Thank you!

Thank you, for sharing your insights and feedback on my blogs posts. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Adjourning From Goups

Working in a group is challenging and rewarding. Dealing with frustration and accomplishing goals are the highs and lows of working in a group. As I reflect on the groups I’ve been a part of, I think the groups that were hardest to say goodbye were the group that experienced some challenges. At the end of the assignment, reflecting on the bonds that were created, the struggles we’ve experienced and the satisfaction of accomplishing our goals seemed all worth it in the end. Working in high-performing groups and groups with established norms are beneficial to working towards/accomplishing goals.  

Every school year after the kindergarten moving up ceremony, the K (Kindergarten) Team has a closing ritual of going out to lunch to celebrate the end of the school year. We reminisce about our trials /triumphs and express appreciation to team members and draft a plan for next school year.

I imagine adjourning from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master’s degree in this program with thank you and goodbyes. Hopefully, I will get to meet some of my colleagues in person at graduation. Also I hope to maintain communication to network and continue to share experiences and ideas in the early childhood field.

Conflict Resolution

When reflecting on the conflicts I have experienced in my personal and professional lives there are many instances where I wish I handled the situations better. Two strategies that will help me in future conflicts are:

·         Taking personal responsibility for my actions and the choices I make when I respond to others. And be responsible for my contributions and collaborations in relationships.

This strategy is important in conflict resolution because it is important to control my feelings and emotions during conflicts to ensure I get my point across as well as listen to others without judgment or criticism.

·         When faced with a statement that has potential to create conflict, I will explore the difficulties and then re-direct discussion to focus on positive solutions.

 Asking open questions to clarify details of a disagreement and finding options to identify issues instead of jumping to conclusions will be more successful in communicating with others. Discerning potentially negative situations by redirecting disagreements to positive solutions will focus on the needs and help in any conflict resolution.

This week I have enhanced my understanding on the concept, “think before you speak”. I learned conflicts are ignited when there are errors of perception. Before responding to what a person said or did, pause and think about how to react, before engaging the person. This strategy may change the course of any conflict.

Resource:

Image Source: http://www.disciplineproject.com/think-before-you-speak/

Learning about Communication

The one thing that surprised me about the similarities and differences between how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me was: the similarities in our results in all three measures. The two people I selected to evaluate me as a communicator scores were in the same range as my score. I was pleased to know that my positive intentions are received by others and I also identified some areas of my communication in need of improvement.

One insight I gained about communication is our self-concept and self-esteem impacts how we interact with others and how we behave in different situations. Being aware of the importance of a healthy self- concept and self-esteem allow me to be reflective and cultivate my strengths and improve my weaknesses. I believe this will help me be comfortable/confident communicating with diverse people and in different situations.

Another insight I gained is “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Sometimes it is natural to judge people based on our personal views and experiences. However, it is not the most effective way to interact with others. Getting to know people by observing their behavior, listening, talking and sharing information will help establish and maintain healthy relationships.

Communicating with Different Groups

Considering the diversity I see in my school colleagues, my neighborhood, workplace, friends and family I certainly communicate/interact with the people from each group differently. The first example I can think of is the name people associate me by. My family, and close friends call me Tara, my nickname. Friends, acquaintances, and school colleagues call me Katara, my name. In the workplace, I am called by my last name Mrs. Walker. My relationships with the people in these different groups are connected to the name they call me. Another example is my language in different contexts. In the workplace, I may use formal language, polite and professional. In my personal relationships I may use slang, nicknames or language familiar with the group. For example, when I greet one of my friends we playfully call each other “big head,” I would not go to work and greet one of my colleagues as “big head.” Understanding context is essential in communicating with people.

Strategies to communicate effectively with others       

·          Be open and willing to share and learn about diverse cultures.

·         When communicating listen to others and actively respond to the messages they are relaying.

·         Avoid prejudging people based on their appearances, perspectives and cultures

Communication and Television

I recently watched a show called Joey & Melissa on Netflix. This was my first time ever watching the show although I have heard about it via the media. The first time I watched the episode was with the volume muted. The show started with a couple in the kitchen talking to a teenage boy.  I automatically assumed they were a family; mother, father and son. Through nonverbal behaviors such as body language, hand movements, placing hands on hips, pointing at each other and pointing at objects, and serious facial expressions I assumed the teenager was trying to persuade his parents but they did not agree. I observed the teenage boy throwing up his hands in frustration and the mother putting her hand up suggesting he stop. It was obvious the family was conflicting throughout the show. In other scenes, a new character entered and I assumed she was the sister or neighbor. As the show continued on, I learned she lived in the house and was siblings with the teenage boy.  There interactions with each other led me to these beliefs, making faces at each other and playfully throwing paper at each other.

The second time I watched the show was with the volume on. I learned that my assumption was correct that the people in the kitchen were family. However, the woman was the aunt, the man the nanny, the teenage boy was the nephew and the girl was the niece. I was also correct in assuming the boy was attempting to persuade his family, to invest in a risky stock with his inheritance. The aunt and nanny did not support his decision but eventually agreed.

Initially, watching the show with no sound was difficult because I was attempting to read their lips to understand what was happening. I had to rewind to make sure I was observing the nonverbal cues. I also notice how much people use their hands when they talk. In the show, it seemed excessive but I understand because there was no sound their nonverbal cues were magnified. I also realized that our nonverbal behavior is as equally important as verbal communication.

A Competent Communicator- Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama, in my opinion demonstrated competent communication in the Presidential Debates. President Obama has an ability to connect and relate to people which makes him an effective speaker. This is a characteristic I admire about him and would like to model.  He is able to articulate himself clearly and help people understand his positions. I would like to model this behavior because it is important to be concise and clear to stay on topic and make your point. It is also important to engage your audience and ensure they understand your positions. Another behavior that demonstrate effective communication, is his temperament, he did not appear nervous or defensive during the debate. He seemed as though he was in control of his behavior, thoughts, emotions and frustrations. This is another behavior I would like to model because when you are passionate about something it is difficult not to be emotional.  Lastly, I think the President inspires people when he communicates and influence a call to action for support and change. When communicating with others I hope to impact their lives and rally their support for change.

Resource:

Image Source: http://thepulpit.freedomblogging.com/tag/barack-obama/ 

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope, I have when I think about working with children and families from diverse cultures is: I hope children and families will experience cultural continuity when they attend my program or classroom. I hope to welcome all Children and families from diverse cultures in my program.

 One goal, I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is: the early children field will increase anti-bias education and professional development for staff and children to decrease discrimination and increase diversity and equity.

Note to colleagues:              

Thank you for sharing you experiences and thoughts on the many topics we discussed on equity, diversity and social justice in this course, Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. I have gained many insights from your perspectives, Thank you! Good luck on your future endeavors!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Imagine the following scenario:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

The setting I chose for the scenario is a child care center and I imagine a family emigrating from Romania.

5 Ways I Will Prepare Myself to be Culturally Responsive towards this Family:

1.      Reflect to identify any personal biases I may have about the county or  culture

2.      Learn background knowledge about the family culture, family structure, behaviors, morals, values and traditions

3.      Share background information with staff and students to understand the culture of the arriving family and raise cultural awareness/diversity

4.      Prepare the environment: Display welcome signs in the family’s language and other artifacts that reflect their country or culture

5.      Recruit an interpreter to translate and support communication with the family to  establish effective communication

My hopes for these preparations are supporting the family in their transition, creating a welcoming environment and establishing positive relationships. Reflecting on my biases will increase my cultural awareness and increase my culturally responsiveness. Learning about the family’s culture and country will give background information into the family’s structure and way of life. This peek into their background will increase my understanding and respect for their culture. It will also allow me to share the information with staff and students to raise their awareness and encourage diversity.  Incorporating items from their culture is very important for children and families to see their culture reflected in the environment. I believe it sends a message of acceptance and membership in the community. Having a staff member that will be able to communicate with the family and child in their language creates positive communication. These preparations will support the family’s transition into a new country and education setting.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Recently, I was watching a talk show about two friends discriminating against another friend because he came out the closet about being gay. He decided to live his life as a female and wanted his friends to accept his new lifestyle. They disagreed with his lifestyle and were bias against homosexuals because of their religious beliefs. In fact, when they saw him in the neighborhood they threw objects at him, shouted insults and threatened him on social media. Their biases diminished his equity by discriminating against his sexual orientation. Their behaviors oppressed his freedom to express his social identities. He felt betrayed and hurt that his “so called” friends were threatening his life and embarrassing him in social settings. I felt compassion for the young man because his closest friends became his enemies overnight. I was also disturbed by his friends emphasizing their Christian beliefs as the influence of their prejudice behaviors.  As a Christians, I did not agree with their methods, it is not right to harm people because you disagree with their lifestyle or beliefs. In this situation, I think the friends would have to change their hateful ways to create an opportunity for equity. A possible solution maybe, “to agree, to disagree,” but most importantly eliminate the vicious behaviors and insults. They have a choice to be his friend or not, but they do not have a right to harm him because of his personal choices. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I recently overheard a conversation between two women and as I reflect on what I learned this week, I realized I witness a microinsult. Woman A complimented Woman B’s perfect Spanish and asked, where did you learn to speak Spanish, your accent is perfect?  Woman B responded my family is from Honduras. Women A then responded but you are so dark! The hidden message is Woman B’s skin complexion is too dark to have a Spanish heritage. Although at the time I was unaware of the specific terminology, microaggression, I knew in my heart that comment was wrong and discriminatory. I was offended by the comment and I did not understand why Woman A, thought it was appropriate to make such a comment. As we have learned, she is unaware of her actions and the effects of her comment.

 

After learning about microaggression, I am more conscious of the things I say, hear and see.
It is important to be aware if microaggressions to avoid unintentionally offending anyone. I am also
more motivated to research various cultures to avoid microinsults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week’s assignment was very interesting! I enjoyed discussing culture and diversity with my friends and colleagues. I asked for their definitions of culture and diversity, here are their answers...

LB-“Culture is race, religion, heritage, and socioeconomic status (SES).” “Diversity means different groupings of cultures.”

NS Stated “culture is beliefs, language, religion, customs that are transmitted by society.” “Diversity is different cultures interacting or interactions of different societies.”

CQ Said “culture is religion, race, SES, also your morals and values you are raised with. So basically how race, religion, ethnicity, etc. factor into shaping not only a person but the community as well.” “Diversity, I feel is a mixture of all cultures within a setting that provides opportunity to learn and grow from. One that expands the culture you’ve been exposed to either in a negative or positive way.”

The answers I received included many of the aspects I studied in this course. Examples of deep and surface culture were given such as customs and language. NS definition of culture reflects the influences of the “dominate culture” in society. CQ’s definition of culture explained how individuals are shaped by their family culture (values you are raised with).

Thinking about others definition of culture and diversity influenced me to think about my definitions of culture and diversity. I agree with all of the answers listed above. To add to the definition of diversity; I believe diversity is awareness of your culture and the cultures of others. I believe diversity is a celebration of cultures interacting.

My Family Culture

The three items I would take with me, if I had to take refuge in an unknown country is a Bible, my family southern recipes and a CD of my family’s singing group, Chorus of faith.

These items are important to me because it is the foundation of my family culture.  My grandmother was from Memphis, Tennessee and she had thirteen siblings. She moved to New York with three sisters and they brought their southern style cooking. My grandmother and great aunts spent a lot of time together in the kitchen, talking and cooking. Our family would gather together monthly and on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. We would cook and bring different southern dishes such as fried chicken, candy yams, collard greens and sweet potato pies. On Sundays after church my immediate family would have a family dinner.  My grandmother and her sisters also brought their deep faith in God and were very passionate about teaching their children and grandchildren about the bible. Their passion and faith birthed a choir called the Chorus of Faith, the sisters sang at different churches and events. Their children and grandchildren were recruited to sing in the group.

I would be disappointed and fearful, if I arrived to a new country and was told I could only keep one of my three personal items. I would be concerned that my culture would be lost and I would be forced to adapt to the new country’s culture. However, it would motivate my family and I to uphold the stories behind the personal items I had to give up.

As a result of this exercise and this week’s topic, I realized the importance of maintaining my family’s culture. In the past years my family’s gatherings are dwindling and I am motivated to reunite my family.

When I Think of Research...

When I started this course, Building Research in Early Childhood, research seemed like “mission impossible.” The thought of research seemed so big and intimidating that I could not see myself as a researcher. At the end of the course I am proud to say I can see myself as a researchers and I have an understanding of how to conduct research.

 A major challenge in my journey to building research was narrowing my subtopic. School readiness is such a broad topic and I specifically wanted to explore its connection with children and families living in poverty. I investigated several websites exploring similar topics to spark my ideas and gain insights from many researchers. I also reached out to Professor Davis and she was great support at helping me bring clarity to my ideas.

I have gained many insights about research from taking this course and producing my research simulation.  The importance of involving children in research to gain deeper insights in child development and learning promotes many strides in the early childhood field. Recognizing participants’ ethical rights is as important as the focus and purpose of a research project.   Planning is essential in the conducting research; the plan includes exactly how the research is designed. In order to conduct a successful research a researcher must plan the different phases of the research process.

Early childhood professionals wear many hats in the early childhood field and I am excited to continue to grow and learn in my new role as a researcher. I look forward to using what I have learned in this course in the upcoming school year. I desire to become more efficient in my roles as an early childhood professional and researcher.

Thank you to my colleagues for all of your support and hard work in this course. I have learned so much from your posts and feedback. Good luck in all of your endeavors!

International Issues

Current International Research Topics in Australia

·         Working together and building partnerships in early childhood settings

·         Learning and teaching through play

·         Engaging families: Building strong communication

·         Understanding children's feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood

Interesting Insights I Gained Exploring,  http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/ website

Under the Early Childhood News tab I read an article titled, “New Era for Early Childhood.”  It highlights the changes in Australia’s early education to ensure quality across early childhood services and improve educational and developmental outcomes.   Over time the achievement gap between struggling and on level children are expanding. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is partnering with governments and the early childhood sector to ensure a national system of high-quality early childhood education and care for all children. The changes are results of the raised awareness of early education on children’s critical development during the early years. 

Click the link to read the article: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/every_child_magazine/every_child_index/editorial_new_era_for_early_childhood.html

Other interesting information:

The Early Childhood Australia website has a host of information and links to early childhood resources.  Here are a few I found really interesting:

Children and Respect: http://extension.umaine.edu/publications/8050e/

Routines and Procedures: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb3.html

: Research that Benefits Children and Families

I was checking out the Child Trends websites and I found a research article related to my research topic, school readiness and poverty. The title of the article is “Disadvantaged Families and Child Outcomes: The Importance of Emotional Support for Mothers.” The purpose of the study was to examine the availability of emotional support for disadvantaged mothers and its effects on their children. The findings of the research discovered that children from disadvantage backgrounds have better social and behavioral outcomes when mothers have emotional support in parenting. Emotional support from mothers offers a safeguard against negative child outcomes such as depression and grade retention. The researchers propose specifically that children are more likely to display social competence and school engagement. The summary of the research was all children from advantage and disadvantage backgrounds benefit when their mothers having emotional support. The highlight of the research is to value finding ways to ensure that mothers and families from disadvantaged backgrounds receive the support they need.                                               

Here’s the link to the article if you would like to read it- http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_03_21_RB_MaternalSupport.pdf?utm_source=Disadvantaged+Families+and+Child+Outcomes%3A+The+Importance+of+Emotional+Support..&utm_campaign=Disadvantaged+Families+and+Child+Outcomes%3A+The+Importance+of+Emotional+Support+for+Mothers&utm_medium=archive

My Personal Research Journey

My Research Topic

The research topic I decided to write about is school readiness. As I reflected on my topic and my passions I want to learn more about school readiness and children living in poverty. I selected this topic because I was intrigued by the inequalities in school readiness skills among children exiting preschool programs and entering kindergarten. During an assignment in one of my classes at Walden I learned that a large number of the families’ in the community I work in are living in poverty. I have also learned that children living in poverty are at risk of many disadvantages including inadequate early childhood experiences and limited access to quality early childhood education.  This motivated me to learn more about supporting the children I encounter and learn how I could improve their school readiness skills.  Therefore I would like to research how to increase the quality of school readiness among children living in poverty and identify strategies and practices to improve school readiness skills among children living in poverty. If you know of any resources or have any suggestions that would help me in my research process I would really appreciate the information. Thanking you in advance!

Constructing the research chart and other insights…

I think the research chart is helpful when you are reading a book, article and etc. and you would like to reflect on what you learned from the text. It is a good reference to refer back to on particle topics and also build a personal glossary to use when reading other research documents. Week 2’s discussion assignment was pretty cool, prior to this week I didn’t know how to find out if a website was credible or not. I’m glad I now have a better idea of how to evaluate websites and research articles. I will also be sure to share the information with my colleagues.

Here’s a list of Good Credible Resources:

http://www.childtrends.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

http://nieer.org/

http://www.zerotothree.org/

Good luck on you researching journey!

Issues and Trends Final Blog

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field

1.       Exploring issues and trends on an international level enhanced my understanding of issues such as poverty, equity and diversity and its effect on children worldwide.

2.      I also learned what organizations and advocates are doing around the world to improve the accessibility and quality of early care and learning.

3.      Listening to the professionals on the podcasts helped me reflect on my professional goals and passions for children and families.

One professional goal related to international awareness of issues and trends is to continue reviewing the NIEER (National Institute for Early Education Research) international website resources and newsletters.

Thank you to my colleagues that responded to my blog posts, I enjoyed reading your views and experiences. Best of Luck!

Getting to Know International Resources

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization

Website:  (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

Insights related to my professional goals:

In Africa the UNESCO works hard to keep education on the agenda in political and financial decisions. The organization aims to improve the quality of teacher education in the region and improve teaching tools. The UNESCO admits that defining quality is complex however it is fashioned by issues such as class size, student resources and access to the basic necessities, running water and electricity.

The UNESCO organization has six educational goals to meet the learning needs of children. Educational goal number one is especially linked to my professional goals. Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Also, UNESCO advocates by hosting annual "Global Action Week" and it is campaigns that raise awareness worldwide for education for all. This year's focus was on early care and education. Their goal was to assemble more political and financial support to achieve their goals, early care and education for all children.

World Forum Radio: Episode 5 Irma Allen

Website: http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

Irma Allen works in Africa to train teachers and train community members to become early childhood teachers. In Africa there are no classrooms and nature becomes the classroom environment. The weather, trees, rocks and etc. become the teaching resources.  The environment is a great teacher’s guide and encourages children to have respect for the environment.  Irma also discussed the speech of fond memories from a former student of a colleague in an early learning center. The former student expressed feeling loved and welcomed even though he is an orphan. His life changed because someone made him feel like he had a purpose. He recalled the teacher smiling and being loving. This made me reflect on the things my students will remember about me when they are adults.

                                                                             

Resources

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/worldwide/education-regions/africa/

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/efa-goals/           

Sharing Web Resources

NIEER (National Institute for Early Education Research)

http://nieer.org/

Exploring the NIEER website I came across a link Child Trends and the link took me to their website http://www.childtrends.org/. The organization conducts studies on various issues and trends in child development. Also gather evidence-based data on children at various levels of development. Their goal is to inform the public of issues and trends in early childhood by identifying children’s needs through high quality research.  Their motivation is to improve policies and support of healthy development of all children.  The website offers a wealth of information, research, data about various happenings and concerns in the early care and learning.

I explored another link http://www.nncc.org/about.html it is a National Network for Child Care. It is an internet source of research based publication associated with child care.  The network’s goal is to share information on child care from various perspectives, from parents, general public, professionals and experts. 

Newsletter: Volume 11, Issue 12 June 1, 2012

http://nieer.org/publications/online-newsletters/volume-11-issue-12

This week in this course, Trend and Issues in Early Childhood, we are continuing to learn about quality and excellence in the early childhood field and in past weeks learned about new voices advocating for quality early education. In the June 1^st Newsletter, under the Early Education News Round Up section, there is a link to an article titled, “Business Leaders Seek Greater Preschool Access.”  In this article business leaders are seeking changes in policies to eliminate the shortage of access to quality programs for disadvantaged children.  The leaders complain that inadequate preschools are causing children to fail. Michigan children that are not exposed to quality early education are unable to catch up by fourth grade; about seventy percent are non-proficient readers (Flesher, 2012).  As a result Michigan is unable to create the workforce necessary to be competitive.  A union of business leaders recommended a plan to increase funding, increase professional development and foster healthy child development.

Link to article:  http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9V39IN80.htm

It is important to gather resources to stay informed with matters related to early education and care. The article by Flesher helped me understand the necessity to promote equity and excellence in early care and education. When 70% of a population is considered non-proficient reader there is a severe problem. All children should have a right to access quality care and learning. It is essential to their healthy development and future success.

Resources:

http://www.childtrends.org/

Flesher, J (2012). Business Leaders Seek Greater Preschool Access. Business Week  http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9V39IN80.htm

http://nieer.org/

http://www.nncc.org/about.html

Getting to Know International Issues

World Forum Radio:  Episode 10 Suzan Lyon

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

Susan Lyon described the moment her passion was ignited by a child’s understanding of the word “city”.  The young boy stated that the word city was a small word for a big place. His concept of the word sparked her passion in learning how children think and understand how children view the world. Lyons brought The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit to San Francisco and created pilot programs in two local areas. The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit encourages participation of all education professionals, children, parents and the public to have mutual discussions about improving early childhood care.  The exhibit focuses on professional developments to teach strategies to cultivate children’s learning. Strategies promote practices that encourage professions to learn from children by listening to their interests and observing their actions.

                                                

Center of the Developing Child

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/

Global Projects Influencing Excellence and Equality in Early Childhood Development

 Many studies have researched the benefits of early childhood education on children and families in developing countries. However, little research has been done on its impact on children in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Five organizations collaborated and started the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project.  The program is an anti-malaria initiative and it measures the effects early childhood programs in Sub-Saharan have on children’s development in Zambian.  

Un Buen Comienzo (UBC) means “A Good Start” and it is a project in Santiago, Chile aspiring to improve children’s early development and learning. The project encourages families to get involved in their children’s education, advance early childhood education with teacher development, and help decrease health issues to improve school attendance.  This is the first project of its kind in Latin America and Chile is the example for prompting quality education.

Brazil’s Global children’s initiative is using the science of children health and development to improve polices and investments in early education.   Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância is the first program outside of the United States to work with experts to improve programs that benefit children and families.

Sharing Web Resources

NIEER National Institute for Early Education Research

Website: http://nieer.org/

NIEER E-Newsletter Volume 11; Issue 11

Relevant Professional Development:

In the Hot Topics Section, Growing Up Bilingual talks about the study of literacy outreach for low income Latino families. Families participating in the study read to their children resulting in ELL (English Language Learners) children reading by the time they reached kindergarten. As I continue to learn best practices and improve my professional development in supporting my ELL population it is important to stay current with the results of new studies. Also learn strategies on how to establish communication with non-English speaking parents.

Link: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_512JCR.pdf

 Adding to my understanding of economists and neuroscientists supporting the early childhood field:

The e-newsletter contains a link to an article “Early Learning Costs are Worth It”, written by Tim Kleisner Chairman of Hersey Entertainment and member of Pennsylvania Early Learning Commission. Kleisner affirms that investing in early education is critical. He describes the hiring process for young people in the summer to work in Hersey Park. People are selected based on their abilities to be courteous, pleasant and work well in a team. The fact that these are learned behaviors Kleisner believe that it is crucial to invest in early care to build problem solving skills, team work, communication skills, as well as language and math skills (Kleisner, 2012). He argues that science affirms that if children lack these positive learning experience it will affect their brain development, social development and academics (Kleisner, 2012). Investing in programs to reach economically at risk children under five will improve their skills before fourth grade. Investing in children early in life influences learning and development programs, save money and most importantly influence children’s lives.

Link: http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/05/early_learning_costs_are_worth.html

Other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field

In the section, New on Preschool Matters…Today! An article examines the four states with the highest Pre- K enrollment. The four states are New York, California, Florida, and Texas. Although these states have the highest enrollment, quality is another issue. New York ranked best out of the four, meeting seven out of the ten NIEER Quality Standards. The other states met approximately three out of ten quality standards. The average NIEER Quality Standard Benchmark is at least eight out of ten.  As a kindergarten teacher in NY this sheds some light on the vast differences in school readiness skills among children exiting preschool and entering kindergarten. These issues made me think about the access to preschool programs in NY a little deeper, children may attend preschool but do not have access to preschools that offer quality early learning and development. This results in children not being equipped with the necessary skills to flourish in kindergarten and beyond.  What’s the point of children attending preschool without receiving services to develop their skills and abilities?  

Link: http://preschoolmatters.org/2012/05/15/fdrs-advice-to-pre-ks-big-four/

Resource:                                                                                                                   

http://nieer.org/publications/online-newsletters/volume-11-issue-11

Getting to Know International Issues

World Forum Podcast:

I decided to listen to the work of Delfena Mitchell, Director of the Liberty Children's Home in Belize. In Episode 3, Mitchell discussed her experiences with an abused boy transition into the home. When he first entered the home he did not talking at all and eventually he began to speak about the abuse he had encountered. Unfortunately child abuse is an issue that affects children worldwide. Organizations stepping in and taking a stand and stretching out a helping hand help mold and shape children to become healthy productive member of society.

Insights on poverty in China

1.       Poverty in China mostly affects children and families in urban communities and families of migrant workers.

2.      Many families in urban areas were laid off and struggle to find employment and depend on the government to meet their basic necessities.  

3.      98% of poor families believe that education is important and aspire to motivate their children to pursue higher education despite their economic situation.

Resources:
http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=chipactivities-nat
http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php/action=documentfeed/doctype=pdf/id=83/
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

Sharing Web Resources

NIEER National Institute for Early Education Research

Website: http://nieer.org/
                 
The NIEER newsletter, volume 11 issues 10, focuses on a variety of issues affecting children, families and professionals in the early childhood field. It is outlined with five sections. Hot Topics: provides information about funding issues and its influence on quality early education, resources to improves program practices, information encouraging family involvement, mental health, language development and nutrition.  New On Preschool Matters…Today: highlights professionals and organizations making a difference in children lives by researching, advocating and investing in early education. The Calendar displays upcoming national events for professional developments such as National Conference for, Principals and Child Care Directors and many more. Early Education News Round Up provides news about the field in different states and lastly Resources provides further reading on selected topics in the newsletter.

Under the Hot Topics section, I read A Legal Right to Early Education? It was a summary of the profile on state funded preschool programs, The State of Preschool Yearbook. I was shocked to learn that in American only 28% of four year olds were enrolled in state funded programs in the 2010-2011 school year. It is imperative that children have access to quality early education. I was also surprised to learn that 7 states do not offer preschool services.

 Newsletter Link:

http://nieer.org/publications/online-newsletters/volume-11-issue-10

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

This week attempting to locate and contact two professionals outside of the United States was a bit challenging. I started my quest by asking my friends and colleagues to help me find someone to network with. I am waiting to hear from someone who relocated to Paris and is currently working in education. I then turned to social networking and emailed a moderator of an online community I was introduced to in my undergrad studies and I am waiting for a reply.  I explored the website World Forum Radio, in the meantime, I am going to attempt to contact professionals from the website and listen to the broadcasts so that I am able to participate in upcoming class discussions.

I decided to study the National Institute for Early Education Research website, because it offers research based advice in various issues in the early childhood field. It also conducts research supporting quality early childhood education and I can learn information specific to the state I live in.  I aspire to start my own day care center and as I immerse myself in the early childhood field it is important to stay up to date with issues and changes in the field. There are many valuable website and resources but I would like to take a deeper look at the resources this website has to offer. It also has a Pinterest application, an online pin board where I can follow the site’s interests and read articles from my phone.

I look forward to learning about the issues and trends in the early childhood field and I am also excited about sharing experiences and learning from my colleagues.

When I Think of Child Development...

Infants and young children are not just sitting twiddling their thumbs, waiting for their parents to teach them to read and do math. They are expending a vast amount of time and effort in exploring and understanding their immediate world. Healthy education supports and encourages this spontaneous learning
David Elkind

"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."

- Maria Montessori

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."

- Sydney J. Harris                       

Testing For Intelligence

 

I believe that it is important to view young children holistically by viewing “the whole child”. Young children develop rapidly and their parents/support systems are their first teachers. When children enter school they bring their experiences and culture with them. It is important to recognize children’s cultures and build upon their knowledge and experiences.  Since young children are advancing through various developmental stages and domains I think it is essential to measuring their progress. To ensure children are meeting milestones and provide support for children that may be delayed. It is also essential to monitor children’s learning to drive instruction and diagnose learning or developmental problem to provide a plan to meet their needs.

I decided to continue to learn about various aspects of Africa and their culture therefore, I decided to learn how school age children are assessed in Africa.  In Africa there has been a long two decade effort to improve the quality of their education systems through the use of assessments. School age children are assessed in four categories of assessments; public examinations, national assessments, international assessments, and classroom assessments.  Public examinations have a long standing in Africa’s education system, it is geared towards assessing the level of students’ achievement and cognitive processing skills. One benefit is different methods are used to test higher order of thinking skills academically and in situations outside of school. The results drive the teaching practices and expectations.  A disadvantage to the assessment is many of the teaching practices are centered on the exam. Quality of education may suffer because learning is limited to only what is being assessed. National assessments are fairly new in Africa but spread throughout the nation to focus on the success of sub groups instead of individual children. It is designed to measure learning achievements among sub groups and inequalities in the education system. One benefit of national assessments is that it is policy oriented which provides information to policy makers to improve the education system. One disadvantage of national assessments is the data is rarely used to influence the government or education reform in many countries in Africa. International assessments are very similar to national assessment but it compares students’ achievement and education systems with more than one country. A disadvantage is not many African countries participate in international assessments. But the data from the national assessment can be used in many cases to evaluate students’ success internationally. Last but not least, classroom assessments are ongoing and monitor children’s behavior, educational performance and response to instruction. It is designed to evaluate children’s current knowledge, understanding, and skills. Also it identifies problems children may have and evaluate the learning taking place in the classroom. A disadvantage is some teaching practices lack higher order cognitive skills and children are reciting from memory oppose to reflecting on knowledge.

  Many schools systems in Africa hope to replace public examinations with school based assessments. They believe that the only ways to authentically assess students’ achievement are with assessments specified to education systems curriculums. But the problem they face is motivating the teachers to effectively change their practices. Teachers are afraid it will drastically change the schools’ culture and students’ success will be at risk. Many believe that any efforts made to reform Africa’s education system will be in vain if the teachers are not willing to understand the benefits of improving children’s success.   Change is a part of life and “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”- Ghandi  

I believe that it is important to assess children’s development and learning. I also think it is equally important to monitor and assess schools and programs to ensure they are providing children the best education and services possible.

References:
http://toolkit.ineesite.org/toolkit/INEEcms/uploads/1089/Monitoring_Performance_Assessment_Examinations.pdf
http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/MahatmaGandhi1.htm

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Growing up as a young child in my neighborhood in Queens, New York I witnessed a lot of violence in the community. In the 1980s my neighborhood was known as the epic center of the crack epidemic with many drug gangs ruling the streets with drugs and violence. After the death of a young police officer the law enforcement enforced a harsh crackdown on the drugs and violence in the community. To this day the neighborhood is still known for illicit drug activities and violence.  I believed I coped with the circumstances in my community because of the values and lessons my mother and family set for me. Although we lived in an environment of crime we had a bond, my family valued education and also recognized that I needed to be “street smart.”  I was a curious child and asked many questions, my mother could not hid what was evident, so she would answer many of my questions and teach me “life-lessons”, as she would say. Another way I believed I coped with the violence in my community was my role models, they were working families, striving to make a difference for their families.  Many of the families on my street grew up together and all of the children played together. In the summer time, which was peak season for crime, we often had bbqs in each other’s backyards, organized games on the block, and parents took turns taking us to the park. They attempted to keep the influences of the gangs and drugs away from us by keeping us busy and protecting us by staying together as a community. I would love to say that all my family, childhood friends and their families were untouched by the violence but it would be untrue. I faced many trials growing up in my Queens neighborhood, but it has made me a stronger person today.

Violence in an epidemic that affects everyone in the world, unfortunately it is a part of life, but I believe society can make a difference.   I decided to learn about another factor the affect children and families in Africa.  In Uganda there is a rebel army called LRA tormenting villages, abducting children and forcing them to kill their parents. For the past 20 years the leader Kony, has forced over 30 thousand children to join his violent army, killing and mutilating people and forced them into prostitution. These stressors affect children’s development because many children live in fear and in hiding, sleeping in crowded small spaces to avoid capture during the night. They do not have a family system supporting them and taking care of their needs. Some of their parents are dead and they are on their own. I watched an inspiring video advocating the capture of these ruthless criminals and a young man, a former member of Kony’s army, said that he would rather be dead then to continue to live in fear, because there was no hope. A big campaign Kony 2012 was organized to make the world aware of the rebel violence in Uganda. The hope is to make him famous by exposing his acts of cruelty and recruiting others to capture Kony, disarm his rebels and reunite children with their surviving families. In the meantime, an organization called Invisible Children are in Uganda rebuilding villages, schools, creating jobs and established a warning system protecting villagers from rebel attacks.  US forces were sent to Uganda to assist their army in the capture of the rebels, but the US is contemplating removing soldiers because of the lack of interest from the world hence the campaign Kony 2012, urging that this is the year to stop his reign. To learn more about Kony 2012 or to join the campaign check out the website http://www.invisiblechildren.com/ .

Child Development and Public Health

I decided to learn more about breastfeeding, as I researched the topic, I came across many vital benefits of breastfeeding for infants and mothers. This topic is meaningful to me because children’s health and nutrition drastically affects their healthy development in various developmental domains. I decided to find information about breastfeeding in Africa, because I work in a community with many families from Africa and I wanted to learn more information about their high infant mortality rate. Learning more about issues and concerns that effect children I encounter is important to help provide quality services and establish healthy relationships.  

Sierra Leone is located in West Africa and it has the highest infant mortality rate in Africa overall. The world’s average infant mortality rate in 2006 was 72 deaths per 1,000 births compared to Sierra Leone average rate 270 deaths per 1,000 births, children died from preventable causes such as diarrhea and malaria (Associated Press, 2008). In an effort to decrease the deaths of infants many campaigns rose to encourage woman to breastfeed to prevent or reverse the effects of illnesses. The Sierra Leone government established free health care for pregnant and breastfeeding women but women were either turned away due to lack of funds for medicine or clinics were inaccessible from their rural communities (Associated Press, 2008). Officials state progress is being made to strengthen their practices (Associated Press, 2008).  But there are more issues that interfere with mothers that decide to breastfeed their infants in Sierra Leone, one is malnutrition, and it prevents mothers from exclusively breastfeeding despite its many benefits. Many mothers do not have enough to eat and are often too hungry to breastfeed, as a substitute they feed their babies porridge and water (Kaplan, 2009).  Another issue is soon after birth women need to return to work on farms and cannot breastfeed and often leave their infants in the care of others (CRS., n.d). Also some traditional beliefs prevent women from breastfeeding over a long period of time.  Some believe it is unacceptable to have relations with breastfeeding women therefore many husbands pressure their wives to stop (Associated Press, 2008). Many efforts continue to encourage breastfeeding to cut the mortality rate in Sierra Leone.  Some family friendly farms were created to welcome working mothers with children under 3 to support exclusive breastfeeding (CRS., n.d). Mothers are able to bring their babies to work and afford nutritious food from crops. Breast milk offers perfect nutrition and changes to meet the needs of babies as they grow, it also fight and protect babies from illnesses and help reduce the mortality rate.

  The information I learned may impact my future work because I work with families from various parts of Africa and having an understanding of their culture and traditions sets the foundation for effective partnerships. Also in an effort of advocacy I can advocate healthy nutrition and the benefits of breastfeeding to families in the community and hopefully share they will share the information with their families in Africa to help reduce their high infant mortality rate. “One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.” ― Barack Obama

Resources                                                                                                   

Associated Press. (2008) UN Child Mortality Rate Highest In Sierra Leone. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22782340/ns/health-childrens_health/t/un-child-mortality-highest-sierra-leone/

Catholic Relief Services. (n.d) Agriculture for Health: Baby Friendly Farms Enabling Exclusive Breastfeeding in Sierra Leone. Retrieved from http://www.crsprogramquality.org/storage/pubs/agenv/babyfriendlyfarms.pdf

Kaplan, K. (2009) Salma Hayek On Why She Breastfed Another Woman’s Baby.  Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=6854285&page=1