Final Blog: Issues and Trends

I would like to say “thank you” for the past eight weeks. Each of you has inspired me through your blog and discussion post. I wish each of you lots of luck in all your future endeavors. The passion each of you demonstrates for the early childhood field shows through your work.

The three international consequences I learned are:

1. through reading the resources and making connections all parts of the world struggle with many of the same issues in the early childhood field we do within the United States.

2. this class has made me become more aware of the differences in how culture effects the education system.

3. having the opportunity to make connections with individuals in the early childhood field and getting their perspective on international perspectives. 

My goal is to continue to work towards ensuring each child has an opportunity to have access to a quality education. In addition to connect with individuals in the early childhood field to advocate together for children. All children deserve a quality education!  

Blog Assignment: Week 7

UNESCO

While exploring the UNESCO website three of the insights I gained about early childhood internationally are Education for All, Early Childhood – Access and Equity and Investment and Financing.

Education for All is a program through UNESCO committed to providing children a quality basic education. 164 governments have acknowledged six goals to be met by 2015 (UNESCO, 2012). The program will be monitored for progress and countries held liable for their commitment.

Early Childhood – Access and Equity

Participating countries have pledged to provide a more complete early childhood education especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Resources will be distributed to ensure children have access without regional inequities.

Early Childhood – Investment and Financing.

Countries struggle with resources to improve and expand their early childhood programs. This is particularly daunting in developing countries, where early childhood may be overshadowed by other pressing priorities, such as universal primary education (UNESCO, 2012). Monies from government entities is scarce. Access and equity for disadvantaged children is usually overlooked and it comes down to who can pay for the service.

All of the insights I spoke about as well as other resources on the UNESCO website relate to my professional goals. I want to ensure all children have access to quality programs.  Many of the concerns affecting early childhood education internationally are also concerns in my local area. It is vital as early childhood professionals we continue to contact local, state and federal policymakers to ensure funds are put in place for early childhood education.

Resource:

(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

SHARING WEB RESOURCES

An outside link on the “Center for the Childcare Workforce” I chose to review was “Child Care Law Center” (www.childcarelaw.org). The child care law center advocates for children, families and communities to provide high quality child care services to everyone. The Child Care Law Center uses legal expertise to secure good, affordable child care for low-income families and communities.  Every day, we break down barriers to child care for working parents because without it they cannot support their families.  Every day, we stand up for child care providers because children need good early care and education to thrive (www.childcarelaw.org). The CCLC is based in San Francisco is a non-profit organization. It is the only organization in the country devoted to ensuring intricate law issues related to child care are resolved.

The area I chose to search on the website was “public policy”. This area had information about how states address compensation issues for early childhood educators. The areas discussed include; apprenticeships, health initiatives, mentoring programs, public/private partnerships, scholarship programs, unionization wage incentives and tiered reimbursement rates. Adequate compensation is vital to ensure the turnover rate is less. Teachers receiving better compensation are more likely to provide more positive developmental experiences for children. The “Center for the Childcare Workforce” realize that teachers who are better compensated, well-educated, and have a voice in their workplace improves the quality of care for children (www.ccw.org).

The e-newsletter had information about a new program through federal policy and legislation called “And We’re Off to the Races”. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the new $500 million Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge program. The RTT-ELC grant competition will focus on improving early learning and development programs for young children by supporting states' efforts to:

1. increase the number and percentage of low-income and disadvantaged children in each age group of infants, toddlers and preschoolers who are enrolled in high-quality early learning programs;

2. design and implement an integrated system of high-quality early learning programs and services; and

3. ensure that any use of assessments conforms with the recommendations of the National Research Council's reports on early childhood (www.ccw.org).  

The program is still in the early stages. More information and data will be available as the program progresses.

The website had the following article from American Educator that talked about the value of early childhood education.  “The Economics of Equality”, investing early allows us to shape the future; investing later chains us to fixing the missed opportunities of the past. Controlling our destiny is more in keeping with the American spirit." (www.ccw.org)

The Center for the Childcare Workforce is an excellent website for resources relating to the early childhood field and additional links for valuable information. The website offers “Tips” for the classroom and other valuable information for early childhood professionals. I learn something new each time I go to the website.

References:

http://www.ccw.org

GLOBAL CHILDREN’S INITIATIVE

 One insight I gained from exploring the Harvard University website was how the “Center on the Developing Child” has launched the “Global Children’s Initiative” as the centerpiece of its global child health and development agenda. Drawing on lessons from work done in the United States, the “Global Children’s Initiative” is implementing research globally. The organization is going to focus on three objectives to assist children in the early years of life; early child development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. This project will be guided by a designated faculty.

The Zambian Early Childhood Project is a collaborative effort between many organizations to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia. The project assesses children’s physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling careers—the first assessment tool of its kind in Zambia. The data collected will assist in identifying key interventions in the area of child development.

The Frontiers of Innovation supports the healthy development of young children with specific focus on disadvantaged children and families. The FOI initiative’s aim is to combine scientific insights, practical experience, and creative risk-taking to generate new policies and practices. The three major work streams of the FOI group include; Idea Groups, Innovation by Design States and Innovation by Design Sites. They will create a collaborative network to cross-fertilize their ongoing initiatives to achieve greater impact for the early childhood field.

The Harvard Website has an abundance of valuable resources on their website. The Center strives to present information, especially scientific information, in a way that is accessible to a wide variety of readers.

References:
 http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/

Sharing Web Resources

The Center for the Early Childcare Workforce has many resources available on their website. The specific information I find relevant to my current professional development is the section on Public Policy. After reading the resource material this week I have realized how vital it is to ensure I stay abreast of the local, state and federal initiatives dealing with early childhood education. Early childhood education is now more than ever at the forefront of policy initiatives at all levels of government (CCW.org).  We still have a long way to go, our work is not near complete!

One resource I took from the e-newsletter was an article titled, "Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function. This article discusses how children need a group of skills and how acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most challenging and important tasks in early childhood. The article addressed how these skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life.

The website had resources and information directly related to state initiatives and public policy.  There was a variety of topics and web links to get information about specific state information. Author James Heckman writes, "The logic is quite clear from an economic standpoint. We can invest early to close disparities and prevent achievement gaps, or we can pay to remediate disparities when they are harder and more expensive to close. Either way we are going to pay. And, we'll have to do both for a while. But, there is an important difference between the two approaches. Investing early allows us to shape the future; investing later chains us to fixing the missed opportunities of the past. Controlling our destiny is more in keeping with the American spirit."

 
This website offers many interesting articles as well as links to other organizations that have information about the early childhood field. They have different tips each week to assist teachers and administrators with early childhood development. The newsletter offers the latest scoop on early childhood news. Exploring the website gives me an opportunity to grow as an educator.

Reference:

 http://www.ccw.org 

CHIP – Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre

 

 The CHIP (Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre) is a collaborative project between, Save the Children, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) and partners in China, India, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. The website is a resource for individuals wanting more information about childhood poverty. The case studies, publications and film clips were eye-opening. 4.2 million Chinese children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions (CHIP, 2012).  40 % of children in developing countries suffer from malnutrition. At current rates of improvement, 1 billion children's mental development will be affected by malnutrition by 2020 (UN James Commission).  It is heart wrenching that so many children go to bed hungry and wake up hungry. In order to tackle childhood poverty positive change at many levels must take place.

 

This picture of two little boys from Mongolia was taken at sunset. Boys fetch water to help pay for sweets and small toys, but a majority of them use the money they earn to buy basic necessities for their families. Children begin working at a young age. They work long hours each day to help their families.

“Today's poor children are all too often tomorrow's poor parents.” (CHIP, 2012)  We need to do everything we can to make this phrase no longer a reality! Childhood poverty is an issue that takes every one of us to conquer.

Sharing Web Resources

Organization:  Center for Childcare Workforce     

Weblink:   http://www.ccw.org


 The Center for Childcare Workforce focuses on improving the quality of early care and education for all children by promoting policy, research and organizing that ensure the early care and education workforce is well-educated, receives better compensation and a voice in their workplace.  

The newsletter from this organization focuses on a multitude of topics, but the one that caught my eye was, "Licensing for Quality Care". This research based paper discusses the who, what, when, where and how for child care regulations. 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part One: Establishing Professional Contacts

I have attempted to make contact with two people throughout the week,  I have sent numerous e-mails out , but all have come back with the following message "failure notice - unable to deliver message".  I have hopes that I will still be successful in contacting someone. I am excited about this assignment. 


Part One: Alternative 


I have subscribed to the Web Cast forum in the event I am unable to make professional contacts through e-mail. 


Part Two: Expanding Resources


I have chosen http://www.ccw.org/ from our list of resources. I signed up to be added to their network and look forward to hearing back from them.  I chose this organization because I am very much involved in ensuring our childcare providers and educators are receiving the compensation and education they deserve while providing children a quality care environment. 

My Supports

I have many supporters in my daily environment. My husband is my #1 supporter! He loves, encourages and supports me daily. My children are huge supporters, even though I have to admit they are ready for me to be finished with my degree. I have a huge support system from my mom. I am fortunate she lives close and can assist me with everyday task I need completed especially since I have five very active children. My co-workers daily devotion is a big support.  I cannot imagine not having any of the above individuals in my life. They keep me grounded and remind me daily how proud they are of me for continuing my journey in continuing my education.

I have items that provide me support with my daily task that need to get completed efficiently. My cell phone and laptop are continuously by my side. Even in the middle of the night I have them beside my bed in the event I wake up and need to jot down notes.  Life would be difficult without these items.

Dementia has struck my family over the last two years. My father has this horrible disease and my greatest fear is getting this myself.  Having a daily support system is crucial when dealing with all the emotional ups and downs. 

 

 RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION  

Relationships are an important part of life. The relationships we develop with family and friends shape us as individuals. The bonds we create help us through good and bad times in our lives. Having family and friends to turn to in times of crisis or need provides social and emotional support. 

  
The relationship I have with my husband is like no other.  He is my best friend and biggest supporter. We are a military family and sometimes sacrifices have to be made, but I wouldn't change one thing about my life with him. I love him more every single day:)  

I am a mom to seven children (five are in the picture above). Being a mom is one of the most amazing things I will ever do. My relationship with my children makes me realize how important it is to be involved in every aspect of their lives. Parenting is not an easy endeavor. It is vital that we have healthy relationships with our children so they can form healthy relationships in life. Children are like sponges, they soak up everything we do. I try my best everyday to develop my relationship with each child and let them know how special they are. 

 My mom and I have an amazing relationship.  She is my best friend, confidant and support system. I have had so many opportunities in my life because of her hard work and dedication. I can ask her advice about anything and know there will not be a lecture only words of wisdom. We have been through difficult transitions in life, but because of the special relationship and bond we share with one another nothing stands between us. I am incredibly blessed to have such a great parent that taught me about relationships from a very young age and how important they are to maintain. 

 Relationships/partnerships are crucial in all aspects of life. Personal relationships and business relationships provide critical balance to our everyday lives. The importance of maintaining healthy relationships is vital. Unhealthy relationships can be draining. Developing relationships with our parents can be a positive factor in our role as educators to their children. Assisting them in building a healthy relationship with their child and becoming an active participant in their education can be a bonus.

Barbara Bush, former U.S. first lady
"You have to love your children unselfishly. That is hard. But it is the only way."

 Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady
"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

 Princess Diana, Princess of Wales
"Hugs can do great amounts of good, especially for children."

 Dr. Seuss, author
"A person's a person, no matter how small."

YEAH!!! It's almost over:) Week 8!
I would like to take this time to say "thank you" for a great eight weeks.  To everyone who posted on my blog, I truly appreciate your input and words of encouragement.  It has been a long eight weeks for me, but I have enjoyed every step of each week. I wish each of you the best on this journey and adventure to complete our Master's Program. May God bless each of you!!!!:)

Child Development and Public Health

I am posting about "children's health and malnutrition" in Haiti.  The earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 put a country in crisis over the edge.  Today, 25% of Haitian children suffer from being malnourished, a problem that leads to children who are stunted emotionally, physically, and intellectually (Janji, 2011).  Thankfully, numerous organizations step in and help to combat against malnutrition and its harmful effects.  During the first three years of life proper nutrition is vital. It saddens my heart that children have to suffer the horrible effects of malnutrition.  We need to find ways to support organizations that are combating the crisis of world hunger. 


References:


http://internationalchildcare.org/malnutrition-haiti

Childbirth––In Your Life and Around the World

I have four girls and everyone of their births was a special experience, however I think the birth of my first child is like no other.  As a first time mom every doctor appointment, hearing the heartbeat for the first time, first kick, etc. was one of the most exciting times in my life.  My daughter "Krystal" was born 03 March 1983, weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz.  The excitement surrounding her birth was an unforgettable.  My birthing experience went quickly and without any medical surprises. All birthing experiences impact child development.  If problems arise during the pregnancy, during delivery or after delivery it could be crucial to a child's entire life development specifically during the early years. 


As I researched other parts of the country, I was disturbed by the number of women that die during childbirth in Haiti, 670 women die out of 100,000 live births due to lack of health care. In the United States that number is 11.  Haitian women do not have access to health care or cannot afford it.  Many Haitian women cross over into the Dominican Republic illegally to give birth.  As Americans, we are extremely blessed that access to health care is obtainable.  The resources that are available allow birthing experiences to be a joyful experience on most occasions. The impact this has on child development is high. If women are not receiving health care during pregnancy the effects this could have on their child's development is alarming.





http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/women-leaving-haiti-to-give-birth/2011/08/12/gIQAN9YyXJ_story.html

 Code of Ethics
I-1.3 To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.

As an early childhood administrator, I feel it is important to recognize no child is alike (even identical twins have differences).  Each child has a different rate of development and learning to adjust our teaching style is important. A good program adjusts to a child's needs.

I-1.1 To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

It is important to stay abreast of the latest research in the early childhood field.  Continuing education is key in deepening my knowledge.  Families and children deserve administrators and teachers that are well trained.

 I-2.2 To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

I strive daily to develop relationships with the families I serve.  It is important that families are involved  in their child's education. As an administrator I want to structure my program in a way families can participate even with all the demands of everyday life.

 

 The Wisdom of Early Childhood—A Wealth of Resources - 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 video on this webpage 
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission. 
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week’s Application assignment.

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/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

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

Additional Early Childhood Resources

Early Childhood Resources for Parents and Teachers
http://early-childhood-resources.com/

 Childcare and Early Childhood Development Resources in MD
http://www.examiner.com/education-headlines-in-baltimore/child-care-and-early-childhood-development-resources-md


Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center 
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/sr
 

Words of Passion

I wanted to be a teacher from a very early age and as I grew up I wanted to continue to be a teacher. I had a built in passion to fix all injustices that existed in the world, I always loved kids! 

Louise Derman Sparks

My parents were very involved in my education, they made me want to be involved. As educators in the early childhood field, we can shape a child's life for the future.   Sandy Escobido 

Words of Inspiration

Teaching "Diversity": A Place to Begin
Building positive identities and a respect for differences means weaving diversity into the fabric of children's everyday lives. Working with families is an important first step in helping children accept, understand, and value their rich and varied world.  Janet Gonzalez-Mena

Strengthen America’s Families

While the steady reduction in the number of two-parent families of the last 40 years has slowed, more than one-third of our children still live in one- or no-parent families. There is a high correlation between a childhood spent with inadequate parental support and an adulthood spent in poverty or in prison.
To strengthen families, we must redouble efforts to reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, make work pay, eliminate tax policies that inadvertently penalize marriage, and require absent fathers to pay child support while offering them new opportunities to find work. Because every child needs the attention of at least one caring and competent adult, we should create an “extended family” of adult volunteer mentors.
Family breakdown is not the only challenge we face. As two-worker families have become the norm, harried parents have less time to spend on their most important job: raising their children. Moreover, parents and schools often find themselves contending with sex- and violence-saturated messages coming from an all-pervasive mass entertainment media.
We should continue public efforts to give parents tools to balance work and family and shield their children from harmful outside influences. For example, we should encourage employers to adopt family-friendly policies and practices such as parental leave, flex-time, and telecommuting. Public officials should speak out about violence in our culture and should press the entertainment media to adopt self-policing codes aimed at protecting children.  William Clinton

Personal Childhood Web

Personal Childhood Web


My grandmother was the most influential person in my life as a child. She influenced my life in so many ways, but the most important one of all was her desire to ensure I knew about God and accepted him as my Lord and savior. My favorite memory of her was going to her house every Saturday for breakfast. We would cook, drink coffee and talk for hours. She was never too busy to listen and was always supportive.

My mom and I are extremely close. She was and still is my #1 fan! She had a way of teaching me about life that I have taken with me throughout adulthood. She made me feel special everyday. Even when I had done something wrong, she disciplined in such a way that it was a learning experience.

My dad - I have always been a daddies girl. My dad stayed home with me for a short period of time while my mom worked. I was not very old, but I remember him attempting to fix my hair for school. He has taught me so much about life, but mostly about working hard for your dreams.

Mrs. Kinney, my first grade teacher was a influential person in my life. I know she is the one that started my lifelong dream of wanting to be a teacher. She truly cared about each student that walked through her door every morning. Her smile would make me feel special.

My Aunt Sheila was like a second mom. She influenced my life by teaching me to never give up. She was burned over 90% of her body as a young child and has lived with disfigurement her entire life. She is an inspiration and I continue to ask her advice still today.

I love this book because it tells the simple story of the love between a mother and child. Adults and children young and old will enjoy reading this book over and over:)