A Note of Thanks and Support

I personally want to thank everyone on this course for the wonderful experience we have all nurtured and maintained throughout the 8 weeks.  It has been a life changing moment for me and I will cherish all of it. Hope to interact with you in the coming year. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! All the best for the New Year! 

Ideals

The following ideals were selected from the NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics. They truly define who I am and/or who I am aspiring to become professionally.

Ethical Responsibility to Children

To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

I believe that if I am to effectively serve the people in early childhood and prove the standard of early childhood then I must possess a wealth of information. I must also stay abreast of the latest development in order to remain relevant.   Bearing in mind that many teachers are looking forward for assistance in so many areas as such I am compelled to remain current and to advocate on their behalf.

Ethical Responsibility to Families

To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

This can only occur when as a professional I understand that working with families is an essential aspect of being an early childhood professional. I cannot do it alone. I must continue to remind myself that in order to serve families effectively I must appreciate the six characteristics of families which every early childhood professional need to familiarize himself or herself with.  Only then can I begin to break barriers and form new alliances for the enhancement of our children’s education.

Ethical Responsibility to Colleagues

To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers.

It is essential to establish intrapersonal relationships with colleagues.   I am reminded that I cannot do this work alone, there is need to build and strengthen connections.  In addition, much more is accomplished when there is team effort.  Collegiality goes a long way to increase productivity in an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie.

Course Resources

The following learning resources form part of my professional readings.

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.pdfNote: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

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

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

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week’s Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

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

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

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

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

Additional Resources

Michel,V. (2000). Self-Awareness, Cultural Identity and Connectedness. Three Terms to (Re) Define in Anti-bias Work. Retrieved Dec. 3, 2010, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED449908.pdf

National Art Education Association

http://www.naea-reston.org/

The Center for Early Childhood Leadership

            http://cecl.nl.edu/index.htm

Additional Quotes

"[The educator's] problem is to protect the spirit of inquiry, to keep it from becoming blase from over-excitement, wooden from routine, fossilized through dogmatic instruction or dissipated by random exercise upon trivial things."

                         John Dewey

Quotes - Passion, Motivation and Wisdom

“We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better.”

             Sandy Escobido - Deputy Field Director

Quotes - Major Contributors





“I get tired everyday.  But you have to get up and keep working. We do make progress, though.  It’s been hard all these years to get children to the top of the agenda, but today I can say that’s where they are: at the top of the agenda.”

                                Marian Wright Edelman

Personal Childhood Web

    

 1.     My mother has been my biggest supporter.  I am her only daughter and the first of 5 children so mum cherished all my childhood experiences.  She worked relentlessly for her daughter as well as the rest of the family. She has been my first teacher, my protector, my provider and my friend.  She possesses that unassuming nurturing spirit that propelled me to pursue my dreams.  Her warm disposition makes communicating with her quite easy.  She always availed herself to attend my school related activities such as sport meets, fair, concerts and parent teachers meetings as well as my social engagements and my religious activities while growing up.  Mum automatically claims the prize as my most ardent supporter. One of her famous sayings was: “Early bird catches the worm.”  This would have been heard when for one reason or another I awoke late or time eluded me because I was attempting to complete some school related activity.

      Today, I continue to pursue my dreams with the aim of affecting and effecting changes as a result of her influence in my life.  I take an interest in my nieces and nephews development as well as the development of others in order to stimulate their learning.  I try to exemplify that warm disposition which mum possesses and which is responsible for connecting her with others in some extraordinary ways.  

 2.       My father has also been supportive of my development.  He has been the breadwinner, my counselor and my teacher.  While growing up, I considered my dad a bit stern so I always tried to fix things before he arrived home.  My interactions with him were not as fluid as those with my mother but I think he meant well.  He was self-employed so he worked assiduously to ensure I acquired what was essential in life.  Even though he loved me dearly, he was not very expressive about it.  I think his childhood experiences may have accounted for that.  He encouraged me to try my best. His very presence signified protection.  My dad would constantly say to me while growing up: “There are four things that come not back - The spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity. Dad values family so he made it his business to take his family to visit other relatives so we can be familiar with each other and strengthen the bond created.  Today, that type of connection is being fostered through family reunions.

Dad’s impact has instilled in me the need to work honestly for your day’s pay.  Being a self employed person, he has encouraged me to own my own business and even though I have not heeded his call as yet, I try to be thrifty and seek out investment opportunities. He also taught me to value family and maintain that connection.

  3.    My maternal grandmother showed tremendous support during my early years.  The family actually lived with grandma until we acquired our first home.  For my first 8 years grandma shared her home with us.  During that time, granny provided that affectionate touch to my development. She regularly communicated with me, ensuring that my social, emotional and spiritual needs were being addressed.  She shared many of her experiences with me  – visiting the well was a regular occurrence because of the irregular water supply so once there she will wash her clothes as well as collect water for home usage, the long journeys on foot she had to undertake as well as stories at nights on the steps under the moonlight. 

      As an adult, I still cherish those vivid experiences I shared with my grandmother. Her patience and love which she shared with me, those family moments we experienced are vital for connecting family members and her unwavering dedication and commitment to her dear ones which as an adult I must share with those around me to ensure that strong family ties are pass on from generation to generation.

4.      Aunt Valnese is my dad’s last sister.  The families visited each other regularly especially on special seasons hence strengthening the bonds which exist between us.  Conversations usually centered on my home and school activities. My aunt provided academic support to her nieces and nephews on Saturdays.  Besides being opportunities to nurture certain skills in us it was an opportunity to collaborate and strength that family connection among ourselves.

         I still remember those nurturing experiences and because of those experiences I continue to hold my aunt in high esteem.  I chat with her regularly on the telephone and visit her from time to time.  She is now retired but that has not altered our relationship in anyway.

5.      Godfather Jimmy has upheld the vows he made as a godparent.  He has been very supportive during my early years.  Regularly visiting the family, interacting with me and providing that encouragement any young girl requires to boost her self confidence and to motivate her to excel at school. I spent some of my vacation time with him and his family.  His children were older than I and they were excelling at school so I was encouraged to work hard in order to succeed. We played many games together and shared many wonderful beach experiences. The warm nurturing encounters only served to increase my visits.

       I think it is imperative that I too provide support to others because of the type of support I received as a child from my godfather.  I see the need to foster family time through the playing of games and other activities since they helped to nurture characteristics such as patience, perseverance and the willingness to embrace new opportunities. In addition, due to the loving nurturing experience I always try to engage young children whenever the opportunity arises validating them and allowing them to express themselves.

 

 


  Pursuing this program is a life changing journey.  This transformative experience is equipping me with valuable knowledge and skills in the early childhood field that will allow me to impact positively on the lives of politicians, administrators, teachers, parents but most especially on our children who are our future leaders.

An image of a child's drawing and why I chose it

I will call this child Mike in order to conceal his identity. I chose Mike’s drawing because he was very unsettled when he entered the centre.  However, there was a significant difference at the beginning of the second month. His level of interaction among his peers had intensified.  The introduction of the project based approach at the institution would have stimulated his interest and interaction.    Prior to that, lessons were teacher centered where topic for the term were selected by the teacher.  With the new approach, children were taken on a farm visit to view the rabbits. They were excited, they asked questions, observed the pets and they returned to their school with picture of the rabbits.  Both the real pets as well as pictures of rabbits were available at the centre which created an entire new level of enthusiasm and interest.  It was at this stage that Mike’s curiosity increased because of his active sensory experience.

Quote

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”

Dr. Haim Ginott 

WELCOME to my blog!  This is my first experience with blogs so it is a work in progress.  It is part of my course requirement for my M.S. in Early Childhood Studies with Walden University.  I have been resisting the urges to join the online social networks but its time; I can no longer ignore the reality. Technology has changed the dynamics of the game.  I will certainly enjoy the experience!!