Reflecting Over My International Connections

I was amazed I made contact with two early childhood educators from other countries. K Corr, from North Ireland, and S. Sheil from Singapore, have taught me so much!  I never thought I would have contacts from countries other than the US.  Both of my contacts have said to contact them at anytime with any questions.  They have been amazing!

Through these two contacts, I have learned that:

1.  In both N. Ireland and Singapore, in the schools that my two contacts teach at, most students are not considered socially disadvantage with less than 20% receiving free and reduced lunch.  In Indiana alone, 40% of students receive free and reduced lunches.

2.  Families, children, and educators face many of the same challenges related to equity as we do in the US. These include location, socioeconomic status, and race.
 

3. A hot topic in N. Ireland right now is the qualifications of a "high-quality" educator.  They are currently in discussions in North Ireland about whether the 3-4 year old teachers should be degree holders.  This is currently a hot topic here in the US.

Learning about these has broadened my knowledge about education in areas other than our country.  It has made me realize that countries that are very different in culture, geographical setting, language, etc., can be facing very similar challenges.  This has made me realize that we have a long way to go in the US in terms of our early childhood program.  During my conversations with my two contacts, I realized that their programs were far more developed than I had assumed prior to the course. 

My goal is to continue connections with these two contacts.  I also plan to make new connections through my recent joining of an early childhood group.  This group is on Facebook, and contains members from all over the world who come together to share ideas and discuss topics. 

I want to thank all my classmates and Dr. Klein for such a wonderful journey through this course!  The discussions we have all taken part in, and the blogs that you have all posted have given my much more knowledge!  Thanks again!

Getting to Know my International Contacts-Part 3

I asked my international contacts the provided questions this week.  Their answers were both interesting and very informative.  It appears that the UK is in a possible transition period simliar to that of the US.  

   

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

The biggest discussion in the Uk at the moment is whether you need a qualified teacher in a nursery class. (3-4 year olds) This was mooted a few years ago in N. Ireland but created such an uproar it was shelved but in some regions of Scotland it has already happened. I would envision that with the recession & budget cuts it will be brought up again.

We have 2 systems for preschool here - statutory (schools) with teachers & voluntary (playgroups) with no teachers. It creates a them versus us situation where schools feel in competition with playgroups & there is limited contact or collaboration between the 2.

There is also a drive to get all assistants (non teachers) educated to degree level.

2.  What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

There is little opportunity anymore for development unless you are willing to study part-time at night and pay for it yourself. Even when you do this you do not get any more pay but I did anyway for my own development. There is little incentive to do any further studies. I have found that blogging & following blogs has helped me become more reflective as a teacher.

3.  What are some of your professional goals?

I want to ensure that the children in my class get the best early years opportunities in their year with me. I want to offer them a unique outdoor learning experience that they can't get anywhere else. I hope to continue to develop European links for my school & would love ot undertake a study on early years proviosn in Australia & Scandinavia.

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

If money was no object I would establsih an outdoor kindergarten! However I feel very lucky to do a job I love.

I was surprised to see that Ireland voted down the decision to make certain requirements for teachers.  It seems to be an issue all over the world.  When talking about her professional goals, she mentioned making European links.  I am very interested to do a little research on Australia and Scandinavia to see what their education program looks like!

Unfortunately, S. Shieh, my second contact from Singapore, did not respond to my questions from this week.  I would've been very interested to hear what she had to say.

Sharing Web Resources-Zero to Three on "Reauthorization".

Over the last six weeks, I have been exploring the Zero to Three website.  This week, I followed a link from the Zero to Three website titled "Early Head Start".  The link took me to The Early Head Start National Resource Center.  This center had sections on News, Resources, Activities, and Partnerships.  They cover topics such as SIDS, breastfeeding, webcasts, onlines lessons, homebased programs, etc.  It looks a fantastic website that covers a wide range of topics as it relates to infants and toddlers.   

This week I also searched for some specific articles about either access, awareness, or responsiveness.  I had a difficult time finding any specific articles, but did come accross an article titled "Zero To Three Priortities For Early Childhood In The Reauthorization Of The Elementary And Secondary Education Act".  

This article does an excellent job at highlighting the importance of early childhood education, and the effect  it can have on children as they age and grow.  "The first years of life are critically important to later success in school and adulthood" (Zero to Three, 2011, pg. 1).  Furthermore, this article goes on to make reccomendations for creating a new connection between early childhood education with the K-12 education system.  Some of these suggestions include:

• Continue the Use of Title I Funds to Serve Children Birth to Five
• Require Data Collection on use of Title I Funds for Early Childhood Education
• Promote Joint Professional Development for Early Childhood and Early Elementary Educators
• Incorporate Provisions within Literacy Initiatives Based on the Premise that Early Language and Literacy Begin at Birth
• Require K12 and CommunityBased Early Care and Education Providers to Support and Coordinate Efforts with Each Other

What does all of this mean?

There is definitely a move for early childhood to be held at the same level as K-12 education!  This is exciting for  early childhood professionals, and will reap great benefits for edcuation as a whole.  Zero to Three is a fantastic organization that stays abreast the hot topics in the early childhood field.  Zero to Three also advocate for all young children, showing the importance of education and relationships at all ages including infants. 



Resource from:
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/federal-policy/ztt-priorities-esea-2011.pdf

My International Contacts Discuss Equality and Excellence

My first contact is K. Corr. She is located in Dungannon, N. Ireland, which is about 45 miles west of Belfast.  This week I asked her a few questions about equalitu and excellence. When discussing what her opinion of excellence was she told me that she believed  it consisted of highly motivated staff, classrooms that offered a wide range of experiences both indoors & outdoors, staff who constantly engage in further learning & new experiences, and  staff who work with parents/carers & families as a unit.

K. Corr personally believes that children should be in home setting until they are 3, but if they have to be in daycare then it needs to be a pretty special place where they have time to be individuals rather than part of a large group. She also do believe that all children should attend a preschool before starting formal education,since it is a gentle way to ease them into the system.

I asked her if all children had access to early childhood education in Ireland.  She shared that they now have a programme called "Time to be me" for 2-3 year olds form disadvantaged backgrounds, this is run by Sure Start, a government funded agency, they work with parents & children, teaching skills through play. The children attend for four days with one of those days having their parents attend to play with their children. All children are entitled to a free preschool place the year before they start school, but they have more children than places and some end up in less than good settings.

K. Corr also stated that grographical location plays a big part in contributing to the lack of childcare/early childhood programs, because there are more pre-school places in the cities than in rural areas. 
Economics also play a role because parents who both work are penalized at the preschool stage as their children are bottom of the list of criteria when applying.  Finally, race is also a contirbuting factor.  According to K. Corr, alot of migrants do not realize that their children can start preschool at the age of 3, as in their countries it is much later, therfore they often miss this opportunity.

My second contact is S. Sheih. She is working as a Supervisor in a day care center in Singapore.
S. Sheih defines excellence as and educator who provides a  personal touch on an individual child and familiy.

She strongly believes that all children should benefit from excellent childcare and education, but in Singapore, not all children have access to excellent childcare and education.  In Singapore, they do have programs available to families that offer assistance for quality childcare and/or education.  There are government subsidies which will reduce some finacial load for parents. If parents are from well to do families, they could send their kids to a childcare with higher quality. With this subsidy, the parents will pay slightly higher then the normal childcare fee to benifit from quality childcare service.  S. Sheih stated that location in Singapore is the largest factor that contributes to the lack of childcare/education available to some children and families.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As educators, we can all agree that early childhood needs to be focus of the child as a whole.  K. Corr stated that in Ireland grographical location, socioeconomic status, and race are factors that creat inequalities in their early childhood programs.  These are the same factors that are affecting the children in the US.  In Singapore, S. Sheih stated that location was definitely the greatest contributing factor.  Even though education programs can be very different around the world, there are still many inequalities that we share. 

Sharing Web Resources- Zero to Three

As you know, I have been studying the organization Zero to Three during this course.  I have not recieved a formal newsletter yet, but I often visit the site for information and new resources.  I came across a great article titled, "Partnering with the Business Community & Economists to Advance a Birth to Five Policy Agenda" by Robert Duggar & Debbie Rappaport.  This article directly related to our studies this week.  In this article, they discussed how we often think of partnerships in education as doctors, psychologists, etc.  How often do we associate education matters with professionals such as economists?

Over the past few years, a group of economists, policitians, funders, and other have come together to form a group known as Partnership for America's Economic Success.  "They are working to document economic research findings on early childhood investment and bring them to the attention of policymakers and the public" (Duggar & Rappaport, 2007).  Interventions in the early childhood years are expected to have a more significant impact that interventions at a later age.  

This article goes on to give specific ways that educators can work to form partnerships with business leaders, policians, and economists, such as forming peer-to-peer relationships and studying literature about making these investments in young children.  

While I do think investing in early childhood is essential, and it has great implications on the future of our children, I think this topic can be very controversial.  Education is not a business, and it should not be run like a business.  I worked at a charter school for many years.  The Head of School, who also worked at the Principal, had come from a business background.  Policies and changes were often implemented without regards to the effects it would have on the children or the educators.  We ended up with policies that were implemented and terminated quickly, exhausted teachers, and children stuck right in the middle.  I just feel that there needs to be a complete collaboration between these individuals and educators to determine the best policy in regards to the children, not our economy.     

Resources

Duggar, R. & Rappaport D. (2007). Partnering with the business community & economists

to advance a birth to five policy agenda. Retrieved from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Partnering_with_the_Business_Community_final.pdf?docID=4361

Getting to Know My International Contacts—Part 1

My first contact is K. Corr. She is located in Dungannon, N. Ireland, which is about 45 miles west of Belfast.

She is currently working as a Nursery Teacher in the Nursery Unit in a primary school. Her classroom consists of 3 & 4 year old. At present in her class of 26, 5 children are classed as 'socially disadvantaged' and so receive free school meals, 2 are classed as 'foreign nationals' with English as a second language. In the school of 230 children 10% would be 'foreign nationals' with English as a second language & 25% are in receipt of free school meals.

I asked her about poverty in relation to her school she said that Dungannon has a high rate of unemployment and the borough is one of the most disadvantaged outside areas of Belfast. Many of the children in her school come from long term unemployed families. However because they are an integrated school we also have some children from very wealthy backgrounds.

Please click here for more information on "integrated".

She said that over the past year as the recession has set in, they are more aware of how some families are struggling with basic cost let alone adding to this with requests for money for trips etc.

My second contact is S. Sheih. She is working as a Supervisor in a day care center in Singapore. It operates from 7am to 7pm from Monday to Friday, plus an additional 7am to 2pm on Saturday.

The children who attend this day care center are from 1.5 years old to 6 years old. The school currently teaches 40+ kids.

When I asked her how poverty related to her school, she said that the children in her school are mainly from dual income families and parents are holding higher positions at work. Therefore, their students aren't coming from lower income familiy.


What does all of this mean?

I was suprised to see such a large difference in this poverty levels in these two areas.  In Dungannon, there are currently approximately 25% of students receiving free lunches, but in Singapore, no childre are receiving free lunches.  In Indiana, over 40% of students are receiving free and/or reduced lunches.  An assumption is that other countries aren't as developed or offered the same lifestyle as we are in The United States.  This just shows us that we have numerous, devastating poverty issues right her in the U.S.

Sharing Web Resources

The website I have chose to follow through newsletters is Zero to Three.

"ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers" (Zero to Three, 2011).

The reason I haven chosen Zero to Three is because I have read numerous documents and newsletters from Zero to Three through my work as an early intervention provider for my state.  Zero to Three has also been mentioned in many of my trainings I have attended.  Zero to Three is full of great resources and topics geared toward specific age levels, covering specific topics. 

No newsletters have arrived yet, so I visited the website.  When I searched for "changing demographics", a document came up that really peaked my interest.  It was titled, "State Policies to Improve the Odds for the Healthy Development and School Readiness of Infants and Toddlers".  The article discussed changing demographics as it relates to changes in the early childhood field and school readiness.  This article states that there are three main factors that can affect school readiness.  They are healthcare, quality early childhood programs, and parent/child realtionships.  All of these factors can be greatly affected and have changed over years due to changes in cultures and demographics. 

I learned a few startling statistics that I thought I would share with you.

• "More than 10 million children, 42 percent of all children under age 6, live in low-income families and are especially vulnerable for poor school outcomes and poor health". 
• Only "30 states require a newborn screening" and only "18 states require newborn screening for 28 metabolic definciencies recommended by the March of Dimes." 
• Only "6 states offer paid maternity leave".

These statistics are startling considering these are all factors that can determine early childhood learning options and success in our young learners.

Resources

Stebbins, H. (2007). State Policies to Improve the Odds for the Healthy Development and School Readiness of Infants and Toddlers. Retrieved from Zero to Three website: http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/NCCP_article_for_BM_final.pdf?docID=4281

Establishing Contacts and Expanding Resources

Establishing Contacts
This week I have been working to establish some contacts with education professionals that are currently working in a country other than The United States of America. 

• I first started with contacting a classmate that I have had class with through this entire program so far to see if she has any contacts she could help me get in touch with.
• I placed a message on facebook, since I am friends with many educators to see if anyone had any contacts in other countries.
• I joined an early childhood facebook group.  I am super excited to be part of this group because members frequently post fun, creative early childhood ideas. 
• I contacted a former co-worker, who is now a professor at a state university to see if she had any contacts from another country that she could put me in contact with. 

I am excited to say that I have two professionals that are willing to be in contact with me over the next few weeks!  I placed a message on the early childhood page through Facebook, and had to individuals contact me saying that they would like to help.  I can't wait to learn more about them, as well as issues, trends, and policies in their countries!

Expanding Resources
I have always been a fan of Zero to Three documents.  Through my work as a developmental therapist, we often recieve handouts and articles from Zero to Three from the state's early intervention program.  Zero to Three documents are easy to read, easy to understand, and have great content.  I am now registered to recieve email newsletters from three different Zero to Three newsletters!  I am so excited!!!!

My Supports

Supports can be defined in many ways.  When I sat and reflected on the supports in my daily life, I have come up with many. 

Here are some of my supports, and how they affect my daily life.

Relationships With Family!

My husband is my  greatest support.  My husband supports me in all aspects of my life.  He is there for emotional support and listens to my joys and concerns with open ears.  My husband is the bread winner in our family, therefore is our main financial support.  My husband is supporting in terms of parenting.  We make decisions for our family and children jointly.  In addition to all these things, my husband takes care of the yard work,  helps around the house, takes me youngest daughter to daycare two days a week, helps with bath time, bedtime, and morning routine with the children.  He does so much I could keep going.  Again, he is truly my greatest support.

Without the support of others, I know I would be an emotional wreck.  I lean on my husband and my mother for many emotional supports.  Without the support of my husband financially, I alone would not be able to adequately provide for my two children.  Without his support around the house, there are many things that wouldn't be done.  His support allows me to be able to work from home, obtain my master's degree, and even have some time to relax.  The loss of this support would cause me to not be able to obtain some of the goals I have set for myself, and could possibly affect me physically due to pure exhaustion. 

Organizational Techniques!

The main means of organizing my life is the use of lists and calendars.  I have a calendar that hangs in the kitchen in which we use for family events, school events, birthdays, and doctor appointments.  I have a calendar I use for work.  This schedule contains appointments with clients, as well as client information (addresses, phone numbers, etc.).  I have a weekly schedule that hangs on my refrigerator that I use to document my weekly to-dos for work, housework, and school assignments.  Also on my refrigerator, I even have a monthly meal calendar.  We plan our dinner menu one month in advance.  It helps so I am not sitting around planning menus each week, and it helps us not to repeat meals often.

Without these supports, I would be completely lost.  My work, housework, school work, and social life would all be in jeopardy.  I know there are some people that don't even own a calendar, but I live by them.  I learn this skill from my mother, and I strongly feel that it helps my life to run much smoother. 

Other Parents!

A lot of my friends are also parents.  Have you ever noticed that as you age, you conversations with friends change also?  When we get together for cookouts, dinners out, or birthday celebrations, my friends and I sit around discussing our children.  I can't even tell you how many times we all say, "Oh, I am so glad to hear it's not just my son/daughter!"  Parents are great supports for other parents.  I have friends that call on me for advice, and I do the same with my friends.  We have friends that don't yet have children.  They look to us for advice and support on what it is like to have children or go through pregnancies and family preparation.  We have friends that have children the same age as us.  We usually sit around comparing what our children do in comparison to each other, and discuss methods of parenting that work for us.  It's such a great tool for learning.  Then we have parents who have children that are much older than ours.  Those are the friends who often share the future of what we will be facing in a few years, and often are there to share similar experiences and offer comfort to us. 

If I didn't have other parents to discuss the past, present, and future with, I don't think I would know as much as I do.  Just like in our early childhoods, we are still learning from our peers!  Hearing how a friends parents allows us to see parenting in different ways, and decide to use what we think will be the most beneficial to our children and family.    

A Challenging Life!

Through my career as a developmental therapist, and through my personal life as the mother of a medically complicated child, I often come in contact with families and individuals that are facing very difficult challenges. 

For instance, having a disability such as cerebral palsy would require many supports in your life.  Many people with cerebral palsy are confined to a wheel chair.  Being confined to a wheel chair would require physical supports for most of the tasks in your life such as going to the restroom, preparing meals, cleaning the house, showering, transportation, and many more.  It seems like the number of businesses that are employing individuals with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, is growing, but that number is still low.  Individuals with cerebral palsy often require financial support from family or the government.  If individuals with disabilities feel disconnected from others or the community, it can cause many emotional issues which requires support from family, friends, or professionals. Without these supports, many individuals would not be able to live. 

Inclusion for individuals with disabilities as children can lead to a "sense of belonging" and independence.  This independence can transfer into adulthood, and possibly allow individuals to become more involved, active, and accepted in the community.      

My Connections to Play

Play encompassed my childhood.  My older brother and I are only two years apart in age, therefore growing up, I often played with him.  We were friends, our friends were friends, and we had many friends in the neighborhood.  We spent most nights playing until we heard Mom yell that it was time for dinner.  We ate as fast as we could, and were back outside until the street lights turned on.  We played pretend, we played tag, we rode bikes, and we often explored.  I have many great memories from my childhood, and many of them involved the “adventures” we often went on. 

I remember one “adventure” I went on with my brother.  We were pretending we were the characters from Thunder Cats (one of our favorite shows at the time).  I was Cheetara.  Cheetara was a woman that looked like a cheetah, and used a stick to help her jump and move through the air quickly.  That day I had located the broom stick, removed the handle, and proceeded to use it has my stick.  All I needed was the porch as our hideout, front and back yard as our “adventure” land, our imaginations, and my stick.  For those two hours, I was no longer Kristen, I was Cheetara! 

During most of my play growing up, my older brother was definitely my support.  He was two years older than me, very smart, and very creative.  I learned so much from him.  My parents were also often great supports in play.  My mother often played as a mediator by settling arguments, enforcing the rules, giving us freedom, placing trust in us, and often making my brother and his friends include me.   My father often joined in with us.  I remember many occasions of my father chasing us around the local parks, building snow forts in the snow, and long sessions of outdoor laser tag. 

Now as a parent, I often find myself engaging in play in a similar was that my parents did with me as a child.  I find myself chasing my girls around the house calling myself the “Tickle Monster” just like my dad did.  I make Barbie homes with Tupperware the same way my mom did with me.  I even mimic holding The Old Maid card high into the air teasing my daughter about picking it.  Due to my education background and my current job as a therapist, I know how important play is for children, and I try to find every opportunity I can to engage my children and others in play. 

You can clearly see that in some home the true concept of play has taken on a whole new meaning today.  Kids are often “playing” with video games or computer games.  They often prefer watching television rather than play.  In my opinion these activities are not “play”  Children may be able to learn academics or problem solving through these, but play is completely different.  Play is able to provide a child with the ability to be creative and social beings.   Through play, children are also able to learn academics skills, problem solving, and so much more.  We need to take the time to provide settings in which are children are able to learn through play!  Even today, at the age of 30, I love to play!  I often feel like I am living again through my children.  The role of play has never left my life.  I may be somewhat a child at heart, but you have to have fun living the life you are living, no matter what your age is!

I am going to leave you with a couple quotes about play that I feel summarize and represent play for me.

“There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.”  ~Mark Twain

“The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly shared with traffic.” ~Bill Cosby

Building Relationships

When I think about the relationships I currently have, I feel as if I can put them into some categories.

1) Family

2) Friends

3) Professional Friendships

My family relationships that remain the strongest are with my husband (of course), and my mother.  I find it interesting how relationships change as we age or go through certain times in our lives.  Growing up, most of us mostly valued our relationships with friends.  Now that I am a mother, and in the midst of parenting, my strongest, most valued relationships are with my husband and mother (my close family).  They are my closest supports, and it seems like I am finding it more difficult to maintain other relationships in the manner I would like.  This is mainly due to being so extremely busy.  These close family relationships make me feel loved, safe, supported, and happy.  

My husband is truly my best friend. 

My relationships with my friends seem to be less involved than they used to be.  We all have children now, most of us work, and some of us are now cities and states apart.  My relationships with my friends consist of occasional barbeques (usually with all of our children running around), occasional adult only outings for special occasions such as birthdays, and lots of text messages, emails, and Facebook.  I find great joy in getting an email from a girlfriend who I haven't talked to in a long time.  These relationships make me feel connected, supported, and happy in a well-rounded sort of way.  Friendships with peers were extremely important when we were 5 year old, and still remain extremely important.

When I was on maternity leave, my girlfriends and I got together often with our new babies in tow.   

My professional friendships are friendships that I have formed with colleagues and/or parents of children that I work with through my current profession.  I have formed some great relationships with these parents through the connection we have with their child.  They feel supported by me, and I feel needed by them.  Another main reason that I am able to easily connect with these families is because my oldest child went through the early intervention program (that I work for) until she was 3 years old.  I have faced some of the same therapies, surgeries, and ups and downs that many of these families face on a daily basis.  Even though some of these friendships seem to slowly dissolve after I stop seeing their child, some of these relationships have continued, and I still see some of these families, often getting together with all of our children for playdates, outings, etc. 

"A child dies every three seconds..."

For this last post, I searched for a great quote from a worldly individual that would be able to portray the playful innoscense that encompasses children.  That is when I came across a quote by Brad Pitt, yes the actor!  He may not be the worldly individual I was looking for, and his quote is far from showing innocence and playfulness, but it really affected me.  The week that I blogged about children facing and overcoming trauma, it tugged at so many emotions.  The following quote will leave you all with something to think about in terms trauma and poverty.


"Let us be the ones who say we do not accept that a child dies every three seconds simply because he does not have the drugs you and I have. Let us be the ones to say we are not satisfied that your place of birth determines your right to life. Let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold."  Brad Pitt, actor

I have experienced so many emotions over the last 8 weeks, some are from looking back over personal issues with my life growing up, some dealing with my daughter's illness, and others when learning about others personal stories.  This class has been enlightening, and I have greatly enjoyed reading all the blogs and discussions.  It is amazing how much we can learn through eachother!!!

Assessment and Singapore

I taught first grade for seven years. In those seven years, 3 times a year my students were scheduled in the computer lab for a standardized test. It was test that all students in my school also took at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. There was a test for each grade level that assessed language arts skills, reading skills, and math skills. I definitely find flaws in this assessment method for many reasons.

First, all children learn and test in different manners. If we know that we have to gear our teaching to meet all the diverse needs of our students, then why should be assessing them all in one way? Second, not all children are at the same level with their use of technology. We can’t assume that all children are able to use a computer, mouse, and headphones in an accurate manner. Finally, assessing only three academic areas does not aid in assessing the child as a whole. There are so many more things to a child than academic performance. Observation is a great way to assess other aspects that can be beneficial in overall performance such as behavior, social skills, and emotional intelligence.

As an educator, I always knew it was my part to assess my students’ performance in many ways. Sometimes you need to look at the child in whole group, small group, or individually. Other times, you need to use verbal assessing or observation. I will honestly admit that I never put too much trust into the performance of my students on standardized testing, and I am not sure why so many people think this is the only way to assess our students.

When I started looking up info about viewing children holistically, a lot of information about education in Singapore came up. Educators in Singapore have made many changes over the last few years to move to a more holistic approach to education. An article from The Washington Post quoted Prime Minister Lee of Singapore as he spoke about the approach in Singapore. He said;

“I think we should do more to nurture the whole child, develop their physical robustness, enhance their creativity, shape their personal and cultural and social identity, so that they are fit, they are confident, they are imaginative and they know who they are.

Every child is different, every child has his own interests, his own academic inclinations and aptitudes and our aim should be to provide him with a good education that suits him, one which enables him to achieve his potential and build on his strengths and talents. Talent means talent in many dimensions, not just academic talent but in arts, in music, in sports, in creative activities, in physical activities.

We need to pay more attention to PE, to arts and music and get teachers who are qualified to teach PE and art and music.

Give each one a tailored and holistic upbringing, so you get academic education, moral education, physical education, art and a sense of belonging and identity. We aim to build a mountain range with many tall peaks but with a high base, not just a single pinnacle where everybody is trying to scramble up one single peak. And we are realizing this vision."

It would make sense that their teaching and assessment would both be geared toward a holistic approach. I also visited the Ministry of Singapore to read a little more in-depth about the education system there. I find their approach very interesting and refreshing. If you have a change you can visit the website by clicking here.

*Source*

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/guest-bloggers/what-other-countries-are-reall.html

Consequences of Stress on Child Development

I taught first grade for 7 years.  All of those years were spent teaching at an inner city charter school in Indianapolis.  85% of our students were free lunches, behavior was huge challenge schoolwide, and we had very low parent involvment. 

The effects of poverty, hunger, chaos, and violence could be seen some of my students' performaces in the classroom.  One particular student I remember was a six year old boy.  This child was so tired everyday.  He often fell asleep during instruction and independent work.  One day he came to school and seemed even worse than usual.  At recess that day he told me about how his night had gone the previous night.  He was sleeping in his bedroom, when his door flung open and closed, his mother's boyfriend ran in very quickly and hid under the covers next to my student.  Minutes later my student heard loud yelling voice outside his bedroom door.  The police then busted down his door, ripped back the covers, handcuffed and arrested his mom's boyfriend.  My student not only watched it all, but was right in the middle of it.  The interesting part about all of this is that he acted like it wasn't that big of deal, kind of like it just interrupted his sleep a little.  It really made me start thinking about what kind of true chaos and violence this young child sees on a daily basis.  This chaos affected him physically, mentally, and emotionally.  He should be in middle school right now, and I often think about how he is doing.  I have no doubts that this stress as a young child has had lasting effect on him.

My brother-in-law just returned from Afghanistan, so I was curious about how the war effects this children in this region.  Not only are Afghani children experiences the stress of war, but they are also faced with violence, trauma, chaos, abuse, and poverty.  One consequence of facing these stressors is post-traumatic stress disorder.  According to Science Daily, some of the solutions to this problem are "better education, immediate mental health interventions and treatment after a violent conflict, and humanitarian assistance for trauma-affected populations in resource-poor countries."  Knowing the lasting affects war can have on grown adults who return back to civilian life, really makes me scared for how much more damaging life like this can have for children who aren't removed from it. 

Source taken from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623112106.htm

Breastfeeding: USA vs. Kenya

I have been on both sides of the breastfeeding debate (Breastmilk VS Formula).  In the United States, it is entirely a woman's choice about whether she wants to breastfeed her infant or bottle feed using formula.  The Center for Disease Control states that "high breastfeeding initiation rates (3 out of 4) show that most mothers in the United States want to breastfeed and are trying to do so. However, even from the very start, mothers may not be getting the breastfeeding support they need.  Low breastfeeding rates at 3, 6, and 12 months illustrate that mothers continue to face multiple barriers to breastfeeding". 

With my first child, I was dead set on breastfeeding.  She was born almost 2 months early, was born with a heart defect, weighed less than 4 lbs, and was in an isolette during her first weeks.  She was unable to maintain her body temperature and had not yet mastered the breathing, sucking, swallowing technique.  Therefore, for her first 2 weeks of life I used a breast pump, and fed her breastmilk through a bottle.  At 2 weeks old, she finally started getting the hang of breastfeeding.  During feedings, I had to watch her monitors very closely.  Due to her heart defect, her oxygen levels were in the 80's, which is low.  When she was nursing, she had dips that dropped down to the 60's.  Her alarms would sound, and we would have to stop.

One week later, when my daughter went into surgery for a double hernia repair, we discovered the real culprit to the dips in her oxygen as well as the problems with her sucking and swallowing.  My daughter's trachea (airway) was the size of a pinhole.  This problem required her to have a tracheostomy put in immediately until her doctor's could repair her airway when she was over 12 months of age.  Due to having a tracheostomy, and problems with aspirating, I was not allowed to breastfeed her.  For the following 6 months, I pumped my breastmilk and fed her through a bottle.  The breastmilk had to be thickened with rice cereal to prevent any aspirating.  When she was about 6 months old, I returned to work.  Teaching elementary school, pumping multiple times a day, and taking care of my special needs child proved to be too much for me to handle.  At that time, I chose to give up breastfeeding.  My daughter recieved formula until she was 1.

My second daughter, who is now 19 months old, was breastfed for 13 months.  Her birth was completely different, weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz, and is completely healthy.  So as you can see, I have been on both ends of breastfeeding.  I encountered a barrier with my first child that stopped me from breastfeeding her.  Breastfeeding may be my feeding option of choice for my children, and I do feel that there is a health benefit related to breastfeeding, but I know it is not for everyone.  I have friends who try for months to breastfeed, but their milk supply diminishes too early, I have a cousin who never had any milk come in, and I also have a sister-in-law who chose not to breastfeed at all.  I see nothing wrong with any of these scenarios, and am very happy that breastfeeding is a mother's choice.

I took a look at breastfeeding in Kenya to get an idea what is the norm.  I found a great chart from Unicef that shows the feeding norms by age (in months).  As seen below, it appears less children start out  

exclusively breastfeeding in Kenya (30%) than in the United States (75%).  I was also shocked to see how many infants were given water and complimentary foods along with their breastmilk.   

Facts for Life is an organization stating facts about certain topics, with one being breastfeeding.  As stated on the Facts for Life website:

• Babies who are breastfed are generally healthier and achieve optimal growth and development compared to those who are fed formula milk.
• If the vast majority of babies were exclusively fed breastmilk in their first six months of life – meaning only breastmilk and no other liquids or solids, not even water – it is estimated that the lives of at least 1.2 million children would be saved every year. If children continue to be breastfed up to two years and beyond, the health and development of millions of children would be greatly improved.
• Almost every mother can breastfeed successfully. All mothers, particularly those who might lack the confidence to breastfeed, need the encouragement and practical support of the baby's father and their families, friends and relatives. Health workers, community workers, women's organizations and employers can also provide support.

What I take from all this is that it appears sometimes women are not given the support needed to be successful with breastfeeding.  Some organizations are starting initiatives to train more breastfeeding counselors and send them into other countries to educate the mother's about the benefits and methods of breastfeeding.  I think breastfeeding can have clear benefits emotionally, cognitively, and physically for developing children.  Hopefully getting more trained professionals, educating the public, and creating health facilities equiped to support breastfeeding mothers will show in increase in overall breastfeeding, therefore an increase in many developmental domains. 



*Information taken from:
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm

http://www.childinfo.org/breastfeeding_kenya.html

http://www.factsforlifeglobal.org/04/

Birthing in Mali (Africa)

I have always been drawn to places like Africa.  After watching the documentary Babies, I became even more interested in birth and child development there.  I read an article titled, "Fighting for Life in Birth", through the BBC New Homepage.  The current method of birthing in Mali shows a lack of prenatal care and/or medical care, poverty, and a lack of education.  It is dangerous for mothers and babies.     

"According to Unicef figures, in a single day 1,200 women in the country fall pregnant. Of those 230 will develop complications and 20 will die. Two hundred of the babies will not survive past four weeks."

BBC shares a birth story of a woman, like many in Mali, that are not allowed to seek prenatal care.  She goes into labor at home, but after hours of labor, she is still not able to give birth.  Her family finally takes her to a local medical facility where she finds out her pelvis is not large enough to allow the baby through, and that the baby had not survived.  Being that they don't have a facility equiped for c-sections, they transported her another facility.  In route, more complications arose and the mother also did not survive.

I, like the young woman in Mali, also had complications.  My complications were also deadly for me and my baby.  The difference between our situations were that I was had prenatal care, and I was a facility that was equiped to handle any serious situations that arose from pregnancies.  There were many medical professionals watching over me, and the minute I developed any symptoms that were dangerous, the medical staff took action.  For the poor young woman in Mali, she had no support.  Not even the support of her husband. 

Reading about this really made me realize how fortuante we are in The United States.  It also made me realize how important prenatal care is for pregnant women.  The BBC article shared information that it takes less money to save the life of a pregnant woman that it does to pay for her funeral.    


*Information retrieved from:   http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1325293.stm

Each Birth Story is Different..........

My birth story of my oldest daughter was far from usual.  Sharing the events that led up to her birth tell a lot more than the actual birth itself.  Hopefully, over the course of this class, I will be able share some of my daughter's story.  She is truly a miracle!

Here is Macy Elaine's birth story:

My pregnancy was going so well.  I was a healthy, married 24-year-old woman.  Yeah, I was sick in the beginning, and for a teacher, sickness just didn’t work.  Around 16 weeks, my nausea started to dissipate.  My pregnancy then became fun!  I loved the attention, the back rubs, and the foot massages.  I loved being pregnant!  Although I was measuring a little small, my 18 weeks ultrasound showed that they baby was growing and looked healthy.  We could’ve found out the sex of the baby, but decided to wait for the surprise.

            My pregnancy continued moving right along, I was gaining weight, craving chocolate cupcakes, and having mood swings.  My husband, Jeremy, and I were getting our home ready for the day we got to bring home our little bundle of joy.  The baby’s room was decorated in soft yellows, greens, and dragonflies.  Although it was very neutral, it still had a “little girl” feel to it.  We decided if we had a boy we would “boy” it up by adding fishing poles and netting.   Our car seats were placed in the back of each vehicle for the first car ride home.  Everything was going perfectly!

            At my 26 weeks appointment, my doctor still thought that I seemed to be measuring small, so he made an appointment for me to have another ultrasound.  The thought that something might be wrong sent me into a frenzy.  I started looking things up on the internet, which I shouldn’t have never done.  It went into numerous causes for measuring small, some that were nothing, and others were very serious conditions.  I was scared to death!  I started talking to everyone I knew.  I asked questions to everyone or anyone who had been pregnant or simply knew anyone who had ever been pregnant.  Everyone assured me things would be fine.

            At 28 weeks, I had my ultrasound. The technician said everything looked fine, and stated that the baby’s legs were a little short, but nothing to be concerned about. I have short legs.  She said the baby was about 3 lbs, 6 oz.  She didn’t think the baby was destined to be large since Jeremy and I were both small people ourselves. 

            At 31 weeks, I started to swell.  Everyone once again assured me that swelling was normal, especially since I was on my feet all of the time.  That Friday, I didn’t teach due to some deadlines that needed to be done for our charter school.  I was sitting with my feet propped, on the phone all day long.  The swelling didn’t go away.  I approached a co-worker in the restroom who had just had a baby and asked her about it.  She asked if my hands were swelling.  I looked at them and realized they kind of were.  She suggested possibly going to my doctor’s office to have my blood pressure checked.  I decided if the swelling didn’t go away I would. 

            I went home from work that day and laid down for a nap.  I thought if I propped my feet and relaxed things would be back to normal when I woke up.  They weren’t.  When Jeremy got home I suggested that we go to a local pharmacy to have my blood pressure checked before heading out to dinner.

            When we got the first reading back from the machine, we both looked at each other in disbelief thinking it was wrong.  I waited 5 minutes and tried again.  The numbers were even worse the second time.  That’s when we headed to the Med Check where my sister-in-law worked as a student nurse.  She checked it twice also, and suggested I call my doctor.  I called the doctor on the way to the hospital just to let him know I was going. 

            When I got there, I was hooked up to fetal monitors within minutes.  They informed me that I had a medical condition called Pre-eclampisa.  The only cure is delivery.  The word “delivery” probably sent my blood pressure even higher.  I asked the nurse how long I had until delivery.  I was only 31 weeks!  She said it would probably be soon.  The tears then started coming.  Once again, my husband assured me everything would be ok. 

            I spent the next 15 days on bed rest at the hospital.  I was miserable!  They made me lay on my left side only.  I had fetal monitoring done every 3 hours, blood taken daily, constant medication, and I had to save my urine in a bin for testing.  My poor husband was taking the worst of it.  He had to listen to me complain. I called him at work just to cry.  Not only that, but he had to spend his time between work, me, and our pets at home.  He was worn out, and the baby wasn’t even here yet.  Never in my life did I think life could get harder, but it did.  My daily wheelchair ride was the joy of my day.  Other than that, I was completely miserable.  

            On January 27^th, I notified the nursing staff that I was seeing some black spots in my vision.  The next morning, a neurologist was immediately sent to see me and performed numerous tests.  He quickly assured me that it didn’t have anything to do with my brain.  Soon after, an ophthalmologist was sent to see me.  I didn’t get a good vibe from him.  He did some tests, and left quickly.  Within 2 hours nurses were in my room telling me that I was having an emergency c-section.  They said my blood pressure had gotten so high that I had a mini stroke.   On January 28, 2006 at 3:40 p.m. my daughter arrived.  I had made it to 34 weeks, but she was only 3 lbs, 11 oz.  She measured in at 15 ¼ inches tall.  She came out crying!  What a wonderful noise!  She was here, she was alive, but her battle was far from over. 

Last Week of Class!

This week is the last week of class......definitely not the end of my journey!  Starting my master's program has been intriguing, inspiring, and eye opening.  I have done much reflection and met so many wonderful people.  I can't wait to continue my journey!

I am not sure if my blog is something that I am required to do in my upcoming courses, but not matter what I am going to continue using it.  I plan to post research, studies, and interesting stories.  I hope you continue to follow me!!!

Code of Ethics

This week, I explored some new early childhood resources.  I was not aware that there was a code of ethics for the early childhood field.  I was very excited to explore 2 different articles that talked about codes of ethics.  As I read through them, there were a few that stood out to me.  I have stated them below, along with how I currently use them or plan to use them in the future. 

Ideals (children)

I-1.9—To advocate for and ensure that all children,

including those with special needs, have access to the

support services needed to be successful.

Honestly, I did not know there was an early intervention program set up in my state for children with special needs before I gave birth to my daughter in 2006.  At that time, I discovered that she needed early intervention, and was then introduced to those services.  Once I became familiar with the program and fell in love, I decided being an advocate for children, specifically special needs children was my passion.  Every child deserves the same opportunities regardless of their circumstances.  There are so many wonderful programs available for all children, and this course has really opened my eyes to all of them. 

Principles

P-1.8—We shall be familiar with the risk factors for and

symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including

physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse and

physical, emotional, educational, and medical neglect.

We shall know and follow state laws and community

procedures that protect children against abuse and

neglect.

This is something that I want to learn more about.  I feel that I have some intuition when it comes to recognizing some of the abuse cases, but there are so many types of abuse that occur.  I would love the opportunity to learn more about the different types and what some specific risk factors are that accompany each type.  I believe this is something that is essential to know in my current job as a developmental therapist, and that once I know more about this subject, it may be easier to identify.  Not only will I have the knowledge needed, but I work directly in the home with the family, which makes it easier to see day to day life. 

Ideals (families)

I-2.2—To develop relationships of mutual trust and

create partnerships with the families we serve.

I-2.3—To welcome all family members and encourage

them to participate in the program.

Working with families is a day by day, hour by hour part of my job.  These families need to feel comfortable with me, trust me, and create a partnership that is going to be effective in helping their children.  I do feel that I have formed great relationships with most the families I serve.  That allows them to feel comfortable enough with me to share certain aspects of their lives, ask questions, and also participate in their children’s therapy sessions.  I think without the strong relationship, the participation would not be as prevalent. 

Ideals (colleagues)

I-3B.1—To assist the program in providing the highest

quality of service.

Working as a developmental therapist allows me to be very flexible with my job.  I work as a contractor for a therapy clinic, and have never even stepped foot in the office.  I have no boss that checks on me daily, but it is my job to make sure I am providing the highest quality of service to the children and families I serve.  I am not in this job for the money or the schedule; I am in it to help children and families!

Have a great week!!!