When I Think of Research

I have to admit but my knowledge of conducting research was limited and I was very intimidated of this course.  I did not know what to expect and my only knowledge of doing research stemmed from a Methods of Research class I had in undergrad school (that I hated).

From this course I learned that any topic that I have questions about, I can conduct my own research.  I now have the tools needs to develop and complete a research design of my own. 

My ideas about the nature of completing a research study changed because I learned the process step by step.  I learned that it is good to pick a topic that interests you.  A head of time select who the participants will be and what type of research you want to complete. Make sure you have consents from the participants, including children, explaining that they can change their mind at any time and the information collected would not be used.  Decide how you want to collect your data.  Make sure your information is reliable and then all will be valid.

The challenges I had with this course was developing my hypothesis and stating what behavior I wanted to change.  I had help from one of my colleagues and Dr. Myers. I knew what I wanted but could not express it correctly.

My perceptions of an early childhood professional have not changed.  I just learned that I was used to someone else completing the research for me.  This class has showed me that I have the knowledge and tools needed to complete my own research.   I understand now that without research curriculum's and other evaluation tools needed for the profession would not been developed.

Research Around The World

I visited the Early Childhood Australia website http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. I was very impressed with this website. It contained a wealth of information that covered many topics. In the section titled, Research in Practice Series, you have access to purchase journals.  The topics that caught my attention were: 

Learning and teaching through play

Engaging families: Building strong communication

Storytelling with young children

Understanding children's feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood

Overlooked curriculum: Seeing everyday possibilities

Aggression and young children

Revisiting celebrations with young children From exploring this website it reintegrated that children are the same all over the  world.  Early childhood education is important and countries world wide are  implementing programs that are giving the children a head start in life.  I did find it interesting that they have a program that rates the quality of programs for family day care, after school hours programs and long day care.  I assume these  programs are equivalent to our after school programs, and day care centers that offer extended day services. The purpose of these programs are to ensure that children in care have stimulating, positive experiences and interactions (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au).  The rating system is as follows: •  Significant Improvement Required • Working Towards National Quality Standard  • Meeting National Quality Standard  • Exceeding National Quality Standard  • Excellent (http://acecqa.gov.au) As we continue our research into international early childhood programs I wonder do other nations have the same issues that we face in the United States? Do they have Head Start programs?  Are their programs free or based on income? Do they have preschool programs in their public schools?

Research That Benefit Children and Their Families

If I was able to conduct research that would benefit children and their families I would focus on poverty and health issues.  I would love to end poverty by providing education and needed job training to increase the financial stability in the children homes.  I know that money does not buy happiness but I know that having a stable income will provide the necessities that families need to survive.

I would also like to find a cure for childhood cancer.  At this moment I have a coworker whose daughter have cancer. The little girl is only three years old and has been through different types of chemotherapy and treatments for the last year or more.  I have seen the family put on a brave smile to be strong for their daughter knowing that the chances of  her being cured is slim to none.   If I was able I would conduct a research project that would provide a cure for their little girl and other children that are also suffering from this illness.

Research Simulation

Research Simulation

At this time I am still deciding what topic truly interest me. I am always concerned about the topic of poverty. Since I work in the city of Camden and have been a long time resident in the city, I have seen the affects that poverty can have on children and their families.  At the same time, I am interested in the study of children and grief. This topic interests me because my students seem desensitized about grief.  Maybe it is away to examine grief as it relates to poverty?

So far I have found a historian that has studied the city of Camden.  He has a website that he has dedicated his retired life to, which examines the history of Camden including the economical rise and fall of the city. I believe that his information will give me a start to describe what happened economically to this once highly industrialized city. 

If anyone have any insights or suggestions about either poverty of grief I would gladly appreciate the help. 

International Consequences

As I have researched several topics throughout this semester my attention was always brought to the plight of poverty that is so widespread throughout this nation.  The effects of poverty are detrimental to the family as a unit however, as a child that has grown up in that situation the effects are long lasting.

The consequences that I have learned are:

Awareness:  I needed to learn what was going on in other nations around the world.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to get out of your comfort zone and realize what issues are going on around you.  Not just in your own backyard. Learning about poverty in other nations make me realize that there are lots of resources that we have here in the United States that other countries may not have.  I also realized that giving a little can mean so much to somebody in need.  Because of my new found insight I have donated clothing and necessities to Sierra Leone.  My co worker is from Sierra Leone and monthly she sends necessities to her family in Africa.  She stated that where they are from it is very poor and they do not have a lot. So I decided to help her.  We filled up two drums and sent them to Africa.

Another consequence is academic achievement:  Research has shown that children that come from  poverty may have lower academic achievement throughout their years in school but especially in early childhood. Children in poverty have the right to receive quality education.  The importance of education should be stressed and reinforced by parents and the community at large. The schools should provide linkage between themselves and social services.  This may help reduce the achievement gap and cause a higher graduation rate among high school seniors.  I can help close this gap by being the best teacher I can and help my preschoolers learn about the world through play.  The exposure that I give them will enable them to develop the skills that are needed to succeed in higher grade levels.

Finally the last consequence that I learned about was public policies.  Programs should be made available to help assist families that are experiencing poverty.  Policies that would allow the parents to bring home more in their paychecks by tax breaks.  Public information about services that can help assist with nutrition, health care preventive and maintenance, housing subsidies and other programs that help the families.


One goal that I have is to continue to donate to local and national organizations that support children and their families in poverty.

Getting To Know You International Contacts Part 3

Since I was unable to establish a professional international contact I visited the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO website.  UNESCO is dedicated to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information http://www.unesco.org . The primary focus of the organization is Africa and gender equality however, there are other over lapping objectives that are focused upon.  

• Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
• Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development
• Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
• Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace
• Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication

On the website I found areas that interested me such as an article that is titled, Fighting Racism and Discrimination. This article discuss cities around the world that are dealing with high discrimination in the areas of housing, employment and education.  The areas are addressed, analyzed and policies are developed to help change these problem areas. 

International Jazz Day- I was interested in this area because I love Jazz music and play it a lot in my classroom.  The children seem to enjoy it as well as I does. I never knew there was an International Jazz Day. 

The Day is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. Many governments, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens currently engaged in the promotion of jazz music will embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to building more inclusive societies.

Jazz has been a force for positive social transformation throughout its history, and it remains so today. This is why UNESCO created International Jazz Day. From its roots in slavery, this music has raised a passionate voice against all forms of oppression. It speaks a language of freedom that is meaningful to all cultures.The same goals guide UNESCO in its efforts to build bridges of dialogue and understanding between all cultures and societies. 

Irina Bokova, Director General
Message for International Jazz Day

Why International Jazz Day?

• Jazz breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
• Jazz is a vector of freedom of expression;
• Jazz is a symbol of unity and peace;
• Jazz reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
• Jazz fosters gender equality;
• Jazz reinforces the role youth play for social change;
• Jazz encourages artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression, and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones;
• Jazz stimulates intercultural dialogue and empowers young people from marginalized societies http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-jazz-day/ .

What is special about this website is that it deals with global issues and provides resources that are beneficial to set the beginning of awareness.   From our studies it is evident that the United States and the world has a long way to go to totally establish and implement resources that will eliminate poverty, provide adequate employment and education for all children regardless of adverse situations. 

Sharing Web Resources

The Children’s Defense Fund

As I search through the website one link that caught my attention is the Multimedia and News column.  Under this section you can gain information on varies topics that have been published in varies newspapers and columns around the United States.   One article that caught my attention was published in the Huffington Post, February 2011 was titled, Law of Unintended Consequences.  I liked this article because it discussed the short comings o f the No Child Left Behind Act.  It described the inequality of the initiatives that surrounded the NCLB act.  The website has a section, Public Priorities that has a section dedicated to Early Childhood Education and Care.

New Data on Early Childhood Education and Care

The State of America's Children® 2012, a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on key child indicators, including early childhood education and care. Among other selections, the Early Childhood section of the report includes state data Head Start enrollment, the cost of child care and child care subsidies, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the Child Care and Development Fund, Pre-K enrollment, and state-by-state comparisons of child care center regulations. Only 3 percent of eligible infants and toddlers are able to secure spots in Early Head Start due to limited funding. Learn more about what our failure to invest in children in the early years means for all of us through our "Be Careful What You Cut” campaign". (http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/early-childhood-education-care/.

Through this website I have gained a better understanding of issues related to children of all ages, policies and how the different initiatives effects the programs funding, and different social issues that relate to the development and care of children and their families.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

As I visited the website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/, it is clear that early childhood education is a global concern.  As the understanding of the practices of early childhood education grows countries are now developing ways to calculate and evaluate the effectiveness of the programs in place to determine if they are highly qualified and beneficial for the children and their families.

Three countries that are focused on the website are Zambia, Brazil and Chile.  Each country has joined with others organizations inside and outside of the United States to develop policies and  assessment tools to help determine the validity of their program.  

In Zambia, the collaborations with the Zambian Ministry of Education, the Examination Council of Zambia, UNICEF, the University of Zambia, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University are to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia. The children in Zambia  are assessed in physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling careers (http://developingchild.harvard.edu, 2009). 

In Brazil, their is an ongoing effort to use the science of child health and development to ascertain stronger policies to support the children and their families. There first effort outside of the United States produced the Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância project.

In Chile, a program was developed to improve early childhood education by providing teacher professional development .  Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), “A Good Start,” was developed to improve the educational needs of preschoolers and kindergartners. Special attention was given to the area of language and to the socio-emotional development of children. Furthermore, interventions were arranged to increase family involvement and student attendance.

It is evident to me that early childhood education is important nation wide.  Resources are steadily increasing to produce effectiveness and high quality teachers and learning environment for our nation's children. 

Sharing Web Resources

The Children's Defense Fund

I actually love this website because it contains so much important information that is vital to the well being of all children.  Since I am a preschool teacher I  always visit the sections on early childhood education.  Under Policy Priorities are subdivisions.  The subdivisions that interest me are Special Projects for Children in Need, Early Childhood Education and Care and Children's Budget Watch.

At this time I have not found any information on this website that I believe is controversial.  If anything the information on this site has made me aware of current issues and trends that I was unaware of.  For instance, the Be Careful What You Cut campaign is focused on what programs and funding maybe cut in the near future.  From my understanding a lot of programs that I know helps the community that I serve, maybe in jeopardy.  Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) gives a representation of what the sequestration cuts would be like for children if the budget gets passed. 

• Head Start will serve 96,179 fewer low-income children.
• 80,000 fewer children and their families will receive child care subsidies.
• 5 million fewer families will be served by the Maternal/Child Health Block Grant, which provides funding for prenatal care, well child services, infant mortality, injury & violence, oral healthcare, school-based health programs, and eliminating racial/ethnic disparities.
• 211,958 fewer children will be vaccinated.
• $270,790,425 less funding available for heating and cooling assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  Nearly half of the families receiving LIHEAP assistance have at least one child.
• Title I grants will serve 1.8 million fewer students.
• 26,949 fewer children will be served by early intervention special education grants.
• 350,327 fewer English Language Learner (ELL) students will be served by English Language Acquisition Grants.
• 1,133,981 fewer students will be served by grants for career and technical education.
• 51,577 fewer students will receive financial aid through the Federal Work Study program.
• 110,543 fewer students will receive aid through Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• 18,611 fewer youth will be served by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which provides training services to underemployed adults, and youth who have dropped out of high school and want to go back to school or enter the labor market.
• 4,350 fewer youth will receive education and training from Job Corps, which targets economically at-risk youth.    http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/budget-watch/

This website is definitely an advocate for the well being of all children. It wants children to receive the best possible education, health care and resources to grow into productive adults. For my understanding it seems that some politicians might not be doing enough to keep funding for early childhood.  At least for the standpoint of urban inner city children that may not be receiving quality preschool education. 

Migration And The Access To Education In Mongolia

Since I have not received any responds from my emails I decided to do the alternative assignment.  I listened to several pod casts and tried to contact a few people but I did not receive any real replies.  I received invitations to join mailing lists.  So I decided to review the CHIP website that deals with the issues of children and poverty.  I did research on the children in Mongolia.  I learned that these children have several obstacles that have a great influence on the effects of poverty within their lives.  However, the focus of this publication was on the effects of migration.   The children and their families migrate to other areas because they are looking for work, trying to find better education and for health reasons.  Many children are forced to discontinue their education in order to help support the family.  Many of the men are skilled herders and this tradition is passed down to the children, mainly sons, to help their families sell livestock.   Other reason why education is limited is based on the family inability to pay for the room and board of the child with another family. Also the fact that many children feel isolated and mistreated by teachers that are disrespectful and insensitive towards them because they are migrants. Many families were not able to pay the school administration fee. So the child had to leave school because the fee was not paid and the families received less money from the state. This in return puts a financial strain on the family and caused the child to drop out of school.

It seems to me that on the state level there should be funds allocated to support children from migration families.  Funds that can be used to offset the price of education.  Funds that can be used to cut down on migrations that would allow families to stay together. More programs that focus on basic skills training as well as promoting higher education levels.  Teachers should be trained and sensitive to the needs of their students. 

Sharing Web Resources

Children's Defense Fund http://cdf.childrensdefense.org

I had joined the Children's Defense Fund Newsletter in an earlier class.  On a monthly basis I receives a newsletter on various topics.  August topics varies from voter registration to the national data on poverty.  So far I have learned that this site is dedicated to the well being of children and the equal rights of all.  This website cover national events that effects the community.  


Last month the Children's Defense Fund sponsored a voter registration drive which focused on fighting voter suppression laws. Everybody was encouraged to make sure people were eligible to vote in November.  

Also included was information about the 2012 Children's Sabbath Manual which is a community project that celebrates the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths® weekend and engage in long-term child and family advocacy work.The manual includes resources for Christian, Jewish, and other faiths to use in worship services or prayers, education programs, direct service activities, and social justice initiatives. The resources can be used within one's own faith community or in multi-faith events http://cdf.childrensdefense.org .

The newsletter also contains information about applying to open a new CDF Freedom school site, a new campaign "Be Careful What You Cut" which talks about the cuts to social programs and the date the new poverty data will be available. 

I think this website is a prime example of what we are learning about in this class.  The Children Sabbath Manual, what the program stands for and promotes is what we as educators promotes.  This website is truly diversified and represents children, their families and the communities in which they live. I would recommend this website for all. 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I am sad to say that as of this moment I have not yet received any emails back from people that I have contacted.  I assume that I will receive replies soon.  I started to do the alternative assignment but I must admit I would prefer to communicate with a live person.  In fact I will not give up until somebody contacts me back.  Anyway with the alternative assignment I listened to the podcasts of Ms. Susan Lyon and Barnabus Otaala.  I found Ms. Lyons website about the Innovative Teacher Project which she is the founder.  I joined her website contact list and I am waiting for a newsletter or other information which they may share.

I was not able to contact Mr. Baranabus Otaala but listening to his podcast I an interested in his project because he wants to help the children of his region that is affected with HIV/AIDS.

While visiting the World Forum Foundation website I did  try to join their discussion group but that feature is coming soon.  So I will be checking to see when the first discussion has posted.  Also, I have been a member of the Children's Defense Fund since I enrolled in the Child Development class.  That is where I was introduced to this organization.  

I hope that I can alter my blog in a few days to share with my fellow classmates the people that I am establishing a professional relationship with.

My Supports

I never thought about the types of supports that I relay on daily.  For emotional support my first avenue is  God.  I start and end each day in prayer.  If by chance I am running late and forget to leave the house before prayer I will cut the music off while I am driving and pray before I reach my destination.  When I do reach out to others for help I know that my Grandmother and the majority of my  family and my few selective friends will have my back.  I think of my job as support.  Yes, I teach because I love working with the children but I relay on my paycheck for support.  I have been an employee with the board of education for 21 years.  I can not picture me doing any other job.  Even when I have attempted to do part time jobs for extra money, I still end up tutoring a child. No matter what I do I end up teaching.  If for whatever reason I was not able to teach anymore I can not imagine what else I would do for a career.

Practical support- everything that I use daily, hook for my keys, my pocket books, car, cell phone, computer, etc.  I am very absent minded and when I put my keys down I never know where I left them.  That is why I have hooks in my kitchen and living room for my keys.  When I forget to place my keys on the hook I panic.  As a teacher I carry a lot of stuff to work everyday so I need purses!  I love purses especially large purses and I enjoy buying purses.  So every chance I can get I buy a purse and I change purses daily to coordinate with what I am wearing. My car is needed because I do not like taking the bus, plus I leave a lot of my school stuff in my car.  We all know that we need technology.

I can not imagine loosing a limb or going totally blind.  If I were to experience these situations then I would need a seeing eye dog and/or a  prosthetic limb. I will have to get a home that is on one floor with little to no stairs and a ramp. My job is wheel chair accessible so I will not have to leave however, if I was blind I assume I would not be able to work with little kids again. I would have to learn braille. In the beginning I would think my life is over with because the things that I like to do I might not be able to do them anymore.  Plus, so many people depend on me that I would find it hard to be dependent on others for help. Nevertheless, once I come to grips with the situation then I will find away to survive.  I know that with the support of family and friends I would make the adjustment.

My Connection to Play

Here are a few quotes about play that represents my life as a child.


Stay a child while you can be a child. STEPHEN SONDHEIM, Into the Woods

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

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn."
O. Fred Donaldson, American Martial Arts Master




Here are a few of the toys that I played with as a child.  The one that meant the most to me was the Family Tree House.  The toys that I picked represents the childhood that I had before my mother passed away.  Seeing the Family Tree House was very emotional for me because I remember sitting on the floor playing with my tree house while my mother was sewing at the table.  I would play with this toy for hours. Beyond the toys represented below I used to love completing puzzles, paint by the numbers and  making articles with the hook latch kits. 
I was the only child so my play at home was supported by my mother. She would join me and play with me for hours.  That was our bonding time.  We would talk and enjoy each other company.  She never stopped me from expressing myself and she encourage my creativity. I would copy her doing craft activities. She would hang my projects on the wall and show everybody that came by my work.



                                                                                           


Play today is different than my play was when I was a child.  I believe that many children today do not know how to play.  Their play is based on their life experiences and unfortunately they play games that imitate a negative view of life.  I have had children pretend they were shot and died. I find that some children view police as negative people. Another game that I witnessed my students playing is getting "locked up".  They think it is common for people to be locked up.   I find that to be disturbing. I have to admit it is hard explaining to the children that cops are suppose to be the good people and that going to jail is not fun.  The video games are too violent and realistic.  When I was younger our video games were Donkey Kong and Ms. PacMan, games that involved skills and concentration and was not violent. Some children mistake video games as real life activities. When I was a child our play was innocent and for pure enjoyment.  I would love for the children today to enjoy being a carefree child, enjoying life to its fullest and playing wholeheartedly in an environment that protected them.  

Relationship Reflection

I have several people that are special to me that I hold dear in my heart.  These are people that I can lean on in any time of need and I value their impact in my life. I respect them as friends and as family.  Our  differences make us special and I believe that makes our bond tighter. Relationships are important because they help us develop.  Everyone needs somebody that helps them grow mentally and emotionally. 

One group of people that are special to me are my cousins.  There are only five of us girls. We depend on each other in different ways and I admire us for the young ladies we have grown up to be.  Below you see 2 teachers, a police officer, an officer in the army and a soon to be nurse. 

I have to admit I have several acquaintances but few that I call true blue friends.  One of my most fondest friends is, Earl Kights.  Our friendship grew out of him helping me to cope with the death of my mother.  I have the up most respect for him.  He has been involved with every stage of my life.  He lets me make my mistakes but then he offers his wisdom to help me get back on track. Earl is a father figure, mentor,and a best friend.   At this time he is guiding me through the process of buying my first house. 

Next, would be my friendship with Sister Lewis.  She calls me her little sister.  Our friendship developed from us working together in 1998. I think what makes us close is that we are the total opposite.  She practices the Apostolic religion.  Even though her religion is strict she is still down to earth.  She let's me be me. We talk daily about anything and everything.  We respect our differences.  There is a lot that I do not understand or agree with her religion but we are able to talk about a wide range of subjects and respect each other opinions.

I have had several people that at one time I had  considered them to be close friends but because of certain circumstances I realized that their friendship was not true.  Someone once told me, "Do not make people a priority that think of you as an option".  Unfortunately, I have had that happen to me several times where I been in these people life for years and had supported them in their journey but when I need them to be their for me they were nonexistence or nonchalant about my situation and/or feelings.  These are people that I categorized as acquaintances.  The challenges that I have faced in current and past relationships are people expectations.  Usually it is people's expectations of what I should be doing for them.  


I believe what helps me have a good relationship with my parents is that I respect them.  Majority of my parents are young under 25 years old.  Many have little or no education.  No matter what their circumstances are I treat them with respect.  I understand the situations that they maybe experiencing because I have been in their shoes and could have been like them.  The only difference is that I made different choices.  

When I think of Child Development

All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
~by Robert Fulgham~

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned: Share everything.  Play fair.  Don't hit people.  Put things back where you found them.  Clean up your own mess.  Don't take things that aren't yours.  Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.  Wash your hands before you eat.  Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.  Live a balanced life.  Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day.

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.  Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup.  The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup ~ they all die.  So do we.

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all:  LOOK.  Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.  The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all ~the whole world  had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap.  Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes.  And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.


I chose to post this quote because it describes my day as a Pre-K teacher. 


I would like to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" to all of my classmates for participating in great discussions and for the positive comments on my blog. It has truly been a positive experience and I look forward to the next class.   


Sheila,
When I started this class I was looking for familiar people and then I ran across your name. This is our second class together.  Thank You for sharing your insights and points of views. I wish you well with your educational journey. Hopefully I will see you in future classes. 




Sara Lynn and Maryam,


Thank you both for your positive words of encouragement.  Thank you for taking the time to read my posts.   Thank you for sharing your information in your discussions and blogs.  Thank you for being a part of this class.  I wish you both well in your future classes.  I hope to see you in the next class!

Testing for Intelligence?

My school district has an assessment test for preschool that is given in the beginning of the year.  The results are based on the child's age. If the child falls below a certain score the child is retested or referred. I have to admit there are questions that I do not expect the children to know the correct answer to.  I have a hard time marking the children answer wrong when in my opinion they don't know the answer because they were not exposed to it yet.

I understand if there are obvious signs of a disability such as Downs Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy but on a whole I am not sure if an assessment is needed.  Unless that assessment is going to be used by the teacher to guide his or her lessons. Which most are not unless the child fails.

In completing this assignment I looked up assessment in Africa and I came across an assessment used in the country of Malawi.  This portion of the assessment is used to determine cognitive growth.  I found this interesting because the article states that they developed an assessment tool based on their own culture.




In developing countries, poverty, poor health, and malnutrition are responsible for millions of children failing to reach their developmental potential. But because developmental assessment tools have mainly been designed and validated in western, developed countries, they contain many items that are alien to children in non-western cultures (for example, the use of knives and forks for eating and the use of specific gestures). They cannot, therefore, accurately assess whether a child living in, for example, a rural area of Africa, is developing normally. In this study, the researchers describe the creation and testing of a culturally appropriate developmental assessment tool for use in rural Africa—the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT)—from a 162-item draft tool (MDAT Draft I) that they previously developed from Denver II, an assessment tool widely used in developed countries. 

The Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT): The Creation, Validation, and Reliability of a Tool to Assess Child Development in Rural African Settings http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000273

Example of assessment.



Everything seems to be now based on an assessment of some sorts.  However, we as educators know that sometimes children are labeled disabled and classified in school and it has an adverse effect on the child.  So I have to honest I am not sure if all assessments are appropriated.

Children and Racism-War and Poverty

When I started this assignment I decided to ask a few of my elderly family member about racism when they were a child.  Majority of my family is from the South and I always heard them tell stories about the way their lives were as kids.   My grandmother told me that the things there were not allowed to do because of their color became a normal for them. She said, "Yes it wasn't fair but that is all they knew." She stated that the town she lived in was majority Black but the stores in town were owned by White people.  She told me about a water spring that was in town that they were not allowed to go get water from.  She informed me about not being allowed to sit in certain places in stores and the buses. She also shared that at the movie theater they had to sit at the top they were not allowed to sit downstairs and their were two bathrooms separating the races.  As a child she had to always show respect by answering yes mam, yes sir and no mam and no sir to white people.  My godfather describe picking cotton in Georgia.  He said he would get soars on his hands from the bulbs.  He showed me how he would hold his hand so he could pick faster. One time  my grandparents told me about the Confederate Flag.  That if they saw the flag on cars in town they knew to stay away. They shared that as they got older they wanted to move up North to get away from the South to get better jobs.  They did move up North and received better paying factory jobs but the lives that they lived followed them.  I noticed that a lot of my elders mannerisms are still like the way they were as a child.  For instance, my grandfather did not want to be referred to as an Afro-American.  He would state that he is Colored.




I also read an article about the lasting effects of war towards children.

The article talks about the children from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  That the war has destroyed thousands of families forcing them into poverty.   The children live on the streets as beggars, thugs and drug addicts.  In one case a 34 year old mother of five has been struggling to make a living since her husband was killed in military crossfire ten years ago.  She sleeps with her children on a straw mat on the mud floor of her shack.  She makes money by washing clothes but the income is not enough to feed her children or pay for them to go to school. Two of her older children ran away from home and became thieves on the street of Goma.  "Those street children have become a danger to the whole society," is how one woman explains the plight of this nation.  Goma is a region that has been severely affected by the years of fighting.  According to the 2009 United Nations Human Development Index, nearly 80% of households in this Central African nation now live on less than two dollars a day.  The streets of Goma is filled with thousands of street children and reintegrating them into society is not an easy task. The children are violent and steel from the others.  At this time efforts are made to try and help the children but aid from different nations is to far in between.

Public Health

Public Health-Access to Healthy Water

I have to admit that I was one person that took the earth’s most natural resource for granted.  I was very wasteful of water.  I had no problem leaving the water running while washing my dishes and brushing my teeth.  I used to wash my clothes with the highest water level for a small load.  I didn’t care anything about water until one day my water was so rusty that it was the color of my skin and black grit was left in the bottom of my tub.  This happened one morning as I was preparing to go to work.  There was nothing I could do, the longer I ran the water the darker it turned.   There was no way I was going to bath or cook using that water.  I was fortunate enough that I was able to go to someone else’s house to prepare for work.   It was that day that I realized that some people have no other choice but to use water that I refused to use.

While researching this topic I remembered an episode of the Potter’s House that talked about missionary work that was done in Africa.  It stated that they went to Kenya, Africa to drill water wells to help the people in that nation receive clean drinking water.  The people in West Pokot were walking 17 kilometers one way in order to obtain contaminated water for their families. http://www.megacaremissions.org/humanitarian/fieldstory

In impoverished areas of the world such as Kenya, Africa they are facing a severe drought.  The drought has caused the animals and people to search for the water.  People have walked as far away as 20 kilometers a day just to get water for cooking. In their quest for water they are sharing the water as a source of drinking, bathing and cooking with animals.  Furthermore, the water they have is polluted from chemicals from miners, farmers and others that have their buildings to close to the rivers and steams.  

The missionaries were able to strike a mega well and they were able to dig a 12 kilometer pipeline to reach the tribes. To service the pipelines, they hired and trained 100 men from two local tribes.  The pipeline supplies water to thousands of people, goats, sheep, cattle, wild life and crops.

Due to clean water the people are healthier, the women can stay home with their young and the children can get an education because they do not have to spend their day carrying water for 20 kilometers one way. http://www.megacaremissions.org

Ever since I realized that I took having water for granted, and watching the episode on the Potter’s House about their missionary work in Africa, I have been more aware of my wastefulness. I try not to be too careless. I have donated money to the Potter’s House to help them continue their missionary work.  

In my school I have talked to my students about ways they can help people that are less fortunate than them.  We have had numerous penny drives so we could donate money to different organizations.
             

Childbirth In My Life.

The birthing experience that I choose to write about is my own birth. The information I have about my birth is very limited because my father was stationed in Thailand when I was born. Unfortunately, my mother passed away when I was 10 years old and no one knows the complete medical history of why I was born early.


I was born October 5,  to Arthur and Louise Cooke. I decided to enter the world early at 7 1/2 months. I weighed only 2lbs and 6oz.  As a preterm baby I had a few complications with my breathing, my right eye is underdeveloped and I had a hernia. As of today I have asthma and wear glasses.


It is very hard for me to believe that I was a preterm baby.  I can not imagine weighing only 2lbs. Besides the issues I have with asthma and wearing glasses the only distinguishing marks I have is on my hand were the I.V. was placed at and scars from the hernia operation.


I choose my birth as an example because I do not have children of my own and because we have read information about premature babies and I was one.  From what was told to me my mother did not smoke or consume alcohol so I was wondering what caused me to be born early?




For the second part of our assignment I asked my coworker for her help.  She is from Sierra Leone.  She gave birth to her first born in Africa and her second was born the United States.  She basically said that her childbirth experiences were the same.  In Africa, she was from the city so she had prenatal care.  She gave birth in a hospital with a physician present.  My co worker stated that while she was pregnant she would take daily walks and did her normal house work. After giving birth to her son she had to stay at home for a week.  During that week she had to keep her body covered, including her ears.  Also,  she had to "band" her stomach with a piece of cloth.  The cloth was to help you get back in shape.  After 8 days the baby was introduced to the world.  That was when the baby was named in a ceremony.  This ceremony was done in the morning.   She also stated that she did not have a baby shower.

Only The Beginning

I just want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" to all of my classmates.  This class was a success for me. In the beginning I was afraid and didn't know what to expect.  My first application paper was written in total fear of APA style!  Now I am confident and am looking forward to the next class.  I have shared so much information with my coworkers and have referred them to Walden University.  I wish you guys much success with all of your future endeavors.  KEEP BLOGGING!!

Examining Codes of Ethics

Ideals contained in the National Association for the Education of Young Children and in the Division for Early Childhood that are meaningful to me are:

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Ethical Responsibilities to Children
1-1.3-To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities and potential of each child.
1-1.10-To ensure that each child's culture, language, ethnicity and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.

I choose these two because I work in a district that has a diverse population of Hispanic, Afro-American, and Asian communities. It has been very beneficial to me to learn about each culture so that I can teach them effectively.

Ethical Responsibilities to Families
1-2.7-To share information about each child's education and development with families and to help them understand and appreciate the current knowledge base of the early childhood profession.

A lot of people believe that Pre-K is a highly paid babysitting service.  When I demonstrate and inform the parents about the curriculum we follow and invite them to participate in the classroom and in different workshops they gain a different point of view and recognize what their child is really being exposed to.

Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
1-3A.1-To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration and cooperation with co-workers.

Being Grade Level Chairperson means I have to know how to work effectively with my co-workers.



Division of Early Childhood (DEC)


Enhancement of Children's and Families Quality of Lives
2. We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the developmental outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

3. We shall recognize and respect the dignity, diversity and autonomy of the families and children we serve.

In order to serve the children better we have to work with their family's.  We need to be aware of their family make up, respect their customs and traditions.  We must collaborate in order to serve the children effectively.

Additional resources that I would like to share.

NJEA.org/parents-and-community/families-and-schools-together
NJEA.org-NJEA convention
www.eirc.org
scholastic.com
teachingstrategies.com

Course Resources

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  
  
• Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission. 
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements. 

 Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/