My Connections to Play

Play for me was a way to adventure into this world!  I had many supports through my playing years especially my mother.  I remember my mother letting me pull out the pots, pans and mixing bowls to bang around or pretend I was cooking in the kitchen.   She also let me lead and show her what I wanted to play with for instance, if one day I wanted to pretend I was a teacher she was always a wonderful student or patient if I was playing doctor.  Play was important part of my childhood in my family and I was blessed to have parents that joined in and let me investigate the world!

"Play energizes and enlivens us. It eases our burdens.  It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities."
                                                                                                        - Stuart Brown, MD

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

I loved imaginary play and wearing my mothers clothes and accessories.  

My teddy bear was a big part of play during my younger years

I feel that play today is different from play when I was younger because I feel that families do not give children the freedom to explore the outside world like I did.  Playing outside was a necessity for me and I loved feeling the wind and smelling of the fresh air around me as a child.  I feel that technology plays a role for young children which has differed since I was young. Technology is important to us but children need to explore and discover with hands-on materials not just searching the internet.  It is my hope for young children to adventure in outside play and explore the natural beauties around them.  It is also my hope that children will discover new materials or items by touching and feeling them.  For example, if children are interested in trees it is my hope that they will want to go outside and touch and feel the tree to learn about it and not just research it on the internet.  

I was taught many life lessons through play as a young child.  I feel that I would not have the love of cooking if it was not for my mother letting me destroy her kitchen  to explore through play.  I also believe that because I had a positive experience with play during childhood that is a reason I want to be a teacher.  I want to share my passion of play with my students and teach them life lessons. 

 

Building Positive Relationships

My #1  relationship is with my husband.  We have a wonderful partnership because it is based on love, communication, trust and respect.  I believe there are many factors that go into building and maintaining a relationship but for my husband and me....if you respect one another including their differences and communicate your feelings you can move mountains.

 Having positive relationships  is key to being happy for me.  The relationships that I have with my friends and family give me support and happiness that I need to take on the day!  I cannot put a price tag on the happiness and love that my friends and family bring to me.  I am blessed in so many ways to have them in my life!

My Family Relationships are very important to me!

When I think of Child Development

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted."
                                         - Garrison Keillor

As educators we are constantly assisting children to develop and learn to their full potential and our time is never wasted!

I want to thank all my classmates for giving me encouragement through this course.  Best of luck to everyone as their journey continues through the next course. 

Testing for Intelligence

I believe we should still assess children in the middle childhood age on social-emotional skills.  It seems that schools only focus on standardized test that measure reading, math, writing and science skills but not social-emotional.  Yes, we observe and assess social and emotional skills during early childhood because that is when these skills are truly developing but children of all ages still go through changes and are still learning how to regulate their emotions.  Academic skills are very important for children during middle childhood but as educators I believe we should still focus on social-emotional skills because these skills will get children through all types of issues or events in life.

Research shows that Asia is still coming up with ways to assess children and questioning if it is an integral part of the curriculum.  I feel that the US also has had this questioning as well but I am a firm believer that curriculum and assessment are part of each other. 

One thing relating to assessing young children that I think is important is OBSERVATION.  It is not just about quick evaluation or assessments it is important to observe children through out the times in the classroom to truly see their development and learning.

Francis & Taylor. New Directions in Assessment of Young Children in the Asia-Pacific Region. Early    Childhood Development and Care. February, 2011. 181(2). 

Consequences of Stress on Chilren's Development

Natural disasters can be become a stress for anyone.  I remember being in first grade and a tornado hit the area we lived in and destroyed one of my friend's homes.  I recall my family and I riding by their house the next day and there was debri, clothes and other items scattered everywhere around the yard.  I feel that my friend and her family coped with this natural disaster because they knew they had a community around them that cared and loved them.  Our school and church collected clothes, food and money to assist them to getting their lives back on track.  I also remeber Red Cross was there to offer support and resources for the family.  This was a huge stress and fear that was placed on my friend but with the love and support they had from our community decresed the anixety they felt.  This family recovered and became stronger than ever and was able to rebuild their home. 

After reviewing several articles one stress that affects children's development in China is over crowded homes.  Over crowded homes include children and their immediate family but also extended family and grandparents.  Over-crowded homes can also lead to poverty due to needing more food to feed the entire family.  The over-crowded homes can not be eliminated but individuals are trying to provide parenting practices for families to help decrease their stress.  By learning new parenting skills to decrease family stress can help the family have a strong bond.

Child Development & Public Health

This week I have chosen to discuss Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), this is a meaningful topic to me because I have worked with a family who had a baby pass away from SIDS.  When I worked with this family they had their second child that was enrolled in our infant room.  They truly had a passion to teach people about the risk of SIDS and prevention.  The information that I have learned about SIDS and will continue to learn through research studies will impact my future work by providing families with knowledgeable information and preventive steps to reduce the risk of SIDS.  This is information will also be valuable to me and my co-workers as I continue to work in the childcare field and build a postive relationships with families.

I chose to research SIDS in the Asian culture and found out that infants of the Asian decent are less likely to pass away from SIDS than a Caucasian infant.   The research showed that this was due to Asian women breastfeeding their infants and mothers sleeping with the infants.  The study revealed that Asian culture truly believe in "co-sleeping." 

Reference

Parker, S. (2012). Asian Americans: The Facts.  Retrieved from http://www.healthguidance.org.

Childbirth in my Life & Around the World

Childbirth in My Life:
As for now...I do not have children of my own but I was there to witness the birth of my only niece.  My sister-in-law had a scheduled c-section due to a few ongoing health problems.  Her health problems had nothing to do with her pregnancy but because of her history the doctor wanted to play it safe and put her under while conducting the c-section.  I will never forget that day October 15, 2007 when Abby was born.  The whole family was as the hospital bright and earlier to meet Abby.  We were all standing by the nursery window waiting patiently for the arrival of Abby.  At around 7:35 am they brought  Abby into the nursery where we watched the nurse take care of her. My brother was also in the nursery with tears of joy and his new daughter.
The birth of Abby was an experience I will never forget because she is my only niece and I had been waiting what seems like forever to  be an Aunt.  This experience also brought my brother and I closer and I have enjoyed watching Abby grow and develop into a sweet and talkative little girl!  I believe birth and prenatal development has a huge impact on child development.  The way that the child is brought into this world and how the parents intend to raise the child has an impact on child development.


Childbirth Around the World:
I read a interesting article about Asian women giving birth in East London.  In this article they spoke about how Asian women proceeded to commit to Western maternity care by giving birth in a hospital and also taken prenatal vitamins.  The women also wanted their husbands and partners present during the birth which showed that the traditional Asian ideas have been modified.
After reading this article it shows me that some cultures may change.  Women giving birth may want to keep some parts of their culture but may add a few other ideas as well to benefit the baby and/or themselves.  The article is similar to my childbirth experience because the women did give birth in an hospital and wanted to take prenatal vitamins for the benefit of the baby.  I know that my sister-in-law took prenatal vitamins, changed her eating and sleeping habits for the benefit of Abby. 

Farewell to EDUC 6005

I want to say Thank you to my colleagues for the encouragement and positive feedback you have given me through this course.  Best of Luck to everyone with your degrees!

NAEYC Code of Ethics

3 Ideals that are important to my professional life...

1. I-1.3 = To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities and potential of each child.
2. I-1.8 = To support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities.
3. I-2.2 = To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with families we serve

The 3 ideals that I posted are significant to my professional life because I believe in order for a child to be successful in school you must have a positive and strong family partnership.  I am also a firm believer of inclusion and all children reaching their full potential and learning from one another.  Having inclusive programs children learn that people are different but we ALL have abilities!  

Additional Early Childhood Resources

1. The Power of Observation. Birth to Age 8, 2nd Edition
Wonderful book that discuss the reason why Observation in the classroom is so important!

2. Early Education Initiative

• http://earlyed.newamerica.net 

Website that provides information about what is going on in each state for Early Childhood.  You can also receive daily emails to keep up with discussions.

3. Teaching Strategies blog

• http://www.teachingstrategies.com/blog/ 

 

Course Resources

Early Childhood Resources:
  
Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://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, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
  
• Websites:
  
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/

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/
  
• 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/

Professional Journals 

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

 

Passion and Motivation Quote

"The passion to make sure that all children were taught in environments and in ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability."
                                                               - Louise Derman-Sparks

Early Childhood Sector Quotes

Yesterday was the anniversary of Special Olympics and one quote that I love from Eunice Kennedy Shriver is....
"These Games are "special" in more ways than one.  They are special for the competition and training they provide and also for what they say about the ability of all human beings to overcome the greatest obstacles and rise like the triumphant Phoenix."


As for Dr. Winton, I love her vision she has for the early childhood field...."The centerpiece of my vision for personnel preparation is a well paid, well-educated early childhood field intervention workforce situated in "learning communities" whereby parents, practitioners, administrators, consultants and university and community college faculty are mutually accountable for created quality early environments for children."

Personal Childhood Web

There were many people who nurtured and cared about me when I was a child but the 3 that stick out in my mind are.....
 
      1.  My Mother-Of course my mother cared and nurtured all my needs as a young child.  She was always there for me when I needed her.  She taught me that people may be different but we all have abilities and to see the good in everyone.  She made me feel special by given me her undivided attention when we spent time together.
 My mother's influence has impacted my career in education.  She was a special education teacher and I assisted her with her adult students with self care skills.  I saw how she impacted these individuals and helped them become more independent and  I knew I wanted to do the same when I grew up.
 
      2. Aunt Gail- My aunt nurtured and cared for me by spending time with me and taking me to special places.  My mother and aunt would always plan trips where they took us children to the beach, mountains or lake.  My aunt always made sure I was having fun. 
My aunt has impacted my present life in so many ways by giving me advice and support when there are big decisions to be made.  My aunt has impacted me and the way that I want to raise my children when the time comes.  She has always treated me like her own daughter.
   

This is a picture of my aunt, uncle and cousin at Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC.  You can see she is still taking us to FUN places even as adults!

      3. Kelly- Kelly was my babysitter when I was a young child.  Kelly cared and nurtured for me by spending time with me.  She made me feel special by creating fun activities for us to do when we were together.  I remember she would help me build "tents" with sheets and blankets in the living room and pretend we were camping out.
When I became a preschool teacher I would think back to those activities that Kelly would do with me and I implemented them into my classroom.  Kelly has impacted my present life by giving me ideas to conduct while teaching early learners.

Favorite children's book....

One of my all time favorite children's book is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. 

Even though we all have bad days and want to move far far away to get rid of our troubles they are still going to happen.  We have to hold our heads up high and through all the bad still reach for the sky!

A story about a child that touched my heart....

I was a preschool teacher in an inclusive setting that served typical developing children and children with special needs in the same classroom.  I had one child that transitioned to my classroom from the Toddler 2 room and she was not walking independently yet.  When she moved to my class, I made it my personal goal that she would walk independently by the end of the school year.  We practiced walking everyday with assistance all around the classroom and through the school.  Her family and I had a great relationship and wanted her to walk.  One Monday morning in May her mother came into the classroom and said "we have something to show you" and there comes my Miracle walking by herself into the room and tears began to fill my eyes!  I will never forget this child and how much she touched my heart.  This is one of the many reasons I am in the Early Childhood field.

While teaching a child gave me a gift at the end of the year with his hand prints all around with a quote that has stuck with me for years.

"Our greatest natural resource is the minds of children" -Walt Disney

The Journey Begins

I am new to blogging but very excited to start this jounery of online learning!