Final Communication Blog

Hello Colleagues,

For the last eight weeks, I want to thank you to everyone. Most of us have been in classes together from the beginning and I am hoping some of us will be together again in our specializations. I have learned new ideas and concepts from reading your posts and different blogs. As our journey comes near, I hope to keep in touch with all of you. Also, one thing I learned about communication is the process in which we can develop meaningful relationships with others (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2009).  In order to continue our meaningful relationships, I encourage everyone to e-mail me at:oceangolddiva@yahoo.com. I will be waiting!!

I enjoyed working with all of you!

Team Building and Collarboration, Part 1

This week, we learned about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, performing, and adjourning (Adudi, 2010).

The group that was the hardest for me to leave was the five member women group named the Classy Ladies. Our group spent a lot of happy times together where we celebrated birthdays, holidays, and cookouts together. Since we knew each other before, the forming staging stage worked well for all us. The rest of the stages: storming, performing, and adjourning stages went great together. All of us did our part to make sure our group worked toghether to make sure our parties, fundraisers and cookouts were a success. Our high performing group stayed together for ten years. As the group ended, as we got older and moved away, we cried, hugged, and exchanged e-mails. We all vowed to stay in touch and visit whenever possible.

When it is time to adjourn from my colleagues at Walden, it will be bitter sweet because we have worked together and learned  a lot through the discussion boards, blogs, and e-mails. Therefore, I hope we will decide to stay in touch as we continue our next journey in our lives. Also, I hope we will remember our happy times spent together.

The adjourning phrase is an essential stage to teamwork because it shows the team members how all their dedication and commitment were appreciate in the group. This gives them the opportunity to say good bye and wish each other well in the next step in their lives (Audi, 2010).

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010), The five stages of team development: a case study, Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

This week I learned about various ways to deal with conflicts. I am going to share a personal conflict. My sister is having problems with her supervisor. The supervisor do not respect my sister becasue she demands her to do something, she expects my sister to get off her daily schedule and come do her job. This is the type conflict- power dynamics (when one person has power over another, that dynamic can cause one or both of the people to handle the conflict unproductively (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2009). In order to help my sister to solve this conflict, I would use two strategies which includes keeping the focus on the issue of the supervisor using her power to demand and expect my sister to do whatever she tells her to do. Therefore, it would be best to include cooperative strategies that would strive to benefit both parties. In addition, the supervisor would benefit from learning about the 3 R's. A demonstration from the 3 R's would help the supervisor to learn  the importance of being respectful of others.  

Who am I as a Communicator

This week assignment was very interesting and intriguing. My evaluators includes my sister and friend. All of the three assessments produced the same results. However, the communication anxiety inventory scores were slightly different. My communication anxiety score fell into the moderate category, and my sister and friend scores fell into the mild category. This surprise me the most because I am pertified to speak in front of a large crowd. I perfer to speak in a smaller crowd. I have always been shy and quiet, but since I have grown up; I have made remarkable improvements to overcome this problem.

One insight I gained this week is that I am empathetic listener and concerned with emotions for others. The listening styles results also helped me to learn that I am people oriented, too. This can be very helpful while working in the early childhood field because families and children needs us to be good and caring listeners. The final insight I gained is that communication is important to everyone concerned.

Communication and Culture

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from  different groups and cultures?

Yes, sometimes I find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. With my family, communication brings me the most comfort because we have trust, respect, and understanding for each other. With my family, they listen and I can talk about my good and sad times in my life. This type of family environment helps me feel secure, love, and happy. On the other hand, I communicate differently with people that have a different religious belief because I was born and raised as a Baptist Christian. Sometimes, my beliefs as a Baptist Christian is different from others religions. When I meet people who religious beliefs are different, I listen to what they are talking about, but I do not believe what they are telling me about the reason I should change my religious beliefs.

The three strategies I could use to help me to communicate more effectively with the people or groups I have identified includes developing good listening skills, learning and respecting other people cultures, and understanding.

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

The television show I chose to watch is Full House. Viewing the show with no sound, I could tell that the three men and two girls and a baby girl were a family who loved each other very much. I could tell one of the men were the girls father. When the girls entered the room, all three of them ran over and gave the man a kiss and a hug. Also, I could tell that all the men were friends because of their facial expressions they used when watching the football game. When the cousin came to visit, I could tell all of the girls were happy and excited to see him.  The girls ran to hug their cousin, but the oldest girl facial expression helped me to see that she was really happy and glad he came for a visit.

When I watched the show with the volume on did improve my assumptions. The three men were friends and the two girls and baby girl were living as a family who loved each other very much. One of the men were the girls father because they did express emotions for each other. The words and facial expressions, and body language proved they were happy and excited to be living together. In addition, when the cousin came for a visit the oldest daughter were the most happy he came to visit because he was her best friend while growing up.

What I learned from this blog assignment, we can make assumptions from facial expressions, words, and body language. As an effective communicator, we need to be aware of how we use and express our body language.

What is Communication

The one person that is a competent communicator is a politician, the President of the United States Barack Obama. He demonstrates the ability to express his feelings and the rights of others. Lately, the press and media have talked negatively about the way President Obama is handling  the economy. He stills addressing his speeches with dignity, confidence, and honesty, and he speaks with a calm and intelligent voice. These type of behaviors that make him an effective competent communicator.

Therefore, I would like to develop and model some of my own communication behaviors after him because I would like to portrait some of the confidence and dignity that will help me to be sure of myself. In addition, this will help others people to see my confidence which will help me to become an effective competent communicator.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds

One hope that I have when thinking about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I am able to understand the families and children that I meet, and I am able to make them feel comfortable and welcome in the learning environment.

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice:

Coming into this class with limited knowledge about diversity; it has taught me that early childhood professionals need to be trained in diversity, equity, and social justice. Without training, our early childhood professionals will not be prepared or aware of all the different concepts that involve diversity. In addition, this training will teach our early childhood professionals to accept differences in today's society.

A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

I want to take the time out to thank my colleagues for your support. I learned a lot from interacting and reading your discussions and blogs. Your comments and feedback were helpful, and I am looking forward to working again with all of you. The journey continues!

Take Care!


 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My family’s country of origin is Puerto Rico.  The only thing I am familiar with is the name.  Doing this assignment, I learned that the people of Puerto Rico represent a cultural and racial mix. This cultural and racial mix includes Spaniards, Africans, Cubans, French, and Germans. Although English is taught from kindergarten through high school, Spanish is the dominant language. Only 20-percent of Puerto Ricans speak English fluently. Religion in Puerto Rico is predominantly Roman Catholic.  The sports played in Puerto Rico are baseball, basketball, and soccer.

Five ways in which I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family are:

1.      I would use the internet to do research the culture, religion, food, holidays, and the most popular language used.

2.      I find out information on the child which includes educational and family background.

3.      I would use an interpreter to help me establish good communication between the parents.

4.      I would create a learning environment in which all the children different cultures and pictures are presented and this will help the parents feel comfortable and feel welcome at all times.

5.      Hopefully, this will accommodate all the needs of the families and children that I will encounter on a daily basis.

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both the family and me:

I hope these preparations will help establish a healthy relationship between the family and me in which the family will feel comfortable and at home while adjusting to life in another country. In addition, this will bring understanding between all cultures which will bring respect and acceptance throughout the learning environment. This will help me to be more responsive to the needs of individuals and their families as they plan and make choices based on their cultural background.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

As an African American female I have experienced and witnessed many instances of bias, prejudice, and oppression. Living in a small rural town in Georgia does not help. I remember an incident of bias and prejudice in the summer which involved my nephew applying for a library assistant. Being an African American male he filled out the application filled the education part out where he put his college courses he took for business administration. He did not receive a call to come in for an interview. He learned that a white woman with no education or training got the job.

The ways the bias and prejudice diminish equity includes not calling my nephew in for an interview, hiring an uneducated white woman without training for the job, and discriminating against an African American male.

The way this incident would have to change into an opportunity for greater equity would be to call my nephew in for a job interview and provide a knowledge test for both the white woman and my nephew. The applicant that passed the knowledge test and interview should be hired for the library assistant job. This would show that the color of someone skin or gender did not have anything to do with which applicant got the job.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions exists throughout our society. We can see and hear microagressions in everyday living, such as, at work, movies, and television. One particular movie which I can remember micro aggression is the movie Pretty Woman. In this movie Julia Roberts who was dressed like a prostitute went shopping alone in a very expense clothing store which serve rich clients only. The white store clerk looked at assumed she was in the wrong store and could not afford to buy clothes from this particular store. The white store clerk made a smart remark, and escorted her out the store. This is an example of racial, verbal and environmental microagression within the same race. Watching this movie made me upset with the store clerk because she judged and condemned Julia Roberts by the her appearance and her behavior.

I am an African American female that receives awkward looks of mistrust and fear when I shop at jewelry stores. Soon, as I enter the store the white sale clerk ask me"can I help you?" I said, "No I am just looking, but I can tell the white sale clerk is watching me and following me throughout the jewelry aisles. This is an example of racial micro aggression. The white sales clerk assumed because I was an African American that I wanted to steal from the jewelry store. This made me upset and I left the jewelry store to find a jewelry store that would give me respect and time to shop.

This week I noticed that micro aggressions are still much alive in today's society. While shopping in stores, I receive awkward looks and a white store clerk following me around the store like I was a criminal. Racial microagression was the most popular type I experienced. This made me feel sad that discrimination is still alive, but in different forms. I have a lot to think about.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Finding out other people definitions of culture and diversity were very interesting.

Person one: a white kindergarten teacher: culture is respect for family beliefs, values, and religion.

Diversity: different types of culture and different traditions.

Person two: my nephew, a young twenty-four male: culture make me thinks about roots, background, and family ethnics.

Diversity: I think about different races, such as, Black, Mexicans, and Hispanics.

Person three: my youngest sister, a thirty-seven year old female: culture is  family, history, and celebrating holidays.

Diversity: is the differences between people and families.

With their regards to culture and diversity, I agree with most of their definitions because all of them gave me what they thought culture and diversity meant to them. I must respect and accept their opinion.  Most of the definitions for culture and diversity were similar and consisted are surface and deep culture. What I learned from the kindergarten teacher, my nephew and youngest sister is; each one discussed the importance of  respecting family values, beliefs, religion, traditions, and different races.

Some of the aspects that were omitted are: role of children, languages, showing emotions, community connection, recreation, extended family relationships, and recreation (Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

As I listened to my three people speak about their understanding of culture and diversity, I realized how limited my knowledge is concerning culture and diversity before starting this class. In order to get along with each other, it is important to accept and respect all people culture and their diversity.

Reference

Sparks-Derman, L. & Edwards, J. O. (2010), Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.

My Family Culture

The three items I would take with me are:

The last family picture taken together while my mom was alive. This family picture is very special to me because its represents a special time of love and happiness in my family. I would hang this special picture on the wall of my new home.

My family albums which holds a lot of pictures of my family throughout the years. I would make sure to pack this because it hold a lot of memories of  past birthdays, birth of my nieces, and nephew, friends and cousins, too.

My Bible because without reading the word and giving God praises; especially, during such a crisis in the world. My faith in God will guide my family and me through this terrible ordeal.

Taking time to think which one of these to keep would be impossible. All of these items are special and dear to me, and I would be lost and disappointed if I had to choose just one!

My insights I gained about myself is that my family is special, and I love them very much. I want to keep my family values, beliefs, and heritage alive to pass on to the future generations. Without my belief in God, my life would be in vain. This is a part of my culture and my family culture which has been passed from generation to generation through out my family.

Final Blog

As this course Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field comes to an end, I must say that all the articles, videos, audio segments, discussion questions, applications and comments from Dr. Klein and colleagues helped me to gain a lot of knowledge that I can continue to use throughout my professional career.

The three professional and personal learning consequences I learned that about all the current Issues and Trends in the early childhood field, the issue about poverty really hit home because my community consists of families who rely mostly on public assistance for daily survival, and the issue about facing cultural diversity and demographics within the classroom. This issue hit home, too. As an educator professional, it is my job to be prepared to help these children with diverse populations to live in this changing world (Boutte, 2008). By enrolling in a teacher preparation education program will help me tremendously to understand working with diverse children and families.

The three consequences I learned about the international early childhood field includes: I have a better understanding how other websites  in the world view early childhood education. The website Pre[K]now: www.preknow.org/,
 provided me with the most helpful information because it provided me with a variety of information for me as a growing and developing educator working with young children in pre-kindergarten. The final consequence of learning were about the strong sense of equity and justice means for the children and families worldwide who need early childhood care and education.

One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations would be continue to try and establish a international contact with a person from around the world. This would benefit me as I continue my journey in the early childhood field. By establishing contact with an international early childhood professional, it would help me to continue to grow and develop as an early childhood professional.

Reference

Boutte, G.S. (2008), Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173, Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Finally, I want thank all my colleagues and Dr. Klein for making this class interesting and exciting. I must say that I have learned a lot of helpful information that I will continue to use in the early childhood field. I am looking forward to work together with you in upcoming classes. As we continue our journey of learning together in the early childhood studies.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Although I have sent out a lot of e-mails in regards to establishing international contact with educators, I have been unsuccessful in receiving any responses. Unfortunately, I have to complete the alternate assignment.

The three areas on the web page that related to my goals and understanding are:

Views on Quality- this section discussed how early childhood care and education program should emphasise the child's holistic development. High quality childcare for disadvantaged children promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness. Although there are no universal standards for quality but offer some suggestions on ways to assure quality. This includes learning materials that are quantitative, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centered interaction. Also, active involvement from parents and communities and relevant play and learning materials ensure that early childhood services remain relevant to the needs of the children and all other stakeholders and increase sustainability (UNESCO, 2011).

Information they have on access for early childhood: In 1990, Jomtien Declaration of Education for All stated that learning begins at birth. Many countries are committed to expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially, for disadvantaged children. Even though there is  access to care for the children in poor families, their is still a concern about sustainability and quality (UNESCO, 2011).

Gender Equality in Education- There is a powerful human rights argument and a strong case for achieving gender equality in education. When girls are educated, livelihoods are improved, education is valued, and civic responsibility is enhanced. Although the global expansion of primary education has brought greater gender parity, too many girls and women still remain excluded from learning. UNESCO is working to ensure quality inclusion education, concerning access, the learning environment and successful outcomes. The Organization, also, leads efforts to increase female literacy: a human right and a key to improving livelihoods, child and maternal health, as well as girls ' access to education, both in and out of schools (UNESCO, 2011).

All the information I gained from this website were very helpful because I believe that all children, regardless, of gender, economic background, and race should be allowed to receive an education.

Sharing Web Resources (Part 2)

The website: Pre[K]now: http://www.preknow.org/

Under this website I clicked on the Educators link. The educator link provides information to help educators learn more about what a high-quality pre-k classroom looks like and about how to get involved in their state's pre-k movement whether through planning or implementation, regardless of the type of program they teach in. In addition, they offer profiles of great teachers from across the country who makes a difference in  the lives of children every day. The links are as follows:

Pre-K Teachers Resource Center- get the facts about pre-k and teaching that every early childhood educator should know.

Virtual Classroom Tour- see what a high-quality pre-k program really looks like.
Community-Based Pre-K Providers- learn about the issues affecting community-based pre-k providers and how they can become involved in the pre-k movement

Teachers Profiles- read the inspirational stories of pre-k teachers from across the nation who have made high-quality pre-k their top priority (http://www.preknow.org/educators/index.cfm?&print=1&print=1

The newsletter: http://www.preknow.org/: I found an article: Even Start Family Literacy program focuses on adult, early childhood education by Kathy Walsh Nufer, August 4, 2011. This article talks about Even Start ,which is based in McKinley Elementary School, puts a  premium on adult and early childhood education so low-income and "second language" parents learning to master English can improve their lives, and their young children are prepared for school. This program helped a thirty-four year old mexican woman learn to master English and earn her high school equivalency diploma. Also, it gave her youngest daughter, Abigail 23 months, a jump-start on acquiring language skills she will need later in the classroom. Without this program, Bedolla (mexican woman name) would not have been able to accomplish this because thirteen years ago; she depended on friends and tv to help learn English after she moved from Mexico. http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110804/AOC0101/108040470/Even-Start-program-focuses-adult-early-ch...

This article shows how Even Start provides a Family Literacy Program that helps a immigrant mother from Mexico participate in this program for three years to learn English and receive her high school equivalency diploma. In addition, she gave her youngest daughter, Abigail, twenty-three months a jump start on acquiring language skills she will need later in the classroom. This program provide the accessibility that immigrant families needs to overcome the educational barriers that they encounter when they enter in the United States.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 2

I have yet to receive contact from my international contacts, therefore, I am going to complete the alternate assignment. Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative website: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

The Global Children 's Initiative focuses on three strategic objectives:

The first one is to build a multidisciplinary science of health, learning, and behavior which would explain the early roots of lifelong impairments in the environments in which children live.

The second one would be to support research and demonstrate projects in selected countries or regions which will expand global understanding of how health development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track.

The third one it to build leadership capacity in child development research and policy between individuals and institutions of low and middle income countries in order to increase the number of influences for diverse perspectives that are contributing to the global movement on behalf of young children.

The Global Children's Initiative also, consists are three domains: early childhood development, mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. The insights that I have gained about early childhood systems around the globe is that the Global Children's Initiative are working together with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights in an effort to foster a science-based developmental perspective which includes the assessment and management for children well being in a range of natural and man made crises which focuses on immediate circumstances and long term adaptation. The two issues for this domain are: exploring comparable approaches for surveying child status in post earthquake, Haiti, and Chile, and using strategies of science of  child development for addressing  acute malnutrition.

This website have opened my eyes that all children of the world deserve a healthy start and live in a prosperous environment.

Sharing Web Resources

The website is: http://www.preknow.org/  Newsletter: http://www.preknow.org/

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

All of the information from the pre[k]now website were relevant for my current professional development. The reason I say this is true because the website offer me a variety of information that will be helpful for me as a developing and growing educator working with young children in pre-kindergarten. In addition, the website keeps me updated on the current issues in the early childhood education. For example, the section on Educators provide for teachers information about pre-k-standards, virtual pre-k classroom tour, and articles about exceptional  teachers who are making a difference in their student lives.

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

With the recent cut backs in pre-k, this article: NC Pre-K Programs Still Up In The Air by Melvin, (2011) have only thirty-four days and counting until the new school year, and thousands of parents in Greensboro, NC, do not know if their kids can go to school. With the budget cuts most Pre-K families would have to pay part of the cost to send their children to school. These budget cuts means fees will be set on a sliding scale fee based on family income and limits the number of students who can enroll. The state legislature is going back in session and the education committee will sit down with the lawmakers and work on the budget to try to fix the Pre-K Program before hundreds of kids are supposed to start school (Melvin, 2011). This article helped me think about pre-k cuts back in a new way. In the school where I work with pre-k, the funds were cut, but the Board of Education decided to pay the extra funds for pre-k programs to run the entire year. I am grateful because the pre-k program in my community could be going through the same uncertainty as the families in Greensboro, NC. In addition, the article showed me how important the pre-k programs are for children to start learning and developing at an early age.

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

According to the article, Education funding  a vital investments by Zucker, (2011), talks about how the country and state are neglecting to provide funding that provide education for children and train future workers are in trouble. With cuts to local, state and national education budgets are putting limits for highly educated and motivated individuals who will be future parents and leaders. In addition, we must educate and train children to compete globally in a complex world. Our future as a nation is being determined by the quality of education and training we provide today. Especially, in the areas which we have been weak: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Economists, neuroscientists and politicians must continue to work together to invest in education funding because supporting education should not be a hard decision (Zucker, 2011). Families, children, educators, and health providers are supporting and depending on them to help save our educational programs throughout the country.

What other news insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did I gain from exploring the website or newsletter?

The pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/ : under the Fact Sheets, I learned about the benefits of high quality Pre-k provides for children, their families, and their communities. Pre-k benefits are: successful students, responsible adults, stronger communities, and pre-k improves efficiency and productivity in the classroom. In addition, the pre[k]now website: http://www.preknow.org/: offers a fact sheet for Pre-K and Latinos. Our country future commitment to provide high-quality early childhood education programs for all children. Especially, the Latino population which includes: demographics, school readiness gap, enrollment, English Language Learners (ELLs), and assessment. This section on the pre[k]now website provided me a lot of  information about working with Latino children is a trend in the early childhood field that I needed to learn about.

Reference

Melvin, L. (2011), NC Pre-K Program Still Up In The Air, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/183759/57/Pre-K-Program-Still-Not-A-Go

Zucker, A. (20111), Education funding a vital investment, Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jul22/education-fundinga-vital-investment/

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 1

So far, I have not been able to establish contact with a early childhood professional from around the world. I sent e-mails to professionals from the NAYEC website, and I sent e-mails to my past professors from college. None of my old professors knew any early childhood professionals outside of the United States. I am going to do the alternative assignment.

From CNN.Com, the podcast I listen to was: Feeding kids when parents, school can't. This podcast talks about during the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States, but during the summer, parents struggles to feed their children. One community in suburban Atlanta is delivering food and hope in brown bags. This organization called Must Ministries headed by Paula Rigsby provides food, clothing and assistance to families in need. During the summer, volunteers pack hundreds of bag lunches for nearly, 46,000 kids in the county who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year. Parents appreciate the help because today's economy has caused more families hardships, not only in suburban Atlanta, but nationwide. The number of kids who qualify for free or reduced price meals is growing nealy 6% in the past three years. This Must Ministries Organization headed by Paula Rigsby and volunteers  taught me that by working together in your community can make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty.

The Childhood Poverty Research and and Policy Centre (http://www.childhood.poverty.org/): The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre is a collaborative research and policy programme which involves Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre(CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. In addition, this website is a resource for policy makers, practitioners and activists concerned about childhood poverty. The international community has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Developments Goals by 2015; which includes halving property rates, cutting two-thirds the death of children under five and ensuring that all children in the world complete at least primary education.

The three insights or ideas I learned from this website: http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

I had no idea that over 600 million children live in poverty world-wide. Although I live in a small rural community, I never had to deal with poverty in our community. This does not mean that these families do not exist. Most of the people living in our community must travel out of town to work. Almost all of these families are receiving food stamps and living in assistance housing. Another insight I learned that, over 10 million children under the age of five still die every year from preventable diseases living in developing countries. Children are the most powerless groups who bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty. I am thankful and grateful that this website is fighting to change this national tragedy because all children should receive the medical care needed to live a healthy life. I had not idea that "today's poor children are tomorrow's poor parents". This statement helped me to open my eyes and realize that poverty is real and I must work harder and help children and families to overcome this crisis. This website is a great resource to use to use to overcome this crisis.

Feeding kids when parents, school can't, CNN.Com Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://cnn.site.printhis.clickablilty.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Feeding+kids+when+parents%2C+schools+can%

CHIP: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre, Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Sharing Web Resources

The name of the organization I selected: Pre[K]Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States
                                                            http://www.preknow.org/
Pre-K Now is a public education and advocacy campaign that offers free high-quality pre k-kindergarten for all three and four years olds. In addition, Pre-K Now raises awareness about the need for pre-k for all children.

Identify one current issue/trend from the Pre-K News Clips (info@preknow.org) that caught my attention was about: Hispanic achievement gap is narrowing in Oregon. According to the National Center for Education Statistics released a report that look at the performance of both white and Hispanic fourth-graders and eighth-graders in all fifty states. Although the change were small, however, Hispanics and white students are showing higher level of skills in both states. In Eastern Oregon, where fifty-percent of the student population is Hispanic. The fourth grade reading achievement is higher than the twenty-five point nationwide average. Teachers at the Oregon schools are encouraged to get their English Language Learners endorsement or at least attend short institutes on language development. Also, the school recruits as many Spanish speaking teachers as possible. In addition, with the help of special programs such as Generation College at the high school, many Hispanic students are becoming the first in their families to earn a college degree (Mills,2011). This article helped me to see that Hispanics attending school in Oregon are capable of learning and achieving as long they are given the right tools, such as English language teachers and special programs (Generation College).

In addition the Pre-K Newclips (info@preknow.org) talked about an article: Opportunity: Saving future of education. The U.S. Department of Education released data that included surveys that a total of three-thousand of the seven-thousands school district offered no Algebra II classes. Over two-million students in some seven-thousand-three-hundred schools had no access to calculus classes. Also, they found that schools serving mostly black students are twice as likely to have teachers with only one or two years of experience, compared to schools within the same district that serve mostly white students. According to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution said, "those numbers mean that the country's future labor force will depend on how well this country is able to educate a new population of children." On the other hand, children who are being born now without proper education, they will be a burden, not a blessing, in the future. This is definitely food for thought!

Blog Assignment 1: Getting Ready -Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

June 29, 2011- e-mails rejected from the NAEYC website:
sklaus@issa.nl- Netherlands,International Step by Step Association
siobhanf@nippa.org - Ireland, Nippa The Early Childhood Organization
ydionne@cccf-fcsge.ca -Canadian Childcare Federation
jsm@wace.org -Europe, World Association of Early Childhood
July 1, 2011- e-mail rejected from the NAEYC website:
2kdotcom@ghana.com- Ghana

These are the only two websites on the NAEYC website that I have not received a rejection from. Hopefully, these will be the two websites that I will be able to use for professional contacts from around the world:
arebimbo@yahoo.com, Niger Delta Academic Foundation
child_ceccdd@yahoo.com- Philippines, Center for Early Childhood Care & Development

Also, I contacted some old college classmates and I asked them did they have any contacts with any outside early childhood professionals? Although I have not received any replies from them, I am praying they will contact me soon. I am ready to compare and contrast issues and trends that we are currently facing in the early childhood field.

Since I have had no responses from any outside early childhood professionals. I have decided to use the World Forum podcasts just in case all of my contacts do not work out.

Part 2: Expanding Resources

The website I chose for my expand resources: http://www.preknow.org/

This website has come to mean a lot to me because I have been working in pre-k for the last four-and-half years. This website will keep me updated with the current issues that is happening in pre-k, and information that will be helpful in my profession working with parents and children. Also, I subscribed  to their newsletters. On July 1, 2011, I received my first pre-k news clips.

When I Think of Research...

What insights have I gained about research from taking this course?

I have gained a lot about research from taking this course which includes: steps to follow that will generate research that is informative, ethical, and meaningful includes, selecting a topic, search and review the literate, formulate a specific research issue/question, design the research, collect data/information, process/analyze data, draw conclusions, write research reports.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

This class has helped me to learn how to read research correctly. In order to make the research reliable, it is important to include triangulation which help the researchers to look at the data from different type of research. The four types of triangulation are: data, methodological, investigator, and theory.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting  research in early childhood did you learn?

I learned that planning, designing and conducting data must be done ethically because this will add to the quality of the research. The design involves the process of refining the topic, and how the research will be done, consider issues relate to time (when, where, and who), and choose the participants, too.

What were some of the challenges I encountered and what ways did I meet them?

This is my first time doing research, this topic was very challenging for me. I relied on the information in the textbook a lot. The information, I read from the resources, the discussion boards, and feedback from my instructor helped me to overcome these challenges. Although I learned a lot from this class about research, there are a lot of concepts I need to continue to work on.

What are some of the ways your perception of an early childhood professional have been modified as result of this course?

As an early childhood professional, I have learned from this course that it is my responsibility to protect, educate, and help children and their families to overcome obstacles that will interfere with their human rights.

Research Around the World

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

What are some of the current international research topics:

Code of Ethics

Learning and Teaching Through Play

Respecting Diversity

Research in Practice Series: The Early Years

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

The first thing that I found was a subscription to a magazine "Every Child" which is great for students, childcare workers, parents, grandparents, or anyone who wants to keep up to date on events and developments around Australia that impact on children from birth to eight years or on the early childhood field in general. Another interesting link on this website is called the "Everyday Learning Series " which was created for simple,creative ideas to enhance children's interactions with the world around. Everyday Learning Series were aimed at parents, grandparents and carers of young children.

What other other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

The Resources themes link provided me with an interesting article on Child health and childhood obesity which have been the focus of a lot of attention in the early childhood care. These are just two of the many issues which impact on the health and well being of young children. The resource link found on the Early Childhood Australia has a number of quality-assured resources which cover important areas of growth and development for young children. Also, there a of a lot of online resources that deal with the issues of childhood obesity and  child health.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

According to New Yorker's Family Research Foundation (NYFRF), and the Washington-based Family Research Council released that Adoption Work Well which is a literature demonstrating that adoption is life-altering beneficial for children.

Ninety-percent of adopting Americans have a positive view of adoption and less than fifteen percent have no regrets. According to Dr. Fagan, "Adoption is a remarkable act by generous people, who offer their money, attention, affection, and time to give young children a better chance in life."

Adoption helps creates positive family relationships between children who are adopted within the first year of life because the children have secure attachments as often as non-adoptees. The adopted mother's sensitivity contributes to a rich, positive home life. Adoption help the birth mothers who put their children up for adoption have better chances to finish school, less likely to live in poverty, or receive public assistance.

Adoption helps improve antisocial behavior because of the relationship created by the adoptive parents. Early adoption makes language acquisitions easier, adoptees do not linger behind the general population in academic performance because they outperform their non-adopted birth peers. In addition, adoptive families influence their children's cognitive capabilities.

After reading this research literature, it help to see that  adoption is important because children deserve to be raised by loving and caring people who want to help children to become productive adults.

My Research Journey

My chosen topic for my simulation is How to help children develop their creativity and imagination through play? Using play in the early childhood classroom would be a fun an exciting way to help young children to develop their imagination while playing. For my experience working in the pre-k classroom most of these children do not know how to use their imagination to learn and have fun. I am hoping following the guide lines in this class for the next eight weeks will help me to be able to help teach these young children what they need to develop their imagination and creative through play. The knowledge that I have gained from this class so far is that research articles have different parts and certain parts do not need to be read, and the five criteria for evaluating web pages are: accuracy, authority, currency, objectivity, and coverage. I would appreciate any advice or resources that would guide me to find help resources for the topic that I have chosen. As this class continue, I am hoping that all of us will have gained a lot of interesting and helpful information in the research process.

"My Supports"

My faith in God is my first support. Without God and his blessings each day, I would not be able to overcome many trials and tribulations throughout my life. I give God all the praise and the glory.

My family is my second support. My family is my rock and supports me throughout my life. My family has supported my decision to attend college. When my class schedule and work schedule get rough, my family is there to motivate me to hang in there! My family keeps me grounded and focus because I am the first person in the family to receive a degree  from college.

My colleague, Mrs. Lee is my third support. Mrs. Lee offer me support everyday at work. Mrs. Lee is always there give me a helping hand  or show me how to fix a bulletin board or draw a picture to use as a theme for a lesson plan for the week. I lack decorating and drawing skills. I appreciate all the help Mrs. Lee offers me throughout the school year.

The classroom children is my fourth support. The children in the classroom offer support on a daily basis because they are curious and ready to learn on a daily basis. It is important to help the young children to explore and discover the world around them. The children are at an age where learning is fun and exciting, and I get to be apart of their daily learning and development. It gives me great pleasure to know that I helping young children to build the foundation they will need to move to the next level of their education. On the first day of school, the children see me as a stranger, but at the end the children see me as apart of their family who loves and care for them. This is the reason that I want to continue to work in the field of early childhood education to help these children to become productive adults.

My friend, Deborah is my fifth. Although Deborah lives out of town, we have been friends since six grade. I call Deborah when I need someone to listen. We can talk for hours about anything and everything. I am grateful and happy to have such a wonderful friend. Thanks for being a true friend.

If I did not have any of my supports, my daily routine would be out of control and lonely. My faith keeps me grounded and humble. My family and friend are always there for me and life without them would be lonely and unbearable. At work, without the the support of  my colleague Mrs. Lee, my daily routine would be awkward, and I would feel useless. In other words, all supports are important because its helps to have more than one person to talk to concerning life lessons.



 

"My Connections to Play"

Quotes that summarize play for me in childhood

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity."

Kay Redfield Jamison

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning."
Fred Rogers

"Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play".

Donna R. Barnes





During my childhood, I grew up playing hand ball with my older sister and  brother. We would play this game until the sun went down. Also, I enjoy jumping rope and playing jackstones with my cousins, too. Playing outside with my family and cousins was fun because it taught me to share, take turns, and it taught me how to get along with other children. In addition, playing outside with my family helped me to develop a special family bond that is very much alive today.

In today's society, play is very different because children do not spend time outside playing. Most children depend on video games, computers, and IPods  to entertain them for a long periods of time. This leaves no time to go outside and use their imagination to create play. On the other hand, I spent most of my time outside playing hand ball, jackstones, hopscotch and jump rope. My parents could not afford to buy me a computer or video games. I am grateful and thankful that my parents took time to let me go outside and play. As an educator, it is my job to teach parents how important it is for children to go outside and play. This will help children to be creative, physically fit, and it helps children to grow and develop as a person. Play is a vital part of growing up.

In my adulthood, play has helped me to function effectively in the world. Socially, I am cooperate and get along with my peers, and I follow rules and respect most people I meet. Without having the opportunity or time to play during my childhood, I would not know how to socialize with my peers.





  

Reflection Relationship

"The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships."
 Anthony Robbins

People and positive relationships are: Grandparents, sister, and  friend (Deborah).

My grandparents played a special part in my life because they taught me alot about life lessons. My grandfather taught me a lot of about how to support yourself and how to treat people like I wanted to be treated. My grandmother taught me how to cook and it is better to give than receive. In other words, she was telling me it is okay to help people  who are less fortune than others. These are the type of morals that I use and remember when I am working with parents and children in the classroom.

My sister  is special to me because she is the person that I can depend at all times. We are have each other back. Our relationship is trustworthy, understanding, supportive, and solid as a rock. Also, my sister is the one person that I can communicate with anytime of the day or night.

My friend (Deborah), is special to me because we have been friends since six grade. We can talk about anything and everything. Although, Deborah lives in New Jersey and I live in Georgia, we still find time to communicate and talk about events that are going on in our lives. Deborah and I have a connection that have been tested over time. I am happy to have her in my life because friendships are hard to find and even harder to keep. I will always respect and love Deborah until the end of time.

My challenges developing, regarding, and maintaining relationships are: Not all relationships between people are going to be positive. Therefore, it is important to keep an open mind and not to judge people before establishing a relationship first. Also, it is important to accept and respect different backgrounds and cultures from people you encounter. Personally, I do not assume anything about anyone until I greet them and get to know them better.

My special characteristics of these relationships that make partnerships are: trust and respect. Without these to special characteristics the relationship will not develop and grow. Building trust among each other will make everyone feel comfortable and enjoy being around each other. Establishing respect among each other is a positive and healthy way to get along and be honest with each other.

My experiences working as an early childhood professional has helped me to create a partnership among parents and children that is positive, complex, and challenging. By working together with families and children will help me to establish a healthy learning environment.

Child Development Quotes

"
Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children."
Rosaleen Dickson

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the the future"
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (American 35th US President (1961-63)

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance."
Franklin P. Jones

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings."
Hodding Carter, Jr.

Professional thanks and support

I would  like to thank all my colleagues for their support throughout this course. By reading and participating in the discussions and blogs assignments, it has helped me to enhance my motivation to continue my journey of learning in the early childhood field. I am looking forward to work together in future classes. Good luck and take care as we continue our journey of learning in the early childhood field.

Thanks, Again!

Testing for Intelligence Georgia and Canada

In the state of Georgia, the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) is used to measure student achievement in reading, English language arts and math in grades 1st through 8th. Also, the CRCT is used in science and social studies for students in grades 3rd through 8th. In the 8th grade the writing assessment, also called the Middle Grades Writing Assessment (MGWA). Students enrolled in the following subjects: algebra 1, geometry, U.S. history, economics, biology, physical science, 9th grade literature and American literature are given the End-of-Course Tests (EOCTs). Students in the 11th grade take the Georgia High School Writing test (GHSWT) in the fall and the Georgia High School Graduation test (GHSGT) in the spring in English Language Arts, math, science and social studies. High School Students must pass all the sections of the GHSGT and GHSWT in order to receive a diploma to graduate. These students are given four opportunities to retake the test before the end of the 12th grade. The CRCT, MGWA, EOCT, GHSWT and the GHSGT are standards-based tests, which measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined by the state of Georgia. These test scores are important for schools in Georgia because the state uses them to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Personally, I agreed with using these tests to identify students strengths and weaknesses. These students do not need to feel pressured or stressed to pass these tests. The teachers should be allowed to give students more time to learn and understand the material presented to them. Some students need more time to learn the different ideas and concepts presented to them. In other words, it takes time and less pressure for our teachers and students to create a positive learning environment.

In Canada the CAT/3 test is designed to measure student progress in basic skills taught in schools across Canada. These specific skills include, reading, spelling, language, mathematics, and writing. The CAT/3 tests are norm-referenced which means it provide a general picture of a student's abilities by comparing his/her scores to the scores of the national group. The focus is on a certain target group which is selected and the student scores are reported. In the fall, all of the fourth and eighth graders complete the appropriate CAT/3 tests for their grade level. The results are useful both at the classroom and the division levels. At the classroom level, the results provide teachers with information for instructional planning. At the school division leave, the results, are used to monitor student achievement and to help focus resources toward particular skill areas.

Personally, the CAT/3 tests in Canada does not put pressure on the students and teachers to learn in a hurry. The CAT/3 focus on one particular group are students to represent the population. The results of the test are used by the teachers to help with instructional planning. Using the CAT/3 test would be very helpful to use for learning and improving student achievement and provide resources for particular areas.

References:

http://www.greatschools.org/students/local-facts-resources/testing-in-Ga.gs?content=434&print=true&frompa...

http://www.spsd.ca/division/ourresults/catversion3.html

A Child's Stressor

Child neglect is the only child stressor that I am familiar with. The situation occurred at work that consisted of a single mother who had four years old twin girls. Most of the time the girls would come to school without clean clothes, uncombed hair, hungry, dirty shoes. The girls would never bring back homework or papers that needed a parent signature. When the teacher asked the girls, where are your homework folders? The girls would say " we lost it". The girls never brought money to school to buy snacks, take pictures, or pay for a school t-shirt. One day, I caught one of the girls stealing out of the classroom, and the other girl was caught eating a snack out of the garbage can. This just broke my heart. I told the teacher what happen. She went to the school counselor. The counselor called Department of Family and Children Services. The Department of Family and Children Services told the school counselor to schedule an appointment to talk to the mother. The mother came to the school and the counselor told her about the situation concerning her twin daughters. The mother told the counselor, "she was a single, unemployed mother with three other children, living on welfare assistance". This is the best she can do. The school counselor told her" she understood her situation, but it is important to provide quality care for all your children." The counselor let the mother know that; the Department of Family and Children Services,  could come and take all her children. The mother agreed to let the counselor and the Department of Family Services help her to provide quality care for all her children. After that day, the girls came to school well dressed, brought back homework, stop stealing, and the mother signed papers and attended parent conferences  and other school events. All this mother needed was support and understanding from the teachers, school counselor, and the Department of Family and Children Service.

Child Poverty in Canada

Child poverty in Canada has gone from bad to worse. According to UNICEF's report on child poverty in Canada ranks near the bottom for children's well-being. This is unacceptable because Canada prides itself on being the best place in the world to live. Eight-one percent of single mothers with children under the age of seven live in poverty. When children grow up in poverty, they have more illnesses, perform poorly in school, have more mental problems, and earn less money when they become adults. The United Convention on the Rights of the Child obligates Canada to provide sufficient standard of living to all children. Unfortunately, this is not enough because thousands of Canadians children rely on food banks to have enough to eat. In order to provide help to overtake child poverty is to learn more about child poverty during research, write to the president and government to help end child poverty, and speak up for all children (Kielburger, 2010).

Reference

Kielburger, C. (2010), Free the Children -Child Poverty, Retrieved January 14, 2111, from

http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/geteducated/childpoverty.htm

Childhood Development and Public Health

Child Development and Public Health

Childhood Immunizations are important to me because; as a professional working in the field of education. It is vital that all children receive their vaccinations at an early age. It will help protect children against serious diseases that can cause disabilities and death. It is a family tradition in my house for all babies born to get vaccinated as soon as possible. In today’s society, all my nieces and nephews received their immunizations shots early, too. It is wise and important that children in your family get immunize as soon as possible. According to (Swierzewski, (2008), parents and caregivers should keep an accurate record of their child’s immunizations. This will help them to know when the next shot is due. In addition, it will help school age children from spreading life threatening diseases throughout the school and community.

In today's society it is important for young children to get vaccinated at an early age. Without immunizations, these young children chances of dying will increase tremendously. Measles used to be the most deathly disease in America, but measles have been eliminated. Parents are making sure their children receive their vaccinations (Delaney, 2003). Also, the cost for getting children immunize has declined, and with the help of different organizations working together to make this a world wide effort. Older children who are not immunized increases their risk for exposure to diseases.

Working as a professional in the field of education, I will continue to help make sure parents are educated about early immunization for their young children. Every child needs to gets the vaccines needed to grow up to be healthy, safe and ready to be successful.

Reference

Delaney, J. (2003), Global Action for Children, Vaccines, Retrieved January 11, 2111, from http://www.globalactionforchildren.org/index.php/advocacy/vaccines

Swierzewski, S. J. (2008), Overview of Childhood Immunizations, Retrieved January 11, 2111, from http://www.pediatrichealthchannel.com/childhood-immunizations/overview-of-child-vaccines.shtml

Childbirth- In My life and Around the World

Write about a personal birthing experience. It can be your own birth, your child's birth, or one you took part in.

Although I have never gave birth to a child, I did go to the hospital with sister to have her first child. It was 6:00 in the morning on December  15, 1997, when my sister and me went to the hospital. My sister had to be put into labor because the baby was a week overdue. It seem like time had stop because it took forever for the medicine to work. Finally, my sister started having contraceptives. When she dilated enough my sister began to push again, and again until she had a regular vaginal delivery. At 3:12 p.m., I welcomed my niece into this world. She was beautiful to me because she had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. Also, I took part in naming her. I chose this example, this is the most special event that I took part in because that day I bonded with my niece and I became a mother, too. Giving birth is the most precious moment a mother can have. It means that God had blessed you with the responsibility to love and care for this child for life. Also, as a parent it is important to help this child to grow and develop to become a productive adult.

In India, I learned that most mothers have their baby delivered at home. This leave to complications that increases mothers death rate tremendously. In addition, pregnant mothers lack the right kind of prenatal care during pregnancy and proper medical care after the baby is born. This does not occur during with my sister because she had her baby in a healthy professional setting with educated and trained doctors and nurses. This comparison helped me to see how blessed and thankful we are as a nation to be able to receive the proper health care needed to deliver a health baby. Also, this helped me to see how much India needs our help to make sure future mothers are receiving the proper medical care needed to eliminate deaths in their country.