What I have learned

It's hard to believe that it's our last week of our course already. This course has taught me many things about myself that I was surprised to discover, and has helped me uncover more about who I am and why I am who I am and how I came to be that way. It has helped me uncover bias within myself that I did not know existed, and work to become a better person, both in and out of the classroom.

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that classroom teachers, center directors, other program staff and families will establish mutually respectful and trusting relationships where no assumptions are made about others and potential issues are discussed whenever possible before problems arise and feelings are hurt. I hope for every child to grow and be educated in an environment where their identity is nurtured and everyone is respected and feels validated for who they are.

My goal for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice pertains to early childhood programs becoming more inclusive, especially of children with varying needs. It is my hope that more programs adopt approaches similar to the one described by Kate Kissinger (Pelo, 2008) when she describes her journey of developing a meaningful relationship with a child in her classroom with varying abilities. Many teachers shy away from this, even when adopting an anti-bias curriculum in other ways. When teachers include children with varying needs and accept them, it opens the door for children to view the child as a classmate, fellow learner, friend and human being. It encourages children to think critically about how to treat others who are different from them, and how to advocate for others who may not be able to advocate for themselves.

Finally, I want to say a brief thank you to all of my colleagues during this course for all of their support and varying perspectives. Learning from each of you has been enlightening for me and I hope to see you next semester. Otherwise, I wish my colleagues well in their endeavors.



Reference

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Start Seeing Diversity: Creating Art

Families come in many different forms. We have two parent and single parent households, households with extended families, grandparents raising grandchildren, children living with aunts, uncles, or even family friends. Some children are adopted. Others are raised in foster families. Some parents are of opposite genders. Other parents are the same gender. Families have different traditions, religions, languages, customs, and beliefs. But underneath it all, families have many commonalities. Families love each other, take care of each other, and learn with and from each other. Families support each other through the good times and the bad times. Families are the foundation of children's development.

As an early childhood educator, I have learned that it is extremely important to put aside any personal bias and respect all children and families, to foster children's development and to promote meaningful relationships.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We don't say those words in class!"

            This week, we have been asked to reflect on an instance in which an adult reprimanded or silenced a child who made a comment about someone who was different. This was extremely difficult for me because most of the incidents that I have witnessed have involved the adult correcting children's misinterpretations or misinformation and explaining the correct information in terms the child can understand. However, I recall one instance when I was working in a center as a preschool teacher and a child asked "Why does Clay have two mommies?" My assistant teacher, whom the child had asked, responded that Clay had two mommies because they had decided to adopt him from Russia together but that most children had a mom and a dad. This incident portrayed to the child that the only acceptable family was one that had a mother and a father at home, and that all other types of families have something wrong with them. This also sends a negative message to other children who may have overheard her response, because we had several children in the class with divorced parents, children who lived with a parent and stepparent, children who lived with grandparents, and children who lived with single parents in addition to children with traditional two parent families.

            An anti bias educator might have responded to this child (and his classmates) understanding of the many different family structures by explaining that families are the people we live with and the people who take care of us (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010) and that some people even think of their pets as members of their family. Explaining that there are many different people that can be part of our family, and asking the children to name the important people in their lives (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010). Showing children the many different people who are important to them to show the many different kinds of families is another way to help children understand that families are different but that it's okay. Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010, p. 114) cement this when they say that "The fundamental anti-bias concept that "We are all the same; we are all different" supports children in feeling pride in their own family and being open to other children's families."

 

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Start Seeing Diversity: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

I must start by saying that these topics are very personal and can be considered controversial. There is a spectrum of values, attitudes and beliefs that affect our opinion of each of these topics. We are all born into the world with the biological factors of our makeup already in place, based on the DNA of our parents. Our race, ethnicity and corresponding physical characteristics have already been decided. Our gender was determined shortly after conception. The person we grow up to be is determined by the environment in which we are raised, and the values and beliefs of our culture.

            In a diverse world, it has become necessary for educators to accept the many forms families take, while putting aside our personal beliefs. We all have the right to our own beliefs yet we must fulfill our role in helping each child develop a positive identity (Laureate Education Inc., n.d.). Many people have voiced their opinion that homophobia and heterosexism permeate the worlds of young children, through books, movies, television shows, toys and other media. However, I would argue that these ideas are prevalent because the majority of the population is heterosexual. Human beings, like many other mammals, naturally reproduce heterosexually.  In our modern world, advanced reproductive medical techniques or adoption must be utilized to help same sex couples to become parents. It could also be argued that humans are not biologically intended to become parents if they form gay or lesbian relationships. I struggle with including books and materials within my classroom depicting same-gender parents. While I recognize that this occurs in our modern world, I believe that young children should be sheltered from this being thrown in their face if there is not a family at the center with same-gender parents. Children have such little time to enjoy childhood innocence before being thrust into dealing with adult situations. If such a family enrolls at the center, then children should be taught about the different types of families. In responding to a family who perceives or knows a staff member to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and does not want this staff member interacting with their child, I would seek to have a conversation with the family about their reasons for their request. I would also support the staff person by pointing out that their sexual orientation does not impact their job performance.

I have not heard young children call each other homophobic names, but I have heard older children do so. I have heard several teachers respond to this by asking the students what they thought those names mean, and often, they do not know. Last year, children (who did understand the meaning of the word) reacted negatively to the word gay in a holiday song. The teacher responded by explaining to the students that at the time the song was written, the word was used to mean happy. Even today, the dictionary definition lists happy, merry, and bright as additional definitions of the word.

This week we were also asked to think about and respond to two articles that discuss how children's clothing became gendered, how colors became assigned to each gender, and how therapists grapple with approaches to respond to young children who feel they are transgender.  It was interesting to learn how historically boys and girls wore skirts and dresses until between ages five and seven, and how initially boys and girls wore white. Later, boys were assigned the color pink because it is a stronger color, while girls were assigned blue because it was considered more dainty (Maglaty, 2011).  Gender differentiated clothing became vogue because clothing manufacturers found that it was a way of selling more clothing as families had more children.

I notice that as a parent, I became very upset when my son (first and only child) was mistaken for a girl on multiple occasions because of his full head of curly hair (present from birth), dark eyes, and long eyelashes despite being dressed in "masculine" colors and designs. I remember becoming very upset with this and even opted to cut his hair shorter (and lose his beloved curls) because of this. This shows how focused our society is on gender.

As I read the article that discussed the conflicting views on how to approach parenting a child who struggles with gender preference and identity, I found myself aligning with Zucker (Spiegel, 2008) because I agree that if the child were struggling with their racial identity, we would support his development to become more comfortable with his race, something we cannot change.  Therefore, the same approach makes sense when approaching supporting the development of children with gender identity issues. Simply because we can surgically change someone's gender, should we? Is it ethical to do so simply because the technology exists to manipulate our anatomy?

Therefore I will continue to do what I feel is morally and ethically responsible. I will support the development of each individual child and family, respect each child and family, and help each child become comfortable with the anatomy they were born with.

 

References

Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (n.d.) Start seeing diversity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Maglaty, J. (2011). When did girls start wearing pink?. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-did-girls-start-wearing-pink-1370097/

Spiegel, A. (2008). Two families grapple with sons' gender identity: Psychologists take radically different approaches in therapy. Retrieved from http:///www.npr.org/2008005/07090247842/two-families-grapple-with-sons-gender-preferences.

End of Communication and Collaboration Course

The end has come for our communication and collaboration course at Walden University. These past eight weeks have brought us continued and deepened understanding of one another, our perspectives, opinions, and communication styles. We have strengthened our existing connections and forged new ones with classmates that were new to us this semester. Now we embark on the journey that could further strengthen our ties or break us apart. We move into the final courses of our programs- each with a different concentration. We will learn to teach adults in the ECE field, to be program administrators/managers, to be public policy advocates, and to teach with diversity and equity in mind. I want to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues for providing varying perspectives on how to approach the many different scenarios we encountered during this course. I learned the importance of listening to everyone's opinions, especially since others can have experience dealing with problems and that everyone's ideas deserve to be heard. Many times, collaboration can result in creative solutions that work, by incorporating many ideas into one. For those who wish to stay in touch, I have posted my contact information below.




Get in touch with me at celesteguinazu@gmail.com

Good luck to everyone in your future endeavors and I hope to see some familiar faces in our next course!

Team development and weathering the adjourning phase

Adjournment is an essential stage of teamwork because every project comes to an end, and each team member takes away new skills and ideas that will carry over to new projects. As I reflect on the many teams I have taken part in over the last several years, I think of which groups were hardest to leave and which I was happy to sever ties with. I notice that the groups with the most cohesiveness were much harder to leave than those where the group interacted awkwardly, regardless of the success or demise of the project. According to O'Hair and Wiemann (2012), cohesiveness is considered a contributor to the success of the project. Groups who identify themselves as one entity, rather than a group of individuals, work like a well oiled machine. Team members learn to interpret the verbal and nonverbal communication patterns of one another, to anticipate the needs of other team members, where the skills of each member of the team compliment the skills of the other members. Unfortunately I have yet to experience a closing ritual that brought true closure and fulfillment. I am not even sure what that would look like. All I know is that when working on a project within a strong team, that strength triumphs almost any challenge. And for these type of team relationships, it is never easy to say goodbye.

I wonder how I will react when the bonds we have formed as colleagues at Walden University come to an end as we finish up our master's degrees. Will we keep in touch? Or will we let those bonds dissipate like the fog in the morning sunshine?  Only time will tell...

 

Reference

 

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Conflict Resolution

One conflict I have recently experienced and solved in the workplace with a colleague stems from differences of opinion regarding realistic expectations and goals for a particular student. This student is someone who receives myriad special education services, and generally functions at a level approximately 2-3 years below that of her peers across all developmental domains. Here's the conflict: my colleague feels that this student should be expected to participate in grade level reading and mathematics activities, while I do not. The data clearly shows that this student is not developmentally ready to engage in learning these particular concepts. One strategy I used to help solve this problem and support my opinion was to present my colleague with clear student data collected over time. I presented several samples of the student's work, with careful notes of what was completed independently, what was completed with assistance and what the student was unable to complete because it was too difficult even with modification and resulted in a temper tantrum. I was careful to listen to her perspective, while keeping an open mind. She contended that this student needed to be exposed to grade level material regardless of whether or not she was able to understand it fully. By engaging in this type of communication, we were both respectful of each other, responsive to each other's opinion, and engaged in a reciprocal conversation (a strategy developed by Magda Gerber to promote effective, respectful communication). The principles of nonviolent communication (www.cnvc.org) that we discussed in class this week also apply to this situation. We honestly expressed our observations, feelings and needs while making a request of the other person, and each emphatically listened to the observations, feelings, needs and requests of the other. As a result, we were able to reach a compromise. The student would spend half of the allotted time in the classroom being exposed to grade level curriculum for each subject in question and would spend the other half of the allotted time for each subject learning concepts and skills that would assist her in coming closer to completing grade level work.

Reference

The Center for Nonviolent Communication (n.d.) The center for nonviolent

     communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org.

Learning about our own communication style

This week we completed an exercise that evaluated our communication anxiety, verbal aggressiveness and listening style through self evaluation and via evaluation by two other people. I chose to have my husband and one of my colleagues evaluate me. I was surprised that all three  evaluations showed similar results in the verbal aggressiveness and listening style exercises, while they varied greatly in the communication anxiety exercise. My self evaluation confirmed that I have significant anxiety communicating in group settings. The larger the group size, the higher my anxiety level. However, my husband noticed less communication anxiety overall, and my colleague noticed the least. I found it interesting that I am apparently able to conceal my communication anxiety and be an effective communicator in the workplace. As a result, Ione insight I gained about communication this week is that no matter how anxious or nervous you are about something, if you believe that you can do it then you will be able to conceal your anxiety better than if you do not. Concealing your anxiety and presenting your position confidently raises your effectiveness as a communicator. People are much more likely to consider your position if you present it in a confident manner. The other insight I gained this week regarding communication is that if you conduct yourself in a manner that respects the viewpoints of others and you work to change their position by arguing fairly and disputing the facts rather than the person, you will receive much more respect and be a more effective communicator while helping others maintain their dignity. This is especially important if you wish to enter an administrative position, but is also important to remember when working collaboratively in any field.

Effective Communication with colleagues, neighbors and family

Considering all the aspects that make up culture, including but not limited to race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, varying abilities, and so on, diversity is all around us. Within my workplace, neighborhood, and even within my family, there is significant cultural diversity. Many of us communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures, according to our comfort level with the person and with their culture. I am also guilty of this. I find myself falling into the trap we learned about in class this week of communicating less with people whose culture differs from ours. For example, I notice that I communicate differently with one member of my family, who is of a much higher socioeconomic status than I am, and portrays herself as better than everyone else because of this; than I do with members of my family whose socioeconomic status is similar to my own. I converse much easier with those of similar socioeconomic status than I do with those whose socioeconomic status is higher than mine. Perhaps this is because I feel I can't relate to them because I feel that I place higher value on relationships while they seem to place higher value on having the latest gadget. Reflecting on ways to help me communicate differently, I have decided to try the following strategies:

1. Apply the Platinum Rule: Treat others they way you think they want to be treated. (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).

2. Develop Appropriate Knowledge. I will make more effort to learn about how others communicate in order to understand their perspective and communicate in a way they prefer. (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).

3. Avoid negative judgments. This one is especially difficult, because we are always developing opinions about someone or something based on our schema. Our prior knowledge shapes our beliefs about a person based on their appearance, demeanor, communication style, etc. By avoiding forming an opinion about someone until you get to know them, you open yourself up to new and different experiences, and develop new understandings. (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011 and Gonzalez-Mena, 2010).

Most importantly, I think that bringing this information to colleagues and even supervisors, especially when working with families and children, is essential to creating an environment that is inclusive to all families. All teachers and personnel working in schools should be aware of this.

References

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Communication

This week we were asked to watch a television show that we do not normally watch, and watch it first without sound while trying to make sense about the characters and their relationships based on the nonverbal behavior we observe. We were to then watch the same show again with the sound turned on and evaluate our first impression.

For this assignment I chose to watch an episode of the Big Bang Theory. I have never watched this show before. During the first few minutes of watching the show with the sound off I initially thought that some of the characters might be friends from the way they were interacting with each other, such as talking animatedly, touching each other, and the hand gestures they used. Regarding two of the characters, I initially thought they were just friends until they started kissing each other passionately. I was incorrect in my assumption that one of the girls switched cars during a road trip because of a fight with one of the other girls. I thought they were having a fight based on their facial expressions, eye rolling, and later avoiding each other's gaze. Later, towards the end of the episode, it is clear that this group of friends is not getting along well because of the facial expressions and gestures they make during a symposium where they are supposedly presenting on the interdisciplinary interactions of science and society. By the end of the episode, it seems they are all angry with each other.

When I watched with the sound on, my impressions of what was going on were mixed between correct and incorrect. I was correct in that the characters knew each other, and some were friends, but it appears that some are more than friends and some may just be colleagues. I was correct when I was able to discern arguments, but was incorrect in whom they involved, especially when one of the girls switched cars during the road trip. I would have never imagined some of the topics they argued about (some inappropriate, so I will not detail them). I was generally correct when I judged someone as being embarrassed too. This was because they generally turned flushed or hid their faces. 

I think that if I had watched a show I knew well I would not have been so attuned to the nonverbal communication of the characters, because I would have assumed that I knew what was going on. I would already know the relationships among the characters, and therefore would have watched the episode without much thought. Therefore, I can say that in general, when interacting with people who are less familiar to me, I am more attuned to nonverbal communication than I am with people who are very familiar to me, because I assume I know what the other person is thinking or feeling if I know them well, and I will tune out both verbal or nonverbal communication that does not fit with my preconceived notion. It is important to be mindful of these cues, with all people you interact with, because you may not know what the person is thinking or feeling just because you know them well. This can lead to miscommunications and damage to personal or working relationships. I think we tend to be more mindful of people we don't know, because we don't want to offend them. We need to keep this in mind even with people we are very familiar with.

Competent Communication

This post represents a new chapter in my course of study at Walden University. This semester we are studying Communication and Collaboration in the Early Childhood Field. As I think about the many people I interact with on a regular basis, I notice that some of them are better communicators than others. I, myself have some challenges communicating my thoughts, ideas and feelings in a calm manner. This has even carried over to my professional life and I have made great strides in learning to express myself professionally, even when I am experiencing strong emotions regarding a particular topic or incident. Despite this, I have a long way to go.

 

I am inspired to become a better communicator by many of the dedicated teachers I have the pleasure of working with on a daily basis. I have two colleagues at my current school who have especially stood out in demonstrating competent communication, even in emotionally charged situations. I am not going to use their full names in this post, just to maintain their privacy. Mr. T. and Mrs. R. both exhibit extremely calm demeanors, even in difficult situations. When addressing issues involving students, both educators approach the student on a one on one basis, in close proximity, and calmly, quietly speak to the student about his or her behavior and what the expectations are in the classroom. Both educators also seek to understand the student and his or her needs in a respectful manner before any disciplinary actions are taken. This measure is important because we learned that it is just as important to try to see things from the other person's perspective before we try to get the other person to see our perspective. Both teachers are able to communicate effectively with students and staff, because they clearly state their hope, need, or direction to staff or students. As a result, both teachers have earned educator of the year awards, and I look to them as role models for how I try to approach different situations.  Their openness, honesty, composure and respect for students and colleagues leads to effective communication and results in students learning and colleagues working together. I hope to be that kind of teacher as I continue my career.

Wishes, Hopes and an End of Course Thank you

As I complete my final week of this course on Perspectives on Diversity and Equity, I think about how if more educators had training in anti bias education, then more children would grow up accepting their own unique identity, have higher self esteem, and be much more accepting of the characteristics of others that make us all different yet wonderful. So my hope as I dive into working closer with diverse children and families is to make a difference, even in small ways, and to help my colleagues realize the importance of anti bias education for our future. I realize that most likely I will make many mistakes along the way, but it's been said many times that we learn best from those mistakes. It's a journey we make as we learn to become better educators and therefore better individuals. My short term goal is to take what I have learned from this course and use it to assess how my current school is doing regarding addressing issues of diversity and equity, and then bring those issues to the attention of our school administrators. My goal for the early childhood field in general is to influence other early childhood educators to make changes to their classrooms that welcome diverse families and make them feel at home. Even if I can only influence one, eventually there will be a chain reaction and more will follow. I want to thank all of my colleagues that have participated in this course with me for their support. I also thank you for opening my eyes to the perspectives of others and thank you for the wonderful discussions we have had over the last eight weeks. I wish you all well and hope to see you in future courses at Walden.

Welcoming Families from Around the World

This week we have been asked to respond to the following scenario:

While working as an early childhood professional, you receive notification that the child of a family that has recently emigrated will be joining your class soon. You know nothing about this child, family or their country of origin. You are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to learn more than surface facts about their country of origin. Choose a country of origin for this fictitious family and describe how you would prepare yourself to be culturally responsive to this family and how these preparations will benefit both you and the family.

For this assignment, I chose Bolivia, a country in South America for the country of origin of this fictitious family. During this course we have learned that to foster positive relationships with and among families it is to establish two way communication.  The key to establishing two way communication is to treat families as the source of information on the child, engage them in planning for their child and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Another important factor in establishing a teacher-family partnership is to respect and value the family's culture. It would be prudent to learn some basic communication etiquette pertinent to the family's country of origin. It is also helpful to learn some basic words or phrases in the language spoken by the family. If this is not feasible, having an adult interpreter (either on staff or as a consultant) would help the family feel more at ease and facilitate the family's transition from their home nation to their new home. Talk regularly with the family, sharing their child's experiences and asking them to share information about the child's home experiences. When differences of opinion arise, it is important to remain calm and to keep communication open, try to find out why the family feels this way, explain your position and the goals you have for doing things a certain way, and make every effort to reach an agreement that is amicable to everyone. Another way to make the family feel welcome at your center is to make the classroom accessible, ensuring that families and children can move freely throughout the room and that there is a comfortable place for families to sit and observe or talk with you (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Providing books or materials to families in their home language also makes them feel welcome and gives them a sense of belonging.

I took some time to research some basic cultural information about the cultural norms of Bolivia. It is important to keep in mind that most, but not all families may hold these values and beliefs, so it is best to be observant of the power dynamic and of nonverbal as well as verbal communication to avoid misunderstandings. I learned that in general Bolivian people speak Spanish, but many speak one or more of the 36 indigenous languages including Aymara, Quechua, or Guarani. Bolivian people generally value direct eye contact as an indication of trust and honesty, but it is necessary for men and women to avoid overly direct eye contact during their initial meeting as this may be misinterpreted. Handshakes are a common form of greeting for business-type relationships. Bolivians value polite, formal communication and avoid confrontation as much as possible. This also includes ensuring voices are kept at a medium to low volume, as loud voices in public are frowned upon. I learned that in general Bolivian people stand relatively close to the person they are speaking with, generally one to two feet away, and that it is considered rude to back away from someone while they are speaking. Women's social standing in Bolivia varies based on where they live. Women living in urban areas are expected to work outside the home, while women living in rural areas are not. Instead, women living in rural areas are expected to oversee the general duties of the house, educate/care for children and do all of the cooking and cleaning. It is also important to note that Bolivia is generally a male dominated society, therefore males make many of the important family decisions. Generally, most Bolivians (95%) are Roman Catholic, and therefore celebrate the holidays associated with this religion, however many people of indigenous decent retain some of their pre-Christian beliefs.

By becoming aware of the cultural values and beliefs of a family and establishing open, honest communication, families will begin to feel comfortable and welcomed because they are respected. Consulting families regarding their hopes and dreams for their child, clearly communicating your hopes for their child (after you get to know him/her of course) and finding common ground ensures that you are all working towards providing the child with the best environment possible for her/his development. Treating families as the expert regarding their child shows respect for the family and gives them power, avoiding feelings of marginalization. Respecting the family structure and dynamics also avoids marginalization.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Landers, M. and Grossman, L. (2014).  Bolivia. Culture Crossing: A community built guide to cross-cultural etiquette and understanding. Retrieved from http://www.culturecrossing.net.

www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bolivia.html

www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/bolivia-land-people.html

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

We have been learning about institutional prejudices as sources of inequity and oppression, and that bias and prejudice are learned behaviors. I would like to share with you some ongoing issues I have witnessed regarding disability bias. I am a special education paraprofessional. I work one on one with students who require it. Over the last few years, I have been assigned to work with two students who were wheelchair users and also had some communication issues. One student used an eye gaze computer to communicate as well as basic head nodding for yes/no questions. The other student had a well developed vocabulary but was somewhat difficult but not impossible to understand. If you took the time and made the effort to listen to what she was saying, you could understand her fairly easily. The bias I witnessed time and time again came from adults within the school as well as other students, who assumed that she couldn't speak and would direct all communication about her over her head to me. Often these questions would be seeking the student's opinion about something. At first, I would turn and ask her the question, and then relay the answer, but then realized that this method was contributing to the problem, not being the solution. I began directing everyone to ask the student directly. These incidents really diminished equity in education for these students because these students were denied quality, meaningful interaction with other adults and peers. Furthermore, it disempowered the students because the student was being spoken for more often than not, and because it reinforced the notion that these students could not make their thoughts and opinions known without teacher assistance. These incidents still occur despite continued redirection (by me) to ask the student the question. This saddens me and makes me very angry. It also makes my student very angry, because she has stated more than once that she feels that she does not have any friends because no one will listen to her. She says it also makes her angry because she can talk! I agree with her, because it marginalizes her because she is slightly challenging to understand. I feel that if people took the time to listen carefully to what she has to say, and then ask her to clarify if they don't understand it all (she is happy to do so) it empowers her to communicate her ideas, thoughts and beliefs. For incidents like this to truly stop, because I am sure that they occur to other people living with a disability, it would be necessary to educate people to address people directly, regardless of their appearance, and to look to parents, caregivers, teachers or other people working in an assistive capacity for answers only if they do not receive a response from the person. It is also important to note that some people require a slightly longer time than others to process the question and formulate their response. Education that not everyone with a disability has communication problems would also be helpful. It is also helpful to keep in mind that with today's technological advances, some people may use augmentative communication devices to assist them in their daily lives. Devices  may include but are not limited to things like iPads or Tobii eye gaze computers. Generally, it comes down to basic common sense, and the golden rule "Treat others the way you would want to be treated". I doubt you would want someone ignoring you and talking about you over your head to your teacher or caregiver when you are perfectly capable of expressing yourself using voice, sign language, or technological assistance. It's just something to keep in mind when working with people with disabilities, and would truly help diminish incidences of ableism.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we have been focusing on noticing microaggression in our school, workplace, public places or homes. Microaggression is defined as "brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental...intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that causes severe psychological distress and harm" (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).

 This assignment proved more difficult than I thought because it required focused observation skills and provoked thinking about whether or not the recipient (or myself) was being oversensitive or whether the experience was an example of microaggression. I recall an incident from a few years ago with a former student. One person made a comment "not to expect much because the expectations just aren't there" regarding the academic performance and behavioral support of a particular student who came from a single parent African American home. This person was stereotyping this child and family based on the family's race and socioeconomic status. However, this student was able to excel in the classroom both academically and behaviorally when supported by a caring teacher who partnered with the parent to help the child meet both the school's goals and the parent's goals for her child. When I observed this microaggression I thought it was a comment that was out of line and that the person making the comment had no right to do so because they did not know the person they were referring to very well and they were just relying on stereotypes to judge this family before meeting them. This made me very upset but I wasn't sure what to do about it. Now I would probably speak up and tell them they are being inappropriate and rude since they do not have all the facts. I would also encourage them to disregard stereotypes.

Until this assignment, I always assumed that comments made to me that felt insulting and seemed to be repeated over and over by friends, family and strangers were just something I needed to get over since I was probably being oversensitive. Now I see it that it could be an example of microaggression. I will know the problem may not be fully with me personally, but be based on stereotypes. It has made me aware of how much we think we know about people based on this misinformation and how we should make the effort to get to know people of diverse backgrounds better. It has also prompted me to think about what I am about to say to someone and evaluate whether or not it could be considered insulting or not.

 

References

 Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week we have been asked to speak with friends, family members, acquaintances and/or colleagues and ascertain their definitions of culture and diversity. Here are the answers I recieved:

1) From a female friend who was born and raised in Portugal before moving to England and later to the United States" I would say culture is your background, not just where you were born but how you were raised in terms of your religious beliefs and lifestyle. It's very broad for me. It's how you live your life based on your beliefs. It's not specific because everyone has different cultures and backgrounds. For me diversity is not necessarily about someone's color, its more about their culture, background and beliefs. Someone who is different from who you are and doesn't have the same views as you do. It's broader than the standard definition in terms of religion or color.  We have to take into account ethnicity, where you grew up and your family's beliefs."

2) From a female friend who moved to the United States as a young teenager from Italy in the late 1970s- "Culture is the customs or beliefs that make your nationality different and special. Diversity is different ethnicities of people coming together in peace no matter what their differences are."

3) A combined statement made by a married Jewish couple (she is in her 50s, he is in his 60s) that are dear family friends- "Culture is the combination of ethnicity, religion and nationality that you grow up in and the traditions that come with those things. It also has to do with the time period you grow up in and where you grow up.  Culture can change if you move from one place to another, say even from a  rural area to the city and vice versa. Culture is the things that bring people together as a group. Diversity means that everyone has differences due to culture and ethnicity. It means people accepting each other for  their differences in race, religion, skin color, sexual orientation, political positions, and so on. Diversity can be present within a culture. For example, even with Judaism there are subsets of culture, all with different beliefs and ways of life. Diversity is the things that make people different.

4) From my sister in law who moved to the U.S. from Argentina when she was about 11 years old- "Culture to me is like Raul and I are from Argentina so we have a different type of culture than what's over here. For example we don't celebrate Thanksgiving the way you do. The country you come from has certain things that are unique to that country. To me that's culture. Diversity is all kinds of people coming together."

Based on these responses, I can say that based on what we have learned in this course so far most people define culture based on aspects of race, ethnicity, religion and nationality. Everyone described culture (using slightly different wording) as the ways you live your life based on your beliefs. Two people identified the location of where your grow up and now reside as having influences on culture. Only one person identified culture being based on your sexual orientation or political affiliation/position. One person also identified the time period in which you grow up as having influence on your values and beliefs. I was surprised that no one identified gender roles, language or expectations adults have for children as being a part of culture.

The one area that has influenced my own thinking about these topics based on the definitions provided by my family and friends is the definition that introduces the time period and location you grow up in as having an influence on your culture. Now that I think about it, I realize how true it is. Someone growing up during the Great Depression would have very different values and beliefs than someone growing up in a period where wealth was abundant and jobs were plentiful. Situations like this truly influence your values and beliefs. For example, I know people in my parent's age group that worked for the same employer for forty or even fifty years before retiring. Today, while you still have some people who are that loyal to one employer, many have the belief that if an employer isn't catering to them, it's time to leave and find somewhere better. Another idea that was brought up by the same person talked about how there is diversity even within a culture. Looking at my own family, I see examples of that every day. There are marked differences in values and beliefs between my sister and I, despite being raised in the same household, by the same parents, and generally at the same time (we are almost 3 years apart). For example, we have conflicting views on religion, politics, education, child rearing, and even etiquette! I could go on, but I think you get the picture. This is an example of diversity within a family culture. I particularly liked the definition of diversity as people coming together despite their differences. I hope humans can learn to respect each other's differences and learn to work together to share the planet we call home.

A scenario to ponder

This week our professor at Walden University has given us an interesting yet challenging scenario to ponder and respond to. Here it is:

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

 

My response:

The three items I would choose to take with me are our family bible, our family photo album and my heirloom soup pot. I would take the family bible because our faith is an important part of our family culture. I would take our family photo album because it holds our family history and helps us remember our ancestors and the sacrifices they made to get our family to where we are now. I would take the pot because it has been passed down through several family generations and no matter where the family was or how little they had, they were always able to make something out of basically nothing to survive. A hot meal simmering on the stove has always been a symbol of home. It is an item to remember that perseverance is the key to get out of any situation. As we learned from Keat, Strickland and Marinak (2009), photographs and other artifacts can serve as a communication tool that helps convey to others the people, places and things that are important to us and helps us explain to others our lives. from Keat, Strickland and Marinak (2009) further explain that these items can also help to correct misunderstandings that may occur when people apply stereotypes to the reality of others. Therefore, if I were to be informed that I would have to give up any of these items I would be incredibly angered, disappointed, and frustrated to say the least. I would feel this way because people hold on to things that are dearest to them to help them get through difficult situations. Unfortunately, when we have to flee our homes and settle elsewhere, especially in a foreign country, we hold on to our culture as much as possible to maintain our sanity. When we cannot do this and have to assimilate into the mainstream culture immediately, we lose a part of ourselves. We lose a part of our identity (Laureate Education Inc., 2011), which can also lead to negative emotions that there is something wrong with us because our former way of life is unacceptable all of a sudden. As a result, we will always feel that part of us is missing, and that we are not whole. Loss of language, religion, or other way of life would leave us quite disoriented.

I am interested to read about what items my colleagues would choose this week and why, because I know from reading our class discussion postings last week and this week and from reading our introductions in the student lounge that we all define ourselves a little bit differently. Each colleague seems to have a different culture, even if we share the same race or ethnicity. We have differences in the way we live, simply because of the family culture where we were raised. These differences are not bad, they just express the many different ways to be human. Here is a quote I found in our reading this week that I have been thinking about ever since I read it: "Every day, in every action, we express our particular group culture and our individual relationship to our culture." (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010, p. 55)

 

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Keat, J. B., Strickland, M. J., & Marinak, B. A. (2009). Child voice: How immigrant children enlightened their teachers with a camera. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(1), 13--21.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

When I think of Research

As this Walden University course in Building Research Competencies comes to an end, I realize that I have gained a plethora of knowledge about research. I learned how to read a research study without feeling overwhelmed. I learned that there are certain parts of the study that are more important to read than others. While I will always struggle with trying to read the vast amount of data results in a research study, I am grateful that I can turn to the discussion and conclusion sections of the study report to find out what it all really means without having to figure it out myself. I also realize that while there are many different things to think about regarding designing a research study, that this course has certainly introduced me to doing research, and how it can apply to our everyday lives. One thing I learned the most about these last eight weeks was about data triangulation- making sure there are multiple methods, multiple data sources, multiple researchers or multiple theories applied to interpreting the data, all to ensure that the data is complete and as detailed as possible, as well as ensuring that the data is valid and can be applied outside the realm of the study itself. I was challenged when designing my research simulation about how to ensure my data met the above criteria for triangulation, and was able to figure it out with the help of the resources Dr. Todd provided as well as by consulting our text. Ensuring my simulation also met equity considerations was also a challenge, and I hope my design has enough of these qualities to ensure it is as equitable(as described as justice and fairness) as possible. As an early childhood professional, I knew that keeping up with current research and implementing developmentally appropriate and current methods of teaching and learning are important for any professional. As a result of this course, I also learned that even an early childhood professional can conduct a research study on a small scale to obtain information that can help solve a problem or establish a connection between occurrences, all to improve the lives of the children and families we serve every day. I also want to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues for providing varied opinions and perspectives about the topics covered in this course, and showing me how to look at things differently. It is always better to examine an issue from more than one perspective, to gain the most information and make an informed decision. Thank you colleagues, and I hope that I see you again in future courses! Best of luck to you all!

Research around the World

For this assignment I chose to explore the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) website. Here's what I found.

What are some of the current international research topics?

        Like current research in the United States, the research topics listed in the 2014 issues of the journal published by this organization  are related to literacy, science,  professionalism in the field and ongoing professional development, emotional development, and how to support children's learning. Here are some of the titles of research studies published in the most recent journal:

The multiliteracy development of a young trilingual child: Four leading literacy activities from Birth to age six.

How often to Early Childhood Teachers teach science concepts? Determinants of the frequency of science teaching in kindergarten.

Developing Professionalism through reflective practice and ongoing professional development.

Consulting Young Children about barriers and supports to learning

Education for Sustainable development in early childhood education in Spain. Evolution, trends and proposals.

Children's meaning making of nature in an outdoor oriented and democratic Swedish preschool practice.

Stress and caregiver sensitivity among child care staff in Santiago, Chile

Further exploration of the first issue published in 2014 revealed additional research regarding play, social emotional development, mathematics in kindergarten, improving individualized education programs for students with autism, character development, and parent perceptions of quality in early childhood education.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are so many professionals all over the world working to improve the lives and experiences of young children and families. While a subscription is necessary to read the full text of the articles provided, visitors to this website are able to read the abstracts of each article. I was not surprised to read that parents often overestimate the quality of early childhood education provided to their children when compared to ratings of the same environments using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R). I also noted that the international community is looking to improve professionalism in the field, similar to efforts being made across the U.S. Additionally, I also noted a focus in involving children in assessing their own barriers and supports to learning, laying the foundation for children to develop the skills necessary to say (later in school) "Here's where I am stuck" or "Here's where I do well, I need more things like this to help me learn better."

 

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

I found that this organization has many similarities to our own NAEYC. Like the NAEYC, EECERA is an independent  organization that supports early childhood professonals and encourages, supports and publishes multidiciplinary research. Like the NAEYC, EECERA supports early childhood by promoting practices based on current and past well known early childhood research theories, methods and concepts that we know are developmentally appropriate. Finally, like the NAEYC, EECERA hosts a conference that promotes networking among early childhood professionals and connects teachers with researchers.

 

References

http://www.eecera.org

Research that Benefits Children and Families

As we know, there have been myriad research studies over time that have had significant positive impacts on the lives of children and families. I could spend an infinite amount of time detailing them all for you, but I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to dive into a fantasy world where I possess the means and knowledge to conduct research on any topic, and that I am not restricted by any present realities. In this instance, I would choose to research the topic of premature birth. While we know many causes of premature birth, and ways to prevent it, we do not know everything. According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 9 babies (11.5%) born in the U.S. in 2013 were premature. This is unacceptable for such an advanced country. I would research more about the causes of premature birth, ways to prevent it, and how to provide infants with the best supports possible when they are born too early. I see the effects of extreme prematurity every day, and know that these children received care in a neonatal intensive care unit for months following their births, yet they still struggle with completing everyday tasks. By preventing premature birth in the first place, we can give our children a much better start in life. Children will be more on track developmentally, and parents will be less stressed about finding, accessing and affording the care their child requires.

References
http://www.marchofdimes.com/

My Personal Research Journey

I have begun my fifth course at Walden University, working toward my master's degree. Although we are just finishing up week two of the course, I find that this course is more challenging and more frustrating than any other course I have taken so far. The focus of this course is to improve our skills at reading and applying research to our practice, and to simulate our own research study.

The process of learning to read research has been a frustrating one for me. I struggle to learn the terms associated with the different types of research and find myself reading and rereading the same material over and over with the glossary of our book open at all times. I have even taken to copying down the definitions in a notebook, with the hope that writing them in addition to reading them will help me process them better and understand them deeper. The process of completing this week's assignment related to constructing a research chart and providing the definition of key terms in our own words was incredibly challenging. I am not used to being in a position where I struggle academically and I definitely don't like it! Now I know how my students feel when they struggle to learn a difficult concept. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to read and understand the key terms in the chapter in a more effective way. This is the only way I know how to study them and quite frankly it is not working for me.

I have chosen to research the relationship of family involvement in early childhood with children's academic outcomes. I predict that students with more highly involved families will have more positive outcomes than students without home support of their academics. A brief search of the Walden library provides fruitful information about this topic.

I look forward to reading the chosen topics of my Walden colleagues and hope we can collaborate with each other on how to understand research terms more effectively.

Consequences of Learning about the International Early Childhood Field from a Professional Development Perspective

           Any time you devote time and energy into learning about a topic, there are intended as well as unintended consequences. By focusing on one topic, you learn a great deal about that one topic or area, and depending on how long and how in depth you study it, you may become an expert(an intended consequence). An unintended consequence of learning about one topic is that you exclude other topics that are relevant to the field.

            During my most recent course at Walden University, we have been studying the early childhood field from an international perspective. One intended consequence of this is that we learn more about what other countries do to address early childhood learning needs, how they fund these learning opportunities, and perhaps learn more about how we can advocate to improve early childhood educational programs and funding in the United States to ensure that all children have access to high quality programming. We also learn that there are many nations that are still struggling to offer universal access to a primary education for their citizens, which results in early childhood taking a backseat. To these nations, I offer a piece of advice suggested by UNESCO- make early childhood education part of primary education, and approach businesses to assist in funding when government funding is limited.

            Another consequence of exploring early childhood education from an international perspective is that you learn about some of the more serious issues faced by children worldwide. One issue I learned about was the fight to ensure the rights of orphaned children, especially their right to grow up in a safe, healthy environment that supports their growth and development while fostering  feelings of love and security. The feeling that they are wanted and that they belong is also an important component of this right. It has also led me to want to explore the differences, benefits of, and consequences of institutional care versus foster care for children without parents. This is both a professional as well as a personal curiosity. Another curiosity related to this is the desire to learn more about the process of becoming a foster parent, the resources available to help foster parents foster the children's development, especially in the case of abuse, neglect or parental death. It also leads to questions regarding the practice of frequent home changes and the risk of negative consequences on children's attachments.

Another intended consequence is that you develop the opportunity to cross physical barriers, such as oceans or mountain ranges, to develop professional contacts outside the United States. While I was unable to develop a personal contact outside the U.S., I was able to learn a great deal about the many organizations that contribute to the early childhood field on an international level, and the many ways they advocate for young children worldwide. Read my previous posts to find out more about the individual organizational websites I was able to explore, and feel free to offer comments or contact me to offer additional resources.

Professional Goal

As a result of this course of study, I have developed a professional goal of continuing to remain abreast of international issues and trends in early childhood education on the international level by visiting related websites at least once per week. Additionally, it is my hope to establish contact with an early childhood professional outside of the U.S. to help me learn more about ECE on the international level.

International Early Childhood Education

Learning about international early childhood education practices has been very informative and thought provoking this week. I explored the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization website (www.unesco.org), an organization that advocates for early childhood care and educational programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning which provide for children's holistic development. To promote quality early care and education, UNESCO supports a system where professionals receive adequate training and work conditions that integrate the content and practice of early care and education. Furthermore, since no universal criteria for measuring early childhood care and education quality exists, UNESCO  additionally recommends that  programs include developmentally appropriate curricula based on holistic development. Parental education and involvement are also important. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All and the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action reaffirm the importance of early care and education, emphasizing that learning begins at birth. Participating countries committed themselves to expanding and improving early care and education especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Worldwide, the greatest difficulties in achieving this are resources, especially in countries that do not yet offer universal primary education. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All stated that countries should view early care and education as part of primary education and recommends approaching private businesses (both for profit and nonprofit) for funding when government funds are limited.

My internet exploration also led me to the World Forum Foundation website (www.worldforumfoundation.org), where I explored efforts to improve the lives of children by fighting for children's rights. One group is currently working on the Rights of Children in Children's Homes, working on behalf of children without families. This group fights for orphaned children's right to grow up in a safe, healthy environment that supports their growth and development. They believe that all children deserve to grow up feeling loved and that they belong. This group was instrumental in improving the lives of children in Romanian orphanages, changing practices and procedures that resembled an assembly line. Children in these institutions were left in cribs unattended for hours and were often never held. This dedicated group was instrumental in providing valuable training for caregivers that allowed them to recognize that they could provide the children with individual care without an assembly line feel, while meeting children's needs of feeling loved and cared for.

This internet exploration helped me realize the circumstances some of our world's children live in. I agree with UNESCO's position that it is essential that all early care and education experiences support whole child development, and that children are not pushed into attending formal primary education at a very young age. I found it interesting that UNESCO recommended considering early childhood education as part of primary education. It is my hope that we can move toward this view worldwide. While exploring these websites I also learned about the many advocacy efforts to support children, especially in the area of children's rights. Until reading about the efforts that changed policy and procedures in Romania, I assumed that these changes were initiated from within the country. I realized that sometimes it just takes one person's convictions and hard work to change the lives of children, now and in the future. This connects to my professional goals of increasing my knowledge of children with atypical needs. It also opens up a field of early childhood that I previously was not interested in: advocacy. I am still considering goals related to advocacy for children, and while I will definitely advocate for children in my community, I realize that advocating for children on the international level is a very important position, which I imagine was very rewarding for those who have been involved in efforts that have earned positive results.

Exploring the Zero to Three website

www.zerotothree.org

I chose to explore the Public Policy section of the website. I found that Zero to Three has links regarding individual state's policies on infant and toddler welfare and initiatives. It also outlines information about the Early Learning Challenge Grant that is intended to be used to help states better serve infants and toddlers. Zero to Three also has a link to state by state information about state strategies on improving infant and early childhood mental health. They provide a policy toolkit, aimed at helping parents, child care providers, policymakers and anyone interested in early childhood advocate for quality early childhood programs and outline the benefits of providing children with a strong start.

Zero to Three's e-newsletter, From Baby to Big Kid is geared toward parents of young children and provides information specific to your child's age and development. Unfortunately, every link in the e-newsletter leads to the same developmental chart and how you can support your child's development across all developmental domains.

Zero to three supports raising parent's awareness of quality programs and accessibility to services by supporting the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and other similar home visiting programs that support families dealing with language barriers, poverty, geographic or social isolation, stress, or other issue that prevents parents from supporting their child's early development. Home visiting programs can tailor services to meet the needs of the individual family in a culturally appropriate and responsive manner. Additionally, they support the development of a comprehensive policy framework designed to promote good health, strong families, and positive learning experiences for children. They promote the development of accessible, high quality, culturally responsive and inclusive services supported by an infrastructure that defines and coordinates leadership, recruits and engages stakeholders, finances strategically, enhances and aligns standards, creates and supports improvement and ensures accountability, therefore creating a comprehensive early childhood system.

Zero to Three promotes parental awareness of excellence in early care and education by providing information about things to look for when visiting potential child care settings for your child. Parents are encouraged to observe the way staff members interact with children in the program, such as how much attention children receive, whether their diaper changes are done silently or are full of conversation, and whether children seem to feel nurtured. Parents are encouraged to ask about staff education regarding child development and early childhood education. Parents are also encouraged to observe for how caregivers handle discipline and ensure that this and other child rearing philosophies match your own. These and other included tips apply to child care centers or family care homes. Zero to three also provides a wealth of information geared toward parents about supporting their child's early development that is tailored to the child's age group.

Birth to Three addresses multiple issues and trends in early childhood, including issues faced by parents and caregivers. This includes early development, mental health, nutrition, play, promoting healthy social-emotional development, brain development, challenging behaviors, the importance of play, issues with sleep, and challenges with temperament and associated behaviors. Resources are included for parents and grandparents as well, in English or Spanish. Resources also address issues such as setting limits, understanding how traumatic experiences affect very young children, helping children through divorce or separation and understanding fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Birth to Three also provides education about child abuse and neglect, and how to prevent child abuse or neglect in very young children because they account for over three fourths of child maltreatment fatalities, and hold the greatest risk for long term damage but the greatest potential for successful intervention. Resources are also available to help court teams raise awareness about the negative impact of abuse and neglect on very young children and how to change systems to improve outcomes for very young children. Resources are provided on how to train professionals, provide resources, and encourage collaboration between existing service providers, creating a comprehensive support system for the child and family.

Getting to Know International Contacts

Unfortunately, I have still been unable to contact any early childhood professionals outside the United States, and therefore have completed our alternative assignment.

            This week, on the World Forum Foundation website (www.worldforumfoundation.org), I viewed the video about what would happen if child care centers suddenly closed. While this video was filmed as a simulation, it brings to light the significant consequences that a sudden decrease in access to quality child care would bring to our children, families, and economy. As parents are forced to scramble for child care, many of them would be faced with the requirement of having to stay home with their children, resulting in inadequate staffing across all industries. The video stresses the needs of the early care and education field- we need quality teachers that earn reasonable wages that compensate for the high demands of this position. Furthermore, it points out the significant brain growth that takes place during the first five years of children's lives, and how early learning experiences shape brain architecture, which in turn has a momentous impact on children's later capacities to learn. James Hildebrandt also points out the economic impact of quality early learning experiences- that children who begin life with high quality experiences require fewer additional resources throughout their school years and into adulthood. There are two quotes from the video that I felt were important to share:

"We would do well to remember that our children should always come first."

 - James Hildebrandt, economist

"Our children are our future...when we do not provide for our children, we do not provide for ourselves. When our children are in danger, we are in danger...our children need us now...if we care for them today, providing the kind of environment and quality experiences we know make a difference, we will be caring for our communities today and tomorrow." 

 -Claire Knox, Professor, Early Child Development Humboldt State University

            Additionally, I viewed information from Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative, and learned about efforts aimed at improving early childhood education around the globe. The Global Children's Initiative was developed in 2006 with the foundational belief that the "vitality and sustainability of any society" (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/) rests on the society's ability to provide high quality opportunities early in life so that all children can achieve their full potential and develop into responsible and productive citizens. I learned that the Global Children's Initiative is helping to sponsor programs in Rwanda, Chile, and Brazil (among others). In Rwanda the goal is to strengthen family communication skills so that relationships can be strengthened, thereby preventing depression in families with at least one parent being HIV positive. The program also aims to reduce children's misconceptions about HIV transmission, such as teaching children that they cannot be infected by the disease simply by hugging their parents or eating from the same dinner pot. This will strengthen parent child bonds and reduce children's fears about their parents and living with HIV. In Chile a program entitled Un Buen Comienzo, a project in Santiago, Chile, is aimed at improving early childhood education through teacher professional development. Teachers are trained in methods to improve the quality of educational experiences for children ages four to six, with a focus in language development. Efforts to intervene in critical health areas, improve school attendance, improve children's social-emotional development, and involve families in their child's education are all part of this initiative. In Brazil the Global Children's Initiative launched Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, a program that utilizes the science of child development and health to guide the development of stronger policies and larger financial investments to benefit families and young children. This effort aims to foster a society that is more prosperous, sustainable and equitable.

            Finally, I am excited to share a follow up from my last blog post: In the Zero to Three special email, it was reported that Congress has approved a six month extension of the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program! This means that the bill will now go to the president to be signed, providing an extension that maintains current funding levels for the program, ensuring it continues until March 2015, when it will need to be reauthorized.

References

"A Day Without Childcare" (2012). http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/media-and-resources/wofo-tv/

Global Children's Initiative Fact Sheet: Mission and Activities. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

Exploring Early Childhood Websites and Public Policy

Over the last several weeks I have been exploring Zero to Three: The National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families website (www.zerotothree.org). Most recently, I had the opportunity to explore more of the Public Policy section of this site, and also received their From Baby to Big Kid e-newsletter. This newsletter was more relevant to me personally, so I opted to discuss my exploration of the Public Policy section in more detail.

The Public Policy section was most relevant professionally, because the e-newsletter is tailored to the specific age of my son. I was able to learn more about President Obama's plan to improve early learning experiences, especially for infants.  Funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Technical Assistance program (MIECHV) was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, maintaining its current funding levels until March 2015 if it is also approved by the U.S. Senate by Monday. This program is very important because it gives support to services that assist families and provide services that will improve maternal and newborn health, prevent child injuries, abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, improve school readiness and achievement, reduce crime and domestic violence, improve family economic self sufficiency, and coordinate referrals for other community resources or supports.

This information supports what we have been discussing in class this week, when politicians, economists and scientists support early childhood education, and circumstances improve to allow for increased funding and improvements in quality programming that will impact our nation's children in a positive way for many years to come.

International Contacts

For this week's post, I was unable to establish contact with any international early childhood professionals, despite numerous attempts to email several people. Therefore, it became necessary for me to view the podcasts from the World Forum website (www.worldforumfoundation.org). I was able to access two different podcasts (video, not radio), by different presenters on different topics.

The first podcast I viewed was presented by Dr. Susan Linn, leader of the Working Group on World Play, and she presented on the importance of creative play in early childhood. During this podcast, she presented several ideas we learned about in previous courses, including the benefits of creative play (foundation of creativity, problem solving, learning cooperation, self regulation, self control, etc). She also presented the idea that despite the fact that children are born with an innate capacity for play, as a society we do everything possible to prevent children from playing. I completely agree with her, because this includes the academic demands we place on children, decreased recess, increased extracurricular activities, and all for what? In her podcast, she says "Each child's play is like fingerprints: No child's play is like another's, if they're really given the opportunity." From this we know that children express themselves through play, and if we take the time to listen and observe, we can gain some valuable insights into their lives that will help us help them learn anything they need to learn.

The second podcast I viewed was presented by two global leaders from the United Arab Emirates: Dr. Tariq Kashmiri and Samia Kazi. They presented a very engaging session about leadership, and how the future of the world depends on the quality of experiences children have in their earliest years. I was surprised to learn that across seventy two countries, regardless of how developed the country is, we all have three things in common when it comes to challenges of early childhood education: 1- lack of awareness about how important early childhood education and experiences are, 2- lack of funding for early childhood education, and 3- a shortage of qualified early childhood teachers. These presenters also reiterated that high quality education is not based on aesthetics or expensive toys, it is based in high quality relationships, interactions, and taking advantage of "now-moments", or moments in which children are ready to learn something specific. I have also heard these moments referred to as teachable moments.

For the second part of this assignment, I was unable to access the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre's page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org). Instead, I explored the Save the Children website (www.savethechildren.org), and learned about poverty in Guatemala. While I was vaguely aware that Guatemala is a poor country, I was surprised to learn how poor. Guatemala has the highest rates of child malnutrition for children less than five years old (in all of Latin America), with national rates at approximately 49%, but local areas as high as 78%. I learned that Save the Children's efforts to promote early childhood development through training for parents and teachers, targeting school health and nutrition, and promoting learner centered environments has benefitted approximately one hundred and ten thousand children. In a population of over 14 million this may not seem like a lot, but this is amazing because it gives these children and families opportunities that were previously unreachable, and contributes to the overall well being of children and families in Guatemala, so they can give back to their communities as they attain success and improve the situations of others.

Resources
www.savethechildren.org
www.worldforumfoundation.org/media-and-resources/wofo-tv