What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about the children and families that I work with I wish that they will see what may be hard now will only make them stronger in the end. Sometimes the children that I work with do not see the good in others because their situation is so bad. They are just trying to survive and are not worried about anything or anyone else. I wish that they would really see other people for who they are and take a step away from survival mode. I wish that sometimes the families that I work with would take the time and share their stories and take the help that is offered to them. Sometimes it is a pride situation and they don't want to admit that they are struggling. I just hope that they one day will have a better future where they can take time to relax and enjoy life more.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is that people will take the time to listen to children's stories and get to know them. So many times we hear about students because of the bad things that surround them. Teachers need to not listen to any of those notions and start on a fresh foot and get to know their students for who they are and not for their past stories. Every child deserves a chance and for our children every school year should be a new chance and a clean slate with a welcoming teacher.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to listen to my stories and share their thoughts with me. I have taken the last 8 weeks to really reflect on diversity and my personal views, finding things out about myself that I did not know. I am glad that I am going to be able to give my students and even better education after the things that I have learned. Good luck to all!

Creating Art

When I think about what I have learned through this course I think more about how I am going to teach the children to grow up to be anti biased and get to know people for who they are and not what other have bestowed upon them. I think about how I can explain this to the children for them to  understand that we are all individuals that should be given a chance. These are the think I would always remind my students about.

Opinions

Don't judge a book by it's cover

Listen before you speak

It's what's on the inside that counts

Go in blind

See things in black and white

Do onto other as you would want done to you

Make your own opinions

Be you not who they want you to be

Be free not judgmental

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

I have a child in my classroom that has Treacher Collins Syndrome, by looking at him he looks very different than my other students. He is also very hard to understand, most of the time you can't understand anything that he says. One of the first grade classes were walking by us in the hallway and one of the students noticed my student. She yelled out, "He looks funny!" All of the students started to chuckle and my student got very quiet. The other teacher told her students to be quiet and mind their own business. They kept going on to their classroom without stopping to ask or talk about the situation.

The teachers response was that we do not talk about it and we mind out own business. She would have rather not talked about the situation and let the children believe that he was a "funny looking". If she was an anit-bias educator she would have let her class talk to mine, because my students know and understand why he looks different. If she was uncomfortable with that she could have asked me and I could have given her more information to go over with her class. I also could have given her the information without her asking or given her students information as the comment happened in the hallway. Now my students have gotten use to telling people that he is different and way, they are very protective of him and make sure others don't make fun of him.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

I am a big believer that families are made from love not from a man and a women. There are so many different types of families not just the stereotypical mother, father, daughter and son. If I was in contact with a center that thought classrooms should avoid the inclusion of books depicting different types of families I would have a lot to say to them. We as the adults in the educational field are there to make the children feel comfortable and welcome in the classroom. If we do not allow the children to visually see their own family and other families like their own we are making the feel welcomed. It is important that we fill out classroom with pictures and stories of different races, ability levels and types of families. We are not all clones and our individualism is what makes up unique and we want to teach that to children at a young age.

If I had a parent or family member who did not want anyone perceived as homosexual or transgendered I would have to talk to that person about their reasons. I think if it was a family coming to my center I would have to talk to them about their personal opinions behind closed doors and then try to give them an option that suits them, if we could not come to a compromise or I do not have another space open they would have the right to find a different child care facility. I would never want to put a family or my employees in the situation that they would be uncomfortable in. It is was one of my own family members, I could be a little more blunt with them, but in the same respect if we can't come to a compromise they have the right to find childcare else where.

Thank you

I want to take the time to thank each of my colleges. You input is very helpful in helping me building my professionalism. Over this course I have truly learned about the ways that I communicate and ways that I can communicate even better. This course will always be relevant in my life and how I interact with everyone in my live. The last 8 weeks has definitely improved my communication and collaboration skills for many years to come.

Adjourning Phase

One of the hardest groups for me to say good-bye to was my sorority sisters. We had worked so hard on so many different projects together and been to so many functions together. It was extremely hard to step away and know that we were starting a new phase in our lives. Of all the the sorority sisters that I had, the closest ones were the hardest to leave behind, knowing that I was moving across the country and I would be able to see them everyday like I had the years prior.

Another group that was hard for me to leave was my kindergarten teachers. The teachers that I had taught with and we had successfully revamped a failing program into a thriving one. We had worked so hard together but eventually it was time for us to part ways and head to different grade levels to start over again.

I had a hard time leaving both of these groups for very different reasons. I think that my sorority sisters were the hardest to leave because we also built a friendship and on into a family.  My kindergarten teachers are still in the same building but we don't see each other everyday. We still talk about our jobs and how to do them betters. My sorority sister I don't get to talk to as often. I wish that my sisters and I would have stayed in touch more than we have because I truly value their friendships.

I think that leaving my colleagues that I have gained while working on my masters will be the same as my kindergarten teachers. We will still have that passion that we share and that we can ask each other questions and opinions. I think that adjourning for any group gives everyone closure and and end so that they can have a next step, or new beginning.

Personal Conflict

This year I have moved from kindergarten to 2nd grade along with my co-teacher. We were so excited for the move being told that we needed to help make changes in 2nd grade. When it came to the way that we were going to layout the school year and the topics being taught the way that they had been doing it did not match the way that the school district wanted it. They also had been testing children based on a calendar and not on their class or their students. When we came in with a new perspective some took change well and 2 in particular did not. (There are 8 of us). Instead of excepting the change she wanted to battle it out and that was never our intention. She still to this day has such a hard time listening to new ideas and only wants to do things her way.

After learning about communication this week I think that I am more prepared for our grade level meeting next week. I have learned that I need to go in ready to listen to their concerns instead of just explaining why the new way is better. I will try to see the situation from her side as well as my own and try to come up with the best possible outcome for the students. We might have to compromise on a few of the changes that are being made but eventually will choose what is best for the students. The most important thing is going to be using the 3R's. I tend to get defensive as to why the new way is right when I need to respect that they has been doing this for years and has their own professional opinion.

How would you handle this situation?

Who am I as a communicator?

After looking about comparing the tests that I competed myself and how my best friend and mother scored me, I found that we all scored right around the same. What this tells me is that I am the same person no matter what the situation. Yes, I do talk differently do different people but I am a good communicator in most situations. The did rate me as being high in verbal aggressions as I rate myself high and it has pointed out that this is something that I really need to work on in my personal life.

I think the one think that surprised me the most is that my mom did not put me in the high verbal aggression category but in a group just below. I think this surprised me because through all my years of living I have probably fought with  her more than anyone else (those teenage years). I would think that she would have scored me higher. I was also shocked that my best friend said I had a little communication anxiety, she knows that I like to talk to everyone, but maybe it's because I don't talk to everyone as much as she talks to everyone!

I have definitely learned this week that I need to take the time to listen to others and what they are saying. I need to express what I believe in more calmly instead of getting so worked up and only hearing what I am saying and not what the other person is trying to say. I think this was a good lesson for me and really taught me a lot about myself and how I handle different situations.

Difference in Communication

I think that most people communicate differently with different types of people. I know that I communicate differently with my co-workers, students, parents and administration. I talk to my co-workers with respect and on an equal playing field. I talk to my students in kid-friendly language. The parents I have to sometimes talk to with authority because I am of a different race and sometimes much younger than they are. I talk to my administration with respect and very professionally.

 I find that I talk to my friends and family the same but often times about different topics. I am myself around them and tend to speak my mind. The only time that I really catch myself talking differently is when I know people have a more religious background. I tend to watch my language more and be more respectful towards their beliefs.

No matter what when I talk to someone I am always me and let that come across. I never want to be fake to anyone or not let them know the real me. I think this is very important when building relationships.

Body Language & Facial Expressions

I actually decided to watch an episode of Love Ir or List It on HGTV. This is not a show that I normally watch but I thought it might give me good insight with body language and facial expressions because it is someone's house.

I could tell by the body language that the 2 TV host were not agreeing on the house that the couple was living in. They were not happy with the way that the house looked and the space that they had little off. They were making facial expressions that were looked sad and upset instead of happy and excited about the house. The couple who were currently loving in the house went to look at other houses and you could tell that they were not in love with the houses that they were seeing. They just make disgusted faces like they were unhappy. When the show went back to the host you could tell that there was something wrong with the remodel because she looked angry and was rolling her eyes at the construction workers. The final house that the couple looked at they really liked because they were smiling and laughing. When the show was over the couple was so happy with the remodel of their own home because they were running around and looking at everything, smiling from ear to ear and laughing.

Most of the thing that I assumed were very true. The family was unhappy with the house that they were currently living in and they loved looking at a possible new home. They were also happy with their remodel and how it turned out. I think that this show was very easy to follow based on their expressions. I think watching a sitcom or series would have been a little more difficult because the characters might have been harder to read.

Effective Communication

When I think about someone that has competent communication skills I think of my Assistant Principal. Whenever she is talking she is always assertive but yet positive and also listens when others voice their opinions. She lets you know that her door is always open and if you need to talk to her that line of communication is always there. She will be the first to back you if you have difficult parent and will support you to the fullest.
 I would love to model her effective communications. I think that because of the way that she hold herself people are more willing to talk with her and get her opinions on certain situations. If I was ever to take a higher role in the school system I would want this relationship with my coworkers. For right now I try to model this example with my grade level and other coworkers.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when thinking about working with children and families that come from diverse backgrounds is that they will all be treated equally with not biases from people that are different. I especially hope that this is true for the children. Going into this upcoming school year I know that I have students will many different abilities and backgrounds. I will treat each of my students the same and will expect that other adults treat my students the same way.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is to really take the information that I have learned in this class and teach it as an intro to education course. I have learned so much about myself and the way I think, but also about the way that others think and how people are treated. I think that if people were more aware then issues would be less likely to happen.

I would like to take a second to thank my colleagues for helping me learn throughout the last 8 week. Hearing some of your stories has really helped me think about the way that I treat people and how it effects them the rest of their lives. You truly have made a difference in my education and you will truly make a difference in the lives of the children you teach.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I am working in a preschool facility and I have a brand new family that has relocated from Israel. They do not speak English and their first language is Arabic. The daughter is starting in my class and I am doing everything I can to make her and her family as comfortable as possible.

The ways that I will prepare to be culturally responsive towads this family is to:

1. I would research if there are any programs in my local area that can be present when the family arrives. This way they can translate to the family and to the daughter who might have a rough time in a new daycare with people that don't speak her native language. 
2. I would research to make sure I understand their basic culture and what might be rude and not practiced in their culture. 
3. I would research Israel school systems and see if there is a certain way that they teach or practice.  If they only learn sitting in desks I would understand that the child might be more comfortable sitting at a table and playing instead of running around outside. 
4. I would learn key phrases of things that the child might need or ask for during the day: bathroom, mom, dad, eat, nap, play. 
5. I would find books with pictures from her culture and where she use to live. We could read them together and with her family so maybe we could share stories and talk about similarities and differences. 

With these preparations I would hope that it would make the family and child more comfortable with myself and her new learning environment. I would like that this would help the family trust me with their child and know that I only want to do what is best for the child. Most importantly I would hope that my preparations would help the student feel comfortable and welcome in my classroom. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I think the one memory that sticks out clear to me is a coworker blaming all her personal issues on her "single mom problems". I am also a single mom and even though her comments are not specifically about me they are able a groups of people that I am associated with. I work very hard as a single mom and do not complain about how hard life can be at times, or at least do not blast it on social media. I talk to my family and my closest friends about the issues that I might be having in my life.

The way that this microaggression diminishes equality is because  it makes me feel like all single moms have a rough life and have all these problems and need help. That they should have people feel sorry for them because they are incapable of creating a great life for a child.

When my coworker makes comments about "single mom problems" it makes me very angry. She is making an assumption that we all have it so hard and we complain, which isn't the case. I don't need people to feel sorry for me and my situation. I just wish she would talk about her problems are her own and not generalize her problems into everyone's problems.

I think that it order to turn this into a positive I would have to have a conversation with her personally and talk with her about the positive things that she does in her life and talk about her focusing on that. I also also mention not making comments about all single mom's when talking about her personal problems.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I distinctly remember two years ago when I was 8 months pregnant and teaching kindergarten having a microaggression happen to me. I has a little boy in my classroom who refused to do anything that I would ask him to do, all he wanted to do was play. One day he was asked to finish his paper at my table because I was trying to assess him at the time and he was refusing to do his work. When his father came to pick him up I explained the situation and that the boy had to sit at my table instead of "playing" (centers) because he wouldn't work. The dad got very aggressive with his language and with me yelling that I wasn't fair because I was a "young, rich, white girl with no parenting experience."

After I got him out of my classroom so the children didn't have to listen to his crude language he went up to the office to set a meeting with the principal. At this point I had to agree with him that I was much younger than him, was a "white girl" but by no means was I rich! I didn't have parenting experience either but, I had been working with children since I was 16 and it wasn't my first year teaching.

He set a meeting with the principal but refused to be in the meeting with her if I was present in the room, so I sat on the other side of the conference room listening through the cracked door. When she would questions him and what his real problem was he had no really reasons to be angry, everything he would try to put on me or the teachers that also worked with his son, she defended and explained that this was because of his sons behavior and we were only doing what was best for his son. Once she called him out on all his accusations he had to reason to really be mad at anyone but his son. From that day forward he never said anything to me negatively and only reprimanded his son. He finally understood his microaggressions, at least with me.

During the time that he was yelling at me I had a hard time trying to keep myself calm because I took it very personal. He did not have any reason to say mean things to me when I was trying to help his son. I think the hardest part is because he was yelling at me like that when I was very pregnant. I knew though at the time that I couldn't let his microaggressions towards me effect me. I had to hold my head high and continue to do what I thought was right for his son no matter what he thought of me as a person.

Having been through this experience I understand how hard people can take it when you make a microaggression comment towards them. Some people might have it together on the outside but you never know what it's like on the inside. I know that my story isn't as bad as it could be and people have a lot harsher things said to them but it make me understand that words do hurt and before casting judgement on people you need to live a day or two in their shoes, even then you might not have the whole picture.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Through the use of social media I posed 2 questions to my family and friends. The amount of replies that I received was more than I thought I would. It was interesting to see how each person answered the questions differently depending on their own culture.

The two questions that I posed was:
What is your definition of culture?
What is your definition of diversity?

When looking over answers I noticed a difference in answers between my older friends and family and my younger friends and family. When answering the question, what is your definition of culture, my older friend and my dad answered that culture is beliefs, values and the way one is raised, your surroundings, food, clothing, housing, music, holidays, language, style, values. My younger friends had close to the same answers but adding ideologies and behaviors.

When answering the question, what is your definition of diversity, this is where the answers seems to grow very different. My older friends and family replied with representing differences between people, groups, communities, cultures and doing new things. My younger friends and family responded with the relationships between subjects including both visible and invisible qualities that make each unique as well as commonalities that share. A groups of people may be different because they are from various cultures, and differences amongst a society. I thought that it was very interesting that my younger friends looked at diversity from a very big picture, where my older friends were not as wide viewed. I think this shows how much diversity has come into play as my generation has grown up and how much we have been taught that we are all the same we just live a little differently.

After looking at the answers from friends and family I realized that their answers were very similar to the ones that I have been studying in class. We have read about values, beliefs, language and behaviors. We have also talked about how being diverse is that we all might be different on the outside but on the inside we are all the same.

I think that my friends and family pretty much hit the nail on the head when discussing this definitions. I think they hit on both surface culture and also on deep culture. In regards to culture they didn't mention gender roles, roles of children, showing emotion, family relationships, or ideas about education. These are all very important cultural roles that we need to be respectful of.

When talking with my friends and family I have thought about my own views on these definitions. I work in an area with lots of diversity and culture. The one comment that really made me think was "Think of it as big picture vs. small detail." Your culture is the big picture and being diverse is just a small detail that only brings us closer together.

My Family Culture

I am imagining that a major catastrophe occurred in my area. I had to be relocated to a different part of the world with a completely different culture than my own. If I could only take three items that I held dear to my heart I would take the photo album of my family that has pictures from when I was a child until now having my own child. I would want to look and remember my family everyday and how much they mean to mean and how I was raised. I would also want to remember my culture and how we presented ourselves as individuals.

I would also take a iPod so that I could listen to all of the music that I enjoyed on a daily basis. Music has been a big part of my life especially when expressing my feelings and memories in my life. Music has captured some of my personal experiences in words and sounds. Without music I would be forced to express my feelings just in word form but to express it in music is so much easier for me.

 I would also take a camera to capture the new moments that I was going to start with my family in a new culture.I love taking pictures and sharing them with others. Especially pictures of my family, son and all of our special memories together. I would want to continue to capture these moments throughout our lives no matter where we are living.

If I was told that I could only keep one of these personal items I would chose to keep old pictures of my family. To me it would be important for my future children to see our culture and how I was raised. I would also want them to be able to see what their family looked like when I was talking about a specific person and how special they were to me.

I think it is scary to think about what would happen if you couldn't live the same life in the same culture suddenly. If you couldn't pack up and take everything with you. It is important to cherish those special memories and times because you really don't know  when something could happen and a loved one or your culture could be taken away from you.

When I think of research...

I want to take this time to thank my fellow classmates for the support and incite over the past 8 weeks. I have truly appreciated every comment and have learned so much throughout this course.

The insights that I have gained about research through this course is that I need to be as scared as I use to be about research. With accurate planning,  understanding how research works and what type of research I want to study it can be done successfully. I use to think that research was so difficult and time consuming but I learned that I was doing it all wrong. This course as helped me be able to successfully organize my research and execute it effectively.

I learned through this course that it is all about the planning and designing of my research that will help make it successful. If I plan properly and design the research in the right way it will help all of the research fall into place. I have also learned that I have to have extra time in case I find a different outcome or research does not go exactly as planned.

I think the biggest challenge that I had was coming up with an appropriate topic and subtopic. The topic of kindergarten was such a broad topic that I had to break it down to find out exactly what I wanted to study. There was so much information and so many questions that I wanted answered that I had to use what I felt was most important. Once I was able to sort out my topic and subtopics everything else fell into place nicely.

I think that my preceptions of early childhood professionals have been modified because I now understand how much hard work and dedication they have to have to the field. Research is not an easy task and I now understand how much hard work, time and dedication goes into the work that they do. This course has really helped me appreciate the early childhood professionals.  I would love to contribute to research and study parts of early childhood that I found the most important.

Research Around the World

The website that decided to look more into was Early Childhood Australia. When looking at the research topics and media releases that have been recently released I found some very interesting topics.
One of the topics that I found was how the early years education is missing from the federal budget.The article talks about how the government keeps talking about funding early childhood but continues to nickel and dime early childhood education. They also discuss how the income for teachers needs to be raised, this is something that I think all countries need to take into consideration, finding education and their teachers.
Another article that I read what about preschool attendance in children ages 3-5m and how these children were not reaching their full potential because they were not fully attending. The country is trying to make their education more affordable and let parents pay less out of pocket for their children to attend quality preschools.
An incite that I gained from looking at this website is that they are having similar issues with their education system that we are. So many times we are focused on our own country and how we are being told that our education is lacking but other countries are having the same problems. Just as we are trying to fix our own problems they are also trying to fix theirs.
This website also had great resources to read up about. You could read about babies and toddlers, school readiness and sleep habits, even about behavior management. You can sign up for their newsletter for more information or just go and look through all the great topics.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I think that if I had the means to conduct any research in the early childhood field without restrictions I would think about the education of children. I think it would be amazing to enroll all children in high quality childcare facilities for preschool and then enter them in full day kindergarten. I would research the success of the students that received the high quality education and the effects it had on their future educational success. It would be be beneficial to families to see how important high quality education is. I could also take this information and advocate for high quality education for all children.

Personal Research Journey

I have spent the past 5 years in kindergarten land. I personally believe that kindergartner is it's own world when it comes to education. I have taught half-day programs and full day programs, in upper-middle class and lower class. I have seen many different outcomes from the different programs that is why I wanted to take a closer look into building a successful kindergarten education.

The topic that I have chosen to look deeper into is how preschool or education before kindergarten can effect the outcome of a child's success. So far I have been reading articles about different types of education before children enter school. After filling out the research chart I have found that I am really going to have to make a timeline for myself and stick to it to make sure that I am not rushing through the research and finding the most accurate information possible.

Does anyone else have personal feeling towards education before kindergarten? What are your personal experiences with this subject matter? Do you have any resources that you would like to share on this topic that you have found helpful and meaningful? 

Reflecting on International Trends

Over the past 8 weeks I have studied and learned about issues and trends from a global perspective. I have listened to many different stories from around the world via pod casts. I started this class trying to communicate with other educators around the world but quickly realized how extremely difficult that task is given a language and time barrier.

The first insight that I learn when learning about education around the world is that no matter where you live or what the background you have, education is a passion. People teach because they have a passion, the want to educate and help others learn what they know. All over the world people are teaching day in a day out and sometimes for nothing but a smile. This is what I think teaching should be about, it's about making a difference in a child not matter your situation or theirs. Children are often too stressed about their personal lives and need a teacher to help them feel successful in their own way.

The second insight that I had is that poverty is all over the world, not just where we most expect it. Doing the research and seeing how many children in my own state live in poverty is shocking to me. There has to be something more that government officials can do around the world to get children in schools and educated. This is only of the reasons that in my own state of Nevada we are pushing for full-day kindergarten funding. The children coming into school are no where near ready and need a full day of school instead of just a half. We can't start them off only giving them 50%.

The third insight that I had is that it is extremely important for teachers and educators to continue their education. Educators always need to stay up on best practices and educational teachings. They need to make sure that they are high quality teachers and know how to best educate children no matter what their ability level. This is part of the reason why I decided to go back to school. I want to be as educated as possible for myself, my families and my students. I think that it is extremely important to continue to have staff development and educational resources for anyone that works with children.

The goal for continuing my education is to continue to research and study different educational systems in the world. I will try to remain in contact with other parts of the world and also try to develop new contacts. One of the goals that I have always had is to teach in another country and help educate children. I still think that it would be an amazing opportunity to build relationships with teachers in other countries and share teaching experiences in their communities.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

This week I listened to the podcast from George Forman. He is from Monroe, Louisiana and has a doctorate in developmental psychology. He is now a professor and observes children in play. He likes to learn about children through play and why it is important. He believes that in preschool education children should have the change to learn things in terms of verbs. Instead of always asking children, "What is this?" Ask them why or how something happens and to show you. He also believes that children learn more through their imagination and should be allowed to play. I truly believe that children should learn through play and using their imagination, especially in the younger ages.

After listening to the podcast I looked at UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education webpage. Under the news on this webpage, there was an article about what the most important skills that a child should learn. I was expecting the skills to be reading and math but what they really were surprised me. The first skill was Know about their Culture, Children need to value and respect their culture because it is what keeps families glued together. When you know your culture you are close to your family and you family is your first teacher. Within your culture you also learn about respect and values. The second skill that children should learn vocal skills so that they can be a good citizen, employee and educational leader. The third thing that a child should learn is to be critical thinkers about who they are and how they relate to the world around them. They must learn to be literate and numerate, be problem solvers and resilient. I think these are great skills for children to learn and they will help lead them to a successful life. 

Sharing Web Resources

I have been looking at the website Save The Children. This week i took a deeper look into the Ways to Give tab. This part of the website explains where your donations go and in what ways it helps children in need. Donations to this website help children receive proper nutrition, have safe drinking water, allow them access to medical assistance and also schooling. There are many different ways to donate to to support the children in need, you can even start a fundraiser.

One of the newsletters that I received this week is on allowing children in need to receive proper medical care. The newsletter discussed the new proposal which can help frontline health workers, also known as soldiers, continue to save lives. They included 3 different options for activists to help speak up and support the proposal in congress.

This week I have learned about equality in the childcare system. Save the Children gives every child that they support the opportunity to learn. They have teachers that are well trained in best practices and also offer parents and volunteers the chance to help in educating the children in the classroom. Their goal is to make sure that children don't stop learning even though they fall on rough, stressful times.

This week I have learned that there are so many people out there, that are willing to help children in need. They are there to make sure that children and well educated and continue to grow their education. It makes me thankful for the people that are willing to go into these areas and teach and work with these children and their families. Who knows what would happen to these children without them.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

This week I listened to a podcast from Maysoun Chehab. She is a regional Early Childhood Care and Development Program Coordinator at the Arab Resource Collective. She works with other professionals to raise awareness of early childhood and working to teachers to teach best practices. One of the most rewarding projects that she has worked with was the July 2006 War on Lebanon. It was a war that lasted for 30 days and effected many children and parents. During the war 126 schools were totally destroyed. When the war stopped she went in and trained parents and teachers about post traumatic situations. They teach many different coping strategies and ways to help the children over come their fears. This is a very interesting position to me because I couldn't imagine  living in an area that was completely destroyed by war. It is hard enough sometimes to teach children just coming from low-income families. I couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to also teach children who have lost everything and have post traumatic stress.

I next took a look at Harvard's Global Children's Initiative. Looking at this website I was kind of taken back that there was such a concern for children's mental health, but I can absolutely see why it is needed. Children need help identifying their problems with the help of a well qualified doctor. Thankfully Harvard is there to help assist in this matter. After taking this course I am more aware that their are children in need. Harvard is taking the initiative to work for children in crisis across the world. Right now they hare focusing a lot of the aftermath of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. The third thing that I looked at on this website is that Harvard  is trying to incorporate educational trainings into their projects. They want to help build support for their members and the families and countries that they are working with and they want to give more opportunities to provide leadership in these areas all over the world.

Resources:
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

I have been taking an in-depth look at savethechildren.org. One of the specific sections that I have been taking more of a look at is the Where we Work Tab. I have looked at the United States to find out more information about our own country and the children in need. Under this tab you can also find a place to help children that are in need. You can sponsor your own child and help them with basic supplies that they might need. As an educator I have looked at being an advocator with the help of this website. They give you many different links to help you take steps in the right towards helping our own children in this country. You can sign up for e-mails and also ready about legislation happening in our country.
Through their newsletter I received information on the Advocacy Summit in Washington DC. I read the news letter and the information on what was going to be discussed. I didn't know that it was so easy to sign up and support children. This is definitely something that I am going to look more into, especially when it effects me locally.
Through the e-mails that I get it really shows me that there are politicians are trying to do what they can for education but there are bigger things that they are dealing with. It is our role as educators to make sure that we never give up in helping the children and continue to press important issues with politicians.
This website is very informational. l found it very interesting to look at the donate page and see all the different things that can be donated, from a soccer ball to a goat or cow. It is amazing to me how different people live all over the world and how much people really do need help to have basic supplies.

Establishing Personal Contacts Part-1

This week I have not received any information from my early childhood professional, so I have chosen to look at the alternative assignment. I listened to the World Forum Radio Podcast with Delfena Mitchell, she is the director of Liberty Children's Home.  Most of the children in her program have been abandoned, abused, or orphaned.

She talked about a 9-year-old boy who had not been verbal for over a year, due to the fact that he was abused as a little boy. He also had 6 other brothers and sisters that were also abused and in the program. They started to work with him but due to his behaviors he was kicked out of school. All of a sudden, once he was comfortable he started to talk and explain things that had happened to him when he was abused. Over time he started to talk more and more and they allowed  him to do things that he liked to help his language. Now he talks all the time and everyone listens to him.

This is an amazing story to me because it proves that children are so delicate. They learn from what is around them and when they feel comfortable. When this young boy was given a chance he did really well with his surroundings. I can just imagine what he would be like if he would have never went through the abuse. 

I also looked at the Childhood Poverty website. The first thing that shocked me when I looked at this website was the number of children that live in poverty all over the world, 600 million or 1 in every 4 children. Also that 10 million children under the age of 5 die every year from preventable diseases. I could not imagine not being able to provide basic needs for my child and knowing that my child died because I could not provide the proper immunizations for him.

The second thing that really hit me hard was that India's children account for 20% of the world out-of-school children, but it has the highest number for working children, nearly 1/3 of children under 16 are working.  These poor children need to be getting an education but can't because they have to work to try to provide for their families. The country isn't educating their children which means that this lifestyle will continue for many more generations. 

The third thing that this website that I really looked at were the pictures of how children around the world live in poverty. Looking at the pictures really showed me that people have life so differently. They have to fetch their water and live in tiny 1 room houses. It really makes you appreciate what you have and teaches you not to complain. 

Resources: 

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php

Save The Children

Save The Children


     Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United Sates and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation.
      When disaster strikes around the world, save the Children is there to save loves with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. As quickly and effectively as Save the Children responds to tsunamis and civil conflict, it words to resolve the ongoing struggles children face everyday- poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease- and replaces them with hope for the future.
- retrieved from savethechildren.org


     The issue that really caught my eye was that because of the Syrian way thousands of children have fled the boarder and are in need of urgent relief. All of these children and their families are leaving because of the war. There were too many explosions that were threatening to their lives so they had to flee. These poor children had to sit in 1 room of their home while their home was destroyed around them. They then watched their father be killed outside their home. The children and their mother now live in a small tent right outside the boarder struggling and depending on others for their basic needs. Save the children is bringing these families warm coats, blankets, clean drinking water. They are also trying to help these children find proper education.
     It is heart breaking to me that families have to experience this, let alone the children.It makes me thankful for what I have and that I can provide for my son an myself. After reading this article I am thankful for organizations such as Save the Children.

Establishing Professional Contacts

I am really looking forward to being able to discuss trends and issues with people around the world. This week I have reached out to 5 different people from Bulgaria, Kosovo, Nigeria, South Africa and Armenia. I am anxious to hear back and start developing professional relationships with others in the Early Childhood field.
After looking through many professional websites I have chosen to study Save the Children. I am looking forward to  learning all about the organization what they do to benefit children in need.

(http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm)

My Supports

Being a single mom, living across the country from my entire family and working a full time job can be very stressful and demanding. My family is one of my biggest support systems even though they are so far away. They are there if I need to talk to them and would drop everything to help me. The benefits of my family are that they are the rock and the positive when something goes wrong. Their words are what lifts me up in time of need. Without my family I would have nothing. I would feel like I never had any help or even had anyone to turn to. If they were to leave my life I would have the hardest time ever feeling complete because they mean everything to me.

Another huge support system that I have is my friends. They are there in my everyday life and when I need an extra set of hands. They are physically present when my family can’t be. Without their support and help I would be the most exhausted, emotional person. I would not be any fun or feel like I ever had a moment to myself. If I didn’t have the friends that I have I would be lost. Besides physically having my son present in my life I would have no one else physically present which would be a very lonely life to live.

Working in the classroom my fellow teachers and administration are also huge support systems in my life. They are there to help in the classroom if I need it. They understand if I can’t be at work because I have to take care of my son. They support the choices that I make in my classroom when I am educating my students. They convince me that what I am doing in the classroom is the right thing and that I am great at what I do. Without them I wouldn’t know how great of a job that I am actually doing. I would question my teaching and myself. To be in that position would be very stressful and uneasy.

The biggest challenge that I could have at this point in my life is if I didn’t have my job. If I didn’t have my job, I would have to move back across the country to be with my family. This is the scariest thing to think about because they cut teachers all the time, and I have a family to support all by myself. My job gives my family all of the essentials plus sometimes the perks. I am able to go out to dinner and but an extra toy for my son. Without my job I would struggle until I could find something substantial to help support my family.  

My connections to play

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”- Fred Rogers

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”- Kay Redfield

“When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.”- Fred Rogers

            When I was younger I was the first-born in my family and had a stay at home mom. My parents knew how important play was and let me play all the time. I grew up in Indiana and we had a screened in patio, I would stay out there as long as I could and play teacher with my dolls. Once my brother was born then became my student. I would have them draw pictures, write their letters and even try to ready. I even tried to make a projector with a mirror. When I wasn’t playing school I was playing outside in the backyard or out in the woods. I would also play with my Nano baby and make sure that it was always taken care of. I guess you can say that my parents always let me use my imagination and play as much as I wanted.

            My family also knew how much I loved to play school so they would always get me gifts that I could use in my “classroom”. My family would also take me to the local teacher store to pretend that I was a real teacher. If I didn’t have these experiences I don’t believe that teaching would come as naturally to me as it does now. I am so thankful for the experiences that I was given as a child and the freedom to play, learn and use my imagination.

            I feel that play today is so different than when I was younger. Now play has so much to do with sitting in front of something that has batteries or plugs into an outlet. Parents let children be lazy and sit in front of a video game or the TV. They are not explaining how important it is get outside and use their imagination. On the other hand I do see some great teachers that incorporate playing at school. These teachers are teaching the children how to play and use their imagination.
            Now that I am older and have a child of my own I realize how important play is. We play all the time and I make sure that he is getting outside to play. I make sure that the TV is off and that he is using his imagination to play. It has also taught me how to play again and take life a little less seriously in those minutes.