5 years of age"(The African Council for Food and Nutrition, 1992, p.1). Almost another 200 million are at risk. Children around the world are dieing from a lack of food. This is terrible for anyone to live with. This is a very important issue that affects everyone on a global level.

The Birthing Experience

Hello Everyone,

I want to begin by saying that I have to mention the birth of both my sons because, I feel like I would be cheating or putting value on one over the other. Generally, both were quite similar. My water never broke on its own for neither birth. I had what some would call a dry birth. Both son's birth went without incident, I did not have any complications and I did not use the epidural. I did receive some type of anesthesia through my I.V. Both births lasted about 5 or 6 hours. I had both births at a hospital and had good prenatal care throughout both pregnancies. Both children weighed 7lbs. and between 4 and 6 ounces. The only difference is with my oldest son I did not experience any type of morning sickness. With my youngest son I could not eat much of anything throughout the pregnancy and experienced some spotting also.

Furthermore, I looked at women from Central Africa to see what type of birthing experiences they share in their country. I found that almost all women have births at home. In the earlier years they would deliver in standing positions. The death rate of infants in central africa is high, I would assume because the lack of having a steralized medical environment and no access to quality prenatal care. I did not find a lot of similarities between my births and theirs. My personal birth was similar in that I was born at home with a mid-wife. I never asked why to this day. I do not know if my mother did not have time to get to a hospital, or if she chose to have me at home with the assistance of a mid-wife.

In conclusion, I do know that the birthing experience is a wonderful thing. I believe this is true for all women around the world. Regardless, of the differences in the way we deliver our children, we all share a common bond of going through an amazing event called birth. One thing that I learned form the comparison is that prenatal care during pregnancy is very important. Also, it is very important to the healthy development of children that they receive care after they are born. In Central Africa, a lot of children die either during the prengancy, or months after they have been delivered. I just wanted to use this quote by the Birthing Naturally website.

...women in Central Africa having 100 times the risk of dying compared to women in developed countries. Their children are at least 6 times more likely to die within the first year of life; 5 times more likely to die within the first week after birth; and 4 times as likely to not live long enough to be born.

At least 75% of these deaths are preventable with basic health care.  

Vanderlaan. Virginia (2009).Birth in Central Africa.Training Skilled Birth Attendants. Retrieved from,

 http://www.birthingnaturally.net/christian/africa/index.html

Michele

Thank You to All

Hello everyone,

This has been an amazing course with amazing colleagues and instructor. I want everyone to know tyat I appreciate each and everyone in the class. I have learned from each of your experiences working with children. I thank you all for sharing your insight, enouragement, help and understanding as I have had to ask many of you for assistance. I hope that our interconnections with each other remains throughout the program.


Best wishes,

Michele Troutman

NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics

One guideline from the code of ethics that is very meaningful to me is:

• 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.

I have always been a firm believer in treating everyone with respect and dignity. You have to show children and families that they are important, and that they are being treated fairly. Teachers should always be honest and truthful with parents if they want to earn the respect of families. This is very important. When parents trust their child's teachers they are more likely to build a good relationship that will benefit their children.

Two  ideals that I find meaningful comes from the NAEYC code of ethical conduct, they are:

• I-2.1 To be familiar with the knowledge base related to working effectively with families and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

This is important because in order to provide children and familes with the best services that fit their needs, you have to stay abreast of new information on early childhood and other information that affects children and their families. The more knwledgable you are on child development, the more you can provide children with great practices that will enhance their development.

• I-2.3 To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.

Family participation is very important to a child's healthy development. Children are more likely to do better when they have their families support and involvement. In order for this to happen we must encourage families to get involve. We must create a warm caring environment that welcomes family and assist them in their efforts to help their children.

Course Resources

Resource List:

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/78618/CRS-CW-6284754/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
  • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    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.
• 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/

Additional Resources:
  This is a good resource for those working at a Head Start facility

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc

Other websites I like are:

http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/

and

http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/resources/ec-growingideas/

Quotes of Inspiration

Hello Everyone,

I was very inspired by all of the people included in week 2 and week 3 resources. I find it very encouraging when I see such passion in the early childhood field. If I did half as much as these people have done in the field, I would have done a great job.

From week 2 I chose to included remarks from Ms. Louise Sparks and Mr. Raymond Hernandez. I am inspired by their thoughts on the passion that drives them to do what they do.
As stated by Louise Sparks, her passion was, "passion to create a safe just world for all children" (Laureate Education Inc., 2011)
The passion that I loved from Mr. Hernandez was that he wasn't trying to save everyone, but trying to make a difference in his community (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).

One of the peole I chose from week 4 was Mrs. Marian Edelman, and here is an excerpt from Hold My Hand: Prayers for building a Movement to Leave No Child Left Behind

I Care and Am Willing To Serve

By Marian Wright Edelman

Lord I cannot preach like Martin Luther King, Jr.

or turn a poetic phrase like Maya Angelou

but I care and am willing to serve.

I do not have Fred Shuttlesworth's and Harriet

Tubman's courage or Franklin Roosevelt's political skills

but I care and am willing to serve.

I cannot sing like Fannie Lou Hammer

or organize like Ella Baker and Bayard Rustin

but I care and am willing to serve.

I am not Holy Like Archbishop Tutu,

forgiving like Mandela, or disciplined

like Gandhi

but I care and am willing to serve.

I am not brilliant like Dr. Du Bois or

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, or as

eloquent as Sojourner Truth and Booker

T. Washington

but I care and am willing to serve.

I have not Mother Teresa's saintliness,

Dorothy Day's love or Cesar Chavez's

gentle tough spirit

but I care and am willing to serve.

God it is not as easy as the 60's

to frame an issue and forge a solution

but I care and am willing to serve.

My mind and body are not so swift as in youth

and my energy comes in spurts

but I care and am willing to serve.

I'm so young

nobody will listen

I'm not sure what to say or due

but I care and am willing to serve

I can't see or here well

speak good English, stutter sometimes

and get real scared, standing up before others

but I care and am willing to serve.

Lord, use me as Thou will to save Thy children today and tomorrow

and to build a nation and world where no child is left behind and

everyone feels welcome.

The other person I chose from this week's resources was Lilian Katz, it is as follows:

"It is clearly not useful for a child to learn skills if, in the process of learning them, the disposition to use them is damaged" (Dispositions as Educational Goals, 1993).

All of these people are great inspirations to continue doing my best in the early childhood field.

Personal Childhood Web

Hello Everyone,

The first two people that I would like to introduce you to is my grandmother and grandfather. Their names are Charlie and Estelle Knowlton. These two people were very instrumental in my life. My grandparent's received custody of me when I was nine years old due to my mother dieing in a house fire. They are my father's parents I did not know my mother's parents very well. These two people influenced my life by introducing me to religion and rearing me to be considerate to all people. They were loving grandparent's who believed that I should have whatever I wanted. They taught me to be polite, giving, thankful and to love all people. They encouraged me to study hard and get good grades in school. Whenever I had a problem my grandmother always made me feel better. Both of my grandparents have now passed, but they continue to influence my life because I am the person that they reared me to be. My experiences surrounding my grandparents helped me to become the confident, loving, nurturing, un-selfish person that I am today. I can remember my grandparents feeding everyone in the neighborhood. I have taken on this caring nature. I can remember when I was a little girl being teased by an older sister, she would always call be black as if it was a sin, her skin complexion being lighter than mine. I remember crying to my grandmother and telling her what my sister had said. My grandmother would always tell me this one thing to tell my sister. She would say to tell her, " the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice". This would always make me feel so good. I thought that I was the sweetest little girl in the world.

Another person who influenced my life in a big way was my father. I often here people say how their father was never in their life. I have to say that I do not know how that feels and I am very grateful. My father is a great daddy and a great "grandaddy" as my two sons calls him. He influenced me to do my best then and now. My father is so proud of me and it makes me feel very special. I was his first born and only daughter for 26 years. I can remember as a young girl walking on top of my daddy's feet. My father made me feel safe, my grandmother would always say that my daddy thought that I could "hold up the sun".

The other people who influenced my life growing up were my aunts and uncles. They are my father's siblings. My grandparents had 9 children. I was the first grandaughter and the only grandchild in the city. My dad's oldest brother had one son, they lived in San Antonio, Texas. So needless to say, I was spoiled rotten being the only grandchild to my grandparents, and the only niece to 7 aunts and uncles. I remember my uncle Kenny driving me to school on the back of his motorcycle, those were the good days. My aunts and uncles always encouraged me to do my best and they continue to this day. They always supported me in whatever it was that I wanted to do in life. I wanted to talk about them individually, but it would take to much time, and I kind of see them as a whole. The same way that I view my grandparents.

In conclusion, I had a great support system, as I still do today. I was born into a great family. Although, I did not know my mother parents and siblings that well, I don't feel like I have missed anything. I had all of the love and support a person could ask for. I feel as though I was truly blessed. I was born into a great family of honor, love, and courage. My uncle Charlie retired from the Air Force, my dad fought in the Vietnam war and my grandfather fought in World War II. I am as proud of my family as they are of me.

I don't have any pictures to upload, but there is one saying that my grandmother would tell me all thei time. " You are not better than anyone, and noone is better than you, always remember that" This was her way of saying, stay humble and treat everyone with love and respect, never look down on anyone and do not let anyone make you feel unworthy or important. Respect all, from the sanitation worker to the president of the United States.

Feeling Better

Hello Everyone,

I am feeling a lot better about blogging. Technology is not so bad once you get use to it. I am learning new things everyday. Sometimes it is best to come out of our comfort zones.
Well, I have decided to upload a picture of my son and myself. I have also chosen to write about  something else that fuels my passion and to list a book that I love and why.

The book that I have chosen to write about is entitled, Yoko by Rosemary Wells. In the story, Yoko's mom has packed her sushi for lunch. Some of the other children made fun of her food. The teacher Mrs. Johnson decides to do an international lunch day so that the children will try new foods. I love this book because there are so many concepts to be taught from this book. You can expand upon feelings, nutrition and respecting other's individuality. This is a very simple, but good book.

Now, something else that fuels my passion for early childhood is the love I have for advocacy. I think that families should play an active role in their child's education. This helps the children, their families and the teachers. I really am getting the hang of this blogging action!

Well, until next time
"That's all folks"

New to Blogging

Hello everyone, this is all very new to me. This is my first experience with blogs. I am trying to get an understanding of how everything works.