Learning about international early childhood creates a cohesive network of professionals who are committed to the same goals. It lets developed countries understand the struggles of some of the underdeveloped countries and possible ways in which they could mentor them through their issues. The underdeveloped countries can use the more advanced countries as a model as to what they eventually want to have. Working together towards the same goal, the best for all children, is important for every country involved. The less developed countries may need assistance in beginning programs for their children or finding the best route to take with government leaders, other professionals and parents in their communities. Learning from countries that have gone through the same changes and how they went about those changes to create the best for their children is vital to early learning communities.
In the spirit of collegial relations I feel it is important for students to understand the struggles of other professionals in our field. We can learn from each other and assist each other in creating solutions to the issues and trends in our field. It is always nice to know that what one struggles with, others struggle with and to be able to work together to create solutions. Knowing that you have professionals both in your own country and in others that are fighting for the rights of children and the best for them makes us all feel less alone in our advocacy.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 3
While reviewing the UNESCO's Early Care and Education webpage I focused on the information centered around access, quality and investment. In regards to access the 1990 Jamtien Declaration For Education for All stated that learning begins at birth. In 2000 Dakar Framework for Action included the development of early childhood care and education as the first of six main goals. "Participating countries committed themselves to expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children"
(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/access/).
Countries are realizing that education and learning does not begin at 5 in primary school, learning begins at birth and should be accessible to all children and therefore governments must step in and assist the families that can not provide early care and education to their children.
Quality is focusing on the whole child. High quality care is vital to young children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. There is no universally accepted definition of high quality in early care and education however the importance of teacher training and parental education and involvement is deemed necessary for a quality site.
Funding plays a huge role in meeting the needs of young children. Some countries are still developing a primary education program and that leaves very little resources available to fund early care and education. Parents turn to private care with parental payments and the governments assist those who can not afford care. There is still a long road to go in creating comprehensive high quality affordable care and education for all young children.
Hiring educated teachers is one way to begin to create a quality environment for young children. Countries view the definition of teacher in many different ways. In Sweden they have changed their profession to state "teachers working with children from birth to 19 and in a range of education settings" fall under the category of teacher (UNESCO, 2004). Teachers then take specialized classwork in the age group of the children they plan to work with. Spain has divided its teaching staff into two groups by having the qualified teachers work with children over the age of the 3 and assistants work with children under the age of 3 (UNESCO, 2004). This does not put highly trained teachers working with the youngest children.
As a professional goal I stated that I must continue to advocate for children and families and now I realize I also must advocate for teachers as well. We still have a lot of advocating in terms of salary as well as working conditions for our profession. I also set a goal to work with college students who were entering the field. Knowing that I will need to educate them on child development, curriculum, lesson planning and individualization is great but I must also prepare them to become an advocate in this field as well. They must know how to advocate for children, families and others in this profession.
References:
UNESCO (2004, October). The early childhood workforce in 'developed' countries: basic structures and education. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137402e.pdf
(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/access/).
Countries are realizing that education and learning does not begin at 5 in primary school, learning begins at birth and should be accessible to all children and therefore governments must step in and assist the families that can not provide early care and education to their children.
Quality is focusing on the whole child. High quality care is vital to young children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. There is no universally accepted definition of high quality in early care and education however the importance of teacher training and parental education and involvement is deemed necessary for a quality site.
Funding plays a huge role in meeting the needs of young children. Some countries are still developing a primary education program and that leaves very little resources available to fund early care and education. Parents turn to private care with parental payments and the governments assist those who can not afford care. There is still a long road to go in creating comprehensive high quality affordable care and education for all young children.
Hiring educated teachers is one way to begin to create a quality environment for young children. Countries view the definition of teacher in many different ways. In Sweden they have changed their profession to state "teachers working with children from birth to 19 and in a range of education settings" fall under the category of teacher (UNESCO, 2004). Teachers then take specialized classwork in the age group of the children they plan to work with. Spain has divided its teaching staff into two groups by having the qualified teachers work with children over the age of the 3 and assistants work with children under the age of 3 (UNESCO, 2004). This does not put highly trained teachers working with the youngest children.
As a professional goal I stated that I must continue to advocate for children and families and now I realize I also must advocate for teachers as well. We still have a lot of advocating in terms of salary as well as working conditions for our profession. I also set a goal to work with college students who were entering the field. Knowing that I will need to educate them on child development, curriculum, lesson planning and individualization is great but I must also prepare them to become an advocate in this field as well. They must know how to advocate for children, families and others in this profession.
References:
UNESCO (2004, October). The early childhood workforce in 'developed' countries: basic structures and education. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137402e.pdf
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Sharing Web Resources-Division For Early Childhood
As I was looking over the Division for Early Childhood's home page I read through the latest under the "What's New" heading. I followed the link and read the paper titled "DEC Comments on Race to the Top". The comments were written by the President of the DEC, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak and Executive Director of the DEC, Sarah Mulligan. The part of the paper that I would like to emphasize stated "While DEC strongly supports the emphasis on engaging and supporting families as a selection criterion we recommend that the final package emphasize not only what early learning systems provide “to” families but how systems partner “with” families. Family engagement is a core element to the success of this initiative and states should be directed to emphasize the role of parents and family members.
DEC notes that many infants and toddlers do not participate in group or program settings in their community. Infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services may receive those services in their home, a family member’s home or in a family child care setting. The application package should be reviewed and revised consistent with this reality to be sure that the home environment is appropriately addressed in this investment. This is particularly true for the existing component of a “State’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System” that seems to more closely align to group or program settings" (Pretti-Frontczak & Mulligan, 2011, pp. 1-2).
The reason I pulled this part of the statement out was because I was impressed with the wording around provided services WITH families. I agree that families must be a part of the early intervention services provided for their children. I believe early intervention is a partnership. It truly does take a village! I was also excited to see the wording around making sure the application package was revised to include settings where infants and toddlers receive their early intervention. There are a limited amount of spaces available in early head start sites. Many children receive intervention services through child care centers, family child cares or at home through Help Me Grow. Creating wording to require these services to be covered too will create more assistance for more children. I think that is very important.
The more I explore this site the more I see how the DEC is working on equity in the early care and education field. They are committed to creating awareness around early intervention, advocating for services for children and families and making the public aware of the services that are available and the ones that will be available in the future. I feel all early childhood professionals should join the Council for Exceptional Children and the Division For Early Childhood so they can keep up-to-date on developments around services for children with special needs.
References
The DEC website: http://www.dec-sped.org/index.aspx
Pretti-Frotczak, K., & Mulligan, S., (2011). DEC comments on race to the top http://www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/policy_advocacy/recent_activities/DECRtoTopELComments%20Final[1].pdf
DEC notes that many infants and toddlers do not participate in group or program settings in their community. Infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services may receive those services in their home, a family member’s home or in a family child care setting. The application package should be reviewed and revised consistent with this reality to be sure that the home environment is appropriately addressed in this investment. This is particularly true for the existing component of a “State’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System” that seems to more closely align to group or program settings" (Pretti-Frontczak & Mulligan, 2011, pp. 1-2).
The reason I pulled this part of the statement out was because I was impressed with the wording around provided services WITH families. I agree that families must be a part of the early intervention services provided for their children. I believe early intervention is a partnership. It truly does take a village! I was also excited to see the wording around making sure the application package was revised to include settings where infants and toddlers receive their early intervention. There are a limited amount of spaces available in early head start sites. Many children receive intervention services through child care centers, family child cares or at home through Help Me Grow. Creating wording to require these services to be covered too will create more assistance for more children. I think that is very important.
The more I explore this site the more I see how the DEC is working on equity in the early care and education field. They are committed to creating awareness around early intervention, advocating for services for children and families and making the public aware of the services that are available and the ones that will be available in the future. I feel all early childhood professionals should join the Council for Exceptional Children and the Division For Early Childhood so they can keep up-to-date on developments around services for children with special needs.
References
The DEC website: http://www.dec-sped.org/index.aspx
Pretti-Frotczak, K., & Mulligan, S., (2011). DEC comments on race to the top http://www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/policy_advocacy/recent_activities/DECRtoTopELComments%20Final[1].pdf
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part 2
I listened to Episode 6 podcast on the World Forum radio that interviewed Meridas Eka Yora. He has opened 3 boarding schools for children who were orphaned by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. His goal is to try and give children a "normal life". His foundation is known and respected. It is important that leaders take action and create a place where others can go to find help and to be of help to those in need. For the children who were orphaned during this tragedy, their lives were changed for the better because one person cared. It only takes one person to start a chain reaction of help to those who need it. One person who knows the contacts of others who are able and willing to help children.
As I reviewed the Center on the Developing Child website I found they are creating work groups to focus in on and learn more about important areas in early childhood systems. "Guided by these strategic objectives, the Global Children’s Initiative has begun to build a portfolio of activities in three domains:
Global Gathering in Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues-"In 2000, the world’s governments established a set of ambitious international goals—such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring that every child worldwide completes at least a primary education, and reducing child mortality by two-thirds—to be achieved by 2015. While progress has been made towards these targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2015 is not so far away, and governments are struggling to meet their obligations" (Lawton, 2010). It is clear that issues affecting children are happening all over the globe and many countries are struggling to find ways to lessen the impact these have on young children. I am curious to see how close the countries come to meeting these goals by 2015!
The website offers a direct link to their journal as well as signing up for their mailing list. I signed up for their email newsletter. With so many resources in our field I sometimes become overwhelmed and forget which sources to check out. Signing up for newsletters and updates from important sites such as this remind to educate myself on their newest research and support for our field.
References:
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
http://www.fajarhidayah.com/en/photogallery/others/Fajar_Hidayah_brief_history.pdf
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio
As I reviewed the Center on the Developing Child website I found they are creating work groups to focus in on and learn more about important areas in early childhood systems. "Guided by these strategic objectives, the Global Children’s Initiative has begun to build a portfolio of activities in three domains:
- early childhood development;
- child mental health; and
- children in crisis and conflict situations.
Global Gathering in Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues-"In 2000, the world’s governments established a set of ambitious international goals—such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring that every child worldwide completes at least a primary education, and reducing child mortality by two-thirds—to be achieved by 2015. While progress has been made towards these targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2015 is not so far away, and governments are struggling to meet their obligations" (Lawton, 2010). It is clear that issues affecting children are happening all over the globe and many countries are struggling to find ways to lessen the impact these have on young children. I am curious to see how close the countries come to meeting these goals by 2015!
The website offers a direct link to their journal as well as signing up for their mailing list. I signed up for their email newsletter. With so many resources in our field I sometimes become overwhelmed and forget which sources to check out. Signing up for newsletters and updates from important sites such as this remind to educate myself on their newest research and support for our field.
References:
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
http://www.fajarhidayah.com/en/photogallery/others/Fajar_Hidayah_brief_history.pdf
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Sharing Web Resources
The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) has many usable components to its website. I feel one of the most important is their "About DEC" tab. Under this tab numerous resources can be found for early childhood educators, policy makers and researchers. The resources found here are the DEC Position Statements, Concept Papers and Recommended Practices. I felt the Position Statement titled "Responsiveness to Family Cultures, Values and Languages was a valuable resource for educators. This paper defined culture and values. It discussed the importance of individualized services and that responsiveness "grows from relationships that have a mutual respect and appreciation for individual culture, values and language" (DEC, 2002). I think it is important for early childhood educators to value and respect the parents, families and children in their classrooms. That being said another area that affects children and families is poverty. Continuing to value that family regardless of their economic situation is vital to relationship building that must take place to create the best environment for each child.
Once a person becomes a member of the DEC they can join a special interest group. The special interest groups form to discuss topics such as research, professional development, Children's Action Netwrok (CAN) and early intervention.
The DEC has also appointed work groups to work on a strategic plan for 2009-2012. Each work group has a goal to focus on. One goal states "to advance governmental policies that promote evidenced based practices for infants, young children and families" (DEC, 2010). I think the DEC would need evidence from research to show early intervention works for young children, economists to show that early intervention saves money in the long run for services provided for children with special needs and the politicians as a voice writing policy that continues to fund research and fund early childhood initiatives.
I feel that as I grow as a professional in the early childhood field I find their is an abundance of advocacy work that needs to be done. Our voices will need to be constantly heard to continue the funding for our field. Research will need to continue to show the needs of children as well as the results of quality early childhood for all children, economists will need to continue to show the "return on investment" and that early intervention and early care and education for all children is cost effective and politicians will need to continue to push for policies and funding that help the children and their families of our nation.
Reference
The Division of Early Childhood http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC
Once a person becomes a member of the DEC they can join a special interest group. The special interest groups form to discuss topics such as research, professional development, Children's Action Netwrok (CAN) and early intervention.
The DEC has also appointed work groups to work on a strategic plan for 2009-2012. Each work group has a goal to focus on. One goal states "to advance governmental policies that promote evidenced based practices for infants, young children and families" (DEC, 2010). I think the DEC would need evidence from research to show early intervention works for young children, economists to show that early intervention saves money in the long run for services provided for children with special needs and the politicians as a voice writing policy that continues to fund research and fund early childhood initiatives.
I feel that as I grow as a professional in the early childhood field I find their is an abundance of advocacy work that needs to be done. Our voices will need to be constantly heard to continue the funding for our field. Research will need to continue to show the needs of children as well as the results of quality early childhood for all children, economists will need to continue to show the "return on investment" and that early intervention and early care and education for all children is cost effective and politicians will need to continue to push for policies and funding that help the children and their families of our nation.
Reference
The Division of Early Childhood http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC
Friday, July 15, 2011
International Contacts-Part 1
I took the alternative route in creating a contact in another country. I chose to listen to a podcast on the World Forum Foundation Radio website. Episode 3 by Delfena Mitchell was about a child living in Belize at Liberty Home, a residence for children who have been abused. Belize is a country in Central America that has the #1 incidence of child abuse in the Caribbean. Belize has a population of 300,000 with nearly 50% under the age of 18. Thirty nine percent of children live below the poverty line (www.libertyfoundation.org.uk). Delfena talks about Joe, a young 9 year old who came to Liberty Home 9 months prior to her podcast with his 6 brothers and sisters. He had not spoken in over a year. He had been physically abused and had observed his sister being abused. They tried home schooling him at Liberty Home and then sending him to the town school but he was kicked out of the school the first week. After being at Liberty Home for 9 months he finally spoke to Delfena while they were on a horseback ride. He told her his grandmother had beat him with a stick and when he was hungry he would hide under his bed to eat so that the other children and adults would not take the food from him. After Joe began to talk they created a schedule for him that consisted of 2 hours of education and the rest of his day outside playing in the gardens. With the combination of going back to school and medication in a matter of weeks they saw huge changes in Joe (http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php). After listening to this podcast I chose to research Liberty Home.
Liberty Home's website is www.libertyfoundation.org.uk. Liberty Home serves 40 children at a time that have been abandoned and/or physically or sexually abused. Many of the children have disabilities, special needs or are HIV positive. Their mission is to build trust with the children that come to live with them. They set up primary care givers for each child so they have one person they can form a relationship with. Liberty Home does not just provide food and shelter but also respects, nurtures and treats children as individuals. They strive to ensure successful placements in foster and adoptive homes.
To learn even more about children and poverty I researched the Childhood Poverty website at www.childhoodpoverty.org. After reading about a couple of countries I learned that in 2001, India had 1.03 billion citizens and 260.2 million of them were living in poverty in 1999-2000. Poverty can happen in any country, in cities as well as rural areas. It will take years to wipe out poverty in any country because there are many factors that need to be changed to decrease and eliminate poverty. When poverty effects children it has life long effects on their brain development and growth. In some countries, such as India, gender biases also play a role in poverty. Girls are kept out of school and given inferior health services. To completely eliminate poverty gender biases must be changed, children must be given better health care as well as nutrition, education must be provided for all children so they can grow up to find jobs that will sustain them and their family. Governments must step in to create better schools, better jobs and better lives for the people of their countries. Eliminating poverty for any country will not happen quickly, but over time it can happen.
References
Liberty Home's website is www.libertyfoundation.org.uk. Liberty Home serves 40 children at a time that have been abandoned and/or physically or sexually abused. Many of the children have disabilities, special needs or are HIV positive. Their mission is to build trust with the children that come to live with them. They set up primary care givers for each child so they have one person they can form a relationship with. Liberty Home does not just provide food and shelter but also respects, nurtures and treats children as individuals. They strive to ensure successful placements in foster and adoptive homes.
To learn even more about children and poverty I researched the Childhood Poverty website at www.childhoodpoverty.org. After reading about a couple of countries I learned that in 2001, India had 1.03 billion citizens and 260.2 million of them were living in poverty in 1999-2000. Poverty can happen in any country, in cities as well as rural areas. It will take years to wipe out poverty in any country because there are many factors that need to be changed to decrease and eliminate poverty. When poverty effects children it has life long effects on their brain development and growth. In some countries, such as India, gender biases also play a role in poverty. Girls are kept out of school and given inferior health services. To completely eliminate poverty gender biases must be changed, children must be given better health care as well as nutrition, education must be provided for all children so they can grow up to find jobs that will sustain them and their family. Governments must step in to create better schools, better jobs and better lives for the people of their countries. Eliminating poverty for any country will not happen quickly, but over time it can happen.
References
Liberty Home http://www.libertyfoundation.org.uk/projects_libertycareprogram.html
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
World Forum Foundation. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
World Forum Foundation Radio. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Shared Web Resources
As I have studied diversity this week and its effect on children, families, classrooms and communities I feel there is one area that we have forgotten to cover. Children with special needs are part of every community, most classrooms and some families in our areas. These families and children need our support, guidance and encouragement as much as the families from other cultures do. I feel it is important for teachers to understand the rights of the child and the family so they can better support them in the classroom.
I have chosen to learn more about The Division for Early Childhood (DEC). The DEC is one of 17 divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Their websites is http://www.dec-sped.org/. The DEC is about promoting policies and advancing practices to support children with special needs. I chose to research this site because as I present Special Quest trainings I want to have the most up-to-date information to present to the educators in my class on working with children with special needs. The DEC is nonprofit and is funded through membership dues and professional development activities. The DEC is hosting it's 27th Annual International Conference On Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families in Maryland on November 17-19, 2011.
A tab titled "Policy/Advocacy" is at the top of the page and important one that links families and educators of children with special needs to the topics related to policies being set and advocacy that needs to be done. They discuss what is happening in Washington regarding funding and budgeting as well as links to click on for more information regarding the budgets.
There is a button to click on the website that is called "recommended practices" I think this is a great piece to have on the website to keep teachers and families up-to-date on the best practices to reach the goals of the child. They use research as well as knowledge and skills from those who with children with special needs to create their recommendations section.
As the internet is used for information gathering for parents and educators I feel this website is an important resource for families of children with special needs and for all educators. Some teachers feel that they do not need to learn about children with special needs or how they can support them because they do not currently have these children in their classrooms. My advice to them is learn it now before you have a child with a special need so that you will feel prepared to support that child and family. There is nothing worse than feeling inadequate as a teacher and unable to fully support the children and families in your classroom. So being prepared for anything is the best course of action in my book. I think a prepared teacher, though she will not have all the answers, will feel ready to help, assist and love any child that walks through her door.
I have chosen to learn more about The Division for Early Childhood (DEC). The DEC is one of 17 divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Their websites is http://www.dec-sped.org/. The DEC is about promoting policies and advancing practices to support children with special needs. I chose to research this site because as I present Special Quest trainings I want to have the most up-to-date information to present to the educators in my class on working with children with special needs. The DEC is nonprofit and is funded through membership dues and professional development activities. The DEC is hosting it's 27th Annual International Conference On Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families in Maryland on November 17-19, 2011.
A tab titled "Policy/Advocacy" is at the top of the page and important one that links families and educators of children with special needs to the topics related to policies being set and advocacy that needs to be done. They discuss what is happening in Washington regarding funding and budgeting as well as links to click on for more information regarding the budgets.
There is a button to click on the website that is called "recommended practices" I think this is a great piece to have on the website to keep teachers and families up-to-date on the best practices to reach the goals of the child. They use research as well as knowledge and skills from those who with children with special needs to create their recommendations section.
As the internet is used for information gathering for parents and educators I feel this website is an important resource for families of children with special needs and for all educators. Some teachers feel that they do not need to learn about children with special needs or how they can support them because they do not currently have these children in their classrooms. My advice to them is learn it now before you have a child with a special need so that you will feel prepared to support that child and family. There is nothing worse than feeling inadequate as a teacher and unable to fully support the children and families in your classroom. So being prepared for anything is the best course of action in my book. I think a prepared teacher, though she will not have all the answers, will feel ready to help, assist and love any child that walks through her door.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources
It seems connecting with Early Childhood Professionals in another country is going to be harder than originally anticipated. I used The Global Alliance of NAEYC to connect with professionals in other countries. I attemped to contact Singapore, Czech Republic, Canda and Romania through the emails provided on The Global Alliance of NAEYC site. Those emails were returned as undeliverable. I still have emails awaiting reply from Haiti, The UK UNICEF and Italy UNICEF organizations. If I do not hear back from them I will have to use the alterative activity. I have logged onto the World Forum Foundantion and located the podcasts.
The website I plan to learn more about over the next 8 weeks is the DEC (The Division for Early Childhood) website. I chose this website because I am a member of the CEC (Council for Excpetional Children). I joined the CEC to learn more about providing services for children with special needs because I provide training through Special Quest and determined this organization would have information that I could use to expand my knowledge and assist me in providing higher quality trainings to the educators in my area. I receive the EC (Exceptional Children) publication as well as the Teaching Exceptional Children publication from my membership in CEC. I found that I have been so busy with work and school that finding the time to use the CEC or DEC websites has not been easy. This class will force me to navigate and learn the DEC and CEC websites so that I can use them as resources in the trainings I present and I can recommend them to and assist others in using the sites.
Amy
Resources
The Global Alliance of NAEYC http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance
UNICEF has local organizations and representatives worldwide. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
(Review also the position statements: http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Position_Statements_and_Concept_Papers )
Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/templates/CECHomePage.cfm
World Forum Foundation. “A foundation whose mission is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.” http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
Website: World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals.
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
The website I plan to learn more about over the next 8 weeks is the DEC (The Division for Early Childhood) website. I chose this website because I am a member of the CEC (Council for Excpetional Children). I joined the CEC to learn more about providing services for children with special needs because I provide training through Special Quest and determined this organization would have information that I could use to expand my knowledge and assist me in providing higher quality trainings to the educators in my area. I receive the EC (Exceptional Children) publication as well as the Teaching Exceptional Children publication from my membership in CEC. I found that I have been so busy with work and school that finding the time to use the CEC or DEC websites has not been easy. This class will force me to navigate and learn the DEC and CEC websites so that I can use them as resources in the trainings I present and I can recommend them to and assist others in using the sites.
Amy
Resources
The Global Alliance of NAEYC http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance
UNICEF has local organizations and representatives worldwide. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
(Review also the position statements: http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Position_Statements_and_Concept_Papers )
Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/templates/CECHomePage.cfm
World Forum Foundation. “A foundation whose mission is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.” http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
Website: World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals.
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
My Supports
I have many people that support me on a daily basis. My husband is very supportive of me. He keeps me grounded, makes me see what is important and what I stress over that I shouldn't. He makes me see things and people for what they really are and tries to keep me from "sweating the small stuff". I say "tries" because I am a worrier by nature and that is a very difficult thing for me to change about myself. He is my best friend and I know that I can count on him regardless of the situation. I trust that I can talk to him without feeling judged by him. He is also very helpful around the house and we have a great time completing projects together. My children are a big support for me. Most people would think that I support my children (which I do) so how can I think of them as a support for me! My children are funny, creative, expressive little boys that keep me from taking life too seriously and they keep me having fun and laughing. I need my husband and my children in my life so that I enjoy life more. My parents have always been a huge support in my life. They raised me to believe in myself and try my best at everything. They are my sounding board for many challenges and choices that I have had to make in my life. My siblings and their families are supportive as well. We are a very close family and during a time when I was unsure of where my life was heading, being with family made the decisions and choices very clear to me. My friends are a very close knit support system for me. We have similar interests, similar motivations and they can help me work through problems and issues I am having. I know I can talk to them without judgement. My co-workers, classmates and instructors are supportive to me as well. I can bounce ideas around with my co-workers and use them to help come up with strategies for assisting centers with their issues. My co-worker encouraged me to start my masters program, she told me I could do it, when I was unsure of that myself. She has assisted me in the online learning process. Having my job supports me financially. I am able to take care of my children because of that financial support. I can feel independent and self-sufficient because of my job. I know I can take of myself and my children financially as well as feel like I am making a difference with the job that I do. My classmates and instructors have supported me by making me think deeper and in different ways, by helping me find out more of who I am as a student and making me more creative and expressive in my writing. I think living without my support system would be very challenging. I would be more stressed without them, I would laugh less and feel alone without my support system. I know I could survive without them, but life would not be as joyful, as rich, as fun as having them with me for the journey. I need them.
If I had to imagine myself with a specific challenge I would say that I am unable to speak and communicate effectively with people. I can understand this challenge because it is a challenge my ex-husband now has to experience after suffering a stroke. It takes many people and a lot of patience to work through such a challenge. If I was unable to effectively communicate, read, and write I would be unable to work to support my children and myself, I would have to rely on my husband as the only financial support for our family. I would not be able to communicate effectively with my children's teachers and would not be able to assist my children with their homework or read a book to them before bed each night. I would not be as much of a support for them as I am now and as a mom that is a devastating reality to face. I think one thing that keeps me so grounded and so positive about life is knowing how much people rely on me for support, about as much as I rely on them. I like to be needed! It would be very difficult to me as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend to suffer the loss of my communication skills. If I lost my communication skills I would have to rely on others to communicate for me, at the grocery store, doctors office, school, etc. I would not be independent until I was able to learn other ways to communicate. If I lost my support system as well as my communication skills I honestly do not know what I would do, how I would function and survive.
If I had to imagine myself with a specific challenge I would say that I am unable to speak and communicate effectively with people. I can understand this challenge because it is a challenge my ex-husband now has to experience after suffering a stroke. It takes many people and a lot of patience to work through such a challenge. If I was unable to effectively communicate, read, and write I would be unable to work to support my children and myself, I would have to rely on my husband as the only financial support for our family. I would not be able to communicate effectively with my children's teachers and would not be able to assist my children with their homework or read a book to them before bed each night. I would not be as much of a support for them as I am now and as a mom that is a devastating reality to face. I think one thing that keeps me so grounded and so positive about life is knowing how much people rely on me for support, about as much as I rely on them. I like to be needed! It would be very difficult to me as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend to suffer the loss of my communication skills. If I lost my communication skills I would have to rely on others to communicate for me, at the grocery store, doctors office, school, etc. I would not be independent until I was able to learn other ways to communicate. If I lost my support system as well as my communication skills I honestly do not know what I would do, how I would function and survive.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
My Connections to Play
"It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them." Leo F. Buscaglia
"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold." Joseph Chilton Pearce
"Play has been man's most useful preoccupation." Frank Caplan
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Plato
"Play is the beginning of knowledge." Anonymous
The materials that children need to play...
I've used pictures of my own children to show the types of toys I purchased for them when they were young. They still play with these types of toys but have also gotten to an age where they want more video games. I have purchased video games for them but limit the amount of time they may play with them. I want them playing with more open-ended toys, reading books and exploring outside. I purchased for my children and created the same types of experiences for them that my parents had created for me. I strive to buy the types of toys my children can use in many different ways, open-ended toys that require them to think, create, imagine and design. I want them to have many different types of experiences as children because I understand how important it is to develop the whole child.
In some ways I feel society has made some decisions for parents in regard to physical activity. For example, in our town children are encouraged to become involved in organized sports at very young ages. My 7 year old wants to play soccer in the fall and actually has to "try out" to make the team. I feel that children at that young of an age should be given as many opportunities as they want to try many different types of sports and physical activities. I do not feel children should have to try out for a sport at such a young age because they will never be able to learn the sport if they are not given the experiences of trying each sport out. I think that our society has become focused on the wrong things for children in that regard.
I believe that no matter what your age, you must play to enjoy life. The people who are out enjoying life, having fun with life, laughing, smiling, giggling and playing are the people who experience less stress, less physical ailments and less health problems. We all need to play and for children it is a vital part of development.
"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold." Joseph Chilton Pearce
"Play has been man's most useful preoccupation." Frank Caplan
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Plato
"Play is the beginning of knowledge." Anonymous
The materials that children need to play...
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| a bucket to share treasures with friends |
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| a bucket for all collected treasures....treasures can be sorted, classified, counted and explored |
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| boxes are a great material for children to play with ...they can be used to hide in and can become anything from a house to a car to a robot to a slide boxes are a great tool for children to use to expand their imaginations and to use for experimentation and exploration |
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| Materials such as tinker toys and legos are great for children because they are open-ended and children can use them to create anything they want. The containers are also great for play as well. |
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| Train track pieces that can be manipulated and created to become any type of track a child wants it to be are an important tool for a child. They learn how to put a track to together so it will work and how they can criss-cross the tracks and use bridges and tunnels to create their very own design. |
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| Books are great for children. Books can be used to learn about many different types of items from trucks and cars to animals and families to pretend adventures. When children are exposed to books a whole world of adventure and fun is opened for them. Children who are read to when they are young and are shown the wonderful experience of reading will be more motivated to learn to read as they get older. |
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Having the opportunities to play outside and explore nature is very important to young children. Being able to run, climb, swing, jump, chase and have fun are vital to a child's physical development.  |
In some ways I feel society has made some decisions for parents in regard to physical activity. For example, in our town children are encouraged to become involved in organized sports at very young ages. My 7 year old wants to play soccer in the fall and actually has to "try out" to make the team. I feel that children at that young of an age should be given as many opportunities as they want to try many different types of sports and physical activities. I do not feel children should have to try out for a sport at such a young age because they will never be able to learn the sport if they are not given the experiences of trying each sport out. I think that our society has become focused on the wrong things for children in that regard.
I believe that no matter what your age, you must play to enjoy life. The people who are out enjoying life, having fun with life, laughing, smiling, giggling and playing are the people who experience less stress, less physical ailments and less health problems. We all need to play and for children it is a vital part of development.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Relationship Reflection
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Family vacations keep us close and connected |
This blog post is to celebrate the relationships that I have with the important people in my life... family and friends. The most significant people are with me to share milestones, celebrate holidays and to just have fun. I have a very close family. We spend a lot of time keeping our relationships close and significant. We share family meals every Sunday together, celebrate birthdays and holidays together, spend quality time on vacation together, and just in general have fun together. When Kevin and I got married we began inviting our parents over for Wednesday dinners. This has helped us merge our families into one. We also spend Sunday mornings at church with Kevin's parents and Sunday evening dinners at my parent's house. Shared religious beliefs are a way of connecting with others. One way we are able to stay so close is through communication. Without our daily texts, emails, phone calls and sometimes unexpected drop in visits our relationships would not be as strong. When I lived in California and England I had to be very specific with communication. I posted pictures quite frequently on Ofoto for my family and friends to see how the boys were growing and developing. We skyped frequently so the boys had a chance to talk with their grandparents and relatives. My parents would visit us and we would come home on holidays to visit with my parents. My parents pride themselves that they were able to spend almost every birthday with my children even when we lived so far apart. Our relationships would not have been as close had we not kept in contact with each other.
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Sharing holiday celebrations with family is important |
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Enjoying a football game with my siblings...shared fun experiences keep us close and connected |
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Summer fun with the boys and Kevin...I'm the target of the water fight that is about to commence...fun shared experiences keep us connected |
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Merging two families into one...shared family meals and consistent times we know we will be together keep us connected. |
My friends are very important to me as well. We make it a practice to get together once a month to talk about our lives and families with each other. We share stories about our work, families and lives to keep our relationships strong and connected. I have friends that I keep in contact with in Florida, California and England by emailing them, calling or texting them and keeping in contact on Facebook. Social networking has become a way to reconnect with people that I haven't kept in close contact with and am now able to reconnect and establish new connections and relationships with. Communication is vital to relationships.
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Keeping connected with my friends and knowing I can count on them when I need them the most is valuable to relationships. |
Teachers must have a connection with the families they serve. They must learn about each child and family so they can find the best ways to connect and teach each individual child. When teachers have fun with the children and families in their class, learn about their customs and cultures and connect with the children on what interests them most, then each child will get more out of their experience in the classroom. Whether talking about my own family, my friends or the families in my classroom, communication is vital to the success of each relationship.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
When I think of child development
"There is no development without relationships" Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" Ralph Waldo Emerson
"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure" Emma Goldman
The Tone of Voice
I'ts not so much what we say
As the manner in which we say it.
It's not so much the language we use
As the tone in which we convey it.
"Come here!" I sharply ordered;
And a child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I softly whispere;
And into my arms he crept.
Words may be mild and fair,
But the tone pierces like a dart.
Words may be soft as summer air,
But the tone can break a heart.
Author Unknown
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" Ralph Waldo Emerson
"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure" Emma Goldman
The Tone of Voice
I'ts not so much what we say
As the manner in which we say it.
It's not so much the language we use
As the tone in which we convey it.
"Come here!" I sharply ordered;
And a child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I softly whispere;
And into my arms he crept.
Words may be mild and fair,
But the tone pierces like a dart.
Words may be soft as summer air,
But the tone can break a heart.
Author Unknown
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Testing for Intelligence
The definitions of IQ and achievement test according to Berger are an "IQ test is designed to measure intellectual aptitude, or ability to learn in school. An achievement test measures the mastery in reading, math, writing, science or other subjects" (Berger, 2009, p. 323). Schools use these test to determine how well the children are learning and how well the teachers are teaching. It has been said that the tests do not really measure how well a child is learning because the teachers have started "teaching to the test" and the results show what the children have memorized and not necessarily internalized. England has the same issues regarding testing as we do in The United States. According to a news article from the BBC news two teachers unions are boycotting the test and do not feel they actually measure what a child is learning.
"Mick Brookes, NAHT general secretary, said: "The current system has resulted in thousands of children moving to the next phase with misleading information about their ability. It has also led quite unjustifiably, to schools and their communities being labelled as 'failing' with the consequence of damaging recruitment of head teachers and worsening their working environment" (BBC, 2010). The schools are concerned that the tests do not accurately portray what the children are learning and feel that the children spend their primary years preparing for tests. "The Sats tests are taken each year by about 600,000 pupils in England and the results are used for the annual primary school league tables. In previous years, pupils have taken tests in English, maths and science - but the test for science has been removed. The Schools Minister rejected the criticisms of the tests" (BBC, 2010). He goes on to talk about how they have been working with the teaching organziations to explain to them that drilling with practice exams is wrong and that if the teachers have been teaching the curriculum all year the children should have no issues with the tests. The issues of achievement testing is not just a US issue as I have shown here as teachers in England are having the same battle. To test or not to test...that is the question.
Reference
"Mick Brookes, NAHT general secretary, said: "The current system has resulted in thousands of children moving to the next phase with misleading information about their ability. It has also led quite unjustifiably, to schools and their communities being labelled as 'failing' with the consequence of damaging recruitment of head teachers and worsening their working environment" (BBC, 2010). The schools are concerned that the tests do not accurately portray what the children are learning and feel that the children spend their primary years preparing for tests. "The Sats tests are taken each year by about 600,000 pupils in England and the results are used for the annual primary school league tables. In previous years, pupils have taken tests in English, maths and science - but the test for science has been removed. The Schools Minister rejected the criticisms of the tests" (BBC, 2010). He goes on to talk about how they have been working with the teaching organziations to explain to them that drilling with practice exams is wrong and that if the teachers have been teaching the curriculum all year the children should have no issues with the tests. The issues of achievement testing is not just a US issue as I have shown here as teachers in England are having the same battle. To test or not to test...that is the question.
Reference
BBC News. (2010, January, 26). Sats boycott ballot for teachers in England. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8479426.stm
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Consequences of Stress on Children's Development
On September 11, 2001 I was living in California teaching first grade. When the alarm went off that morning the radio came on and I remember hearing something about an attack on New York. I didn't quite understand what was happening so I turned on the news. There I saw the replay of plane one going into the first tower and as I watched, plane two hit the second tower. California is 3 hours behind New York so we were seeing the violence unfold the minute we got up that morning. Unfortunately that meant that some of the children in my class saw it as well because their parents were watching the morning news. I remember getting to school and every teacher and parent that I encountered was numb and just stunned. We really didn't know what to say or how to act. Some of the children were asking questions but I honestly didn't know how to answer them. How I am suppose to respond to questions regarding terrorism when I don't understand it myself? I can remember one child, who was 6 years old, thinking how cool it was to watch the airplane hit the building. He had no idea the consequences of those actions, for him it was like watching a movie or something on tv because that is where he saw it, it wasn't real for him. It was very had to explain to him what was going on and how it wasn't "cool" that planes were being flown into buildings and that many people were being hurt. Being on the West Coast we were so far removed from the violence as well that again it was very hard for the children to understand. I think it was hard for all the adults to understand. That was 10 years ago. My students at that time are now getting drivers licenses and I am sure have a better understanding of terrorism and war but still I don't think any of us will truly understand why it has to happen.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children released a position statement in July of 1993 regarding Violence in the Lives of Children. At that time they stated that "the culture of violence is mirrored in and influenced by the media. They also stated that "a large number of children are growing up in conditions that have been described as "inner-city war zones" (NAEYC, 1993). Children are becoming desensitized to violence like my friend in the example above. He thought it was neat to see a plane crash through a building and the building come toppling down because he had seen similar violence on tv but he didn't understand how real this was. He didn't comprehend that people had died and that our country was being threatened. I have mixed feelings on that as well. Do we want our children to know all the violence that exists in our world or should we shelter them from it?
Because our country was attacked many children lost their parents. A former student of mine, who had moved to Boston, lost her father. He was on the second plane that hit the towers. Her mother was 9 months pregnant with their second child. Many families were destroyed by this violent act. When violence touches children's lives they can experience post-tramatic stress disorder. According to NAEYC they can experience "sleep disturbances, inability to concentrate, flashbacks, images of terror and nightmares" (NAEYC, 1993). Our losses didn't stop that day. Due to the attacks on our country our military had to go to war. Now even more families have been destroyed due to the loss of husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, sons and daughters. "As of July (2006), more than 1, 200 children had lost parents in the war in Iraq, and thousands more had parents with serious injuries according to the Center for Studay of Traumatic Stress at the Uniform Servives University in Bethesda, Maryland" (Hardy, 2006). A counselor at Duncan Elementary on Fort Hood's Army in Texas has started "worry counseling" for the children. The school has also made accomadations for families of deployed troops, for example because of the time difference between Texas and Iraq parents can't talk to their children at night before bedtime so the school allows them to skype on the computer during school time and that way the children can talk to their parents and keep in touch (Hardy, 2006).
What we have gone through and endured is not equal to what the children in Palestine are going through. Parents in Palestine are particularly concerned about their children's moral development. With so much war and destruction taking place children are not getting the chance to be children. "Children may be traumatized, either by being forced to fight themselves or by witnessing death and destruction on an everyday basis. They may experience psychological damage, evidenced in nightmares, panic attacks, withdrawal into themselves, bullying, insecurity, muteness or violence towards family and friends. If their schools have been attacked or taken over as military bases or if it is unsafe to make the journey to school, they may be denied the most basic education" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 343). If it is unsafe for the children to get to school they are missing out on positive social and moral development. "Children in conflict situations may be over-influenced by violence, hatred and aggression. Children's play in contemporary Iraq includes games such as Americans and terrorists, militias, beheadings, torture, throwing grenades and kidnapping" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 344). Parents no longer feel they can keep their children safe because they don't feel safe themselves. "This indirectly affects the relationship between parents and their children, since the children cannot see their parents as totally dependable annymore and may start to lose respect for them (Affouneh, 2007, p. 347). Children need examples of positive moral character development and that is near to impossible with what they are having to live through. How sad is it for these children to not know peace and to feel safe?
Reference
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1993, July). Violence in the lives of children a position statement of the national association for the education of young children. Washington, D.C. NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSVIOL98.PDF
Hardy, L. (2006, September 5). When kids lose parents in our war in Iraq. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=15&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=23254003
Affouneh, S. (2007, September). How sustained conflict makes moral education impossible: some observations from Palestine. Journal of Moral Education, 36, 3. p 343-356. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=26706371
The National Association for the Education of Young Children released a position statement in July of 1993 regarding Violence in the Lives of Children. At that time they stated that "the culture of violence is mirrored in and influenced by the media. They also stated that "a large number of children are growing up in conditions that have been described as "inner-city war zones" (NAEYC, 1993). Children are becoming desensitized to violence like my friend in the example above. He thought it was neat to see a plane crash through a building and the building come toppling down because he had seen similar violence on tv but he didn't understand how real this was. He didn't comprehend that people had died and that our country was being threatened. I have mixed feelings on that as well. Do we want our children to know all the violence that exists in our world or should we shelter them from it?
Because our country was attacked many children lost their parents. A former student of mine, who had moved to Boston, lost her father. He was on the second plane that hit the towers. Her mother was 9 months pregnant with their second child. Many families were destroyed by this violent act. When violence touches children's lives they can experience post-tramatic stress disorder. According to NAEYC they can experience "sleep disturbances, inability to concentrate, flashbacks, images of terror and nightmares" (NAEYC, 1993). Our losses didn't stop that day. Due to the attacks on our country our military had to go to war. Now even more families have been destroyed due to the loss of husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, sons and daughters. "As of July (2006), more than 1, 200 children had lost parents in the war in Iraq, and thousands more had parents with serious injuries according to the Center for Studay of Traumatic Stress at the Uniform Servives University in Bethesda, Maryland" (Hardy, 2006). A counselor at Duncan Elementary on Fort Hood's Army in Texas has started "worry counseling" for the children. The school has also made accomadations for families of deployed troops, for example because of the time difference between Texas and Iraq parents can't talk to their children at night before bedtime so the school allows them to skype on the computer during school time and that way the children can talk to their parents and keep in touch (Hardy, 2006).
What we have gone through and endured is not equal to what the children in Palestine are going through. Parents in Palestine are particularly concerned about their children's moral development. With so much war and destruction taking place children are not getting the chance to be children. "Children may be traumatized, either by being forced to fight themselves or by witnessing death and destruction on an everyday basis. They may experience psychological damage, evidenced in nightmares, panic attacks, withdrawal into themselves, bullying, insecurity, muteness or violence towards family and friends. If their schools have been attacked or taken over as military bases or if it is unsafe to make the journey to school, they may be denied the most basic education" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 343). If it is unsafe for the children to get to school they are missing out on positive social and moral development. "Children in conflict situations may be over-influenced by violence, hatred and aggression. Children's play in contemporary Iraq includes games such as Americans and terrorists, militias, beheadings, torture, throwing grenades and kidnapping" (Affouneh, 2007, p. 344). Parents no longer feel they can keep their children safe because they don't feel safe themselves. "This indirectly affects the relationship between parents and their children, since the children cannot see their parents as totally dependable annymore and may start to lose respect for them (Affouneh, 2007, p. 347). Children need examples of positive moral character development and that is near to impossible with what they are having to live through. How sad is it for these children to not know peace and to feel safe?
Reference
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1993, July). Violence in the lives of children a position statement of the national association for the education of young children. Washington, D.C. NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSVIOL98.PDF
Hardy, L. (2006, September 5). When kids lose parents in our war in Iraq. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=15&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=23254003
Affouneh, S. (2007, September). How sustained conflict makes moral education impossible: some observations from Palestine. Journal of Moral Education, 36, 3. p 343-356. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=125&sid=4ecadc13-7a7a-4e66-8836-6d22cb2cb707%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=26706371
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My story regarding breastfeeding...Japan's story to increase breastfeeding
While pregnant I was unsure if I wanted to breastfeed or not. I knew I wanted to try it, but was unsure if I would like it or if was something I would even be able to do. Aaron was born by c-section so while the doctors finished stapling me back together he was taken to the nursery to be washed, foot printed and get his first immunizations. As soon as I was in recovery they brought Aaron to me. The nurse had me immediately try nursing and he took right to it. It was painful at first and there were times when I wanted to give up on it but we stuck it out and I nursed him until he weaned himself at about 10 months. I couldn't figure out why he was weaning until I realized I was pregnant again. I don't think I was producing enough milk for him to be satisified so Aaron received formula for 2 months time, from 10-12 months, and then I switched him to milk. Aaron never developed any food allergies or skin issues unlike my second son, Alex. Alex was born by c-section as well and once in recovery I tried nursing him. He also immediately took to it. Alex was nursed until he was 14 months old, he never received formula. I started rice cereal with both boys about 4 months of age. Then increased the baby food intake to trying vegetables, fruits and meats. At about 10 months of age I started table food. Aaron never had any issues with trying adult food. When Alex was 10 months old I gave him some cottage cheese (the same age I tried it with Aaron). He started to swell up and got red itchy welts any place the cottage cheese had touched him. Apparently Alex was allergic to dairy products. The doctors told me to not try any more dairy products and to nurse him as long as possible. When I weaned Alex from breastfeeding I was to put him on soy milk. Alex is now 7 years old and is still allergice to dairy and nuts. He also had severe eczema as an infant/toddler. When he was 3 years old he began to outgrow some of the eczema but he still has sensitive skin. I've always wondered why being pregnant in the same area and feeding and raising my kids in the same way produced one child with allergies and one without. After reading an article about a study done in Japan regarding breastfeeding and allergies I was surprised that the results showed a higher proportion of completely breastfed babies having a greater risk of allergic diseases, such as eczema, wheezing and food allergies (Kusunoki, Moritmoto, Yasumi, Heike, Mukaida, Fujii, Nakahata, 2010). I had always thought that breastfeeding was so much better for my children and that is why I chose to breastfeed. The study went on to say there had been conflicting data over the years where breastfeeding used to be considered proactive in fighting against ashthma and other allergic diseases a number of recent studies have shown that breastfeeding might in fact be a risk factor in their development (Kusunoki et al., 2010). After reading this study I still would have breastfed my children and if I have any more children I will attempt to breastfeed them as well. I was unaware of Alex's food allergies until he was 10 months old so at that point I had already nursed him through most of his infancy.
Personally I feel there were many benefits of breastfeeding my sons. The bonding that took was place was irreplaceable for me. That isn't to say that bottle fed babies don't bond with their parents, bottle fed babies have the opportunity to bond with many adults, any adults that spend the time feeding them and holding them while they are being fed. I loved nursing my babies and I wouldn't have changed the fact that I nursed them as long as I did. There were times that it was very hard being the only parent that could feed them (Alex never would take a bottle even with expressed breastmilk in it) but in the end it was one of the things I remember most about their infancy and one of the moments I treasure.
Japan is actually working to increase the amount of mothers who breastfeed their babies. The benefits of breastfeeding is known to the Japanese culture and even after knowing all the facts they still found that less than 50% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth (Awano & Shimada, 2010). "In 2007, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Japan reported that 96% of women prior to childbirth wanted to breastfeed, and after childbirth almost all women started breastfeeding. However only 42.8% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth" (Awano & Shimada, 2010). The typical length of a woman's hospital stay after birth in Japan is 5-7 days (in the US a natural birth is 2-3 days and c-section is 4-5 days). The study felt that since such a high percentage of mothers wanted to breastfeed prior to giving birth and they stay in the hospital such a long time after birth that they should try to give more support regarding breastfeeding while the mother and baby were still in the hospital (Awano & Shimada, 2010). Two hospitals were chosen (with high birthing rates) and a study was performed with two groups. One group given more support after birth regarding breastfeeding and those that were not. The women who were given more support felt more confident about breastfeeding and continued to breastfeed longer. The stastisitcs went from 2007 42.8 % of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age to 2008 72.2% of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age (Awano & Shimada, 2010).
I believe that to breastfeed you need support. Support from lacation consulatants if a mother is having difficulty nursing, support from the pediatrician, support groups, friends and most of all family. Having a partner that supports your choice to breastfeed and having a family that supports and encourages you to breastfeed makes a mother feel more confident about it and therefore they are more likely to succeed at it.
References
Kusunoki, T., Morimoto, R., Yasumi, N., Heike, T., Mukaida, K., Fujii, T., Nakahata, T., (2010). Breastfeeding and the prevalence of allergice diseases in schoolchildren: Does reverse causation matter? Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. (21), 60-66. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=47829376
Awano, M., Shimada, K., (2010). Development and evaluation of self care program on breastfeeding in Japan: a quasi-experimental study. International Breastfeeding Journal. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=54289472
Personally I feel there were many benefits of breastfeeding my sons. The bonding that took was place was irreplaceable for me. That isn't to say that bottle fed babies don't bond with their parents, bottle fed babies have the opportunity to bond with many adults, any adults that spend the time feeding them and holding them while they are being fed. I loved nursing my babies and I wouldn't have changed the fact that I nursed them as long as I did. There were times that it was very hard being the only parent that could feed them (Alex never would take a bottle even with expressed breastmilk in it) but in the end it was one of the things I remember most about their infancy and one of the moments I treasure.
Japan is actually working to increase the amount of mothers who breastfeed their babies. The benefits of breastfeeding is known to the Japanese culture and even after knowing all the facts they still found that less than 50% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth (Awano & Shimada, 2010). "In 2007, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Japan reported that 96% of women prior to childbirth wanted to breastfeed, and after childbirth almost all women started breastfeeding. However only 42.8% of mothers were fully breastfeeding at one month after birth" (Awano & Shimada, 2010). The typical length of a woman's hospital stay after birth in Japan is 5-7 days (in the US a natural birth is 2-3 days and c-section is 4-5 days). The study felt that since such a high percentage of mothers wanted to breastfeed prior to giving birth and they stay in the hospital such a long time after birth that they should try to give more support regarding breastfeeding while the mother and baby were still in the hospital (Awano & Shimada, 2010). Two hospitals were chosen (with high birthing rates) and a study was performed with two groups. One group given more support after birth regarding breastfeeding and those that were not. The women who were given more support felt more confident about breastfeeding and continued to breastfeed longer. The stastisitcs went from 2007 42.8 % of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age to 2008 72.2% of mothers breastfeeding at one month of age (Awano & Shimada, 2010).
I believe that to breastfeed you need support. Support from lacation consulatants if a mother is having difficulty nursing, support from the pediatrician, support groups, friends and most of all family. Having a partner that supports your choice to breastfeed and having a family that supports and encourages you to breastfeed makes a mother feel more confident about it and therefore they are more likely to succeed at it.
References
Kusunoki, T., Morimoto, R., Yasumi, N., Heike, T., Mukaida, K., Fujii, T., Nakahata, T., (2010). Breastfeeding and the prevalence of allergice diseases in schoolchildren: Does reverse causation matter? Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. (21), 60-66. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=47829376
Awano, M., Shimada, K., (2010). Development and evaluation of self care program on breastfeeding in Japan: a quasi-experimental study. International Breastfeeding Journal. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=111&sid=2dad1705-743e-4997-aa53-15806484aabb%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=54289472
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Childbirth-- In my life and around the world
I found out I was pregnant while visiting my family in Ohio for Christmas in December of 2001. I can't even begin to describe the excitement I felt at realizing I had a little baby growing inside of me. I told my family after I had seen the doctor at my 9 week check-up and had the internal ultrasound completed. I was in awe at looking at my little "bean" on the screen, and that is what we called him until he was born. I went through all the typical prenatal care visits. I was teaching 1st grade during my pregnancy and due to many illnesses in the classroom including Fifths Disease and shingles, I had numerous blood tests done to make sure that "bean" was developing ok and that I was not carrying the viruses. When I reached the 9th month of pregnancy I started to see the doctor weekly. She assured us that all was well and that baby was head down and ready to go.
Here is a picture of me during the last month of my preganacy.
My due date was September 3 of 2002. I finished the school year and taught summer school but was not scheduled to teach the 2002/2003 school year. I woke up on August 28, 2002 unsure if I was having bladder control issues or if my water had broken. I called the doctor and she said to go to the hospital and they could check for me. She was pretty certain that my water had broken because the leaking was continuous. We packed the car with my large exercise ball, suitcase and baby carseat...just in case. They admitted me to the maternity ward.. The doctor came in to examine me and said she'd be back after I had progressed but she was going to her office to see other patients. The nurse came in to hook me up to all the monitors. While hooking up the baby monitor she commented that she had to place it high on my stomach which made her feel the baby was not properly placed for a natural delivery. She got the ultrasound machine and sure enough "bean" was breech. She called the doctor back and they prepped me for a c-section delivery. I had called my family in Ohio to let them know I was at the hospital at about 8:00 am (West coast time). Aaron James Hoffman was born at 11:45 am on August 28, 2002. My parents were so surprised to get a call only a few hours later. I then explained that Aaron was born by c-section because he was breech. I went to the hospital expecting to have hours and hours of labor, only to have my baby shortly after arriving. I never experienced any contractions and in fact they were going to start a pitocin drip to start my contractions but luckily the nurse realized the baby was not head down.
Here is a picture of Aaron right after delivery.
He was perfect!!!!! I am not upset that I missed out on the experience of labor and a natural delivery. I didn't know Aaron was breech so I still got to experience the unknown date as to when he would actually be born.
Here is Aaron and I in recovery.
I will never forget the experience...the feeling of being pregnant, the anticipation of waiting to meet the "bean" that had been growing, developing and moving in me. Aaron was in constant motion while I was pregnant and he hasn't stopped moving since he was born.
My pregnancy with Alex was uncomplicated as well. The biggest difference in his arrival was I knew when it was going to happen. My doctor had suggested since Aaron was c-section that I should do a c-section delivery as well for my second child. It was nice knowing when we were going to get to meet Alex. It was also nice because my sister flew out from Ohio to California and took care of Aaron for me while I was in the hospital with Alex. I think she was pretty excited to get to be there the day Alex was born.
Here is a picture of Alex...born January 16, 2004 in Mountain View California.
I will never forget the birthing experience of either of my sons. I treasure those memories, pictures and even the videos. Our doctor was nice enough to allow video of each birth from beginning to end. I watch them every year on their birthday.
Both of my children were born in a hospital setting with proper prenatal care, prenatal vitamins and nutrition. My sons were both born in California. There are many midwife options in CA as well but I chose the traditional route of using a doctor and a hospital. My friend, however chose a water delivery. She used a midwife, doula and went to a birthing center that specialized in water delivery. The baby was born but experienced difficulty breathing shortly after. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted. He had a hole in his heart that was later fixed with surgery. Wilder is fine and healthy now. A few years after Wilder's birth they moved to Costa Rica. They did not have a hospital near their village. They debated on coming back to The States to have their second child or having him in Costa Rica. They opted for Costa Rica but decided against a home birth or water birth. After experiencing complications with their first son they chose to have their second son in a Costa Rican hospital. They stayed at a hotel a few weeks before their second son was born and had him in a sterile environment. Sage was born with no complications and perfectly healthy. Had they not experienced complications with their first son's health right after delivery they would have opted for another water or possibly a home birth. Being in a different country, far from a hospital, they chose to be safe and start everything out in the hospital environment.
I chose Costa Rica as the region to study regarding prenatal care and birth. According to World Bank 89.9% of women in Costa Rica received prenatal care in 2008. They consider prenatal care to mean the women saw a doctor at least once during their pregnancy. When I talked about my prenatal care, I saw the doctor every month for the first 7 months, then twice a month for 2 months then weekly until the baby was born. According to the tradingeconomics.com website 98.5% of births in Costa Rica in 2005 were conducted by skilled health personnel. They define skilled health staff as "personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns" (tradingeconomics.com). That does not mean by a doctor, that could be a midwife or doula as well. Greg Connelly cites very similar statistics in his work for the Global Health Council. He states "in 2001 the average life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica was 76.6 years. In 2000, 97% of births were attended by skilled professionals, 89% of the pregnant women were given prenatal care, and 93% of children under 1 had health insurance (Connelly, 2002). Costa Rica is working to improve the life expectancy, prenatal care, care given to women during births as well as continued health care for children after they are born. This is very similar to what I experieced as a prenant woman in the US and what my friend experienced as an American woman giving birth in Costa Rica.
Here is a picture of me during the last month of my preganacy.
My due date was September 3 of 2002. I finished the school year and taught summer school but was not scheduled to teach the 2002/2003 school year. I woke up on August 28, 2002 unsure if I was having bladder control issues or if my water had broken. I called the doctor and she said to go to the hospital and they could check for me. She was pretty certain that my water had broken because the leaking was continuous. We packed the car with my large exercise ball, suitcase and baby carseat...just in case. They admitted me to the maternity ward.. The doctor came in to examine me and said she'd be back after I had progressed but she was going to her office to see other patients. The nurse came in to hook me up to all the monitors. While hooking up the baby monitor she commented that she had to place it high on my stomach which made her feel the baby was not properly placed for a natural delivery. She got the ultrasound machine and sure enough "bean" was breech. She called the doctor back and they prepped me for a c-section delivery. I had called my family in Ohio to let them know I was at the hospital at about 8:00 am (West coast time). Aaron James Hoffman was born at 11:45 am on August 28, 2002. My parents were so surprised to get a call only a few hours later. I then explained that Aaron was born by c-section because he was breech. I went to the hospital expecting to have hours and hours of labor, only to have my baby shortly after arriving. I never experienced any contractions and in fact they were going to start a pitocin drip to start my contractions but luckily the nurse realized the baby was not head down.
Here is a picture of Aaron right after delivery.
He was perfect!!!!! I am not upset that I missed out on the experience of labor and a natural delivery. I didn't know Aaron was breech so I still got to experience the unknown date as to when he would actually be born.
Here is Aaron and I in recovery.
I will never forget the experience...the feeling of being pregnant, the anticipation of waiting to meet the "bean" that had been growing, developing and moving in me. Aaron was in constant motion while I was pregnant and he hasn't stopped moving since he was born.
My pregnancy with Alex was uncomplicated as well. The biggest difference in his arrival was I knew when it was going to happen. My doctor had suggested since Aaron was c-section that I should do a c-section delivery as well for my second child. It was nice knowing when we were going to get to meet Alex. It was also nice because my sister flew out from Ohio to California and took care of Aaron for me while I was in the hospital with Alex. I think she was pretty excited to get to be there the day Alex was born.
Here is a picture of Alex...born January 16, 2004 in Mountain View California.
I will never forget the birthing experience of either of my sons. I treasure those memories, pictures and even the videos. Our doctor was nice enough to allow video of each birth from beginning to end. I watch them every year on their birthday.
Both of my children were born in a hospital setting with proper prenatal care, prenatal vitamins and nutrition. My sons were both born in California. There are many midwife options in CA as well but I chose the traditional route of using a doctor and a hospital. My friend, however chose a water delivery. She used a midwife, doula and went to a birthing center that specialized in water delivery. The baby was born but experienced difficulty breathing shortly after. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted. He had a hole in his heart that was later fixed with surgery. Wilder is fine and healthy now. A few years after Wilder's birth they moved to Costa Rica. They did not have a hospital near their village. They debated on coming back to The States to have their second child or having him in Costa Rica. They opted for Costa Rica but decided against a home birth or water birth. After experiencing complications with their first son they chose to have their second son in a Costa Rican hospital. They stayed at a hotel a few weeks before their second son was born and had him in a sterile environment. Sage was born with no complications and perfectly healthy. Had they not experienced complications with their first son's health right after delivery they would have opted for another water or possibly a home birth. Being in a different country, far from a hospital, they chose to be safe and start everything out in the hospital environment.
I chose Costa Rica as the region to study regarding prenatal care and birth. According to World Bank 89.9% of women in Costa Rica received prenatal care in 2008. They consider prenatal care to mean the women saw a doctor at least once during their pregnancy. When I talked about my prenatal care, I saw the doctor every month for the first 7 months, then twice a month for 2 months then weekly until the baby was born. According to the tradingeconomics.com website 98.5% of births in Costa Rica in 2005 were conducted by skilled health personnel. They define skilled health staff as "personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns" (tradingeconomics.com). That does not mean by a doctor, that could be a midwife or doula as well. Greg Connelly cites very similar statistics in his work for the Global Health Council. He states "in 2001 the average life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica was 76.6 years. In 2000, 97% of births were attended by skilled professionals, 89% of the pregnant women were given prenatal care, and 93% of children under 1 had health insurance (Connelly, 2002). Costa Rica is working to improve the life expectancy, prenatal care, care given to women during births as well as continued health care for children after they are born. This is very similar to what I experieced as a prenant woman in the US and what my friend experienced as an American woman giving birth in Costa Rica.
References:
Connelly, G. (2002). Costa Rican health care a maturing comprehensive system. Global Health Council. Retrieved from http://www.cehat.org/rthc/paper5.htm
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Next...
Well I've almost made it through my first graduate level course, we are in the last week...and I must say what a journey it has been. I can honestly say that I didn't do this alone...sure I read the articles, completed my discussions, blogs and papers on my own but without the unwavering support of my family, friends, instructor and colleagues I would not be continuing this wonderful journey. And so I say NEXT...bring on the next class, the next instructor, the next group of classmates that I can learn so much from. It has been an amazing journey so far and I can't wait to see what I learn about myself and the early childhood field as I continue on... ... ...
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Examing Codes of Ethics
This week I have had the opportunity to review the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and the Division for Early Childhood's Code of Ethics. The agencies both value children and families, want continued education and training for teachers and sense the importance of advocating for children, families and educators. There were many ideals that I found to be of importance but will summarize three of them now.
NAEYC Ethical Responsibilities to Children:
I1.1- To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.
DEC Code of Ethics
Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others.
This is important to me because I believe in it. Many people come into the early childhood field with minimal (if any) education and training in child development, the importance of play and developmentally appropriate practices. They enter the field believing it is "easy" work and they will get to just "play" with children all day. What they do not understand is how children learn, the developmental milestones that children pass through, how vital early care is because of the brain development that takes place by age 8 and how important it is to care, nurture, accept and love all the children in their care. Providing the basics of child development through education courses and training opportunities is vital. Continuing the training and keeping up-to-date on what is the best practice for early care and education is important as well. We expect our doctors, mechanics and hair stylist to know all the recent medical breakthroughs, recalls on our cars and the newest hair styles...wouldn't it make sense to want our teachers to know the best ways of teaching and caring for our children.
NAEYC Ethical Responsibilities to Children
I1.5-To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.
DEC Code of Ethics
Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
6. We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children's development and learning.
What sticks out for me here is safe and healthy settings. Unfortunately an early childhood classroom may be the only safe place that some children have, it may be the only time they receive meals regularly and the only time they can be without stress. I try to emphasize to teachers the importance of setting a positive tone in their classrooms so that the children know they are loved, can feel safe and secure while they are there because that is when they will learn the best. These statements also point out the importance of teaching to the whole child, looking at all domains of their development. These two statements also represent individualizing for each child. So many times teacher focus on what they want to teach and what they want the children to learn instead of focusing on what the children are interested in. When teacher's know their children well enough individualizing is an easy task. All it takes is spending time with the children and their families, talking to them and getting to know them.
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
Responsibilities to Community and Society
14.4 To work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which all young children have access to high-quality early care and education programs.
DEC Code of Ethics
Enhancement of Children's and Famililes' Quality of Lives
4. We shall advocate for equal access to high quality services and supports for all children an families to enhance their quality of lives.
All children, regardless of race, culture, economic status, or disabilities, should have access to high quality care and education. It is our job as the professionals in the field to advocate for that. Advocacy does not require a degree in politics or a deep understanding of the political system. Advocating simply means using your voice for those who are unable to use theirs. Children can't speak up for themselves and sometimes parents don't feel they can speak up. As early childhood professionals we know how important early care is, how early the brain develops and how vital it is for children to have proper nutrition to learn and grow. It is our responsibility to inform those that do not understand these concepts and get them to a point of understanding so they fund our programs. We must use medical research, educational research and all other means available to support our work and get the funding needed to continue the quest to care for and educate ALL children.
Resources:
National Association for the Education of Young Children: Code of Ethical Conduct (April 2005)
Division for Early Childhood: Code of Ethics (August 2009)
NAEYC Ethical Responsibilities to Children:
I1.1- To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.
DEC Code of Ethics
Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others.
This is important to me because I believe in it. Many people come into the early childhood field with minimal (if any) education and training in child development, the importance of play and developmentally appropriate practices. They enter the field believing it is "easy" work and they will get to just "play" with children all day. What they do not understand is how children learn, the developmental milestones that children pass through, how vital early care is because of the brain development that takes place by age 8 and how important it is to care, nurture, accept and love all the children in their care. Providing the basics of child development through education courses and training opportunities is vital. Continuing the training and keeping up-to-date on what is the best practice for early care and education is important as well. We expect our doctors, mechanics and hair stylist to know all the recent medical breakthroughs, recalls on our cars and the newest hair styles...wouldn't it make sense to want our teachers to know the best ways of teaching and caring for our children.
NAEYC Ethical Responsibilities to Children
I1.5-To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.
DEC Code of Ethics
Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
6. We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children's development and learning.
What sticks out for me here is safe and healthy settings. Unfortunately an early childhood classroom may be the only safe place that some children have, it may be the only time they receive meals regularly and the only time they can be without stress. I try to emphasize to teachers the importance of setting a positive tone in their classrooms so that the children know they are loved, can feel safe and secure while they are there because that is when they will learn the best. These statements also point out the importance of teaching to the whole child, looking at all domains of their development. These two statements also represent individualizing for each child. So many times teacher focus on what they want to teach and what they want the children to learn instead of focusing on what the children are interested in. When teacher's know their children well enough individualizing is an easy task. All it takes is spending time with the children and their families, talking to them and getting to know them.
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
Responsibilities to Community and Society
14.4 To work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which all young children have access to high-quality early care and education programs.
DEC Code of Ethics
Enhancement of Children's and Famililes' Quality of Lives
4. We shall advocate for equal access to high quality services and supports for all children an families to enhance their quality of lives.
All children, regardless of race, culture, economic status, or disabilities, should have access to high quality care and education. It is our job as the professionals in the field to advocate for that. Advocacy does not require a degree in politics or a deep understanding of the political system. Advocating simply means using your voice for those who are unable to use theirs. Children can't speak up for themselves and sometimes parents don't feel they can speak up. As early childhood professionals we know how important early care is, how early the brain develops and how vital it is for children to have proper nutrition to learn and grow. It is our responsibility to inform those that do not understand these concepts and get them to a point of understanding so they fund our programs. We must use medical research, educational research and all other means available to support our work and get the funding needed to continue the quest to care for and educate ALL children.
Resources:
National Association for the Education of Young Children: Code of Ethical Conduct (April 2005)
Division for Early Childhood: Code of Ethics (August 2009)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Resources for Early Childhood
Additional Resources
The Brazelton Institute
http://www.brazelton-institute.com/
Touchpoints
http://www.touchpoints.org/
The Program for Infant/Toddler Care
http://www.pitc.org/
Special Quest-regarding inclusion
www.specialquest.org/about.htm
http://www.teachingstrategies.com/ This website you can find curriculum aligned to state standards.
http://www.stepuptoquality.org/ This website is Ohio's star rating system.
http://www.ohio4kids.org/ This website was designed for parents to get information when looking for child care, child development information or fun activities to do at home with their children.
- NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56607/CRS-CW-4744591/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
- NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
- Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
- FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.
- Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
- Websites:
- World Forum Foundation
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage - World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP’s mission. - Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/about/
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.
- World Forum Foundation
Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/ - The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/ - Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/ - WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm - Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85 - FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm - Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/ - HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/ - Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/ - Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/ - Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home - Institute for Women’s Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm - National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/ - National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/ - National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/ - Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/ - Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voices.org/ - The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
- YC Young Children
- Childhood
- Journal of Child & Family Studies
- Child Study Journal
- Multicultural Education
- Early Childhood Education Journal
- Journal of Early Childhood Research
- International Journal of Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Research Quarterly
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Studies
- Maternal & Child Health Journal
- International Journal of Early Years Education
The Brazelton Institute
http://www.brazelton-institute.com/
Touchpoints
http://www.touchpoints.org/
The Program for Infant/Toddler Care
http://www.pitc.org/
Special Quest-regarding inclusion
www.specialquest.org/about.htm
http://www.teachingstrategies.com/ This website you can find curriculum aligned to state standards.
http://www.stepuptoquality.org/ This website is Ohio's star rating system.
http://www.ohio4kids.org/ This website was designed for parents to get information when looking for child care, child development information or fun activities to do at home with their children.
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