The three organizations that I chose for this blog assignment are: Zero to three: National Center for Infants, The National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Voices for America's Children.
Zero toThree: National Center for Infants appealed to me because it is an organization that provides helpful infomation about infants and toddlers. Zero to Three is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. At this time, this national organization did not have any job opportunities available, but this organization offers vacation, sick and holdiay pay, transportation subsidy, professional develoment opportunities and offer a family friendly workplace. http://www.zerotothree.org/
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), appealed to me because it is not only the nation's largest organization working on the behalf of young children from birth to age age eight, but it is the world's largest organization with over eighty-thousand members. On this website, the job that kinda caught my interest was an Associate Editor, Periodicals and Related Resources. The lucky candidate will identify authors, write articles, conduct interviews and collaborate with the editorial team to generate story ideas and formats for an issue of the Association's magazine for preschool educators. The minimum requirement for this job is BA degree and five years of editorial experience and excellent writing skills. Although, I lack work experience for this job, but now I know what a Associate Editor job duties are. http://naeyc.org/
Voices for America's Children appealed to me because it is the nation's largest network for multi-issue child advocacy organizations. This organization is a nonprofit, nonpartisan network which lead advocacy efforts at the community, state and federal levels to improve the lives of all children, especially those vulnerable, and their families. Most of the job opportunities that were available were familiar to me. Such as, a teacher, associate teacher, and cooks. Job requirements for the teaching job were a high school diploma, but a Bachelor's degree was preferred. Also, the lucky candidate must meet state requirements for education. This organization is another resource that is helpful to all children because it speak up for children and put children on government's agenda. http://www.voices.org/
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels
This week we had to explore local and state early childhood organizations, agencies, and communities of practice to help us imagine a variety of jobs that help the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field.
The three state and local organizations that appealed the most to me are:
1. Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (GA) http://decal.ga.gov/
2. Georgia Association on Young Children http://www.gaycoline.org/
3. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): http://www.naeyc.org/
I chose these three organizations because each one of these organizations provides a lot of information and resources for early childhood education. The Bright from Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning(GA) oversees a wide range of programs focused primarily on children ages birth to school age and their families. These programs includes: Georgia's Pre-K and Housing the Head Start State Collaboration Office. In my community, these two programs are important to our families. The children in our community are recieving a quailty education at an early age. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children. This is important to know because this website is available to help educators with information about children from birth to age eight.
Some of the jobs available for Childhood Care and Education in Georgia with a Bachelor's Degree are:
Career Counselors, Child Advocacy Lobbyist, Pre-K Program Administrator, Special Education Trainer, and DFACS Case Manager. A Master's Degree are: College/University Instructor, Early Intervention Coordinator, Organization Director Researcher, and Technical College Instructor.
At the moment with my Bachelor's degree in Georgia, I can work as an Pre-K Program Administrator, Career Counselor, Child Advocacy Lobbyist, and DFACS Case Manager. After I recieive my Master's Degree, I can work as an College/University Instructor, Early Intervention Coordinator,Organization Director Researcher, and Technical College Instructor.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Reflecting on Learning
My most passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional and for the children and families I work with is to keep an open mind and be as understanding. I hope parents will feel comfortable and trust me with their children. I am willing to go the extra miles needed to make sure all children are given the best education possible. After all, children are our future!
I want to thank all of my colleagues which I work with for the last eight weeks. All of the readings through the discussion boards and blogs taught me a lot as our journey continues. For most of us, our journey will end after the next class!
Take Care
I want to thank all of my colleagues which I work with for the last eight weeks. All of the readings through the discussion boards and blogs taught me a lot as our journey continues. For most of us, our journey will end after the next class!
Take Care
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Impacts on Early Emotional Development
The area of the world I chose is Bangladesh. The reasons why: the name of this region and I was curious to learn about the children and families living in this region.
The challenges children are facing are:
Protection:Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child-marriage in the world. Thirteen-percent of children are involved in child-labour. Child labourers are frequently denied an education and are vulnerable to violence and abuse. Bandgladesh has one of the lowest rates of birth registration in the world. This makes it difficult to protect children from tracfficking, child labour, and child marriage.
Education: Only eighty-percent of students enrolled in first grade complete primary school. There are high drop out rates and poor quality teaching and learning are serious problems for primary schools. Only forty-six percent of boys and fifty-three percent of girls attend secondary school.
Over half of these families live below the poverty line. Eighty-percent of people survive on less than two-dollars a day. As food prices rise around the globe, the same income buys less and less each week. Families are working harder to meet the basic needs for their children.
The ways these experiences might effect on children's emotional well-being and emotional includes stress, uncertanity,and fear that comes with living in poverty, lack of education, working for child labour, or child trafficking. In addition, these children will grow up with emotional scars that could affect their well-being of becoming a productive adult.
The information I gained this week has helped me to be aware of the serious problems that children and families are going through. As and educator, it is important to be supportive,caring, and understanding while interacting and teaching children whether they are living inside or in another country. All children are special and deserved to be protected and treated the same.
Reference
http://unicef.org/bangladesh/overview_4841.htm?q=printme
The challenges children are facing are:
Protection:Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child-marriage in the world. Thirteen-percent of children are involved in child-labour. Child labourers are frequently denied an education and are vulnerable to violence and abuse. Bandgladesh has one of the lowest rates of birth registration in the world. This makes it difficult to protect children from tracfficking, child labour, and child marriage.
Education: Only eighty-percent of students enrolled in first grade complete primary school. There are high drop out rates and poor quality teaching and learning are serious problems for primary schools. Only forty-six percent of boys and fifty-three percent of girls attend secondary school.
Over half of these families live below the poverty line. Eighty-percent of people survive on less than two-dollars a day. As food prices rise around the globe, the same income buys less and less each week. Families are working harder to meet the basic needs for their children.
The ways these experiences might effect on children's emotional well-being and emotional includes stress, uncertanity,and fear that comes with living in poverty, lack of education, working for child labour, or child trafficking. In addition, these children will grow up with emotional scars that could affect their well-being of becoming a productive adult.
The information I gained this week has helped me to be aware of the serious problems that children and families are going through. As and educator, it is important to be supportive,caring, and understanding while interacting and teaching children whether they are living inside or in another country. All children are special and deserved to be protected and treated the same.
Reference
http://unicef.org/bangladesh/overview_4841.htm?q=printme
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Sexualization of Early Childhood
We are not alarmed that today's children are learning about sex and sexuality. We are all sexual beings from birth, and this is to be celebrated. Children have always been curious about sex and sexuality from an early age, and it is good for parents and schools to give them honest and age-appropriate information. However, the sexualization of childhood is having a profoundly distrubing impact on children's understanding of gender, sexuality, and relationships (Levin & Kilbourne(2009).
Personally, this article just reminded me how young children living in today's society are mislead and easy influenced by the toys, media, internet, and other children about their sexuality. I see the way some parents dress yooung girls and boys inappropriately. Most of the young girls that I work with in pre-k, wear tight jeans, high heels shoes, and booty shorts. The young boys are wearing boxers shorts for underwear, baggy pants and shorts, and oversized shirts like their daddies are wearing. This is a drastic change of dressing compared to when I was growing up as a child. The toys have changed too. Most young girls play with bratz dolls which are dressed liked adults who wear a lot of make-up, wear short dresses and skirts, and wear high-heels shoes,too. Another example would be through music that young children listen too. For example, one day during outside time in pre-k, I heard a group are girls singing and dancing to a song called "Slap them thighs". I was shock to hear and see a group of young girls singing and dancing to this type of song. When I asked the question, where did you hear and learn this song? One of the girls said, my mama and we sing and dance a lot to this song. This helped me to see that the parents in my community need to be educated on what type of music, clothes, and toys are appropriate for young children to be exposed too.
As an early childhood professional, this article on sexualization of early childhood has opened my eyes to just how much our parents and young children are depending on us as educators to help them learn and work to change this negative epidemic is hurting our children from having positive healthy experiences they need for healthy development.
Reference
Levin, D. E. & Kilbourne, J. (2009), So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8), New York:Ballantine Books, Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Personally, this article just reminded me how young children living in today's society are mislead and easy influenced by the toys, media, internet, and other children about their sexuality. I see the way some parents dress yooung girls and boys inappropriately. Most of the young girls that I work with in pre-k, wear tight jeans, high heels shoes, and booty shorts. The young boys are wearing boxers shorts for underwear, baggy pants and shorts, and oversized shirts like their daddies are wearing. This is a drastic change of dressing compared to when I was growing up as a child. The toys have changed too. Most young girls play with bratz dolls which are dressed liked adults who wear a lot of make-up, wear short dresses and skirts, and wear high-heels shoes,too. Another example would be through music that young children listen too. For example, one day during outside time in pre-k, I heard a group are girls singing and dancing to a song called "Slap them thighs". I was shock to hear and see a group of young girls singing and dancing to this type of song. When I asked the question, where did you hear and learn this song? One of the girls said, my mama and we sing and dance a lot to this song. This helped me to see that the parents in my community need to be educated on what type of music, clothes, and toys are appropriate for young children to be exposed too.
As an early childhood professional, this article on sexualization of early childhood has opened my eyes to just how much our parents and young children are depending on us as educators to help them learn and work to change this negative epidemic is hurting our children from having positive healthy experiences they need for healthy development.
Reference
Levin, D. E. & Kilbourne, J. (2009), So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8), New York:Ballantine Books, Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice
Describe in detail the consequences you might expect for children adn families with who you work while you experience specific"-ism(s)" in your own life. Include specific examples either those you have and/or experiencing or ones you would anticipate.
The first ism that I experience personally is that of racism. Personally, while working professionally with white families and children, I have noticed that the white parents prefer to talk to the white teacher when they enter the classroom. In other words, the white parent ignores me completely. Therefore, when a white child enrolls in our classroom, I make sure that the white child sits at the white teacher table. I know that this is a bias that I need to learn to work on. I do not feel comfortable or feels that the parents respect me enough to want to work with their children. Also, the white children treat me the same way because the child told me that I was not her teacher anyway. This made me feel sad. I know that the parents taught the children to treat me this way. Therefore, I do my best to respect the parents and children. As an early childhood educator, I must provide the children with the best education possible.
Another ism that I have experienced is sexism where children are raised by the same-sex families. This type of family is something that goes against my upbringing because I grew up in a heterosexual family which consists of a father, mother, three sisters and one brother. When a children from the same-sex family enters the classroom, I have to remember to keep a straight face and respect this family. All families deserves to be treated equally. Therefore, I am striving to overcome this bias because I am an early childhood professional who must respect, accept, and understand the same-sex families that I encounter through my job. Although, I have no problem working with the children coming from the same-sex family, I just have to overcome my uneasiness when these parents come in the classroom to visit.
It is important that I keep working on these biases which involves racism and sexism. This is the only way I will overcome these biases. This will help me to be able to overlook all biases that will prevent me from helping all children to become productive adults.
The first ism that I experience personally is that of racism. Personally, while working professionally with white families and children, I have noticed that the white parents prefer to talk to the white teacher when they enter the classroom. In other words, the white parent ignores me completely. Therefore, when a white child enrolls in our classroom, I make sure that the white child sits at the white teacher table. I know that this is a bias that I need to learn to work on. I do not feel comfortable or feels that the parents respect me enough to want to work with their children. Also, the white children treat me the same way because the child told me that I was not her teacher anyway. This made me feel sad. I know that the parents taught the children to treat me this way. Therefore, I do my best to respect the parents and children. As an early childhood educator, I must provide the children with the best education possible.
Another ism that I have experienced is sexism where children are raised by the same-sex families. This type of family is something that goes against my upbringing because I grew up in a heterosexual family which consists of a father, mother, three sisters and one brother. When a children from the same-sex family enters the classroom, I have to remember to keep a straight face and respect this family. All families deserves to be treated equally. Therefore, I am striving to overcome this bias because I am an early childhood professional who must respect, accept, and understand the same-sex families that I encounter through my job. Although, I have no problem working with the children coming from the same-sex family, I just have to overcome my uneasiness when these parents come in the classroom to visit.
It is important that I keep working on these biases which involves racism and sexism. This is the only way I will overcome these biases. This will help me to be able to overlook all biases that will prevent me from helping all children to become productive adults.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Observing Communication
Provide an account of your observation
The other day I was in WalMart, during some shopping, I overheard a child was trying to persuade his mother to buy a new toy. The child was telling his mother that he will clean his room and do his homework for school. I could tell the mother looked at her child, she was surprised and happy that her child was offering to do this so that he could get a new toy.
What I noticed is that the mother was listening at what her son was talking about without interrupting him. According to our video: Communication with Young Children (2012), it is important to listen to children without interrupting what they are telling us. When the mother told the child in a soft voice that she did not have enough money to buy the toy today, but she will come back tommorrow to buy the toy. The child did not seem upset instead he smiled and said "thank you." The mother and child went to the counter to check out.
I believe the mother and child communicated very effectively with each other. Both of them listen effectively, used eye contact, and they both respected and accepted each other. The communication interaction affected the child in a positive way because the child did not get the toy that day, but he thanked his mother anyway. She told the child,"she will buy the game the next day."
After observing the mother and child, I learned that it is important to provide respect and listen to children without interrupting them. Now, I know this is important because doing this will give the children time to respond with comments of their own. This week assignment taught me a lot about ways of communicating with young children.
The other day I was in WalMart, during some shopping, I overheard a child was trying to persuade his mother to buy a new toy. The child was telling his mother that he will clean his room and do his homework for school. I could tell the mother looked at her child, she was surprised and happy that her child was offering to do this so that he could get a new toy.
What I noticed is that the mother was listening at what her son was talking about without interrupting him. According to our video: Communication with Young Children (2012), it is important to listen to children without interrupting what they are telling us. When the mother told the child in a soft voice that she did not have enough money to buy the toy today, but she will come back tommorrow to buy the toy. The child did not seem upset instead he smiled and said "thank you." The mother and child went to the counter to check out.
I believe the mother and child communicated very effectively with each other. Both of them listen effectively, used eye contact, and they both respected and accepted each other. The communication interaction affected the child in a positive way because the child did not get the toy that day, but he thanked his mother anyway. She told the child,"she will buy the game the next day."
After observing the mother and child, I learned that it is important to provide respect and listen to children without interrupting them. Now, I know this is important because doing this will give the children time to respond with comments of their own. This week assignment taught me a lot about ways of communicating with young children.
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