Final Blog Post

Throughout this course we have gained a wide array of information regarding international early childhood issues.  From learning about this, I feel that there have only been positive consequences for me.  First, I have learned that many of the issues facing the field of early childhood education in our country are also facing those in other countries as well.  Poverty and equity in ECE are both issues that are not only common in the US, but are also issues around the world.  I really liked reading about approaches to these issues from other countries.  A second consequence is that I now posess more resources.  Though I did not make any personal international contacts, I feel that I have gained an enormous understanding of international issues and resources that can help me address issues here.  Finally, reading about internation policies and issues has allowed me to broaden my understanding of the field and gain new perspectives on certain issues.  My personal goal upon completing this course is to continue reading about international issues regarding early childhood.  I have learned that many of the issues we face are also affecting other countries and reading about how they address them can help me do so as well. 

Getting to Know your International Contacts-Part 3

While reviewing the UNESCO website, the first insight I gained was from thier policy on curriculum.  They mention that providing a universal curriculum for early childhood programs can be hard considering the low amount of training many teachers have and the high rate of varying abilities in the children being served.  They suggest short guidelines on building curriculum to meet the needs of children in various areas.  The guidelines would be easier to follow than a universal set of standards and can be a starting point for untrained teachers.  While I realize that it is a reality to have teachers who have no early childhood training, I feel that this is an extremely important goal for the early childhood field; I also think that a universal curriculum would be hard to establish considering the major differences from one area to another and even from one child to another at such early ages, so a short set of guidelines may be a better alternative.  As a center teacher, and hopefully one day a program director, I would use the guidelines to develop a curriculum that would suit the needs for my center. 

Another insight I gained from the website was on the issue of accessability/inequality.  I learned that many countries are striving to find a way to universalize early childhood education without causing inequalities.  They want all children to have access to early childhood programs, yet they recognize that disadvantaged children would be likely to recieve lower quality programs than those of more advantaged children on account of funding and teacher training.  I am glad to see that it is a goal for many countries to try to ensure a quality early childhood experience for all children, not just privelaged children. 

One last insight I gained was that of investments.  Many countries realize that without proper funding quality education and care for early childhood simply isn't going to happen.  While this is a reality, a lot of governments aren't supporting early childhood programs.  There is little funding for them to provide the type of quality children deserve.  They are now realizing that private sector funding may be the way to overcome this obstacle.  While this may be true, I feel that private funding will cause more inequalities from program to program.  Private organizations are likely going to only provide support for programs that will benefit them the most, thus leaving programs in disadvantaged neighborhoods without funding sources.  This seems like a good short term plan, but ultimately I feel the government needs to step in and provide more support for early chilhdood programs to minimize the inequalities. 

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

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part 2

Unfortunately I never recieved responses from any of the international contacts I tried to make earlier in the course.  I viewed Harvard's Global Children's Initiative website and was very interested in the organization.   I really like how they addressed not only that early childhood is an investment, but they look to it as a moral obligation to serve young children and to ensure thier quality of care and education.   I also really like how they work collaboratively with those from other disciplines to make sure they are meeting thier goals in the most effective and creative ways.  Finally, I really liked that they don't focus solely on one area of development in children.  They look at the whole child, health, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical developments. 

Reference:
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children’s initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

The website I have been accessing over the past few weeks is http://www.zerotothree.org/ .  This week, I looked for information that was relevant to my current professional position, controversial, dealt with economists or polititicians, and that gave me new insights.  First, the website provided a link to a new resource, a book entitled "Caring for Infants and Toddlers in a Group."  It provided highlights from the book as well as an option to preview some of it.  This was relevant to my current position because I am an infant/toddler teacher in a group setting.  I am always grateful for new information or tips on how to work with this age group, so I was glad to find this link. 

I was unable to find any information that I personally found to be controversial.  While there are mulitple articles and links with regards to public policies, which are always a little controversial, I didn't find any that I would really consider so.  While viewing thier information regarding public policies, however, I was able to find many links that you can use to access your local or the federal government to read about the current events and decisions being made that affect early childhood.  The policy center part of the Zero to Three webpage offers up to date information as well as a policy center network that you can join where they will send you information regarding public policies. 

Finally, the part of the website this week that offered new insights for me was the Baby Brain Map.  The map is an interactive tool that you can use to find out how a baby's brain develops according to age and ways in which you can enrich that development.   I found the tool to be very easy to use and informative.  I think I will offer this tool to my parents as a resource for thier children. 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

I visited the website of the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/),  and read about issues in Mongolia.  Mainly because I didn't know anything about the goings-on in Mongolia, I was curious what their situation was like.  After reading about it, I have to say I was greatly disheartened.  Mongolia was heavily tied to the USSR but when they opted for the "shock reform" in 1990, things began to go downhill.  Such rapid change that took place hit the economy hard, and unemployment rose and social services were cut.  Health care options for poor families were greatly reduced.  30% of children under 5 years of age showed signs of malnourishment and many children were not attending school.  Migration is a common practice in Mongolia due to the amount of livestock herders.  However, it was reported that most migration began taking place to give children a better education.  However, those who did move to another area for education were 3 times more likely to be out of school than those who had not migrated.  This is due to a number of factors including non-acceptance of students at schools, lack of nearbye schools, or cost of attendance.  Though the situation in Mongolia is beginning to look up, these facts are still an issue.  With such a gap between the rich and the poor, something needs to be done to help the children in this country so that they can overcome these obstacles and perhaps eliminate them in the future. 

Sharing web resources

The website I chose and subscribed to was http://www.zerotothree.org/.  Zero to Three is an excellent resource for any information regarding infants and toddlers.  They provide information for a variety of issues related to early childhood.  They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to simply improve the lives of infants and toddlers through information, trainings, and support of those in the early childhood field.  Though I did not find any current articles related to changing demographics or diversity, Zero to Three has a variety of articles that are updated frequently that address current issues in the field, so I feel that diversity is an issue that they provide information on as it comes up. 

One issue that was addressed in a July edition of Zero to Three's Baby Monitor newsletter was the debt ceiling debate.  Funding is a major issue in early childhood right now and this debate could effect the future of early childhood programs.  It is important that the government continue to support and fund programs for infants and toddlers.  The website offers a wide range of information regarding the debate as well as information on how to advocate for young children. 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

For part 1 of this blog assignment, I have yet to hear back from either people I emailed.  Therefore, I am going to continue on to the alternative assignment.  For this, I subscribed to World Forum radio podcasts.  I viewed TJ Skalski's podcast, of Canada.  I was interested in the mother nature perspective of her charter school.  I also visited their website, http://www.meccs.org/site/ .  I found their mission to be inspiring.  They foster an atmosphere in which children learn to respect one another and accept everyone's individual attributes.  They honor thier cultural backgrounds while also instilling a mainstream education.

For part 2 of this assignment, I chose Zero to Three.org.  I chose this site because I often visit it already for my position as an Early Head Start teacher.  I have referred to it often for articles, information, etc.  I find it to be very informative and applicable to my needs.  There are many informative websites for early childhood education, but I find Zero to Three to be the easiest to follow.  Their website is designed so that I can quickly find anything I need to.  I was not already signed up for newsletters, but while visiting for this assignment I did sign up to recieve newsletters.  I look forward to getting my first next month.

Resources:
World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio

Mother Earth's Children's Charter School
http://www.meccs.org/site/

Zero To Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/   (May have to use http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/ )
(Newsletters:
http://zttcfn.pub30.convio.net/child-development/from-baby-to-big-kid/ and
http://capwiz.com/zerotothree/mlm/signup/ )

My Supports

When I think about the people in my life that I consider to be my support system, a few come to mind automatically.  First of all, my husband.  He is my daily support giver.  He gets to listen to me vent, or anything I need to talk about from my day he is there to listen and to offer advice, opinions, or support.  Secondly I think of my best friend.  Though we don't talk as regularly as we used to since having children, I still know that I could pick up the phone and call her whenever I needed to and she would be there for me.  Finally, I have my family and coworkers.  My family is there for me whenever I need them, though they're not necessarily the first ones I call on.  But it is good to have them.  My coworkers are there for my job related issues, to offer advice and support.  As far as my emotional needs go, my husband is by far my number one supporter.  It is not always the support I think I want, but later see that it is what I needed.  For instance, if I am crying because I broke my pencil (I am pregnant, this happens lol), he is there to tell me, as nice as he can, that I am being rediculous.  He is also the one I rely on most for my practical needs.  He brings home more money than me and helps me with things around the house when I need him to.  Without him, I would feel very alone and as if I didn't have anyone to truly rely on for anything. 

Because he is such a huge support system for me, I chose to imagine my life without my husband.  If we were to divorce what would I need from people.  First of all, I have a job so my practical needs would still get met, just a little more difficultly.  It would be possible that, with two children, I would need some financial support.  I could turn to Jobs and Family Services for help with food (WIC), and could see if I qualified for our state's food assistance program.  This would help with cost of food, which would give me more money to put toward bills.  I could find an income based apartment as well to cut down on rent.  All of these supports are provided from the state.  As for emotional support, I think I would rely heavily on my best friend and my family.  I would need them to help me get through the divorce and to listen/offer advice, etc.  If these supports weren't there for me, I don't think I could make it through a divorce and providing for myself and two children alone.  It is important that everyone have a support system, no matter what type, because I don't think anyone can make it through life alone. 

My Connections to Play

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning. -Fred Rogers (American television personality)

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. -Plato (Greek philosopher)

I chose these two quotes because I felt they really summed up how I felt while I played when I was younger.  All of my play demonstrated what I had learned or observed in my life.  If someone were to sit down and play with me then (and probably even now) they would learn about how I viewed the world.  They would gain insight into my feelings, my opinions, my beliefs.  Though as a young child I didn't realize all that was evident in my play, I now see that it was. 

Some items I played with regularly were my Barbies, coloring books, my chalkboard, and anything I found outside.  Most of my play during childhood was dramatic/pretend play.  With my Barbies, I would always make up scenarios for them, usually of things I had seen on t.v. or in real life.  With my chalkboard I would play school (this was a daily play activity for me).  I would be the teacher and would line up all my dolls and stuffed animals to be my students and would pretend to teach them as I had observed my teachers teaching me.  Outside, I would pick flowers, grass, wild onions, etc. and add water from the hose to make "stews."  I had an old pot and shovel that I would put my "ingredients" into and stir and stir.  My dad was a big soup/stew cooker and so I mimicked what I saw when I would go outside. 

   

I feel that the people surrounding me supported my play not necessarily by joining in (I usually played independently) but by not interrupting my play and by being role models for my imagination.  Everything I observed throughout my days would appear in my play.  Soap operas my mom would watch would become the scenarios for my Barbies.  Watching my dad cook would encourage me to pretend to do the same.  After being at school all day I would come home and pretend to be the teacher.  It seems like I was always playing and no one ever interrupted that play.  They never told me not to play with something or to play with it a different way.  I feel that gave me the freedom to play on my terms and make sense of what I had observed in my own way. 

Today I feel that the way children play has changed in many ways, though it is still the same in some ways too.  Children play more with technology today than I did as a child.  I also don't think parents encourage thier children to participate in pretend play or give them the chance to do so as much as mine did.  Pretend play was my main way of playing.  Today, it seems like children don't know what to do when given the chance for dramatic play.  They are too used to being told what to do, even when playing, that when they have the freedom to do what they want they are at a loss.  This being said, I think ways play hasn't changed is that children still enjoy pretending.  They still enjoy the same types of play I did as a child, they just need to be given the chance to do it.

Throughout my life play has had an important part.  I am a very thought oriented person, meaning that I spend a lot of time thinking about things that have happened or that are going to happen.  I imagine what might have been or might be.  This is where play comes in.  Where, as a child, I spent so much time engaging in pretend play by myself to make sense of my world, I do the same now only now it is only thoughts, not played out with materials.  I feel that thinking about things like I do allows me to organize my thoughts, and my life essentially.  Without so much pretend play as a child, I don't think I would be the critical thinker that I am now. 

Relationship Reflection

Throughout my life I have formed many relationships with other people, some lasting relationships others not so much.  Even though not all have lasted, I still valued the time spent with those people.  Relationships are important to me, and I think are important to us all as social beings.  We need to form relationships with others to share our thoughts, insights, and ideas with.  We need to feel connections with other people.  I value my relationships, be them personal, professional, or romantic, because they make me feel like I am part of a team. 

Obviously the most important relationship to me is that with my husband.  He and I have more than a marriage, we have a partnership that is give and take.  We know that we have to work together to make our family work and to keep our relationship working.  I also have positive relationships with my best friend, and the team of girls I work with.  All of my relationships are positive because none of them are one-sided.  We communicate and both do our parts to make the relationship work the way we need it to.  The girls I work with and I have a partnership in that we have open communication constantly and we all work towards the same goals. 

I think a major challenge for me as far as relationships go is that it is hard for me to be open with new people.  When developing relationships it is important to be honest and open.  Professionally, it is hard for me because there is sometimes negative things I have to bring up that I don't like addressing.  However, I know that in order for our relationships to continue to grow and stay strong we have to address even the negatives, not always the positives. 

My experiences with relationshpis affect me as an educator because I have to form relationships with my children's families as well.  Just as addressing negatives is a problem with my co-workers, it is also a problem with my parents.  I hate when I have to inform a parent of something negative.  I try to do so in a positve manner, but I still struggle with it.  Also being somewhat reserved when forming new relationships affects me forming relationships with my parents as well.  I have had to really work hard to overcome this obstacle and treat each of my parents as if I have known them for ever.  I have found that this really helps us to establish a good and positve relationship right from the start, which also helps down the road if ever I need to bring them not so good news. 

Special Thanks

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again.  ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." ~ Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S, First Lady

I want to take this time to send a special thanks to all my followers and those who have commented on my posts.  I truly look forward to reading your comments, they are supportive and insightful.  I hope to continue to recieve your feedback and will continue to read your blogs even after this course ends.  Thanks agian!

Testing for Intelligence?

As teachers we are told to view children holistically when teaching.  Yet, administrators then require students to take standardized tests.  How are we to teach the whole child if we have to "teach to the test?"  All year long teachers of school age students are spending every minute preparing students for state testing.  Standardized tests only assess children in areas of math, science, social studies, and english.  What happened to teaching holistically?  How are standardized tests an appropriate assessment of the whole child?  I do not see how they are.  For one thing, they only test children academically.  They do not assess the child's physical development, social/emotional development, or much of thier cognitive development.  For another thing, the tests do not even do an adequate job of testing children's academic skills.  No two children are alike, so how can all children be expected to perform the same on the same test?  Some people are not good at taking written tests.  Some people do not deal well with stress.  Both of these come into play with standardized tests.  Add into the equation that perhaps the teacher didn't present the material in a way that the child was best able to learn, and therefore did not understand the material he/she may otherwise have grasped had it been presented a different way.  For example, say I am a tactile learner.  I have to phsycilly work with materials in order to learn a topic.  But my teacher presented it to me orally.  Will I have as good an understanding of it as I would have if I had had the chance to learn it hands-on?  No.  So then I have to be tested on the material on a written test.  I am not going to do well on the test.  This doesn't mean that I do not have the ability to understand the material, but I wasn't given the chance to learn it on my terms. 

For some reason once children enter 1st grade, teachers stop assessing the whole child.  If we are going to get an adequate picture of each child's abilities, we need to assess them in all areas, not just academics, and not by using standardized tests.  In my opinion observation and hands-on activities are the best ways to determine a child's abilities.  Teachers usually know thier students' capabilities even though test scores may show different results.  They know this because they observe the children day to day.  They know whether or not a child is developing well socially and phsyically.  They know if a child has the potential to learn a certain topic or do a certain task.  Yet, all administrators and politicians care about are the test scores.  This part of our education system really needs to be reformed.  If it were, we would have happier, less stressed teachers and studnets.  Students would likely have more fun and enjoy school more because there wouldn't be so much pressure on them and could partake in more engaging activities.  In turn, this would result in the students gaining more from school and having a better understanding of the material that they are currently being so pressured to test well on.


In Mexico, I could not find any information showing that children are required to take tests.  "In Primary Education no assessment programmes of the study plans are in place, given that these are of a national scope" (Barriga).  School in Mexico is much more relaxed.  Children are only required to attend up to sixth grade, though most children continue longer.  No standardized testing is in place though until you reach the university level.  I could not find anything saying what was used instead of testing to measure student progression, but I assume it is observation techniques.  Though Mexican education system is lacking in alot of areas, this is one area I have to say that I agree with.  I don't think testing should be as strenuous as it is.  In Mexico, there isn't testing and children are more relaxed.  If you ask me, a relaxed child is going to be better able to learn than a stressed one. 

Barriga, A.D. 2009.  Assessment in Mexican Education.  Retrieved June 12 from: http://sisifo.fpce.ul.pt/?r=24&p=23 

Consequences of Stress on Child Development

Many children are affected by stressors in their every day lives.  Personally, I was one of many children whose parents divorced when I was young.  Prior to their separation, however, there was quite a bit of noise and chaos (both stressors) going on in my life.  My parents argued frequently, though they tried to wait until I was asleep I still heard them often.  Once they separated my life was really chaotic, bouncing between parents and homes.  I was lucky though because both my parents made a concious effort to ensure that I was happy despite the bad situation.  I don't think it had a negative impact on my life, though.  I do think that I dealt with it by trying to overachieve in school, which turned out to be a really big positive in my life.  I think it did affect how I form relationships with other people, though.  I feel like I have to be "tough" all the time and sometimes that comes off as being cold towards people.  I am not at all a "cold" person and once I get to know someone I care deeply for them.  I sometimes have trouble showing that I care though, and I think it is directly related to my parents' relationship.  I do not like to complain about the situation because I know that there are so many children who have to endure so much worse.  Some children have to go through things that I don't even want to imagine as an adult having to deal with. 

One region of the world that I feel children have to deal with a lot of stress is the Middle East.  These children have spent their whole lives living in a war zone.  Every single stressor you could think of they deal with.  Violence, war, poverty, hunger, racism, noise, chaos, etc.  They live in such an unstable world it is sad to think the kind of effects the war will have on them as adults.  They will probably grow up having negative views of certain races and cultures.  Many of the children's physical growth, as well as cognitive, could be negatively affected as well.  There are organizations dedicated to reducing the negative effects of these stressors for children.  War Child International is one of those organizations. 

War Child International implements projects in Afghanistan, Burundi, Chechnya, Colombia, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, West Bank and Gaza according to the following themes:

• Child protection: to protect children and young people against the consequences of armed conflict.
• Education: to enable children and young people's access to education.
• Justice: to ensure children and young people's access to justice when their rights are violated.
• Livelihoods: to build sustainable local livelihoods that address children and young people's fundamental needs.
• Psychosocial: to stimulate children and young people's own psychological and social development.

The progragm is dedicated to helping both the short and long term needs of children living in war zones.  I love to see that there are other people out there who care about the effects this is having on children and are in a position to help make it better.

Child Development and Public Health: Breastfeeding

I chose to discuss breastfeeding because I am currently debating whether or not to do so with my expectant baby.  I did not breastfeed with my son and he had stomach issues for the first six months of his life.  I am wondering if he wouldn't have had those issues if I had breastfed.  So now that I am pregnant again I am considering breastfeeding this baby.  I know all the benefits there are to breastfeeding, but for me it is a matter of having time.  I work full time and have a toddler as well, not to mention the housework that still needs to be done.  It seems that breastfeeding (or pumping) would be time consuming and am worried about having that time.  Having never done it, I really do not know how long it takes or how often it would be done.  I am still learning.  But for no other reason than to not have a crying baby most of the day, I am highly considering breastfeeding this time around.  I have heard that formula is just as nourishing as breastmilk (and please do not bombard me with negativity on this comment, I know breastfeeding "activists" can get really bent out of shape about that lol.)  and I have to say that my son who was fed formula, grew just as healthily as a breastfed baby.  He just had stomach cramps whenever he ate and would cry afterwards, but he never refused to eat.  It took him awhile to adjust to formula.  I know that by breastfeeding there would not be an "adjustment" period.  I read in The Developing Person that the composistion of the breastmilk adjusts to the needs and age of the baby and is more digestable than formulas.  It also mentioned that it helps with the bonding process, which as I have mentioned before was an issue with my son due to the c-section and ppd.  But what about when I return to work?  I can't go pump breastmilk every couple hours so I would have to wean the baby to formula, so would it even be worth it to do it at all?  Like I said, I am still debating.  Any helpful advice would be appreciated.

According to the World Health Organization, the problem of having time to breastfeed is common around the world.  In Asia, breastfeeding is declining for this reason.  Since more women are working, it is hard to strictly breastfeed for the first six months.  This is common in other areas too according to the statistics found from WHO. 

Childbirth- In Your Life and Around the World

Personal birthing experience
For this I decided to discuss the birth of my son, not only because it is obviously the most meaningful to me but also because it is honestly the only one I have ever experienced (other than my own, which of course I do not remember).  The day I gave birth to my son I was 38 weeks pregnant and was only going into the doctor's office to undergo a non-stress test.  While hooked up to the monitor it was found that my son's heartbeat kept dropping very low.  Since I was so far along they decided to go ahead and induce me.  A few hours later, his heart rate continued to drop low.  The doctor decided to do a c-section to make sure there were no problems.  I was somewhat relieved that I would not have to push a human being out of me (which I was growing quite scared about) until they wheeled me into the surgery room.  Having never had any sort of surgery before, once in the O.R.  I was completely terrified.  The doctors were great though (especially the anestegiologist lol) and calmed me down.  I did not feel anything.  When they got him out they told me he was healthy but they immediatly took him to clean him up.  I did not get to hold him.  My husband showed him to me before walking him to the nursery, but it was hours before I got to see him again or hold him.  After the birth I suffered from post-partum depression for quite awhile.  I sometimes wonder if this was due to the fact that I didn't get to hold him or see him for hours and felt that I didn't get the immediate bonding that I should have.  I feel that my post-partum had a great impact on him.  I was always stressed and unhappy, and he always cried.  Looking back I know his crying was probably due to me not feeling joyful or relaxed while with him.  I truly believe that the experience during birth can have a great impact on a child's development for this reason.  After a few months when my depression finally subsided, his crying also did and he became a much happier and alert baby.  Had this not have happened, he may have been happy and alert from day one.  I am a firm believer that the state a parent is in during the first few months will directly affect the infant's state. 

Birthing experience from another region

For this I chose the birthing customs of Holland.  I was researching customs all around the world and Holland just stood out to me.  There, pregnant women are referred to a midwife by thier family doctor, no obstetricians.  More than half of the women give birth at home rather than at a hospital.  "All expectant mothers in Holland are required to pick up a kraampakket that includes all of the medical supplies necessary for a home birth." If you do opt for a hospital birth, it's unlikely that you'll get an epidural. Epidurals are usually only given if it's convenient for the anesthesiologist's schedule or if an obstetrician determines it is necessary. A unique part of birth for the Dutch is the kraamhulp (maternity home care). For seven days after birth a nurse visits the home providing medical care, parenting instructions, and sometimes even cleaning and cookinng!  Though we often use midwives in the US (I saw a midwife all during my pregnancy up to delivery) the process is far different. Women do choose home births here, but hospital births are far more common.  And what new mother doesn't wish they could have "Kraamhulp"?  I know I would vote yes for that if given the option!

Examining Codes of Ethics

3 Ideals from NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics that are meaningful to me:
 NAEYC
I-1.3 To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.
This particular code of ethic reminded me of why I enjoy my work so much in the first place.  Each child is different and unique, no two children learn or develop quite the same.  These were the things I loved about early childhood when I first began my career endeavors.  Now I am happy to say I work in a center that I am able to provide lessons and activities for each individual child, based on thier needs or interests.  I have at least one activitiy per week that was designed for each child in my room. 
I-1.8 To support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities. 
I have always been passionate about inclusion.  I feel that, as long as it is the least restrictive environment, children with special needs should be included in a typical classroom.  As for my center, working with 0-3 year olds you don't often get children who have been diagnosed with special needs.  I could possibly have children with physical disabilties, but I do not currently.  However, when working with children you often are able to tell when children have needs that are not "typical."  I have a child in my room who I believe to have high-functioning Autism, though he is only 2 and has not been diagnosed.  I recognize his strengths and his weaknesses, and offer learning activities for him that will push him to succeed, but still keep in mind his needs. I try very hard to make sure he is involved in play activities with the other children and he has came quite a long way since his first few days with us.
DEC
1.6 We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and leanring environment to facilitate young children's development and learning.
In my center we are required to individualize our lesson plans, providing activities for each child in our room specifically.  We also maintain close relationships with our families by doing frequent home visits, keeping our parents up to date on thier children's developmental screenings and our observations.  We encourage parents to spend time in our rooms whenever possible and provide family activities. 

course resources

Required Resources

• Video Program: “The Resources for Early Childhood”
  Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• 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/56611/CRS-CW-4955232/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. 

Part 2: 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://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.

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/
     

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

• 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
  Part 5- Three Additional Resources
  
  • Johnson, J. E.; Christie, J. F.; Yawkey, T. D. (1999).  Play and Early Childhood Development.  Addison, Wesley , Longman, NY. 
  • Berk, L.E. &Winsler, A. (1995).  Scaffolding children's learning: Vygotsky and early childhood education.  National Association for the Education of Young Children, WA. 
  • National Head Start Association http://www.nhsa.org/ 

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"If we want to invest in the prosperity of our nation, we must invest in the education of our children so that their talents may be fully employed.” ~President William J. Clinton

"Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills, knowledge, and judgment to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them." ~Susan Bredekamp, Ph.D., Author of Developmentally Appropriate Practices

"Children are not succeeding because they are not given the tools they need not because they don't have the intelligence" ~Louise Derman-Sparks

"(Education) Is not all about you.  You have to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for the child."  ~Renatta Cooper



Personal Childhood Web

1. Mom-She is a strong and independent woman.   I am her only daughter so she did special things for me, and not my brother for that reason.  She volunteered at my school, made holidays wonderful, and taught me to be independent like her. She is the reason I am so driven and goal oriented.
2. Dad- He is a caring and giving person.  He taught me to accept people as they are, was always was there for me whenever i needed anything, and was my rock growing up.  He is the reason I want to work with children and help make them feel special. 
3. Grandma Opal- She was a caring and open hearted woman.  She would do anything for anyone.  She made me feel special because she always had to make me something to eat when I visited.  She showed genuine interest in my life and always asked me about my life.  She is the kind of woman I want to be when I am old and gray. 
4. Cousin Justin- We often played together as kids becuase our mom's (who were sisters) would take turns babysitting us.  He always made sure I fit it and was included no matter what we did or where we were.  He always made an effort to play with me.  He was protective and kind of like a "big brother" to me. 
5. Mrs. Spriggs (5th Grade Teacher)-  She made me believe in myself.  She praised me more than other teachers and showed interest in me.  I never really put much effort into school before her, but after her I prided myself upon how well I could do in school. 

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher

A Child that Touched My Heart

I was doing a pre-student teaching placement at a local elementary school in 2nd grade.  There was a boy in this class whom the teacher had informed me would most likely not do well in any area, seeing as he had some serious issues going on at home and was frequently absent.  As my time there went on and I began taking on more subjects to teach, I noticed that this boy showed a little more interest in reading than in other areas, but only when he was being read to.  I made an effort to read more stories aloud so that he would stay interested.  After reading aloud, I would let the children read the story again on thier own.  While doing this I would alway make an effort to talk to this child about the story, to get an idea of his comprehension level.  Turns out he comprehended on a very high level, but struggled with reading on his own.  I began working with him one on one a little and by the end of my placement he had brought his grade from a D to a B.  On the last day of my placement the child came to me and hugged me and said he had never had a teacher like him before.  This made me cry, and of course made me realize that sometimes all a child needs is to be liked, shown a little attention, and who knows what they can do. 

Me and my awesome family :)