I Believe in Early Childhood...

Because the following words say it all, I would like you to join me in celebrating the work that Early childhood professionals do every day to ensure that the children of tomorrow are prepared to take the world down a successful path.


“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” JFK

"The return on investment from early childhood development is extraordinary, resulting in better working public schools, more educated workers and less crime."-- Art Rolnick & Rob Grunewald

Special thanks go out to dedicated educators such as Dr. Myers who continue to educate future leaders in the Early Childhood Field.
Continue to advocate for the children of this world!!!



To my colleagues, I hope and pray your passion for the field continue to keep burning bright. As learnt in our Foundations class, everyone you meet that shares your passion is a resource so feel free to reach out to me as I am sure I will remain in contact as needed.

Assessment as a Tool

A holistic approach to viewing young children would entail an environment to supports physical, social, emotional, mental, spiritual, and academic development.  Once that environment is established, I do believe that in order to established an atmosphere of growth assessments are necessary.  Assessments provide caregivers with the information they need to take children to the next level of development.  Assessments should focus on a single child’s abilities and not the child’s ability compared to other children.  In addition, assessments should take into account the environment and the child’s mental and emotional state when the assessment is taking place because it can affect the child’s performance.

            From personal experience, I recall in Haiti assessments are administered in the form of tests.  There are national tests taken by all children in order to move onto the first grade, the seventh grade, and twelfth grade.  The results of these exams determine moving to the next grade and the final one that is administered in the twelfth grade determines graduation.

Effects of Violent Stressors....

The following story is based on true events, names have been changed or concealed for confidentiality purposes.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful little family; mom, dad, Son, Daughter X and Y.  

Well at least they started out as a beautiful family.  The parents split up when Daughter X was 5 years old and Dad and his brother took over the care of the children with visitation rights for mom.

Three years go by and Daughter X is now 8 and one afternoon a distant cousin (who now lives with the family) take her up to the roof and tell her he wants to play.  When they get up there he touches her inappropriately and does enough not leave any permanent damage, physically.  This little game of theirs goes on for at least a year.  Then Dad remarries and the family moves to a different home.

At this point, Daughter X is well into her 9th year of life and because of the sheltered life her father ensures for her she doesn't know that what is being done to her is completely wrong.  So when Stepmom's nephew moves in and start playing the same games with her when she turns 11 she thinks nothing of it.  Those games continue until she well into her thirteenth year and no one is aware of what is going on.

At 13 1/2 she moves in with Mom and as the years passed somehow buried the memories of these experiences until her sophomore year in college when one of her closest friends is raped and the memories came flooding back.

No one will ever be able to discern why her experiences empowered her instead of weakened her because she sought to become a counselor for women of domestic and sexual violence in order to help them deal with the experience.  She sought therapy (Formal counseling with a psychologist) in order to help her understand how the molestation(s) impact her present day decisions.

She chose to serve women and children and their families and she understands that that decision was a direct result of her molestation.  She has never been in a romantic relationship because the experience has made her distrustful of men. She admitted that therapy played a major role in her growing past her childhood experience but they are still a very large part of her personality.

Much like my friend in the story, violence affect million of children around the world.  One of the major reasons why I dream of working for UNICEF one day is because of the work they do to alleviate some of the effects of violence on the development of the children.  They provide soap, clean water, food, medicine, and other necessity to areas of great violence in order to alleviate some of the effects of war.  In moments of violence and war, learning is interrupted, cognitive development is stunted, psychological development is impaired.  Somalia is one of those regions impacted by war where the children need advocates.

Immunization

The topic of immunization is important to me because sick children do not learn as effectively as healthy ones do.  Diseases are interruptions to a child's education, not to mention the fact that they are sometimes debilitating while the child is inflicted and sometimes afterwards; and some are deadly.

Children in the US are required to have certain vaccinations at birth and as they grow into adulthood.  US babies do not die from simple infections and diarrhea.  Something not afforded to the little ones in Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone.

What do these three countries have in common?

WAR
What war does is disrupt the Public Health measures put in place so children are not being vaccinated causing 194 thousands deaths of children under the age of 5 in Nigeria, 257 thousand in Afghanistan, and 282 thousand in Sierra Leone. (Berger, 2009)

This is one example of the interconnection of the various aspects of social life.  The political situation in these countries are affecting the social life and the health of these countries citizens.

Source
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers

The Birthing Business

I have never personally been a witness to a birth as a result I interviewed my friend about his brother's birth and it went as followed:
His mother went into labor and followed her birthing plan.  During the delivery in the hospital, the baby was too big and the doctor wanted to perform a Caesarian section when she refused, the doctor had to physically remove the baby using his hand.  In the process, her uterus detached from her diaphragm causing the doctors to have to surgically attach her.  This made her unable to have children and caused some hormonal imbalance in the future.

The United States  has the largest number of births in hospitals than all other developed nations.
Compared to Egypt, the US has over twice as many Caesarian sections.  More births occur at home than in hospitals.  I believe the differences in numbers between the US and Egypt is the fact that giving birth is more of a business in the US than it is in Egypt.  It is more beneficial for both the hospital and the insurance company for expectant mothers to have their children in hospitals hence why that is the culture in the US.

The documentary "The Business of Being Born" executive producer Ricky Lake goes into depth about births in the US being viewed as a business deal.

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Expressions of Gratitude!!!

Colleagues,

As the course nears its end, I would like to take the time to personally thank Dr. Longo and  all the members of group 2.

Dr. Longo:
Your dedication to rearing future leaders in early childhood has made it possible for me to incorporate you in my pool of resources.  While the course did not create passion and motivation for me, it most certainly reinforced it. I appreciate the work that you do and thank you for your work in inspiring future early childhood educators because I AM INSPIRED.

Lindsey Newman:
Your genuine passion for the field has made me take the time to rediscover why it it I choose this profession. Your love for children all over the world and your desire for them to succeed is something we share.    Years in a profession such as ours has a way of numbing us to issues at hand so continue to whet your passion in order to keep it from going dormant. Wishing you success in future endeavors!!!!
See you around :)

Denise Love:
I appreciate that you understand in order to effectively train early childhood teachers/professionals, you need to be knowledgeable in early childhood studies.  I have appreciated and learnt from your humbling nature and have grown even more reflective due to our interaction.  Thank you for your contribution to our course and I hope our paths cross again soon.  Keep your passion alive and continue to inspire others to advocate for our little ones.
Best Regards!!!

Sharon Munroe:
Your professionalism and dedication to the field has been apparent in every discussion, every response, and every comment made in the past eight weeks.  Continue to advocate and keep your passion alive and on fire.   I extract comfort in knowing that you are on our team and have no doubt your contributions will be impact-full.  May you accomplish everything you set out to and hopefully we can cross path again.
Best Regards!!!

Robin Miller, Kami Lindzer, Joanne Lynch, and Druesilla Lunsford:
You have been indispensable to my success in this course.  Your responses to my discussion responses, the resources you've provided, the thoughts and ideas that triggered intentional reflection have truly contributed to my growth during the past eight weeks.  I wish you all success in your future endeavors and hope we work together again very soon.
Best Regards!!!

WAVES OF GRATITUDE TO YOU ALL, CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR REFORM!!!

BEST,

ANNIE P.

Ethics in ECE!

NAYEC  CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT AND STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
1-1.3 To Recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.
(I believe this one is the one that is the easiest to forget.  Adults forget often that children are their own person and are constantly seeking guidance.  Children often get ideas and thoughts and ideas imposed on them because adults do not respect their individuality.

1-1.9 To Advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have a ccess to the support services needed to be successful.
(That is what motivate me; I get up in the morning and look forward to work because of the experiences I acquire to increase my efficacy as a professional.

CODE OF ETHICS
 2. We shall honor and respect the rights, knowledge, and skills of the multidisciplinary colleagues with whom we work recognizing their unique contributions to children, families, and the field of early childhood special education.
(Because reform is impossible alone professional must respect the thoughts of others and use them to refine personal vision)

Course Resources

COURSE 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

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.

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

Websites:

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the 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.

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/

Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

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

Additional Resources

Books

Enriquez, B., PhD (2010) Strategies for English Language Learners. Frog Street Press, Inc.
Phipps, P. (2010).  Multiple Intelligence in the Early Childhood Classroom. Frog Street Press, Inc.
Willis, C. (2010) Guidelines & Strategies for Children with Special Needs.  Frog Street Press, Inc.
Hussey-Gardner, B. (1992, 2003). Parenting to Make a Difference...Your One-to Four-Year Old Child.  Palo Alto, CA, VORT Corporation.

Websites

You have the Power...
http://www.yhtp.org/

United Way of Metropolitan Nashville
www.uwmn.org

Conscious Discipline, Dr. Becky Bailey
http://consciousdiscipline.com/

Quotes!!!

"The type of information children receive have a great impact on who they become"-- Louise D. Sparks

"I'm not here to save the world, just here to make a difference"-- Raymond Hernandez

"Early Childhood Education is a civil right issue"-- Renatta M. Cooper

 

 

"Education is the only thing no matter how hard it tries, life cannot take away from you"--Pierre Jacquelin Paraison (father)

"Before early childhood programs can tap these fathers' or families' potential to enhance children's development, research needs to define father and family involvement more precisely and to examine the culturally rich dimensions of children's early care and education experiences"--Aisha Ray (& Vivian Gadsden)

"...In the future any proposed economic development list should have early childhood development at the top. The return on investment from early childhood development is extraordinary, resulting in better working public schools, more educated workers and less crime."-- Art Rolnick (& Rob Grunewald)

Annie's Childhood Web

EdUcAtOrs EdUcAtE, pArEnts pArEnt!!!

My Fellow Early Childhood Professionals, In the midst of all the information I am soaking in in the Foundations of Early Childhood class I am now able to understand some of the observations I've made in my short time working in the field. We use the words "meaningful", "supportive", "connections", "respect", "love" and lots of other words that we assume holds the same definition for us when in light of Bronfenbrenner theory, the family system theory, the life course theory, the attachment theory, these words may not hold the same meaning and definition for us. My definition of what a meaningful connection with my families and their little ones looks like, might look completely different from Druesilla's, Robin's, and Sharon's definition. Our ages, life experiences, relationships, cultural backgrounds are four of many aspects that will cause the difference in what "supportive" looks like. One of us may value independence... allowing a child to learn through his/her own mistakes, while the other might forewarn the child because of a slightly overprotective nature. Is either approach good or bad? No just different. The attachment theory states that the quality of the relationship we form with our primary caregiver is a precursor for other relationships (Theories of Development p. 40)(Keenan & Evans, 2009) and it's important to keep that in mind when referring to our parents. They parent the way their parents parented and as educators we have a duty to" respect" those family dynamics and provide activities to help children develop beyond their parents' abilities. It is not our job to "judge" parents for what they feel is the right form of parenting. I'm not making excuses for parents who clearly show no support for a child, but teachers can be hard on parents who are doing the best that they can with the resources they have. As educators we should be looking for ways to broadened that parent's resource pool and educate them as well as their child. I want us to keep in mind that WE are the trained professionals, not the parents so we should seek them out not the other way around. Annie P.

Concepts of the IMPOSSIBLE...

When thinking of why I do what I do it would be daft to think the children aren't the majority of my motivations... From parent testimonies, remarks from co-workers, and my interactions with the children, the stories are countless.... But for the purpose of time I'll only share one of the stories that touched my heart. When I got my first teaching position all the classrooms in my school included both typical and disabled children. I met this little girl that taught me new things about MYSELF and provided many opportunities to grow in the time we spent together. Due to confidentiality, we're going to call this little girl "Precious". Precious was born with a cleft brain (a hole in her brain that ran to the roof of her mouth) and her parents were told she wouldn't live past the age of 2. PAUSE... I met the little girl before I met her mom and I remember thinking, wow, how does a parent deal with that... I even prayed for a situation like that never to touch my life... PLAY...She was 1 1/2 when I met her and was able to do a lot of things doctors said she would never do. She learned to feed herself, walk with a brace, understand teachers when spoken to... She lived past her second birthday and did a number of things doctors thought impossible. She taught me that just because something seemed "humanly impossible", didn't mean it couldn't happen. I think of her whenever I tackle a task that overwhelms me. I am a better person because of Precious.

“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” --JFK