Child Quotes

Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. First Lady  "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today. Barack Obama

Assessing Children

As teachers we know that it is important to assess our students.  We need to know what they entered the grade knowing and we need to know if progress is being made.  The problem therein lies with are we testing too much or too little?  Are we testing the right way? Should testing be individualized? I know through personal experience that students could understand a concept and the minute they hear the word exam, or assessment, they freeze and cannot function.  I remember I had a student who was so stressed out about city exams (he was already struggling) that he developed Alopecia (losing his hair). We need to assess our students but I think we rely too much on standardized exams.  I remember students who were at the top of the class and would do mediocre and kids who couldn't even read were passing exams because they guessed correctly.  I think we need to take everything with a grain of salt.  There needs to be a balance of state assessment, classroom assessment, and critical teacher evaluation of progress.


In Afghanistan, the Afghan war has destroyed the educational infrastructure, demolished school buildings, and has killed teachers.  There is a huge disparity between boys who go to schools and the number of girls.  Because of the Taliban, girls were not allowed to receive an education and currently the number of girls attending schools is lower than the number of boys who attend school.  Because of war, no records were available to assess students.  
http://www.unesco.org/education/wef/countryreports/afghanistan/rapport_1.html 

Environmental Pollution

I choose environmental pollution.  I chose this because my husband’s cousin was lead poisioned when he was 2 years old.  He was developing as a normal 2 year old until this occurred.  This occurred when they were living in a private house and the pipes were very old.  This private house was very old and was filled with lead.  Later, they would be told to leave this residence as it would be condemned.   The lead in the pipes had contaminated the water.  He had initially gone into shock and would have seizures. Because of this tragic event he was given SSI until his 18^th birthday.  He was placed in special education because his learning ability was affected.  This is a link where you can read about how to prevent lead poisoning. 

 http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips.htm 

Pollution in Afghanistan - Air pollution

Air pollution in Kabul is severe.  Here people use lead gasoline, not unleaded like we use here in the states.  People burn tires to get warm and air pollution is rampant.  Here is a link to learn more about this issue.    

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99127084 

Health Issue - Clean Drinking Water

I chose clean drinking water because clean water is a necessity for health.  When I lived in Dominica, West Indies, getting clean water was sometimes a problem especially during the rainy season.  I thank God that on campus we had water fountains that contained clean filtered water.  My husband and I would fill 3 gallon jugs from the campus water and carry them home.  I know the poorer locals didn't have access to clean water and at times my neighbor with young children would ask us to get water for her.  Some households had regular plumbing while others had to pump water from a well.  Some small towns would use the river to clean, bathe, and drink.  Their government was working on ways to obtain clean water for their people.

I chose to focus on the health issue of clean drinking water in Afghanistan.  This part of the world is of particular interest to me.  My heart goes out to the women and children who suffer at the hands of corrupt leaders - both political and religous.

 I can say that these issues will affect my future work because I will be sensitive to the needs of these people.  



Children in Afghanistan trying to pump water from a well.

Clean, safe drinking water is a basic right. A right which over 1.2 billion people

around the world are denied. A lack of clean water affects sanitation, health, food

supplies and preparation and economic development.

Afghanistan has a population of 22 million people, 70% of which is undernourished and

one in four children die before the age of five.  Only 13% of people have access to improved

water sources and the situation has worsened due to inadequate rainfall over the last two

years causing the government to declare 12 districts drought-affected.

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/_content/documents/AFGHANISTAN.pdf 

Afghanistan - The Toughest Battle - Health - 15 May 07

This video speaks for itself.  Isn't it heartbreaking to know that in Afghanistan a woman dies in childbirth every 28 minutes.  There is nothing in the clinic to help a woman if complications arise.  There are no anesthetics, no operating room, no doctors, and only untrained nurses in the small province in the video.

 http://youtu.be/UK5eBihr0OI

My Personal Birth Experience

I have been married to my husband since 2000.  But I didn't have my daughter until 2009.  My husband and I tried for awhile to conceive but were unable to do so naturally so with medication we tried to increase my chances but were unsuccessful.  I was under the vigilant care of a reproductive endocrinologist and my gyn.  When I finally reduced my stressors I wound up pregnant.  I had a relatively easy pregnancy until the last trimester.  My daughter's heartbeat was becoming more and more difficult to detect.  Sonograms showed all was well so any fears were eased.  When my daughters due date came and went we opted to induce my labor.  Unfortunately, the pitocin I was being administered was making my daughter's heart rate drop.  So emergency C-section it was.  I was heartbroken because that was not how I had imagined my birth experience to be like.  Since we had to do what was best we went into surgery.  Was I glad I was in a great hospital, with an expert doctor, and attentive nurses.  My C-section was uneventful and I recovered fairly well and have a beautiful little girl.

Thanks everyone.

I have truly enjoyed traveling on this journey with all of you.  I can fairly say it was a new experience for us all.  I have a 2 1/2 month old and a 18 month old at home and found it difficult at times to just get online.  But I made an extra effort to meet you all on blogs and discussions because I felt I learned from all of you.  Thank you for sharing about your childhood, your passions, your goals, and aspirations with me.  Good luck to you all as you continue on your journey.

NAEYC and DEC Code of Ethics

The NAEYC offers guidelines for appropriate  ethical behavior that all professionals dealing with young children need to follow.  The DEC guides the principles of conduct and research relating to the professional practice with young children with disabilities, their families, and with interdisciplinary colleagues.  As we reflect on what we have learned I have taken time to introspect what I have been doing in my classroom over the years and have selected three ideals that resonate with me.

1) We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services. (DEC)

I find this code especially meaningful because I know I wouldn't have survived my first two years teaching without my mentor, Ms. Wanda Gonzalez.  She was instrumental in modeling what was appropriate in evidence based work and modeling how to be an exceptional teacher in a very difficult urban community.  Mentoring is necessary for new teachers because statistics state that new teachers leave the education field within 5 years.  Sometimes we lose our best and brightest because they didn't have necessary support.


2) Respect diversity in children, family, and colleagues. (NAEYC)

This is so vital to our diverse immigrant communities. I remember when I worked in Lewiston,Maine and the community was told that there would be an influx of refugees.  The community would have to bear the burden of this population.  This was fine until they were told that they were African-Muslims.    Protests took place in our area because no one wanted them there.  They were not welcome.  But as a school community we had to come together and devise a plan to deal with the number of students, the present budget, and how would we provide services to them to learn English and to acclimate themselves.  We worked diligently to respect this diverse community.


3) Respect that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect.  


This reminded me of Mahaley and everything we learned about in week 3.  We learned about family systems theory and we even created our childhood webs.  We need to respect the relationships our students have with others and understand these relationships have a direct  correlation to their success.    

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://www.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/~images/pdfs/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://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
  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.org.gu.se/English/about_OMEP/
  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. 

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/pages/page.asp?page_id=22807

• 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

3 Great Resources

This resource is an online teacher resource.  It provides links to other sites and answers the question why is early childhood education so important.

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/early_education/ 

This resource provides journals and up to date research information.

http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/welcome 

This resource is geared towards parents.  We always need to maintain a good home-school connection and help parents whenever we can.

http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/ 

Quotes that Inspire

Lyndon B. Johnson
We have entered an age in which education is not just a luxury permitting some men an advantage over others. It has become a necessity without which a person is defenseless in this complex, industrialized society. We have truly entered the century of the educated man.


Poverty must not be a bar to learning and learning must offer an escape from poverty.

Pamela Winton
For inclusion to be successful, specialist, teachers and families must actively collaborate to best meet the needs of the children with disabilities.


Quote about Passion
Renatta M. Cooper
When people are looking to you for leadership you have to know what you're talking about - you have to stay current.

                                  

                                                                                                                     Dad and Mom with my daughter

Personal childhood Web

Personal Childhood Web

MOM

My mom worked as a seamstress in factories when I was a child.   My mom nurtured me by teaching me to think independently.  My mom always took the time to “walk and talk” with me.  We would walk everywhere  (didn’t have a car) and taught me about life.  My mom always encouraged me to be independent and to be my own woman.  She taught me to be able to be educated so I wouldn’t have to depend on anyone.

DAD

My dad worked as a pressman when I was growing up.  He is also a Vietnam Veteran.  He served in the Army for 10 years. My dad was always my defender.  I lived in the house with 2 brothers who teased and bothered.  My dad would always come home from work and we would “wrestle”.  My day always encouraged me to study and to be the best at all I did.  Thus I am here furthering my education. 

GRANDMA MARIA

Grandma Maria was a mom to 8 children and lived in the countryside of Puerto Rico all her life.  She worked the land to support her family. She was an amazingly strong woman.  She was a single parent. Grandma was the quintessential spoiler.  I loved to spend my summers there.  I learned to be patient and loving.  My grandma always told me I was special.  She would take the time to talk to me about the land, nature, her childhood, and all I had to potential to be.  My grandma always encouraged me to be a spiritual person.  I am one today and am teaching my children to be spiritual also. 

LITTLE BROTHER ENRIQUE

My little brother is not so little anymore.  Currently, he is serving our country as a Marine.  He lives in California the rest of his free time. My little brother and I were always very close.  He always made me laugh and was easy-going thus encouraging me to do so.   My little brother always had a bond with me.  We would stay up late and talk.  I was his caretaker he would never tease me about my weight. My little brother influenced me to roll with the punches, to take things as they come and make the best of the situation. 

MANNY and MIRIAM

These were very close friends to my mother.  They were part of the church leadership and these were the only people besides family my mom trusted for me to sleep over their home. They nurtured me by being an example of excellence and showing me an example of a very strong marriage.  Manny and Miriam always made me a permanent fixture in their family.  They took me on their family vacations.  Manny and Miriam influenced me in many ways.  They encouraged me to accept people for the way they were

Quote I love

Emma Goldman, author 
"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure."

Favorite Children's Book

My favorite children's book is Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch.  It is the hilarious story of a little girl that exercises her individuality.  She doesn't care what others think of her.  She is confident and spunky.  Children can relate to her.