Childhood Saying

 "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow,yet we forget that he is someone today."
Stacia Tauscher

" Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them leaves an impression."
 Haim Ginori

 "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But  for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
 Fred Rogers.


 As you all know I work in pre-k and these saying were on our content standards. I love these sayings.

Assessing Children

 Children come in many shapes, sizes, socioeconomic, cultures, and varing levels of abilities. I beleive that when the whole child is assessed, we learn more information about  the different areas in a child's life.  Areas that should be assessed are emotional, physical growth,intelligence, creativity and cultural. As educators we know that these are important areas to promote a child's success in life.  As a pre-k teacher I look at and assess a childs emotional, physical, creativity and intelligence. However, I am aware that a childs culture and background also effects  a childs well being. The assessment of children have some very postive outcomes.  These assessments at early ages could lead to interventions for delays. According to the CDC in the United States, 17 % of children  have a development or behavioral disabilitiesor a language problem. The article also states that 50% of children are not diagnosed or recieve treatment until they begin school.

 I found that Unicef has done assessment dealing with six dimensions of a child's well being. The dimensions in the assessment are material well being, health and safety , Educational well being, Family and peer relationships , Behaviors and risk and subjective wellbeing. The assessment looked at 21 nations. The Netherlands  is in the top 10 for high ranking in all six dimensions. The United States is at the bottom third of rankings of five of the six. As I read this article I wonder why the United States are so far behind when we are supposed to be one of the best nations in the world.

Unicef.2007. A comprehensive assessment of the lives and wellbeing of children and adolescent in the economically advanced nations. Retrived December 10, 2010. http://www.unicef-irc.or/
ChildDevelopment: Retrieved December10, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/

Stressors

 Many of us have faced the stress of war,either as a child or as an adult. I have some friends who have small children who are facing this stress right now and some who  will face this stress very soon.  My niece and nephew will send their husband and dad to Afghan within the next month.  My nephew will face a birthday and holidays without his dad. My niece is preparing herself for the constant reminding where daddy is speech.  The stress from war on children can sometimes lead to feeling isolated, nightmares and worring if dad is coming home.   I have heard of some  bases getting families together for the children to have play dates and wives just to talk.
 Children in Afghan also face the stress of war. The body  (biosocial) due to injuries suffered from guns or landmines. They also have low body weight due to malnutrition and diseases. Their cognitive development also suffers because they are too focused on staying alive than learning. According to  this article, 80% of the Afghan children suffer from psychological scars.

Bhutts.Zulfigar Ahmed.2002.ChildrenofWar: TheRealCasualtiesoftheAfghanConflict. retrieved November 24,2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

    

Immunizations

 I chose to talk about immunizations. I feel that immunizations are a very important inexpensive way to protect our children from childhood diseases.  I understand that there are some side effects from the vaccines. However, there are side effects with any medicine.I know of some people who chose not to get theri children the immunizations due to the side effects. I  chose to give the immunizations to my three children.  I feel that  we could handle the side effects but I could not handle my child suffering from a disease that I could have prevented with a simple shot.
 Immunizations simplely place a small dose of the disease into the body, which then builds up immunity to the disease. Then if a child come in contact with the disease the body immune system goes into action. Immunizations  helps to make children stronger and when children have a strong immune system they do not miss out on school or  things they want to do.

I did some research on Africa and Immunizations. In Africa one of every  eight children dies before the age of five. Pneumonia and dirrahea are the biggest killers. Polio is also a disease that is killing  African children.  There are a large number of children in Africa who do not recieve immunizations in Africa due to funding. This is way many organizations such as UNICEF is aiding in getting vaccines to the poorest countries in the world.
 I feel that this information is helpful in my line of work because when children come to school with a healthy immune system there is less likely to be the spread of  disease such as chicken pox and sickness like the flu.

http://allafrica.com/
 An eveluation of infant immunization in Africa; is a transformation in progress.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/6/06-031526.pdf

Birthing Experience

 I have three children, but I think the last birth was the hardest for me.  My son was born Feb. 26, 2002. The doctor decided to induce me one day before my due date. I had been telling the doctor for the last 2 months of my pregnancy that I was having trouble breathing and wanted to know if the baby was too big. He assured me that my son would weigh about 7 pounds according to my ultrasound.   On the day I went to be induced  I got the epidural and  begin pushing. It seemed like I had been pushing forever,  the doctor called more nurses into my room. My husband was standing beside my bed and when the nurses came in they made him move to the head of the bed. The doctor raised  my bed and one nurse got on one side and another on the other side of the bed.   The doctor asked for the epidural to be cut off. When I would have a contraction  I would push and the two nurses would also push on my stomach. I finally gave birth to my son who weighed 10 pounds 2 ounces  and was 22 inches long. They thought that his shoulders were dislocated but thank God they were not. My son was a grayish color with purple lips. I did not get to see Toby till about 2 hours later because they wanted to give him oxygen and check his shoulders.
 I chose to look at the Netherlands and their birthing practices.  Many of the women do not see an obstetrician , however they do see a midwife. The obstetrician and doctors only intervene with high risk pregnancy. Most women deliver at home and those who do go to the hospital may not get an epidural. This determines if the anesthesiologist schedule. If he is not at the hospital, the woman does not receive an epidural.  If a mother chooses to have her baby at home she is required to get a kraampakket which has the medical supplies needed for the birth. If the mom gives birth at the hospital and delivers early in the morning without complications, she and the baby may go home in as little as two hours. Then when the parents and baby are home they will have a nurse for seven days to cook, clean and manage the visitors.

 I could not image having a baby at home, too many things could go wrong.  I feel that a doctor should deliver a baby, I have never dealt with a midwife.  I think a complicated  birth  could have some influence on a child's development. For example if the  baby is born and brain trauma happens or a premature baby could have some development issues.

Code Of Ethics

1. We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value

and human potential of each child.

4. We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for the

professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that

enhance the quality of their lives.

P-2.1—We shall not deny family members access to their

child’s classroom or program setting unless access is

denied by court order or other legal restriction

 These are the ethics I found to be important to me. The first  ethic I believe is when teachers  are respectful to each student no matter what their social economic background, religion or disability. The second ethic I chose deals with  children with special needs and teachers being an advocate for their needs to make sure they receive  all services needed to  ensure their full learning potential. The third ethic deals with family access to students learning. I feel it is very important for family members to partake in their child's learning experience.

Course Resources

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~images/pdfs/snapshots/snap33.pdf
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

Part 2: Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep.org.gu.se/English/about_OMEP/
  Read about OMEP’s mission.  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/ 
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=22807

• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?”, select “Tips for Specific Formats and Resources,” and then “e-journals” to find this search interface.) 

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

 Additional Websites

 Making Learning fun  ( great ECE ideas)

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/

 Bright from The Start

http://www.decal.state.ga.us/

 Helping Parents help their kids succeed at school.

http://www.schoolfamily.com

Quotes

Art Rolnick stated in the article titled Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return " Through extensive research has proved that rates of return on money spent on Early Childhood programs are greater than tax money spent on malls and stadiums."

Susan Bredekamp stated in an article  Education: The Redshirt Solution " By holding children back, you'll never know what they could have done if you let them go." This was an article dealing on parents holding their child back from Kindergarten.


 John Hagel " Passion orients us; it provides us with focus and direction."  I truly believe that our passion does exactly this.

Rosengren " Passion is an engery source."  This was a statement from Does Having Passion for Your work Even Matter?  I also believe this statement because if we have passion about something,  we can get the impossible done.

My Passion for Early Childhood Education

I believe my passion for education begain at an early age. My mom tells me stories about helping my little brother learn how to spell and read. I can remember playing school with old text books that the teachers used to give at the end of school. I truly believe that my passion for teaching  game when my first daughter began school.  As I would help her with learning how to write and read, I would see that spark in her eye,   and it was that spark that I wanted to see everyday. Now  that I am a teacher  I have a chance to see that spark in my students  eyes. That is a great feeling to know that I helped them feel good about themselves, because they are learning.

Child That Touched Me and Inspired Me

This student was in my class last year, I will call her Fay. Fay had a condition know as brital bone syndrome. She was very small in stature and was unable to walk independently. She would scoot on the floor around the room. Her inspiration to me was her never give up attitude Fay had.  No matter the task  she would try her best to get it done. When her therapist would come and take her to do her exercises, she would go and not cry often. She wanted to be treated like the other students. She wanted the other students to know like her for who she was not because she had a disabilty. I also believe Fay taught  the other students the same NEVER GIVE UP!
 Fay only got upset if someone called her a baby. She would let them know that  she was not a baby that she was 5 just like them.

Children's Book

My favorite childs book is The Little Old Lady Who was not Afraid of Anything.I enjoy this book because when I read it to my class, they get to interact with the book instead of sitting and listening.  This book also works on many skills such as math, vocabulary and listening.

Childhood Web

 Myrtie Cox: was my grandmother on my dad's side. She was a great inspiration to me through my 36 years. my grandmother was always there for me when I was younger, she took my sister and myself in after my parents got divorced.  My grandmother instilled many qualities in me through the way she raised me. First she taught me that family was greatest  gift that anyone could have. My grandmother made sure that I always had everything that I needed (not wanted). She always told me  never  let anyone do something that you can do yourself. She taught me independence.
AJ Cox  was my grandfather. He instilled the Christian values in me. My grandfather was a preacher  and taught me that God should come first in my life. I can remember him teaching me how to pray.He taught me that pray could help me through many bad times.
Jan Taylor was my kindergarten teacher. She taught me that learning was fun amd exciting. I  can not recall ever being bored in her class. She was the type of teacher  that wanted to know my thoughts and showed concern for me if I ever was sick. I can remember her bringing me back pictures from the fieldtrip to chehaw park because I missed the trip due to the chicken poxs.
 Luther Little was my mom's dad. He was a Navy Veteran. I can remember hearing stories from the war and he would say "Sometimes people have to make decisions that other people may not like or agree with." He told me one time  trust your instincts to make your  decisions and never make one if you think you will not be able to live with yourself  after you make it.
Becky Cox   was my step mom. She married my dad when I was ten . She pasted away in 2000 due to lung cancer. She taught me that a mother's job is to take care of the house, family and others. She instilled the importance of having chores and getting them done on time. I think this helped me to become a better worker in the work place. She did not like being late for anything so therefor, we were not late.