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

Sharing Web Resources

As you may have read last week, I am exploring the website of Zero to Three (www.zerotothree.org). This organization's focus is to provide parents, professionals and policymakers with the knowledge on how to nurture early childhood development. Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers, setting children on a course for lifelong discovery.

As part of my exploration, I was able to subscribe to their free e-newsletter From Baby to Big Kid. This is a newsletter geared toward parents, designed to teach parents scientifically based information about how children learn and grow, month to month, from birth to age three. It is tailored specifically to the general developmental age of your child (you enter your child's birthday when you register). While I have not received a copy of this newsletter yet, because of it is published on the first of each month, I can share that this newsletter includes general information about child development, articles about common child rearing issues and challenges, activities that promote bonding and learning between parent/caregiver and child and research on child development and how parents can apply it to their daily lives.

Since I have not received a newsletter, I tried to obtain more information about Zero to Three's other publication, the Zero to Three Journal. This journal is costly to subscribe to, and I was hoping that Walden University had a subscription for us to use, but alas, it does not. I was able to preview the current issue (blurred, so you can't read it very well), and found that this journal addresses topics such as well child care, brain development, safe environments, the importance of reading to infants and young children, and the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

Another source of information Zero to Three provides on its website a series of twelve podcasts for parents and families, featuring an interview with an expert and how to apply current research to daily interactions with your infant or toddler. Focuses include coping with crying, sleep issues, emotional development, nutrition, self esteem, the development of self control, nurturing healthy brain development, the influence of television and other media on young children, the role of grandparents, the influence of fathers, partnering with your child's caregiver, and encouraging parents to reflect on their family history and how it influences the way we choose to raise our children. I can't wait to be able to have time to sit and view these podcasts! As a parent and educator of three year olds, these really caught my attention, both as personal resources and resources to pass on to the parents of children in my class!

There are other resources to explore on this website, such as a section on public policy, but I ran out of time to explore it!

A search of the website for "changing demographics and diversity" produces a wealth of information regarding different types of families, including the different pathways to parenthood. It also includes exploring cultural differences to communication, television viewing, and points to consider when observing children psychosocially. Unfortunately, to view the articles in their entirety, you have to be a subscriber to the Zero to Three Journal.  I wonder if I send a request to the Walden University Library, perhaps a subscription could be purchased for Walden University student use?

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

This week for our course assignment we had to establish contact with at least two early childhood professionals outside the United States. We also had to explore at least one early childhood website that was unfamiliar to us.

I attempted to contact early childhood professionals from Canada and Argentina. I emailed both of them and am waiting to receive a reply. Hopefully I will receive one soon. I chose these countries because I have family ties to both of them. My grandmother grew up in Canada and my husband and his family are from Argentina, so I would like to know more about early care and education in these areas of the world. That being said, I know there are parts of Canada that do not speak English, and hope that the language barrier does not become a factor here. I am also nervous about contacting a representative from Argentina for the same reason. Perhaps if I don't hear anything from the Argentina representative I can have my husband help me translate my email to Spanish and get results that way. I am very excited about learning more about the issues and trends in early childhood in other parts of the world.

For the second part of this assignment, I chose to explore the zero to three website (www.zerotothree.org). I chose this site because I am the proud parent of a nine month old boy, and found its content both interesting professionally and personally. I was also looking for resources to share with my husband, as he is exploring his new role as stay at home dad, and spends the day with our son.  I was surprised to learn about all of the resources they had to offer both parents and professionals and look forward to exploring this site more and receiving its free e-newsletters. I hope to learn from the professionals I contacted above if their countries have similar resources and advocate as strongly for their young children as this organization does.

I am interested to learn about what my colleagues can share about their experiences, and look forward to exchanging information over the next eight weeks.

My Supports

     Within our daily lives, we all need support of some kind. Some of us require technological supports, such as the use of our electronic devices for telling time, keeping schedules, and staying organized. Others require visual support, such as through the use of glasses or contacts. Other people need the use of assistive devices for physical support, such as walkers, chairs that lift us to stand, wheelchairs, or canes. Like many others, I have supports that extend across many different domains. I am supported by others throughout my day, both at home and at work. I also provide support for others within these environments, in a partnership or collegial manner.
     For example, I rely on the emotional support of my husband and extended family to carry me through difficult days, when things just seem too difficult, too overwhelming, or too many. My family helps me calm down, prioritize, and tackle any task that needs to be done. I am supported daily by my husband helping me around the house, getting the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and just about every other household chore done that is necessary to keep the household going. He even makes lunches! There would be no way I could do everything I need to do without such support.  I would not be able to work full time, complete my school work satisfactorily (to my satisfaction or our professor's), and fulfill my other obligations without him. Thanks honey!!! I rely on the support of my colleagues at work when faced with a challenging situation involving my students. We collaborate on how to best meet the needs of our students when one of us is stuck (and sometimes frustrated). Without the support network of colleagues at school, I would have made many mistakes providing my students with the best possible education. Sometimes the perspective of another person, one who does not work with the students day to day, is the best one because it encourages you to think outside the box, to look at the situation differently, which leads to more creative and sometimes more effective solutions. I would definitely not be so successful in my career as a teacher without my colleagues. I am not talking about status as a teacher, title, or anything else other than providing students with the best possible learning experiences. I measure my success by how I am doing as a teacher, meeting their needs. I have definitely benefitted from the knowledge and expertise of many different professionals along the way, and without them I would not have the knowledge, skills, or attitude necessary to meet their needs. Thank you to all of my colleagues who have offered knowledge, skill trainings, ideas, or support to me throughout my career.

For my current course, I need to choose a challenge to hypothetically face, and to brainstorm the supports necessary to be successful to overcome or manage it.

For this exercise, my challenge would be to use a wheelchair and have difficulty communicating verbally. Within my daily environment, I would need to live and work (or attend school) in an environment that is relatively easy to navigate with my wheelchair. This means that it would be free of obstacles, with space between the furniture for easy turning. Furthermore, I would need to find a system of communication that worked for me, whether it was some kind of visual communication board, assistive technology(such as computer, iPad, or eye gaze system), sign language, or any other means necessary to complete my daily tasks. I would need the emotional support of my family and friends to encourage me to keep going when things get tough, to always do my best no matter what, and to believe in me. Without these supports, my physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs would not be met. Physically, because I would not be able to navigate my environment, I would be unable to be independent, something we all strive for. Socially and emotionally, my needs would not be met because I would have no way of communicating them, and people would have no way of knowing what I need or want. Cognitively, my needs would not be met because often, when someone can't speak, people assume that you are mentally disabled as well, and avoid trying to communicate. Life would be very difficult, and would probably lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, anger, depression and possibly even illness if I fell ill and could not communicate my need to see a physician.

As I end today, think about all the supports you have in your life. Who couldn't you live without? Go thank them. And do it often. What couldn't you live without? Now think of how you would do things without that object. Remember this the next time you encounter someone with a disability. How would you like to be treated?  How can you help that child or person be the best person he or she can be? What can we all do to make each other's lives a little bit easier? Now go do it!

My Connections To Play

My Connections to Play

Quotes About Play

"Play brings joy. And it's vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships. "
Margarita Tartakovsky

"Playology is about waking up our senses, infusing our organs of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting - and the higher cognitive senses as well, with the spirit of play. Play ignites creativity and spontaneity. Playing together leads to trust and cooperation. "
Ellie Katz

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

"Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation."
Michael Schrage

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. "
George Bernard Shaw

Essential Play Items from my Childhood

       

  

As a young child, I remember spending countless hours building with Tinker toys, playing with my mother's pots and pans, and stacking or making forts out of her Tupperware. In addition, I also remember spending countless hours exploring my neighbor's barn and observing her farm animals- sheep, steers, goats, pigs, peacocks, chickens, and ducks, and playing with the never ending supply of kittens from the barn cats. This type of play utilized no toys at all.  Adults in my life supported my play by asking questions, offering suggestions on how something might work better, and answering my questions about just about anything. While I know that I was a helpful child (my parents and other close family tell me so),I don't remember feeling like helping any of the significant adults in my life was work. As Dianne Ackerman said above, "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." I feel that my helpfulness to others was a form of play, because it helped me learn new things, feel useful and most importantly, it was enjoyable. I also note that most of the things I played with were used in an open-ended manner, and did not have a specific thing I used them for alone. Imagination was key in my play and was encouraged by the adults who cared for me and about me.

Today I notice that many children have difficulty using toys or materials that are open ended. Their first question about a new toy or material is "what does it do?", not "what can I do with it?" I also notice a trend toward electronic toys. This is very disturbing to me because i notice that children do not seem to have the kind of imagination or deep imaginative play that I remember engaging in as a child. This is very different from the creative play I remember from my childhood. I struggle to find non-electronic toys for my young child, ones that encourage exploration and later, as he begins talking, questioning.

I also notice that children today do not seem to have the same amount of time to play as I remember having as a child. Children today seem overscheduled and tired. They do not have the carefree attitude I remember from my childhood, and I am saddened about this. It also worries me about their lives as they grow up, and the added stress. Play is a natural reliever of stress, and if they do not know how to play, the stress continues to compound, therefore causing more and more problems, physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is my hope that more parents and teachers realize the value of play, and the need for children to engage in open ended, creative play, and how important it is to their development. As a new parent, I hope to provide my son with the most free play time possible, so that he can enjoy the same carefree childhood that his father and I remember enjoying as children. We are only children for a few short years, we are adults for much longer. There is plenty of time for work, children need to play! For that matter, adults need to remember to play too. Play relieves stress!

Reflections on Relationships

"Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development" (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4)

Relationships and partnerships are important to all humans because humans are generally social creatures, and we rely on one another for physical, social-emotional, and cognitive needs. As infants and children, our needs are met by our parents, grandparents, extended family and friends. As adults, our needs continue to be met by family and friends, and usually by our spouse or significant other. Children can also contribute to meeting a parent's needs by teaching us new things, new perspectives, and by their needs for physical affection. Some current positive relationships in my life are the ones between my husband and I, my son and I, my parents and I, and one very special aunt and I. Overall, the factors that contribute to maintaining these relationships are love, communication, and overall interest and concern about each other and what is going on in everyone's life. Many of these relationships have been forged over many years.
One significant relationship/partnership in my life is that between my husband and I. Our relationship obviously began as a romantic one, and has led to our new roles as parents. This joyful occasion led to us changing our roles as life partners to each other to a partnership in parenting our infant son. Clear communication remains a strong influence in keeping this relationship positive, with clear expectations from both of us about each other's roles and responsibilities, and how they change on any given day. When communication fails, this leads to frustration and stress for both of us, and ultimately our child.
In general, communication is the key to maintaining and improving most relationships. Clear communication, with a shared understanding of any goals, hopes, and dreams, makes everyone happier. It often leads to discussion and compromise when differences of opinion arise. However, ongoing, open and honest communication can be difficult, and therefore can also be a challenge to developing and maintaining relationships. This is especially true when differences in opinion arise, that may result in creating a rift between two people. Here it is especially important to discuss differences of opinion, to respect each other's opinion, and come to an agreement that is acceptable to everyone.
Reflecting on relationships contributes to early childhood professionalism because it helps us understand our own ideas, opinions, and biases, and therefore deal with them so that we can be more open and welcoming to the children and families in our programs. It allows us to see that our opinion is not the only one out there, and that sometimes we may be wrong or misguided in our opinions. This allows us to change so that we can improve our relationships with children and their families.