Sharing Web Resources

The focus of the organization consists of all aspects of early childhood and the E-letter clearly defines the organization’s purpose.  Their focus is to promote the professional growth to their membership, to discuss educational issues specifically, to advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education, provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators, provides a communication network for early childhood teacher educators, facilitate the interchange of information and ideas about research and practice, and cooperate with other national and international organizations concerned with the study and education of young children.  What caught my attention in the newsletter fall 2011 issue was the presentation of a book that explores each stage of teacher research, from conceptualization, to generating research questions, identifying data sources, gathering and analyzing data, interpreting results, sharing results, to taking action based on those results.  This really caught my attention because I am not the expert on research and I have trouble finding valuable and or legitimate resources when needed.  I guess with more experience, it will become easier.  What I learned that was closely related to the discussion of issues and trends is that for every issue, there is a solution, good or bad and for every trend, there is always a way to make a positive change, if needed.  This organization fights for achievement in many ways and I can sense it from reading about the different programs and or resources they offer in order to form the most reliable and well qualified teachers in the early childhood community.  It was an honor to gain knowledge from this site. 

Creating Professional Relationships

As I attempted to contact international early childhood educators, it was quite challenging.  Since I have not gotten a response from anyone yet I have to take another route.  I went to World Forum Radio and listened to a few podcasts and here are the main points that I interpreted from the interviews: 

Barbara Jones, who is a resident of the East Coast, traveled to California in search of a preschool to teach. She got the opportunity to become a Montessouri teacher in San Diego.  She worked there for 6 years and decided that she wanted to open her own private day care.  She worked at YMCA and decided that she really enjoyed the early childhood field.  She traveled back to Maine and she noticed a boarded up empty building and envisioned to turn it into her own childcare center.  She bought the building and established the Pine Grove Center child development center in Maine in 1984.  It has been up and operating for twenty-five+ years. 

Maysoun Chehab is a resident of Lebanon whose job title is regional early childhood care and coordinator with the Arab Resource Collector.  She works with policy makers and ece community.  They focus on awareness of child rights and train cargivers on best practices for the children. They work in Palestine, Jordan and a few more countries. They produce Arabic resources that are not available in those countries.  Her most rewarding project to date was after the war of 2006 in Lebanon on psychosocials.  She was very passionate during her interview.

 I hate that I have not yet to hear from the international educators but I will keep trying to reach out until I hear something.

My Supports

My Supports

The Important People In My Life

 

 

   As a child, I was not aware of what support meant being that I grew up in a family who really did not show affection in the household.  I was never rewarded on my academic achievements in school or when I participated in extracurricular activities.  I lived in a very unhappy household so I did not know the meaning of "support".  It was not because that is how my parents wanted it to be, let's just say, some things are just not meant to be.  My sister and I experienced our parents divorce at ages 13 and 12 and it was always unpleasant moments from the both of them.  Anywho, besides that, thanks to the positive people in my life, I now know the real meaning of support.  A few supports that I have within my daily environment now consists of my co-workers, my family, and myself.  My co-workers support me through advice forums to let me know that just because I am a single mom, I still can be successful and become whatever I may choose to be if I set the goal and follow through.  They always encourage positivity in every aspect and have pep talks with me to keep me striving.  My co-workers always get me to see the bigger picture when I am stressed or feel like giving up.  My family supports me now more than ever because I am in school.  They always make sure to keep my daughter when I ask them to with no complaints or even expect anything in return.  I admire their support greatly, because I missed out on it within my childhood.  My family believes in me more than I believe in myself at times and that motivates me to take that extra step.  Most importantly, I support myself to the maximum.  Even when I do not feel confident in myself on occasions, I have to snap back in motivation mode and get back on track.  I support myself  greatly because I can confide in myself to keep moving forward, encourage myself, and have faith in knowing that hard work pays off.  If I did not have support, I would not be working towards a master's degree.  I would not be sane enough to handle my full time job, along with my daughter and being a full time student.  Supportive people and or things shows you that you are cared for and someone is looking out for your best interest.  Everyone needs support.  Without support systems, we do not have grounded emotional and mental health.  If I did not have support systems, I feel as if I am disconnected from the world.  It is good to share experiences with others and interact with them on social levels.  Support systems should be what someone wants and need for the reassurance.  It does not make you weak because you need a support system. We all need them!

My Connections to Play

ITS OK TO BE A KID AT HEART!!  EVEN IN ADULTHOOD

As a child, my sisters and I would play with whatever materials that were in our surroundings.  In single parent families,  it is somewhat hard to get children every toy that they plead for and for some reason we did not care if we had toys or not!  We used our imaginations for everything!  Two quotes that pretty much compresses my childhood explains how play molds a child for success as well as the importance of using creativity and your imagination. 

"Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."

Henri Matisse
French painter
1869–1954

"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
American children’s television host
1928–2003

Those three items that I have chosen, all symbolize responsibility.  I enjoyed dressing my barbie up and combing her hair to make her pretty.  I enjoyed the swing set because it was adventurous.  A child can do multiple things on it.  That is what makes it special.  A child could never get bored.  The cash register allowed us to create our pretend grocery store and exchange money and goods amongst each other.  My parents allowed my sisters and I to play as much as we wanted, because most of the time they did not want us lingering inside the house all the time.  They even would come out and play along with us just to make us feel special.  They would play games, swing with us, teach us how to swing bats, and bounce basketballs.  All of this sculptured fundamentals in us as children.

During my younger years, playing outside was an absolute must.  O gosh if it was a rainy day, my siblings and I would have a yucky day.  My mother loved the fact that we always wanted to be in the outside atmosphere, where we used our imaginations for everything!  In society today, I feel that children linger more on the inside now that crime rates are higher and because parents buy all the high tech devices.  (PSP's,  Nintendo Ds, Play Station, Wii, X Box, Kinect, Ipods; you name it)  Most children would rather stay inside with the video games rather that burn energy on the outside.  I sometimes wonder if this apprehends the child from being creative or imaginative.

In the aspect of play, we must realize that play allows children to interact with the world around them.  They learn how to work in groups and negotiate conflicts eventually.  They also can learn decision making skills and see what areas interest them most.  Even as an adult, I am a kid at heart.  I love humor and I love to be in comfortable atmosphere.  A little play allows adults to do that.  Do you agree?

My Supports

My Supports

 HOW I MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAYS!!!!!

   As a child, I was not aware of what support meant being that I grew up in a family who really did not show affection in the household.  I was never rewarded on my academic achievements in school or when I participated in extracurricular activities.  I lived in a very unhappy household so I did not know the meaning of "support".  A few supports that I have within my daily environment now consists of my co-workers, my family, and myself.  My co-workers support me through advice forums to let me know that just because I am a single mom, I still can be successful and become whatever I may choose to be if I set the goal and follow through.  They always encourage positivity in every aspect and have pep talks with me to keep me striving.  My co-workers always get me to see the bigger picture when I am stressed or feel like giving up.  My family supports me now more than ever because I am in school.  They always make sure to keep my daughter when I ask them to with no complaints or even expect anything in return.  I admire their support greatly, because I missed out on it within my childhood.  My family believes in me more than I believe in myself at times and that motivates me to take that extra step.  Most importantly, I support myself to the maximum.  Even when I do not feel confident in myself on occasions, I have to snap back in motivation mode and get back on track.  I support myself  greatly because I can confide in myself to keep moving forward, encourage myself, and have faith in knowing that hard work pays off.  If I did not have support, I would not be working towards a master's degree.  I would not be sane enough to handle my full time job, along with my daughter and being a full time student.  Supportive people and or things shows you that you are cared for and someone is looking out for your best interest.  Everyone needs support.  Without support systems, we do not have grounded emotional and mental health.  If I did not have support systems, I feel as if I am disconnected from the world.  It is good to share experiences with others and interact with them on social levels.  Support systems should be what someone wants and need for the reassurance.  It does not make you weak because you need a support system. We all need them!

 

 

 

My Supports

 HOW I MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAYS!!!!!

   As a child, I was not aware of what support meant being that I grew up in a family who really did not show affection in the household.  I was never rewarded on my academic achievements in school or when I participated in extracurricular activities.  I lived in a very unhappy household so I did not know the meaning of "support".  A few supports that I have within my daily environment now consists of my co-workers, my family, and myself.  My co-workers support me through advice forums to let me know that just because I am a single mom, I still can be successful and become whatever I may choose to be if I set the goal.  They always encourage positivity in every aspect and have pep talks with me to keep me striving.  My co-workers always get me to see the bigger picture when I am stressed or feel like giving up.  My family supports me now more than ever because I am in school.  They always make sure to keep my daughter when I ask them to with no complaints or even expect anything in return.  I admire their support greatly, because I missed out on it within my childhood.  My family believes in me more than I believe in myself at times and that motivates me to take that extra step.  Most importantly, I support myself to the maximum.  Even when I do not feel confident in myself on ocassions, I have to snap back in motivation mode and get back on track.  I support myself  greatly because I can confide in myself to keep moving forward, encourage myself, and have faith in knowing that hard work pays off.  If I did not have support, I would not be working towards a master's degree.  I would not be sane enough to handle my full time job, along with my daughter and being a full time student.  Supportive people and or things shows you that you are cared for and someone is looking out for your best interest.  Everyone needs support.  Without support systems, we do not have grounded emotional and mental health.  If I did not have support systems, I feel as if I am disconnected from the world.  It is good to share experiences with others and interact with them on social levels.  support systems should be what someone wants and need for the reassurance.  It does not make you weak because you need a support system. We all need them!

My Connections to Play

These two quotes best describe what play meant to me because they express the fact that whether people realize it or not, play surely teaches a child fundamentals about many different things.  Play broadens imaginations and elongates creativity.  Play keeps the mind ready for challenges and endless possibilities.

Those three items that I have chosen, all symbolize responsibility.  I enjoyed dressing my barbie up and combing her hair to make her pretty.  I enjoyed the swing set because it was adventurous.  A child can do multiple things on it.  That is what make it special.  A child could never get bored.  The miniture four wheeler expresses swiftness.  It makes a child feel in charge and large. 


My parents allowed my sisters and I to play as much as we wanted, because most of the time they did not want us lingering inside the house all the time.  They even would come out and play along with us just to make us feel special.  They would play games, swing with us, teach us how to swing bats, and bounce basketballs.  All of this sculptured fundamentals in us as children.

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn."

O. Fred Donaldson
Contemporary American martial arts master

"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities."

Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist

Relationship Reflection

Explain why relationships/partnerships are important to you  Relationships are very important to me because it represents a bond between you and the other person.  Dictionary.com defines a relationship as

1.  a connection, association, or involvement.

2. connection between persons by blood or marriage.

3. an emotional or other connection between people.

As research has found,  most of our happiness comes from our relationships – around 70%. In my belief it is in our best interest, as well as the interest of others around us, to develop and maintain positive relationships. It is truly a win-win scenario.   The most positive relationship I have right now is my relationship with my significant other, whom supports me in everything that I do or try to do.  It's a wonderful feeling to know that someone has got your back no matter what.  We both maintain our positive relationship by providing assurance.   We understand that if we make a thoughtless comment, it makes us feel like we no longer love or appreciate each other. In a moment like this, a few words of reassurance and support can work a small miracle.  We also respect one another unconditionally. Even when upset, we are still be able to express ourr feelings with respect. Another important factor, we are always focused on solutions not problems because I have been around couples who have spent months, even years, on one or two unresolved issues. If you are in a positive relationship you should  identify the problem and then focus your energy on generating solutions to the problem and proving what you know with actions.  We continue to maintain positive expectations of each other.  No matter the situation, we still can honor unpleasant emotions and keep positive expectations for one another.  Just that simple.  Lastly it is important to be flexible. Your brain has to be open to explore possibilities for what works best to positively energize the best in one another, to make conscious choices on how to respond to maintain a love connection.  We are absolutely great for each other and hoping to be Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Smith soon. 

I really do not have any other stable positive relationships with any one else because I have always been the outsider of my family.  Some of the time, I get along with my mother, whenever I am not getting criticized for things that I did not do or when I give her things that she wants.  I experienced my parents getting a divorce at thirteen and I am not sure if she holds that against me or what. 

I have positive relationships with my co workers and we all get along great because we always work together as a team and not one on one.  We respect each other's opinions and do not invade personal space.  In order for me to be an impact as a early childhood professional, it is clear is that, not only do children develop through their relationships with parents and carers, but relationships continue to be of central importance to people’s ongoing development and well-being. Therefore, the relationships that parents have with others, including professionals, have a significant effect on their ability to function well as parents and the same goes for professionals.

References

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/relationship

Zagreb, C.  (2007). Second Conference of the International Society on Early Intervention.

Reflections of Growth

Throughout this course, I have learned to understand the differences of the backgrounds of children and how important it is to accept those differences because children are special beings who can undoubtedly make a difference in this world with the right guidance and leadership skills.  This course indeed enlightened me on understanding that it is important to analyze children based on a biosocial, psychological, and cognitive perspective to truly understand who they are and recognize discrepancies when needed.  I now understand that it is possible to view all children as "Normal" even though they may have a disability or abnormality.  This is very important to me solely because professionals, teachers, and parents should not want to hurt the ego or self esteem of these innocent beings.  The quote that I choose is as follows:  "The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done."


Jean Piaget

Take a moment and think about what this quote means to you and how a person can apply it to daily life.  I can relate to this quote because I am a woman of difference.  I do not desire to do things the way it was done in the past or follow the steps of others.  It is evident that all children are capable to learn and it is an educator's responsibility to instill the skills needed to make this generation better than the last.  Important factors to me is to teach children how to be ambitious and go after what they think they deserve.  I enjoy learning about effective ways to help children and I plan to keep living the education dream.

Intelligence Check?

As we all are familiar with the way the school system works, we understand the to test a child's intelligence solely depends on the scores from standardized testing.  I am not against standardized testing, but I certainly have a problem if it really does not enhance education.  Standardized tests tend to measure the temporary acquisition of facts and skills, including the skill of test-taking itself, more than genuine understanding. To that extent, the fact that these tests are more likely to be used and emphasized in schools with higher percentages of minority students (a fact that has been empirically verified) predictably results in poorer-quality teaching in such schools.  I personally feel that standardized testing does more harm than enhancement.  These test usually point out students from low-income and minority-group backgrounds andare more likely to be retained in grade, placed in a lower track, or put in special or remedial education programs when it is not necessary. They are more likely to be given a watered-down or "dummied-down" curriculum, based heavily on test practice. This only ensures they will fall further and further behind their peers. On the other hand, children from white, middle and upper income backgrounds are more likely to be placed in "gifted and talented" or college preparatory programs where they are challenged to read, explore, investigate, think and progress rapidly.  There are better methods of evaluating student needs and progression. Good observational checklists used by trained teachers are more helpful than any screening test. Assessment based on student performance on real learning tasks is more useful and accurate for measuring achievement - and provides more information - than multiple-choice achievement tests.