Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I have been trying to locate and contact two early childhood professionals outside of the United States. I have emailed two early childhood professionals, asking them to help me with my blog assignment for my early childhood class. I am still awaiting their reply to my email. If they don’t respond back by Monday of next week, I will try to locate two more early childhood professionals somewhere else before I try the alternative assignment for Part 1. I choose those two organizations because I wanted to learn more about their country, and how their early childhood education systems work. I decided to study The Global Alliance of NAEYC because they had several countries that I wanted to explore and learn. I tried contacting Mr. Erica Atmore at the National Early Childhood Development Alliance, and I also tried contacting Emil Buzov at Step by Step Program Foundation Bulgaria. I hope they will contact me back, so I can start my journey of understanding their perspectives on some of the issues and trends explored in this course. Hopefully, you all have stated your journey as well because it doesn’t seem too easy to find contacts on the other side of the world. If you have made any contacts, please inform me on who I can contact, so I can get this show on the road.

"My Support"

My Support Net 

·         God

My God is everything to me, and without him, I wouldn’t be here today. Through all my trials and tribulation, he has been there for me and my family. I am glad that I know him and that he is in my life forever. Without God, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My faith has brought me through a lot of things such as, the lost of an aunt, the lost of my step father, my health issues, and school. Having faith is one thing but keeping faith in a storm is another, and having God on my side has strengthened my faith tremendously. Now that, I have God in my life, I couldn’t imagine my life without him. My life is good, and it can only get better as long as I have Jesus.

·         Family

My family/God family means everything to me. They have been there to support me emotionally, mentally, financially, and spiritually since the day I was born. There hasn’t been a day that goes by that my family wasn’t there to give me their support. They have taught me how to love one another, care for one another, and help one another. The support that I got from my family helped me to believe in myself, love myself, educate myself, so I wouldn’t lack the knowledge I needed to succeed in life. There a lot of people out there who wished they had a family who supported them, especially, when it came to them making their own decision in life. I’m glad that I am able to make my own footprints in life and not follow in someone else’s footprints unlike, other people. To lose my family support would be devastating because they are always there when I need them, and I would be lost without them. Having a family that supports you can build confidence, structure, and courage in a person, and I thank God for them and their support.

·         Boy Friend

My boy friend is the love of my life, and I cherish every moment with him even though he makes me mad at times. He is a very supportive boy friend. He supports the idea of going back to school even though it takes up a lot of my time. He supports me emotionally, financially, and spiritually. It is very rare for me to find someone who can support me in all three of those aspects at my age. I am blessed to have Nick in my life right now because he has taught me how to love again. I thought I could never fall in love again, and if it weren’t for Nick, I wouldn’t be able to experience it again. Love brings the best out of me, and I am glad that I have someone share it with, and there to support me no matter what.

I can imagine raising a child all by myself would be a challenge. I don’t think I would be able to raise a child without God, my husband, or my family. Having all three support groups would help me emotionally, practically, and physically. They would give me the strength, the patience, and the ability to raise a child in this day and age. They would also, help support me raise my child, and help me to make the right decision for his/her future. Without the daily support of God, my husband, and my family, I believe I would struggle trying to make ends meet. I wouldn’t want to live my life without the support of my love ones, especially when it is a time in my life when I need them the most.

"My Connections to Play"

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

-Kay Redfield Jamison

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.

-Plato

Here are some essential plau items that I had as a young child:

         Verbot                Teddy Ruxpin              Easy Bake Oven

My childhood experience was filled with a lot of play. As a young child, my parents encouraged me to go out and play with other children my age, so I could make new friends. They wanted to help me discover my strengths and interests as well as showing me how to choose the right place for me to learn social skills. Once I turned six years old my parent introduced me to team sports such as basketball, soccer, tea ball, and track. Those sports helped me to continue my growth in building my social skills.

Play is no longer a fun activity for young children these days. Parents are pushing their children to play sports instead of letting them choose for themselves. Once a child is forced to do something that they don’t want to do then it causes them to resent their parents. It’s okay to introduce your child into team sport but no parent should push their child into doing something that they don’t’ want to do.

I may be an adult, but because the role of play was shown throughout my life, it has made me a kid at heart. I love being around children and teaching them the necessity of play. A child must experience play, so they can grow and learn the necessary skills they need to be successful.

Relationship Reflection

Having positive/trust righteous people in my life is the most important thing to me, next to knowing God! My family is the most positive/important people in my life. They are always encouraging me to live life to the fullest with no regrets, to love thy neighbor, and educate myself, so I can better myself. Family brings out the best and worst in each of us. As we yield to and serve others, we learn to love them and ourselves in the process. No one can choose the family they are born into, but if I could choose, I wouldn’t change a thing about any of them. They have all played a vital role in my life that has helped me to become the successful person I am today. As for my friends, I have a small circle of friends who I can say I’m close too. For instance, I have two or three colleagues at work who influences me to become the best teacher I can be. I have two or three childhood friends who I have known all my life that I can trust and count on, and I have a few college friends who I have grown to love and trust. Therefore, the small circle of friends that I have now helps me to see the good in myself, and they allow me to grow into the person I am suppose to be in the eyes of God. Although, my circle of friends may seem a little small, they are all I need to make my life complete because the negative people that I had in my life had made me an unhappy person, and that’s not the person I wanted to become. I have learned that you can’t make everybody your friend because there are people out there, who don’t want to see you succeed. Having a healthy relationship with people will make you and them a better person. So, if you have people in your life that are making you unhappy and you don’t know why, just remember that misery loves company.
My Mother and My Godfather (Shirley and Pastor Keith Norman) are some amazing people in my life that want nothing but to see me succeed in this world. They are always encouraging me to do my best. I can talk to them about anything that is going on in my life. They are always there for me when I need them. My relationship with them has grown over the past couple of years more than ever because we stay in contact with one another, spend time with one another, and pray with one another.

My sisters and my baby brother (baby boy) are some crazy individuals, who I love and cherish with all my heart. They have always been there for me to help me grow and evolve into the incredible person I am today. They have been there through my ups and downs and my falling outs with people. I can count on them to be there for me when I need them the most. Some of their advice might not always be positive, but I know they are only looking out for my best interest. We may not see each other as much as I would like, but when we do see each other, we live life to the fullest. Lately, it has been hard not being able to spend time with them as much as I would like because I don’t live in the same state with them anymore. So, finding time for them is harder than ever, but video chat, ooVoo, and face book make it a little easier to stay in contact with them, but the most valuable thing is that they know I love them and that I will always be here for them.

To me, time, trust, and love are some main factors that play a crucial role in maintain a friendship. Without those factors, how can a person get to know one another? You have to spend time with a person in order to know who they truly are. Also, you wouldn't care to spend time with a person you don’t like or trust. The more you know about a person, and the more you like and trust them, the more you will open up to them, allowing them to see the true person you are inside. Trusting a person is easy, but once a person gives you a reason not to trust them anymore, it’s hard to keep a relationship with them.
Having trust noble friendships in my life has made a positive effect on me. For example, they have allowed me to become a person that people can count on and trust. I have also evolved into a person who is loyal, honest, faithful, and a positive role model for my students and their families. Being an effective early childhood professional, has allowed me to able to help and support my students and their families growth. People love being around people they can trust and count on in any situation. Therefore, the friendships I have lost throughout my life, has allowed me to evolve into a person that people can call a lifelong friend.

Famous Children Quotes that I like.

"If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children." - Mohandes Ghandi

"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." - Emma Goldman

I would like to thank all my colleagues who made posting to my blog, and who I post comments too. I enjoyed reading your blogs because they gave me new insight to things I didn't know. They were personal and inspiring. I wish you all the best in achieving your goals. Live, Laugh, & Love!  :-)

Testng for Intelligence

I believe that young children holistic should be assessed because the ongoing research program in which instruments are developed to assess development through standardized situations, cover a wide array: (1) emotional health, (2) exploratory drive, (3) understanding of the physical world, (4) social competence, (5) communication and expression, (6) creativity, (7) musical perception, (8) self-organization and entrepreneurs (Bennett, J., & Leonarduzzi, S., 2004). All these area play a vital role in early childhood development because they will help young children to grow up to be adults who are self-confident and mentally healthy, curious and exploratory, expressive and communicative, imaginative and creative, well organized and entrepreneurial (Bennett, J., & Leonarduzzi, S., 2004). These areas will help children with developing intuitions about the social and physical world and feeling belonging and connections to the world around them.

European Assessment

Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia are three progressive approaches to early childhood education that appear to be growing in influence in North America and to have many points in common (ECRP, 2004). In all three approaches, children are assessed by means other than traditional tests and grades. Instead, parents receive extensive descriptive information about their children's daily life and progress and share in culminating productions or performances (ECRP, 2004). Portfolios or other products of children's individual and group work may be displayed and sent home at key intervals and transitions (ECRP, 2004). Yet as the three approaches increasingly interact with the world of public school education, dialogue is leading to greater focus on authentic and valid ways of conducting assessment and evaluation (ECRP, 2004). The American Montessori Association issued a position paper on "Learning and Assessment" that recommends that assessment procedures in American classrooms move toward formats (such as portfolios, presentations, multimedia projects) that more authentically gauge children's ability to interrelate ideas, think critically, and use information meaningfully (ECRP, 2004).

I believe that although we try to measure and assess our children, we still provide our parents with crucial information about their children’s progression and performances. Well at least I do with my parents. I send news letter home every week to inform my parents on how their children are doing in the classroom. I also let them know what we are working on for the week and how they can extend it at home. Although, I send news letters home every week, I also talk to my parents every day when they drop their children off for school. So, I am communicating daily and weekly with my parents. I do think our children should be assessed, but I don’t want it to affect the children in a way where high test scores matter most, and in which they will be pressured to produce these scores.

References:

Bennett, J., & Leonarduzzi, S. (2004). Starting Strong Curriculum and Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education and Care: Five Curriculum Outlines. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/23/36/31672150.pdf

Edwards, C. P. (2002). Three Approaches from Europe: Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia. European Psychologist, 4(1), 1524-5039. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/edwards.html

Common Stressors

·         War

·         Poverty

·         Racism

·         Natural disaster

·         Isolation

·         Hunger

·         Noise

·         Chaos

·         Disease

·         Environmental pollution

·         Violence

As a child growing up, all I knew about cancer was that people died from it. When I was around 11 years old, my step dad sat me and my sister down on the couch, and told us that he had prostate cancer. I didn’t know what prostate cancer was at the time, but what I did know about cancer, is that it killed people. I was so scared that I was going to lose my dad that I pulled myself away from him. I didn’t want to lose my dad, and if he were to die, I wouldn’t know what to do without him. I thought that if I pulled myself away from my dad, it wouldn’t hurt as much when he died. For instance, I stop going around my dad, I stop talking to him, and I wouldn’t go to him when he called me. At the time, I didn’t know that those things had hurt my dad. I was just a young child who was scared of losing her father. Although, my dad suffered through several chemotherapy sessions, he eventually, became cancer free. So, now that I am older, I know more about the disease that they call cancer, and it’s many other diseases. A few years ago, my dad sat down with and talked to me about the way I acted as a child when he was sick. He told me how he was hurt that I wasn’t around when he was sick. He said he had needed me to be there for him because me and sister was the reason he was fighting for his life. As a child, I didn’t know that grownups needed us but now I do. I apologize to my dad for not being there for him, but I also told him that I was scared of losing him, and at that age, the only way I could keep from hurting was to forget about him. I know that sounds selfish and thoughtless, but that was the only way I knew how to deal with death. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad to death, and I am glad that he is still here with me. Just like adults, children deal with life issues differently, and you can’t blame them for the way, they express themselves because that is just how they cope with things in order to survive. I have learned, as we grow, we will find new ways to deal with our issues. Till this day, I still don’t like the feeling of losing a person close to me, but I have grown so much in my faith that I have learned that it is God’s will and he makes no mistakes. I have learned not to leave people when they need you the most because one day you will need them. Now, when someone who is close to me is sick, the first thing I do is pray for them and then I go and see about them. I don’t run away from them anymore I am always there for them.

South Africa is one of the countries that I want to know more about when it comes to the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty, and children’s vulnerability now and in the future. Research has shown that

Several countries in Southern Africa now see large numbers of their population barely subsisting at poverty levels in years without shocks, and highly vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, the economy and government policy. The combination of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and a weakened capacity for governments to deliver basic social services has led to the region experiencing an acute phase of a long-term emergency. Vulnerability is a term commonly used by scientists and practitioners to describe these deteriorating conditions. There is particular concern about the vulnerability of children in this context and implications for children's future security. Through a review of literature and recent case studies, and using a widely accepted conceptualization of vulnerability as a lens, we reflect on what the regional livelihoods crisis could mean for children's future wellbeing. We argue that an increase in factors determining the vulnerability of households both through greater intensity and frequency of shocks and stresses (external vulnerability) and undermined resilience or ability to cope (internal vulnerability) are threatening not only current welfare of children, but also their longer-term security. The two specific pathways we explore are (1) erosive coping strategies employed by families and individuals; and (2) their inability to plan for the future. We conclude that understanding and responding to this crisis requires looking at the complexity of these multiple stressors, to try to comprehend their interconnections and causal links. Policy and programmer responses have, to date, largely failed to take into account the complex and multi-dimensional nature of this crisis. There is a misfit between the problem and the institutional response, as responses from national and international players have remained relatively static. Decisive, well-informed and holistic interventions are needed to break the potential negative cycle that threatens the future security of Southern Africa's children.

Reference

Drimie, S., Casale, M. (2009). Multiple stressors in Southern Africa: the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty and children's vulnerability now and in the future. American Psychologist, 21, 28-33. doi: 10.1080/09540120902942931