Farewell and Good Luck

I have enjoyed sharing this class with all of you!  I have learned so much about myself and how important communication is to beginning and sustaining lasting relationships.  I wish the best of luck to all of you and hope that I get to share more classes with you on this last leg of my journey.

Thanks for reading!
Monette

"Never Can Say Goodbye"

Saying good bye, or "adjourning" has always been particularly hard for me.  I think my struggles with leaving others or having others leave me are grounded in my particular childhood experiences.  Other than having to say a worldly goodbye to those who have died, and farewell to a marriage of 18 years, the hardest goodbye I have ever said was to my friends and co-workers in Head Start

I worked with Head Start for a little over 13 years.  I worked with basically the same group of managers for the entire time and leaving that group was bittersweet.  I wanted and needed to move on but leaving the familiarity of working together and our routines was very difficult.  I think that because we worked together so closely, were all very passionate about the program, endured several years of tough decisions and programmatic changes, and shared the experience of 2 of our team members dying,   leaving was extra hard.  I raised my kids with this group of women and men, sought their advice as a young married woman, learned how to be a professional, and learned how the real world of a non-profit works.  I don't think that I would be the woman I am today if not for this group of people and our shared experiences.  When I left we had a huge party and we all promised to keep in touch.  Sadly, life got very busy, I moved on, and we only see each other occasionally.  Although they are not in my daily life, they will forever hold a special place in my heart.  

Thanks for reading!

Monette

Conflict, conflict, conflict!

Conflict is something that I struggle with on a daily basis.  It seems as if I am always having some type of situation arise.  It is tough being a busy wife and grandmother as well as operating my center, teaching part-time, and helping with our homeschool co-op.  Between all of these roles is it any wonder that I experience some conflict?  Thankfully, conflict in my personal life really is minimal.  I may deal with minor issues but that part of my life is comfortingly boring.  My professional life, however, is a horse of a different color!

The most recent conflict that I experienced was with a parent at our center.  She has a little boy who is in our toddler room.  She left a note on my message board that she needed to speak with me when she picked up her son that afternoon.  I hadn't planned on being in the office at that particular time, but I rearranged my schedule to be available for her.  Upon arrival in my office she told me that she was very upset with our menu.  She was mad that we had offered her child black beans and hummus.  She proceeded to tell me that we should not be feeding him foods that clearly were not meant for children but were more suited to adult's likes.  I explained to her that we had recently received a grant to improve the quality and nutritional value of our meals and that black beans and hummus were 2 of our new foods that we were introducing.  I asked her if she had received the last 3 parent newsletters which detailed the grant and also had copies of upcoming menus and a list and timetable of when we would be introducing the new foods.  She stated that she had read the newsletters but she didn't think we would keep giving the children these crazy foods.  I asked her if her son had liked the foods and she stated that the teachers said he ate them but she didn't believe it and she didn't know if he liked them or not but that she didn't think we should feed this to him.   I VERY patiently, although I did not feel very patient, explained, again, how we were trying to make our menus healthier and working towards completely eliminating any processed foods.  Then I asked her if she minded if we looked at the video camera to see if her son ate the food.  She agreed and upon review of the camera, we discovered that not only did he eat both items but he also requested a second helping of the beans.  She could not believe that he was eating the food.  I gently told her that sometimes children eat different things at the center because they see their friends and teachers trying the foods and they want to try them too.  She never agreed that the foods were appropriate but she did finally say that maybe he just liked weird food.

I used several strategies during this conflict and I believed they helped me resolve the conflict with dignity and respect.  One of the strategies that I used was the 3 R's.  I treated the parent with respect, and responded to her in a timely manner by clearing my schedule to meet her needs.  Another strategy that I used was nonviolent communication.  Even when she was raising her voice at me and becoming very agitated I just kept calmly and patiently explaining the situation and trying to understand her concerns.  I think that one of the most important strategies that I used was the cooperative strategy.  By asking her questions, explaining our goals for the center, and offering different ways of looking at the situation, we were able to adequately resolve the conflict.  

How would you have handled the situation?

Thanks for reading!

You thought I said what?!?!

I found this week's assignment a lot of fun and very interesting. The two people that I picked to evaluate my communication styles were my husband and a co-worker.  It was very interesting to see how differently my husband evaluated me as compared to my co-worker.  It was also really unsettling to see that on some things they both evaluated me the same way but I had a completely different perspective.

One of the most perplexing conclusions from this exercise is that I rated myself as "moderate" on the verbal aggressiveness scale, my husband rated me as "significant", and my co-worker rated me as "low".  I am sure that I am much more verbal at home with my husband and our relationship is such that we don't hold back, but tell it like it is, even if it's hard to hear.  I am also sure that at work I try MUCH harder to hold back my thoughts and be more tactful and professional.  I am glad that my co-worker views me as not very verbally aggressive and I believe that this perception helps me to be a leader and motivator with my staff.  I think it also enables me to better communicate with the parents and with other early childhood professionals.

I am sad, however, that my husband views me as significantly verbally aggressive.  I think I have some work to do on the home front.....

With regards to the communication anxiety inventory, the overall score for me was in the same range on my evaluation and those of my husband and co-worker.  I rated myself as 39, my husband rated me at 40, and my co-worker rated me at 35.  All of these fell in the "mild" range and I agree that I feel confident about communicating with others most of the time.  I believe that one of the reasons I have been so successful in my personal and professional life is because I enjoy communicating with others.

The listening styles profile score was intriguing to me.  I rated myself as people-oriented, as did my husband, but my co-worker rated me as action-oriented.  I wonder if the fact that I am the "boss", thus always delegating, deciding, and decoding, plays a large part in my co-worker's perception of me.  I admit that I at work I do sometimes get caught up in the "red-tape" of it all and lose site of the "people" side of my job.  I think that is the price I sometimes pay to keep the doors to my center open.

Ultimately, I have learned that I adapt my communication based on who I am around.  It is easy to understand that the way that my husband and co-worker views me is going to be different because I play very different roles in their lives.  All in all, this was a very insightful and enjoyable assignment.

Thanks for reading!

How Do I Communicate?

For your blog this week, complete the following activity:
Think about the cultural diversity you see in your colleagues at school, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, and also, possibly, within your family. Consider all the aspects that make up culture, including race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, varying abilities, and so on.

• Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?
• If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

I communicate with a lot of different people in my life because I have a lot of identities.  Some of my roles are:  wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, Sunday school teacher, business owner, teacher, student, and friend.  I believe that I communicate differently with people based on the group that I am around.  I talk to my sisters in a completely different way than I talk to my children.  The way that I communicate with my grandchildren is not at all the way I communicate with the parents at my center.   I know that when I am on the phone with a friend and get a call from a colleague, my voice changes, the words I use are different, and even my body language changes.

I think that part of effective communication is knowing who your audience is and finding ways to easily relate to them in order to communicate. 

I hope to use some of the following strategies to help me become a more effective communicator:

1)  Be very aware of the culture of others so that I don't say or do anything that is offensive to their beliefs and values.

2) Use the Platinum Rule when communicating with everyone.

3) Be aware of my body language and nonverbal communication and make sure that it matches my verbal communication.

Thanks for reading!

What Did They Say?????

I really enjoyed this week's blog assignment.  I had to pick a television show that I do not normally watch and watch it 2 times; once with the sound off and again with the sound on.  I decided to watch a sitcom on youtube.com called, "Still Standing".  The little girl didn't do much but run through a few scenes so I was not real sure what was going on with her.  

When I watched with the sound off I could tell that the show was about a family that included mom, dad, brother, sister, and little sister.  I could tell there was some conflict between the mother and older daughter due to the finger wagging, frowns of both characters, and the disgusted look that the daughter gave her mother as she hurriedly left the kitchen.  

I also saw some affection and laughter between the dad and the son as they were in the son's bedroom talking about some problem and the dad patted the son on the back, gave him high fives, and they were both smiling as the dad left the room.  Later on, it showed mom and dad arguing in their room and then dad going to sleep downstairs.

During the last scene of the show, it the mom came running in the front door as dad descended the stairs in a bath robe so as they were laughing and flirting I assumed that they were showing marital affection.  During the flirting mom answered the phone, frowned, and then she ran out of the house and dad ran up the stairs.  In the next scene it showed the son, apparently in the principal's office and mom and dad arguing with him and the principal.  Then the son left the office, mom and dad kissed in the hallway and the show was over.  I assumed that the son got in trouble and that the mom and dad helped him.

When I turned the sound on, I was pretty accurate with most of my assumptions.  The oldest daughter and mom were arguing because she wanted to get a belly ring.  The little daughter showed up with cute sayings a couple of times and was obviously in the show for the "cute" factor.  The mom and dad did have a fight that ended up with him sleeping on the couch and the phone call that mom received, right in the middle of their make-up session, was from the school who had caught the son smoking.  Seems that Dad, when I thought he was helping son with problems, was telling son that the way to get the attention of the girl that he liked was to be a "bad" boy.  Dad apologized to Mom and Son, fussed at the principal when she called Dad a bad father, and then finally had their make-up kiss in the school hallway.

I did a pretty good job with my assumptions, but I think I would have been able to figure out much more if I had been familiar with the characters.  I was trying so hard to figure out who the people were and their relationships that I probably missed a lot of nonverbal communication cues.  All in all, I had a great time with this little experiment!  

I definitely believe that one must pay attention to both the verbal and nonverbal forms of communication in order to be the most effective communicator.

Thanks for reading!

Monette

Communication Is Key!

My Daddy was one of the best communicators that I have ever known.  I think the thing that made him so good at communicating was that he was an excellent listener.  I always knew that I could go to him with any problem and that he would patiently listen, let me tell my whole story, and then give me words of wisdom.  One of my favorite things that he would do was hear me out and then almost always reply, "Well, what do you think about all of this?"  It was like he knew that I just needed someone to listen to me and validate my feelings.  He would ask me a lot of questions that really made me think and that helped me communicate easier.  Another thing that made him such a good communicator was that he usually was very to the point when he had something to say.  He was not much for small talk and when he did talk I knew that I should listen because he had something important to tell me.  I would love to be more like him and learn how to be a much better listener and to be a little less talkative.

Thanks!
Monette

Professional Hope and Goals

I have enjoyed our class this semester!  I have learned a lot of new things about myself, how others are perceived, and how my biases affect my work with young children and families.

When I think about working with young children and families from different backgrounds, my ultimate goal is that I always embody the spirit of diversity, equity, and justice.  I want the families that I work with to feel welcomed and understood by me and by all of the teachers and staff that work in my childcare center.  I want them to be able to freely share their experiences in a loving and non-threatening environment.

One of my goals for the early childhood field is that teachers would be required to read our anti-bias education text book before they enter the field.  I wish I that I had been given the opportunity to read this material before I ever stepped foot in an early childhood classroom.

To my colleagues, I wish you the best of success in your future work with children and families.  I would also like to thank you all for your words of encouragement, wisdom, and respect during this class.  It was an awesome experience to share this class with all of you.

Regards,
Monette

Welcoming Families From Around The World

In my scenario this week, my family will hail from Sao Tome, which is a located near the Equator. 

5 ways that I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

1. Research the different languages that are spoken in Sao Tome and try to learn a few introductory words or phrases.  Also try to find someone that speaks the language and who may be able to help me communicate with the family.
2. Learn about the economic conditions of the country and the area of the country that my family is from.  Try to find out what type of work the family was involved in before they left Sao Tome and offer support as they transition to the job climate in America.  It will be important to learn how they view work and the different family responsibilities as related to work.
3. Research the education system and determine if the family has been involved in any type of early childhood education program prior to immigrating to America.  When meeting with the family discuss their educational experiences and expectations and how I can best support their ideals and goals for their child and family.
4. Talk with them about their family relationships and how their family relationships work.  I would ask about intergenerational relationships as well as the role of children in their culture.
5. I would reflect on any biases that I might have that would hinder my relationship with the family and work on ways to overcome the biases.

By trying to have a deeper understanding of the family’s culture and finding ways to communicate with them and learn about their goals, values, and ideals, I believe that I would be able to convey to them that I want to serve their child and family in the best way possible.  I think that I would be able to help them become more comfortable with our culture and they would be able to teach me a lot about their culture.  Win! Win!

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I want to share a story of prejudice that still breaks my heart when I think of it.  When a young man that I know was 16 he started dating a young woman from his class.  I was not surprised when they started dating because they had been friends for several years.  During the second month that they were dating he came to talk to me and was very upset.  Her family had found out they were dating and were very upset.  They stated that they liked the young man but did not want their daughter to date him; he was white and she was black and they did not allow her to date outside of her race.  He was very upset and did not understand why they had always been fine with them being friends but were upset about the dating relationship.  He honored their wishes and stopped dating their daughter but he was very heartbroken.  The two went off to college and eventually found others to love.  He has often told me that he still regrets not continuing their relationship and that he has never loved anyone in quite the same way.

I believe that this particular instance of bias diminished equity because it told two young people that they could not be involved because they were not of the same race.  I did not matter that they were both good students, never got in any trouble, and had been friends for years.  I still do not understand why a parent would not want their child to date someone who they liked and knew was a good person, just because of the color of their skin.  I was very upset when this situation occurred and I was glad that the young man felt he could talk to me but I didn't really know how to help him.  He talked to her parents several times, but to no avail.

I think that in order for this incident to turn into an opportunity for greater equity, the young man and woman involved would need to stop the cycle of racism.  I think this could be accomplished by making sure that as they raise their own families that they encourage their children to accept people for who they are and to support their dating choices based on merit, not race.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading!
Monette

Practicing Awareness of Microagressions

This week's topic and materials has been a real eye-opener for me.  I have been amazed at the amount of microaggressions that are in my environment!  I wanted to find out if the children in my environment were experiencing as much microaggression as the adults seemed to be so I observed the school-age summer camp program at my center.

Sadly, it seems our children are experiencing microaggression and I don't think the children that are being offensive realize what they are saying.  I watched a friendly dodge ball game between 6 children in the summer camp at my center.  The group consisted of 4 girls and 2 boys with 2 girls and 1 boy being on each team.  Every time that one little girl in group 1 would hit someone with the ball and score, the boy on her team would say, "Alright, not too bad for a girl!"  He said this EVERY time.  At first the little girl did not say anything, but she would roll her eyes, frown, shake her head, etc.  After about the sixth time of him yelling this she turned and said, "At least God made me a girl, not just a boy who wears purple!"  I almost fell down I was so shocked at her comment.  I was saddened by the insults from both children.  The teacher repeatedly said things like, "OK, that is not nice", "if you can't say something nice...", etc. but never really addressed the behavior and microaggressions from either child.  At the end of the day I talked with the teacher and we decided that we really need to design some lessons and activities to help these children understand that their remarks and behavior are not acceptable and hurtful.

I have always known that adults can be bias and hurtful but I did not realize how much of this behavior is being absorbed and learned by children.  I have always tried to make my center a safe place and a place where all people are accepted.  I was shocked and outraged by this behavior and the lack of skills that my summer camp leader had to deal with the situation.  I realize that even thought we do a lot of training for our staff that it must not be effective and I need to re-think how to help all our staff recognize bias behavior and effectively handle situations like the one I observed.

Thanks for reading!
Monette

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I really enjoyed this assignment as I love to talk with people and find out more about their ideas and views.  My conversations are summarized below.

Person 1:  She is a new teacher at my center and she is has only been in our country for 2 years.  She believes that culture is the way you dress, talk, treat your family, and includes your religious beliefs and family values.  She believes that diversity is when others accept you for who you are and you accept them for who they are.

Person 2:  He is a father in our program who recently got out of prison.  He believes that culture means what race you are, how much money you have, where you live, the people you hang out with, what holidays you celebrate, and how your family is seen by others.  I am not sure that he understood when I asked him about diversity but after a brief conversation he stated that everyone is different and that's okay because we are not supposed to all be the same.

Person 3:  She is a fourteen-year old girl who is the daughter of a close friend.  She stated that culture is everything about us.  It can mean the food we eat, where we live, who we marry, how much money we have, if we go to church, and if we go to college.  She stated that diversity is how people learn to get along even though we are all different.  She also stated that at her school most people are not the same so she doesn't see what the big deal is about people being different and why adults have a hard time getting along.

I found it interesting that I got so many different answers.  Some of the responses alluded to surface culture, such as food and holidays, but most of the answers were related to deep culture, such as values, education, religion, and living arrangements.  I most enjoyed talking with the fourteen-year old and am excited that she has such an openness to others and recognizes that adults sometimes have a hard time accepting people that are of a different culture.  I believe that awareness of these differences is a very important key to learning to accept others.

Reflecting on my conversations with these 3 people about culture and diversity I have realized that my definition of culture and diversity is steadily growing.  I am finding myself thinking more about deep culture issues and how they affect my relationships with others and how my previous definition of culture and diversity was definitely superficial.

My Family Culture

Hello Everyone!

It has taken me a very long time to write this blog because I just could not decide what 3 things to take with me in the case of a catastrophic event.  Finally, I narrowed it down!

The first thing that I would take would be my guitar.  It's not really small, but maybe it would be allowed.  Music has always been a huge part of my family's culture and I cannot imagine being without my guitar.  I would take my acoustic guitar because it is really special to me.  When my sons were teenagers, I had to sell my guitar to basically eat while going through my divorce.  I had owned the guitar since I was 12 and it was a gift from my father, but you do what you have to do to feed your kids.  I never told talked to my boys about why I sold the guitar and they never asked me about it.  Well, 6 years ago, the boys surprised me with a brand new acoustic guitar for Christmas and it is one of my most prized possessions.  All of my boys are musicians too and it has long been our custom to have Sunday supper together and then play some tunes.  We also regularly sing together in church.  When we take family vacations, there are always guitars on board.  If my family had to be relocated I would want to keep this custom alive for it has brought me much joy and happiness and facilitates a closeness with my sons that is irreplaceable.

The second thing that I would take would be my family scrapbook.  I would want to be able to look back on past pictures and family events and try to keep the memories of our family alive. In 1998 I lost everything that I owned in a fire (except my guitar, which was in my car, and 2 pairs of running shoes which were in my office at work) and the thing that I missed the most were my pictures.  My sisters were awesome and actually called all of my family and friends and gathered as many family pictures and other memorabilia as possible and made me a family scrapbook.  It is one of the most precious gifts I have ever received, especially the pictures of me and my Daddy who passed away in 1996.

The third thing that I would take would be my Bible.  I would want to be able to continue to read and study God's word daily and a lot of areas of the world do not allow Bibles or they are not readily available.  My faith is a huge part of my life and I would want to be able to share it with my family and with others if at all possible.

If I could only bring one thing I think it would have to be my guitar.  I have God's word in my heart and I hope that He would provide with another Bible in the new place.  I would miss my scrapbook terribly but my guitar would help me keep my sanity, keep me connected to my family, and provide much needed stress relief!

The insight that I have gained through this exercise is that all of my favorite things are related to family relationships in some way.  It's not the "things" that mean so much to me, but the way that they are used within my family.  I really enjoyed this exercise and look forward to learning more about my classmates as I read about their 3 items.

Thanks for reading!
Monette

When I Think of Research

When I Think of Research......




Taking this course has given me a totally new and unexpected insight on research. When I started the course I was very quick to believe that research was not only boring but something that I could not easily understand. It only took 2 assignments before I realized that research is anything but boring and that with some practice, ok, a lot of practice, even I could understand how to read and interpret scholarly research!




I used to think that research was completed only by professional researchers and that the rest of us were left to try and figure out what they were talking about and how to use the research in our daily lives. Now I understand that anyone can be do a research. You just need to have a question that you are passionate about and design a way to get answers to the question. I have also discovered that research is done for many reasons and that the early childhood field is ripe with both proven research and many more topics that need further research.




One of the most interesting things that I learned in this course was how to plan, design, and conduct research. The assignments that were set-up to help me break the process down step by step were invaluable in helping me focus on the process and understand the parameters of each step. I really enjoyed designing my own research simulation project and I am going to take it one step further and actually implement the project during the next school year at my childcare center. I can’t wait to actually use something that I designed!




Even though I enjoyed this course and all that I learned, it was not without challenges. I often found it hard to think like a researcher and grasp some of the technical terms. Thankfully, the use of my research chart helped me narrow down some of the terms and topics that were causing me the most difficulty. One of the biggest challenges that I faced was narrowing down my research simulation topic. I think I changed it at least 5 times before I settled on literacy.




Overall, this course has helped me realize the intrinsic value of research and how important it is to the early childhood field. As an early childhood professional I want to make sure that I am always abreast of the most current research and that I use research as I design and implement programs for the young children at my center. All in all, I had a good experience in this course and I look forward to using the knowledge that I have gained.

Research Around the World

Research Around the World

The website that I chose to review this week is:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this site.  It was extremely easy to read and was full of information.  

Some of the current research topics on the site are: inclusion, ethics, quality standards, working together in early childhood settings, bullying, diversity, and my favorite, learning and teaching through play.  All of these research articles and many, many more can be accessed by clicking on the “research in practice” tab on the left hand side of the home page.

One of the most interesting things that I learned from this site is that Australia’s research topics are very similar to ours.  I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does.   One of my favorite areas of this site was the “supporting best practice” tab.  I was very excited to see all of the information about how to help support best practices.  In our own country I have read tons of information about best practice but this site has given me some new ideas about how to support best practice in the classrooms at my center.  

Another favorite of mine on the site is all of the information about the importance of play.  Almost every tab included useful information on the importance of play.  I plan on using some of the information with the teachers and parents at my center as well as during a couple of workshops and classes that I will be teaching this fall. 

If you have not explored this site, please try to find time to click on and find out for yourself how much information is available.  Happy clicking!

Monette

Research that Benefits Children and Families

I have been personally involved with a research project in the past and I found it very rewarding and interesting.  I am the mother of fraternal twin boys who were born in 1986.  They were premature but had no life-threatening health conditions.  While in the hospital with the boys I was asked if I would participate in a twin study with the University of Virginia until the twins reached their 18th birthday.  I read all of the paperwork, discussed it with their father and decided to enter the study.

The first year of the study included answering a questionnaire of over 200 questions.  The questions asked about their birth, eating habits, overall health, and their growth and development.  During the first year the study sent me a questionnaire every other month.

Between the boys second and fifth birthdays I received a questionnaire 4 times per year and the questions were basically the same as the first year with more questions about social development and the boys relationship with each other and any other siblings in the family.  The researchers also sent us charts about development and growth that was geared towards each age and stage.

During the rest of the study I received one questionnaire per year and the questions were more about academic development, social development, and items related to puberty.  Upon the twins 18th birthday we received a certificate of completion for each of them and a small report on how our participation in the study allowed the researchers to compare twin development with development of single births.  We also learned about some comparisons between fraternal twins and identical twins.

Through this research project I was able to learn a lot about the development of my children and was also introduced to support projects and social groups for mothers of twins.  I enjoyed participating in the project and hope that we helped researchers learn something of value.

One of my favorite sites for mothers of twins is the national organization of mothers of twins club and you can check it out at:

http://www.nomotc.org

This site has a research tab that links you to all types of research on multiples.  Happy reading!

Thanks!
Monette

My Personal Research Journey

Oh boy!  Research Competency?  How will I ever pass this class?  I am terrible at understanding research and writing research papers!  These were just a few of the frightening thoughts that passed through my mind as I started this class.  For some reason, the word research brings up only negative and scary thoughts and immediately puts me in the mode of fear of failure.

With said fears being faced, I am trying to be more positive and open-minded and embrace this class.  The first assignments, while not painless, have been less painful than I expected.  I understand that in order to become a more reliable early childhood professional, I must learn to understand and appreciate research that is relevant to our field.

The most exciting thing that I have learned so far is that I don't HAVE to understand everything that is written in a research article!!!  I wish someone had told me this years ago.  Learning what things are important to understand in research has made me less apprehensive about reading articles.  I have also learned what some of the terms used for research mean and this is helping me to feel a little more knowledgeable and we all know that knowledge is power!

I am looking forward to working with all of my colleagues and I can't wait to learn from your experiences and share my experiences as well.  Good luck to you all!

Monette

Things I Have Learned!

I have really enjoyed the blog assignments for this class.  Although I was not able to make any connections with other childhood educators abroad, I have learned a lot of things about early childhood issues and trends in other areas of the world through my classmates, podcasts, and by researching various websites.

One of the most important things that I have learned is that we all face similar issues no matter the geographical location.  Equity, poverty, and quality seem to be the most pervasive issues and  common threads among the many issues that our children and families face.

I also learned, sadly, that many children in third world countries also have to worry about clean drinking water and that many children in our own country face a lack of basic medical care. 

In addition to these areas of concern, I have learned that many early educators all around the globe have a genuine interest in making the world a better place for children.  Many of us are concerned about helping families meet basic needs but we are also concerned about high-quality childcare, the lack of accessibility and equity in early childhood, and the implications of rapidly changing demographics.

It is my hope that through the connections that I have made during this class that I will continue to learn and grow and have many more opportunities to share my knowledge and learn from the experiences of others. 

Getting to Know My International Contacts

Getting to Know My International Contacts (or not)

Unfortunately, I still have not made any contacts but I have enjoyed reading all the information on the various websites and trying to contact colleagues in international areas.  Due to the lack of contacts and my switch to the alternative assignments, this week I explored the UNESCO site.

Have a look at some of the great things I found that relate to my professional goals of:  teaching at the community college level, becoming more adept at evaluating early childhood materials, curriculum, and assessment tools, and becoming a more effective partner with other early childhood professionals.  All of the resources on this site will help me build my knowledge base and also reach out to others in the field.  Have fun browsing!!!

1. I love their “News” section.  It is full of cutting edge news about early childhood.  3 of my favorite articles gave information on the three most important skills for young children, teaching pre-school children about the environment, and better monitoring practices.

1. The access and equity tab reveals a lot of information about international early childhood education efforts and why we must make early childhood programs accessible and equal for all children.  Look to the right of this tab, under related information, and read about Vietnam’s early childhood policies.  Very enlightening!

1. I also enjoyed reading information under the quality tab.  The article discussed the importance of teaching the whole child and also the dangers of placing too much emphasis on academics through pushing down a “school” type atmosphere in early childhood programs.  The related information tab has a great article on early childhood curriculum.

Resources:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Sharing Web Resources

Hello Everyone!

This week I found some fabulous outside links on NAECTE.  I have listed them below for your convenience.  One of my favorites was the Australian Early Childhood Association.  This site had a lot of information for early childhood educators that focuses on both personal and professional development.  I also enjoyed reading their media releases. 

Another excellent link was the University of Kentucky page.  This link provides certification requirements for all 50 states.  I love having that information located in one place; it makes it very easy to contrast and compare the different requirements.  

I must say that I have not been very impressed with the information on the original site that I chose, NAECTE.  There is not a wealth of information that meets my needs, but the outside links provided are well worth a second glance.  

The NAECTE newsletter is published 4 times per year.  The last publication was winter of 2013.  This edition of the newsletter is mainly devoted to the upcoming NAECTE spring conference and future NAECTE elections.  There is not any information on the website or the newsletter that is pertinent to equity or excellence in early care and education other than the push for higher levels of teacher education through licensure and certification standards.  

Happy Browsing!

1. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
2. American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators
3. Association for Childhood Education International
4. Association of Teacher Educators
5. Certification Map
6. Council of Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood
7. Education Commission of the States, Report on State Statutes on Kindergarten
8. High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
9. National Association for the Education of Young Children
10. National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
11. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
12. OMEP-U.S. National Committee (a unit of World Organization for Early Childhood Education)
13. University of Kentucky page with certification requiements for all 50 states. 
14. Thematic Network Teacher Education in Europe
15. Australian Early Childhood Association
16. Canadian Association of Early Childhood Educators

Getting to Know My International Contacts - Part 2

I have still not had any response from anyone that I have contacted through this assignment.  I am really disappointed but I realize that people are super busy.  Since I have not made contact I am continuing the alternate assignment of listening to podcasts and also browsing the Harvard University's "Global Children's Initiative" website.  Here's some insight from this week:

Podcasts:  I chose to listen to the podcast of Delfena Mitchell of Belize City.  She is the director of the Liberty Children's Home.  This is an orphanage for children between 0 - 5 years of age and is is designed specifically for those who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected.  She stated that Belize had the highest rate of child abuse cases in the Caribbean.  They do take older children if they have younger siblings that are placed in the orphanage.This orphanage also helps children who have disabilities or who are HIV positive.

She told the story of a 9-year old little boy who came to them with severe abuse issues.  He had not spoken a word for over a year.  In addition to receiving abuse he also witnessed his sister's abuse.  He came to the orphanage with his 6 siblings.  They could not place him in a traditional school setting because of his lack of communication so they homeschooled him.  After a few weeks in the home, he spoke to Ms. Mitchell during a horseback riding excursion.  He only spoke a few words but over the next few weeks he became more comfortable and talked more.  He spoke about his experiences with abuse and about the uncle he loved that had left his home.  He described having to hide under his bed to eat so the others would not take his food.  Ms. Mitchell stated that he loves spending time outdoors and can now attend school and communicate with the other children.

I wanted to learn more about this child and the Liberty Children's Home so I went to the website link.  Sadly, the link no longer works and I could not track it down through any other means.  If anyone knows how to find out about this program, please let me know.  I would love to find out more about the orphanage and if they are still in operation and if there is anyway I could help with some of their needs.

Harvard University:  I love this website!  It is full of information and links to initiatives dedicated to improving equity and excellence around the globe.  Take a look at what I found!

• Applying the Science of Early Childhood in Brazil - The project describes Nucleo Clencia Pela Infancia, which is a program dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families in Brazil by utilizing the science of child health and development and connecting the information to better policies.  Well worth your time to investigate!

• National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs - This forum was established in 2006 and it's main purpose is to help policy makers and other interested stake holders understand what and how investments should be made in early childhood programs and policies.  This forum interprets research and designs best practices and policies.  The meta-analytic database is especially interesting to read.

• Global Children's Initiative Fact Sheet - This fact sheet shares a wealth of information on the Center's 3 strategic goals:  to reframe public discourse about the early childhood period; to support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects, and; to build leadership capacity in child development research and policy.  The fact sheet also describes issues surrounding mental health, crisis and conflict situations, and building leadership capacity in research and policy.  This is one of the most informative articles that I have read in this course.  

I hope that you will take advantage to the links below and learn more about the ways that equity and excellence are being pursued in the early childhood field.  We can all be a catalyst in this very important work!

Resources:

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

http://worldforumfoundation.org.uk/

Sharing Web Resources

I am researching the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.  I feel that everything on the site is particularly relevant to my current professional development because I am trying to realize my dream of teaching at the community college level and this website is devoted to working with those who teach early childhood educators.

One thing that I do not like about the website is that a lot of the information is geared towards working with early childhood educators who work in public schools and this leaves out a lot of early childhood educators who work outside the public school system.  I sent a question to one of the contact people to find out about why so much information is focused on public school educators but no one has responded.

One of the areas of the site highlights grants and awards that are available for early childhood educators.  Most of these grants are focused towards funding research projects that support high quality early childhood education and the link to a more positive future if early childhood is supported.  I think this is very much an indication of just how "hot" early childhood education has become.

I didn't really glean any other insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field.  I did however, find the Early Childhood Teacher Certification Toolkit on the site and it is awesome.  The toolkit has a lot of information on early childhood best practices, why early childhood educators need to  have specialized training, and how early childhood professionals need to talk to those outside of our field.  It is definitely worth your time to read this toolkit!


Resources:

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
http://www.naecte.org/
(Newsletter: http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=29

Getting to Know My International Contacts

I have been very disappointed at the lack of response from international contacts.  I contacted over 20 people and only 1 person responded back....to say that she can't help me out.  In light of this I reverted to option 2 of our blog assignments.  I am visiting the World Forum Foundation and listening to podcasts of other early childhood professionals.  Interestingly enough, most of these podcasts are from people in the United States but they are very informative and I am enjoying the podcasts.

This week I listened to a podcast featuring Barbara Jones.  She founded the Pine Grove Center in Falmouth, Maine 25 years ago and it is a modified Montessori school.  I enjoyed learning about the different schools she worked in before opening Pine Grove Center and how she actually found and renovated the 1917 building where the center is located.  I identified with her greatly because, like me, she had dreamed of opening her school for many years before she actually found the site and turned her dream into reality.

I also visited the school's website (the web address is below) and I enjoyed reading about a typical day at the center, meeting the staff, and learning about their enrollment process.  I would love to travel to Maine and visit her center and learn more about a Montessori environment.  I have emailed the school and hope to learn more about their work with young children.  I will keep you updated!

Resources:

www.worldforumfoundation.org

www.pinegrovecenter.com

Sharing Web Resources

Hello All!

I selected the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).  Since I aspire to be an early childhood teacher educator some day I think this site will offer some valuable information.

A lot of the information on this website is for members only.  I checked to see how to become a member and since I am a student I can join for $45.  Although I am not going to join now, I may join in the future.

With that being said, I browsed the site for the free information and found several position statements written by the NAECTE.  One of them that piqued my interest was the position statement on early childhood certification for teachers of children 8 years old and younger in state funded pre-k programs.   In summary, this statement is asking that these educators be highly qualified by having BK certification or pre-school add on license, that the programs give priority in hiring to the teachers that hold this certification, and that the certification be obtained in teacher preparation programs that meet the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

I agree wholeheartedly with this position statement.  I believe that the teachers that work with young children need the specialized education that is offered through high quality teacher preparation programs.  In my state, North Carolina, all NC Pre-K teachers are required to either hold a BK certification or pre-school add on license or be working towards that certification.  I am glad that this organization sees the value in teacher education and how it is closely related to high quality childcare.

What do YOU think?

References:

www.naecte.org/

Early Childhood Around the Globe

I am very excited about my new class, Issues and Trends in Early Childhood.  I am amazed at all of the information that is available about early childhood around the globe.  I can't wait to hear from other early childhood educators and learn about the issues and trends in their areas. 

I have contacted early childhood professionals in El Salvador, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany and I hope to hear from some of them very soon.  I am excited about the potential learning opportunities that may occur through networking with these professionals around the world. 

In addition, I am researching the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.  Since I aspire to be an early childhood teacher at the community college level upon completion of my studies, I thought this was the perfect fit.  So far I have read their mission statement (Our Purpose), read about their officers, and learned about their annual conferences.  I look forward to learning about all of the resources that they have available.

My Supports

I have so many supports in my life.  The three most important would have to be my family, my friends, and my faith.  Without these supports I would be so very lost!

My family supports me through the good times and the bad.  My husband is such a hard worker and always puts our family's needs before his own.  He works long hours and then after a hard day at work he comes home to tend our little farm and livestock.  He always has a project going to make our life a little better.

My children, although grown, are a huge support system.  They all live near me and we spend a lot of time together.  Every Sunday night we have what we call "Sunday Supper".  All of their families come to my house and we share a meal.  We all pitch in with the food and the cleaning up afterwards.  I look forward to this meal all week and it really rejuvenates me for Monday's busy obligations.  We not only share food but love and fellowship.

My mom, sisters, and brother are a huge support for me too.  We talk most everyday and my sisters are partners with me in my childcare center.  My family, although far from perfect, is a wonderful reminder of what is right in this crazy world we live in.

My friends, both at work and outside of work, are always there for me.  Whether it's lending a helping hand, letting me cry on their shoulder, or offering some much needed advice, I can always count on them at the drop of a hat.  I would not like to know what it would be like to go through my life without their love and support.

My faith is what keeps me sane when all else fails.  I look to the Lord for guidance, salvation, and grace, even when I don't deserve it.  When the sky is falling down on me, I only need to read my Bible,  listen to a favorite hymn, or look at one of His wonderful creations, to regain my perspective.  Without my faith, all else would be for naught.

When thinking about a challenge, I immediately though of losing my hearing because I currently have some issues with mild hearing loss.  One of my biggest fears is losing all of my hearing someday.  I would not be able to hear my husband's voice, my grandchildren say they love me, favorite hymns, or my son's melodious guitar.  I can't imagine not being able to hear and miss out on the give and take of conversations.  I would need to depend on those around me to help me learn how to communicate without hearing and I am sure that would be very difficult.  I pray that I never have to find out how it feels to lose one's hearing.

"My Connections to Play"

"Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play."

MONTAIGNE, Essays

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."

Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

"If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society."

Jean Piaget
Swiss philosopher

"Children need the freedom and time to play.
Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity."

Kay Redfield Jamison, American Professor of psychiatry1896–1980

I love to play!  I have always loved to play and I hope that I never lose my desire to play!  Essential play items for me include:  sand and water, something to make music with, some type of swing, and a friend or two!  

As a young child I spent many long hours involved in play.  My favorite thing to do was to be outside, wondering around our backyard and woods and finding new things to use in my play.  My parents always encouraged me to play, especially outside.  My siblings and I would spend our summer days riding bikes, tromping through the woods, and making forts and houses out of anything that we could stack together.  As I grew older and had the responsibility of babysitting my youngest siblings, I still reverted to play to get me through the day.  When I had to feed them lunch, we pretended we were at a restaurant and they ordered their food.  When it was time for their nap, we pretended we were camping and sleeping under the stars.  Bath time included many adventures in our "boat on the high seas".  

Play has always been an escape for me.  I still find it very easy to sneak off and play although my play props now are much different than when I was a child.  My adult play also often includes a grandchild or two.  I try to show my grandchildren the importance of playing, imagining, and creating.  At my house we don't get lost in mindless television and computers or gaming systems are not our focus.  We paint, plant flowers, bake a cake, run around in the rain, race matchbox cars, read a book, or countless other activities that actively engage their growing minds.  

I want my grandchildren and other children in my life to know the joys of catching fireflies, sledding backwards down a hill, and riding a horse.  I want them to understand that true joy comes not from all of today's gizmos and gadgets, but from simple things shared with those that you love.

Relationship Reflection

I have a lot of different types of relationships in my life and they are all very important to me and make me the person that I am.

My family relationships are the most important to me.  I value these relationships above all others.  These are the people that know me, the real me, and love me anyway.

I have the longest term relationship with my mother and even though it has been rocky at times, it has taught me so much about life and unconditional love.  My mom lost her mom when she was 13 and she had me when she was 18.  She and I grew up together and have had to really work at sustaining our relationship.  I am glad that we stuck through the rough times and that we are at a time in our lives where we truly enjoy each other's company.

My sisters are brother are the people that have known me almost as long as my mother.  My relationships with them are as essential as the air that I breathe and I can't imagine my life without them.  They have been my playmates, my enemies, my partners in crime, and my best friends.  Almost every important memory of my life includes at least one or more of them.

My sons are 29 and 26 (twins) and my relationships with them are the ones that still give me pause for thankfulness and gratefulness each and every day of my life.  I have never loved anyone else the way that I love my children.  They have taught me how to have fun, how to be honest about my feelings (even when it hurts), patience, open-mindedness, and the importance of living each day fully.  The last 29 years have been full of ups and downs, tears and laughter, anger and happiness, seriousness and silliness.  They are 3 of the sweetest, smartest, coolest, young men that I know and I am glad that they finally have reached the age where our relationships can be more friend-like instead of parent/child like.

My husband and I have been together for 10 years.  We both had previous marriages and our relationship is one of pure joy.  We appreciate each other and understand how fragile a marriage can be.  I wish I had met him much earlier in life but then again, we would be different people and it may have worked out differently.  He understands me and appreciates me and loves me for me and that is not always easy to find in this world.  I can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold for us!

I believe that I am a happier and more positive person due to the relationships in my life.  When I have a bad day or situation, there is always someone that I can talk to who cares about me and helps me get through the moment.  Having positive relationships helps my stress level which in turn helps me be a better teacher, worker, boss, etc.  I believe that my life experiences and relationships help me value children and their families and the relationships that they have.  It is impossible to not be in some type of relationship with others, be it good or bad.  I am very thankful that most of my relationships are long-term and positive.