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

Words of Inspiration

"If you live long enough, you will make mistakes.  But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit".
-President William "Bill" Clinton

"Character is a journey, not a destination".
-President William "Bill" Clinton

"When a teacher tries to teach something to the entire class at the same time, chances are, one-third of the kids already know it...one-third will get it...and the remaining third won't. So two-thirds of the children are wasting their time".
-Lilian Katz

"My passion is now the same as it was before...if not greater than ever".
-Louise Derman-Sparks

Personal Childhood Web

My Mother

My mom has been an educator all my life, and has even worked in the same schools I attended as a child. She has nurtured my love for education and passion for children throughout my lifetime. She even operated an in-home childcare center for many years and allowed me to work as an employee to gain work experience. I will always give credit to my mom for my interest in the early childhood field. She has always placed a powerful emphasis on education and being present in our lives as a support system.

My Dad

"Even when you've done your best, you still haven't done enough"

My dad has always motivated me to work harder and to push myself beyond what I only thought I was capable of. As early as I can remember my dad has always done whatever he could to provide for my family, even working 60+ hours a week to make ends meet. My dad always taught me that your best is still never good enough and there is always more that can be done. I used to think that he was just being hard on me, however, I now know how motivating these thoughts and ideas can be. Without his extra pushing, I know I would not have reached the level of success I have today.

Ms. Williams

Ms. Williams was my 2nd and 3rd grade teacher, and also my favorite teacher growing up. I have always carried with me the love that Ms. Williams had for me in her classroom, so much that I still remember her vividly as an adult. Ms. Williams was the first person other than my mother to realize that I was a gifted child. I often acted out in class because I was bored or the work just did not challenge me enough. Ms. Williams saw beyond my behavior and noted that I was a one of the most highly-intelligent students she'd ever come across. She fought for me to be tested into the gifted program and behold, my results were above target in all areas. Ms. Williams demonstrates just how important it is for educators to know their students and be willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their success.