Early Childhood Studies - Cindy Rube

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Saturday, February 1, 2014

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"Final Blog Assignment"

“Final Blog Assignment”

This course has been an amazing adventure. I have grown professionally and been able to re-evaluate my educational belief systems. First, I have been exposed to a wealth of resources via the internet, educational publications, and podcasts. Second, I have become more aware of the need to understand cultural differences and the importance of learning to work with these issues to the best of my ability and resources. Finally, I have expanded my educational contacts by obtaining a connection with an international educator in Australia. It has been so interesting and informative to see how much we are the same in our commitment to working with children. In addition, I have learned some of the differences between a variety of countries and their policies. I hope to stay in touch with this contact, as well as, my fellow Walden students. I look forward to working with these terrific people in the future. Many thanks for all the inspiration you each have given me.

"Getting to Know My International Contact - Part 3

“Getting to Know Your International Contacts – Part 3”

Over the past several weeks, I have been communicating our course assignments with my international contact. She has just recently responded to them. Her comments are as follows:

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

1. Introduction of a new national curriculum

2. Reporting procedures for new national curriculum

3. Setting higher expectations for learning and providing quality learning experiences that relate to real life

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

At my school, we literally have no extra money. Any professional development comes from other teachers within the school. We did have at the beginning the year our final PD on Tribes (a cooperative learning process). We aren't encouraged by leadership to go to PDs outside of school. I can't say it's that way for other schools, but my school’s financial situation and the government pulling money from education doesn't help.

What are some of your professional goals?

My professional goal for this year is to improve my understanding, teaching, and delivery of math. I have been reading a book by Van de Walle on Student Centered Math. Teaching math today is definitely different from the way I was taught in school. And sometimes it’s hard to get my head around that I got basic math when I was a child without all of the deeper understanding they are expecting children to know now. But as it is, I would like to be better at it and I have made it my goal for the year.

What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

I would like to see Prep/Kindergarten over here incorporate more of a developmental play structure with lots of fun different themes. I remember my mom's room at Coronado and how BIG it was. She had so many different areas along with the playhouse. It was awesome! Classrooms that size don't exist over here. They are smaller and the daily time schedule is a huge challenge. With our reporting schedule, I never feel like I have taught everything to the best of my ability or for all students to grasp the concepts. Politics and the extra amount of (pardon my language) BS that teachers have to do takes away from what we are really meant to be doing, teaching children and helping them to foster a love and desire to learn. Sorry, a bit soap boxy there.

So while the world around us is continually changing so fast, in some ways good and some way not, I hope I can continue to make a difference in children's learning and continue to grow as a teacher.

I had a quick glance at the article you attached about the importance of education for the pre-primary years. Here we have 3-year old kindergarten (pre-school) which parents have to pay for themselves and 4-year old kindergarten which the government pays for.

At the moment pre-school teachers do not get paid the same as primary school teachers, but a few years back a push to start paying the same was started but I don't think much has come from it. I know pre-school and even the Occasional Care where Maggie (my daughter) went have a long list of things to do in order to get their accreditation to deliver a pre-school curriculum. They write lesson plans and send reports home about each child. When the 4-year olds are transitioning from kinder to prep, the kinder's fill out very detailed transition information about each child. I think the early education program over here is quite good and has very high standards for their delivery of education to the children. Unlike the structure of primary school, they are play-based and have a wide variety of themes they run through-out the year with the children. And in regards to low income families, when a child is 4 they do have access to pre-school. It is up to the family to get them enrolled in the kinder of their choice. The local council also offers a Best Start Program that is also free for children ages 3-5. A school close to my house hosts the program. I sent Maggie to it when she was 4 for a little bit just so she could be part of a little bit more structure and a different environment from daycare. The school hosting it was also using the program as a "feeder program" to help them increase their intakes of preps for the following year. It is a good idea and Maggie enjoyed going.

Another challenge I have found teaching here is the Special Education Program. Basically, there isn't one. We don't have Special Ed teachers in the regular primary schools. Generally when children are having learning or behavioral difficulties in class, they will be tested by the psychologist. The results come back and you have a meeting with the psychologist and the parents and all the report does is give the teacher suggestions of things to do in the classroom. And it also covers the teacher to say that the teacher did something by having the child testing so it is on record that the child has a particular difficulty. In order to get an aide for a child the problem has to be pretty extreme. Autism is about the only thing you can get an aide in the room for and at that they are only there for a couple of hours with the child. The level of autism also has to be pretty high for the school to get funding for an aide. So you could have a child with autism and some learning difficulties but not enough to qualify for an aide. There is a school that more severe autistic kids go to. The ratio of student to teacher is really small and I think they have aides too. Some of our autistic kids might come to our school for 3 or 4 days and go to the autistic school for 1 or 2 days.

We have had some hearing impaired students. I had a little girl one year and I had to go to an information session and learn how to use and wear a microphone. The little girl read lips really well and I didn't need it all the time. I had an aide for her although she didn't really need one as she was academically bright

Information of low-income families in Australia:

Education Maintenance Allowance

The Education Maintenance Allowance provides assistance to low-income families by helping with the costs associated with the education of their children.

The changes to the EMA starting in 2013 include:

EMA payments to parents increased from:

$117.50 to $200 for parents of eligible Prep students

$117.50 to $150 for parents of all other eligible primary school students

$235 to $300 for parents of eligible Year 7 students

$235 to $250 for parents of all other eligible secondary school students up to the age of 16.

Who is eligible for the EMA?

The EMA provides financial assistance to families on a low income to help with the cost of essential educational items such as textbooks, stationery, uniforms and excursions.

EMA is a means-tested payment - parents must hold a Centrelink/Veterans Affairs concession card to be eligible.

_________________________________________________________

I was also thinking about how in Hobbs, NM and in Austin, TX. The schools offered a subsidized breakfast and lunch for kids at school.

In Melbourne, the schools don’t have cafeterias or feed their kids at school. Children bring their lunches to school and eat breakfast at home. There is before school and after school care offered where they might be given something to eat if they attend that program. At my school, most kids who attend, attend because their parents work, not because they are low income and need help feeding their children. Parents have to pay for this service, but if the mother is working then families usually qualify for a 50% rebate on the cost of the care. The care costs about $6/hour with the rebate.

I have truly enjoyed communicating with my international contact. It is interesting to realize even though we are in different countries, we share many of the same issues and concerns for our little ones.

"Sharing Web Resources"

To further my understanding of the early childhood arena, I have subscribed to NAEYC. This educational organization has many links to a variety of topics. As you enter the website, there are four main headings. They include: Spotlight: This includes current topics like “Questions about Learning to Read” and the “Week of the Young Child” event; News & Highlights: “Get the Latest”; Publications: This section offers links to “Teaching Young Children”, “New Books from NAEYC”, and “Young Children”; Quick Links: “Search for Accredited Child Care Programs”.

In addition, there is a search engine to select a particular topic. I used this to find links in reference to equity and excellence in early care and education. The following is an excerpt from this search (please go to this website to view the entire article):

A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education

Early Years Are Learning Years

The demand for early childhood care and education programs continues to increase not only in response to the growing demand for out-of-home child care but also in recognition of the critical importance of educational experiences during the early years. Several decades of research clearly demonstrate that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs produce short- and long-term positive effects on children's cognitive and social development.

NAEYC members, most of whom work directly with young children and families, see daily the toll of ill-conceived policies on the lives of the children and families we serve. Existing programs have too often taken fragmented, piecemeal approaches to the complex issues facing children and families. Effective policies have seldom been funded at sufficient levels to provide adequate support to all families who might benefit.

NAEYC believes that our nation is at a crossroads. We must develop an integrated system of early childhood care and education that includes comprehensive approaches that directly involve families and communities in program design, implementation, and evaluation. We can invest now in our children and families and enjoy long-term savings, with a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children and more stable families. Or, we can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children. Federal, state and local government, communities, parents, and the private sector must share in the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of children and families.

Our nation can and must do better to create opportunities that help all children and families succeed. The time for action is now.

In addition, I found an article in reference to tax/budget cuts in reference to the early childhood field. The topic was entitled, “NAEYC Children’s Champions Alert”. Please review the website to read this article in full. This section helps educators stay current and gives them the knowledge and opportunity to become involved politically for our children.

Reference Website

www.naeyc.org

Getting to Know My Internationial Contact

International Contact - Part 2

The following is the last response I received from my international contact. She has just recently returned from vacation. School goes year-round in her location of Australia.

“Your question about poverty and how is it handled. The two schools I have taught in have not been low income schools. My present school is middle to upper income families who mostly own their own businesses. They called “tradies” over here, i.e., builders, plumbers, electricians, etc.

I will have to look into how poverty is handled in Australia. I am hoping to talk to my principal about it because I think he has worked in some low income schools. I know there are schools here that are low income. I know that in Australia they have a hard time getting teachers up in the “bush”/country areas where the aboriginal people are located.”

I am still waiting to hear from my international contact with issues related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field. Her situation seems to have a fairly equal standard of living. In contrast, my school district has a very diverse atmosphere in terms of financial and cultural aspects.

"Sharing Web Resources"

“Sharing Web Resources”

For this course, I chose to become a member of the NAEYC to help me stay in touch with the field of the early childhood education. This week we have been studying the importance of other professionals coming together with educators to create necessary policies and programs. These professions include economists, neuroscientists, and politicians. I found a position statement from the NAEYC in connection with this idea. It was posted under the heading “Guiding Principles for the Development and Analysis of Early Childhood Public Policy”. I found one section particularly interesting:

3. Must foster high quality service delivery:

• must provide sufficient funds to ensure that high-quality

services are provided

• must integrate provision of child care and educational

services

• must foster collaboration among services for young

children and their families at all levels of government

• must promote coordination among services for children

• must provide for collaboration among early childhood

programs within a community

• must allow flexibility to meet individual family and

community needs (NAEYC Position Statement, n.d.)

I would recommend this website for educators; especially, those in the field of early childhood education. The website also dedicated a section to an annual celebration called the “Week of the Young Child”. The Week of the Young Child™ is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The purpose of the Week of the Young Child™ is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. The 2013 Week of the Young Child™ is April 14–20 and the theme is Early Years Are Learning Years® (NAEYC, n.d.)

Reference

NAEYC. www.naeyc.org

"Getting to Know My International Contact"

“Getting to Know My International Contact”

Making a connection with an international educational professional has been a difficult task. I attempted to make connections in Croatia and Germany with no success. Fortunately through a colleague at my school, I was able to make a contact in Australia. Her name is Carrie. It turns out that this is a young woman that I used to babysit as a young girl. She married a young man from Australia and they have established a home there. She has lived and taught there for the past nine years. The first six years of her career began in New Mexico and Texas teaching second grade. Carrie is now in her second year of teaching Prep which is the equivalent of kindergarten in the United States. In her Australian community, she teaches in a year-round school environment. At this time, her school is on a two-week break. The school educates students from prep (kindergarten) through 6^th grade. They have 460 students which include 54 prep children divided among three classrooms.

Australia seems to be very concerned and involved with early childhood services. Mothers receive eighteen weeks of paid maternity leave. Several years back, they received twelve weeks maternity leave along with a $4,000 “baby bonus” to help with expenses. When a mother decides to return to work, they can qualify for a 50% rebate on childcare. She only pays for the days her child is in daycare at approximately $5.25 per hour.

Early childhood services in Australia are very helpful with children beginning at birth. After a mother delivers a child, Maternal Health and Childhood Services send out a midwife to examine the mother and baby for 2 or 3 home visits. They do basic examines on the baby and assist the mom with baby care suggestions. Moms are also placed in a mother’s group after the birth of their first child in their area. The hospital gives new moms a book to record their baby’s weight and measurements along with appointments. In addition, Medical Health and Childhood Services offer free immunizations that are recorded in this book.

There are quite a lot of services for early childhood through the local councils. Carrie’s council is Nillumbik:

http://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Living_in_Nillumbik/Family_and_Childrens_services

These councils also offer council kindergarten programs which are preschool classes. The classes keep a notebook on classroom observations, work samples, pictures, and progress reports. They also give a report on all the different levels of learning; i.e., cognitive, fine motor, gross motor skills, and so on.

Families are very fortunate to receive these services. However, the benefits do come at a cost. Carrie had to live in Australia for 2 ½ years before the birth of her first baby. They have a socialized medical care system. They sometimes have to wait for long periods of time to receive medical care by an assigned physician.

I have emailed Carrie about the issue of poverty in her community. Since she is on a holiday break, I have not received a response this past week.

"Sharing Web Resources"

During this course, I decided to join and subscribe to the NAEYC. I have included their mission statement, goals, and vision statement. With this membership, I hope to become more informed and have access to a vast amount of resources to help me grow as an educator.

Name and web link: www.naeyc.org

Our Mission - NAEYC Mission Statement

NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I, Section 1.1).

Goals

NAEYC expresses its mission in terms of three broad goals:

Improving professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education.
Supporting early childhood programs by working to achieve a high-quality system of early childhood education.
Building a high-performing, inclusive organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.

Vision Statement

NAEYC's efforts are designed to achieve these ends:

All children have access to a safe and accessible, high quality early childhood education that includes a developmentally appropriate curriculum; knowledgeable and well-trained program staff and educators; and comprehensive services that support their health, nutrition, and social well-being, in an environment that respects and supports diversity.
All early childhood professionals are supported as professionals with a career ladder, ongoing professional development opportunities, and compensation that attracts and retains high quality educators.
All families have access to early childhood education programs that are affordable and of high quality and actively participate in their children's education as respected reciprocal partners.
All communities, states, and the nation work together to ensure accountable systems of high-quality early childhood education for all children.

The NAEYC website has many links to resources that are easily accessible. My focus this week was the topic of dual language learners. This issue resonates with me and my school district. In the past two years, our Hispanic population has grown by leaps and bounds. I discovered a particular online event that took place in August 2012. It was a question and answer session with the Karen Nemeth, the author of the Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners. She answered many questions on this topic. One included using technology with dual language families. Translation applications help communicate with families. Skype may be used to keep children in contact with family members in their native country. This would also be a wonderful activity to use in the classroom to educate students on other cultures. She also shared several resources including: Children’s Digital Library, Colorin’ Colorado, and Tumblebooks. Another topic discussed ideas for teaching multiple languages in one classroom. She suggested using pictures or gestures, learning certain phrases in a child’s native language, or sign language. These tools would help a dual language child feel more comfortable and able to interact with the teacher and other children.

I found these resources very helpful. I have already reviewed Colorin’ Colorado. This website was also recommended by Dr. Myers during our Discussion Assignment this week. I look forward to researching these resources more in the future. It has been amazing sharing with professional colleagues! What a terrific resource – professional educational contacts!

"Update on Establishing Professional Contacts"

As of today, I have two professional contacts. Several of my teaching colleagues had knowledge of teachers outside of the United States. I have a contact in Australia and possibly one from Korea. I am very excited to learn from each of them. I look forward to sharing new knowledge with my fellow Walden students.

"Establishing Professional Contacts & Expanding Resources"

Part 1 – Establishing Professional Contacts

This has been a very interesting process. Through the Global Alliance of NAEYC, I found and contacted several educational professionals. I chose one from Germany and one from Croatia. At this point, I have not received a response. In addition, I have spoken with two of my fellow colleagues. One may have a contact in Australia and one may have a resource from Korea. I am waiting for responses from them. I hope to establish a connection with one or more very soon. I am looking for to establishing contacts with educators in a variety of circumstances. However, I am realizing it may be a slower process that expected. Anxiously waiting!

As an alternative and while I am waiting for responses, I viewed the World Forum websites. I listened and reviewed to radio podcasts. One was Maysoun Chehab. She helped train families and teachers in order to support their children after a Lebanon War in 2006. The research found that the families and teachers need to learn coping strategies and techniques first before they could help their children. I also viewed a podcast in reference to Meridas Eka Yora. He helped establish boarding schools for children orphaned by a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It is amazing to learn how educators are helping children around the world.

Part 2 – Expanding Resources

I reviewed several resources. There are so many wonderful resources available to educators. I decided to become a member of NAEYC. In addition, this association has a New Mexico state affiliation. I believe this resource will allow me to have access to many issues and opportunities in the future. During research and discussions throughout my Walden courses, I have realized that I need to expand my horizons and learn about issues outside my classroom and my local community. I am looking forward to using this resource in the future.

"My Supports"

“My Supports”

The very first support that comes to mind is definitely my family. They include my daughter, Haely, and my mom and dad. I absolutely depend on them for emotional, physical, and spiritual support. My daughter is the light of my life. She is everything I want to be when I “grow up”. She is smart, social, loving, fun, faithful, and has an awesome love of life. My parents are my advisors and best friends. As a divorced mom, they are key people in helping me raise my little Haely. My younger brother, Mike, passed away a year and half ago. I still rely on him in a spiritual way. We were each other’s support system and best friends. I miss him so much. In addition, he thought of Haely as his own. They adored each other. Thanks to him and the blessings he bestowed on us, Haely will have all the opportunities he thought she deserved. My sweet brother and parents are the reason I am able to obtain my Master’s degree and maintain a home for Haely without financial burdens.

In my professional life, I have some very close colleagues that are like friends and family as well. My kindergarten co-teachers get me through each day. We work as a team in lesson and activity planning. We are counselors for each other. We depend on each other to deal with issues, positive and negative. One teacher, Maryann Brown, has been teaching early childhood education for forty years. She is an awesome resource and mentor. Rufina Felicitti, is a new addition to our team. She brings fresh and fun ideas to our curriculum. I can’t imagine working with anyone else. We tease Mrs. Brown that she can never retire. Our team has an amazing bond. In addition, I have a dear friend, Bonnie Juarez. She was the school administrative assistant until moving to the administration office last year. We went to high school together and reconnected four years ago. She is my spiritual angel. She is positive, kind, loving, and faithful despite many personal issues. She is my rock! It is very hard not seeing her on a daily basis. My daughter and I miss her “Bonnie smiles and hugs”.

My faith and Church family are very important to my family. They have helped us through many ups and downs. We have some sweet friends there. I don’t know how my family would have gotten through the last few years without them.

I sometimes have a hard time staying organized with everything I have going on in my life. Haely and my family help me stay on track. I use lists to stay organized. I am currently trying to reorganize my house and classroom to help me feel together and get more done. The dream would be to have a personal assistant and a housekeeper. Maybe someday! My circle of support is small, but amazing! I would not be here today without them!

Swinging fun!

Playing outside!

My Connections to Play!

My Connections to Play!

QUOTES ABOUT PLAY:

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

~Kay Redfield Jamison
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.

~Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

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

~Fred Rogers
American television personality
1928–2003

I truly believe that play is an essential part of a child’s development. Play is the best way to experience a new concept. I included two pictures of my daughter and her friends playing outside. That is one of my favorite memories as a child. My friends and I were always outside playing. We would play at the park. We rode our bikes everywhere. During recess at school, we would play tether ball, jump rope, and climb on the monkey bars. P.E. included learning different types of sports, exercises, and games like “steal the bacon” or “red rover”. As children, we were active. We used our imaginations to role-play. One of my fondest memories was pretending areas of my yard were rooms in a house. I loved to play family and dress-up. In addition, my brother and I would play board games. As a family, we spent time together doing crafts or playing cards. Social interactions, physical activity, and using our imaginations made every day an adventure.

The world was a different place when I was growing up. We felt safe in our neighborhoods. Unfortunately, times are very different. My daughter and her friends live in a world that has to be supervised and with some restrictions. In addition, technology is an amazing resource; however, it needs to be managed. It should not take the place of creative play and social interactions.

With the supervision of parents and educators, children today can experience the same type of imaginative play. In addition, today’s children can enhance their knowledge with technology. With the proper balance, our children can have the best of both worlds.

Play should continue through all phases of life. As a parent, my love of play continues with my daughter. As an educator, play helps my children learn new skills. I love to teach new skills with games, puppets, fun voices, and so on. The more a child is involved and intrigued in an activity – the more they are open to learning and retaining their new found knowledge.

Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

Relationships mean a great deal to me. I am from a small, close-knit family. My family and I have dealt with divorces, health issues, and death. You learn early on the importance of those that truly mean the most to you. There are those that will be there for you – no matter what.

My daughter, mom, dad, and my dear friend, Bonnie, are the most positive, loving people in my life. My sweet brother, Mike, passed away a year and a half ago. He was my best friend! He will always be an on-going presence in my life.

The following relationships have the unique characteristics that I think are imperative. These are love, loyalty, humor, compassion, respect, strong faith, and commitment. First, my mom, Pat, has been the most significant person throughout my life. Not only has she been an awesome mom, but has been my best friend. We have been through so much together. I am so grateful she has been a huge part of my life. Even through tough times, she was always a positive influence. As a child, I really never knew there were problems. She always made sure my brother and I had what we needed. We never felt insecure or worried. I was in junior high when my stepdad, Ron, came into the picture. He has always been so supportive and loving. I have always referred to him as “dad”. My parents are loving, supportive, and always make me laugh. In addition, they have also given my daughter the best memories and security even through hard times. She adores them!

My daughter, Haely, is the love of my life. She is my rock! I truly don’t know where I would be without her. I learn so much from her every day. She has all the qualities I wish I had within myself. She has an ability to love everyone with no hesitation. She judges a person’s character on merit. Haely has a loving, compassionate, positive, fun, full of life, trusting personality. Every day she starts and ends the day happy! I hope to be like her one day! I believe that as a parent that it has been my responsibility to play an active role in the relationships my child has in her life. This has been especially important during her early years. I truly believe that the positive, wonderful people in her life are helping her develop into a terrific person.

My dear friend, Bonnie, means the world to me. She and I went all through high school together. We just knew each other through our business classes. We reconnected four years ago. She was the administrative assistant where I was interviewing for a teaching position. She came back into my life when I needed a friend the most. Her personal life has been full of hard times. However, you would never know it. She has an amazing spirit and a beautiful faith in God. She has a smile every morning. She gives you a hug or sends you an email at just the right moment. She recently changed positions. I don’t see her daily, but I know she will always be there for me. In addition, I will always be there for her.

This assignment has been very therapeutic for me. I am very cautious with my personal relationships. I have endured the loss of loved ones and the loss of a friendship. I think I am somewhat different in my professional life. I am open to new people and collaborating together. I love to interact with my students and families. I try to make them feel comfortable with me. I want to be a positive influence on them. I hope I make my children feel loved and secure. Not only do we learn together, but we have fun together. I want them to know I am there for them – no matter what happens. Fortunately, I work with a group of professional colleagues that work together as a team for the best interests of our children and each other. We leave our personal feelings or issues out of the picture. Something that is hard to do in our personal lives at times. I believe building strong relationships is an on-going process and so important – no matter what age.

A Word of Thanks!

Thanks to all of the amazing students/educators that I have had the exciting opportunity to work together with during this course. We have all made the wonderful decision to work with children - our future. Best wishes to all! Cindy Rube

Quotes on Early Childhood Education

“The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six.”

- Maria Montessori

The following quote was from a video called, "The Passion for Early Childhood".
"It made me feel whole. It made me feel creative and so it became my life-long work; early childhood education and 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

"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming
part of a small child's world."

--Janet Gonzalez-Mena

"Play for young children is not recreation activity,…It is not leisure-time activity nor escape activity. Play is thinking time for young children. It is language time. Problem-solving time. It is memory time, planning time, investigating time. It is organization-of ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his powers in response to the stimuli he has met."
--James L. Hymes, Jr., child development specialist, author

"Hands constitute the infant’s first connection to the world. Hands pick the infant up, lay him down, wash, dress, and feed him. What a different picture of the outside world an infant has when quiet, patient, careful, yet secure hands take care of him. How different the world must seem when these hands are impatient, rough, hasty, unquiet and nervous."

--Emmi Pikler

Testing for Intelligence?

When to test students is a question that we as educators are still discussing. In our district, we have to follow federally mandated rules on when to test in any area. These requirements and the amount of paperwork can be very frustrating and time-consuming. In my opinion, these delays are not beneficial to the students. If a child attends a preschool and has involved parents, some children are already receiving the services needed by the time they enter kindergarten. However, in many cases, the testing process does not begin until they enter public schools. Speech, bilingual, and behavior screenings can begin in kindergarten. These children are only screened if a teacher and/or parent sees a need. Then, the prescreening process begins. In the past, all kindergarten children had their speech, vision, and hearing screened in order to have a baseline and find problems early. With new rules and budget cuts, speech is only screened if requested by a teacher and/or the parent. In addition, this student must show academic or social problems to proceed with speech screening. Some very intelligent children with no behavioral issues may have speech problems. They may have a difficult time being placed in a speech program. Vision and hearing tests are still offered to all students. On the other end of the spectrum, children are not screened for the gifted program until second or third grade. Again, all second grade students were tested for the gifted program several years ago. Currently, only the students referred by a teacher or requested by a parent will be screened. Fortunately, most medical or physical disabilities have been diagnosed by a physician and the child is receiving services. I believe all students should be afforded these screenings to help detect problems early. Of course, there are always exceptions. We have a girl in first grade that is hearing impaired. She entered school late. She does not know sign language and neither do her parents. There are no records of her academics. She may be highly intelligent; however, her teacher does not know her abilities due to a lack of communication skills. It is definitely a work in progress! She is such a sweet little girl.

We have many students entering our school system from Mexico. I was interested to see what was offered in Mexico. I did find that they offer services to help children in need. However, the access to testing is not widely available to all children. Schools in populated areas are able to provide services. Some rural areas do not have these opportunities. It was also interesting to discover that usually mental and physical disabilities were tested. Language and reading issues were not a main concern (Mount-Cors). From the students that enter our school from Mexico, they usually are somewhat behind our grade levels.

I wish all children were screened as early as possible. As educators and parents, we need to be proactive to ensure are children receive everything that is available to them. It may take time and be frustrating, but the end result will be worth it. Unfortunately, some parents don’t understand that they have to be involved. There are those that assume that the school is responsible and their input is not necessary. This can be an unfortunate situation. Teachers need to make sure that our parents our informed.

References

Mount-Cors, Mary Faith. Bridging Spanish language barriers in southern schools.

Retrieved from: www.learnnc.org

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Children suffer from some many stressors. Some don’t experience the fun aspects of being a child. Too many have to grow-up or deal with situations out of their control. There is a student in my school that is a prime example. He (a 4^th grader) and his sister (a 5^th grader) come from a home of poverty and an unstable family environment. He rarely has the necessary school supplies. His clothes are often dirty and his personal hygiene has needed to be addressed. Abuse has also been suspected and is being investigated. His mom is not in the picture. His dad plays in a band and is an alcoholic. The boy is being raised by an elderly grandmother that is not in good health. She provides the best environment based on her means. His older sister plays the role of a “mom” at times. They are rarely supervised. They often don’t do their homework. It is always difficult to contact the dad by phone and almost impossible to schedule a conference with him. The above issues obviously affect his biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development. He struggles academically, socially, and physically. He has behavioral issues due to his anger. He has no motivation or desire to make any changes due to a lack of appropriate role models at home. We try as a school community along with child services to improve the lives of these two children. The dad is supposed to enter a rehabilitation program. An aunt is in the process of becoming their guardian. This is an extremely tragic example. Unfortunately, many of the students in the community are suffering from similar situations.

It was difficult to select only one country to research how poverty and other stressors effect child development. My first choices were China and Mexico. We have students in our school from both countries. An article from UNICEF discussed the findings from a committee of leaders from several different countries (UNICEF, 2005). It stated that my selected areas and other countries suffered from the same issues. Many children in these locations deal with poverty, abuse, health issues, and a lack of education. UNICEF with other associations are working together to promote the rights of children. They are establishing and monitoring laws that help provide a strong and comprehensive family network and improve the educational systems. There are some countries that have risen the minimum employment age of their children. Groups are trying to get children in school and off the streets. There are strategies that are attempting to end the use of child soldiers. All of the above problems contribute to a child’s biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development. It is heartbreaking that children around the globe suffer from so many atrocities. Children are the world’s most precious treasure! Our future will one day depend on them as our leaders and community members.

References

UNICEF (2005). Effects of poverty, conflict, domestic violence among main topics of discussion,

as third committee takes up children’s rights. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org

Child Development and Public Health

Nutrition/Malnutrition

It is so hard to select just one topic that is important to early childhood development. I selected nutrition/malnutrition effects on children. Malnutrition can lead to problems with behavioral, cognitive, and health issues. The lack of healthy nutrition may also lead to illness. Their immune systems become weak and they become more susceptible to diseases. Fortunately, we are fortunate in the United States to have programs like Early Childhood Development (EDC) to help ensure that programs and facilities are available to families. For example, many schools provide every student the availability of a free breakfast through their public school system. Students may also receive free and reduced price lunches. For some of my children, this may be the only meal they have sometimes. It is hard for a child to concentrate and learn if they are hungry or absent due to illness. Many communities offer food banks, soup kitchens, and other programs as needed. Even though these resources are available, some of my students still come to school hungry. Some parents still need to be educated on these facilities and efforts need to be made in order to ease any apprehension they may be feeling.

Unlike the United States, many children in Africa suffer from malnutrition due to poverty. Even though there are organizations like UNICEF, these resources are not as readily available to the large number of people in need. “Good nutrition and good health are very closely linked throughout the lifespan, but the connection is even more striking during infancy. Over half of child mortality in low-income countries can be attributed to malnutrition” (The World Bank). Resources and education need to continue in Africa and around the world to help put an end to hunger.

It is heartbreaking and almost unthinkable that our most precious gifts around the world are suffering from a lack of proper nutrition. One would hope that with all the resources and wealth around the world, that this is an issue that one day will be resolved.

Reference

Early Childhood Development (ECD). The World Bank. Retrieved from http://go.worldbank.org/DRU96YZ4G0

My Childbirth Experience and Childbirth Experiences Around the Globe

My Personal Birthing Experience

The birth of my one and only child is the birthing experience I have chosen. It was considered a high-risk birth. I did not get pregnant and give birth to Haely until I was forty. Not only was I an older mom, but I also had high blood pressure. Haely’s birth was a gift from God. I was fortunate to have an awesome OB/GYN, Dr. Driskill, and an awesome insurance plan. Due to my age and health issues, I was in close contact with my doctor. In addition, I was seen by a specialist to conduct a 4-D sonogram and any other further testing. From the day I found out I was pregnant, I started to make healthy changes. I started taking prenatal vitamins before and during my pregnancy. I stopped drinking caffeine and changed my eating habits. I had an absolutely amazing pregnancy and easy childbirth. My mom likes to tease me that I could have had at least a little morning sickness or little more pain during labor. The simplicity was a little unexpected. I was put on bed rest for a week due to some early contractions. It was expected I might return to work as a 2^nd grade teacher. However, Haely had other plans. I woke up early on a Saturday morning. It seemed like my water had broken – but it was so slight. My doctor suggested that I go to the E.R. to be checked out. I was nervous because I was six weeks early. I checked in the hospital at 7:00 a.m. and shortly thereafter my water truly had broken. There was a good chance that I might have to have a C-section. In preparation for that and to reduce a long labor and possible complications, my OB/GYN made the decision to give me shot to reduce the pain and administer petocin and an epidural. I feel asleep and did not wake up until 7:00 p.m. that evening. I told the nurse something felt different. She said she would check but truly doubted that I was ready. To her surprise, I was dilated to a ten. Within a short time, my family, my doctor, nurses, and the prenatal team had filled the hospital room. All of those people were a little unsettling. I was not sure what to expect. However, I was blessed with a calm doctor and comforting mom. Within forty-five minutes Haely had arrived. She was 4 pounds, 14 ounces. Her only issue was being so small. She was perfectly healthy except for having to be tube fed. I was unable to breast fed and she did not know how to eat on her own. We were expected to be in the hospital for approximately two weeks. However, we were discharged after only four days due to the amount of sick babies being admitted with viruses. Fortunately, I was able to spend the first three weeks with my mom. My pregnancy and birthing experience was unusually easy and absolutely wonderful! Haely is now a beautiful, healthy 2^nd grader! I am truly grateful!

A Childbirth Experience from Around the Globe

I reviewed the birthing experiences from several different countries. I am half German so I researched their experiences. It was fascinating to learn they use primarily midwives. In fact, a doctor is optional and a midwife is required by law to be present at every birth. The birth experience is almost more of the focus than the outcome. C-sections are sometimes looked upon as an unfortunate event and can leave some moms feeling like they might have failed in some way. I cannot imagine not having my OB/GYN throughout the whole process. It seems very stressful that the medical possibility of a c-section may be thought of as an unsuccessful experience. However, I was very impressed with the wonderful maternity leave that is available to women with full-time jobs. A pregnant woman may not be fired. They are allowed to stop working six weeks before their due date and are “forbidden” from working for eight weeks after giving birth – all with full pay. These moms may even take up to three years of leave. Unfortunately, this leave is unpaid. The third year is considered a floating year and can be used at any time by either parent. In my school district, you are allowed six weeks of maternity leave. However, you are only paid if you have saved enough vacation days. In my case, I had acquired six weeks of leave. Haely came six weeks early so the additional six weeks I needed to take were unpaid. I found a local German custom very fascinating. The German government keeps a list of “accepted names” that parents must adhere to when selecting a name. An unusual name must be approved by the government. This is intended to protect the child from potential ridicule because of a very different name.

I also researched other countries that included Ethiopia, the Netherlands, and Japan. It is intriguing to explore the different experiences from each one.

Best Wishes and Blessings to my Walden Friends!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your support, feedback, and encouragement during this course. I feel we have all made new friends in our professional field. Hopefully, we will work together during other courses in the future. Many thanks to Dr. Dartt for all of her patience, caring attitude, positive feedback, and encouragement! I have learned so much from this course. Best wishes and blessings to everyone!

Cindy Rube

Code of Ethics

There were three ideals listed in the NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics that I connected with immediately. First, the DEC listed the principle of Professional Practice (DEC, August 2000). This is a strategy that is used in my school. We have of team of teachers that represent a range of credentials. This group works together on a consistent basis to work with children that have special needs. Ideas are exchanged and current trends are introduced. Parents are included in this collaboration. The following statement describes how this ideal relates to me: We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children’s development and learning (DEC, August 2000).

The NAEYC listed two ideals that were also meaningful to me. They are Ethical Responsibilities to Children and Ethical Responsibilities to Families (NAEYC, April 2005). Both of these resonate with me on a personal and a professional level. As a child, I had a difficult time adjusting to school. One of my early childhood teachers took the time to work with me and collaborate with my parents. I was nurtured and learned to be more confident and work with others. I feel that it is my responsibility to provide this type of environment to my students. In addition, families must be included in the learning process and environment of their children. My school has an open-door policy with our families. They are always welcome to visit the classrooms and/or schedule conferences. Families are encouraged to participate in their child’s development. Fun, family-oriented activities are planned along with meetings that have to deal with certain issues. This helps the parents experience a positive atmosphere. The home-school connection is a vital part of the educational system.

Additional Course Resources

Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practice for young children. Retrieved from Young Children, 53(4), 30–46.

Redefining Literacy. (Pages 42-45). Retrieved from Educational Leadership. (October 1999) Volume 57/Number 2.

Course Resources

Part 1: 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

Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Part 2: 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
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment 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/
  Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Part 3: 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/
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/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to "How Do I...?", select "Tips for Specific Formats and Resources," and then "e-journals" to find this search interface.)

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

Inspiration Quotes and Excerpts

After reviewing the media segment from week 2, I related to several comments made by Raymond Hernandez. "You need an inner motivation to benefit children. There needs to be a parent-child-school connection. Show an interest in your children by taking pictures of your students and sharing them with each other. Reaching and teaching one child is so important!" I felt very connected with Mr. Hernandez's statements. I have done a "Guess Whooo?" bulletin board using the child's baby pictures. They have so much fun with it. I even use some teachers in the school.

Lousie Derman-Sparks shared somewhat the same feelings. "Teaching was a joyful, creative experience. It was rewarding and made her feel whole." As an educator, I think you need that deep feeling. I had lost some of my passion after about ten years in 1st and 2nd grade. My passion has been renewed after returning to kindergarten. It makes a world of difference to have a positive attitude.

I would like to share a few excerpts from articles I reviewed by Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D. for this week's Discussion assignment. They are as follows: (1) "...Good teachers acknowledge and encourage children's efforts, model and demonstrate, create challenges, and support children in extending their capabilities, and provide specific directions and instruction" (Bredekamp, 2011). (2) "Young children learn in the context of interactions with important adults and peers. Their development and learning hinge on their individual developmental pathways and the experiences they have in their homes, communities, and classrooms." (Bodrova, 2004).

Both of these statements relate to experiences I have shared with students in my classroom.

Personal Childhood Web

My immediate family is very small. However, I have always had the honor of being surrounded by wonderful people. I would like to share five of these people with everyone.

My parents divorced when I was in elementary school. Despite some difficult issues, my Mother (Pat) accomplished so much. She is my hero. As an adult, I have learned all the sacrifices she went through to ensure my brother and I had what we needed. She gave me a strong work ethic and commitment to family and friends. My Mother worked as a Kindergarten assistant in order to be home with her children. I could write a book about all of her amazing talents and special moments with her. One meaningful thing comes to mind. I wanted to take piano lessons. Due to financial constraints, that would have been impossible. She was able to get a piano and lessons while working as a hotel maid. My Mom has also played a huge part in my teaching career. She comes up with great ideas and helps me implement them. In addition, she has been a caregiver to several of our family members (including myself). Not only do I respect her as my Mom, but she is my best friend -again, my hero!

I refer to my stepfather (Ron) as my Dad. He was one of my Mom's close friends during High School. After my parents divorced, they reconnected and found love with each other. He had never been around children. He immediately filled the role of father. He is so smart and creative. He was involved with school and extracurricular activities. I can remember having to project about early man. He took me to a museum and helped me with the research for my paper. In addition, I am so grateful for his involvement with my little brother (Mike). He was six years younger than me and needed that father figure. It takes a unique man to be a father!

My brother (Mike) was such an amazing person in my life. Unfortunately, he passed away last year after a long illness. He was a computer genius, such a gentleman, fun, and my one of the dearest people in my life. As adults we became like best buds. Because he was younger, I also felt a "motherly" bond with him. He death was devastating and as left such a void in my heart. On the lighter side, Mike would be so proud of the things I am attempting to accomplish with my computer skills for my Master's classes. He taught me so much. He taught me to take a chance and walk with faith. He always believed in me and built my self-confidence. He was wise beyond his years and we shared so much with each other. He is now my "Guardian Angel".

There was a wonderful lady (Pat Murphy) that attended my Church for as long as I can remember. Sadly, she has past away. She left me such a wonderful legacy for my faith. She was like a grandmother to me and one of my Mom's dearest friends. She was involved with all of the activities for the children. She loved working with puppets to teach Bible lessons. She also cooked a homemade meal every Wednesday night with a small group of ladies for the whole Church. I was saved and baptized during Vacation Bible School as a young girl. Ms. Pat gave me a Bible with a message from her that I still have and treasure today. She inspired and enhanced my faith and love for others.

Finally, there was Mrs. Swegmann. She was one of my 1st grade teachers. My family moved three times while I was in 1st grade. She is a true testament of what a nurturing teacher can mean in a child's life. My first teacher experience was awful. Unfortunately, this woman was mean and loud - not concerned about helping you understand. Then God gave me Mrs. Swegmann. After moving, I was placed in her classroom. I was shy, scared, and behind the other children. She was loving and wanted her students to succeed. She went the extra mile for me. She would spend time after school helping me learn to read. My self-confidence grew and I was at my reading level in no time. She left such an impression on me. I know Mrs. Swegmann is one of the reasons I chose teaching and how I developed my methods of dealing with children. I will be forever in her debt.

My "web" may have been small, but it made a huge impact on my life. I now have a seven-year old daughter, Haely, of my own. I am so thankful for the "web" of people that surround her. I can see firsthand the difference it makes in her life. What a blessing!

Blog link: cindyrube.blogspot.com

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