Professional Hopes and Goals

Hi Everyone,

Well we have come to the end of another long course in this Early Childhood Education program. As I reflect on all that I have learned within this course I look forward to working with children in the future.

My primary goal in this respect is to work with at-risk youth in particular. In fact, this dream is about to come to fruition as I have just gotten a position doing just that! (GO ME!!) I will be working with youth coming from all walks pf life and situations.Thus, I will be really using all that I have learned in this class.

As for the early childhood field, I would like to see education become more all inclusive and more consistent in terms of quality across the nation. As always, I stand by my idea that quality education is every one's right, regardless of any circumstance. 

In conclusion, I would like to thank  my instructor and peers for another fantastic class. I look forward to continuing to progress within my program, and expand on my knowledge of early childhood education!!!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

This week we have been focusing on children who are part of emigrated families. For this week's post we were asked to respond to the following scenario by picking a country we know nothing about and answering the following questions.

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.

For my assignment, my country of choice is Australia. (I know very little about Australia)

 At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family 

1. The first thing I would to have a better understanding of my Australian student is to find out what their family structure is so that I have a point of reference in regards to their home life.

2. I would then research the schooling system in Australia. For example, the majority of schools in Australia follow the Australian National Curriculum. I need to have an understanding of what that entails. My student could come into our curriculum advanced or slightly behind. 

3. I would then determine what grade they are in their schooling system. The school year runs from January to December, this could put my student ahead or behind of his or her peers,

4. I would also try to gain an understanding of the general teaching style used in the country of origin. My student may be used to being taught in one particular manner, and I may have to adjust my initial approach to suit his or her needs.

5. Lastly, I would research general information so that I can have a point of relevance in the conversations with my student. This will make them feel more comfortable working with someone who knows a little bit about their home country. 

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family

With these goals, I would hope to make my student feel more comfortable in my presence. Moving to a new country will be very jarring for any new student. Thus, having some knowledge about their background, the school system that they come from and what life is like in their country will make them feel more inclined to trust me. Through this process I can start to build a strong partnership with the child and his or her family in order to foster an efficient learning environment for said child. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

This week we have been diving into the complexities of bias, prejudice and oppression within our nation and how this may impact our roles as early childhood professionals. While reading this week;s resources, I have been forced to consider my own upbringing and experiences with bias, prejudice an oppression. To my knowledge, I have no prominent experiences with these issues that I can recollect. However,I do come from am area and family that was predominantly African American. I recognize the issues that we face as a race, and I have a clear understanding of what it is like to feel marginalized. This feeling of being marginalized never truly leaves the individual and can be passed down from generation to generation. It takes a significant break in the cycle to result in a generation that rises above these feelings in order to see greater achievement. It comes down to a few individuals within a group to decide to change and not let circumstances and the actions of others dictate their destinies. 

As of now, the issue of race has been a hot topic within our nation and as early childhood professionals we need to be aware of the delicate balance of this issue within our classrooms. We need to be examples of tolerance and diplomacy withing our classrooms so that our students will gain an understanding of relations that surpasses all differences seen within others. 

Microaggressions

This week in my diversity class we are learning about microaggressions. There are three types of microagressions which are microinsults, micrassaults and microinvalidations. For this post we were asked to consider a microagression that we may have noticed this week. After learning about microaggressions, I began to notice them everywhere.

A microaggression that I noticed this week was directed towards my own daughter. In meeting new people one person stated that my daughter was incredibly articulate for one so young.  While this is on the lighter end of the spectrum, this is what could be described as a microinsult. I see a microinsult as a backhanded compliment.

After reading about these types of aggressions, I see how easy it can be to insult someone and cross the line into inappropriateness. Having an understanding of this subject would be very beneficial for any educator in that we must be mindful of how we interact with our students and their parents. Going forward, I will be far more cognizant of my speech; admittedly I may have been guilty of such aggressions in the past. I will definitely be paying more attention to what I say in mixed company. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

The primary subject of my most recent course is the subject of diversity. We have been learning a great deal about the complex topics of diversity and culture, and all things related.  For this week’s post, we have been asked to interview three individuals regarding culture and diversity, and see what each topic means to them.

The first person that I spoke with was my mother, a working Baby Boomer who has worked in the adult education field as a corporate trainer for many years. My mother defined “culture” as the traditions lifestyle and values that one grows up with. To her, culture plays a significant role in fostering the establishment of one’s identity. My mother then went on to define “diversity” as the variation of culture from one individual to the next. Through my discussion with my mother I see that she has a sense of social awareness. Through my personal knowledge of my mother, I know that she is very diplomatic by nature and has a healthy appreciation for different cultures.

The second person that I interviewed was my husband. While my husband was raised in New York and Virginia, he spent a large portion of his later adolescent years in Arizona living with his father. It was there that he became exposed to a larger variety of cultures. He defined “culture” as the type of lifestyle that one grew up in. He believes that many youth follow in the footsteps of their parents and begin to form their own identities as they age and are exposed to different things. He stated that “diversity: is an assortment of different cultures. For example, my husband felt as though Arizona had a far more diverse population than what he had been raised with. He thinks that his time there was truly beneficial in helping him learn how to interact with different people.

The last person that I interviewed is my best friend, who happens to be in the psychology field counseling at-risk youth. Similar to my other interviewees, she believes that “culture” is a number of factors that come together to form the experiences of an individual, thereby forming their identity. She believes that “diversity” is the endless number of types of cultures and identities present in our world. I found that she had an interesting perspective, coming from a psychological background. In her profession, she has to take these types of topics into consideration every day as she works with her patients.

After speaking with my interviewees, I find that the notions of “culture” and “diversity” can be very relative to the individual. I am relieved to have an understanding of both topics as it relates to my own profession. I also foresee that I will be far more intuitive when it comes to understanding other people’s cultures.

My Family Culture

This week in class, we have been learning about family diversity, cultures and family systems theory. In order to gain a better perspective on what we’ve learned we have been encouraged to consider the following scenario and answer the accompanying questions:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

·         A description of the three items you would choose

If I had to evacuate to the aforementioned country I would take a Bible with a mini photo album of my family inside, my wedding rings, and my childhood stuffed animal “Mama Doll”.

·         How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

I would take the Bible because I need to have a connection to my faith. I would sneak the mini photo album inside so that I can have visual memories and representation of my family and be able to point members out to my young daughters. I would take my wedding rings because they represent the beginning and creation of my current family. Also, they are a nearly indestructible item that I can pass on to my children. Lastly, my ‘Mama Doll” is a representation of my childhood family structure and would give my children comfort during their childhood, currently.

·         Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

Obviously I would feel heartbroken. However, I would retain my wedding rings. At the time of my wedding they represented my husband and I coming together, creating a new family, and our hopes and dreams for the future. In the midst of a national catastrophe, that meaning would be more relevant than ever.

·         Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

As a result of this exercise, I see how important my new young family is to me, and just how much I’ve grown and changed since becoming a wife and mother.

Farewell Fair Research Course! When I Think Of Research.....

Hello Everyone, 

This week is the last week of my Research course. I must say this course has probably been one of my most challenging courses....but not because of what you think. Unfortunately, I had a tough time managing my workload with a new addition to the family. With a little encouragement I've managed to get back on track. I quite enjoy research and I found this course to be very beneficial. To conclude this course we have been asked to answer a number of questions. Here goes!!

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

I have gained so much insight into the process of conducting research. There were a number of terms and concepts that were completely new to me. I have to say that I really appreciated learning about the different types of research studies. While oftentimes it seems as if this could be common sense information, I really appreciated deep-diving into the definitions and characteristics of each type of study. Going forward I will be able to better construct studies for academic purposes. 

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

Previously, I always assumed that conducting research was merely doing a study or looking up some information. Now I realize that there is a precise process to conducting research, and if you follow that process its actually a lot easier to research a subject or topic.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

The process of developing your research question was probably the most beneficial lesson that I learned. If one has too broad a research question it will be hard to develop a study that is informational and comprehensive. I consider the process of condensing the topic into a concise subject matter to be the most important step in formulating a study. 

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

the most challenging part of this course was gaining an understanding of quantitative and qualitative studies. Honestly, I had to read and reread the sections of these studies in our textbook over and over again in order to have enough understanding to apply the concepts to my own study. 

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

Truthfully, my perceptions of the EC professional haven't been modified that  much. I do think that not enough professionals are reading studies that are being conducted within our field. Doing so, would definitely keep professionals abreast on any trending topics or practices. I have a new found respect for researchers! This stuff is not easy! Any professional who conducts research and studies for the sake of our profession should be commended. 

In conclusion of this class, I would like to thank my classmates for their insights throughout this course. I would especially like to thank our professor for her encouragement, and for giving me the push I needed when I almost gave up on myself. 

Many Blessings and see you next course!

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Hello Everyone!

This week, we have been studying ethics issues in relation to research on children . While many may deem researching on children particularly risky, I think that there can be many educational benefits.

For example, I often think of Maria Montessori, the pioneer of Montessori schooling. Her research observations and experiments, while may have been risky at the time, led to a revolutionary take on educating children. Many of her methods are used in public schools as well as Montessori programs across the world. As an individual who was educated in the Montessori method as a child, I am a product of Maria Montessori’s work. I could read at the age of three and had highly developed communication and creative skills. Many of these skills have served me very well throughout my life. I owe a great deal to my education in this Method.

If you’re interested in Maria Montessori and the Montessori Method here is a link to The American MontessoriSociety’s official website, where you can find a lot of information on how the Montessori Method is changing education in our nation!

Your Personal Research Journey

Hello Everyone!

So I'm back and in a new class this semester called "Building Research Competency!! Considering the name, this class is all about RESEARCH!!! For this week's discussion, we were asked to divulge our chosen topics for this class' research simulation. My topic for this simulation is early childhood homeschooling. I chose this topic because I have two very small children and plan on homeschooling them throughout the early academic years.  I am a product of the Montessori Method and wish to educate my children in this same method. Unfortunately, there are no more public Montessori schools in my area (like back in my day) and all other options are private schools to which I would have to pay a ridiculous tuition that I could never afford. Coincidentally, homeschooling seems to be a growing trend in our field and I am curious as to what the consequences or ramifications of this may be for children, families and early childhood professionals. 

Deep diving into the research process has been extremely eye-opening for me. I know that by participating in this class, I will be more confident in the resources I choose to use in my research. I o realize that I maybe challenged in the amount of research I may or may not find pertaining to early childhood homeschooling in particular. However, I do enjoy a challenge and hope that I can find meaningful resources. As prospective early childhood professionals or even just as parents, we should be knowledgeable on all alternative forms of education. Thus, I do believe that my topic is relevant and will be an interesting read.

I am looking forward to finding out what my peers will be researching, and am open to any and all suggestions for good sources of information. 

Issues & Trends Final Blog Assignment

Hello Everyone!

So I‘ve come to the end of yet another course, and I must say that I have greatly enjoyed exploring the current issues and trends in the early childhood field in our nation. While many of the truths I discovered made me sad, I am hopeful that our nation will be able to develop the appropriate solutions for many of these problems in time. I must say that it has also been very interesting keeping in touch with my international contacts  E. Priest and M. Rathburn. I thank them both for taking the time to talk about less than interesting things (usually our discussions consist of current life events, gossip and girly stuff) with an old friend. I find that there are numerous benefits to exploring the international trends and issues in early childhood education.

1.       I have become more knowledgeable in what is going on in the international aspect of my chosen field of study.

2.       I have gained a different perspective and outlook on common issues, and am more inclined to think” outside of the box” when considering possible solutions.

3.       I have gained a newfound appreciation for the state of education in our nation, and find that my outlook is not as negative as it had been when I consider some of the crippling issues affecting children in other nations. Essentially, I am more hopeful.

When considering a possible goal for the Early Childhood field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations, it is my hope that our nation can be inspired by other nations who are seeing success with some of their educational initiatives. I also hope that the U.S is poised to assist those nations who are in need of guidance and resources when it comes to offering quality care and education to their children. In conclusion, I have truly enjoyed being a part of this course and getting to know all of my peers. I thank my professor for her thoughtful and constructive criticisms, and I thank my peers for their mindful commentary. 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

Hello Everyone!

This week in class, we have been discussing our professional goals a great deal. This has not been the first time that I have been asked to consider my professional goals while in this program. I must say that this is one aspect of the Early Childhood Education program at Walden University that I really like. Challenging us as prospective educators to revisit our goals helps to keep us focus on why we are in this program to begin with. It reminds me why I continue to work so hard and push myself through this program.

One of my primary goals as a prospective educator is to remain a lifelong learner, continuing to challenge myself, study and remain current in knowledge and practice.  Coincidentally, this has also been a hot topic in our field as experts look for ways to ensure that high-quality educators are being paced in schools. Keeping all of this in mind, I asked my contacts M. Rathburn and E. Priest.  What some of their professional goals and dreams were, and if there were similar issues in their current nation.

For M. Rathburn in Scotland, early childhood education was not her primary professional goal. If you remember, she went to school for Medieval Studies and hopes to one day be a college professor. She did figure that by teaching younger children, she would begin to develop the necessary skills to teach older individuals. Coincidentally, high quality teacher placement doesn't seem to be much of an issue in Scotland.  However, Scotland has extremely high standards for educators compared to the U.S and much is expected of teachers if they are to remain in the field.

E. Priest’s original professional goals did not originally lie with early childhood education either. It was through happenstance that she began to work with the nonprofit she so currently employed by in placing teachers in the remote and struggling areas of China. Since becoming an English language teacher and experiencing the struggle for quality education in some parts of this nation, E. Priest said that she would like to continue her work and advocacy for better education which include placing quality educators in these villages. As with anything in China, everything is strictly controlled by the federal government. Thus, unfortunately, there is only so much a foreign nonprofit can do and many villages will have to wait for federal initiatives to be approved and enforced. 

Sharing Web Resources!

Hello Everyone!

As you all know, my chosen organization website is the official website for the NAEYC. For this week, I was asked to take a closer look at the website and see if I could find any resources that may relate to the issues of certain barriers that keep families from quality early child care and education. It is an unfortunate truth that many families do not have access to quality care due to many barriers, such as availability. In relation to this website, there weren’t really any links that I hadn’t already explored and there was very little new information on the website as of today. As school is about to start again, many of the articles discussed Back To School topics. Interestingly, I did come across an article I had not seen before entitled “The 10 NAEYC Program Standards”. This article discussed what parents should be looking for in quality education programs for their children. I thought that this article was gold mine! To keep things brief, they basically stated that parents should be paying close attention to these 10 areas:

1.       Relationships

2.       Curriculum

3.       Teaching

4.       Assessment of Child Progress

5.       Health

6.       Teachers

7.       Families

8.       Community Relationships

9.       Physical Environment

10.   Leadership & Management

I was beginning to lose hope in my chosen organization’s website in terms of finding anything particularly new or interesting, but I am happy that I came across this article. It is truly a useful read for any industry professional or parent. If you’re interested, please follow the link embedded in the article title.

Link: “The 10 NAEYC Program Standards”

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Hello Everyone!

This week in class we have been discussing education inequity in our nation. I keep saying that this is an issue near and dear to my heart because I've attended both urban and suburban schools growing up, and have seen the severe differences in the quality of the education provided. Surprisingly, it is something that I always think back on, and it still angers me to this day that there are children who are not as well-quipped as others to succeed in their academic pursuits.

So, I thought I would ask my international contacts M. Rathburn and E. Priest if there were any similar issues going on in their respective countries. M.Rathburn in Scotland let me know that there is a great deal of disparity in the quality of education between private and public schools. She stated that it simply was not fair that children should be offered mediocre education merely because they can not afford a private education. I thought that this was a very interesting look at this issue, because it does not seem to be such a concern here in America. We typically just assume that of course privately educated individuals are going to get a unique and sometimes superior education, and its okay because their families chose that type of education for them. However, does that mean that other children should suffer? I personally think that that should not be an option. Its our responsibility to ensure that all children have access to quality education because it is their right. 

As for E. Priest in China, she stated that disparities are more demographically and socio-economically based. It is common knowledge that rural, poorer communities have little access to quality education. That is why organizations like the one E. Priest works for, enter these localities in order to break the cycle and make things better. Unfortunately, there are so many children in need, that it is going to take massive government influence and policy to effectively reach these individuals.

As always, it is very interesting discussing such issues with my international counterparts and I do enjoy the different perspectives it gives me. I am forced to  take a closer look at the issues in our own country in comparison to others.

Sharing Web Resources: Deep Dive!

Hello Everyone!

As you all know, I love the NAEYC Official Website. It is my go to website for a lot of the scholarly articles and credible information that I find on new trends and issues in the Early Education field. This week I was asked to deep dive into the information presented on this website and give my opinion on certain aspects of the information presented.

·         What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

When I think about my current professional development, I find that the “Newsletter” portion of the website is the fastest way for me to get up to speed on what’s going on in the field. The NAEYC keeps this section fairly up to date and relevant with thought-provoking articles.

·         Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

The thing that I like about the NAEYC is that they aren’t terribly controversial in their approach to early childhood education. However, their articles do bring issues that were previously unknown to me to my attention and make me contemplate my own approach to certain issues and scenarios.

·         What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

The NAEYC has a portion of their website called “Public Policy” and in this section one can find information on policies, federal developments and government trends. This gives me industry information  from a very different perspective. As a prospective educator, I truly want to make sure that I am knowledgeable on all fronts about my craft.

·         What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

If you are a prospective or seasoned educator, I cannot stress enough how useful this website is. It has truly been a benefit to me  and as I previously stated, it makes me formulate my own thoughts on current issues and trends. 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1 (Poverty)

Hello Everyone!

This week we have been focusing a great deal on child poverty. Interestingly, we have been focusing on global poverty throughout the world. I thought that this would be a wonderful opportunity to discuss poverty with my professional pen pals. If you remember, M. Rathburn is in Scotland working as a teacher’s assistant. E. Priest is an English language teacher in China. These are two very different nations dealing with very different issues.

According to M. Rathburn, Scotland seems to be a relatively wealthy nation. M. Rathburn stated that she has never really seen any indications of poverty in her area, and all of her students seem to be well-adjusted and well taken care of. After further research, I found that according to the Child Poverty Action Group of Scotland, one in five children are officially recognized as living in poverty. In some areas the statistics are as high as one in three children growing up in poverty. Obviously we all know that there are poor people everywhere we go whether we see them or not. However, I have personally noticed that in many areas, it is an issue that is often swept under the rug.

E. Priest is in Yunnan, China, an area that has an extremely high poverty rate. The area is rural and relatively underdeveloped. According to E. Priest, she sees poverty area. While having little is an accepted way of life for many of the people in this nation, E. Priest states that not having proper medical care or clean water will never be acceptable to her. According to China.org, about 7 million people live below the poverty line. The issue has gotten so dire that the government has issued a poverty alleviation plan to help the area’s residents.

The discussions that I had with my counterparts didn’t really surprise in terms of what poverty looked like in their respective nations. In more developed countries like Scotland, poverty is an issue that should be discussed more. While I think that their poverty rates were far better than many nations, there is still work that needs to be done. No child deserves to be hungry. While China seems to be technologically advanced and forward thinking, the nation is so large that there are still huge areas that are still being developed and where life is tough and rural. It is encouraging to see that the government is taking the necessary steps to address this issue. However, I pray that their efforts are truly genuine and that those who are struggling will not suffer in the long run.

If you’re interested in the information I’ve provided in this post, please check out these links:

www.china.org.cn

Child Poverty Action Group- www.cpag.org.uk

Sharing Web Resources: National Association for the Education of Young Children

Hi Everyone!!

For my class last week, I was asked to pick an organization that I would like to follow this semester. I picked my absolute favorite organization website the National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC! I just love this website because I can tell that it's members are truly passionate about the advancement of youth in our nation. Also I love the bright easy-to- read layout, interesting articles and overall casual tone of the website. I consider the NAEYC to be a breath of fresh air, when so many resources for our industry can be rather stuffy and bland. 

According to it's website the mission of the NAEYC is to, "...act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1)." Basically, they want to make sure that all children have access to high quality education, and that early childhood professionals feel supported in their efforts to provide this type of education. The NAEYC releases a professional journal/ e-zine called YC: Young Children that details current policy trends and issues int he field. Issues of this publication is available in our library database and they offer certain article for free for non-members on their website at times. A professional can also sign up for policy updates to be emailed to them when they become available. Some of the the most current issues being detailed include encouraging literacy and fostering reasoning and problem-solving skills, federal funding debates and children's coalition!

As you can see, the NAEYC is a great source for industry professionals, especially beginning professionals. The students we teach are young and fun, so we should see elements of this in our day to day activities with our students!

If you're interested in NAEYC click on the links provided (embedded in the name or acronym of the organization/ journal title) and check them out to learn more about their important work!

New Class!! Establishing Professional Contacts & Expanding Resources!!!

Hi Everyone!!!

So this week I have started a new class in my program called "Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field". I'm very excited to be in this class room as  I love to beat the forefront of information in anything that I am interested in. Interestingly, for this class, my professor has encouraged us to reach out to two early childhood professionals in other parts of the world. At first, I thought that this would be a difficult task. However, I realized that coming form an incredibly internationally divers university like Virginia Commonwealth University, I knew tons of international individuals!!

Pt 1

The first person I thought of was my former pen pal M. Rathburn (I dislike using full names on a blog I don't even use my own full name on this blog....but their names are available upon private request). M. Rathburn left America to attend school at St. Andrews University in Scotland to study Medieval History. We actually met at my first position out of high school and I was helping her and her mother as they prepared for her to go back to school. We connected,became pen pals, and have stayed in touch on Facebook ever since. She recently graduated in 2013 and has decided to stay in Scotland and is currently a teacher's assistant at a local elementary school. 

Coincidentally, I also met my second contact on the job where we were coworkers. E. Priest found work with a great nonprofit about a year into my position that took her all over the world. She eventually settled in Yunnan China and works as a teacher teaching the English language to young kids. 

Pt 2

I may have cheated a little bit in that both of my contacts are American citizens and not actually from their current respective countries. However, I think that this will provide me with a unique parallel perspective on the Early Childhood field in their host country compared to how our country operates. Also, I wont have any logistical issues such as language or cultural barriers to contend with. As I have kept in touch with both of my friends via Facebook pretty regularly, it was easy for me to reconnect with them and begin an ongoing messaging thread. Thankfully, both agreed to be a part of this assignment!! As for my chosen organization website, I would like to go with the The National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC! I just love this website, they have so many sources and articles, and I use it on a regular basis! It is my hope that my familiarity with this website will assist me throughout this entire class. 

I wish all of my classmates the best of luck in finding industry contacts and settling on a chosen website. My tip of the day: Stick with who or what you know...and go from there!

My Supports!

Hello Everyone!!     

This week in class we have been discussing the importance of having an infrastructure of supports (multi-level individuals who are involved in the learning process) for children as they go through the learning process. As our population of young learners becomes more diverse, a strong system of supports is even more necessary as we need to be able to accommodate diverse learning needs. 

As we consider the importance of supports, we were asked to think about the support we receive from our own personal infrastructure of VIP's within our own personal lives on a daily basis. Much like the needs of a young learner, we receive emotional, practical and physical support every day. 

As I progress in my second pregnancy, I am no stranger to support. Not only do I need emotional support, but I need practical and even physical support these days. My family, consisting of my husband, mother, grandparents and uncle are all supportive as I grapple with an ever-changing body and hormones. Even my  daughter, who is a toddler gives me a sense of emotional support as some days her smiles, hugs and kisses are all that can bring a smile to my face. Needless to say, I'm just not as functional as I usually am right now and I wouldn't be able to get through my days without some sense of support. 

As I ponder over the challenge of having to children under the age of 1 in a matter of months, I am forced to admit that I will continue to need my supports even after I deliver my second child. As I have never had two children before, I realize that I will need a great deal of assistance as I adjust to being a mother of two. Thus, I am very thankful for having such a supportive family, I'm not sure I would be able to be an effective and efficient individual without them. 

So, as prospective educators, think about your support system and how you just would not be able to make it if you didn't have someone you could turn to. Then, relate that to a young child who will need a lot of support as they start the learning process. Now you will be able to more clearly see how important it is for a child to have a strong support system, especially in those fundamental...foundational early years. 

My Connections To Play

Hi Everyone!

This week in class, we have been learning about the importance of "play". A s I continue to broaden my knowledge on developmentally appropriate learning practices for children, I am forced to consider how important play was in my own upbringing. 

Being an only child and grandchild, I often found very creative ways to play and entertain myself. My mother and grandparents encouraged and fostered my imaginative nature, and this has lead me to be the creative thinker and artist that I am today. One of my favorite things to play with was doll babies. Through playing with my dolls, I developed a particular nature when it comes to the care and keeping of others. To my dolls I was a mother or teacher, or sometimes I would develop complicated stories for them to participate in.  I was also a fan of dress up, using my imagination to turn anything into a costume to act out a story, which further  developed my social and communication skills. Lastly, these may not be considered toys, but they have and still are an integral part of my life.....books. Being an avid reader has positively impacted my development exponentially. Through reading, I developed an active imagination, a soaring vocabulary and a knack for problem solving.

While I am not that old, play today is very different from the play of my years. I think that today's type of play is far more technology driven. There are alot of benefits for utilizing technology in play for today's child. However, I do feel that moderation is key. After all too much of a good thing can become an issue. As I leave you to think about the important role played in your life, ponder the following quotes on the benefits of play time!

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”

~Maria Montessori

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”
― Dr. Seuss

Relationship Reflection

Hello Everyone!

I'm back! This week is the second week of my Effective Programs and Practices in Early Childhood Education class. This week we have been learning about building strong partnerships as educators without students and their families. This can be very complicated and sometimes difficult for a lot of educators to achieve. As I read over this week's resources and completed varying assignments, I was forced to ponder over some of the relationships in my own life that have had a positive impact on my well-being. Thankfully, I have been blessed with a large number of individuals who have had a positive impact on my life. Should I mention my husband, who is my partner and literally lifts me up when I'm feeling discouraged or distraught? Or my daughter , who has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love and uncompromising responsibility? Or my mother, who forever challenges me and supports me in the decisions I make in my life...good or bad? If I were to keep going this post would be never-ending! Besides the relationship between myself and my daughter, many of my other relationships could be characterized as true partnerships! 

In a partnership, communication and cooperation are key. Keep this in mind when developing student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships in the education setting. At the end of the day, teachers parents and students are all working towards the same goal....to make sure that the student is getting the education they need to be successful. By developing strong bonds, the walls of the classroom are magically extended to the home and students get the support they need on all fronts.

If you are an educator who needs help developing strong partnerships with your students and their families, I found a wonderful source for articles on the matter. Scholastic.com has a wonderful section on this topic chock full of scholarly articles! Please follow the link below if you are interested, and let me know what your thoughts are on the importance of relationships in the classroom!

Scholastic, Inc: Managing Your Classroom Connecting & Communicating With Parents

Image Courtesy of: Google Images

Wek 8: Adeiu Early Childhood Development!!

Hello Everyone!

This is the last week of my Early Childhood Development class! I can honestly say that I learned a great deal, and feel relieved that I finally have a fundamental understanding of how children develop. I feel that this class plays an essential role in the completion of this program. I really enjoyed this class, and would like to thank my professor for her time and instruction and my peers for their thoughts and camaraderie!In conclusion, I will leave you with the words of my favorite educator of all time, Maria Montessori: 

" The greatest sign of success for a teacher--is to be able to say,the children are now working as if I dont exist."

~ Maria Montessori

Thanks for periodically stopping by my blog, and look out for my next class!!

Testing For Intelligence

Hi Everyone!

This week, I've been learning a great deal about children with disabilities, diagnostics and early intervention. There is a wide spread notion that more and more educators are believing in called teaching "holistically" or teaching the "whole child". This means that an educator would take every aspect of a child's being into consideration when developing a plan on how to educate this child in the most effective way possible.  From past classes, I know that a teacher would consider a child's personality, their learning abilities and styles, their interests, culture and family structure when developing a holistic educational plan. It can all be very complex and it prompts many to think, how can a teacher have time in today' strict educational society to do this for every child. 

I, however, believe its important to do what you can as an educator. Personally, I feel that intelligence testing is fundamentally flawed and that many things should be taken into consideration when measuring the intellectual potential of a human being.I recently read an article entitled "Rising Scores on Intelligence Tests" by Ulric Neisser. The title explains it all, IQ tests are rising all over the world. This is most likely due to the exponential increase in the disbursement of knowledge in our world.

Interesting Fact: In the Netherlands,all male 18-year-olds take a test of abstract-reasoning ability as part of a military-induction requirement (Ulric, 2014). 

Coincidentally, perhaps IQ testing is going by the wayside. I haven't heard of any  of my acquaintances going through it, and I have never been tested. Have you or anyone you've known been tested for intelligence levels?

Here's a link to the aforementioned article:

"Rising Scores on Intelligence Tests" by Ulric Neisser

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Hi Everyone,

This week we learned about many factors that can have a negative impact on a child's development. As I learned about these factors, I was forced to think of the factors that may have had a negative impact on my own  development. As an African American female, obviously I was very aware of Racism and Sexism at a very early age. While I have had some incidents in my life, none of them have had a severe impact on my development. Or rather, my Mother never let my gender or the color of my skin define who I would become or play a role in my learning development. As an adult, I see racism as one of the many unpleasant aspects of life. There will always be ignorant individuals in the world, and I pray that I can raise my own children as my mother raised me....to rise above it. 

The most prominent type of stress in my life has most likely been disease. As an epileptic asthmatic, I have had to adjust my life according to the illnesses that effect me. In an attempt to alleviate my asthma symptoms, I shunned outdoor play and became a bookworm who preferred adult conversation (oftentimes the librarian or English teacher was my favorite person at school). Due to my studious nature, my language and reading skills developed very early, and I advanced in all manners of written and verbal communication as well as literature.

As an epileptic child, I knew that as I grew up I would be discouraged to do certain things on my own. Thus, I became fiercely independent in any way that I could, and always tried to assert myself. On the flipside, I was a late bloomer in terms of driving and living on my own (both of which I didn't do until my 20s).

Compared to what some children deal with in terms of disease and racism around the world, I realize that I was very blessed to experience such an upbringing. To think that some children are killed without a second thought because of their race or nationality, or die from old-world diseases breaks my heart. A year ago, a group called Watoto came to my church and gave a rousing performance to raise funds for children in Uganda. The children in this country often suffer from a lack of nutrition, abuse and little to no education. Th Watoto Organization is committed to taking care of as many children, often orphaned, as possible and giving them the basic necessities needed to survive and become thriving productive members of society.  The work that this organization does is so inspirational, and offers a glimmer of hope for children who suffer in the world. 

If you're interested in Watoto, you can find the link to their official website below:

The Watoto Organization

Week 2 Discussion- Breastfeeding

Hi Everyone!

This week in my Child Development class we have been discussing the physical, mental and emotional health of children as they grow. This lends itself to a multitude of public health topics pertinent in today's world. For this post, I chose the ever-controversial topic of Breastfeeding. 

Now it is no secret that breastfeeding is extremely healthy and beneficial for children! Not only is breastmilk free, easily digestible (for the majority of children) and yummy to your baby, but it will also provide a great deal of necessary nutrients and immunity-boosting goodies for your child. It seems like today, there is a world-wide campaign for breastfeeding. 

I recently came across an article entitled "Protecting Breastfeeding in Peru" from the World Health Organization. This article describe the experiences of a young Peruvian mother, determined to breastfeed her children after she saw the enormous benefits of it after the birth of her first child. This article was so informative and gave a number of really surprising statistics regarding the status of breastfeeding across the world. Who knew that about 38% of babies across the globe are exclusively breastfed the first six months of their lives! I mean wow, that number seems so low.

As a new mother, this topic was especially interesting to me. I chose to go the natural route and let my daughter wean herself onto organic formula which I began to supplement because she was a tad underweight. It seems to be such a sensitive topic for women, and yet, I don't feel as if it needs to be. Whether a woman formula-feeds her baby or breastfeeds, I think we're all just trying to work with what we've got to raise healthy children. And there's nothing wrong with that! :-D

If you're interested in the article I mentioned above, please feel free to click on the link below an take a look! It was very interesting!

WHO: Protecting Breastfeeding in Peru

Welcome!!! Early Childhood Development!!

Hello Everyone!

My Butterbean...fresh out the oven!!
(Pulled this pic from my personal blog)

This week I started my course in Early Childhood Development! I'm sending a very hardy welcome to all of my peers, new and old, to my blog! I'm sure we will have a wonderful semester learning about this important subject!! All who are involved in the early childhood field understand why it is so important to understand the physical, emotional, social and cognitive development of children. SO...without further ado I will jump right into this weeks topic!

Childbirth in Your Life & Around the World!!

This week we took a look at childbirth in our country an many of us learned that the process oftentimes goes extremely different in other countries. Honestly, the facts that I learned this week didn't surprise me at all. I recently gave birth to my own baby girl last June (and have another one on the way...this September) and did a lot of research as to how I wanted my birth experience to go. As I was a potentially high risk pregnancy (and was afraid that I may have a panic attack), I decided to have my daughter in a controlled medical environment...i.e. hospital. Oh what I would have given to be brave enough and birth at home like the majority of women in other countries do. However, I liked having the piece of mind that I would be taken care of quickly if something went wrong. While I dislike hospitals and got up out of there as soon as I could, I really did have an enjoyable birth experience with very little medication and very little medical intervention (My OB basically just turned into my push coach). My body just kind of knew what to do, and I have healthy rapidly developing little wonder to show for it!

Last year, while I was doing all of this research on birth experiences I came across a blog by a young American lady named Jennifer entitled, FrenchMamma. In this blog, she speaks a great deal on her birth experience in a totally different country....France! Now France is pretty modern and one wouldn't think that birth experiences in America and France would be so different, but according to Jennifer they really were! Doctors were very hesitant to intervene during her labor, even though she was in a hospital. They just kind of left her alone the whole time. Reading about her experience was really eye-opening and showed me just how much medical intervention there is in America when it comes to having babies.....something that should be so natural for a woman to do (although I do realize that a lot of women have complications and definitely need the medical intervention). It also made me realize how much it costs to have a baby in America, and how "lucrative" it is for many companies and individuals. Obviously there are some situations in which the birthing process will have an impact on the development of a child, but it is my understanding that these types of situations are a minority in the vast majority of births in the world. There is a great deal of debate over the topic of childbirth, but all in all I choose to go with this nugget of wisdom:

At the end of the day we are all in the business of having healthy little babies, it doesn't matter how they here....just get them here in a safe process that works best for you and your family!

~Me (haha)

If you're interested in some of the sources I checked out this week below you will find the following links:

FrenchMamma Blog

The Business of Being Born (A great...slightly controversial documentary on childbirth in America...very eye-opening!)

Babies (A super cute documentary that I loved watching while I pregnant with my daughtter about the birth and development of four babies from different parts of the world!)