Professional Hopes and Goals

Over the past eight weeks I have really been exposed to a variety of topics and experiences in diversity. Our society is definitely growing in diversity so working as an educator in early childhood education will continue to bring new faces and cultures into my work with young children and their families. As I continue through my professional career in education, I hope to take with me my new awareness of how culture and diversity can affect people within a dominant culture different then their own. Looking at the community where I live, I do consider myself a member of the dominantly white area, but as I see more and more families enter our school. I think it's important to be opened minded about others and even though I may not fully understand every culture different than my own, I do want to continue to learn about how I can best work with individuals, taking into consideration their personal needs.
One goal that I would wish for the early childhood field in relation to diversity and equity would be that as we become more exposed to new cultures that our early childhood curricula standards also become more diverse to allow children to experience different cultures. I think that a positive exposure to diverse curriculum would help children to consider our society's differences in a positive light and hopefully learn to value and respect the differences we can share with each other as a culture.
Thank you to all my colleagues and Professor Kien for providing comments, responses, stories, and suggestions throughout the course. Best of luck to all!
Caitlin

Welcoming Families from Around the World

If I were working in an early childhood care facility and a family was immigrating to the United States from China and will be enrolling their young daughter at the facility, I would definitely need to prepare myself to learn about their family's culture and how to best welcome this young girl into a new environment.
In order to become more familiar with the Chinese culture, I would begin by taking time to read about the country through professional resources free of any biases, prejudices, or oppressive opinions. How families live, any traditional customs, and any other important factors about this country. I think that as a teacher to this young girl I would want to better understand how the education system and teacher-student relationships are conducted in China and incorporate those factors into my relationship with her. According to Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research the teacher-student relationship is hierarchically determined which makes learning and knowledge building more difficult, often times students do not receive adequate respect for their creativity or innovations, and because teachers are expected to have experience and wisdom, it is difficult for them to accept students’ ideas when they contradict their own (Chan & Chan, 2005). Experience is valued much more than creativity in China's education system, which is very different than what I have learned in the U.S. educational field (Chan & Chan, 2005). As a way of preparing the environment, I would bring in books and items for the other children in the class and myself to read together about her family's culture. One method of introducing this new student's culture into the classroom might be having her bring in just a few items from home that belong to her to share with the class. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, if language barriers come into play it would benefit both myself, the young student, and her family if I were to study about the Chinese language so that I could more adequately communicate with her and her family. One other stride I might take to help welcome this family would be to meet with them and talk about their expectations and needs for their daughter and provide any appropriate resources for their use at home to make their daughter's transition to the school smoother.
As we have discussed throughout this course, understanding diversity with respect to early childhood development can have so many beneficial aspects for growing children and their families. By becoming more culturally responsive in preparation for a young child moving from a different and unfamiliar culture would allow for more positive experiences for the child entering a new environment, more adequate communication between myself, the student, and the family, and would help to eliminate any preconceived biases or untrue assumptions about a new culture.
References
Chan, K.L. & Chan, C.L.W. (2005). Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research. International Social Work 48(4): 381–389. Retrieved using the Walden University Library SAGE Publications database.

Personal Experience with Bias, Prejudice, or Oppression

When I read through the blog assignment this week, one story that came to mind was one told to me and experienced by my husband's mother (my mother-in-law) who began an early childhood school 50 years ago, the same school that I work in today. Fifty years ago, she was working in the local public school district and saw that there were no facilities available for children to attend before the first grade level. She wanted to create a place for children to come during their early childhood years to help prepare students for their grammar school experiences as well as provide care for parents and families for their young children, being a single mother and widow in her mid-thirties. Although her intentions to open an early childhood school were more than admirable she was confronted and approached with criticism by some of the local public saying that she was stepping outside of the boundaries meant for women and providing a new method for women to leave the home and step into the workforce. All of the comments and disgust she received came from the male members of the community who, at the time, were biased against women working in a "man's" position, a time when the oppression of women was the dominant culture of society. Despite the confrontations she dealt with during the beginnings of her private school, she pursued her dream and developed a high quality and the most well known early childhood program in the area 50 years later. In this particular scenario, those people that would have to change would be those male members of the community who felt that women should remain as housewives rather than members of the workforce. Obviously times have changed dramatically as women have entered the workforce, opening business, and pursuing their personal employment goals.
Mentally placing myself in her shoes at that time, I can only imagine how difficult it would have been to follow a goal that it being outright put-down and frowned upon by other members of the community, her peers and colleagues. I think I would have felt suppression of my personal goals and desires to make a change in local education for the better. I can only hope that I'd find the same courage to step past the norm to do something that would bring a new idea and benefit to society. 

Microaggression

Although I had a harder time thinking of specific examples of microaggression that I've witnessed this week, but many times I have seen acts of microaggression between children in the classroom, similar to the examples seen in the readings from Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). I remember one time in our small full day Kindergarten classroom when two girls wanted to play "house" in the dramatic play center. When one of the young boys also wanted to join in with them in their play, the other boys in the class said "Oh, Rosbin wants to play with the girls!" You could see in his face that their comments triggered a concern in his mind as he made a defensive comment like "I'm not a girl!", but he continued his play with them and didn't seem to mind what the boys thought. Thinking back to that scenario now I can't help but wonder how this experience is effecting his opinions of himself within his group of peers and the identity he is forming. In the same classroom, 9 of the children were white and only one had come to the country recently from Guatemala and spoke Spanish as his primary language. He was a very eager student, willing to learn, especially the English language, and very interested in showing his abilities and interests to his teachers and classmates. He always wanted to be seen and part of the group, often making up stories about having siblings or pets at home to feel welcomed by his peers. I think after a while the other children caught on to his elaborate storytelling and began to seclude him from play, didn't want him to sit with them at lunch, and didn't want to include him on the playground. Now, Rosbin's personality accounts for a great many factors, including his family culture and dynamics. The other children in the class might not be specifically targeting his cultural background when they criticize his character traits, but they are creating a negative barrier between themselves and Rosbin that has and will continue to effect his development in many ways.
I once recall being a target of microaggression when our ice cream supplier delivered to our location one hot afternoon last summer and, although we had never met before, I happened to be the only person nearby to open the snack bar and sign for the delivery, so I introduced myself as the director and offered to help. He didn't like that. He immediately asked for my husband, who he had previously been in contact with, and when I said he wasn't available he was extremely standoffish and rather rude that I was the person he had to deal with at the time. I felt as if my being a woman was extremely displeasing to him and that he was offended and annoyed to have to work with a lesser person because of my gender. Overall my emotions were surprised, offended, confused, and building up to defensive against his behavior.  
Both of these experiences have shown me that discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes can place a huge affect on individuals and groups of people who are targets of either intentional or unintentional microaggression. Although I was rather startled by this delivery man questioning my capabilities, I can only imagine that having to deal with forms of microaggressions on a daily basis would become exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally.
References 
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Culture & Diversity from Three Perspectives

The first person I asked to give me a personal definition of culture and diversity stated that culture is a combination of ones family, beliefs, history, and race, and diversity is the differences that people bring together to make up our society. A second person I spoke with focused their definition of culture and diversity specifically toward ethnicity and racial differences between various groups of people, and traditional values that people portray within a set group. Another person mentioned that culture was largely made up of relationships and the social environment that a person is raised and lives. They summarized diversity as the social variety of the differences that individuals and families possess and share as a whole.
These three perspectives on culture and diversity have some similarities as well as some different viewpoints on the topic. The first and third definition provided a more broad definition of the words, listing multiple characteristics such as race, beliefs, history, relationships, etc, and how these characteristics make our society a diverse people. Many of these cultural characteristics were shared by Gonzelaz-Mena as the melting pot of life aspects that make up who we are as a person (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). I tend to agree with this idea that culture is so personal, so independent, but that's also what gives our society its diversity. The second definition was a bit more focused on the ethnic aspect of cultural identity and how our vast races make our society to diverse. After just having spoken with three individuals that I know, it's become more clear that culture and diversity is personal and is thought of very personally as well. Our opinions are defined by our own culture and experiences, which will in turn also affect how we view others. I feel that we should always be open minded about our neighbors and willing to learn more about the various cultures that make our world so diverse.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Culture and Diversity (2011) [DVD] Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Ngo, B. (2008). Beyond “culture clash”: Understanding of immigrant experiences. Theory into Practice, 47(1), 4–11.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

My Family Culture

If I were being moved to a foreign country after a catastrophic event, the first small, personal item I would bring with me that represent my family's culture would be a photograph of my family. One particular photograph that comes to mind was taken of my entire family at my wedding. I would explain to the people of the country I would be traveling to that this photograph is a physical reminder of my loved ones that helps me to keep them in my heart and my mind when I cannot be with them. Pictures and imagery are such a huge part of our culture, from old family photos to everyday digitals on Facebook. I know I enjoy keeping many memories through photo reminders. I would also bring one particular family heirloom that was handed down to me from my great-grandmother, a small Catholic Bible. I received this Bible from my great-uncle when she passed eight years ago and truly felt honored that she would want me to have something so dear of hers. This special heirloom handed down to me has significant meaning and an item that I hold very dear. The third item I would want to bring is a old tile mold that has the name of my grandfather engraved in the stone. He played a major role in building our current town and the local tileworks factory that is well-known in the Bucks County, PA area. This particular mold was used by my grandfather to mark his work and was given to my mother by the tileworks foundation as an heirloom when he passed.
If I was told that I could only keep one of the three items when arriving in this new country, I would absolutely feel torn as to which item I would bring, especially if I didn't know what would become of the other two items that are so important to me. Thinking about each one, I think I would end up choosing the Bible given to me by my great-grandmother. This Bible not only has strong reminders of her, but also of other family members and memories, not to mention they hold God's spiritual guidance to get me through such a trying time.
Overall, thinking about this hypothetical scenario has made me realize even more that culture is so much more than skin deep. It is a typical conception that culture is race, ethnicity, or where you come from, but culture is also about relationships, memories, and family values that you grow old with. 

Final Thoughts about Building Research Competency in ECE

Throughout the Building Competencies in Research course, I feel as if I have had an immense amount of exposure and guidance through research techniques, methods, considerations, preparations, ethics, conduct, and more. My previous exposure to any type of research had really only revolved around the scientific community and the structure used in science to develop and implement experimental studies. I was surprised by the qualities of educational research that are utilized in studies on young participants, such as child and parental consent, ethics of conducting study, methods and options for collecting data, etc.
My thoughts about conducting research were really confined by a different way of setting up an experiment. Although the structure of many of the articles we read throughout the course had similar structure, including an introduction, methods description, results, discussion, and conclusion, I was introduced to new concepts in research in the education field. For instance, the methods of collecting data, whether quantitative or qualitative, as well as the use of sources through triangulation were new concepts. I also found that the term interpretivist can play a significant role in studies, as it can become a challenge for researchers to divide their opinions, projections, and initial thoughts when collecting information through observation and, particularly, personal interviews. It is often difficult to divide our human nature to hold to personal opinions, speculations, predictions, and viewpoints when hypothesizing about a topic, however it is an important factor to maintain knowledge and regulation of throughout a study in order to obtain accurate results.
Over these 8 weeks, one of my first challenges was determining a topic that would make sense and theoretically work for this simulation study. As the course moved on however I felt as if the information, readings, and articles we were assigned provided a tremendous amount of background information regarding how studies are properly planned and executed when it comes to working with children in an educational, social, etc. environment. On a more personal note, unfortunately this semester also challenged me on time, but I feel like I was able to maintain management of assignments to the best of my ability.
I think that after taking this particular course, my exposure to early childhood has really opened to a new light of childhood studies through formal research. Their are definitely many factors to keep in mind when studying children that are vital, not only to the research aspect, but more importantly, to the children, parents, and families that are participating. The study examples that I have read about these last 8 weeks are much different than my previous experiences studying plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, etc. They deal with something much more fragile - real lives that are easily influenced and affected by outside sources. However, through the benefits I've already witnessed, research on early childhood education has an immense amount of benefits to the field that will continue to create positive environments, programs, and learning for young children.
Thank you to everyone who read and posted on my blog. I appreciate all your comments, thoughts, and suggestions for my future research in ECE!
Caitlin   

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood

The website for Early Childhood Australia (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/) provides many links to early childhood research, including Early Childhood news, Every Child magazine, and Everyday Learning Services. One particular resource of early childhood research, the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC), is Australasia's foremost scholarly journal and the world's longest-running major journal within the early childhood field (Early Childhood Australia, 2010).  Some of the recent topics discussed in research articles include early childhood curriculum and the consideration of Aboriginal books in literacy, curriculum guidelines through comparison of New Zealand and England, and children’s transition to school in Sydney, Australia from Bangladeshi parents. It was refreshing to see the variety of research topics being completed in Australia’s early childhood field. One article I came across discussed the impact of children choosing free literature typically promotes positive family and social interactions between story characters and that family members took an active part in the family’s literacy through reading at home.  It was also insightful that there are many topics and areas of early childhood that play a big role in the formation and development of curriculum, such as popular culture, child play, literacy, school readiness, and culture.

References

Early Childhood Australia. (2010). http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/about_ajec.html

Research that Benefits Children and Families: An Uplifting Story

One topic that jogged my memory and interest this past week is the devastating physical and emotional hardship of childhood leakaemia. My husband's aunt, Dr. Patricia Buffler, the Dean of Nursing at the University of California Berkley, has been the head of research on childhood leukaemia and recently found that their are significant benefits to children attending day cares and schools during early years and the prevention of leukaemia. Through Dr. Buffler's interview with BBC News UK, she explains how early exposure to illness and experiencing coughs and colds will actually boosts a young child's immune system against more severe illness, such as leukaemia - a malignant blood disorder (Buffler, 2008). She summarizes that by attending a playgroup, a child's risk of developing one common type of leukaemia is cut by about 30% according to research (Buffler, 2008).
This current research being conducted on childhood leukaemia, that involves children in physical studies, has a great benefit to all those with this childhood illness. By studying the impact of children being involved in playgroups and day care programs, with minimal exposure risk, we can help prevent the bigger risk of such a horrific disease. Dr. Buffler's research at the University of California has certainly provided further insight into this severe childhood illness. 


References
Buffler, Patricia. (Speaker). (2008 April 29). Daycare 'cuts leakaemia risk'. [Interview]. UK: BBC News. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7372568.stm

My Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose for the research simulation is the development of fine and gross motor skills in early childhood. Specifically, I would like to reflect more on the following three subtopics: pattern of normal development of fine and gross motor skills for children between the ages of birth to two years, methods of promoting positive muscle growth and skills through types of movement activities in the home and school, and how surroundings and relationships influence developing muscle function during early childhood. Personally, I have a scientific background through my undergraduate studies in college, and I find the growth and development of the human body, especially from such a young age, to be fascinating. Already, I have read through a few professional articles on the topic of how motor skills are best learned, practiced, and refined through early childhood and have grown more interested in finding out more on how this area of early chlidhood development can be applied in my field and program. I have background in researching for projects and papers, but some of the simulation processes is a new experience.

After completing the research chart, which was a new process for me, I feel as if it helped me to organize my thoughts and the information provided. I think it is a great organizational tool when reviewing resources for research. From the Professor Davis’ comments, there were a few areas that I could review again and make changes to for the future. I think I tend to elaborate in certain areas beyond what may be needed - an area of writing I would like to simplify - so this assignment put that idea into perspective for me as I continue my research. If anyone has any suggestions for me regarding the simulation research project, my topic, or resources that have benefited you - please feel free to share!

Caitlin

(Blog 2)

Consequences of International Communication

My primary connections to an international early childhood program was through Jessica Liddell from Alberta, Canada and frequent e-newsletters from Zero to Three, in addition to frequent research on international organizations that help to maintain and support early childhood education around the world and information posted by colleagues on discussions and blogs.

Through discovering new information about the ongoing of international early childhood education, I have learned a lot of how other countries perceive and develop early programs for children and families. Additionally, I've definitely been exposed to the various struggles countries face with providing opportunities for young children and families to receive care as well as the positive pushes forward that countries are pursuing for the young population. I also discovered new information about support organizations that assist early childhood facilities with managing areas such as child development and curriculum standards and funding.

It is truly amazing to take in information about the conditions in other countries and consider how much the United States has to provide and benefit young children and families. Families living in developing nations, that lack structured education, safe and sanitary living conditions, and even fresh water, struggle to provide adequate care for their children, which is why the work of organizations to support early childcare on an international scale, such as Zero to Three. Through my personal communication with Jessica and my research on various organizations, and feel that I can also bring a ton of new ideas and concepts to our facility to enhance our program and the opportunities for our students and families.

One goal for the early childhood field could be to increase the awareness of international issues and continue to provide needed support in developing areas of the world, where education has taken a back seat to other problems, by providing the resources, personnel, and knowledge necessary for the care and education of children, parents, and families. 

A big thanks to my professor and colleagues for sharing and supporting new information and experiences these past 8 weeks. I wish everyone the best of luck as you continue through the MCECS program and look forward to sharing again in the future!

Caitlin

Jessica Liddell, Mother Earth's Children's Charter School

This week my international contact, Jessica Liddell, a Kindergarten teacher and special education coordinator at Mother Earth's Children's Charter School in Stony Plain, AB, Canada, posed her responses to the questions posted.  

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

Our province is currently undergoing major revisions in our education model and a shift is occurring in how programs are being delivered.  There are several large initiatives and projects being rolled out right now and two in particular will have major implications on our early childhood programs.  One project - "Action on Inclusion" is focusing on how students with special needs are supported in regular classrooms including how funding is distributed, how special services are accessed, how teachers are trained to support exceptional learners, etc.  There is both excitement and some anxiety as the details for this unfold.  There has also been an Early Childhood Development Mapping Initiative that is about midway through it's five year roll out.  This promises to reveal insights into regions of the province and where students are at developmentally (Socially, emotionally, physically, readiness skills for school, etc.) during their Kindergarten year.  Reporting from other countries as well as other provinces in Canada that are already using this data collection method reveals some pretty interesting statistics so I am excited to learn more as we move further into the project in our area.  On a more localized level, our school regularly faces challenges regarding perceptions about ECS programs.  In Alberta, Kindergarten is not mandatory and we still have many families that are not fully committed to the value of regular attendance.

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

Our school staff have participated in many PD opportunities addressing our major school focuses for the year.  We have begun to utilize Martha Kaufeldt's brain based and thematic approaches in our planning as well as a new literacy model and so that has been where most PD has occurred.  I love having opportunities to learn from others and so I have been supported in visiting other exemplary Kindergarten classes each year.  I am still quite new to the profession - this is my fourth year however my university training was not in early childhood but actually special education and so I have much to learn about working with the littles!  There are some amazing opportunities for professional development available, and I feel fortunate to work for a school board that is quite committed to supporting my participation in opportunities that I feel would enhance my skill set.

What are some of your professional goals?

As a non-native person working in an Indigenous charter school, I am committed to learning about and understanding the culture and the history of the population I am working with. 
Our school strives to recognize the gifts and talents of students in a holistic sense and so in addition to working at building relationships with students and their families that will support nurturing of those gifts and talents, I also strive to build my toolkit of strategies and practices so that I can create learning opportunities that are meaningful and appropriate for the individuals I work with.

What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

The reality of the students that I work with in some cases is very tragic.  There are some circumstances that these 4 and 5 year olds are in that I cannot begin to imagine how they remain resilient and hopeful.  I HOPE that I provide a safe and caring place for them to feel special and loved,  I DREAM that these amazing children will forever see themselves as capable learners and will become incredible leaders,  I am often CHALLENGED by not enough hours in the day.

I hope this is helpful and if you have the time I would be interested to hear more about your program and your responses to these topics.
Thanks - Jessica

After doing some research, I found that Martha Kaufeldt presents motivational presentations and dynamic workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada that address the fundamentals of Brain Compatible Learning, Differentiated Instruction and Integrated Curriculum for all grade level staff (Kaufeldt, 2005). I think this is a terrific addition for a program's educators as part of professional development. I also enjoyed reading that the professional goals of their program is to recognize the gifts and talents of students in a holistic sense, build relationships with students and their families that will support nurturing of those gifts and talents, and incorporate more of the natural and indigenous environment and history into their curriculum as a way of enriching the lives and education of each child. 

Jessica's personal goals provided a connection to my own personal experiences as a new member of the early childhood field. We both are reaching out in our positions to learn about these young children, to take on positive and hands-on participation in enriching the lives of each child we serve, and grow as a professional in the early childhood education community.

References
Kaudfeldt, Martha. (2005). Begin with the Brain. Retrieved from http://www.beginwiththebrain.com/index.php

Analyzing Organization Website

The Zero to Three website not only has a ton of information, but also links to other site for organizations, including four main links on the home page for Early Head Start, National Training Institute, Military Family Projects, and National Infant and Child Care Initiative. The first link for the Early Head Start leads to their website which includes EHS program locations, activities and upcoming conferences, news, and the mission of this federally funded community-based program for low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women to promote healthy prenatal care, development of young children, and family functioning.

This week, I took a closer look at the Zero to Three Care and Education pages regarding the need for positive early learning experiences to foster their intellectual, social and emotional development and lay the foundation for later school success (Zero to Three, 2011). Zero to Three specifically mentions the growing number of infants, toddlers, and young children who spend more of their day with people other than their parents - including program caregivers, babysitters, family members, and friends. With that in mind, they promote that it's important for parents and families to understand the pros and cons to look for the type of child care facility best suited for their child. For instance, there's public and private center-based centers, family, friend, and neighbor arrangements, personal nannies and sitters, etc.

In the e-newsletters I receive from Zero to Three, hot topics are discussed from news going on in early childhood education around the country. For example, this week Alison Gopnik questions if too much direct teaching in Pre-K limit kids' curiosity. The pressures of reaching high academic levels and readiness for primary school through teacher directed learning is suppressing the time allotted for creativity and imagination in prekindergarten programs. Developmental scientists are studying the basic science behind learning and what we know about how teaching affects learning (Gopnik, 2011). 

Zero to Three promotes both federal and state polices that push for equity for children and families to receive proper early childhood care and services, including Title IV of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221) authorizes the Early Learning Challenge Fund, a new federal funding stream to promote State early care and education systems for children birth to five (Zero to Three, 2011). 

References

Gopnik, Alison. (2011). Why Preschool Shouldn't Be Like School: New Research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/id/2288402/pagenum/all/#p2

Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). http://www.zerotothree.org/

New Resource: Global Children’s Initiative

The Center on the Developing Child through Harvard University believes that the vitality and sustainability of any society depend on the extent to which it provides opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship. They build a multi-disciplinary science of health, learning, and behavior, advance our understanding of how to reduce preventable disparities in well-being, catalyze the formulation and implementation of effective, science-based policies, and prepare future and current leaders to make science-based policy decisions (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010). Having a strong interest in the sciences myself, I really found that the biological and psychological research being completed on behalf of early childhood learning and development has strong significance on standards and decision making in the field. I think that considering scientific evidence of healthy learning and development in young children provides different and accurate benefits for early childhood programs.

The Center on the Developing Child also promotes other initiatives and organizations that use scientific evidence for early childhood and early brain development on positive early childhood education policies (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010).

I feel that using scientific study to support the curriculum and standards we set forth for early childhood learning and development would allow for greater unification and equity of programs on a larger scale. Although science does not always fit every circumstance, through ongoing study it can provide more accurate confirmation of the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of a child’s body and mind.

Resources

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children’s initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/ 

Zero to Three Newsletter: A New Resource

I finally received my first subscription to the Zero to Three Newsletter via email, so I wanted to review some of the topics covered in this month's edition. Ironically, the first topic of discussion is about the recent budget cuts to Head Start program funding by about a quarter. McCartney states in her article Cutting Head Start is bad fiscal policy that 218,000 poor children will be dropped from the program and 55,000 Head Start program workers will lose their job (2011). I thought this tied back to the discussions we’ve been posting this week in regards to the need to provide financial support to early childhood education.

In 2010, the country invested more than $7 billion to prepare poor preschoolers for school success. This is a lot of money, but there is ample evidence that early childhood education more than pays for itself (McCartney, 2011).

James Heckman’s research through the University of Chicago shows evidence that "waiting until age 5 to begin formal education is too late for disadvantaged children as we miss the opportunity to build on success" (McCartney, 2011). Although I am not directly involved in a Head Start program in my professional role in education, I do feel like the challenges of funding cuts are affecting more programs and I should be aware of ongoing trends throughout the field of education.

Another topic in the Zero to Three Newsletter discussed one particular effect of cutting was discussed in an article titled Cutting Kindergarten. There are approximately 85,000 students enrolled in kindergarten in the state of Pennsylvania and 75 percent are in full-day programs funded by ABG grants, according to Kathy Geller Myers, communication director for PA Promise for Children (Alexander, 2011). With talk of eliminating the ABG grants, it’s quite possible that these programs are at risk of being cut as a result of funding losses. Considering the number of students this full-day kindergarten program serves alone is a significant piece of care lost in the PA schools. Our facility happens to have a full-day kindergarten class as well as a PM enrichment class for those kindergartners that attend an AM program at the public schools. The fact that the state is considering cutting grant funding that support other full-day programs indicates a trend of less kindergarten opportunities available and parents will begin to look toward other program options. The political and economic force behind this decision to remove ABG grants for full-day kindergarten in PA schools certainly displays the power that government law has on education at the early childhood level.

References

Alexander, Amanda. (2011). Cutting Kindergarten. Sun Gazette. Retrieved from http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/561624/Cutting-kindergarten.html

McCartney, Kathleen. (2011). Cutting Head Start is bad fiscal policy. CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-14/opinion/mccartney.head.start_1_early-childhood-education-poor-children-single-best-investment?_s=PM:OPINION

Getting to Know My Contact: Mother Earth's Children's Cahrter School, Stony Plain, AB, Canada

This week I was finally able to get in touch with one contact from the Mother Earth's Children's Charter School in Canada that I found listed on the list of podcasts on the World Forum Radio. Jessica Liddell is a Kindergarten Teacher and coordinator of the Special Education program at MECCS. Since it doesn't seem that I will receive her response with any more information about the program, her position in the center, and poverty in the area, I decided to review the podcast on the World Forum Foundation Radio as well as the program's website and statistics on poverty in Stony Plain, Alberta from the official municipal website. 

Mother Earth's Children's Charter School believes that there are four needs for every child to have to succeed - belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. They offer programs for children from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 8 (MECCS, 2011). Their goal is to provide support to children and guide them to discover their personal talents, responsibility, potential, and purpose in their lives. The MECCS program focuses on holistic nurturing, guidance, and challenging each child’s spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional self through traditional Indigenous teachings. Their educators target each child's development and educate each child as they have been given created by a higher being (MECCS, 2011). The culture in Stony Plain, AB has become a huge part of the MECCS program. The core of the program is structured around the native Aboriginal spirituality and Elders that pass on the traditions of their culture. They also incorporate smudging into the curriculum which children learn about self-care and personal development through daily prayer and positive energy. MECCS also introduces children to the Indigenous language, celebrations, and natural land to solidify lessons and learning (2011). Although the MECCS website does not provide information about poverty in their region, I did find their mention about the adversity that many of the children MECCS serves suffer from. "Resilience is the innate human ability to rebound from adversity with even greater strength to face future obstacles" (MECCS, 2011). While so many families face poverty as we have also been discussing, many families also face the hardship of adversity. Families that immigrate to the U.S. from different areas of the world may struggle with learning a second language, being accepted into a new community, etc. 

The World Forum Radio provided a podcast with the principal of MECCS, TJ Skalski. She discusses her role as the principal in the MECCS program and the unique qualities of the Canadian school. She came to Mother Earth's Children's Charter School through a personal calling and the inspiration from her grandmother that she would one day become a teacher. She became the fifth principal since the school's opening and faced many challenges in learning about the school and working among the administrators also changing over. She discovered that the main goal of the MECCS program and her personalis to reinvest in children and provide children with the opportunities to succeed in their personal goals and ambitions. "Many children come damaged, wounded, scarred, hungry, depressed, not feeling of any worth" (Skalski, 2011). TJ Skalski's depiction of the children that come into her care at MECCS shows that poverty and adversity take a huge role in the lives of these children and families. It seems that a big part of the MECCS mission is to provide support for these children and families and guide them grow into the strong people they are. 

I was able to find the municipal website for Stony Plain, Alberta for information about the region. Stony Plain services a population of about 60,000 people. Families and children in Stony Plain are provided with support through Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). The goals of the FCSS group is to aid families with financial aid, community participation, self-help, counseling, and education classes. 

I hope to hear more from Mother Earth's Children's Charter School teacher, Jessica Liddell, within the next weeks to share some new information about this Canadian school for children.

References

Mother Earth's Children's Charter School (MECCS). (2011). Retrieved March 17, 2011 from http://www.meccs.org/

Skalski, TJ. (Speaker). (2011). Episode 7: TJ Skalski [Podcast]. Stony Plain, AB: World Forum Foundation. Retrieved March 17, 2011 from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org

Town of Stony Plain. (2011). Town of Stony Plain. Retrieved March 17, 2011 from http://www.stonyplain.com/

Sharing Resources

I actually ended up signing up for a few e-newsletters and reviewed the website information from a few of the organizations listed, including the National Institute for Early Education Research and National Association for the Education of Young Children. However, the organization I initially chose to research further is Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. Although I have yet to receive a newsletter called "From Baby to Big Kid" from Zero to Three, as it is supposed to be sent the first of April, I did spend time reviewing the goals and policies from their site. The Zero to Three mission as a national, nonprofit organization is to inform, train, and support professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve and promoting the health, development, and lives of infants and toddlers (Zero to Three, 2011).  

Overall, Zero to Three is extremely informative about the developmental stages from birth through age three, providing concepts for parents and caretakers to consider as their infant grows into a toddler. They thoroughly discuss brain development, challenging behaviors, mental health, screening and assessment, health and growth, play, social and emotional development, sleep, and more. For an upcoming first time parent, it really gives a lot of perspectives and statistics on these and other topics of development in those first few years. Additionally, while they introduce many positive learning, they also talk about the effects of maltreatment, trauma, and stressful environments for children both in the home and at school. Zero to Three also discusses how early childhood care for children at these ages can play a role in their growth and development in a variety of different child care arrangements, including family-based, center-based, or care from a friend or neighbor.

I have already learned a lot from their site in regards to, not only child care, but also the importance of their policies to advocate on the unique developmental needs of children to the age of 3 through research-based resources and federal and state policymakers (Zero to Three, 2011). They provide a ton of information through a variety of medias, such as articles, webinars, videos, and books, for review and keeping up to date with new research and policies. It's important to understand and be aware of the policies and issues that govern early childhood education standards and Zero to Three really provides a variety of resources that discuss these topics, and even provides tools to help educators advocate for infants, toddlers, and families in their facility through the Policy Network (Zero to Three, 2011). 

I have yet to find information that discuss specific topics in diversity and changing demographics, but instead encompasses infants, toddlers, and their families as a whole. I feel that they could certainly incorporate more about diversity and the policies and challenges that changing demographics can have on a growing family.
Reference List
Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). http://www.zerotothree.org/

Professional Contacts

Part1
This is my first experience reaching out to professionals in early childhood education around the world. I still feel a bit intimidated about reaching out to someone in another country due to differences in language, but I have a feeling that it will be a positive experience in all and will give me a better understanding of ECE programs and organizations conducting care for young children in other areas of the world. I did attempt to contact about 7 professionals listed on the Global Alliance for NAEYC website, including programs in South Africa, Canada, Spain, Ireland, Hungary, and Georgia. However I have yet to hear back from any of them. With that in mind, I began taking a look at the alternate assignment to review and listen to episodes on the World Forum Foundation Radio. After listening to a few episodes, I feel that the information about programs and administrators in various areas is really thorough and provides examples of diversity in ECE. I am looking forward reviewing more episodes in the future.

Part 2
After reviewing the list of ECE websites for this week's assignment, I decided to choose the Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families for a few reasons. The first being that the program that I direct supports infants and toddlers, and even through kindergarten and school age as well. Since this young age is such a huge part of what we do, I wanted to become more familiar with organizations that "informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers" (ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, 2011). Their goals to promote healthy development of infants and toddlers would definitely offer new and beneficial suggestions for our program to consider for the children we serve. In addition, I also chose this site for the personal reason that I will soon become a first-time parent and I think this information could also provide me with some fantastic suggestions for my own child.

My Supports

“Social support is one of most important factors in predicting the physical health and well-being of everyone, ranging from childhood through older adults” (Clark, 2005).

A strong support is such an important part of my day-to-day life. My greatest support is my husband. He tends to be the other half of my brain, always somehow aware of when to hold my hand or lend a caring ear. His strong, steady spirit is a Christian light that guides my faith and keeps me centered on what is important in my life. My faith is also one of the greatest supports in my life, as I try to follow the road that Christ led and has guided me on since my childhood.  Just knowing myself, I feel it would be very different and difficult to try to make it through each day without a reliable form of support. I know often times I will try to find understanding or relief in a situation through my personal faith, but the encouragement from a person who loves me also has great impact.

Recently, my husband and I came across the wonderful discovery that we will be expecting our first baby in the fall! We’re very excited and I know this new adventure will definitely bring many new loops for me. Through this new experience, I know that I will need to maintain a good support system of family and friends for comfort and advice. I already know I have my husband’s constant love and support at this early stage, and his attentiveness and preparation for needs to come as our family grows. At this point in my life I think I will discover that there are both benefits to having support as well as some stresses. Having support from family is such a great treasure to have, as they provide knowledge, experiences, and fun times to share during this special time in my life. It’s also important to consider the facts about reality. This will be the first grandchild for my parents, the first grandchild for my husband’s parents, and the first great-grandchild for my grandparents too – not to mention my in-laws have been in the child care business for over 50 years. With all those “firsts” in mind I know there’s bound to be a surge of perspectives offered out of love of course throughout my pregnancy and after birth. Typically, I tend to be an independent, organized, keep to myself person, doing most things on my own. Initially, it might be a challenge for me to rely on others for help more often, but I would rather have the support with a little added stress instead of endeavoring on my own and boats loads of anxieties without anyone to turn to. Plus, when the time comes, I may just enjoy a little extra attention as a change.

Reference List

Clark, Corey M. (2005). Relations Between Social Support and Physical Health. Rochester Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/clark.html

My Connection to PLAY!!

“When kids play, they remember. They may not be aware they are learning, but they sure
are aware they are having fun. When you have a good belly laugh with your siblings or
parents or friends, that stays with you. And the great thing is that is comes so naturally…
if we only let it.”  --Rebecca Krook, play facilitator for kids with disabilities 

"A child loves his play, not becasuse it's easy, but because it's hard." Benjamin Spock, American Pediatrician 1903-1998

"Whoever wants to understand much must play much." Gottfried Benn, German physician

In my childhood, art supplies were essentials to play!

 I grew up with Legos (having two brothers) and we came up with so many different creations! An awesome tool for creativity in play!


My parents provided my brothers and I with lots of ways to use our creativity through play. I remember spending time playing alone in my room with my toys and collections as well as with friends and neighbors outside after school. They supported positive friendships as a way of interacting, learning from, and overall playing with peers.


It seems that now,  a lot of time play involves video games in front of a TV, often with little interaction with other people. When I was young, play was considered getting outside, joining an athletic team, or spending time with friends. Much of today's play is very independent and detached from socialization with peers. 


I think it becomes difficult for adults to find the time to play, but it's still important. In adulthood, play really can be considered anything that relieves stress, brightens a day, or makes you happy. It doesn't necessarily mean sitting in the middle of the floor with piles of Legos, but sometimes being able to jog back along memory lane and remember the fun of childhood through the play you once enjoyed makes the stresses of adult life a little less chaotic, and a little more fun!  

 

Breastfeeding in Infancy

This week I decided to do some research on the impact of breastfeeding infants from birth and the affect it has on the bond that forms between mother and child because after the summer I too will get to experience that joyous bond with my child! I have always felt that a mother and child are so intune with each other, before and then after birth, and that breastfeeding can really aid to that growing relationship. Jansen decribes this bond to consist of two counterparts: the maternal bond, or the tie from mother to infant, and infant attachment, or the tie from infant to mother (2008). Breastfeeding seems to be a strong, connecting experience for mother and child, an experience that has sentimental value for when my child arrives.

“UNICEF data indicates that Iraqi women have lower rates of breastfeeding than other Middle East countries and that breastfeeding rates are usually even lower among refugee women. This low rate of breastfeeding may be a result of refugee women’s lack of public and social support and access to health professionals” (Madanat, 2008). The age of Iraqi refugee women giving birth in Jordan averages about 18 years old and it is difficult for educational and health resources to reach these young girls. “Results indicated that the majority of these women did not receive education or assistance about breastfeeding from health professionals before or after giving childbirth” and the majority of girls depend on family or friends nearby to learn how to breastfeed (Madanat, 2008). It sounds horrifiying to have to go through such a huge life event without appropriate medical care, but for these very young mothers, I suppose there might be a sense of hope in the words of wisdom given by close family and friends. I know that even though proper health care is essential, I would not want to go through childbirth without the love and care of my family and close friends.

I also came across an article about Belfast, Ireland, where “breastfeeding is a key public health measure to protect and promote the health of one of the most vulnerable groups of the population--infants and children - but has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world” (Bishop, 2008). Most mothers who were older, more experienced, of a higher social class, and were breastfed themselves tended to also breatfeed their own children. About 57% of women who became mothers in the country stopped within the first six months to one year after birth, and switched to bottle feeding for reasons of convenience, experience, and the idea that it was “the norm” (Bishop, 2008).

Reference List

Bishop, Hilary, Cousins, Wendy, Casson, Karen & Moore, Ann. (2008). Culture and Caregivers: Factors Influencing Breastfeeding among Mothers in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. Child Care in Practice 14(2): 165-179. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?hid=7&sid=647c87e5-c0bd-4082-a748-4b4c842aac94%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=eric&AN=EJ794205

Jansen, Jarno, de Weerth, Carolina, & Riksen-Walraven, Marianne J. (2008). Breastfeeding and the mother–infant relationship—A review. Elsevier 28, 503–521. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WDH-4T719YX-1&_user=7754736&_coverDate=12/31/2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000072739&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=7754736&md5=57a8dc09e4deabaacf3e09354fbca4a2&searchtype=a

Madanat, Hala, Farrell, Heather, Merrill, Ray & Cox, Erin. (2008). Breastfeeding Education, Support, and Barriers among Iraqi Refugee Women in Jordan. International Electronic Journal of Health Education 10, 138-149. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ794205.pdf