Wk 8 Time Well Spent :-D

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Our program is coming to a close, how bitter-sweet. There has been so many great people that I have learned from and gotten to know. I have learned a great deal from each of my colleges and my classes. My goal is to take everything that I have learned from my Masters, teachers and colleges and utilize it in a professional job such as creating programs, implementing services for children/families or creating anti-biased educational materials/resources. One thought that has really stuck with me is that: 

  "When we embrace a vision of social justice and ecological teaching in early childhood education, we join a lineage of educators who are intent on changing history, participating in the 'ongoing story of men, and women, ideals intact,' who understand that how we engage with the youngest children in our communities speaks volumes about the kind of society in which we hope to live" (Pelo, 2008, p. xiii).

                    

Its hard to pin point just three things that have made a lasting impression. There was so much information to take in and implement. I have learned that while I am a decent leader in the early childhood field I definitely have room for improvement. I did not realize all the different styles of leadership, how they work, when is the best situation to utilize which one, etc.

                      

I have greatly developed my ability to critically examine issues, trends and current research on topics in the early childhood field. I had very limited understanding and means to do adequate research and correctly read and analyze what I had found. I can now utilize my research skills to keep up to date in the field and apply these findings to my professional world.

                                     

Before starting this program I knew that I was already a pretty anti-biased individual and how important diversity is in our world and the early childhood field. I now know how to create anti-biased environments, help others to become anti-biased, what is needed to be anti-biased, how to incorporate the 4 anti-biased goals and what it really means to be anti-biased. While we might not have or implements prejudice comments/actions there are still small indiscretions that are biased and these are the hardest ones to realize and work on. A thought that has really resonated with me since one of our first few classes is that:

" compassion and creatively are essential if we are to be truly competent in the face of the complex challenges posed by cultural diversity” (Barrera, & Corso, 2002).

 

                                                            

Each of you, my fellow classmates has done a great job in helping each of us develop a better understanding of the topics we learned, seeing different perspectives and becoming better educators. Thank you so much for all your hard work, dedication, passion and understanding. It was a great joy to interact and learn with each of you. I wish you all the best in everything that you do and hope you achieve all your heart's desires. Dr. Teri, thank you for all your patience, understanding, dedication, knowledge, passion and for teaching us and making us better professionals and advocates for children and their families. If any of you would like to keep in touch you can email me at JerseyStar1821@yahoo.com. Best wishes!!

                          

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Wk 6 Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

There are various organizations to support children in different countries and all around the world. Some organizations are specific to a certain state, city, country, county, or providence but some are national and international.

The first site that I found is the 'Association for Childhood Education International'. This organization's mission is to 'is to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society.' I picked this site because it is all  about helping every child, everywhere, regardless of their race, language or culture. They see each child as equal and deserving. The organization also has a campaign called "Love me, Teach me", which is all about ' promoting the needs and rights of children everywhere through the four cornerstones: See Me, Hear Me, Love Me, and Teach Me'. I could not find any job opportunities. But I would really enjoy being a part of the "Love me, Teach me" project. I think I would need the following skills: organization, dedication, passion, pedagogical knowledge, understanding/knowledge of the EC code of ethics, and children's rights.
★✰   http://www.acei.org/    


The second organization I found interesting is OMEP, couldn't figure out what it stands for. The organizations is an 'international, non-governmental and non-profit organization concerned with all aspects of early childhood education and care (ECEC)'. I picked this site because they also advocates for the education, care and accessibility for children worldwide. The organization is also affiliate with UNESCO, UNICEF, and other international organizations with similar aims so they are not alone in the fight. OMEP has three major projects they implement: 'Birth to Three', 'Education for sustainable development', and 'Toy Library'. Each is to promote learning and development in different ways for all children. I could not find job opportunities for this organization either. I would enjoy being a part of their 'Birth to Three project and would need the same skills as above: organization, dedication, passion, pedagogical knowledge, understanding/knowledge of the EC code of ethics, children's rights, methods of play and how children learn and grow from play.
 ★✰  http://www.omep.org.gu.se/


The third site I found interesting is the International Association of Early Childhood Education (IAECE). This site is more about the research of the early childhood field, for educators and professionals then resources for students/families, etc. Its a place to assess and discuss theories and practice. The board holds meetings, conventions, conferences, etc. in different countries yearly. The goal of IAECE is to 'enhance international studies by sharing views among educators and practitioners in the early childhood community and to develop methods for creative teaching and a better learning environment for young children'. I could not find any jobs for this organization either. I feel it is very hard to get a position within these organizations and that positions do not open up often. I think it would be interesting to have the opportunity to visit kindergartens in other countries and see how they are implemented and the kind of education that is taught.
★✰   http://www.iaece.org/eindex.html

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

"ELL students are tasked with the two-fold challenge of learning a new language and simultaneously keeping up with academic content taught in a language they have not yet mastered" (Afterschool, 2011). As educational professionals we have to use any means possible to help children and families from any diversity succeeded in all environments. There is never enough resources and materials available to achieve this. I found four sites that support childrens learning of English in a variety of areas and ways: The National Council of La Raza, National Council of Teachers of English, The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. 

The National Council of La Raza's is a civil rights and advocacy organization for Hispanic Americans in the U.S. The organization hosts different seminars/conventions/expos/conventions on advocacy, empowerment, children & youth, civil rights & justice, healthy & disease control, training on helping and aiding children and families of Hispanic decent in all environments, etc. A job opportunity available that I would be interested in is the Resource Development Intern, I would need to be able to perform data analysis, research methods, and an understanding of present and future projects, individual, foundation and corporate donors. I picked this organization because it offers a lot of great activities, community outreach and education training programs. 

http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/jobs_at_nclr/

The National Council of Teachers of English is "devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. This mission statement was adopted  in 1990:

"The Council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language.“

The organizations goal is to make sure every child, especially those who speak English as a second language have just as equal chance of learning and understanding as those who speak English as their first language. The organization supports literacy, writing, integrated language arts, diversity, knowledgeable caring teachers, advocacy and public education. I picked this website because it focuses on all children, families and teachers, not just a specific diversity. There are only 6 jobs listed and none of them are in N.C. (where I live) or MD (where I used to live). If I had to pick one it would be: 'Classroom teachers are needed at American & international schools throughout the world. All subjects and grade levels from preK-12 needed at international schools where you teach your subject in English.' I would need my teaching knowledge, skills and understanding, my MSECS knowledge on diversity and to learn more in-depth about ELL. 

http://www.ncte.org/

 The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education 'focuses on public policies and programs that pertain to its overarching goal --- to increase school readiness among Hispanic children entering kindergarten, particularly those from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, in order to ensure that all Hispanic children are well-educated and prepared for the future.' The Hispanic population makes up a good percentage of the ELL in the U.S. I picked this site because it focuses more on advocacy, policies and research. I could not find any job opportunities. 

http://ecehispanic.org/index.html

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is an organization that also focuses on all children who do not speak English. This organization provides materials, resources, seminars, instruction, etc for teachers on how to properly & adequately educate ELL. TESOL's goals are that: 'English language learners receive quality education through TESOL International Association's leadership in the field, TESOL International Association members participate in the association to build expertise and are recognized for their involvement and professionalism, and Individuals and organizations look to TESOL International Association to inform policy and practice.' I picked this organization because it is for educators and provides a great deal of information, services, resources, programs, etc. so that they can meet the needs of the whole child. There were not job opportunities listed.

http://www.tesol.org/

  

Afterschool, A. (2011). English Language Learners: Becoming Fluent in Afterschool. Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 49. Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved from ERIC.

Early Childhod Organizations

There are tons of education organizations and agencies and services available for educators, families, children, etc. I did a search in N.C. because I will be moving there in a week. The three organizations I picked are: North Carolina Early Childhood Association (NCECA), LEARN NC and North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). 

I picked the NCECA because they are all about improving child care in N.C. and making sure that each child receives an appropriate educational, safe and nurturing environment regardless of their diversity, socioeconomic status, etc. Their goal is to make child care available to every family. The members are made up of students, teachers, educational professionals, parents and any individuals that advocate for children. Implementing programs or creating programs for children and/or families would be interesting. I would need to know what programs/services are needed in that area and how to actually create the programs.

http://www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com/

LEARN NC is dedicated to educators and professionals in providing resources and multimedia for the classroom, professional growth, seminars, etc. This website is very informational and educational for professionals in a variety of educational childhood settings. There are a variety of resources for teachers, the classroom and educational professionals in general. I could not find any posted jobs on the LEARN NC website but some positions I would think they would have are online learning website curriculum developers, lesson plan developers, research resource creators, etc. I would need more in-depth knowledge about curriculum, instruction and research methods.

http://www.learnnc.org/

NCAE is dedicated to making sure educational professionals have the proper training, education, knowledge and benefits to be successful in the education field. I think this is a great website for educators to learn what they need to succeed and create effective learning environments.Teaching classes about diversity and culture so that all educators are anti-biased would be a great way to advocate for children and be a rewarding position. I wouldn't really need much additional training, just how to teach adults.

http://www.ncae.org/cms/History/264.html

Wk 8, Heartfelt goodbyes...

As our time at Walden comes to an end i have been reflecting on all that I have learned and am astonished at the amount of information and knowledge i have gained and developed these several months of the program. It was a blast to work with each of you and learn from your our take on things, outlook, interpretations and insights. I greatly appreciate all the hard work you have put into your studies, interactions with fellow classmates and the early childhood profession. Each of you has done a wonderful job. Not only do I wish all of you the best in everything you do but one of my wishes for the early childhood profession is that each of you (and me) always give your best to every child we come into contact with and that you help other professionals do the same as well as become more anti-biased. 

My greatest hope for the early childhood profession is that every professional utilizes themselves to the best of their ability to educate, teach, cultivate and create children that have developed to the whole child and are anti-biased individuals that are successful individuals. Early childhood professionals can never stop learning how to best meet the needs of children and our ever changing world.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development wk 7

I picked Thailand because I had a foreign exchange student from there several years ago.  Every country suffers from the basic hardships of the economy just at different levels.  The Human Development Index (HDI) is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education, standards of living, and quality of life for countries worldwide, according to this list Thailand is number 103. 

Some children in Thailand suffer from homelessness, poverty, working the streets as sex slaves, lack of education, lack of health and development services, etc. "Children of ethnic minorities, migrants, refugees and the very poor. These children are still denied many of their basic rights to survival, protection and development. For example, there are still an estimated 600,000 primary-school aged children not in primary school or who are enrolled late" (UNICEF, 2009)  According to the UNICEF Thailand website children face challenges of: birth registration, access to and quality of education, HIV/AIDS, trafficking and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation, child labour, poverty and increasing disparities, juvenile justice, violence against children, child accidents and injury, child soldiers and refugees, stunting, obesity and iodine deficiency, awareness of child rights and mechanisms for child participation, social trends such as increased drug and alcohol use and the break-up of traditional families and a lack of data on children’s issues. These all affect a child's growth, development and learning. No child should have to experience any of these issues.

Any of these issues would affect a child's emotional development in a variety of ways. A child will feel unloved, unwanted, worthless, not form proper relationships with others, have difficult trusting others, be unstable emotionally, etc. They wouldn't have the proper knowledge and education need to thrive successfully. 

While there are numerous issues that children from poverty are experiencing there are 10+ government agencies helping as well as 15+ non-government agencies working on improving conditions. It is mind boggling that children experience these challenges. Personally I just want to take all the children that do not live in favorable conditions like mine and bring them to live with me and give them everything. Unfortunately, not only are there way too many children in the world to do this they wouldn't fit in my house. it makes me very sad that children out there go through these hardships.  It helps to know that UNICEF exists and that they work in close partnership with the Royal Thai Government, the private sector, NGOs, faith-based groups, youth groups, local communities and vulnerable children to pave the way for a better world for children. Makes me want to do my best and try my hardest to help every child I come in contact with. 

http://www.unicef.org/thailand/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

The way sex is portrayed in our society is astonishing and to bold and showy. Our children are learning at a young age what it means to be sexy, how to be seen as a possession and not as a human being and what the standard is for being accepted as sexy. This is mind boggling that children are dealing with being sexualized at such an early age. Our media and society needs to take it down a notch and parents need to explain things better to their children and only provide them with appropriate toys, movies, music, etc. Children learn from ever interaction, media, environment and experience.

When I worked at a preschool there was a 4 year old girl that was very girly-girl, had to wear the hippest clothes, be dressed and look cute/good at all times (didn't wear anything like sweats or that was frumpy) and had her nails done, etc. She knew all the words to 'My milkshake is better then yours' and other inappropriate songs and would sing them and dance around.. 

A little girl who I used to Nanny who is now 4 was 2 & 3 at the time but at 3 she knew some of the lyrics to songs that are not appropriate, like Justin Bieber's song 'Boyfriend'. 

There was a little boy in the 3 year old classroom that would hum his cot at nap time and some of the other girls... wow was that shocking.

Experiencing these different sexualized medias will give children the wrong development of their social identity, their self development, attitudes towards themselves and what they are worth. "Today’s cultural environment bombards children with inappropriate
and harmful messages" (Levin, & Kilbourne, J., 2009). Children do not understand these messages or how to handle them. They are too young for them. When children learn the words to songs they do not even realize what they are saying and what the underlying message is in that song. They develop their own ideas and concepts. I think discussing what is appropriate in the school setting and how we are to behave is best and sending home a letter to parents or having a PTA meeting explaining the sexualized messages children are receiving. Parents need to be aware that "In the most extreme cases, the media’s incessant sexualization of childhood can contribute to pathological sexual behavior,
including sexual abuse, pedophilia, and prostitution" (Levin, & Kilbourne, J., 2009).

I had never really thought much about how prominent the sexualization of children was happening. i was aware of little situations happening but not how common it really is. This definitely is a big issue that I will be sure to address whenever a situation arises that I know is from sexualized experiences.

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. 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


Here is a link to a list of children's books on gender role stereotypes.
journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/Books4Children.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As an educator in any environment when experiencing an 'ism' it is detrimental to the children, learning experience, families and educator. I cannot imagine experiencing an 'ism'. If i were to experience an 'ism' it would most likely be classism. I grew up in middle class and never really experienced any hardships. "Children learn about who is important enough to be visible and valued" from a variety of resources and experiences (Derman-Sparks, & Olsen Edwards, 2010). Individuals that have experienced hardships like poverty, hunger, immigration, etc have a different outlook on life. When experiencing classism parents that come from poverty or lower-income feel that I  cannot relate to them because I do not know what it is like to experience hunger, homelessness, despair, etc and do not know how to adequately help their children since i have not been in their situation. In some senses, they are correct, I have not experienced these situations but I have learned about them and how to deal with them. When experiencing classism it would be difficult to work with the parents and build a strong relationship to teach the child. If the child sees that the parents do not believe in me and doubt my teaching then the child will be disrespectful and think I cannot help them. The child will be less likely to participate in class, work hard, complete homework, etc. This will affect their overall learning and development. For example, one family does not have any health insurance so when their daughter gets sick they cannot take her to the doctors and she does not stay home from school because neither of the parents can afford to take off of work. This causes other children to get sick and miss school. When a note is sent home to the parents they are not very receptive and send a displeased response back. This causes more turmoil with the family and makes the environment even more unsettling and strained for their daughter. "Inequitable opportunities, privileges, and life experiences based on economic class deeply affect young children's lives" (Derman-Sparks, & Olsen Edwards, 2010)

 Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Observing Communication wk 3

It is interesting to watch different people interact, from young to old and everywhere in-between. I was visiting a friend who has 3 children, 12, 7 & 4. I watched the interaction between Kyrie who is 4 years old and Layla, my friend. The 4 year old was playing with a real phone that was broken and pretending to call and text her boyfriends.  (C=child; A=adult)

C: Oooo he texted me again! I wonder what he is gonna say this time.

A: What did he say?

C: He said that he he doesn't want to be the other girls boyfriend but is still mine.

A: He is dating you and another girl? That doesn't seem right.

C: Yes, its ok I have 3 boyfriends.

A: You have 3 boyfriends!! Why do you have 3? You should only have one. We only have 1 boyfriend at a time.

C: I dunno, i just wanted 3.

A: Thats quite a lot.... (child interrupts)

C: I got another text from my other boyfriend. I forgot his name. 

A: How can you forget his name? What did he say?

C: Oh... ah... well its Luke. He said he wanted to take me to the carnival next week.

A: ooo carnivals are fun... 

It was interesting to see what the 4 year old has learned from her older sister and nanny who is 20. The conversations showed the kinds of things that she has picked up that teens/young adults usually say and do. She is exposed to a variety of situations and conversations that are a little old for her. Kyrie has developed her own idea of how relationships work and what happens. She has interpreted what she hears and sees and created her own ideas without fully understanding the situation. I know this child very well, as I have known her family for 10 years. Based on her conceptions of 'relationships/dating' it makes me wonder how much of an impact all the princess videos she has watched has.

Layla follows along with Kyrie's pretend boyfriends situation and encourages her to continue with her 'game'. She asks questions and responds appropriately to the situation as if it was real. I would hope that by Layla correcting some of the aspects of dating that it will change Kyrie's thinking. Kyrie might be indifferent to it all.

There are times were I also play along with the pretend play and other times were I feel that it is not a pretend play that would enhance growth so i change the game and explain the context of the situation. There are times where I do not active listen to what a child is saying, that I just give a remote response and move on. That is also what i need to work on.

Creating Affirming Environments

In creating my own 'Family Child Care Home' one of the most important learning aspects is the environment itself. The environment needs to be welcoming and accepting for all. The environment needs to be child-centered and full of diversity. 

To accomplish all of this I would have decorations, books, activities, games, puzzles, music, toys, art objects, pictures, furniture, posters, and miscellaneous objects that support all cultures for exploration and discovery. Within each center or area of the house there would be items related to different cultures and diversities. For example, in the housekeeping area some ideas for cultural related items I could have: clay bowls, an African mat, and Japanese/Chinese cook and dinnerware like chop sticks and sushi supplies. There would also be dress up clothes from difference economic classes such as a doctor, trash man, teacher, server, etc. as well as different cultures like kimonos, a Thobe (A loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length dress for Islamic men), Tagiyah (A white knitted skull cap worn under the Ghutra), Ghutra (A square scarf, made of cotton or silk, folded in a triangle and worn over the Tagiyah), Abaya (long black robe that covers Islamic women from head to toe. It can be made of silk or cotton and can light or heavy), Hijab (headscarf that covers the Islamic woman's hair and neck). There would be posters and pictures all over the main children's area of different cultures, working class, and individuals with different abilities. Throughout the day I would have all different kinds of music playing softly in the background. There needs to be ample amounts of diversity for children to learn and explore.