Equity and Excellence

This week, I have learned so much about equity and its effects on the field of early childhood education. One of the biggest things that I learned this week is just how much of an impact socio-economic status has on our children and their success. This goes to show that labels and status in this day and age really do affect the people whom we become. Socio-economic issues such as race, English Language Learners, lack of parental education, and so forth are several demonstrations of just how broad the topic of inequity really is.

I was happy to read about "The Center on the Developing Child" this week. I loved hearing that one of the goals of the center is to protect children from any adversity. I feel that in current times, society has become so selfish in dealing with issues that they do not focus on the fact that children are innocent souls. It is up to us as adults, educators, and family members to mold and shape children into who they will be for the remainder of their lives. I truly feel that children cannot remain innocent if they are constantly subjected to adverse conditions.

Sharing Web Resources

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

One aspect of the NAEYC website that particularly appeals to me is the blog section. The NAEYC blog consistently provides its readers with up to date issues and resources as it relates to early childhood education. As educators, we all have the understanding that this field is ever-changing. In order to stay abreast and alert in terms of change, it is important to have a resource such as the NAEYC blog that provide us with consistent and accurate updates related to the field. 

On the blog, I discovered a post titled "My Son's Realization that he is Brown" written by Kim Doan. The post was about a mother and her biracial son whom identified himself as a "brown" kid for the first time at 4 years old. The post goes on to discuss how her son Dylan began to notice that not many of the other children in his class were brown, and of course, he wanted to be just like everyone else. At the conclusion of the article, the author discusses the importance of discussing identity with young children, as they tend to notice differences in race and skin color as early as 6 months. This is something that I never knew personally, so I am glad I stumbled upon this publication. I loved this article because it discussed a common issue that so heavily impacts today's society. It also gave tips as to how to speak to young children about their identity, just incase assistance is needed to get the conversation going. 

Under the "Power of the Profession" tab, the site speaks to how NAEYC collaborates with other stakeholders and organizations to enhance the early learning field.

International Contacts: Poverty

One of my international contacts, Christen, teaches Kindergarten and lives primarily in the UAE. Upon questioning her about the effects of poverty in her school's community, one thing stood out to me most...the fact that poverty is not observed in the same light in some areas as they are others. Christen explained to me that it is sometimes difficult to tell who's actually poor. This is because there are sometimes no noticeable differences in the way her students carry themselves, their work ethic, and even their appearance. She also explained that even wealthy people seem to be more modest in this area of the world rather than in America. Social status is often not discussed and Christen even shared with me how one of her students descended from a long line of wealth, so much that they were considered royalty, and she never knew until another co-worker shared the information.

This opened both of our eyes to the effects of poverty and how our perceptions and reactions may play a huge role.

US Department of Education Early Learning Newsletter

https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/newsletter.html

The US Department of Education is a combination of several federal agencies that promote financial assistance for education, as well as focusing national attention on educational issues, inclusion, and so much more. I was attracted to this newsletter due to the emphasis placed on talking, reading, and singing to children each day. I strongly believe that all three of these instances are the foundation for early literacy and learning in young children. A huge portion of this newsletter is also dedicated to inclusion strategies and tactics. Based on the information presented through this week's resources, we have a long way to go when it comes to the inclusion of immigrant children and their families. I look forward to furthering my exploration of this newsletter throughout the duration of this course and beyond.

Expanding Horizons & Resources

A former colleauge of mine by the name of Christen has been teaching at the early childhood level in the UAE for the past five years. She has become so immersed in the culture and thriving environment, she has made this country a home for her and her family. I have sent Christen an email in regards to this assignment and I am awaiting a response. She has always been so helpful and resourceful, as I had previous plans of teaching overseas. I know she will be a great resource for this course, hence why I immediately chose to reach out to her.

May Ajram is an early childhood leader and professional in Lebanon. I found her through the World Forum Connection Center, and because she expressed her interest in professional passion, I was immediately drawn to her. I have added her Facebook page and I am interested to see if she would be willing to be a participant for this assignment. Sharing the passion of early childhood education, I am sure that this connection would not be difficult to establish.

I have chosen the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) as my early childhood organization of choice. I made this selection due to the fact that the center where I am currently employed is NAEYC accredited and I am always interested in learning more about the organization as a whole.

NAEYC and DEC Code of Ethics

"We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others" -DEC Code of Ethics

It has always been important to me to seek out new practices to fulfill the needs of our ever-changing environment and children. As a childcare professional, one must be willing to understand things that may have worked well in the past may not always work well. In my current role, I have to constantly remain flexible in order to adapt to whatever new challenges I may face.

"We shall....appreciate and support the bond between the child and family"-NAEYC Code of Ethics

Children would not be who they are without the input and support of their families. The old saying was correct, it truly takes an entire village to raise a child and everyone must do their part. As an educator, one must respect and maintain a healthy relationship between school and home, or the circle of educating a child efficiently will continue to be broken.

"I-1.3: To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child".-NAEYC Code of Ethics

Each child is unique in their own way. Throughout the years, I have learned that all children can and will learn differently. It is up to us as educators to determine how they should learn, as well as ways to support throughout their educational journey's.

Course Resources

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://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, No. 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.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

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

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    https://worldforumfoundation.org/about-us
    
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

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

Additional Resources:

• "Why Play?" by Christopher Pancoast
• PBS Kids Child Development Tracker: http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/
• Early Childhood Education Quotes: https://www.compassion.com/poverty/famous-quotes-about-children.htm