Thank You

The last eight weeks have been great. I have learned a lot about communication and how to work with others. I appreciate each and everyone of your posts. I think you are an amazing group of educators that all have something wonderful to offer. The most comforting thing about working with you all has been the realization that I am not as crazy as I thought. We have similar communication issues, but as that weeks have progressed, I see how we have all grown. Keep up the good work! Please visit my blog from time to time and offer your suggestions and advise.

Thank you so much for the last eight weeks. It has been a great journey!

Adjourning

I have never been apart of a group that had a formal adjourning process. I have worked on projects with groups and we have debriefed after one project before moving on to the next project. But these groups were not moving to a place where we are not working together anymore. I have always left groups based off of my own merit. It has been hard to make the decision to leave at times but I find that I have to do what’s best for me. Choosing to leave my student ministries group at church was probably the hardest one to leave. I loved working with the high school and middle schoolers. It was fun because I spend most of my days with little children. I left the group because it was taking me away from actually being in church. I spent so much time with the kids that I never got the chance to go into the church and receive a word. Ministry became another job. I loved it but needed to take care of myself. I needed to be in church and could not find the balance between ministry and personal time. 

I think adjourning from groups is important. When I left the student ministries group at church I did so without much of a fuss. Once we broke for the summer vacation, I just never returned. I do not think it will be hard to adjourn from my colleagues in my masters program. Honestly it it hard to build relationships this way. While I love reading my colleagues posts and respect their opinions on the things I post, I don’t think I will miss it once I no longer have to log onto the classroom assignments. 

Adjourning allows groups to see what they have done well and what they can do in the future to better themselves. This is something that I do while debriefing with my student ministries group. We always allowed these meetings to help make us better. 

3R's

We have recently lost one of our to teachers due to a family emergency. I was confident that her classroom was being ran properly. Her student are always on task, their academic abilities are much higher than the average 3-4 year old, and she was always looking for new ways to encourage their development. When I put a new teacher in her room to work alongside her partner, my assumption was that this teacher will fit right in. Her teaching style was very similar to the one that had just left. I was sadly mistaken. This teacher was not running the classroom correctly, the teacher that left was not following the curriculum properly, her students showed no knowledge of routine or structure. The teacher that she was partnered with is very passive and did not want to get in trouble for saying something. I had to meet with both the new teacher and the partner to ensure that we could get the classroom on task. While I was extremely frustrated I had to apply the 3 R’s this week. I wanted to make sure I was not rude, since the other teacher was well aware that things were not right. I had to make sure I was not disrespectful and that I listened while we completely restructured their classroom. This was a hard process as I worked with the teachers, but I am confident that after our meeting, we have created a plan that will help our children succeed. 

My communication

I think the assessments I did this week were pretty accurate about who I am and how I communicate. My friend and coworker had very similar views to the assessment scores. I learned that I have major anxiety about public speaking but my peers think that I am a great public speaker. I feel that others can see the nerves all over me, but they both felt that I did such an awesome job. When it comes to aggression I scored moderate, which I feel is right, but my friend thought that this was wrong. She felt that I was aggressive and mean at times and did not show much emotion when it comes to others feelings. While my coworker feels that I am very nice and I do not have any aggression with others. I feel that at work I am much nicer than I am elsewhere. I do not have to have a professional hat on so I do not have as much of a filter at home. Both agreed that I was a great listener. I try my bet to offer myself to others when they need me. I do not mind giving advice when it is requested of me. I am addicted to detail and prefer if things are told to me with all the details but I will just listen without making a big deal about it when I find holes in someones communication. 

This week I learned about self-denigration (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012). I do this so often when it comes to public speaking. I criticize and attack myself often. I never think I am doing things right, or that my messages are coming across the right way. I want to work on getting over this feeling. I want to be able to be confident when I do anything with public speaking. I also learned that my self-presentation is different  from one social arena to another (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012). My communication at work is different than it is at home and it is clear to those who are around me. I experienced through this assignment that my friend saw me in a different light than my coworkers did. 

References:

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Communicating in different groups

I communicate differently with people in different settings. I don’t think it is culturally based, I think it is more relationship based. I talk to my coworkers differently than the way I talk to my family, and my family different than the way I talk to my friends. Each group plays a different role in my life and have to be communicated with differently. If I talked to my coworkers the same way I talk to my friends it would be completely unprofessional. If I talked to my family the way I talked to my coworkers they would think that I am trying to be snobbish or behave like I am better than others. 

My communication with my coworkers is strictly professional. While I like to joke around have fun with my staff, I still draw the line when necessary. I want to ensure that they still respect me as their boss and do not cross over into the friend zone. 

My family is a fun group. My parents are from Jamaica so I often incorporate the accent in my speech when I am communicating with family members. My older family members are very big on respect, so I must remain respectful when addressing them directly. My family is also very honest, which can be considered rude in other arenas. We say things in a very blunt manner, and I would not take that approach with other groups. I would be afraid of hurting others feelings. 

My friends are also a very fun bunch. They are very silly. We tell a lot of jokes, that could also be considered mean, or rude to others. The difference is that this occurs when we are joking. My family is honest all the time, and does not joke about it. My friends are also very community oriented. We are always looking for an opportunity to help others, our conversations often center around the things that are happening locally. 

Nonverbal Communication - Revenge

I watched the first episode of a show called Revenge. This show airs on ABC, but I watched it on Netflix. Based on the way they are communicating while the show is on mute, I can assume that the main character is new to the group. It seems as if there are some people who are skeptical of her and her presence in their social circle. Their nonverbal communication shows by the awkward handshakes, and strange looks. It is also clear that they are unfamiliar with her when they whisper as she walks away.  It is also clear that she knows them from her childhood, but she is up to something. These people have hurt her, but I am not sure how. The main character is out to get some of the people. It is clear that she has a personal vendetta with some characters at first glance. Others become more apparent as the show goes on. Her nonverbal communication shows when she first meets someone. She looks at them in a very serious manner. The show also gives it away when they do flashbacks of her childhood with these people involved. 

My assumptions about the show were all correct. The main character, Emily Thorn is out to get several of the characters in the show. They were involved in killing her father and now she wants revenge. Her real name is Amanda Clark and she has returned to the Hamptons in her fathers honor. The characters who had their reservations about her are correct, even though they do not realize they knew her when she was a child. 

Nonverbal communication is very important, it says a lot about people and how they really feel. I found that I may want to be more careful when meeting new people. I need to pay close attention to their nonverbal cues. 

Great Communicator

Regardless of how some may feel, one of the best communicators I have ever seen is none other than President Barack Obama. President Obama is very charismatic when he speaks. What intrigues me the most about his level of communication is when he is put in difficult situations and he manages to keep his composure and respond appropriately. I can’t image being in a situation where people are constantly asking me questions that are difficult to answer, with no warning. I wish I could be that quick on my feet. So often in directing a child care center parents ask me some very off the wall questions. There are times where a response comes easy and other times where I can’t find the words to respond to their request. If I had the grace and charisma our President has I think I would be a much more effective communicator. While so many don’t care for President Obama and his leadership, one can never deny what a great communicator he is. 

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think of working with families who come from diverse backgrounds my greatest hope is to offer them the best opportunity to succeed as possible without losing their culture. This class has shown me how insensitive I have been to children from other cultures. While I really respect their differences I think I have not embraced who they are and wanted them to conform to the dominant culture. My hope is to offer these students the same great education and allow their culture to shine through. 

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to the issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is more awareness about these issues. The education requirement for a childcare professional is not very high in most states. Some places only require a high school diploma. This does not put too many teachers in classes like these to encourage their growth and knowledge on this matter. It is important that every educator gets the rude awakening that I received about diversity and how to incorporate it in the classroom. 

Through the last 8 weeks I have had the pleasure to learn more about diversity not only from our instructor but from my colleagues as well. Thank you for sharing your personal stories and experiences. Thank you for your insight and responses to my posts that help make me a better educator. I appreciate you all and wish you the best in all your future endeavors. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My family’s country would be the Philippines. 

If I had a family come to my childcare center from the Philippines, I would do as much as I could to prepare. First I would find out their native language. There are different dialects in the Philippines so it would be helpful to know which one they spoke.  I would try to learn some basic words so that I can communicate with the family. I would also keep my iphone close because I have an app that can translate for me if I need assistance. 

I would also look into the foods they eat. I would try to offer foods that are more familiar so that the child will still eat. They may not be interested in trying some of our food as yet and I don’t believe it should be forced on her. I would also have the other students in her class try what she is eating so that their plates do not look different from hers and she does not feel singled out. 

I would look to see what religion the family practices. This way when holiday’s come around we can celebrate her’s as well. We want to expose all the children to different cultures so this would be a great experience for the entire class. 

I would also like to know what some traditional clothing looks like. While I am aware that for the most part the people of the Philippines dress like we do here in the states, I know that there are some traditional garbs that are worn for celebrations. These items can become apart of our dramatic play center so that she see’s her culture throughout the day. 

Lastly I would look into family structure for those in the Philippines. Some cultures do not just have the parents and children in the home. Some cultures embrace grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins at home. I would like to be aware of this so we can talk about the different people in her home and definitely have pictures of them in the classroom for her to see. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Several years ago, I had a friend who was going through a hard time. I wanted to make this friend feel better so I went to buy him a card from Hallmark. The Hallmark store I went to was in the new neighborhood my mother recently moved to. This was a different side of town for us. This side of town was predominantly Caucasian. The Hallmark was in a small shopping center. This shopping center looked like one that receives the same customers time and time again. There were two people working in this Hallmark at the time. One was a young lady around my age (18) at the time, and the other was an older lady, approximately in her 60’s. Both ladies were Caucasian. As I walked through looking at cards I noticed the older lady on every aisle that I was on. She did a great job at making herself look busy so I did not think too much of it. Once I found my card and a few other items, I made my way to the register. The older lady reluctantly took me since the younger employee was busy with another customer. I put the cards on the counter as I looked in my purse for money to pay with. When I tried to hand her my money she lightly tapped on the counter, confused I said here you go and she made no effort to take the money. The younger employee was now finished with her customer and was watching from her register. I placed the money on the counter realizing that she was not going to take the money from my hand. She took the money off of the counter and proceeded with the transaction. I put my hand out to receive my change. Sadly she went around my hand and threw the money on the counter looking at me with the meanest look ever. I had never been so humiliated in my life. I realized the she was refusing to have direct contact with me because I am black. She did everything in her power to make me feel inferior. I looked her back in her eye and told her that she needed to prepare herself for the future. I was not the last black person she would encounter and her actions need to change before she meets someone who will take this disrespect to another level. Before I could make it to my car the younger cashier had chased me to the car and with tears in her eyes apologized from the bottom of her heart. “She does this all the time” she said “she does not like people like you and it’s just not right. I am so sorry, we are not all like her.” I hugged the young lady and proceeded to get in my car. 

This lady followed me around the store as if I were a criminal. She watched me to see if I would steal cards that cost no more than $2.00 a piece. She belittled me by refusing to touch anything directly from my hand and refused to engage in conversation with me. These actions all diminish equity. I was made to feel like I was not good enough to shop there. Her actions were a horrible representation of  Hallmark as a brand. She would have to change her attitude and behavior for equity to be restored. Because of her behavior I never returned to that store. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

My staff and I are planning a cultural day at our child care center. We are all really excited about showing off who we are beyond what you can see everyday. While we got on the topic of attire I noticed two older Caucasian teachers talking privately and not engaging in the planning at all. I asked the two if there is something they would like to share with the group. One of the teachers stated that she is proud of her culture and wants to wear her attire. I encouraged her to do so as long as it was in line with our dress code. The two went back to a personal conversation as the rest of us continued to plan. Frustrated I asked if there is a problem and wanted the two to allow the rest of the staff into their conversation. The other teacher said “Our culture is Southern redneck. We want to wear the clothes of our culture, but do not want the black people on the staff to be mad at us. We really enjoy working with you ladies.” 

I was not sure how to respond to this. I told the teachers that we would discuss it later. I wanted to make sure that I plan my words carefully and do not offend anyone. This is a culture that has always been associated with being hateful towards the African American culture. But if this is their culture is it my place to deny them the opportunity to express it on culture day. I felt that the comment was made to ensure the staff members that they have accepted them for who they are, but I think it was also to let us know that they do have some negative feelings towards black people. I still do not know how to move forward with this one. I am all for them expressing their culture, especially since they smoothed things over with the staff, but I wonder how our customers will feel about it when they see them dressed like that. 

This weeks observation left me confused on my feelings about discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes. I feel like my two staff members are trying to be sensitive to others feelings, but I also feel that they want to express how they really feel. I remember in 2008 these two staff members felt very strongly against having a black president. I knew then that there was some prejudice there, but because they worked so well with everyone on the staff I never made an issue of it. But with this situation I am not really sure how they feel about black people, or more specifically me, as their boss and a black woman. I still feel that discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes are wrong. I think they will always be around though and they are all very easy to get sucked into. It takes a strong person to take a stand against these three injustices. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

What is your definition of culture?

Alyson: Culture is who you are, it’s how you grow up, stuff like religion, race, food. Everyone has some kind of culture.

Maggie: Culture is where you are from and all the things that go along with people from that place.

Anastasia: Culture is everything about you. It’s where you live, what you eat, where your family is from, the way you walk, talk, think, it’s even your sexual preferences. 

What is your definition of diversity?

Alyson: Diversity is what makes us different. It’s kind of the same as culture, because everyone’s culture is different. We use diversity as a way to declare these differences. 

Maggie: Being different from others based on culture. 

Anastasia: Diversity is the difference between one person and another. We can share some of the same cultures and be diverse in other areas. For example, we are both black, which is apart of our culture, but I’m African American, and you are Jamaican American, which makes us diverse. 

Alyson is a 27 year old, Caucasian Jewish woman who lives in Albany, New York. Maggie is a 65 year old Jamaican Christian who lives in Snellville, Georgia. Anastasia is a 23 year old African American Christian woman who lives in Dallas, Texas. 

These ladies are all right about their definitions of both culture and diversity. some of their definitions may be a little more broad than mine, but I think Anastasia gave the answers that are closest to mine. We both have the same views on culture and diversity. We see that there are many different forms of culture and many different forms of diversity. 

I really don’t think anything was left out between the three different perspectives on culture and diversity. Again, some of the perspectives were a little broad but still they shared a piece of the truth.

It was fun hearing different perspectives on culture and diversity. I think that Alyson and Maggie could use a little more knowledge on the topic. While they have the right idea, I ma not sure that they truly understand that both culture and diversity are so much more. Anastasia has a great view of culture and diversity. 

My Family Culture

If a major catastrophe completely devastated the infrastructure of my country and I had to leave with only three items I would bring my bible, my grandmothers dinner bell, and my iphone. My bible would need to be there because I would not be sure if this new culture that I am going to will be accepting of my religion. I know that several countries do not allow certain faiths to be observed and I don’t want to lose who I am just because I am in their country. I would also bring my grandmothers dinner bell. My family is very strict about meal times and family time. The two are almost synonymous. We eat together every chance that we get. My grandmother would ring her bell to let everyone know when the food is ready. We do not use the bell anymore, since her passing, but we make reference to it all the time and still deem it important to spend time together as a family eating and fellowshipping. My iPhone is my source to almost everything. I am able to see pictures of my family, I have a bible downloaded to it, and it is my way of keeping in contact with those that are not close enough to me. While taking this device to another country could cost me a whole lot of money, I still think it is worth it for me keep in contact. 

If I had to give up two of the three items I would give up the bible and the bell. While I would hate to lose the bell the most because it has been in my family for years, but I know that my grandmothers legacy will live on forever. I know that as long as two or more people are together we will take the time to eat together. We have a saying in our family that our dining tables could sell our movie. What we mean by this is that some many important things are discussed at each table that if it was sold to Hollywood, we would make a fortune. I am confident that this is a major part of my family culture that would never be lost. I would also give up my bible because I have one on my  phone. While my preference is to read directly from the book, I can still read it on my iPhone. Keeping my iPhone will allow me to see pictures, and remain in contact with those that I love. 

This exercise really helped me see that meals with my family really mean a lot to me! We not only limit ourselves to dinner, on Sunday mornings, we have a huge brunch, and have lunch and dinner whenever we can all get together. 

When I think of research...

I have never really been into research. I have always looked at it as too complicated and had no interest in doing it. This course allowed me to see that research is not a difficult process. While it may take some time to complete it can be fun. I think the fact that we were able to break down all the components of research really helped me change my feelings on research. Breaking down the different components of our projects during this course offered a great way to plan for research. With these tables we did weekly to help build our research, I found myself looking at my research several different ways. One insight that I really took away from the course is that children have the right to chose if they want to participate in research or not. I think that was major for me because I never really thought about asking the children. I figured if we had consent from parent we were doing okay. But this is not the case at all. Children have rights too. I didn’t really run into any challenges with the course or the research. As a result of this course I think I have a better understanding of research in the early childhood field. In my research I had a chance to see some great teachers work in some difficult situations and I really respect their classroom management, especially with a visitor in the room. 

I would like to thank my classmates for their insight during this class. Thank you for stopping by my blog and offering your comments. Good luck in all of your future endeavors. 

Australia Early Childhood Education

Some current international research topics are funding, social skills and play, literacy, same sex parenting, bullying, and so many more. These research topics are some that I hear about frequently. It was very interesting to see that other countries are experiencing some of the same challenges with their educational system as we are. While exploring the Early Childhood Australia website, I found it very comforting to know that we have so many similarities. So often we hear how terrible our education system is in the United States and how far behind we are, but I was intrigued by the research topics that I found, since they are all things that we are facing here. I found one of the research studies very interesting. I gained the knowledge that there are no qualifications for teaching or operating a family day care enter in Australia. There are some professionals that took the extra step to get an education in early childhood, but it is not a requirement at this time. Because so many of the children in these family day cares are special needs and culturally diverse, it is important that the teachers get qualified. This website is full of information and research on the Australian early childhood education system. There are many resources for not only educators but parents as well. 

References: 

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

Research Benefiting Children and Families

If I had the means and the knowledge to conduct research about any topic in the early childhood field, I would spend some time finding more information about Autism. I would love to see how I could make a difference in the Autistic community and how to help prevent this. I would really like to get to the bottom of some of the ways parents can prevent their children from getting Autism, even if these ways were before conception. I know that there is a lot of information out there on Autism but this is something that is affecting our Early Childhood community. While several children function well with Autism, I know that there are several children who have a hard time with socialization. There are so many aspects to Early Childhood education and the social/emotional is a major part of it. Finding a way to prevent Autism many help a huge portion of our community be able to master this area. 

School Readiness

I am really interested in the school readiness. In the childcare industry we always want to ensure that our children are ready for school and moving on to Kindergarten. But has the focus of school readiness deterred us from allowing the children to have fun. So many teachers have resorted to teaching students like they are already in an elementary school setting. They are teaching them at desks for large portions of the day. I want to research ways to really prepare our children for the next step. It is important to me that we prepare them but still allow them to be youthful. There are so many ways to teach children and it saddens me that because we feel pressure about their next adventure we force other teaching styles on them. Do you guys have any advise for me? How can I get more information on school readiness or teaching styles?

International Consequences

Learning about international early childhood education is very interesting. There is so much to learn and so many opportunities to grow as a professional. I have truly enjoyed exploring websites and seeing what else is out there. 

One thing that was difficult was getting to know other professionals in other countries. I really wanted to build a relationship with someone overseas so that we can help each other grow but I did not hear back from anyone. 

Learning more about other countries early childhood education has caused me to want to give more. There are several countries that are struggling and need our help. While I think it is important to work on the issues we have here, if there is anyway to help advance education as a whole. 

Exploring the websites has also made me see the need for more of a consistent form of early childhood education. Getting all of our children learning the same things internationally will help bridge the gap of our educational differences. This is one of my goals. It is my goal to be an advocate for the early childhood field. One of the things I really want to see is equal opportunities for all children, not just the children who are schooled in the united states but children everywhere. 

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

The UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education website really highlights some areas that are personal goals for me. I am a huge advocate for seeing a better future for children who are less fortunate. Under quality they discuss how a high quality child care facility can help motivate children who are underprivileged. A high quality program can promote confidence, good cognitive skills, language development, and school readiness. I see lots of great programs in good areas, but I would like to see some more effort put into the children who can’t get to those schools. I think it is extremely important to ensure that all of our children are afforded the same opportunities when it comes to their education. They all have the right to learn and grow, and we have the responsibility to ensure that we fulfill that right.

I was also impressed with the part under quality that discussed the lack of an agreed criteria for a quality early childhood education program. We are all operating on different standards and rules, which causes there to be such a dissention between different groups of children. This section did mention however that a quality program should have several things. The one thing that aligned with my personal goals as an educator is that programs should offer parental education and involvement. I currently am a director of a child care center and one of the things that I want to see improve is our parent participation. I feel that so many parents come in get their kids and leave. They are not interested in talking to the teachers, nor do they pay attention to notices and information posted around the school. While I feel that a huge part of this is our fault for not offering programs. I am working diligently to get our parents more involved. While this has been a struggle and I often times get discouraged about it, I am glad to see that this is what it takes to have a quality program. I am dedicated to seeing my school be one of great quality and I will do all I can to get it there.

It was also great to see the stand that the website takes on culture. I live in Georgia now, but I was raised in New York. Culture was everywhere when I was growing up. I saw people of every color, religion, and creed. I gained a huge respect for people and their differences growing up in that environment. I am starting to see that here in Georgia many things are black and white. While culture is very important, we just do not explore several different cultures. We only talk about the differences of two races. I am glad that there is a huge push for culture in early childhood programs. It is great for children to see other cultures as they learn about the world around them. The website goes into great detail about culture and even offers several different programs and activities for us to get involved in.

Reference:

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

Exploring ZerotoThree.org

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

There are two great links that are on the Zero to Three website. I enjoyed the Early Head Start National Resource Center www.ehsnrc.org This website has some great tips for almost any topic you can think of. There are tips for math and science for infants and toddlers, working with teen parents, and supporting infant/toddler language development. It also has links to other great websites and great podcasts. The other great link is the 27th National Training Institute www.zttnticonference.org this is actually a website designed to offer training for early childhood professionals. It is designed to work with those who deal with Infants and Toddlers in child welfare, early intervention, mental health, parent education and more. This year they will be hosting the 27th conference November 28 - December 1, 2012 in California. Registration ranges from $495 - $560.

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?

I chose one area of the Zero to Three website to search through and I chose the Behavior & Development section. There are different topics like Brain Development, Play, Early Development, Sleep and so many others. Under each topic there is some great information about how to correctly work with children. The area that really interested me was Promoting Social Emotional Development. There are several podcasts that offer tips on how to promote children’s self esteem, and their social emotional skills. I really enjoyed the tips on nurturing your child’s curiosity. While we often get nervous when children begin to wander and explore, it is great to encourage their curiosity and let them see what the world is like around them. 

• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?

I found an article on the Zero to Three website about children who experience trauma and stress. I learned the the children who deal with traumatic experiences do not express their feelings the same way adults do. Children will show their feelings in the way they eat, play, and behave with others. 

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

I found that there are more infants and toddlers now receiving care from people who are not relatives than ever before. This website was designed to make sure that our children are receiving the best care. While this is a website that gears more towards parents it is a huge resource for educators. I understand that there is a huge responsibility on the childcare professionals. 

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

I really enjoyed reviewing the website. I found so much information on the early head start national resource center. I saw several tips that I want to print out for my staff and show them how we can enhance our classrooms. Infants and toddlers are always changing and all of the tips and suggestions we can get to enhance that age group is helpful. 

The Global Children’s Initiative

The Global Children’s Initiative is a great initiate designed to strengthen our youth around the world.  They have placed their focus on early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. These three areas are relatable in every culture. We all have to take into considerations the importance of how our children are effected by each of these domains an d how we can be of service to help them grow and succeed in these areas.

It was very interesting to learn about Zambian Early Childhood Development. Not too many studies have been done there, and this was an opportunity to see where the children were with their development. In May of 2010 the students were given the first assessments done there. Several students were assessed and they found the assessments feasible. The center is hoping that these assessments can offer better practices for the school system and new ideas to help globally.

Learning that this initiative is taking an active roll in learning more about child mental health is great. I think that our children are going through so much more than we ever had to experience in the past. It saddens me that they are exposed to so much at an early age. At Harvard they are building a team to study the significant gaps in information on this issue. They are doing research, and public engagement to get to the bottom of things. They are looking at several countries and how the children may be facing different types of mental health issues. I look forward to hearing more about their findings.

Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), “A Good Start,” is and initiative in Chile to help early childhood development through the teachers. By strengthening their teachers they feel that the students will benefit highly. I think this is such a good idea. One of the main focuses is language development for children ages 4 – 6 years old. I am glad to see that they are starting with the teachers to improve the development in their school systems. I think it is also important for them to look at the policy makers and administrators too and allow them to see how much work and effort goes into teaching our children daily.

More Information on Zero to Three

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

My favorite section on the Zero to Three website is, the Behavior & Development portion. There are two topics that are continuously challenging me professionally under this section. One is Challenging Behaviors and the other is Play. These are two areas that I feel are continuously changing in the Early Childhood field. Play was very prevalent at one point then academics became more important. Now it is clear that play needs to be implemented more in children's lives. Challenging Behaviors change often too. The behaviors may not change but the way we handle them changes. From sending children to time out in the past to trying to find other options to reach our students now, teachers have to stay on top of rules and regulations in order to know what the right and wrong thing is to do. 

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

The section on Maltreatment has a link that discusses the impact of trauma in the lives of our children. While I am well aware young children face traumatic experiences, I never really knew that these experiences could have such a huge effect on them since they are so young. This section really made me think how important my time is with each child because you never know what they may be dealing with at home. 

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

 There is an entire section on the Zero to Three website dedicated to public policy. This section is based on research on different issues that effect our Infants, Toddlers, and early Preschoolers.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

I really enjoy the policy guide on the website. This is a guide that every educator and director should look at. It offers some great tips and policies that should be implemented. I saw so many things that I could immediately see we were doing wrong at my center and my intent is to change them with the guidance of this book. 

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan has a very serious poverty issue. The issues that this country faces in poverty weighs heavily on the children. With 55% of the children living in poverty it is very hard for country to progress. Those who live in poverty in Kyrgyzstan typically come from families that consist of one parent or two parent homes where parents are 30 years old or younger.  These children living both rural and urban communities are forced to grow up early and tend to leave their hopes and dreams behind while trying to help their families at a young age. Children start working as young as 7 years old. It is more common for children in rural areas to work early than for urban children. Sadly the working conditions are poor which adds several health risks for the children. It is common for children to miss school due to their dedication to their family and work. While enrollment rates are really high at the schools in Kyrgyzstan, attendance rates are extremely low. Some other reasons why students miss school are not being able to afford clothes or shoes, and not being able to afford the proper school supplies. Even when the children go to school, there is no telling if they will have a teacher who is qualified to teach specific subjects. Some teachers teach subjects they are not certified to teach to make extra money. This is such a disadvantage for the students. Sadly many of them do not pursue higher education because they need to work to help support their families. It is the hard truth that many there are not too many children who were born into poverty were able to change their lives and no longer live that way. Unfortunately, most children born into poverty in Kyrgyzstan will live in poverty for the rest of their lives. 

I feel terrible for the children who live in poverty. A little more than half of the children in Kyrgyzstan are forced to live like this. If more emphasis was placed on education, I think there would be a significant change. It starts with preparing the teachers. Once all the teachers are properly certified and are working for more than just a paycheck things may begin to turn around. There may be more success stories of children being born into poverty but changing their lives around because of the solid foundation they received in education. 

Reference: 

Ablezova, M., Botoeva, G., Jukusheva, T., Marcus, R., & Satybaldieva, E. (2004). Generation at risk:childhood poverty in kyrgyzstan. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php/action=documentfeed/doctype=pdf/id=98/

Zero to Three

Zero to Three is an organization that is designed to help parents, teachers, and policymakers of infants and toddlers. The website offers different recourses and ideas for those who work with our youngest generation. I really enjoyed this article on biting, http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/challenging-behavior/chew-on-this-resources-on-biting.html. This is a reoccurring issue that I am facing at my childcare center. I was recently told off by a parent because their child continues to get bitten, and while I totally understand their frustration, they do not understand mine. I need all the help I can get in helping this child with his biting issue. This article gave me lots to think about. While I have heard several of the suggestions before, I really enjoyed the way they were broken down. One of the things I am going to start looking for with the child that I work with is what triggers his biting. While I am well aware of some of the other suggestions like, does he bite the same child, or who is the teacher when he bites. I see that he is very smart, and knows who to bite and which teachers he can bite around. But I have not seen what triggers his biting. I am not sure if it is a communication issue, frustrations issue, or space issue. Either way, like the article mentions, once we get to the bottom of why he is biting, we can better find ways to stop it. 

Reference:

http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/challenging-behavior/chew-on-this-resources-on-biting.html

Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I contacted two different countries to see if they could help me with our upcoming assignments. I made contacts in Greece and the Philippines. i have always been fascinated by both cultures and wanted to learn more about their education systems. As of right now I have not heard back from either one. This is the email I sent:


My name is Monique V. Wilson. I am a Masters Degree student at Walden University studying Early Childhood Studies with a concentration in Leadership, Administration and Management. I am interested in making some international contacts in the early childhood field. I would greatly appreciate if you could offer some assistance in this area. Please let me know if there is anyone in your department or yourself, that would be able to help me in the next few weeks by answering questions about how early childhood education works in your country.


In choosing a website to study for this class I had a hard time deciding between Harlem Children Zone, Zero to Three: National Center for Infants Toddlers and Families, and NAEYC: The National Association for the Education of Young Children. All three websites offer some great information for early childhood professionals. I can see myself utilizing them all in the future. 

My Supports

My iPhone is sadly the first thing that comes to mind when I think of my supports. I seriously think I would be lost without my phone. I have all my important dates on my phone. I have all of my email accounts synced to my phone. My phone is my GPS, it's my bank account manager, and it's my photo album. There truly is an app for everything that you can think of. I can barely remember my life without a cell phone, but I certainly cannot begin to imagine what my life would be like without a my iPhone. I really do use my phone to it's greatest ability.

This truly should have been the first thing on my support. This book is my be all and end all. While I do have several versions of this on my iPhone and I have not read it in it's book form in a long time since I have it in the form of technology, I do spend a lot of time listening and reading things that pertain to different situations in my life. I really do not know where I would be without my spiritual guidance. It really does keep my grounded and gives me the support I need. There are times when I don't understand what's happening in my life and this really helps put things in perspective for me.

Music which can also be found on my iPhone also offers so much support for me. I seriously get lost in my music. It really does keep me going. I really lean on music to get me through my days. Silence makes me uncomfortable. I rely on music to fill the atmosphere with positive tunes. Without music I think I would go crazy

My Connections To Play

"Play is the exultation of the possible" - Martin Buber

"Work consists of whatever a body is obligated to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obligated to do." - Mark Twain

I was raised as an only child so I did not have anyone to play with at home. My barbie dolls were my favorite toys. I felt like they were my friends. I had barbie cars, palaces, and every type of accessory you could think of. When I counted my barbies in my teens, I had collected over 100 barbies. My mother was a huge influence in getting me to play outside. My skip it and jump rope were my favorite things to play with, with my neighborhood friends. Growing up in New York seeing girls play double dutch in the street was very common. My friends and I would enjoy playing outside for hours. My mother was also a huge component in my play with inspiring me to play with my easy bake oven. She loves to cook and allowed me to find the inner cook in me through my easy bake oven. 

Play today has some similarities and differences to the way that I came up. children do not go outside as much as they used to. I loved playing outside with my friends. I got a lot of physical activity. Children today my go outside but they do not play as long as they used to. The children at my center are always ready to go inside. They play for a little while and then they are tired and bored. It is so different. But I do see how children have wide imaginations like I did with my barbies. Children today still play with dolls and cars and trucks that allow them to imagine different scenarios. They enjoy using their heads and expanding their imagination. 

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are essential to my life. I truly believe that every person I meet has a purpose in my life. It could be for a brief moment or for a lifetime. Their presence mattered at some point and time. 

My mother has to be the strongest person I know. I gain so much just from being in her presence. We are extremely close. We have always had the type of relationship that allowed me the comfort in telling her everything going on in my life. I think the way we maintain our relationship is in communication. I wasn't raised in a house of "do this because I said so". Everything I did came with an explanation or reason behind it. And if I did not agree, I was not scolded for politely voicing my opinion. I was given the chance to talk about my feeling and while essentially my mother won every dispute, it felt great to have a voice. I knew my mother cared because she listened to me. She still does! What keeps us going is our ability to share with one another without tearing each other down. 

Kisha is someone who has been in my life for years but has recently became a very strong spiritual influence in my life. Living life according to the things that God has for me is extremely difficult; especially since I am so used to doing my own thing. But as I grow in my faith Kisha helps to keep me grounded and focused. What helps keep out relationship going is honesty and accountability. We have no problems being brutally honest with each other. We give real advise. Where most friends tend to agree and allow their friends to make dumb decisions, Kisha and I ensure that we are doing the right things. It's great to have a friend like her. 

Bailey is my puppy!!!! I love him like he's my son. I spent so many years confused about people and their strange relationships with their dogs, but ever since I got Bailey he has had my heart. While I have some really great people in my life, I come home to an empty house everyday. But now that Bailey is there I feel like he had filled a small void. I have something to look forward to and someone to be responsible for. I really don't know what I would do without my baby!!! 

Having positive relationships in my personal life really does effect me professionally as an Early Childhood Educator. I find myself more relatable to the children. I also find that I have a better attitude at work. When things are not going well in an educators life it can sometimes effect the job that they perform. The children that we work with deserve to have educators who are always ready to work. When life happens and outside relationships spoil, I have seen teachers lose some of their spunk and therefore lose control of their class. We are human so it's impossible to believe that we will be perfect everyday. But having food relationships will help keep us as close to perfection as possible.