Things to Remember and Thank You!

Here are some great quotes to remember about children:

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." - Lady Bird Johnson, Former U.S. first Lady

"Children are our most valuable resource." - Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President

"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." - Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa



I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues in this course. I have learned many things through your insights and experiences. The blogs have been great way to learn about how others view children and their development as well as learning more about different cultures around the world. I have learned many new things that I will be able to apply to my continued learning and teaching. Thank you and good look on your journey!!

Child Assessment

I do not agree with how schools are testing children now days. They are putting way too much pressure not only on the students but also on the teachers. Teachers need to make sure they teach what is going to be on the test so that they can get good scores and not lose funding for their school. While they are busy focusing on this they are not looking at educating the whole child and truly educating them about things that they will need to live their every day life.

While doing research about testing in other countries many I found did the same type of standardized testing. Finland however, is a country that does it differently. In Finland grades are emphasized very little so that children are not competing against one another. Until grade 5 students are only given narrative evaluations instead of grades. After that their grades are based on how well they performed relative to their individual potential. Dr Sahlberg says  “It is not primarily what individuals know or do not know, but more what are their skills in acquiring, utilizing, diffusing and creating knowledge that are important for economic progress and social change.” Even without standardized tests Finland has ranked among the top 3 countries in testing done in math, reading and science. This is a country we need to look more to when developing our country's education.

I will leave with one great comment from Dr. Sahlberg,  “If there is no standardized testing, students can focus on real learning and teachers don’t have to worry about preparing their kids for assessments.” 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/how-do-finnish-kids-excel-without-rote-learning-and-standardized-testing/article11810188/

Stress in Children

Growing up in a small town in rural Minnesota I was fortunate enough to not be raised with majors stressors in my life. I also do not know personally of anyone that was raised with these kinds of things in their lives. Coming from one of the poorest counties in Minnesota I know it was around but it is not something that was widely talked about among my peers. This being the case it might have been even harder for these peers to not have others that may have been able to help them and make it better for them.

The country I chose to learn more about stress in children is Israel. Children in this country have many stresses in their lives having to do with the war with Palestine. According to the article I read many of the children suffered different kinds of trauma including, tear gas attacks, night raids and family members being sent to jail. The study noted that children with less mental flexibility suffered from issues such as PTSD as well as low self esteem and neurotic symptoms. Some of the ways they have found to help children cope with these stresses is by having them reenact the situations with stuffed animals. By doing this they are able to lessen the emotional impact of the trauma and develop a sense of self control. They also recommend positive interactions with family members. These things help the children to become more resilient and able to handle stressful situations.

http://www.oswego.edu/Documents/wac/Psychology.pdf

Children's Access to Healthy Water

Water is one of the most important things for any living creature. Living in the area that I do worrying about the safety of my water or if I will have access to water at all is not a concern that even crosses my radar. It is easy to take something that is so readily available for granted. This is not the case for so many children around the world. According to The Water Project website, around the world, 1 out of every 5 deaths of children under the age of 5 is due to an illness caused by a water related illness. Because of infant and children's weakened immune systems they are especially susceptible to getting diseases that are carried in the water. When a child that attends school gets sick they are not able to attend and get the education that can get them out of poverty. Not only that but when a child is sick another often needs to stay home to care for them. This takes away wages that could be earned.

Not only is this an issue that happens in less developed countries it can also relate to many children living in poverty in this country. When children are living in poor conditions their healthy will be impacted. When they are sick they are not able to attend education classes. Much like the children previously mentioned this interferes with their ability to get out of poverty. As an educator it is my job to help these children. I can help to provide healthy, safe environments to come each day as well as help to educate parents about what kinds of nutrition and environments they should provide for their children. Although this work may be small, children will be impacted by my influences.

I can also take steps to help those in other countries that don't often have access to healthy water. With the money that The Water Project raises they are able to provide safe drinking water as well as sanitation to areas that do not have access to it. Making a small donation can help children have the potential to a better, healthier life.

http://thewaterproject.org

Birthing Experiences: Similarities and Differences

I do not have a birthing experience of my own but I have two older sisters that each have one daughter that I was able to be there for. The experiences my sisters had were very similar. My oldest sister had a daughter 7 years ago in October. I remember being at her house the night she went in to the hospital. It wasn't until I got home that she sent me a message saying that she was going in to the hospital. The labor was slow and lasted over 24 hours. She pushed for around 2 and ended up having to have a cesarean because the baby was stuck and was not going to budge. Everything after that went well and she had a healthy baby girl. She was slightly jaundiced and was sent home with a light for a few days but everything was good after that. My second oldest sister had a baby last May. Her water broke at about 2 in the morning and went to the hospital shortly after that. At the time I was living 2 hours away and had to work. I sat by my phone all day waiting for news. She was in labor for about 12 hours and pushed for 1.5 hours. Just like my oldest sister that baby wasn't budging! So she also ended up having a cesarean. Everything went well with her as well and by the time I was able to get home she had a healthy baby girl. Just like my oldest sister the baby was slightly jaundiced and had to be under the light for a while before going home but she was better by the time they needed to be discharged. I don't remember what it is called but both of my sisters had the same thing wrong that the baby wasn't going to be able to come the rest of the way out. Cesareans are the only thing that I am familiar with and have had experience with. My mom had all 4 of her children by cesarean as well. This doesn't give me much hope if I have children in the future. Time will tell!

Since cesareans are what I know I was interest while doing research at the number of cesareans that are done in Brazil. The rate of c sections in Brazil is at 40% and in some private hospitals it is 100%. The article says that many of these births are to middle and upper class citizens. The relationships that mothers have with their doctors is so strong that they will often times do what the doctor suggests. Some of the doctors will suggest c sections so that they are able to collect higher payments from insurance companies and because they take less time then hours of labor and delivery. 

In an effort to change this the Brazilian government has started procedures in public hospitals to reduce the number of c sections. The government stipulated that any hospital above 30% will not be compensated for any procedure that is above that number. In 4 years the rate went from 32.4% to 24%. 

This article also had an interesting section about woman during pregnancy. According to the article woman that are pregnant are treated like princesses. They are often ushered to the front of lines. Also after the mother and baby leave the hospital many people will come to the house to visit. They will bring a gift for the baby and will get something in return with a not that says it is from the baby. 

While there are many similarities it is interesting to learn about the differences. It is especially interesting to read about how mothers are taken care.

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=5

Thank You!

I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues who have helped me on this educational journey so far. Through this collaboration I have gained many new insights and ideas for my professional journey in the field of early childhood education. I have gained valuable knowledge that will help me to provided a quality experience to all those that I help now and in the future. I am excited to continue this journey I have started!

Professional Code of Ethics

Each professional has a code of ethics they need to follow. Here are some of the ones that I find most important from NAEYC:

I-1.1 To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

I find this to be of most importance because as professionals we need to be well informed so that we are able to make the best decisions for the children and families in our care.

I-1.3 To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.

This is important because each child is different and needs to be seen that way. We need to make sure that the needs of each child is being meet and that they are able to feel safe and comfortable in their learning environment.

P-1.1 Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.

This is truly the number one code that all professionals that work with children need to follow. We as professionals need to be a safe spot for children to come. We need to offer support and love where they may not be able to get it in their home life. As early childhood professionals children and their well being need to be our #1 priority!

Resources for Early Childhood Professionals and Families

Here is a list of helpful resources that have been used in my learning so far:

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/
• 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/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• 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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals 

• 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

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• 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://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/
  

Additional Resources

• Cornell University, Department of Human Development, - Learning About How Children Learn http://www.human.cornell.edu/hd/outreach-extension/upload/Learning-about-how-children-learn-Kushnir.pdf
• Cornell University, Department of Human Development, - Discovering Child Language and Cognitive Growth http://www.human.cornell.edu/hd/outreach-extension/upload/lust.pdf
• Resources for Early Childhood - http://rec.ohiorc.org

Inspiration from Professionals

Reading about research and theories of professionals is very important to growing as a professional yourself. It also helps to be an informed and quality teacher for the children you interact with. Here area  few quotes that I found to be very influential:

"Each of us must come to care about everyone else's children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people's children. After all, when one of our children needs lifesaving surgery, someone else's child will perform it. If one of our children is threatened or harmed by violence, someone else's child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for your own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people's children." - Dr. Lilian Katz

"The best kind of play costs nothing and really only has one main requirement - imagination." - Dr. Deborah Leong

"I'm not here to save the world. I'm here just to make a difference in  the community I'm working... Making a difference can sometimes mean helping one child be able to be successful in the classroom" - Raymond Hernandez

These quotes really help me to remember why I cam working with children and what I can do to make a difference. 

Learning Through Exploration

“Play is not only our creative drive; it’s a fundamental mode of learning.” 
-David Elkind

"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child's soul."
-Friedrich Froebel

These are two of my favorite quotes. Today there are far too many ideas about play simply being play. This could not be further from the truth. Play is one of the most important things that parents and teachers can provide children with. It is through this play that kids are able to explore, research, and find out about their world and what goes in to it. Play is how they learn to interact with other kids, adults and their world. Play needs to be a number one priority. 

This is what fuels my passion for early childhood education. I want to provide children and families with a place that they can play. A place where kids are able to be kids while in an environment that is safe and allows them to grow and learn every day. We sometimes forget that these things are luxuries not requirements in life. Play is something that I was given when I was a kid. I got to makes messes and explore what is around me. I can see how that has impacted my life today. I still love to explore new things and learn new information. That is something about me that will never change. 

Proof that I was allowed to explore even from a young age :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!
I have made a big decision and decided to go back to school and get my masters! So this is where that journey will be shared. I am so excited to be taking courses through Walden University to get a Masters in Early Childhood Studies with a specialization in Administration, Management, and Leadership. After I complete this program I will be well on my way to starting my own learning center and providing quality environments for little ones to grow!