Reflecting on Learning

 

My most passionate hope for the future as an early childhood professional is to be successfully. I want for every child and family that I encounter to leave my class and presence with a better sense of themselves and the world around them. I want those who I come across to have learned ways to become better people and better educated. If this only happens to one child and family, then I will have succeeded in my goals.

I am one course away from graduating and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with each and every one of my fellow Walden colleagues. This journey has been a roller coaster and what got me through a lot of the courses is realizing that we are need in our profession to help others discover their goals. Thank you everyone for allowing me to grow personally and professionally with you, and if this is my last note to you, I want you to truly know how much I appreciate all of your input, comments and believe. It has made me a better professional and person. So Thank You.

Impacts on Early Childhood Development

 

I area of the world I chose to share is West and Central Africa. I chose this region because being an African American woman professional I would like to know what it would be like to teach and learn from their point of view. One of the places on my bucket list is to travel to Africa, and when I do, I want to visit every possible school type system possible.

One of the first challenges I noticed was how the children of the region have medical issues that have been cured or handled such as polio, AIDS and everyday things such as maternity services. Another challenge is food. The lack of food to feed the families and children plays a major role in their lives.

These experiences can affect the children in many different ways. When it comes to their emotional well being, the lack of health care and food, could make them feel as though they are not good enough to be healthy if they see others eating and getting better. If their family or themselves could not find ways to live their day to day lives as “normal” as possible it could cause them to have low self-esteem or not find value in their lives.

A professional reflection I have gained is that on a professional standpoint the children of Africa are lacking in the developmental department. This development could be emotional and cognitive. As a society or even just merely in our profession not matter where the child is, we should want to figure out ways to better the child. This website influenced me to continue to reach my goals, because I have the ability to be more to just one child.

My personal reflection is that children around the world need me. I know that sounds impossible, but it is not. Who is it know if one of the students that I provide anti-bias education to won’t be the next Ghandi? The insights I gained from looking through this website is that not one country is perfect. Every country needs becoming better. The answer I look to find is what generation will it be to make the greatest contribution to the society.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

My reaction to sexualization is like a light bulb going off. I did not realize there were separate words for the idea of sexuality. From the society we live in which makes the idea of sex such a glamour idea, it seems as though children are confusing the notion of healthy relationships with bad relationships. The notion of sexualization, which has to do with treating other people and oneself as objects of sexual desire, is becoming more common in today’s society.

One example of sexualization I overheard was early this week at school. A couple of 2^nd grade girls were discussing how sexy they were going to be for their husbands one day. It gained my attention because instead of these girls talking about what they want to be when they grow up or the latest show on Disney, they are talking about being sexy.

Another example of sexualization is looking through my personal facebook and seeing all of my friends post pictures of their 3-5 year olds, who are dressed like 20 year olds and even worse wearing make-up and fake nails like grown women.

The last example is of some guys thinking that women are only there for their sexual desire. This is best shown in bars and or clubs. Some men don’t go to find a woman of their dreams; they are looking for someone pretty and willing to have sex. This situation can be a very sad thing to watch and be victim of.

Examples like this may have negative implications on children’s sense of healthy development. Children may view themselves only on the notion of sex instead of actually viewing their self worth being and its value. Children could view today’s media as being the norm and once it’s time to have a realistic relationship they end up learning the hard way that it is not the same, which could lead to unhealthy developments.

This week’s topic helped raise my awareness that sexualization is not the same as sexuality and or sex. This clarification will help me in the long run know how to hand the different situation I may come across.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practices

The consequences that I expect to have when dealing with children and their families will be straight to the point. An –ism I anticipate encountering is sexism. For example if a group of boys don’t let a girl or two participate in their play time because they are girls, then I would have to intervene and explain why it is okay for boys and girls to play together.

As the youngest of 3 kids and the only girl, my brothers never let me use being a girl as an excuse. They coached me in softball and basketball, and they always told me that I was the best. And when I would try and use being a girl as an excuse to be lazy and not finish my workouts or drills, they would tell me that I could do anything that a boy can do and maybe even better.

So when it comes to consequences for the children and families in our environment when it deals with sexism, the consequence will be to have the child do a book report, on the opposite sex showing the role that sex plays in society. For the families of the children who enter the environment with misconceptions, I would simply just ask them to put themselves in the other sexes’ shoe and evaluate the problem or issue in that manner.

As a female in a profession that is majority female, it is great to see male professionals teaching and providing great role models for young boys. It is an encouraging experience, and I am glad to be a part of it.

 

Observing Communication

There is this little at my school that is in his first year of preschool. He is somewhat of a trouble maker and his preschool teacher doesn’t know how to handle him. So just about every day he is being sent out of the classroom. One of my colleagues though has learned how to calm him down and get him to do as his teacher ask of him. I have noticed that Ms. Shockey doesn’t get mad at Michael; she tries to do more comforting. Ms. Shockey always starts the conversation by asking him what the problem was and asks him how he handled it. She then proceeds to tell him that if he wants to attend school like his big brother, that he is going to have to learn how to listen to his teacher. My favorite thing to do when Ms. Shockey is having these conversations with Michael are how calm and quiet. She never threatens him or seem to make him feel embarrassed. She just talks to him, which seems to reach him better, then when his teacher constantly yells at him.

I think the communication between Ms. Shockey and Michael is very effective. It is almost like he knows that she is there to help him and not get him into further trouble. She has opened up her arms and ears to him and told him at anytime he needs a hug or just to talk to come and find her.

Just from the way Michael acts when he sees or converses with Ms. Shockey, I know that she has made a positive influence on him. I think even though Michael’s teacher doesn’t show a caring side with him, he knows that Ms. Shockey does. She may have even provided a strong beginning in his career in school. It seems as though he now knows that not every teacher is mean and shows affection. He knows that there are nice, friendly and affectionate teachers in the building.  

The interaction that I see constantly between Ms. Shockey and Michael remind me that some children may need more than just education when they walk through your doors. They may also need extra special attention which could consist of hugs, smiles and maybe even hand holding.  I take the observation from these two and keep it fresh on my “useful information” list I have.

This week I have learned that my passion for early childhood truly is more than the lesson plans. I know this because seeing a child scarf down 2 bananas and 2 milks because they didn’t receive dinner the night before really makes me sad and strive to help these kind of children in any way possible. Even if helping children mean coming out of my personal pocket to provide a “snack closet” in my classroom. I want to be able to positively affect every child I encounter in some way of fashion. I will listen to children not only with my ears, but with my heart as well. I will do everything in my power to be a positive outlet for the many different students I will come across.

Creating Affirming Environments

    In my own Family Child Care Home, I would be mindful of the type of things I want the children to learn and how they learn everything. I would do a theme such as a jungle theme where monkeys, snakes and such would be everywhere to promote a different type of thinking or environment where learning may take place. I would like for there to be tables which have crayon boxes of all colors on them so that each child can choose what color they prefer. In the center of the room would be the desk or most commonly used learning positions. I would also have a carpet which would allow children to join together to have meetings and conversations.

    The walls would be full of inspirational posters and helpful reminders, and there would be posters that contained daily helpful hints. Those posters would include the multiplication tables, or the Pronoun chart, and comprehension tools. I would make sure to provide a location for a library. Where I would include books of all genres with many different cultures represented.

    I would be sure to provide a curriculum that has themes of self-discovery, family and community (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  I want the children to draw pictures of themselves and what they want to be and of what their family at home look like and to explain them. I would also like for them to draw their favorite place to go outside and what are some things they would find there. I would be sure to explain to the class as a whole that a family can look like anything not just a mommy and daddy and such. I want to make sure every child is comfortable with expressing themselves.

    I have created my environment by reading through the suggestions of the reading materials and realizing that even your classroom presentation can show your biases. I have an idea of what I would want my classroom to look like from the colleagues I work with it. Some of my colleagues’ classrooms are not very inviting with not much on the walls and then there are those that just seem so warming and welcoming. That is the kind of classroom I want to have.

 

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

What I Have Learned

My hope that I have for children and families that come from a diverse background, is to create several learning environments to where they feel as though they are at the utmost importance no matter what their circumstance. I want to give everyone that I come across the motivation to be a better person in all aspects of live.

I would like to set a goal for the early childhood field to put aside each and every bias the professionals may come across and be better people, and educators for children and families to look up to. We as professionals set the standard for expectations and how can we expect others to succeed if we ourselves are not successful.

I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues here at Walden and at my Elementary. Being that I am so young in this profession, I truly can say I am learning a lot day by day. I wouldn’t change anything about my experiences. Thank you all for helping me grow into a more aware professional. This journey will soon come to an end for me, yet the everyday experiences will remain near and dear to me. Again thank you.

Creative Art

All the social issues children come across. As professionals we must learn to look past our biases and create learning environments that will help support their not so normal lives.

We must become the professionals that will encourage healthy families that may all look different as well as classrooms that will look different as well. Most importantly always remember early childhood education is the foundation to a child’s healthy beginning.

We Don't Say Those Words in Class

I am the youngest of 3 children and over the past years I have spent a lot of time with my nieces and nephews. I remember one day as we were at the mall hanging out, we were in the food court when a older woman was feeding what looked to be her son, but he was in his 20s or so. He had some type of mental retardation. My 7 year old nephew who is more of the curious type, asked me out loud as we were walking by the mother and son what was wrong with him and why was she feeding him. As I pulled him by his arm quickly and continued to move, I told him I would explain it to him at a different time.

The lesson I hoped to teach him at that moment is to recognize different things happening, but not speak about it to their face and be rude. When we talked about the situation later, he had a lot of questions. I answered them all as best as possible, and then I asked him about different things he has been noticing. As we talked about it all, I started informing him about why it is polite not to stare, point or talk about others that may be different.

As an anti-bias educator, I would explain it to my class the same. I would give them the opportunity to express and ask about previous encounters with differences they have seen. Then after I answer all of their questions as best as possible, I would then begin to explain why it is best and most polite not to point, and stare at those with differences.

Seeing Diversity

 

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families?

I feel as though times have changed tremendously in the last 30 years. So some things that were not acceptable in the library section is now and should be acceptable. The world of same-sex partners is not something that can be hidden. So instead of hiding the information and things that can come to light as an education system I think we should not necessarily push the books into children hands, but allow them to have the option of reading if they feel free. It’s almost of the times of the Civil Rights movement, a lot of people did not like the idea of integrated schools but it was inevitable. So instead of being ignorant we must educate ourselves.

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms as insults by child to child or by an adult to a child. Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children?

I have heard on the playgrounds Fourth grade boys teasing a fourth grade for the way she dressed. They were saying she was a “tom boy” because she always wore long shirts and boy shorts and basketball shoes. The teasing of the boys hurt the little girls feelings, and you could tell in the weeks to follow that she was trying to look more like a girl. These comments had influenced the little girl to be more self conscious about her appearance. So therefore she tried to change her appearance. No telling if the teasing of these little boys will be a long lasting influence on her image or just a temporary affect.

A Bond Like No Other

Oh my, I can’t believe it is already time to tell you guys thanks. This program is just flying by and I feel as though I am growing tremendously. I want to thank each and every one of you, who has taken the time to comment on my blogs and discussions. It is so helpful to know that there is a group of people out there that share the same goals and aspirations as me. I could not have asked for a better group of people to grow with. I think the best part about this class ending is knowing that as I have grown, you have grown as well.  I want to wish everyone a fantastic and blessed journey as you continue through it. Never look back and never ever give up. We have been given the opportunity to be a part of some of the most magnificent and amazing creatures on this planet, children. Keep striving.

Adjourning Teamwork

The group that I am thinking of that made the hardest to say good-bye is the 5^th grade class that left school for the last time on the last day. Our group was special because I got the opportunity to grow with the 5^th graders and they got the opportunity to see where hard work pays off. I do believe that high performing groups are the hardest to leave. Once someone achieves so much and gets the opportunity to experience it with someone else it means a lot more.

What I thought was really special and unique for the 5^th graders were that it was a tradition for the 5^th graders to be sent off by the rest of the school. Each other grade lined the hall way to create a pathway for the 5^th graders. Then the 5^th graders got to walk the halls for the last time with music playing and everyone cheering. It was an amazing experience to watch and I could only imagine what it felt like to participate in it. Once the 5^th graders passed by me, all I could do was think about the times we spent preparing for the statewide test and just learning about our history and everyday life.

When it comes to adjourning from my colleagues I become sad and happy. I am sad because for the last year I have learned and grew with some amazing people from all over the world. I feel as though I can have a place to go where at least someone understands what I am going through. I almost don’t know where I will go once we graduate to find colleagues and peers like I have today. Yet I know I will be extremely happy because we have all accomplished something that many people will never have the opportunity to do. We will have set goals for ourselves and will have reached them.

I feel as though adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it is a way to see where workings towards your goals have led you. For my 5^th graders we worked 2 semesters on preparing for the state test. When we received our grades from the practice test we had seen that our hard work had paid off. Yet this wasn’t the last step, and I had explained to them that it was time for the next group of teachers to lead them further. So adjourning is just another phase of reaching your goals in my eyes.

Work Conflicts

There is a conflict in my office that is an ongoing problem. At the drug and alcohol rehab center I work at, I am in charge of running and controlling the UA program. Here in the last few months our bill has risen and is causing a problem financially. So in order to help with this problem, I have started enforcing some rules that I have not been doing in the past. Well I am only a part time worker at the center, so when I am not there to enforce the rules, it seems as the counselors and other full time employees don’t care about the rules that have been put into effect. So for the last few mandatory weekly meetings I have brought to everyone attention the issues we are having. I have then asked to help me sole the problems, by coming up with ideas they think will help or even different compromises we can make in order to help bring down the cost of UAs.  So of course some of the main “complaints” my colleagues have had is that it’s not their job to worry about the rules and that they have their own job descriptions to worry about. So I have brought to their attention that because of the lack of “extra” money coming in we are not currently receiving bonuses, luncheons and things of that nature. Once I brought that to their attention, the idea of helping and compromise became the main topic at hand.

So the strategies that I used were providing evidence that with a high UA bill meant less money for the office to enjoy more things and then I was able to get them to the point to where they were more willing to compromise.

Communication Tests

At first I was unsure of what to expect of these tests. Once I did the first test, communication anxiety I was thinking “oh its one of these tests”, you know the ones that ask you the same question but 3 different times and 3 different ways. While I was doing these test, my cousin who is also a coworker was doing the test for me at the same time. We received our results about the same time. It was crazy because pretty much everything that I scored on my own, my cousin scored the same thing. It is didn’t surprise me at all. She knows me and I am very comfortable and relaxed around her. So for her to have the same results were normal to me. The second person I had take the test is my boyfriend of a few months. It was more interesting to read his results. Just by his results you can tell that I am still holding back some of my “realness” from him. I think that is normal as well for a relationship that is this new. I really learned about how much I hold back from people till I am truly comfortable with them. I feel this is a good and bad thing, but something I don’t look forward to changing.

Different Culture Communication

I think for sure I communicate differently depending on the person I am talking with. For example I am a 25 year old Black woman, and I have a wide range or colleagues at the elementary I work at. Yet I know that I “carry” myself differently when I speak to my colleague that is a 28 year old Caucasian woman who has been married to a Black man and currently dating a Black man compared to an older Caucasian woman. I knowingly approach each of these ladies differently. I speak in a different manner and if there is a conversation that I am having I use different examples or speech pattern when it comes to who I am talking to. Since the younger woman is someone I communicate with outside the school, usually my communication with her is more casual. I think as a professional though, you have to be able to relate and communicate to different cultures. It allows you to learn and understand who you are talking to in any situation.

Character Communication

This assignment was actually really interesting. I couldn’t figure out what show I wanted to see. All of my favorite shows just seem so animated. I recently became interested in Glee and all of the pretty music. So I wondered what the show would “look” like with out the music.

The characters in the show expressed the same interest as they did with music and sound. They all made eye contact and you knew the ones that didn’t were mad at each other but that only lasted a few minutes. The emotion that Finn and Rachel have for each other is expressed all of their faces. Even when Rachel sang a love ballet to Finn, the cast in the background portrayed just by their actions and expressions how much the two cared for each other.

The feelings and expressions they seemed to be experiencing are happy yet confused. You can tell by the way Rachel and Finn look at each other and the way Finn grabs her that he cares yet it seems that every other encounter with each other they have looks of anguish on their faces.

When I turned the sound back on of course I was right about my assumption. Although in this episode the two lovebirds were discussing marriage and what a happy thing it can be, there were still moments of “what ifs”. This played a major role in their communication skills and their actual and true feelings for one another.

I do believe my assumptions would have been correct if this had been a show that I had watched a little more. It had all the hand holding, smiling, tears, and hugging of any other show that was revolved young love. Maybe the emotions are true and do relate to real life communications.

Competent Communication

The profession that I think is the most competent in their
communication is educators. It is one think to provide children and their
families with information, it is another think to teach and educate them. Not
everyone has the same learning style or understanding skills, so educators have
to be able to adapt and be flexible when it comes to teaching others. With that
being said an educator has to have a huge “bag of tricks” to work from.

 

Educators have different types of behaviors they can
exhibit. Most importantly they have to be flexible and heave a passion in order
to be an effective educator. The great educators are great because they have
compassion for others and enjoy watching as others excel in their developments.

My professional goal is to be a competent communicator. I want
to be that person in someone’s life that has paved a path for learning. In my
own personal experience, my favorite teachers were the ones who didn’t just
teach to the class, but they taught to each student. Learned everyone’s
strengths and weakness and then watched them excel. I would love to be an
educator with them behaviors.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that when they are in my presence or think of how I made them feel, I want it to be a positive memory. I want to have a positive effect on children from different backgrounds so that one day they can and will pass along the same gestures. I want to be the beginning of a positive change.

One goal I would like to set for the issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is bringing forth awareness that eventually will create change. I believe we as professionals are aware, but I don’t believe we all know how and where to begin the change at. I want to help with that evolution. I want to be the change our education system needs.

I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues for helping me grow and to begin understanding where my true purpose and calling. I am blessed to be able to take this journey with some amazing people. We are only half way done with our courses, and I can’t wait till we continue our growth over our last classes.

Welcoming Families

The origin of my family’s last name, Pittman,  is German. It means Peter-Mann. I definitely didn’t not know that my origin last name is German. I am very interested. How did they get the Pitt, from Peter. I now have so many questions.

I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family by learning more for beginners. After learning more about the origin of the family maybe looking into their culture by seeing their essential race, I would then ask them questions one on one how they feel about the transition to the school. After their transition, I would just pay close attention to the way the child acts in the classroom environment. If I am still unsure of how to respond to the particular family, I would ask my colleagues what kind of information they knew about this particular culture. Finally I would ask the family to come in for a conference type meeting, and just plain ask them what they expected from me as a professional and just evaluate their answers and learn from them what they want and need.

I think these ways will benefit me and the families  because it will establish a trust level. It will also focus on the equalization of power. I want the family to know that they have just as much invested into their child’s education that I do. We should become a partnership and that only works while creating a partnership.

The Personal Side

My personal experience of a bias happens more often than usual. Since I am heavy set, people always assume that I am heavy because all I do is eat food constantly. Yet if they really took the time to observe me and learn more, I am an athlete and the majority of my “fat” comes from muscles. I am an extremely picky eater and I sometimes only eat once or twice a day.

Equity is diminished because everyone wants to assume that people that are heavy are pure fat and they get that way because of what they eat. When in reality there can be all types of health conditions and genetic disorders that make them seem larger than everyone else. My biggest issue with the assumption of others is that not everyone is built the same and I believe that is for a reason beyond my control. This incident makes me upset for those that are ignorant to pass judgment on someone for situations they don’t know. I hope as an educator I can always obtain and remain clear minded about children and their family’s situations. I think society’s view on body types and images needs to change before this incident has an opportunity for greater equity. If society didn’t tell people that blonde hair blue eyes were the norm and beauty, then I believe people wouldn’t pass judgment on others so quickly.

Practicing Awareness

Early this week was the last day of classes at my elementary school. One of my duties was to help place children in their classes for next year. These children were placed based on good and bad combinations and great matches with teachers and etc. Then the next year teacher got the chance to view their new classes. One of the 4^th grade teachers viewed her class and automatically said why do I have to have so many of them in my class. I was so upset with this statement. First and foremost the school’s main demographic is African Americans. So when this teacher was speaking of “them” she was speaking of African Americans and it was rude and ignorant. If she doesn’t want to teach them she should probably choose to teach at a different school. I thought it was very unprofessional of her.

I was angry with her. I felt as though she was assaulting me as well. Her comment made me think twice of her abilities to care and educate children. If she was having a hard time looking past their color I can only imagine what other things she discriminates against.

This week’s observation affected my perception of the fellow professionals I hang out with in a contradiction manner. Although all of the teachers were sad to see their children leave for the summer and for their next classes, they were still very mean when it came to discussing these kids and how much of a chance they have to succeed. It makes me nervous about my own future in education. Will I eventually be in their shoes, loving the children while discriminating and categorizing them? Furthermore is that a normal thing, based on the teachers prior knowledge about these particular students are they merely examining their cultures and just preparing themselves?

Valuing Culture

My first coworker defined culture as beliefs and shared attitudes of a certain group of people and defined diversity as different interests.

My other coworker who I would consider from a different culture than me has spent 20 years in prison and is male and in his late 30s. He answered the difference between people for both questions.

I asked my mother what her definition for culture was and she responded beliefs, values and your particular group or set of rituals and her definition for diversity was being able to step out of the box and being aware of other peoples opinions, views and beliefs.

The aspects of culture and diversity that can be compared with between what I have learned and what I asked was that culture is related to a belief system. Their examples were shared attitudes relating to religion, rituals and groups of people with social forms. Their definition of diversity all had the word different in it. One example of a definition was having the ability to step out of the box and being aware of other opinions, views and beliefs.

It seems as though the things that were omitted was when it came to culture. None of the people I talked to mentioned the different types of culture besides religious beliefs. For example culture can also be gender, age, interests and so forth. It wasn’t until after I asked the definition did I explain to them the other types of culture and all of my participants shook their heads and were like of course.

Thinking about other people’s definition of culture and diversity help me to realize that before taking these courses I am sure that I was thinking about these subjects in a vague way as well. I am glad that I now have a better understanding of what being part of a culture is like.

My Family Culture

The three items I would take with me to my “host country” would be the Bible, our family picture, and a picture of President Obama and his family.

I would carry the Bible, to show that we have faith and know that as long as we continue to believe everything will be alright, He will make a way.

Our family picture is important because it shows how different we are on the outside, yet how we are still one heart. We may fight and argue but at the end of the day we are family and nothing can tear us down.

The picture of President Obama and his family represents the struggle we as a family has gone through and that there is still hope for a brighter day. Everything may not be perfect but if we continue to pray and hope, anything is possible.

If we were told upon arrival we had to give up two of the three things, the one thing I would keep would be my Bible. Even if the country has a different belief system, my believes in my God are very important to me and I would want to keep my faith strong by always reading and having my Bible nearby.

I realized that my family has its faults and we may always fight with each other, but when it comes down to us becoming whole for a greater cause, we don’t hesitate. I love my family and the many different things each person represents. I love my family even more the wholeness we always maintain.

When I Think of Research....

The insights I have learned from taking this course is that research is not as frightening as I thought. As long as you have good techniques and a basic understanding of what to look for, you can and will succeed.  The nature of doing research has changed for me in the aspect that I am no longer intimidated by just reading the word “research”. I know feel as though I can create a research worth reading.

I learned that planning is the basis for research. Without planning you really can’t provide research based information properly. The design is equally as important. There are so many different formats that you can use. Each design is unique and specific to the different types of research that can be conducted. When it comes to conducting research I learned that it can be a very case sensitive. There are several different outcomes that can occur while using a various number of variables. While conducting a research the researcher must stay neutral. The purpose of a research is not to express your opinion but to find out as much information about a topic and present that to everyone else.

I had a challenge of understanding the different designs and different types of equity. Although they are all different styles, I was finding similarities between them all and it made reading and understanding it confusing. I met these challenges by just continuing to read and taking the time to understand the differences.

My perceptions of the early childhood profession have been modified by this course because it has broadened my understanding of the world of research. I have gone from being nervous about the idea of doing and reading research to having a better idea of what to expect while conducting and reading research. I am truly glad that this course is part of my curriculum.

Research Around the World

The website I chose to explore was http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. Some of the current international issues that are present in the website regarding Early Childhood Australia are facing roles as advocacy. Some teachers feel as though their role as teachers and teachers first and foremost, which is true, but is leaving them with no time to take active roles as advocates in young children. This would give voices to children.  The issues that arise from lack of advocacies are resources, referral agencies, affordable child care, accreditation, licensing requirements, staff support and salaries.

It’s not necessarily a new insight, but I like how Australia has a code of ethics. I feel as though a code of ethics creates an expectation across the board for all education professionals. I think it is a great benefactor to see that other countries are using a similar means of standard.

Noteworthy information that I found was The Research Practical Series. This series provides practical, easy to read resources for those involved in the early childhood field (Early Childhood Australia, 2011). I like that the website provides a convenient ad quick way to find resources. It seems like it would be beneficial to have the books which are designed to assist with challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children by offering effective, new approaches.

Early Childhood Australia. 2011. http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/.

Uplifting Stories: Option 2

The major positive contribution that I would like to recognize would be creating a healthy and positive beginning to education. As we should know by now in the education field, education is more than just what the child is learning. It’s about the support and attention that not only the family is providing but the educator themselves. The topic I would work on would be fostering and establishing a healthy beginning to education. I could see the positive contributions being that once it is time for the child to be in a classroom, the basics of education like grammar will already be in place for them. Another positive contribution would be that the families of the children entering into school would be more comfortable about the structure of how school operates. My ultimate goal would be making sure that the transition from daycare to school would be as comfortable and effortless as possible. I feel this would benefit everyone involved, from the families to the educators.

Personal Research Journey

For the simulation in this class, I have chosen to research Poverty. I personally have never experienced poverty, but where I am currently teaching in Oklahoma we are considered a Title 1 school whihc has to do with testing schools, which ultimately comes from the students not having the greatest home lifes. Poverty has affected these children lives in many ways. I would like to spend my career not changing their home lifes but figuring out ways to provide them with the same opportunities to succeed as though who do not have to worry about their next meal or if the light bill is going to be paid.

Some things I may need help on from my colleagues would be to learn some things you all may doin your classrooms to not eliminate the problem but work with it. Are there any insights or f.y.i's I should prepare myself for? Any and all suggestions will be helpful. If you have any resources to help out I would love to read through them. Thanks and I look forward to hear about anything you have experienced.

The Consequences

It’s crazy; it took me 3 days to figure out what this assignment was truly asking me. At first I was thinking, “Consequences, why would there be any type of consequence learning about anything international.” I asked my mother to elaborate and when her answer frustrated me even more I then turned to my best friend. He told me to look at the word consequence as something negative, but as an end result of some learned. So that is what I am going to do.

My three consequences are how the Philippines believe:

 The early a child learns to read the better off the child will be

The idea of convincing officials that play in the classroom is essential to a child’s development

The issue of poverty exists there as well, with about 5 million families being affected

What I really learned and enjoyed about learning about the Philippines was that as much as they are different from us here in the United States, we still have some of the same values. The best part is that even though sometimes it seems as though the reason are not genuine, both countries value their children. They go into national debt trying to create and make sure they establish programs which provide a beginning level to their education.  

Blog Alternative

This week for the blog assignment I chose to do the podcast assignment, and I have yet to receive my response, so I am doing the assignment from the webpage which allows me to share 3 new ideas and insights I have learned and gained related to issues in the international early child.

In the November 2011 the Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development was held in Singapore. At this conference, the supporting core organizations were the UNICEF, UNESCO, Plan International, Open Society Foundation and Save the Children. The conference was aimed at focusing on the needs that can be done to decrease under-five mortality rates, reduce malnutrition, increase access to services from children under 3. The conference focused on so many new insights that have enlightened my understanding of the importance of creating a healthy beginning to a child’s developmental beginning.

The highlight of the conference was the launch of the “Resource Package for 0-3”. This package’s goal is to help inform and prepare policy makers, practitioners and parents with a variety of information on early childhood development for children under the age of 3. There are also a number of hands-on workshops formed to utilize resource materials along with policy consultations. This is great to know about. I personally would like to attend a few of their workshops in order to experience the new standards.

What really has enhanced my understanding of the webpage is the fact that more than just the United States is taking a better look at their children at an earlier standpoint. The People’s Republic of China, Pakistan, the Philippines and Mongolia just to name a few that are also beginning to put a focus on the importance of the foundation of a child’s education. I think we as an educational field, whether in the United States or other countries are on a great road to helping develop minds at an earlier age. I am proud to say that my heart belongs to this profession.

Sharing Web Resources

At the top of the home page, it gives you the option of clicking on T.E.A.C.H.  After I clicked on the link, it leads me to a page that gives information about the scholarship available through T.E.A.C.H. When I searched this area better, I found an actual application for the scholarship, the requirements for the program, and all the good it has done. The best part about this program is that it is geared towards educators. It helps pay for books and any other needs a college student may need. It is available to educators who live in the D.C area.

I have yet to receive an e-newsletter. Not sure I will know how long it will take to receive one either. After I looked through the website I did find a headline talking about empowering middle school children and their parents with the information they need to help start and fill out applications for college. It is called the ECZ, Entering the College Zone. I feel like this relates to the issue of inequity, and it is almost like a problem solving mechanism.

The website talks about PreK-3 and its promise to provide an environment based on improving children’s chances for success starting with the PreK-3^rd policy initiative. This policy includes a range of activities in the home base area of D.C. Their improvement aims at seamlessly connecting high-quality early childhood programs with high quality elementary schools.

Although this particular website is based out of D.C I feel as though it is a very good website. It looks at early childhood in an all together way. It looks at preK-3^rd graders, as well as middle schools and most of all it provides a way for those of us who want to educate others a ways. It helps to fuel the passion the rest of us have for the profession. If nothing else, this website keeps you up to date on the issue and trends such as health in the early childhood field. Being healthy can contribute to a lot when dealing with education, and the website http://nbcdi.org raises awareness of the issue very well.

Getting to know you...

This week, Elizabeth Santos expressed to me about how the Philippines do their K-12 programs. She said that in the Philippines, grade school only goes to the 10^th grade. Yet in order to compete globally, the Filipino government implemented an additional two years like we do in the United States. Even though this may seem very logical in more than one sense, there are mixed reactions around their country. A few objections to the implementation are the addition cost for parents and a delay in the joining of the work force for young adults. Elizabeth says that play in the early childhood programs and progressive philosophy have been very hard to sell in her country due to most Filipinos think that as far as reading the earlier the better. They even have a large amount of children entering reading and math programs starting at the age of 2. Which the theories for these actions of her country is that they will encourage your child to read by the age of three.

Learning this information from Elizabeth was eye opening. I truly never thought about other countries not continuing required education through the 10^th grade, but it does make me understand why a lot of foreign country graduates are younger than most American graduates. Also the notion and ideas to start children reading and doing math at an early age is similar to our Pre-K program, but at such an early age, it puts more responsibility on the parents which I also think is excellent. If there are more people caring for a child’s education, it will make a huge difference in their development. I like these international conversations, because they give me the opportunity to think beyond just the information I know about. It will help me become not just a better teacher but a more rounded person. Really puts my life into perspectives.

Sharing Web Resources

On the website National Black Child Development Institute http://nbcdi.org/, the section that seemed the most relevant to my current professional development was underneath Initiatives labeled early childhood education. An issue that I was not aware of is President Obama’s pledge to make sure that even though we are in an economic crisis, schools funds around the country will not be cut. He wants to make sure that all children have an opportunity for success. President Obama bringing attention to the importance of education is extremely great for the field. This is where the support of politicians come into play. This is an important year in politics, so I have a feeling there will be a lot of attention and focus on education. This is a great thing. Hopefully people will do more than just make promises, hopefully they will come through.

From exploring the website this week, I learned more about the Parent Empowerment Project. It is a project just to help educate parents and helping them to realize that they are essentially children’s first teachers. So they designed this project for lower income African American’s, but are learning quickly that it is beneficial for all parents, so they are opening it up. It’s a great project to show parent’s that they can provide support for their children even on a fixed income.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

I thought I had two conversation partners, but there was a misunderstanding with one of them, so as I continue my search I will introduce you to my other new friend. My conversation partner is Elizabeth Santos. She is from the Philippines. She is a current student and classmate of ours here at Walden University. Elizabeth has really enlightened me about a few issues including poverty about her country.  

First she informed me about the population of her country. In her country there are 94.6 million people. That is as of 2010. When it comes to the issue of poverty there is about 5 million families that is what you would considered poor. The minimum wage of her country is 222 Philippine pesos which is equivalent to 5 dollars American money. The government has been asked for help, but their help seems like a long shot.

As far as education, Elizabeth said there an ECCD or Early Childhood Care and Development Act (Republic Act 8980) has help with the growing value of early childhood education. This act will provide a holistic development to children and families. The act requires that every “baranggay” (meaning village) must have at least 1 daycare center care center for children till 6 years of age. Another program that began in her country is Universal Kinder which provides free kinder program in all public school systems. Although this has been a huge help there are still some problems that have came up. These problems are the lack of classrooms, teachers are not being trained to teach very young children and lack of materials.

I am extremely excited to learn more about Elizabeth’s country and their progress. It sounds like they are already on their way to creating a better education system.

E. Santos (personal communication, January 18, 2012)

Sharing Web Resources

I requested a newsletter be sent to be from the National Black Child Development Institute. The link is http://nbcdi.org/.   I have not received my newsletter yet, but I can give you a brief description of the website. The National Black Child Development Institute is on a mission to improve the lives of Black children and their families (NBCHI, 2012). Their main focus is to give every child a chance. They have worked to improve child welfare services, make universal early care and education a reality, build family support services, press for educational reform and provide vital information regarding children’s health (NBCHI, 2012). The plan is to get the community involved, starting with places like the church and stretching to the barber shops. The goal is to put more responsibilities on the community itself, so we can have not just stronger children, but a stronger community.

 I selected Health and Nutrition from the Initiatives section of the website. I chose this section because I feel like Health and Nutrition is a major part of Early Childhood Development. It can be the basis of how child will learn and grow. The Health and Nutrition section is about different articles and news awareness’s that encourage health and nutrition. These articles for example are Child Health Talk, Promoting Positive Nutrition Practices Among Black Families and Reducing Childhood Obesity. Each article has their own agenda and ways to help create a better future for our children. The articles provide topics that can help families better understand the link between health and nutrition.

What I learned from reading through the website, is that a lot of the issues and trends are the same in the wholeness of the Early Childhood Education Field. What is truly different is that this website and its issues and trends are geared to help better educate Black children, which I think is fantastic. Even though all children need help with their development, not all children are the same and it is great to see that there is a group of people eager to help the different families. This can go to include, Hispanic children, Asian children, Disabled children and many more.

National Black Child Development Institute. (2012). Retrieved from http://nbcdi.org/ on January 14, 2012.

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I was having a difficult time trying to find a professional to actually contact me back. As the week drew to an end, I starting thinking, I have quite a few classmates who are from different countries who I am sure would be more than happy to help. So I contacted Professor Klein and she told me that I was more than welcomed to ask my classmates if they would help. So I went through and tried to remember who I have seen talk about being from different countries, and I have asked them for their help. I still have not received replies from them, but I am extremely excited about their replies and an even better opportunity to get to know my classmates that much better. Maybe it will expand out into long professional relationships.

For my Expanding Resource, I have chosen to learn more information from National Black Child Development Institute. It makes me feel like the choices that I am making to pursue my education in the Early Childhood Field the correct one. I feel like our black children are being looked over. Some schools only see them “problem” children or “section 8” (low income based housing) candidates. I am happy to see and read about a website dedicated to promoting a positive outcome for black children.

The website has great information on Initiatives such as Education, Literacy, Child Welfare and Early Childhood Education and much more. It is a great resource to go and find out about laws that are being passed, Committee meetings, and even give you the opportunity to become more involved in areas near you. They have a program called T.E.A.C.H that they provide scholarships to attend, which looks like a training experience. So not only does the website provide information about education, but also about create opportunities for professionals to meet other professionals and collaborate on how to encourage the black culture to make education an important factor in their development.

National Black Child Development Institutehttp://nbcdi.org/