When I first started this course I have to admit I was a little scared!  It seems very intimidating to me.  I took it assignment by assignment and learned a lot about different types of research and appropriate situations to use types of research.  Finding sources that are valid is an important part of research.  Sources should be provided with information about the author and where the source came from. 

                I have also learned to be open minded and non- judgmental when conducting research with children.  Data triangulation is a method that I would use because it offers the use of different types of data collection.  I have always felt that the more information that is gained, the better the over all findings will be.  There are so many different ways of conducting research.  I have learned what types of research are appropriate for what kinds of simulations. 

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

                   This website seemed to have a number of topics that apply to the United States.  All of these seminars are topics of importance and offer much advice/information about important topics.  I think it is very interesting to see that other countries are focusing on some of the same issues that we are here in the United States.  Between the last course and this current course, I have been becoming more and more aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.  I feel that this is so beneficial because we can share tips, advice and information between each other.  I have always believed in sharing ideas and combining thoughts in order to make positive experiences for children.  Here is a list of seminars to attend hat focus on important topics related to early education:

Sharing Sensitive News with Parents Online Seminar 26 Sept 2014

Helping Parents of Late Talkers Use Gesture to Support Expressive Language Development Online Seminar 22 Oct 2014

Helping Parents Use Routines to Promote Young Children’s Interaction and Language Skills Online Seminar 30 Oct 2014

Coaching Parents in How to Play Online Seminar TBA/On demand

Starting Early: Red Flags and Treatment Tips for Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum Online Seminar TBA/On demand

Make Words Sparkle for Preschoolers and Kindergarten Children: Bring Vocabulary to Life During Book Reading and Daily Interactions Online Seminar On demand

Making Book Reading a Time for Interaction and Conversation Online Seminar On demand

References:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/events/

My Research Story

 

When I think of a positive result of research, I think about a time last year while I was teaching preschool.  There was a child in my class that was of the Hispanic culture.  He was four years old.  Every day at lunch time he would just sit there and not eat his food.  I was not sure why he was acting this way.  I thought maybe it was because he didn’t like the meals at school.  Maybe he was just a picky eater?  One day I picked up a fork and put some food on it.  He opened his mouth and took a bite.  This made me want to do some research on his culture.  I found out that in his culture, the caregivers help the children with self-help skills such as eating, longer than what we do in the United States.  I spoke to the parents about working with their child to teach him to feed himself so that he would be able to keep up with the other children.  The parents were very accepting of my idea and also worked on these skills at home. 

Early Intervention

I chose this topic because I have worked with special education for three years.  I realized how amazing these children are and should get the help that they deserve.  Sometimes children need a little extra assistance whether it be occupational therapy, speech therapy or many other types of therapy that is offered to children.  Children are extremely vulnerable at young ages and need to be set on the right track.  There are many organizations that help these children and families.  Early education sets the groundwork for children and their future.  If there is something that they need assistance with, it is better to do it at a young age.  It can be rather difficult to change things that a child has already learned.  I am curious if any of my classmates have worked with anyone with special needs and if so, do they feel that these services help them? 

It is extremely beneficial for professionals to communicate and be aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.  Not everything is the same on all parts of the world if we communicate with each other, we can share different ideas that we may not have thought of ourselves.  I wish I could have been able to speak to an individual, but unfortunately I was unable to.  I feel that this will be a great way to obtain information about other parts of the world.  I will continue to try to get in contact with other professionals from around the world.  I did learn things through other websites such as: UNICEF, The Global Children’s Initiative and the Harlem Children’s Zone.  No matter what country we are in, we all have common goals: the health/wellness of children and doing our best to ensure that children are on the right track to success.  I have learned that in some parts of the world, children are forced to start working years before they should in order to help support their families.  These children are missing out on many important aspects of school such as social interaction.  I learned ways of participating and donating to causes to help these children.  Children are my life and I would do anything to ensure that every child receives the education and care that they deserve.    

“The greatest difficulty faced by countries in their efforts to expand and improve the quality of early childhood care and education is the mobilization of resources. This is particularly daunting in developing countries, where early childhood may be overshadowed by other pressing priorities, such as universal primary education” (UNESCO, 2014).  I find this is true in multiple countries, even the United States.  Having the proper funding is something that is hard to come by.  Fortunately, the schools that I currently work for are family owned early childhood learning schools.  Everything for the children is top of the line.  The owners never look at prices.  They order whatever is best for the children.  The children and classrooms always have everything they need.  This is the first place I have been employed that is like this.  It seems that every other place I have been in is all about making money.  The staff is very well qualified, a number with bachelor degrees.  The only thing I feel that is lacking is staff wages and compensation.  I do make more here than I have before, but it is still not enough.  I have two degrees and many years of experience.  I am not offered even health insurance.  I do understand that I will never be a millionaire in this profession, but I do feel early education teachers deserve much more than they currently get.  My goal is to keep working for Kensington Schools and move higher up in the company.  I want to fight harder for those of us in this field to get the compensation that we deserve.  I chose to pursue a master’s degree in this field to show parents and communities how important the early years truly are. 

 

References:

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

UNICEF

In the recent months, children in Gaza were greatly affected by violence and trauma.  More than 500 children were killed and approximately 3,300 severly injured.  This is not to mention the thousands that suffer from emotional trauma.  The community and UNICEF is working hard to make schools safe and up and running again.  “Investing in education is an investment for the future,’ says UNICEF-State of Palestine Special Representative, June Kunugi.  ‘Without increased support and commitment to their education and protection, an entire generation in Gaza could be lost. It is our collective moral obligation to prevent this,’ she adds” (UNICEF, 2014).  UNICEF is reaching out and delivering vaccines to the community and medical supplies for hospitals. 

References:

UNICEF. (2014). Children at risk in the Gaza conflict. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_74620.html

                 Global Children's Initiative

 

         This website really makes you think about how good we have it in the United States.  Some countries are worried about short term survival effects, such as food and shelter.  Some countries are suffering from natural disasters, keeping them from living normal lives and having the proper care and education.  In Chile, children do not even learn the letters of the alphabet until first grade.  By first grade in the United States, most of our children are reading.  I know my son knew his letters at least by the age of three.  It makes me wonder why other countries wait longer to teach their children the alphabet?  What are they focusing on that they feel is more important?  Another thing I found interesting was the lack of parental involvement in their children’s education in some countries.  I have always been a firm believer that it takes everyone involved to make a child successful.  Parents need to be aware of and involved in their children’s education.  Everyone needs to work together.   

The Harlem Children's Zone had a recent article about how they are providing free WIFI through a neighborhood to try and close the gap between the digital world and those who cannot afford it.  There is so much that can be learned though the internet.  Also, some teachers are requiring research and work that is to be done through the internet and some families cannot afford that.  If these children are offered free WIFI, they will be able to be as advanced as any other children in the country.  They will not fall behind, causing them to be more successful.  

Reference:

http://hcz.org/news/

During the past few weeks we were asked to contact other professionals in different countries.  I have unfortunately not heard from anyone that I reached out to.  Which disappoints me because I was really looking forward to the communication I could have experienced.  Poverty can cause children to suffer from health issues, have poor diets and a poor education.  UNICEF is an organization that advocates for children and their overall well-being.  The health and rights of children are attempted to be carried out through UNICEF.  It is a great organization that genuinely care about children and does their best to provide for those in need.     

I chose to read a little bit into the poverty information about Egypt.  When I first hear Egypt it is not typically an area that I think would have a lot of poverty.  In reality, there is evidence of poverty in all places all over the world.  “Children are one-third of Egypt’s population today and over one-fifth of Egypt’s children are growing up in poverty” (UNICEF, 2010).

 

Table 28: incidence of severe deprivation, absolute poverty and income poverty, by household size

Household size                 Severe Deprivation        Absolute poverty            Income poverty

less than 3                           15.52                                     3.45                                        1.55

3-4 members                     18.76                                     2.36                                        6.02

5-6 members                     19.95                                     3.20                                        17.71

More than 7                       37.16                                     7.60                                        44.53

Source: authors calculations using Egypt demographic and health

Survey, 2008 and household Income, Expenditure and consumption Survey 2008-09

Every Child is Worth Something!

           So, every person/organization I emailed has not responded to me.  I am not exactly sure what to do when that happens… I have looked into a variety of sources including:  The National Institute for Early Education Research, The Global Fund for Children, The Harlem Children’s Zone, and The Society for Research in Child Development.  After reading through these websites, there is only one that has caught my attention and am able to read their newsletters and have them mean anything is the Global Fund for Children.  I signed up for their newsletter and am interested in what their corporation is capable of.  I still await to hear from someone that I tried to contact.  I feel I could learn a lot more if I talk to a specific person, but learning about children can be done in a number of ways.  I am going to try and focus on the Global Fund for Children and see where that gets me!  This organization takes children that could be sold into slavery and gives them better opportunities.  Children are my life and my passion.  If there is anything that I can do to give them equal opportunities, I will!

Part 1: Establishing Professional Contacts

I chose to contact a variety of individuals from various countries.  Learning about child development in other countries something that I am very excited about and looking forward to.  I hope I get a response from at least one in the next week.  Here are the individuals I chose to reach out to:

Haiti

Step by Step Program / Tipa Tipa
Dominique Hudicourt
Email: tipatipa@hainet.net

Romania

Step by Step Centre for Education and Professional Development
Carmin Lica
Email: carmenlia@dnt.ro

 Armenia

Step By Step Benevolent Foundation
Ruzanna Tsarukyan
Email: ruzanna@sbsbf.am

Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association
Dr. Betty Chan Po-king
20 Somerset Rd. Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: 852-23396005
 Email: sannas@ycef.com

 Belarus
 Belorussian Parents' and Teachers' League "Step by Step"
 Iryna Lapitskaya
 Email: sbtbyst@openby.com

Croatia
Open Academy "Step By Step" "KorakpoKorack"
Nives Milinovic
Email: nives@korakpokorak.hr


Part 2: Expanding Professional Contacts

The resource that I chose to read through and subscribe to a newsletter from is NIEER- National Institute for Early Education Research.  The website is: www.nieer.org.
I chose this resources because it seems to have a number of things that interest me and could help me in my career every day. 

Some of the issues it discusses are:

• Assessment
• Special Education
• State Pre-K Evaluations
• English Language Learners
• Governance and Accountability
• Quality and Curriculum
• Economics and Finance

 

I don’t care how independent someone is, we all still need support.  Support offers us comfort and happiness.  This is a tough world and without support, the chances of failure are increased.

I am lucky to have people that support me on a daily basis.  The most important support that I have is my boyfriend, Matt.  Matt works very hard to help support my son and myself.  He works over time whenever he can so we have more money to do fun things.  I have been a struggling single mom for six years and finally have some relief.  He plays with my son and helps him with things so that I can get things done.  Going to school full time and working full time as a single mom is very difficult.  He is supportive of my job and continuing school.  He has taken my son in as his own and nothing means more to me than that.   

The other staff that I work with are also very supportive.  We work together and help each other out when we can.  If I need to leave early one day, I can also find someone that will take my place.  My boss is always understanding and accommodating of things that I have to do, especially when it involves my son.

My mother and sisters have always been there for me.  I talk to them quite often.  They are always there to listen when I have problems and help in any way they can.  One of my sisters lives in Texas.  She felt I needed a break, so her and her husband flew my son and myself to their house for a week.  My mother lives about an hour and a half away from me now.  I hate not seeing her all the time but she is always there when I need her.  There have been a few times where she came over to play with my son so I could get work done.  I can call her at any time and know that I will not be bothering her.

If I were not living with Matt right now, it would be a huge struggle.  I do not make very much money and have a lot of bills that my son’s father left me with.  Working and going to school full time is hard enough.  Plus a child and always stressing about making ends meet.  He is way more than my financial support though.  I have never felt so loved and understood with anyone else.  I can count on him for anything and by more than confident that he will pull through for me. 

 

My Connection to Play

 

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” -Kay Redfield Jamison

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.” Leo F. Buscaglia

I remember having so much fun as a child.  I was the youngest of four children and we were all very closed in age.  There was always someone to play with.  My parents of course bought us many fun toys, but they were more about playing things with us then spending money on material things.  My parents always let us explore things.  They weren't over protective and always telling us no and that we could not do things.  They let us be creative and think of fun things to do with each other around the house.   We spent a lot of time outside.  We would ride our bikes, draw with chalk, build forts, play baseball and run all around the house.  We would play outside all day.  We would only be allowed to come home to eat or use the bathroom.  We stayed out until bedtime.  I feel that play is so much different today.  There are multiple reasons behind this thought.  Technology has taken over the lives of children.  Yes I do agree that technology is an amazing tool in teaching children and giving them different options to learn, but there are negative aspects.  Some parents tend to use technology as a babysitter for their children.  A lot of parents are extremely busy and put their children in front of a tv or computer.  Another reason I feel this is happening is because the world is so unsafe.  There is so much crime today and bad people that want to hurt children.  When I grew up, my parents didn't have to worry about us being kidnapped or anything like that.

Ever since I was very young, I LOVED babies.  I always had a baby doll that I took everywhere with me. I liked to take care of my babies.  I always wanted the dolls that came with diapers and pretend food and bottles.  Playing with the dolls made me realize how much I loved kids.  As soon as I was old enough to babysit, I did.  And to this day I still work with babies every day.  I just can't get enough of them!!  Through play I learned what I was good at and what I loved.

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

Relationship Reflection

 

Relationships come in many different varieties.  The relationships that have been the most important to me lately are my co-workers, my son and my boyfriend.  I have completely different relationships with each of them but each are special and important in their own ways. They all work together to make me stronger and happier.  There are often times I disagree with what the other says or does, but I think that is how to make the relationship stronger.  If you care about someone, you will do what it takes to make them happy.  That does not necessarily mean that we have to agree with everything they say and do.  It means that we take their thoughts and opinions into considerations and build from that. 

Jordan is my six year old son   J  It is because of him that I went back to school.  Right after high school I got my Associate’s degree in early education.  After I had him I realized I was down a tough and lonely road.  I decided to go back for my Bachelor’s degree.  I made the huge decision to continue on with my Master’s.  He motivated me to keep on going.  When times were rough and I didn’t know how I was going to take on anymore, I just look at his little face and realize all my hard work will be worth it.  Nothing is more important than this little angel and I will continue to work hard to provide for him and teach him how to be a kind young man. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca is the teacher that I worked with for three years.  We worked with special education junior high students.  She is an amazing person and teacher.  Our relationship was very special to me.  I learned a great deal from her.  Working with special education students is difficult for anyone.  When you have someone that clicks with you and has very similar thoughts it makes it much easier.  We had the same feelings about our students.  We were always on the same page and finished each other’s sentences.  I have learned more from her regarding patience and sensitivity than I have ever learned before. 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt is my boyfriend.  He met me when I was a struggling single mother.  He has been my rock, my confidence and my support.  He supports my son and his biological father does not.  He accepts me for who I am and what comes with me.  My son is finally happy for once that he has a “family”.  We have story time together every night before bed and my son gets a special “Matt” hug and kiss before he falls asleep.  It is something that I have never had with my son and I thank God every day for Matt and what he has done for us.

 

“Playing should be fun! In our great eagerness to teach our children we studiously look for ‘educational’ toys, games with built-in lessons, books with a ‘message.’ Often these ‘tools’ are less interesting and stimulating than the child’s natural curiosity and playfulness. Play is by its very nature educational. And it should be pleasurable. When the fun goes out of play, most often so does the learning.” ~ Joanne E. Oppenheim (child development expert, author).

I have always been a firm believer in children learning through play.  Playing should always be fun!  In my experiences, children obtain more information when they don’t realize they are learning.  Play exercises the imagination and allows children to solve problems and experiment with different ideas.

I have never done well at taking tests.  I always dreaded taking any type of test in school to rate my intelligence level.  There are many children who have the same problems.  Children should be tested in many different areas.  Most of these areas should not be “tested” by answering questions on paper.  Children learn in different ways and often take different approaches in showing their intelligence.  It is important to make sure children are where they should be at developmentally according to their age.  I feel there should be a separate list of what children should be able to do at their age.  An example would be an assessment that lists what a six year old can do socially, cognitively, physically and emotionally.  I think professionals should take time to speak to the individual child and perform a proper assessment on each individual skill.  The most important thing is to make sure that each child is properly developing according to their age.  Speaking with the child will help decide whether or not they need extra help and attention. 

In African countries, professionals use a holistic approach to assessment.  The holistic approach assesses the social and emotional well-being of children.  African countries unfortunately see a lot of things such as hunger and disease.  The negative experiences can cause many problems for children, affecting their development.  Professionals want to figure out why a child is having problems and get them help.  If a standard IQ test was done for these children, a lot of them could have low scores.  The reason for low scores could not be because they are not intelligent, there could be many reasons as to why the score was low. 

References:
PEAR. The Holistic Student Assessment. (2014). http://www.pearweb.org/tools/hsa.html

 

 

 

I went to Catholic School my entire school experience.  There was not much variety in the type of students that went to the schools.  Up until my Sophomore year of high school, there was never an African American that attended any school that I did.  This individual was a male. He was a very nice and well mannered young man.  There were many students that were very negative to this student.  I am sure it was because they have not been exposed to any other race or ethnicity before.  He became very shy and uncomfortable.  He never attended any sporting events or activities.  He ended up changing schools and had to be put in counseling due to all of the ridicule he was put through.  He lost a lot of confidence in himself.  I have since spoken to him on facebook. He is currently a school counselor.  He says that is the best decision he ever made.  He is very grateful that he is able to help children that go thought the same type of turmoil that he did.

The experiences for African American Women in the United States can be very negative.  The effects can be very riskful to their health.  “FOUR YEARS AGO, researchers identified a surprising price for being a black woman in America. The study of 334 midlife women, published in the journal Health Psychology, examined links between different kinds of stress and risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Black women who pointed to racism as a source of stress in their lives, the researchers found, developed more plaque in their carotid arteries -- an early sign of heart disease -- than black women who didn't. The difference was small but important -- making the report the first to link hardening of the arteries to racial discrimination” (Drexler, 2007).  

Breast Feeding

There are many benefits to breastfeeding. It benefits mothers and babies.  Babies are less prone to illnesses and diseases.  Formula feeding raises a higher risk of asthma, diabetes, and respiratory infections.  Breastfeeding is also better for the mothers.  It lowers the risk of postpartum depression and forms a tremendous bond between baby and mother.  The mother can be alone with her baby and give him/her the closeness that babies require.  Babies need to be held and nurtured.  I breast fed my son when he was a baby and I would not have had it any other way.  I did not have to worry about bottles and making sure they are properly cleaned.  When he was hungry, he ate.  I was able to pump milk and freeze it for when I was not able to be around him.  Breastfeeding is a healthy and un-costly way to feed your child knowing that they are getting all of the nutrients they need. 

In countries that suffer from poverty, breastfeeding is a must.  Families are poor and cannot afford to properly feed their children.  Another factor in these countries is that the water and food can be harmful.  Mothers do not have a choice other than to breastfeed for the safety of their children.

“The nation benefits overall when mothers breastfeed. Recent research shows that if 90 percent of families breastfed exclusively for 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented. The United States would also save $13 billion per year — medical care costs are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants. Breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations” (Women’shealth.gov., 2011).

 

Reference:

(2011).  Women’shealth.gov. Breastfeeding. http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/

 

 

I have a six year old son.  I had a normal pregnancy.  The only thing that was out of place was his father.  He was never around much and drank alcohol heavily.  I was left to do everything on my own.  I had a short labor, lasting about 7 hours.  I was on so much pain but was focused on the outcome. I knew I had a tough road ahead of me and that I was basically on my own.  At that time in my life I had an Associate Degree in early education.  For me, this was a huge task that I had competed.  When it was time to push, I got very scared and anxious.  The second he came out, I knew that I needed to make some changes. As soon as I heard him cry and saw his beautiful chubby little face, I knew what I had to do. All of my fears and anxiety went away for just a few minutes the first time we locked eyes with each other.  This little baby was set to rely solely on me and I had to do everything I could to protect him and take care of him. I knew without a doubt that I was going to put this baby first in every situation.

 

The culture I chose to do some research on was the Chinese culture.  It was interesting to read about some of their rituals and how things are different than in my culture.  In this culture, it is considered unlucky to have a baby shower before the baby is born.  The maternal grandmother waits 3 days then sees the new baby, bring gifts and all of the necessities.  Before being born, babies are given a fake name to scare away evil spirits.  A baby is never given their proper name until after birth.   Another interesting custom is that children of the Chinese culture are typically given multiple names.  One name for birth, one during early childhood, graduation, and sometimes a different name after passing away. 

 

Reference:

 Brown, Leah. Babyzone. Childbirth Traditions Around the World: China. http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/childbirth-traditions-china_70703?page=2

NAEYC

I-1.7—To use assessment information to understand and support children’s development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services.

I have worked with children with special needs for three years.  I have learned a great deal about what to look for when trying to decide if they need additional services.  I have a better understanding of all of the many resources and options available to these children.  All children develop differently.  Some children cannot make certain connections and are not able to perform in the same ways as their peers. 

I-1.10—To ensure that each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.

Every child is special in many different ways.  It is important to appreciate each child’s culture and background.  When I used to teach preschool, I would always incorporate the cultures of different students.  I would always celebrate Chinese New Year and Cinco de Mayo.  Acknowledging the different cultures made those children feel more welcome and appreciated.  It was also very beneficial in teaching the other students about new and different things. 

 I-2.2—To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

As professionals, it is part of our job to communicate and involve families.  Children need a strong and positive support system.  Teachers and families can share sources and ideas.  The more those involved in a child’s life build a positive relationship, the more the child will succeed.  Families need to feel just as welcomed.  I am constantly in contact with the families of the children I am involved with.  I send home daily communication pages that tell about the student’s day and it there were any issues that came up that day.  Every parent has my personal email and cell phone number and are well aware that they can contact me at any time with questions or concerns. 

DEC

Responsive Family Centered Practices

6. We shall respect families’ rights to choose or refuse early childhood special education or related services.

This is another issue that is a significant part of my current professional position.  Special education can be very extensive or rather minimal.  I have seen how it affects children and their families.  Having a child that needs special education services can be very difficult for some families to accept.  Often times, it takes parents a lot of thinking and weighing pros and cons before committing one way or the other.  It is important to make families aware of the services that are available and give them all of the information they need to make the proper decision.  I need to be respectful of whatever decision they make and allow them room to change their minds if they are not happy with their decision.

References:

Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Article: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from

http://www.dec-sped.org/