Professional Thanks

Professional Thank You…

I would first like to say “Thank you” to Dr. Jan Ferrari for her insightful knowledge and leadership throughout this course.  I’ve truly enjoyed her elaboration on the various course topics as well as her prompt responses to questions and comments.

Secondly, I would like to say “Thank you’ to my colleagues. It has truly been an awesome experience learning with you and from you.  I see you all as resourceful professionals whom I’ve had the privilege of learning from.  I look forward to growing professionally with each of you throughout this degree program.

I wish you ALL a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!                                                                                                                

When I think of Child Development…

                                              

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.”

                                           ~ Alden Nowlan 

"Childhood is a promise that is never kept." 

               ~Ken Hill

"It is never too late to have a happy childhood." 

              ~Tom Robbins

"A child is the greatest joy, the ultimate Blessing."

              ~ Emily Laughton

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."                               

              ~John F. Kennedy

Assessing Children

As professionals, it is important that we understand the way in which each child learn best.  In order for this to take place, we must assess the child’s abilities so that adjustments can be made to ensure learning takes place.  The problem arises when a child becomes labeled based on one or two test scores.   If a child is given a pre-assessment at the beginning of school, there is most definitely going to be varying differences between student scores, because of their diverse cultures and living conditions.  These children have not been given the same opportunities to learn.  Once they are in school where the teachers have observed and assessed each child’s learning style, they are able to foster the child’s development.  

 I think that too much attention is placed on test scores and not enough on the child’s progress.  Just like not all children learn the same, not all children test the same.   Some children do very well in school, but panics when it’s time to test.   Whenever, our children are preparing to take a placement/ assessment test, they are always instructed to go to bed early and eat a big breakfast, because “studies” show that children do better on test when these two things take place.   So what happens if these things are not accessible to some of these children?  I do think children should be assessed to provide us with a better understanding of what areas need improvement, but I think this can also be identified through the child’s classroom work and included in the overall score of the assessment results.

Asia                                                               

Millions of children living in developing countries or marginalized areas have schools that are unfunded with teachers who lack adequate training and students who may or may not reach the basic literacy and numeracy levels of development. These developing countries understand the importance of education for all children is essential for economic growth, social stability, and the functioning of a stable and equitable community of nations.  According to Friske (2000), “In order to talk seriously about educational quality, it is important to be able to define it and to measure it” (p. 9).  Student’s achievement is measured by test and other assessment devices.  In the past, political and educational leaders focused on the teacher’s preparation, textbooks availability, and class size, but this data was difficult to measure.  They needed to look at something that was measurable, so now they focus on output and results (Friske, 2000).

Friske, E. B. (2000). Assessing learning achievement. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001198/119823e.pdf

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Childhood Stressor: Poverty

I chose poverty, because one of my dear friends grew up in a single parent home with 10 siblings.  She often went to sleep at night hungry and afraid.   She had to sleep on the floor because she didn’t have a bed to sleep in.  A rat bit off the tip of one of her and her younger brother’s fingers one night while they were asleep.  They did not have money or medical insurance, so their mother improvised by making a home remedy to treat their wound.  The electricity was constantly shut off because her mother could not afford to pay the bill.  All of her older brothers had to drop out of school in order to work in the fields so that the family could have food on the table, while her older sister stayed at home to help her mother cook, clean and raise her and her younger brother.   

Poverty in Ethiopia:

Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest countries.  About 44 per cent of the population lives under the poverty line, more than 12 million people are chronically or at least periodically food insecure.  Most of them live in rural areas with agriculture as their main occupation.

 With about 80% of Ethiopians dependent on agriculture as their main livelihood, severe arid conditions due to persistent lack of rainfall coupled with civil disputes have worsened Ethiopian poverty. There has been a recent increase in poverty due to the sharp increases in food and fertilizer market prices.  These increases have made it very difficult for the already poor households in Ethiopia to secure an adequate supply of food. Even though Oromiya cultivate inset, acts as buffer storage at the time of drought and dearth, there is still not enough food. People lack coping mechanisms for facing drought-induced famines, and contingency planning is inadequate.

Poverty Stressor Impacts child development in Ethiopia:

Due to the increase level of poverty in Ethiopia, only 34 percent of the children attend school.  Many of the others have to work to support themselves and their families. According to the United Nations Children's Fund 'State of the World's Children Report 2008', 12 percent of Ethiopian children die before they reach the age of five.  Close to 75,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition and 4.6 million people experiencing food shortage.

 According to Bekele Tefera, policy co-coordinator of Save the Children in Ethiopia, children deserve special attention from government particularly at times of economic crisis and drought, but unfortunately, this assistance is minimal. Zelalem Adugna, HIV/AIDS advisor to Save the Children, says Ethiopia has a lot to learn from countries like Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Namibia which have successfully implemented policies for children. 

  

References:

Adebe, S. (2008, September). Understanding Poverty Impact on Children.  Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved from http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=43836

Maps of the World. (1999-09). Poverty In Ethiopia. Retrieved from http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/ethiopia/poverty.html

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Definition:

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) = A situation in which a seemingly healthy infant, at least 2 months of age, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep (Berger 2009).

Why is it Meaningful to me and how it has impacted my future work:

SIDS is important to me because just a year ago, one of my employees lost her infant to SIDS.  It was such a devastating time for the parents and the staff.   Each of my employees are now required to have annual SIDS training so that are using developmentally appropriate practices  at home and at work to ensure the safety of the children are enforced and maintained at all times.   Our goal is to empower our staff with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs of individual children and their families by providing a safe and nurturing environment.

 Research:

 Infant mortality has dropped worldwide over the past few years.   Studies show the United States as having the least amount of infant fatalities compared to other countries such as Chile, India, Mexico and Poland.  I believe this is due to identified causes and early intervention.   Infants are diagnosed with SIDS when an autopsy and careful investigation cannot identify the cause of death.  

In 1990, there were about 5000 reported cases of SIDS in the United States averaging 1 in every 800 infants.  Similar rates were reported in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and bout European and South American nations.  Surprisingly, research identified ethnic differences: Asian babies were less likely to become victims of SIDS compared to European or African descents.   Even before the worldwide campaign to reduce risk of SIDS, only 1 baby in 3,000 in Hong Kong died of SIDS, compared with 1 baby in 200 in New Zealand ( Berger 2009) and (Byard, 2004).  Some researches believed that low socioeconomic status (SES) increases the rate of SIDS, but further research found this to be an untrue hypothesis.   Researchers began focusing on infant care practices and found that placing infants on their backs to sleep decreased SIDS. 

While SIDS can occur outside of cribs, it's also known as crib death because it happens most often during sleep, usually between the hours of 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.  It occurs most frequently during cold-weather months.  About 20 percent of SIDS deaths happen in childcare settings, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2000

Some experts believe that SIDS happens when a baby with an underlying abnormality sleeps tummy-down or in an area with soft or loose bedding, or is faced with an environmental challenge such as secondhand smoke during a critical period of growth.                                                         
                                                                          
References

American SIDS Institute (1983 - 2009). Welcome to the american sids institute. Retrieved from http://sids.org/

Berger. K. S. (2009). The developing person: Through childhood. New York. NY: Worth Publishers

Kidshealth (2005-2010). Sudden infant dealth syndrom. Nemours. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/

Personal Child Birth Experience

The Birth of my daughter  

1)       I remember the day that I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I was happy but

scared.  At the time I was single, working for a family owned xeroxing company.  I lived in a one bedroom apartment and drove a 1984 blue Monte Carlo. 

As my fetus began to devleop, I became very health conscience.  I wanted my child to grow up healthy and smart so I exercised every day, went to all of my doctors appointments, and read to her each night.   I remember my mom telling me that when I see my baby for the first time that I was going to feel a love that I had never experienced before….And she was  right ((:

The night before delivery, my entire family stayed up waiting patentiently for the little bundle of joy to be born.  Everyone loaded up the car around 2:00am heading to the hospital.  When I got there the doctor gave me an epidural so that I wouldn’t feel the pain from the contractions.  At 6:17am my daughter was born weighing 6lbs 8oz and 17 inch long.

I chose this example because it was my personal experience with childbirth. I feel that birth is an amazing experience that should not be taken for granted.  The development of the child is dependent upon how well the mother takes care of herself throughout the pregnancy.  However, there will be variables that the mother does not have control over  that can lead to abnormal development.                                                                                                                                                                   

2)        Afghanistan has one of the world's highest death rates among women during pregnancy or childbirth. Studies have shown that 2% of all pregnancies end in death of the mother and 1 in 16 women will die while pregnant or soon after giving birth. This is due to the inadequacies of health care.  Most of the health infrastructure has been destroyed, and many people living in remote villages have little or no access to health care benefits.

Currently, only 14 per cent of deliveries are attended by a trained midwife and over one in five children die before the age of five years old. In isolated rural areas, women face a one in three lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth.

After the death of one of the Afghanistan’s women, her sister decided to become a midwife in order to help decrease the death rate during childbirth.  She began working with the Ministry of Health in Afghanistan and local NGO Care of Afghan Families (CAF) to provide essential health care for vulnerable people in some of the country’s most remote and hard to reach areas.

3)       The differences in my childbearing experience and the women living in Afghanistan, is that our government pushes for health care benefits in the U.S. unlike Afghanistan’s Democratic government.  I was given medical guidance and treatments throughout my entire pregnancy. Families living in poverty in the U.S.  are still able to go to local health clinics for assistance; whereas, women in Afghanistan are not. Cultural differences play an important role on the developmental stages of the child.  If the cultural traits don’t soon change, the death of innocent children and women will continue to increase.  I am glad that women are stepping up and taking a stand to educator others on ways to help each other. They are seeking knowledge through trainings and community resources to empower their professional skills and development.

Merlin, F., (2010). Afghanistan. Retrieved from http://www.merlin-usa.org/Where-we-work/Afghanistan.aspx

THANK YOU

I would like to take this time to say “Thank you” to each of you for your unselfish contribution to my professional development.  I have truly enjoyed learning from and with each of you.  I look forward to our continued adventure throughout the next course.  May we continue to strive to be the best that we can be. 

~Brenda

Codes of Ethics

NAEYC

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.

 This Ideal is important to me because continued education is vital to the success of early childhood development.  We require our staff to obtain 24 hours of continued education or training annually.  Too many people still view early childhood as babysitting and not a profession, this way of thinking contributes to lack of knowledge gained.  Therefore, it is very important that we as professionals continue to gain knowledge and skills so that we are better able to articulate and educate others on what being a childcare professional really means.  We have to become educated before we can educate others.

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

This Ideal is very dear to my heart, because a lot of professionals look at children as a whole or a group instead of an individual.  By doing this, children often get lost within the group and miss out on the opportunity to develop appropriately.  Not all children have the same developmental needs or develop at the same time.  It is very important to focus on individual needs in order to ensure each child needs are being met.  It is also important to get to know each child and their family’s unique qualities, abilities, and potential.  This can be accomplished through observations and meaningful discussions. 

I-1.10—To ensure that each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.

This Ideal is important to me because I feel that parent involvement is essential to the development of each child.  The parent is the glue between the staff, health professionals, and child.  The parents can provide insight to the professionals concerning the child’s development.   Without insightful information from the parent, the professionals may not be able to identify or meet the needs of the child.  Children feel a sense of belonging and acceptance when teachers incorporate and support their family culture, language, ethnicity, and structures within the classroom.  It is our responsibility as professionals to provide a caring emotional and social environment to support children development, culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure.

I-3A.3—To support co-workers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional development.

This Ideal is important to me because we promote professional development by partnering with one of the community colleges in our area by offering early childhood courses on site each semester.  We also encourage staff to apply for state grants to cover tuition cost of each class offered.   Our program purchase course material so there is no out of pocket cost for staff members.  We also pay for staff’s Child Development Associates Credentials (CDA).  I feel it is very important to help staff achieve educational goals (if your program can afford to) because by doing this, we are investing in and developing professionals to help improve the early childhood arena.  

DEC

Professional and interpersonal behavior:

2. We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all

our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families

and of those with whom we work.

“Integrity in all we do” is the first statement in the Air Force core values.  One of the goals of a childcare professional is to gain the trust of a child and his family.  Once a child feels confident that he can trust his childcare provider, he is more apt to learn and develop under their leadership.  By building a trusting relationship with the parents, helps make the parent feel comfortable leaving their child in the care of the professional. 

Professional Collaboration:

3. We shall honor and respect the diverse backgrounds of our colleagues including such diverse

characteristics as sexual orientation, race, national origin, religious beliefs, or other affiliations.

Acceptance of diverse backgrounds are essential in the early childhood arena, because we are all different, with different experiences who brings something unique to the field.  There is no one correct way of doing things; it is a collaboration of a group of things.  We shouldn’t shun someone away because they are different than what we are accustomed to.  Instead we should embrace their contribution and see how we could implement it to improve the childcare field.  The childcare arena will continue to struggle for change if we continue to display discriminative behaviors and mindsets towards others.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION

4. We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and

ethically based services.

We definitely need to support new professionals to the field of early childhood by training and mentoring them.  We need to provide them with the necessary tools to successfully meet the needs of individual children and their families.

Introspective process:

One thing that I took for granted before I enrolled in this class was the fact that I never really consider my colleagues resources.  Everyone we come in contact with can be a resource to include a child.  We learn from each other every day.

“Being a voice for the voiceless”  ~Renatta Cooper 

Wow! That’s a powerful quote…

Course Resources

Turnitin.com  
http://turnitin.com/static/index.html

Video Program:

“The Resources for Early Childhood”
Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted 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://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/53029/CRS-CW-4477713/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
• 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.

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/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

Part 6: Additional Resources

• Books:

• American Academy of Pediatrics. (2002). Caring for our children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards (2^nd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care.
• Gallagher, K. (2003). Educating exceptional children (10^th ed.). Boston, NY: Houghton Company.
• Database:
• (2010 June 1).  Early childhood research, 8.(2). Retrieved October 7, 2010, from Sage database.
• Website:
• Early Childhood Educational Articles  http://www.brighthub.com/education/early-childhood/articles.aspx  These Early Childhood Education articles are written by and for preschool teachers, day care workers and parents. You'll discover a vast collection of lesson plans, curriculum, community resources, etc.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

 “Effective teachers have the knowledge to make informed decisions and adapt for individual differences in children throughout the day”.  ~ Dr. Susan Bredekamp

"Effective teachers are intentional in everything they do-they are purposeful, they're planful, they know why they're doing what they're doing and they can explain it to other people," 

 ~ Dr. Sue Bredekamp,

 “Our children are our greatest gift, our greatest responsibility, our greatest test”

~ Hillary Clinton

“We are living in an interdependent world where what our children hear, see, feel, and learn will affect how they grow up and who they turn out to be”     ~Hillary Clinton

Passion, Motivation and Wisdom

“We as Professionals in the early childhood field have the opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better”   ~ Sandy Escobido

“I’m not here to save the world; I’m here just to make a difference in the community that I’m working”  ~ Raymond Hernandez

“It’s not all about you; you gotta take your ego out of it and think about what’s best for the child”

~ Renatta M. Cooper

Inspiring Quotes
 "Safety and security don't just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."

~Nelson Mandela

"Children are our most valuable natural resource."

~ Herbert Hoover

Personal Childhood Web

Me, surrounded by my support TEAM!!

Mom: Edna Peoples

My mom provided stability in my life.  She taught me strength and  courage.   Most of all she taught me family values and integrity.   She made sure I was raised in a Christian home.  My mom was my ROCK!  She became my best friend as I got older.  Due to  my mom's nurturing and guidance, I am able to have a close relationship with my daughter.   My mom is the the first on my post, because she was the first to lay the foundation for my future.  Everyone else continues to build upon what she had already started.

Sister: Doris Kelly

My sister was always there for me.  She combed my hair and prepared my dinner.  She taught me how to wash clothes and make my bed.  My sister taught me life skills that I was able to incorporate in my household when I started my family.  My sister also helped provide me with family traditions that I was able to pass on to my daughter so that she will be able to pass them on to my grandchildren one day.

 Aunt: Beulah

I remember my Aunt used to always cook a BIG family dinner on Sundays  and invite us over for dinner; which also gave us the opportunity to play with  our cousins.   Spending time with my cousins helped enhance my social development. Up to this day, I still have a close relationship with my cousins.   



My Favorite Book

Green Eggs and Ham is one of my favorite books because I loved this book when I was growing up and so did my daughter.   We sometimes incorporate the characters and theme into the daily lesson plan in my progam by serving green eggs and ham for breakfast, decorating hats, and making shirts to match the caractors in the book.  The children are encourage to dress up like the charactors.  We have so much fun during circle time and dramitic play.  

A quote about children that is meaningful to me

If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.
~Carl Jung

Achild'sfirststart

Hello everyone, please bare with me as I get acclimated to using Blog. It is my first time, but I usually catch on pretty easily.  From what I have read it seems to be a great tool to keep the lines of communication open. I look forward to working, learning and sharing with each of you.