When I Think of Research.......

During this 8 week course I have gained some knowledge that I will take with me on my future endeavors in Early Childhood education. I have gained more insight on what research is all about and how research helps. As the books states when you do anything for the first time it’s a challenge. My ideas have changed about research because of this class, at first I didn’t know much about research and now I understand better and why it’s done. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge (MacNaughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).

Lessons I’ve learned about planning, designing and conducting research is that before preparing to do a study you have to plan to see who the participants will be. Researchers have to consider confidentiality, privacy, cultural issues before the study begins. The best research will always involve close, ongoing collaboration between those who plan the research, those who carry it out, those who participate in it, and those for whom the results have an impact (MacNaughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). Researchers have to understand ethical issues that can arise while doing research. The participants have to be protected by researchers, and they must know what responsibilities they have as a researcher.

I encountered many challenges because I was very unfamiliar with terms used and didn’t know what to expect or where to begin. Once I started reading about research weekly and started doing charts I begin to develop a better understanding of research and the steps needed to take for a successful study. I also learned that in order to have quality research it requires knowledge, skills and experience. As a result of this class and gaining more insight on research my perceptions has changed because so much goes into research, having accurate research and what can be gained from good research if all areas are covered before starting a study.

I wish everyone the best on your journey of the Graduate program at Walden University. This class has been challenging because I wasn’t familiar with most of research terms. I want to say thank you to everyone for sharing so much knowledge in this class. I have read discussions and blog post and I have gained more knowledge about research.

 

Reference

 

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research:  

        International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

 

Rsearch Around The World

I chose the Early Childhood Australia website, some of the current research topics on the website are health and nutrition, practice and learning series for early childhood education in Australia.

Some surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood that I gained form exploring the international website about Australia: Early childhood in Australia has been around since 1938, it advocates to ensure quality, social justice, and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children between the ages of birth to eight years. Every young child is thriving and learning is the ECA’s vision. Australia future prosperity is linked to the collective investments that we make in all of our children’s development and the reason is when programs are improved; services that help children to be healthy and to receive a good education benefit everyone in the long run. The website has helpful information for parents like health and wellbeing info that consist of recipes, posters and safety tips.

I also found other information I found was interesting and that was the learning hub. I clicked on there to see what it was about and I saw it had educator’s resources some were free online courses while some have to be paid in order to take courses. The start early course tells how everyday behavior and attitudes shape a child’s relationship over their lifetime. ECA has a blog that is helpful as well and newsletters that have various information inside.

 

Research that Benefits Children and Families

                                                          Positive Parent-Child Relationships

When a child has a positive relationship with their parents it provides the basic foundation for children's learning. It also has a great effect on the child's overall development and well-being. Children will do better in school when they have positive relationships with parents because if they have a positive relationship the parents are involved more in their child's education. When parents have a warm, trusting, and reliable relationship with peers, family, community members, and service providers, they are more likely t have positive relationships with their children (2013). Having a positive parent-child relationship benefits not only the child but the parents and family members as well. I can remember a child I had in my class whose mother as a single mother and had no clue on what she needed to do for her child to be successful in school and life. She told me that it was the same way with her mother it was a cycle and she had to break it soon. After I gave her some avenues to help her and I spoke with her throughout the process she formed a better positive relationship with all her children. She told me that she was taking parenting classes, read to her children nightly, attended church weekly and did family movie nights. Her child improved tremendously after this happened. Last year I was told by her friend that she is in her second year of a radiology program in college. A story like this really is proof that the effects of research on children and families will lead to positive outcomes along with happy endings.

                                                                    Reference

Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Research to Practice Series. Positive Parent-Child Relationships. (2013). Retrieved from http://eclks.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/ha-system/family

Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose was Social Emotional Development and the reason I chose it is because since starting my career as a teacher I have come in contact with so many children with social-emotional problems. I find ways to help a child social emotional problems, I seek out help if needed for feedback on the issue. I also have partnered other children with children who is lacking in this area. I can recall a child I had before who didn't talk, play or interact with the other children. After speaking to parents I decided to partner the child with another child and soon the child who is lacking in the area began to interact with other children and talking more in class. We never know what children are dealing with at home and they bring those issues to school with them. I strive to find ways to improve children's thinking skills and social emotional skills. Over the next 6 weeks I will be researching this topic more to get a better understanding of it and finding ways to improve a child's social emotional skills so they can lead successful productive lives.

Final Blog Assignment

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" --Nelson Mandela--


It's very unfortunate that I never received a response back from an international early childhood professional. After weeks of exploring websites I must say I have gained more important useful information that I can use throughout my career as a teacher. The various websites I searched have enriched my professional development because of information on the sites, global information, newsletters, signing up for newsletters, and current issues and trends. Throughout this 8 week course my colleagues have supported me by posting weekly discussions, blogs that relates to current issues/trends that I've read and gained more knowledge from different perspectives and from people all over the globe. I have supported them by doing the same thing.

I would have to say some consequences about learning about international early childhood field for my professional and personal development is that some international professionals don't send a response to your questions you asked therefore you can't receive answers needed to compare international early childhood programs and the early childhood program in my home state. Luckily I was able to read post from colleagues about issues and trends that's happening internationally. After reading post by colleagues and exploring websites about early childhood education I felt as though I did make contact with a international early childhood professionals. Colleagues provided a lot of helpful information about international professionals.

One goal for the field of international awareness for me is to one day be able to volunteer my time to a international early childhood program and it really doesn't matter where I go to volunteer. With so much going on in Haiti right now I would love to help them put their lives back together and volunteer at a early childhood school there.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

During this class I've tried to make professional international contact countless times and haven't received any feedback back so I've been doing the alternative. I reviewed the website and some issues and other information I came across on the website are the following:

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) provides leadership to create learning societies with educational opportunities for all populations was established November 16, 1945. The organization was founded by 37 countries and they fostered partnerships to strengthen national educational leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all.

Other countries try to improve the quality of early childhood care and education but have a problem with resources. In some developing countries early childhood basically is pushed to the side because of other priorities, such as universal primary education in developing countries.

UNESCO and ADEA (The Association for the Development of Education in Africa) launched 'Childhood Cultures" it's an intergenerational Africa Series of books for children. The main characters are Bouba and Zaza, the series of books seek to develop life skills and socialization skills for children 3 to 8 years of age. The books also are aimed at teachers, parents and older children. The series covers topics that African parents may be reluctant to talk abut. Some topics the series discuss is war, conflict, water issues, and HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Sharing Web Resources

The early childhood organization I chose earlier in this class is National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). I have navigated the site for some of the outside links and all of those links took me to more indebt information about current and past issues dealing with early childhood education. Some of the links I explored were conferences and events, overviews, and  membership; which led to ways to join by renewing, student membership, member benefits and frequently asked questions. One particular area I searched took me to a link for families and once I searched that link it showed me articles like teaching table manners, 4 month old doesn't sleep and Biting in daycare. I found these articles to be very helpful for families who are dealing with similar issues at home with their children.

New information available on the website is childhood development series highlights global development goals. This link talked about how researchers found out about the development of young children all over the world. Another article I saw was Join Early Ed for President and this stated help us ensure candidates champion the power of early learning for children which also has a area where you can donate.

An insight I gained this week from the website was that the Head Start Program get first Major Revamp in 40 years. The U. S Department of health and Human Services said new standards will focus on reducing achievement gaps for children served in the program. Things that will change are raising curriculum requirements, educational standards and professional expectations and more emphasis will be given to parental involvement. Another thing that will happen within the next five years for head start programs is to make the program a full day for all students.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

The Center on the Developing Child was founded in 2006 by director Jack P. Shonkoff, MD the founding mission statement was to generate, translate, and apply scientific knowledge to close the gap of what we know and what we want to do to improve children lives. The activities of the Center align around building research and development (R & D) platform for science based innovation, and transforming the policy and practice landscape that supports and demands change. The reason why the Center do this is because society pays a huge price when children do not reach their potential because policies and programs have not produced outcomes, so science and breakthrough can be used so children can have a promising future.

The Center on the Developing Child works globally, according to the report on the site there is an estimated 200 million children fail to reach their full developmental potential by age 5. The Center works around the globe to achieve positive breakthrough outcomes for children all over the world. The Center works with Brazil on strengthening early childhood development and has been very successful creating a childhood movement there.

Three new ideas I gained from the website are protecting children from adversity that's significant, strategies to support child development that can be crucial to child survival, their health, education, and economic development, and building  brains. Children need sturdy foundations when it comes to the architecture of their brains. I watched a brain builder video on the site and it explained how brains are built based on our experiences good or bad. Interactions with children are helpful and there is a method called serve and return which helps with contact, touch and other things that will contribute to the overall building of a healthy brain function.

Web Resources

All of the information this class and other classes I've taken so far at Walden University are relevant for my professional development. This week we read about stronger funding of quality care and education during the early years. Arguments occur between economists, neuroscientist, and politicians. I've read about unintended consequences which is something that happens. When policymakers are creating policies that can and will enhance the life of children often times they are not worried about any consequences. Numbers matter when it comes to early childhood education, but things can occur while policies are being created. Economist talk about paybacks that will occur in the future by looking at units and commodities. Paybacks are the positive outcomes that will occur in the future because of things done now that will have an effect on children. If children start in early childhood programs the less likely they will be to drop out of school, and will lower cost for social service programs in the future. The reason why social service programs cost will be lowered is because children who enter in a early childhood program will be less likely to need social service assistance in the future. Scientist think if children don't get everything they need by the age of 3 then the use of title I haven't been pushed enough. In order for the future workforce to be a strong one researchers suggest that there has to be a strong headstart program now. There were many resources to choose from this week as well as searching the web. It's important and will benefit the future generation if headstart programs are strong and have funding to support young children in the program.

Poverty

In almost every country in the world children are more likely to be living in poverty than adults. Poverty in children is a challenge and should bind us globally. While reading about childhood poverty three insights I gained from studying the website is:

1. Children make up nearly half of the people living in extreme poverty.

2. Poverty is a violation of a child's rights because they have a right to an adequate standard of living which includes their health, education,  nutrition, care and protection. When children grow up in poverty it is a direct violation of these rights they have.

3. When children fall into poverty it can last a lifetime versus an adult who falls into poverty because adults normally fall into poverty temporarily.

In Ghana studies show high malnutrition rates among children. Children are more vulnerable in a high poverty situation because of their ages and they can't make decisions. Children depend on their parents, other siblings, care takers, and other family members to make decisions for them. Some children escape poverty but some live the rest of their lives in poverty. Poverty rates for rural areas in Ghana is higher. Education levels of head of household is high at around over 40% with no education. Since so many children live in poverty malnutrition happens and children become high risk for morbidity and mortality. One in five children was stunted or short for their age because of not receiving adequate nutrition over an extended period. Children become underweight because of poverty.  

Sharing Web Resources

The organization I chose is The National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The organization works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children from birth to age 8, by connecting practice, policy and research. The vision for the NAEYC is all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring that children reach their full potential. A current issue/trend that caught my eye is that they had Tips for Welcoming dual-language learners on it's site. Some things educators can do just to name a few is to create a welcoming environment in the classroom for the children and their families. Make sure we stock shelves with books from different cultures and ask families to bring photos of children and share some things that interest the child. Also in the class you can play music from their cultures.

Establishing Professionl Contacts

This week I have tried to establish contact with other professionals around the world. Although I haven't heard anything back from anyone I'm still hopeful I will get some emails back soon. The steps I took for establishing contact was I went to the blog resources for the week and started from the top and started reading then I sent 4 different people an email. Since I hadn't heard back from anyone I decided to listen to the radio podcast but of course I wasn't able to; so I went on the website for Save the Children which is a U.S. based non-profit organization working on behalf of children worldwide. While on the website I saw that you can sponsor a child in or outside the United States the cost is $30 a month. The website shows a picture of the child and age. The money given to the organization help change lives of children around the world. They provide programs that focus on early childhood development, health, nutrition, as well as primary education. I saw and read some real live testimonials from sponsors. In 2015 there promise of 87% of al money went toward programs. Save the children help over 120 countries.

"My Supports"

Factors in my daily environment that support me is first and foremost God, my family, a favorite cousin, my church family, friends and co-workers. God created man in his own image, he created male and female. He created me and I'm thankful daily for everything I have in life. When I need support I read my Bible because it helps and comforts me. My family, supports me in everything I do, they encourage me to do whatever my heart desires. They not only encourage me but they care for me, help me with anything I need, understand what I'm going through and when I feel unsure about anything they reassure me.  I have two daughters one who is 27 and a 10 year old. Believe it or not  when I decided to go back to school they both were so happy and excited for me they said you can do this, you were born for this. My cousin who is also a very special friend always encourages me to keep going and not to give up on things I've started; she tells me all the time how smart I am and she's proud of me. It makes me feel so good to hear her say those things and we've been through so much together she's more like a sister to me. I have a guy friend who is always praying for me and he tells me I was born to inspire and teach the future. I thank him all the time and he tells me no need to thank me just make me proud like your already doing. The church family I have offer spiritual guidance to me, they support me and guide, pray with me. I have co-workers who support me in doing a great job they show me things I don't know and when I need help with anything concerning my job they are always there. Everyone has an impact on my life daily and I'm forever grateful.

My Connections to Play

     "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning"-Unknown-               

 

 

"Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs" -James L. Hymes Jr.-

 

When I grew up in the 70's play was something we did on a regular basis. I learned so much by simply playing. I became a little creative child drawing things I saw outside, I loved riding my big wheel pretending it was a car. I can recall me and some of my cousins riding them to the park down the street from where we lived to race around the track. Sometimes I would take my doll, and pack up my tea set with some water in a mason jar to have a tea party at the park. We pretended to be at fancy places where rich people went to have tea. Those days were so special and the difference in play then and play now is that we could actually go without an adult because everyone knew each other and if we did anything wrong the neighbors would tell our parents or spanked us themselves. My parents and grandparents encouraged us to go outside while they cleaned the house and cooked; we wasn't allowed in the kitchen while food was being prepared. The other difference is that now so many children stay inside instead of playing because technology has taken over with video games coming out with new games monthly, facebook, instagram, snapchat is like the gossip channel. Children at a young age have set up all these accounts to see what their friends are talking about and posting all sorts of pictures often. Technology also has to be monitored because there are some predators out there who will send messages to children girl or boy to see if they can get a response. Throughout my life play has made me who I am today, I've learned so much from playing, I know how to pretend by changing my voice to be someone else; I taught myself how to ride a big wheel and bicycle. While playing with dolls I learned how to change clothes and comb hair. On the sketch pad I learned how to spell because I would practice writing sentences and spell different words. Jacks was how I started counting fast, adding, subtracting all from throwing a ball up in the air while grabbing one then to jacks at a time and so on until I picked up all the jacks without touching another one. Play has been a try it out, do it yourself part of my entire life. In order to learn to do something we try it out first and then soon it can be done by yourself without anyone's assistance. Play lets you be free to build, grow, develop and learn all those wonderful things that will be essential in your day to day life. 

 

Relationship Reflection

We define relationships as the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected; or the state of being connected. Relationships are very important to me because they have helped me become the person that I am today. In life we come across so many people who bring something to our lives some positive and some may be negative. We take life experiences and learn from them all good or bad. The relationship I have with my daughters are like no other one, I have not only taught them but I've shown them how a woman is suppose to carry herself. I talk to them about life issues that could possibly have an affect on them. I want them to always know that I'm there for them through everything life throws at them. We pray together and that's how I raised them and I'm sure they will do the same when they have children. Communication is very important in relationships, how can someone know what you are dealing with and feeling if you don't tell them. Challenges come in relationships when there is a disagreement or difference of opinion on a particular subject. In order to maintain a healthy relationship we should be respectful of other peoples opinions and feelings on a certain subject matter.

 The relationship I have with my cousin is awesome. Whenever I call her without any hesitation she come. If anything happen in the family she is always there and she doesn't complain about being there. She always ask if I need her to do anything for me. I talk to her everyday about something that may be going one and she calls me to ask my personal opinion or what I think about something. Our relationship has stood the test of time.

 I've known my friend for over 20 years and she's so compassionate and caring. This lady will give you  her absolute last. Over the years I never asked her for anything but somehow she knew if I needed something. This is true definition of sisterhood, she has held my hand through so much in my life including my marriage and divorce.

 Last but definitely not least my bff Guadalupe Hilliard has been the true definition of the word friend. Our relationship started when we both started working for Head Start. We ended up going to the same center location and have been friends every since. She has been my reason for staying at Head Start because she has helped me when no one else would. She's shown me things I never knew how to do because she has many years of experience in working with children. I can recall a day when I was told my room wasn't kid friendly, this was my first year teaching and they wasn't trying to show me how to get it kid friendly. Well Ms. Hilliard stayed after she was already off the clock and helped me move furniture around. I was so frustrated I wanted to go back to working at the bank she talked me into staying. I thank God for allowing us to cross paths because we have a great relationship.

                                                        A Child without education,
                                                        is like a bird without wings.
                                                          ~~~ Tibetan Proverb~~~

Testing

I have no problem with testing but I believe that so many test make children stressed and nervous. I feel if the child is passing all of their classes that’s measurement enough because they are retaining information and using that information. There are so many different test that are required for assessing and measuring children. I can remember my oldest daughter would be sweating bullets before she went to school on test day. I would try everything to calm her down and nothing worked, she got butterflies and would feel nauseous. I think the test measures the child’s mind but the whole child has to be looked at. All children are different and should be treated as such. A child can be a straight A student but clam up on test day and does not do well on the test at all. Does this mean the child is a failure because they did poorly on standardized test? Most schools use standardized test to see what the child has learned academically.

International comparisons as well as disparities within the United States led to passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, a federal law promoting high national standards for public schools (Berger, 2016). On December 10, 2015 the NCLB Act was replaced with Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA) this was to help reduce the amount of standardized testing. Earlier  this year my daughters school had a parent meeting for parents of 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade students. In the past when my oldest daughter was in 4^th grade students had to pass the test with a certain percentage as well as pass all classes or they would not be promoted to 5^th grade. Fast forward to now in the meeting we were told that the test is not a pass or fail test anymore so as long as your child pass their classes they will not be required to pass test in order to be promoted to the next grade. This took the stress level down for so many parents and I was one of those parents. The standardized test children are taking now in 4the grade is to assess the student, and the teacher who is teaching the student. They want to know what is the child learning by being taught by that particular teacher and the school receives a score as well. Before we got out for summer break my center manager told the staff that now for the upcoming school year when the classroom is being observed instead of receiving a number grade we will get a letter grade from A to F and the center will receive a grade instead of stars.  

In Germany they don’t penalize children for poor performance and they do not make school level test scores public like the United States does. Germany’s reform efforts included the creation of national standards and standard based test for students in grades 3-8, which sounds like the U.S. approach (www.theatlantic). Germany have test called OECD and since 2000 the test scores have increased dramatically. Germany ranks 20^th for math proficiency, the U.S. ranks 49^th behind Turkey. Are these test really needed if the child pass all classes and the teachers knows the child understands all information that was discussed in class the entire school year? If a teacher knows the child can do the work, and can actually do it with little or no help then why test children on standardized test.

 

References

Berger, K.S. (2016). The Developing Person through Childhood (7^th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/great-german-scool-turnaround/413806/

 

 

Consequences Of Stress on Children's Development

 

RACISM

 

 

               Growing up in a all black community I was always faced with this stressor and so was my other relatives. When I grew up in the 70's my dad had been in the Military, went to college and taught school. What I remember like it was yesterday is something he told all of us regularly "Always go above and beyond because people will only see your skin color nothing else, because you were born with people thinking you are less than because of the color of your skin." When I went to middle school for the 6th grade we couldn't go to the school that we thought we would go to because that year they started a program to bring minorities to a then all white school. A bus came to get us and I was stressed out to the point I couldn't focus or do my work. After all I had always been with only one race since starting school. The children wasn't so friendly, they looked at us and frowned on us and called some names. I hated it and I never wanted to go  to school. My grades went down to a C average and I had never received a C on anything. This is just something I had to deal with. After I made friends my grades went by up because these kids was just like us and I stopped stressing.

                The United States is at the top of the list as the most racist country in the world. Minorities are always targeted for racism. No child regardless of race should be forced to deal with so many issues dealing with racism before he or she graduates from high school. Black parents have to teach their children how to deal with police officers. I know me personally I have taught my children what to do when stopped by a police and what not to do. It's very important now because everyday a young black boy or girl is killed by the police. This can cause not only stress but depression because black children are much more likely than white children to be suspended and expelled from school. Even as young as 5 years old black children are suspended. The U.S. Department of Education report in 2014 that blacks make up around 18% of preschoolers throughout the nation and nearly half of them receive out of school suspensions (www.alternet.org). Stress will cause children to have many developmental issues in life and racism causes stress. Extreme stress can cause cortisol to flood the brain and destroy the hippocampus; too much of that hormone early in life may lead to permanent deficits in learning, health, causing major depression, post traumatic stress disorder and attentions deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood and adolescence (Berger, 2016). Since racism is a serious stressor in a young child's life it can cause all of these along with developmental delays. We think because we are adults that children can't get stressed as well. Racism exist and regardless of how we deal with it, things may never fully change. My daughter has always been the only African American child in the many activities she does such as her ballet class, swim class and strings class in school. I have always talked to her about the color of her skin, I've told her it doesn't define who she is and no one is better because of skin color. Everyone bleeds the same color, we all want what's best for our children. This is a problem and will always be one so their are many work shops, educational books, videos and seminars about racism that can help some people understand it better.

                As I was reading things about racism I came across Germany. Although it's regarded as one of the best tourism destinations. It is known for it's racism and how they treat people whose not from Germany. Black people are treated the worst of all races who visit. Germany is the best example of the saying "If you sow hate, you will only reap hate, " even today Germans has a hatred feeling toward foreigners who visit their country for work and living (www.msn.com). Just imagine children having to deal with racism and how it is on us if we have ever faced it so imagine how they feel. Children are innocent and to be faced with racism will cause a great deal of stress and issues they will have when they're older. I can't imagine my daughter having to deal with this and she's only 10 years old. She suppose to be living a worry and stress free childhood. A 10 year old boy doesn't have the right to a childhood as a white boy that age does, in the eyes of many people according to a study published in the American Psychological Association Journal of Personality & Social Psychology: In fact a 10 year old black boy is not even considered to be a child (www.alternet.org). When I read this I could have cried because a 10 year old is a child and it shouldn't matter what color his skin is to anyone. Racism happens when it's taught because children have no clue but then when it's taught they join in as well and generation after generation this problem still exist.

 

 

 

***I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.***

 

 

                                                                     References

 

Berger, K.S. (2016). The Developing Person Through Childhood (7th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers

 

Retrieved from: www.alternet.org/civil-liberties

 

Retrieved from: www. msn.com/en-za/lifestyles/experiences

 

                 



Child Development and Public Health

 The reason I chose Immunization because I always wondered do we really need all of those vaccines. The textbook tells us that immunization primes the body immune system to resist particular diseases while the definition said it is the process a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease by giving a vaccine. Immunizations can protect us from short term sickness and complications. I’ve always noticed when I took my daughters for their vaccinations they would have a fever after some of them. Studies show that in the United States of America infants and children are recommended to receive 14 different vaccines which is 49 doses by age six. In Japan children receive 6 vaccines in twelve doses by age 5, what a big difference is what I thought. Japan has two categories for vaccines, one is routine vaccination designated by a vaccination law and the other is voluntary. For the routine vaccinations, they are all free if you get a coupon mailed to you from Municipal Health Center. Once you receive coupons you make an appointment. The other in Japan is voluntary which is not free, the cost depends on what type of shot your getting.

 It had been researched that some vaccines such as Hepatitis B which is given hours after birth is primarily transmitted through sexual contact or by using dirty needles. So ask yourself if this is given to a baby and obviously a healthy mother, why? During prenatal care a mother get all kinds of test ran to make sure she and the baby are alright. When babies are 2 months they receive Diphtheria and Tetanus which is a problem in developing countries. One case for every one million people had Diphtheria in the United States. While having a tetanus vaccine for lockjaw which isn’t contagious was a waste of time. Normally when an object is contaminated that’s when a tetanus vaccine is needed. There is a vaccine for chicken pox and now shingles for those people over 60 who has had chicken pox before. Chicken pox use to be very common, Center for Disease Control says that there is only 2 doses needed and is 90% effective and prevents people from getting chicken pox. What happens to the other 10% of people?  Fast forward to now, daily I see commercials about shingles on television. In 2006 is when they started vaccinating for people with shingles, the United States only have one vaccine called Zostavax that has been approved by the food and drug administration. It’s also been approved that people over 50 can get the vaccine.

Autism is something that is on the rise now. There have been many movie stars speaking out about it because they have children who has been diagnosed with Autism. Some people think that having your children vaccinated is the reason children develop Autism. Studies show that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing Autism. There is an ingredient called thimerosal which is mercury based that people feel is the cause of Autism. Nine studies were done in 2003 and those studies found no links with Autism and thimerosal containing vaccines.

 This information I feel will make an impact on my future work because I work with children and immunizations are important in this day and age. There are so many diseases out and it is truly better to be safe than sorry. I work in a Head Start center and all children have to be vaccinated before they can start school. Different viruses are on the rise from people going to foreign countries and not knowing they have contracted anything, they carry it back to the United States.

 

My Personal Birthing Experience (Part 2 Pictures)

                                               
                                                          December 30, 2015                                           
                                          

 

December 30, 2005

Then and Now. (My Personal Birthing Experience)

December 30, 2015

December 30, 2005

My Peronal Birthing Experience

I was 16 weeks pregnant with twins in 2005, I lost one twin (my son). I was told by the doctors that I needed to make it to at least 24 weeks because the other baby would have a better chance of survival. I was hospitalized numerous times that I lost count. My specialist for high risk pregnancies did a procedure where they sewed my cervix up called a cervical cerclage. The reason was to hold the remaining baby inside because I was threatening another miscarriage, I had previously had one the year before. I had to go to 2 different doctors every week. I was on bed rest since I lost the first twin and remained on bed rest until I had the other baby. There were so many things happening to my body, I developed gestational diabetes while pregnant in which I had to stick myself 3 times daily to check my numbers after each meal.  After many hospital visits my husband and I were exhausted but I made it to 30 weeks. I was still too early and there were risk involved. When I had my daughter by caesarean she weighed 3 pounds 5 ounces. As soon as I had her, they let me hold her very briefly; she was rushed to another local hospital that has a NICU facility she needed. I remember this event because I had never experienced something so amazing and sad at the same time. I was an emotional roller coaster and didn’t know what to do but pray. I knew when I saw her that she would be alright because I prayed many prayers that my baby would be ok. I still had her 10 weeks early and so many things could have been wrong with her such as birth defects, limbs not formed, or organ failure of some kind. Nothing was wrong with her but she did have to stay in the NICU unit for over a month until she gained some weight. I am thankful that the hospital here was able to accommodate us for her low birth rate. My daughter’s name is Morgan and although I was told she would always be behind because of her being born early, she’s far from it. She is a very active 10 year old who loves everyone. I am very busy with her, she has many activities she enjoys some of her activities are: She’s a Girl Scout (3 years), plays the violin, goes to tutoring every Tuesday (2 years), she wanted to take a break from swim and ballet this year in which she has done both consistently for the last 5 years and now she is going to be a cheerleader.

In Denmark people spend way less money for health care. Although I had insurance I was still billed for various things and I will never forget they accidently sent me a bill for $98,000 for my daughter’s hospital stay for that month. In the United States we have our babies in hospitals. Women in Denmark can choose to have their baby at home or in the hospital where a doctor isn’t needed unless they think a problem or some sort of complication will arise. While pregnant a midwife attends to you regularly and is their when you give birth. After you have the baby a home nurse contacts you and start making home visits to check on you and monitor the babies health during the first year of the child’s life. A mother can stay home after having a baby for a total of 310 days.  

"Thank You"

I would like to take the time to say thank you to each and every one of you for sharing your wisdom and experiences. I have read discussions, blog post as well as comments you all have posted for the last 8 weeks. They have been informative and appreciated so much and I can truly say I have learned something from reading your post. As we all continue at Walden University I wish you all continued success. I’m fairly new in the early childhood field but I must say I have figured out my purpose through my passion for children.

 

“If you can’t figure out your purpose figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” ~Bishop T.D. Jakes~

Examining Codes of Ethics

Examining Codes of Ethics

The code of ethics I chose this week that I found meaningful to me are the following from the NAEYC and DEC code of ethics articles:

Taken from the DEC Code of Ethics:

*We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families of those with whom we work.

From Professional Collaboration:

*We shall honor and respect the diverse backgrounds of our colleagues including such diverse characteristics as sexual orientation, race, national origin, religious beliefs, or other affiliations.

From Enhancement of Children’s and Families Quality of Lives:

*We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the developmental outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

These were meaningful because as an educator I must always demonstrate the highest integrity and remain professional at all times. Professional development is viewed and valued as an ongoing process guided by high standards and competencies for professional performance and practice (www.dec-sped.org). I treat children and parents with respect and not judge anyone by their socioeconomic status, race, religious beliefs, or color because those things have nothing to do with the child’s development, learning ability and how I teach. Children’s families play an important role in their lives, when they are involved the child does well in school once they leave early childhood schools. I have to do what’s best for the children and their families. Getting families involved more is near and dear to me. For some reason some parents of early childhood students where I teach are not very involved. I send letters home, do conferences and make phone calls. I’ve been working on different ways to get more parental involvement. I always give families support and much needed information, if I don’t have answers for questions they may have I find someone who have those answers. In order for me to be an effective teacher who gives her all I must do all of these things, I have to know my responsibility is the children in my classroom and I have to remain professional at all times and provide services and support to families.

Taken from NAEYC Code of Ethics:

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

*We shall involve the family in significant decisions affecting their child.

*To use assessment information to understand and support children’s development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services.

The reason why I decided to enroll in school to get my Master’s Degree is because I wanted to gain more knowledge about early childhood, I wanted to make sure I’m up to date on anything that may have changed since I graduated about 4 years ago. I also attend conferences and education training provided by the company I work for, this way I gain knowledge and get new information that I can use to become a better teacher. I like getting suggestions from veteran educators who has been exactly where I am today. One day I will be that veteran teacher who can offer suggestions, ideas and useful information to new teachers. I can be a mentor to someone starting out. I inform families in all decision affecting their child, I also make sure they are present for meetings discussing their children. We are responsible for nurturing children and supporting them in the classroom. Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education in settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive to each child (www.naeyc.org).  My professional life is important to me because I’ve worked so hard to get where I am today. I have to use any and all information needed in order to support children along with their families so that they get the best quality services and are prepared for school. Whenever additional services are needed I provide that to families, when things are happening in the community I also provide that information. When everyone come together and work together for the sake of the child it provides a positive outcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Resource Section for Early Childhood:Things You May Find Helpful

Resources for the week:

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://main.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, N . 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf

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.

Three additional resources:



 

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/interagency-projects/eccw-partnerships

http://louisianabelieves.com/early-childhood

“Managing An Early Childhood Classroom” By: Wendy Koza—This book have suggestions for classroom management, ideas for maximizing space in the class, short/long term planning and recommendations for children’s growth and development. The book is very teacher friendly it has templates, patterns, and ready to use lessons.

 

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Quotes from the two people I chose for this week’s discussion:

“In the good years, work very hard to win everything that’s possibly winnable. In the bad year’s work just as hard to keep your losses to a minimum. There are good times, and there are bad times, but you have to stay in the game.” ~Edward Zigler, PhD.~

“So I have a built-in empathy for poor children as well as a deep belief  based on my own life, that just because you’re poor that doesn’t mean you’re inadequate.” ~Edward Zigler, PhD.~

“The effects of a father’s participation for change of behavior on a child or family; or the ways in which these effects on fathers, children, families are threaded together to enable men to become positively involved with their children, mother of their children and families in general.” ~Aisha Ray, PhD.

 

Quotes about passion, motivation, and wisdom from the 5 professionals in the media segment watched during week 2:

“My passion now is as great as it was maybe even greater, because I have seen the wonderful impact that using what I call an Anti-Bias approach has had on not just the teachers, but on the children who have to figure out who they are and understand themselves and uncover their own discomforts and misinformation; my passion to create a safer more just world is there, and I suppose it will be there until the day I die----maybe even after.” ~Louise Derman-Sparks~

“We are professionals in the Early Childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better.” ~Sandy Escobido~

“I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference.” ~Raymond Hernadez MSEd.~

“I see early childhood education, all education as a civil rights issue.” ~Renatta Cooper~

“At a very young age I realized families need support.” ~Leticia Lara LCSW~

Personal Childhood Web

 This week after watching the video about Mahaley and the nine people in her life I realized all of them want the same thing for her, for her to be happy. They all supported, nurtured and loved her. All of them represented Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory of development because they gave her a stable environment along with loving her. In life we have people who surround us daily who have an impact on our lives. When I was a child the people who cared about me, loved and nurtured me are the following people:

My Mother

 

When I was a child I remember my mother always showing me how to do things, she would always say you need to know this for when you get older. She also showed me how to save money. Her motto was buy what you need, not what you want and save the rest. I was always hugged by her, she would rub my back sometimes until I went to sleep. I get my work ethic from her, she went to work regardless of how she felt and she loved what she did. I am who I am today because of her. My mom would always tell me she want me to live a long happy life.

My Father

When I was a child my father taught me everything I learned and needed to know because he was a school teacher. He would tell me to always remember to continue with my education because knowledge is power. He would always tell me so many stories of when he was in the Air Force, I hung on to his every word. His stories were so awesome and he was a great story teller. He taught me how to work hard for what I want in life. If I ever needed an answer to something I could call him and he would surely know the answer. I joked with him about being a human encyclopedia as well as a CNN news reporter. He’s the smartest man I know. When I got older we were so close. My father passed away a couple years ago and there’s not a day that goes by I don’t wish I could just talk to him one more time. He taught me so much about life and how to live a happy productive life. My father told me he wanted me to have things he only dreamed of growing up, he wanted me to be happy. He also told me to go to school when I was young because he had to wait until he was grown with a family before he was able to go to college and obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary education. He eventually switched careers and retired from the Post Office.

My Second Grade Teacher—Mrs. Sanders

When I was in second grade my teacher Mrs. Sanders showed me so much love and support that I would go back every year to see her. I had a speech problem when I was in her class and she would work with me on pronouncing them. I hated to read because of it but after a while I was excited about reading because she worked with me and I also started receiving speech at school. Mrs. Sanders would always tell me how much she loved and cared about me. I loved going to school just to see Mrs. Sanders and I knew she was going to give me those big hugs. She told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I got older and not to ever let anyone talk me out of doing what I loved to do.

My Childhood Friend—Helen Mitchell

I had a childhood best friend who treated me more like her sister than a friend. We walked to school daily and played when we got home from school. Helen had 3 younger sisters and I loved going to her house. Her mom would invite me over for dinner and she would let us help her cook dinner sometimes. Helen was always so nice and sweet to me, she showed me what being a friend is all about.

All of the following people nurtured me and showed me the real meaning of genuine unconditional love. They are the reason I’m the woman I am today because of the knowledge I’ve gained; I know how to treat people, work hard and love people because of how they loved me.