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.