Time Well Spent EDUC 6990: wk8

This has been a journey of reflection, understanding, commitment, team building, and furthering my passion for the Early Childhood program. I have learned the importance of having a community of practice and having a well built one. It is important for people who share the same interest to come together and collaborate. Bringing together communities, families, staff, and other organizations can make a difference because of the input and experiences shared.

In addition, I learned that it is important to always strive for what you believe in and never let anyone bring you down. Of course it is okay to ask for help and accept input, however, I do not believe anyone should bring another down. Passion comes from the heart, especially when you are dedicated to your work. In which case, I wish to continue to strive for my passion and strengthen it each and every day.

I also learned that I need to acquire some leaderships skills in order to collaborate and begin to get a community of practice. Children are observant, therefore, they notice when families and teachers are not on the same page. Although I am not perfect, I wish to continue working on obtaining leadership characteristics to set an example for the children.

Goal:
– A long term goal is to become an Early Childhood advocate for all children in terms of diversity, equality of education, accepting themselves and helping others accept them, and any other situation that may arise.

Farewell Message:
We have complete our Early Childhood Masters program together! Thank you for all your support throughout this Walden journey. A lot of you started with me since the first class and other colleagues I have met along the way. Nonetheless, I want to say thanks a million for your ideas, strategies, discussions, agreements & disagreements, your insight, and so much other valuable information along the way.

I wish nothing but the best for everyone! Continue to strive for your passion and continue your great work! Congratulations. Hope to keep in touch.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

1) ISSA (International Step-by-Step Association)

website: http://www.issa.nl/conference2019


I found this website interesting because I found that ISSA has conferences, which I believe are every year. If I am not mistaken, you are able to join in to the conference virtually, however, it is a paid conference. The conference “will be packed with the latest learnings and insights from the Early Childhood Development field, offering two days of knowledge sharing, dialogue and networking. And there will also be a rich and diverse offer of one day pre-conference workshops and site visits events for you to choose from” (ISSA, n.d.).

2. UNICEF

Website: https://www.unicef.org/early-childhood-development

One quote that stood out to me from this website was “When you pay attention to the beginning of the story, you can change the whole story” . I like this quote because it is true. We have to make the foundation in their early childhood years so that they are not learning things in their latter life such as social skills, problem solving etc  

Careers:

• International Professional (IP)
• National Officer (NO)
• General Services (GS)

All which require experience professional work depending on which level you need more than one year.

3. Save The Children

Website: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/more-ways-to-help/take-action-for-kids

I found this website insightful because it speaks about advocating for children. It also features a blog that allows people to talk about their reason for joining and ways they advocate for children.

In addition, they want to help congress understand the importance of expanding affordable child care for working families.

References

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level EDUC 6990: week 4

US Department of Health & Services

1) Head Start | ECLKC (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center)

Website: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/professional-development/article/professional-development-resources-other-organizations     

This website provides important websites of federal websites under the Department of Education and Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In addition, it includes national organizations. They provide a lot of websites that I would like to further look into.

2) American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Website: https://www.aft.org/our-community

“Our MISSION….The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do” (AFT, n.d.)

I believed this was a very important organization to have because they are partnered with resources that provide low cost to free books for children, healthy and nutritional foods, provide a safe and nurturing school environment, and educational justice

Career:

One position that interests me is the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). This seems similar to what I know as those that come to our school such as ECERS-R (Early Childhood Environment rating scale-revised) and CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System). “The five components of QRIS are: (1) standards, (2) accountability measures, (3) program and practitioner outreach and support, (4) financing incentives, and (5) parent and consumer education efforts. A number of states have implemented QRIS, and many that have not yet are in the process of creating them”. It does not go much into detail about requirements and such. However, I did find this interesting because I believe ECERS-R, QRIS, and CLASS all are under the same umbrella of wanting to help improve the classroom to make sure each child is striving to their fullest.

3. U.S. Department of Education

Website: https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/index.html

This first thing that caught my interest with this website is that the CDC released a milestone app for parents. This can help families track their child’s development. I would like to further look into that app, but I believe it would give families information about what their child should be able to achieve at different age ranges. They also have the app available in Spanish.

In addition, there are grants that are available for preschoolers with children with disabilities and development grants. It also provides age appreciate educational television shows.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

A) QUALITYstarsNY

• Is a high quality rating system that helps families determine the best schools for their children.

“By choosing a QUALITYstarsNY program, families will be confident that their child’s program is invested in delivering quality early learning experiences. Better yet, parents will know that programs are supported with free resources, like staff training and professional development, to make sure that children get what they need to succeed” (QualitystarsNY)

I chose this because I believe this program to help the early childhood programs become better with resources and communication.

B) NYC DOE

• As professional educators come together, the New York Department of Education is able to provide a frame work for educators. Frame works include various units of studies, professional developments, an instructional coordinator, helping to partner with families, and allowing to shape the minds of children.

Our New York Department of Education is able to provide for units of studies

• This is one of the resources my colleagues and I were given while working in our school. We receive a instructional coordinator who comes in about once a month to help guide us. She helps us to identify our strengths and work on what we can improve. She also gives us insightful ways, such as trying a new approach to something we have discussed with her.
• In addition, we attend professional developments (pd) where we are allowed to share our strategies with other educators and the instructors teaching us. When we have a pd, I tell the children my assistant and I are going to school to learn and teach them new things.

The NYC DOE seems to have a lot of job openings for a family coordinator * The job requires supporting “the development and implementation of DOE policies and strategies to strengthen family engagement at all levels of the DOE, and provide a single point of entry for families to resolve escalated concerns” * I found this interesting because I witness a lot of families that drop of their children and run out the building because they need to go to work. Or other times they do no come around when we have days like “family day” or neighborhood walks, or even when events occur within the school environment. I do not believe I would qualify for the job, however, I would like to work my way up to doing this. Even though we try to have family engagement in my school already.

C) NYS Office of Children and Family Services

Seems to advocate for children in various ways: abuse, adoption, violence, child welfare etc. They also explain various programs you can choose from to make sure your children receives the best education.

References

OCFS (n.d.). NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Retrieved from https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/default.asp.

QUALITYstarsNY Coordinating Agency (n.d). Retrieved from http://qualitystarsny.org/index.php

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

My goal is to learn various ways to work with families and their children. I would like to continue to try and instill a trusting relationship with families. “As families develop trust that you care about and believe in their child, they come to feel that they, too, “belong” in your early childhood program” (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p.37).

I would like to thank my colleagues for their insightful ideas for this course. It has been a great pleasure working with you all and I hope to continue working with you all through our last course. Best of luck and continue to strive.

Reference

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

Impacts on Early Emotional Development EDUC 6358: week 7

Region:

I chose to explore the area East Asia & Pacific. I chose this region because I know very little about this region expect that China takes education very serious.

Challenges: 

One challenge is the air pollution and birth defects in China. “There is no single cause for birth defects. The causes of birth defects are many, including:

• Inadequate nutrition, such as lack of folic acid and maternal obesity,
• Infectious diseases such as syphilis and rubella,
• Environmental factors,
• Genetic factors”

(Alonzo, 2013). 

If they are able to reduce the air pollution, they believe they can help reduce heart “congenital” defects that is associated with syphilis. 

In addition, another challenge is not actually knowing if there is a link to air pollution and birth defects.

Effect on Children’s wellbeing & development:

• Birth defects can effect a child’s development because of the lack of nutritions they are receiving. In addition, any infectious diseases that the baby catches either through the mother or after birth. The child’s development progress is slowed down because they are not receiving enough calcium, vitamins, protein to help “feed” the brain. Their bodies become weak.
• I believe that the air pollution can do harm to a mother and the unborn child because if the mother is not able to breathe, then less oxygen is available for the baby. Therefore, can cause brain damage either down the line or as the child is developing in the mother’s womb. 

Insights:

• As a early childhood educator, I have learned to try to understand families and any situations that they are experiencing. In this case, I would want to work with the parent to understand if there were any complications during the pregnancy. In addition, I would want to work with the parent in trying to help their child. How can I elevate some stress for the parents to know I am on their side

Reference

Alonzo, F. (2013). Air pollution and birth defects. VOA. UNICEF: Media Center. China. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.cn/en/index.phpm=content&c=index&a=show&catid=51&id=3731

The Sexualization of Early Childhood EDUC:6358 (week 6)

I find it extremely depression that in our society girls seem to want to be older than they are. In a result of that, they are wearing make-up and clothing that is inappropriate for their age making them look older. In addition, the media portrays girls to look and act a certain way. 

“A narrow definition of femininity and sexuality encourages girls to focus heavily on appearance and sex appeal. They learn at a very young age that their value is determined by how beautiful, thin,“hot,” and sexy they are. And boys, who get a very narrow definition of masculinity that promotes insensitivity and macho behavior, are taught to judge girls based on how close they come to an artificial, impossible, and shallow ideal.” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p.2). 

This effects the child’s development because it devolves who we are and brings about a person who needs to fit into society. 

Reference

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice EDUC 6358: Week 5

“Children learn about who is important enough to be visible and valued from sources such as children’s books, videos and toys, and even their early childhood curriculum” (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p.103). As we get older, we hold onto those impressions we have of others and sometimes in some cases, we take those to a more negative view point. This can affect your interactions with people, regardless of where you work. For instance, a man working in a unisex environment may feel as though women are not as good as men. He might feel as though woman are beneath him causing him to be very judgmental, sexist, unhappy in their environment, and ask differently towards them. This can happen between different cultures and races as well. 

As an early childhood educator, I believe it is important to not create various “isms” in the classroom. It can impede on the teacher’s viewpoint towards the students and their families. It can cause issues and conflicts to occur. It can make the teacher not want to help the child because of some stereotype that is stuck in their head. Regardless of what “ism” it may be, it can affect the person’s ability to feel a part of society. They feel as though they are being judged for who they are, what they wear, how they act, what they like etc. 

Reference 

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

Observing Communication EDUC 6358: week 3

Observations:

Three Children, we will call them “A”(boy), “B”(girl), and “C”(boy), are painting at the table using the colors yellow and blue with one teacher,. The teacher is acknowledging what the children are doing. For instance, child “A” was done and she reassured with him if he was done by asking the question. Child “B” announces that she made a “crocodile too” and the teacher repeats what she says and asked child “C”, who is sitting next to her, what they will make and what two colors they mixed together. However, child “C” does not respond quickly and then tells the teacher “a fish” and the teacher continues on with her conversation “what is your fish going to do?”. This prompted the child to say, “swim like a mermaid”. The conversation goes back and forth between the teacher and the two children about mermaids and sharks. One child even points to a book in the classroom that has a shark on it.

 

Effective Communication Strategies in my Observations:

• Self-talk

The teacher explains what she is doing. For instance, she tells the child that she is just writing down what he saying on his painting.

• Restates what a child says and asks questions

After each conversation, the teacher reiterated out loud what one child said and continued the conversation with a follow up question. For instance, child “B” said “I made a crocodile too” and the teacher said “my friend “B” made a crocodile. What are you going to make? What two colors did you mix together”.

In another example the teacher asked child “A”, “do you want to tell me about your painting? What did you make?”. After which the child responded by saying a “shark” and the teacher continued to prompt by asking “A shark. So what is your shark doing?”.

• Giving Attention

The teacher also allowed herself to try and focus on the students she was working with. There were other children calling out her name and wanted her focus, however, the teacher said things like “give me one sec [child’s name]. I will be right there”. Helping the child understand that she is not ignoring them, rather she will complete was she needs to do and be right over when she is done.

 

Insights/Thoughts/What I learned/Connections:

This week’s learning resources helped me to understand the importance of “cognitive demands [which] include questions and statements that require children to think deeply and offer opportunities to develop higher-order mental processing skills” (Laureate Education, 2011, p.260). It is important to have a conversation with the child because it allows the children to explain their thought process and their understanding to us. Depending on their experiences and prior knowledge, they will make connections that relate to them and draw upon those to help those around them (ie adults and other children) understand why they may have built a particular structure, made a picture or painting involving certain objects etc.

I do however, sometimes find it difficult to continue the conversation if a child cannot explain what they made. For instance, last year I had one little girl who would go to the art area all the time and come to me to say she was done. I would say to her “That’s a nice picture, could you tell me about it?” and she would just stare at me and shrug her shoulders. I would then say, “Well what did you use to make this picture?” and she would just shrug her shoulders again and say, “Well I just made it”. I tried coming up with a follow up question like “What made you want to make this picture?” and she would just stare at me and say, “because I did”. I almost felt as though I was asking the wrong questions.

Ever since then, I do something similar to what I observed. I do ask the children if they would like to share with me what they created (whether in painting, blocks, art, writing center etc). I believe that is very welcoming to children because it shows to them that you care. For instance, last week in my classroom, two children where in the block area building. They got so excited that they screamed for me and the other teacher in the room to come over and look at their structure. I asked them to give me one second, however, they came running over to me and saying “LOOK!”. I stopped what I was doing (I was not with another child at the moment) and went over to examine it.

 

 

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

My Family Child Care Home

Welcome to my program called Children’s Learning Home Care, where there are ten children, ages 2 to 5 years old, and two adults. I would have a bulletin board of the children in the home care explaining who they are with a picture. For instance, a picture of them and their family, their names, favorite color, things they like to do). “A child’s identity is constructed within their family, within their culture, within their ethnicity, within their language, within their family structure, within their home relationships” (Laureate Education, 2011A). I would also include a picture of the staff with their names and information for parents and also our contact information.

Like the media segment (2011B), I would like to make a space allowing children and their families to transition to starting the day (Laureate Education). I like that children have to sign in, it is something I already do in my classroom. Therefore, I would continue to have children to sign in. Allowing that space also allows parents to see the work their child has created, meet other families and children, have a chance to talk to the staff.

I would also like to provide anti-bias materials, such as diverse books and materials that helps children’s needs (ie squeeze scissors, grips, thicker crayons and pencils etc). Even games like jenga, stone soup, and count the chickens and puzzles that can relate to them. One interesting puzzle to create is using their own picture of their own families (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p.45). Specially materials such as dolls, mirrors, clothing etc because this allows the child to not feel out of place, but rather comfortable in a new setting (ie home vs. home care/school).

In addition, I would like to allow children to incorporate their traditions by doing a show and tell, inviting families to share food, books, objects with other families and their children. This helps to ensure we build a relationship and work together as a community, so that we feel as partners (Laureate Education, 2011B).

Definitely will provide children with choice time, where they will be able to explore in various areas. For instance, sensory table, discovery center, table toys/manipulatives, art, cozy corner, library etc. All of which will allow children to incorporate their play through hands on learning and allowing their influence of culture and their upbringing to be brought into it as well.

Reference

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011A). Strategies for working with diverse children: Building on children’s strengths. Baltimore, MD: Author

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011B). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author