Learning about the international early childhood field

I think the biggest thing I learned that covers a multitude of learning consequences is  what each country or group of people need in terms of education.  What we consider important for our children to learn is very different than what another country needs their children to learn.  In some areas they  are working toward policies that will offer children and education through the primary grades. In other countries it is teaching sanitation for survival and increase the mortality rate for children birth -5 years old.  In other countries it is defining what a quality education is for all.  One thing we all have in common is the passion to serve our youngest children, and find ways to improve their lives.

                The idea of working with the whole family will always be my number one passion, so when listened to the podcast with Chevighy and Morgan, they discussed providing integrated packages to families in which they would receive medicine, vaccinations, advice, and an outreach to the community from the clinics and outposts to network services.  I right away went to my husband and asked when he wanted to plan our next mission trip, because I am ready to become part of this package and offer whatever services I can.  I guess you could call this my goal or mission (either way) I just know children around this world need hope and I would like to give some.

Reference

Chevighy, B. (Director), & Morgan, R. (Performer) (2010, September 12). Equity in child survival: An opportunity to do things better. UNICEF. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/unidef-podcast/id77700259

Getting to Know My International Contacts part 3

UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education”

I read an article called, “Quality Education for All: A human rights issue.”  This article covered equity and equality for children to receive an education that is equal for all In Latin America and the Caribbean children. I found out that public school is supposed to be available (free) for all children, but not all children have access and the cost that come with it families of poverty cannot afford, they have to pay for uniforms, school building etc. (p.28). Below are some figures of children enrolled in some form of education.

·         Over 35.4 million individuals between the ages of 3 and 18 (24.7% of the total) are not enrolled in any kind of educational program.

·         Of these, 34 million are in Latin American countries (25.9% of the sub-regional total) and nearly 1.3 million are located in the Caribbean (24.6% of the sub-regional total).

·         In only five countries is at least 85% of this population in some kind of educational program of any level, and in seven countries this proportion is less than 70%. (Source: UNESCO (2007). The State of Education)

Another insight is the concern they have for teacher effectiveness and teacher preparedness.  Just as we have been discussing in class this week will raising salaries and providing training be sufficient.  They suggest that it is not sufficient (p.48).  They recommend public policies should also require a teacher must have a responsibility to their work and commitment to the student learning.  I like the word they use “professionalness” it has to do with a responsibility in fulfilling the mission assigned by society.  It seems to encapsulate the need for internal motivation and passion to teach, and still offer a respectable wage.  Below are some more statistics I thought were interesting, because education of our children often reflects the education of the parents.  It is a cycle we are all trying to change.

 Nearly 63 million people between the ages of 20 and 39 (36.5% of the total) have not finished

lower secondary education. To this figure one may add nearly 97 million more (56.2% of the total) if upper secondary education is included. 

Reference

working team. (2007, February). Quality education for all: A human rights issue. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001502/150273e.pdf

Sharing Web Resources

At the NAEYC home page I went into the links and a page came up titled “ Links to National Early Childhood Organizations”  this page has direct web site addresses to national organizations which are listed in alphabetical order often requested by members of the NAEYC.

I went into the naccrra web site and found current information on what is happening in the field of early childhood across the nation.  I went into the Early childhood focus, it is for parents, early childhood professionals, policy – makers, and advocates.  You can sign up to receive weekly news alerts on hot topics in the E.C. field. 

The Call to Action on the NAECY web site is very informative about child care and the need for change.  It covers the topics of quality, accessibility and responsiveness and gives facts about how child care is measuring up to the standards they have set forth in their accreditations. 

Getting to Know My International Contacts Part 2

Global Children’s Initiative

As I explored this site I found out that the Center for the Developing Child is working toward educating policymakers around the world.  They have three strategic objectives:

1. To reframe public discourse about the early childhood period

2. To support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects

3. To build leadership capacity in child development research and policy

They want to translate scientific research to educate international agencies on the science of child development that has been used in the United States.  A 3 minute video called Super – Cerebro which was translated from Portuguese is available to watch in different languages.  This video is about brain development and the effects of chronic stress and how family and community can play a role in outcome of a child’s life by changing the environment during the early stages of life.  There are many videos on this web site that offer great insight into the brain and how neuroscience is making an impact on the understanding of early development. 

In 2000, the world’s government set up Millennium Development Goals called MDG’s the goals are that every child in the world completes at least a primary age education, and to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015.  At a first time ever conference in Moscow called ‘World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education: Building the Wealth of Nations.”  Discussed the MDG’s, the director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard was the keynote speaker.  Dr. Shonkoff discussed brain development and the impact of early experiences on the brain.  I was able to listen to an interview with him and he talked about the circuitry of the brain, and simple skills build upon simple skills build complex skills.  This circuitry shaped by experiences are critical because when toxic or chronic stress is constantly high the body’s response system produces hormones and increases physiological reactions that if chronic can later cause health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure just to name a few.  One thing I found interesting is the hormone that can kill brain cells that will disrupt memory.  This excessive adversity is linked to the future outcomes of children.

Thirty governments have established national early childhood development policies and over 70 countries have some type of national commission to coordinate such programs. 

"The goal of the Moscow conference was to spur action by UNESCO member states by demonstrating that ECCE is about much more than preparing children for literacy or for school, said Dr. Mmantsetsa Marope, the director of the Division of Basic Education at UNESCO. “ECCE is an unshakable foundation for the development of the human capital required for higher value-added productivity, sustainable growth, competitiveness… and ultimately more equitable and politically stable societies.” Indeed, she said, providing high-quality, broad-based ECCE worldwide circles back to yet another MDG, because it offers “a real promise at enduring poverty eradication.”"

—Millicent Lawton

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/topics/global_child_development/moscow-conference/

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/topics/global_child_development/

Sharing Web Resources: NAEYC

Throughout this week I have been exploring the NAEYC website.  In the newsroom sections and found and article under the press releases that caught my attention.  Senator Casey introduced the NAEYC’s recommendations to strengthen the birth to third grade.  The Continuum of Learning Act is part of the Call to Action written for the 112 Congress.  If you are interested in reading the full Call to Action Report follow this link:  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/policy/federal/Call_Action_112(2).pdf

It addresses the need for high quality early childhood education which includes well – trained staff and educators, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and services that support children’s health, nutrition and social well – being (p.2)This report is for our politicians to consider when they  make decisions about funding programs.  It also addresses how states and communities can help.  This report has covered everything we have been talking about this week, the impact of economists, science and politicians.  The NAEYC used information from the economists, scientists and politicians to help explain the need for high quality care and raise an awareness of the importance of all domains including the social /emotional and approaches to learning that children need throughout their elementary years. 

I am excited to learn more about the tiers of the QRIS and how it will help create high quality learning environments for all children.             

Getting to Know My International Contacts

I have not had any responses to many emails I sent out.  So this week I went to UNICEF’s web site and listened to the global radio service, they have many archived interviews with correspondence around the world.  

What I am finding the most interesting is the realization that to reduce poverty we need to look at the whole child, family, community.  The care needs to be comprehensive and the interventions need to be an opportunity to teach.  In the podcast Mr. Morgan commented that 9 million children die before the age of five, and this is the lowest on record.  Sub-Sahara and South Asia are still among the highest countries where children are dying. The children who are missing out on the potential care are found in rural areas, city slums, girls, and the poorest communities.  According to R. Morgan the best approaches to ensuring better living conditions is an integrated package where families receive medicine and vaccinations, advice, and an outreach to the communities from the clinics and outposts which bring a network of services(Chevighy & Morgan, 2010). 

One service is community sanitization. This service brings the community together and discusses how they can improve hygiene and sanitation.  They look at where the fecal matter is and look and changes, they also discuss hand washing and body hygiene. The concern is the global economic down fall which has challenged programs to look at new policies and interventions that will help these poorest nations.  The recommendation is cash supplements because it seem to be the most effective and affordable way to continue the services.

References:

Chevighy, B. (Director), & Morgan, R. (Performer) (2010, September 12). Equity in child survival: An opportunity to do things better. UNICEF. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/unidef-podcast/id77700259

Sharing Web Resources: OMEP: World Organization for Early Childhood Education

 The organizations focus is advocacy for children locally, nationally, and internationally. They are associated with the United Nations, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization.  The goal of OMEP is to “ensure the wellbeing, rights, and education of children (0-8) and their families in the U.S.A. and around the world – today and in the future.” They are working for healthy, peaceful, equitable, sustainable, and just environments for the children today and in the future.

Website:  http://omep-usnc.org/

In the newsletter one of the issues that caught my attention is the initiative to adapt UNICEF’s WASH hands in Schools. OMEP has 4-6 pilot projects called WASH from the Start. It will teach early childhood educators and the children about water safety, sanitation and hygiene so fewer children will miss school.   It will promote access to healthy water supplies.  This caught my attention because when I was in Honduras I watched teachers check every child’s hands to make sure they were clean, if they were not clean the teacher sent them back to the bathroom.  Below is a picture I took during my visit.

Expanding Resources

 I started to look at who I would like to contact internationally I immediately thought  Central America. I have been there on two mission trips, one to Costa Rica and the other to Honduras.  During my trip to Honduras I went to a school where children from Preschool to high school where being taught.  The Pre-k – elementary grade children went during the morning until midday and the older children went midday to evening.  The opportunity to make a connection with another professional from Central America to gain new insight, and learn about their struggles and accomplishments will benefit me during my future visits.  Unfortunately, the email for the Honduran Global Alliance did not work.  I was able to send an email to the president of OMEP. I am waiting to hear back if she can connect me with anyone or if she would be willing to share with me her work. Through Global Alliance I was able to send an email to  the OMEP leader in Costa Rica, and am waiting a response.  So if anyone reading this blog has another avenue I can take, please share.               

As I was working through the Global Alliance website, I found myself at the home Website of OMEP- USA.  This site is one of more than sixty national committees /chapters that are working toward a better life for children.  The pictures on the home page caught my eye and drew me in to see what they support and work toward.  They have a newsletter but I haven’t found where to sign up for one, there is one for September of 2011.   

If you would like to visit there website it is: http://omep-usnc.org/

"My Supports"

In my daily life I am supported emotionally, practically and physically. Below are a list of my supports and how they benefit me, the impact they have on my life, and what would happen if they did not exist. 

My emotional support is found primarily with my husband, he is my strongest support. My family and friends are also a support to me, during good times and bad we help each other, they are vital to my existence, without them my mental health would not be so healthy. My co- workers and colleagues are a support to me in my work, as a team we work toward the same goals of creating healthy learning environments for children. If I had to exist without them, it would be a struggle and stressful, and less work would get accomplished, however, from a work standpoint I could exist without them (not happily).    Additional supports that come in and out of my life are people within the community that provide different services. For instance, my health practitioner, and support groups such as Weight Watchers all support me in my emotional well – being, once again they are definitely beneficial, but not necessary for my existence, at least for now, if I get a serious illness my existence would definitely rely on my practitioner.

My practical / physical support is found in all the little things we need throughout the day.  For instance I need my car to get me to where I need to be, without it I would not be able to work, therefore I would lose monetarily and it would affect everything I have and need.  One such need is food and water to nourish my body and provide energy, without it I would become ill.  My bed and house they provide a safe and warm place, this is one support I cherish, because it is where I can relax and replenish my spirit.  Not having a home would be a huge impact; it would cause physical and emotional stress. This computer is supporting me through work and school, without it this course or any other would not be possible along with all the other provisions it provides, however, it is not vital to my survival I could eventually live without it!

Loss of hearing is the challenge I chose to imagine for myself. I immediately realized I would need support from the medical field, specifically an audiologist to help determine what I would need to do next.  A possible support would be a hearing device.  I made the assumption a hearing device would not provide adequate hearing for me, so I pursued other potential supports I would need.  My next thought was learning American Sign Language; I would need to find a tutor, support group or class to teach me sign language, along with an interpreter when I need to communicate with others. Another option is oralism, which is a great option since I already know how to speak. I would need to work with a speech therapist to help me learn the vibrations in my throat. There is computer software available to help with articulation.  All these supports would benefit me in my endeavor to adjust to my new challenge along with all the supports previously stated.  Without these supports I would not have opportunities to advance my skills to become an active participant within society. It would affect me socially, emotionally and physically.  My world would become a very lonely place, because I would feel isolated within myself, unable to communicate and/or understand those around me.

"My Connections to Play"

“But mostly we need to honor the innate capacity for learning that moves the limbs and fills the souls of every healthy young child (Almon 2002).”

I lived on a farm where my siblings and I spent 95% of our time.  We had very little material toys to play with, so we invented many of our own games, or we would play games such as hide and seek, football, soccer, and cops and robbers. My parents were very busy raising 15 children, they seldom played, but when they could... I remember my mom and dad joining us for our version of softball with a bat and a big blown up ball, the trees were our bases.  My mom wacked that ball and we all laughed because as she ran she was laughing and cheering for herself!  My dad was on the opposite team cheering instead of chasing the ball! Another memory I cherish about my mom and dad is at night we didn’t have much T.V. so sometimes they would push all the furniture to the walls and put on Waltz music and start dancing.  After a few minutes my dad and mom would choose one of the girls and one of the boys and they would dance with us, teaching us how to waltz. I didn’t find a picture that could display the importance of this memory, nothing can compare to what I remember in our little house on the farm.

“You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again.” ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

This dog represents me!  I loved running around. While I was from a big family I did spend time by myself. I remember watching the Olympics when I was around 11 years old and decided I was going to be a gymnast I cut two poplar trees down and began creating my own uneven bars! My dad watched me for several days, after I started digging the holes for the poles he as me what I was making (he thought it was a swing). When I told him, he didn’t stop me but gave me several pointers to consider, eventually I realized this was not going to work. My dad could have stopped me and told me that, but he didn’t he let me figure it out for myself. 

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with
what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they
learn in new forms of play. --Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

I practiced hitting a volleyball against the garage for hours. Counting how many times I could hit it in a row before missing.  My love for football started because I spent all fall playing in our yard with my brothers and neighbors.  I have used these skills throughout my whole life.




 

My dog growing up was part black Labrador; she was the best listener and friend!

 

I think play is very different today in many ways, my childhood play was self - driven and I had the freedom to explore the environment around me.  Children today have less opportunity for this type of experience, because less people live on farms.  More children spend their time in the care of other adults.  Often children are directed in their play or given a specific amount of time to play before moving into another activity.  Play for many children is adult facilitated and they learn a skill but may not get to use their imagination. However, if the caregiver offers freedom for self - driven play, children will work together to play games, create their own activities and use their imagination to go anywhere and become anything, this is what I spent most of my childhood doing.

 

Relationship Reflections

My most important relationship is the partnership I have with my husband Mark.  We have been together since 1984.  He became my best friend and confidant when I was 18 years old, and he was 22.  We have shared struggles, heartache, family stresses (extended) and worked through personal struggles together.  Early in our marriage ( 5 years into it) we had a time when I believe our love turned from a physical and surface type love to a deeper love that looked beyond our weaknesses to who we are, and says,  “ I‘m glad you love me anyway!” I think this was pivotal because, at one point or another in a relationship we look at the other and have to ask ourselves, can this relationship last forever, and I believe it then becomes a personal decision to work at being successful, no relationship will last if it is not worked on by both people.  I also believe our faith has had a huge impact on our relationship, we trust in our Creator and put Him at the head of our family, praying for each other, our children, grandchildren, and their spouses is important to both of us. Another one of the many strength in our relationship is that Mark and I share common interests such as golfing, snowshoeing, and biking I guess almost anything we can do that lets us spend time together.  We also are respectful of each other’s need for friends, because while we have a great relationship, we cannot offer everything the other person needs, that is what friendships are for, they offer additional camaraderie that fulfills other parts of our personal needs, and gives us a chance to give to others in a different way.  Part of a healthy relationship is to know your own strengths and weakness, and knowing its ok to need help.  I rely on Mark and he relies on me, not in the needy sense but the “I will be there for you as best I can.” That same understanding goes into other friendships as well.

My daughters are another huge part of our (my) life.  I have had the honor of watching both of them turn into wonderful adult women and mothers.  We talk about all kinds of different topics, laugh and tease and learn from each other.  My girls have taught me so many things and given me insight into topics I never would have thought.  I believe our relationship is strong because, I was a mom first, and during their early years I wasn’t their friend, I was always there for them, and they knew I would listen to them and we could talk things out, but the final decisions about things came from the mom in me first, not to please and be “friends” with them.  Those years were tough, but as time passed from teenage years to adulthood, it is nice to hear them say they were glad I stuck to my decisions. I still don’t always agree with the decisions they make, often in regard to their children, but I have learned this is their time to be a parent and if they ask for my advice I give it, but otherwise they get to learn and use their parental style to raise their children and as always, I will be here for them when and if they need me. 

My friendships with my girlfriends is probably the hardest relationship to continue, life gets so busy, I often find no time to hang out with them, especially now working full time and taking classes has really dampened my personal time and I find weeks have gone by and I have not spoken to anyone but my co-workers, husband and children, and that is ok but sometimes I need the adult camaraderie of woman around my own age, who are experiencing the same internal things I am.  It is nice to share personally things that they can give insight to and work through situations other people do not understand.  It is also fun to get together and just have fun, laughing, and sharing commonalities.

In addition to these relationships are my relationships with my family and my in – laws. These relationships are important for me because my siblings have known me my whole life, and while we don’t talk every day, we are still close, we can get together and if feels like we never left.  My parents both passed away 10 and 12 years ago, but we decided to keep the farm as a place to return and be together.  I have a brother who stays there and maintains the place.  I have been told many families do not get along and struggle with their relationships, and from experience I notice that is true, but my family can get together and we all get along and have fun. As a whole group we have had to make some big decisions about the family farm, and what I notice about my siblings is that we are able to see each other’s perspective and often think alike, materialism was never apart of who we were growing up and for the most part we understand it cannot replace relationships, so maybe that is why we are able to come to conclusions and decisions so easily. 

                As my in – laws go, I have a good relationship with them too.  We spend many holidays together and birthdays.  Marks sister is very good at planning family events and makes sure everyone is invited, you can count on her to be sensitive to the needs of others, she is the cornerstone of the family, and often the nephews and nieces go and spend time with her.

I think the challenges to relationships is creating time to spend with the people, and realizing each person has something to contribute, even if that contribution makes you uncomfortable, learning how to except what you do not always want to hear, and using it to mold your character so you can grow and change and learn more about ourselves and others will help with each new relationship or partnership we find ourselves. 

As I reflect on the different partnerships I realize just being in a big family has helped me learn how to except many different personalities and adjust to each ones needs without compromising my own.  Raising my own children and being an integral part of their life has opened my eyes to watching how young people view parenting, and the struggles they feel and see within their daily life, they are trying to balance work, family, and relationships/partnerships as well.  Seeing them stress out over expectations society has put on parents to be perfect and as my one daughter said, “Looking down on me when I make a mistake, like now I’m not a good enough parent.”  Reminded me how important judgment on others can be seen through actions more than my words. We really do not know the minds of others and we should not assume the worst, but seek the truth. I believe this is what will make us successful when building relationships with the families we serve.

For All Children

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
- Henry Adams

I thought this quote was pertinant to our class because it reminds us that everything we do with children leaves a mark whether it is positive or negative.  Children learn from their peers, teachers, community and family.  What will our impact be? What will mine be? 
 For All Children
 I want to continue to teach children how to respect themselves and others.
 I want them to be aware of others feelings and show empathy and love, yet  be confident in themselves to know right from wrong and stand on those truths. 
 I want all children around the world to feel safe, loved, cared for and enjoy their life. 
I want to change the life of children and make an impact on early development
Than I may affect eternity

Testing for intellegence

When  considering the whole child, I believe we should start with their social emotional development.  It is through these two domains children need to be successful first.  They are the corner stone to learning.  When a child feels safe, their ability to learn increases,   we need to consider what is important for a child, what is the family situation, how will it impact the assessment tool we are using? Is our tool sensitive to other ethnic groups and will it assess accordingly.  Another question is why assess? What is the purpose?  We typically assess to find out where a child is academically so we can group children accordingly, we also look for the lows which might indicate learning disabilities, and sometimes we find gifted students.  Ultimately we are trying to find out what children know. To do this we need to consider  how they learn, because that is where the challenge truly exists.

Internationally, I struggled to find any assessment tools being used in Central America.  I will continue to search and if I find any I will add it to my blog. 

The Consequences Of War On Children

War

     When I was in Fourth grade a girl from Vietnam moved to our town. Gina didn’t speak English very well but we became friends quickly.  One day she invited me to spend the night at her house.  Her home life was very different than mine, she had a mat for a bed, and a huge room where her cousins (living with her) spent time doing martial arts.  Not long after we got home from school, Gina was expected to start supper, while her mom sat in room sewing.  At the dinner table I was put at the far end with a hamburger, french fries and a coke, while her family sat at the other end with bowls of rice and different types of vegetables.  They ate in their traditional positions and style.  I must have been gawking because her mom offered me a taste of what they were eating I remember liking most of it and thinking some of it tasted weird.  Gina and I spent the evening in her room.  She spoke of Vietnam and the war and violence she had seen. She told me of a bridge by a river where she washed clothes, she watched a man get blown up there, and the bridge disappeared.  She spoke of her moms’ village where they hid in an underground cave while the village was destroyed, when they came out of hiding she said they had to walk across the bodies to get to their home.  She cried as she spoke, and said she could never go back or they would hang her for treason for leaving her country to come to America. Gina’s dad was an American soldier who had married Gina’s mom. They had lied about San and Too (her cousins) her parents told the government they were her brothers so they could come to the US too. 

          The psychological effects from the war in Gaza have left children and adults with many scars.   Up to 80% of the children suffer from:

·         Increased violence

·         Sleeping problems, with feelings of fear and anxiety.

·         Changes in attachment to family and community.

·         Various emotional and cognitive problems such as inability to concentrate.

·         Decreasing hope in the future

Muslim Aid is working with families to help cope with the loss of families and help children with the things listed above.

Psychosocial programs seek to limit these effects on children, prevent further harmful events, and strengthen the coping mechanisms of children, their families, and their communities.

Programs to limit the effects on the children and strengthen their coping mechanisms for the children, their families and the community that will prevent further harm are in place. (Mousa, 2009)

References

Mousa, D. Y. (2009, may 2). The Psychological effects of War on Gaza. Retrieved May 28, 2011, from labournet.net: http://www.labournet.net/world/0902/uhwc1.html

Water for the Honduran People

In February I spent ten days in Honduras on a mission trip to help rebuild and fix up apartments for students at a Bible Seminary.  Four months prior to our teams arrival another  team sent a drilling machine that they disassembled to fit into a crate.  When they arrived they put the drill together and began drilling for water at the seminary.  After two weeks the seminary had clean healthy water to drink.  When we arrived the first thing the Director showed us was the well, and with a big smile said drink, no worries.  This was a big celebration to get a well.

 Honduras

• Is the poorest country in Central America along with Guatemala
•  1.2 million people have no water. 
• Hurricane Mitch and rains that followed, cause landslides that wiped out villages and towns. It left 75% of the country without safe drinking water
• Woman and children spend up to six hours a day fetching water
• waterborne diseases like cholera is increasing

Water.org is an organization that helps communities by providing safe drinking water.  They found the greatest success is when they are contacted by the community.  The community becomes a part of the process. To keep a sustainable water supply months of education on how to maintain the well, personal hygiene and sanitation training for the whole village is required.  After the well is drilled the team will come back to the village to make sure good hygiene habits are still going on, because it is not enough to have clean water, diseases will continue if hand washing and proper sanitation are not done right.

reference

http://water.org/solutions/digging/

These are pictures from my trip in February.

This boy is going to fetch water, We didn't see a well here, so I am not sure if the water will be clean or not.

 this  toilet behind the church in the village we were at.

.  

This is a home in the village, the water is on the right side and she cooks on the left side.

This village was rebuilt with the help of CAM International.  The villagers helped build a church and the church helped every villager build a home.  The man down the road in the green jacket is Charlie Nelson he was instrumental in helping rebuild this village after Hurricane Mitch leveled it and the mud slides buried it.

I had the privilage to visit a school in Seguatepeque.  After recess the teacher inspects the childrens hands after they washed to make sure they are clean enough to enter the classroom.

My husband and I will continue our trips to Honduras to help in anyway we can. We have often thought of moving there and I would look for a teaching position and he would help the people construct whatever they needed.

Pesonal Child Birth Story

When my daughter called and told me she was in labor, I remember my heart skipping a beat.  My first experience with childbirth was not pleasant, giving birth to her at the age of 19 was scary and while the delivery went fine, she was healthy, but the events that followed were not anything I would want anyone to experience. I was a low income, unwed, teenager without insurance living in another state, I new very few people and my boyfriend (husband) had a new job. The expectation for the hospital was to get me out as fast as possible. Due to a fever I was poked and prodded for 24 hours, given a German measles shot just to be safe, and sent home.  I spent 3 days in bed with a fever and my husband had to take off work to take care of me and our baby. After 20 years the memories came back fresh in my mind. On the way to the hospital to see my daughter I said a silent pray to calm me and give her strength.   
When I arrived, she asked me to come into her room.  Little did I know that I would get to witness my first grand baby be born.  Kayla was not dilating the way they wanted her to so she ended up getting a spinal and putosin,  it wore off in time for her to push. She delivered a healthy girl  named Gracie who is now five years old.

Child Birth In India

These are some of the shocking findings of UNICEF's `State of the World's Children 2009' report released on Thursday.

·         According to the report, an Indian woman is 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in America or England. For every mother who dies, 20 others suffer pregnancy-related illness. Around 10 million women annually experience such adverse outcomes.

·         Despite an increase in institutional deliveries, 60% of pregnant women still deliver their babies at home.

·         In India, more than two-thirds of all maternal deaths occur in a handful of states -- UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Assam.

·         In UP, one in every 42 women faces risk of maternal death, compared to 1 in 500 women in Kerala.

·         As far as neonatal deaths (within the first 28 days of life ) are concerned, the worst-off states include Orissa (52 deaths per 1,000 live births), MP (51), UP (46), Rajasthan (45), and Chhattisgarh (43).

·         The report points out that babies whose mothers die during the first six weeks of their lives are more likely to die in the first two years of life. "For every 100 children born in the world, 20 are from India. For every 100 children who die globally, 22 die in India," UNICEF India chief Karin Hulshof said.

·         According to her, the health and survival of mothers and their newborns are intrinsically linked. "Many of the same interventions that save maternal lives also benefit their infants. Even though India has cut its under-five mortality rate from 117 per 1,000 live births to 72 between 1990 and 2007, neonatal deaths contribute to 50% of these under-five deaths," Karin added.

·         According to the report, three-quarters of all maternal deaths in India occur from complications either during delivery or in the immediate post-partum period.

·         A quarter of the world's unattended deliveries take place in India, which is one of 10 countries which together account for two-thirds of births not attended by skilled health workers.

·         The report also points to India's shameful statistics regarding breastfeeding. Experts say universalisation of early breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, would reduce neonatal mortality in India by 22% while universalisation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life would avert nearly 16% of young child deaths.

·         However, the report says only one in four children are breastfed within one hour of birth.

·         Annually, around 6 million children born in India have low birth weigh

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-16/india/28034518_1_maternal-deaths-neonatal-deaths-pregnancy-related-complications.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

 “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”
John F. Kennedy

I want to thank all of you for your willingness to share your thoughts here in the blog and in our discussions. It has been an amazing journey so far.   I am thankful for the questions you asked which gave me the opportunity to reflect deeper into who I am and what I am doing to make Early Childhood a better place for our children.  It has been my pleasure to read all of your blogs and gain insight into areas of this field I was not aware of.  Good luck in your future, hopefully we will see each other ( our namesJ) in other courses.

NAEYC Code of Ethics

Section IV

Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society

I-4.4—To work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which all young children have access to high-quality early care and education programs.

I-4.5—To work to ensure that appropriate assessment systems, which include multiple sources of information, are used for purposes that benefit children.

I-4.8—To further the professional development of the field of early childhood care and education and to strengthen its commitment to realizing its core values as reflected in this Code

It is my passion to make sure each child has a high quality experience, within that experience we need to make sure programs have a balance that includes the use of assessment tools.  These tools need to be used as intended by the research that makes them reliable. The use of assessment systems need to be used by administration for the benefit of children, these tools can enhance the learning experience for children when a teacher uses the tool appropriately. As a teacher it is my responsibility to continue to learn and apply new research and information that will offer better educational opportunities to children, parents and community partners as we continue to strengthen our community starting with our youngest learners.

Course Resources: Foundations in ECE

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

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

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

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

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

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

  

Additional Resources:

·         Child Trends: School readiness.

http://www.childtrends.org/_catdisp_page.cfm?LID=A9ED4ABF-6477-45ED-8BCEE3A479A8D0D4

·         Center for the Developing Child – Harvard University

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/

o   Early Childhood Innovation Partnership: Reducing Developmental Barriers to Learning. Retrieved March 30, 2011.

·         Birth to Five Policy Alliance

http://www.birthtofivepolicy.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/policy/toolkit.pdf
Advocacy tools Chapter1 (pages 3,4) Chapter 3 (pgs. 15,16)

http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56611/CRS-CW-4894979/educ6005_readings/naeyc_codeofethicspdf.pdf

NAEYC code of ethics.