Reflecting on Learning

   I can't believe that we are at the end of this course! Time goes by fast when you are learning. I have really enjoyed this course and all the information shared between students and professors. I have learned so much more about antibias education and how important it will be in my future as an educator. As I move forward in my career I hope to be an positive influence not only on the children I teach but the parents I work with. I think that teaching the importance of an anti-bias education does not just stop at the students but the parents should be taught these things also. As we learned in this week's module, you are never to old to learn!
I want to say thanks to all my class mates who read my posts and gave great insights on their own knowledge of the different subjects. I wish you the best as you move forward in your career.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I researched Eastern and Southern Africa and read on their culture and how it may affect a child's emotional development. I choose this region because I have always had an interest in the things that happen here. There is a great health crisis in this region of Africa. People are daily fighting against the spread of HIV/AIDS and now ebola. A campaign called AIDS Free Generation has begun in this part of Africa. Pregnant moms are encouraged to get tested and know their status. Doctors are working to ensure that AIDS is not spread to the next generation of children in Africa.

I read an interesting article that directly talked about school and how children had the desire to attend school but schooling was not always an option for them. I think that this would not only directly affect their emotional development but the entire development as a child. Formal education is important in the lives of all children. It is through education that we are able to learn about the world around us. The article talked about about UNICEF helped with the "Go To School" campaign. The school teaches many different subjects and has gained support from various organizations across the globe.

After reading these articles, I started to think about the struggles that some children here in the United States have. Often they are malnutrition and I do not believe that our society does an effective job in ensuring the welfare of our own children. We have some of the same problems Africa has but we are supposed to be a leading nation.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

In an ideal world, young children would not be exposed to sexualization at a early age, but we live in a society in which sex is on every channel, in every magazine, in every commercial, and on every radio station. On one hand , I think it should not be exposed at an early age but on the other hand it is important for young children to know what is acceptable and not. We live in a world where young children are being molested and killed by adults and it sickens me.

I talk to my girls about appropriate behavior constantly. They are growing up and beginning to have questions about things sexually related. We discuss clothing, actions, music videos and movies. My girls love fashion and love dressing like their favorite television star. Sometimes I do not agree with their choice of clothing and I have to remind them of their age and what I expect from them. I can recall watching television with them one night and they were looking at a video by Beyonce'. The video was very disturbing and from that day on I began to monitor what they watched on television and what music they listen to. I have come to the conclusion that "sex sales" and people in the entertainment business have no concern for children and the impression they make on them. It is the parents' jobs to monitor and sensor their children.

Sexualization at such an early age can affect what children think and believe about themselves. Girls may think that dressing half naked is what they should do to get attention and be popular. I worry about this with my girls and strive to teach them different from what they see and hear from the media. As an educator, we can promote positive role models and encourage children to love themselves for who they are and not compare to what they may see on television. We can also encourage parents to monitor what they allow their children to view.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Children learn from their environment. This includes how they view others in terms of race, gender, socioeconomic status. As a educator it is important to be aware of the differences among children and respond to their actions concerning different -isms. I also have to be aware and prepared to face my own personal challenges as a educator. I come from a racially divided town that is still separated by an invisible "track". Within the black sections, their are subsections that have their own unique characteristics. I was raised in "eastgate." It is known for poverty, crime, dropouts, and high birth rates. As an educator, I must be ready to face those predetermined stereotypes about my community and show how not all people fit the mold that society placed on that section of the town. I have to be prepared to handle my personal issues and not let them affect the way I interact with my students or parents. some parents may have questions or concerns that htey feel they could not address with me. I have to keep the lines of communication open so that they are able to talk to me and see me as an educator. This may not always be easy but I think educating not only the children but even the parents about the effects of discrimination and stereotyping could help with some of the assumptions of my neighborhood.

Observing Communication

This week's topic discusses observing communication. I observed the communication between my sister and her daughter. My niece and sister have a great relationship. They talk about everything and are very open about their feelings. During this observation, my niece was telling my sister about an incident that occurred at school. They were very open with each other about their feelings and my sister allowed my niece to express how she felt about the incident. My sister asked her probing questions so that my niece was able to think about her thinking and why she felt a certain way about the topic being discussed.
    My sister did a great job in communicating with her daughter. She supported her daughter's opinions and gave her the opportunity to express her ideas. This is very important when communicating with children (Laureate Education, 2011). My niece is a very outspoken child and this can be contributed to the encouragement my sister gives her to be herself and be proud of who she is and how she feels. My sister is an educator and she understands the importance of communication in young children. My observation of my niece and sister made me reflect on how I communicate with my own children. I often don't do a good job of supporting their opinions and allowing them to freely express themeself. I no realize how important that is after this week's lesson.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children:Communicating

            with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

When setting up the learning environment of an early education program it is very important for teachers to choose the toys, material, and equipment that ill invite exploration and discovery. I will choose things in which the child is able to see himself in the learning environment. My center itself (welcoming stations and offices) will have posters of different types of families including those from different ethical backgrounds. The way in which parents view the center is very important. The video in this week's resources showed how important it is to support and welcome families inside the program. They should be aware of the things that are going on in the center including the antibias curriculum. Parents and children will be able to relate to the families depicted. These visuals will also depict things such as stereotypes, disabilities, and other nontraditional families.

The materials I will use in my class will follow the same guidelines. My materials will be anti-bias and will include things such as books, music, puzzles, dolls, and drawing materials. I will encourage all children to participate daily in activities and to openly express their thoughts and feelings about different subjects. The timeout/quiet room was also a good idea for a center. When children get frustrated it is important as a teacher to support their feelings and allow theme to express them comfortably.

What I Have Learned

      When working with children of diverse backgrounds, I hope that I am able to make them feel comfortable in the classroom. I hope that they are able to accept their diversity and open to sharing with others in the class about their families.

      In the field of early education, I hope that curriculum inside the class will focus not only on intellectual growth but on social issues that are faced daily. Children must be taught how to live in the world together with respect and love for all. 

    I would like to thank all my colleagues who supported commented on my post, left thoughtful insights, and shared their thoughts on the different subjects throughout the course. I also wish the best of luck to you all as we end this class and start the next!

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: Creating Art

These pictures represent the way I see cultural diversity. 

We Don't Say Those Words in Class

   I can recall a trip that my children and I took to Washington, D. C. This was the first trip I had taken them on outside of the south. They were so excited about going. Before we left, we discussed the different things that we would see including the buildings and historical places. It never crossed my mind to discuss the culture differences that they would experience. On our first day there, I had to go to the mall to get some items that I had forgotten to pack. As I hurried through the store, my youngest as mesmerized at how big the mall was and more amazed at the people. She began to say things like "O Mama! What language are they speaking?" and "O Lord! That black man is kissing that white woman." Quickly, I cupped my hand over her mouth because she speaking loud enough for everyone to hear her. I scolded her and was very upset with her.
  I now realize that she was simply not accustomed to the diversity that can be seen in bigger cities. She had never really heard different languages and experienced interracial dating. My reaction made her feel as if she had done something wrong by merely pointing out some differences. An anti-bias educator would have used this moment to teach diversity and how different areas of the country have different characteristics. This was also a chance to discuss interracial dating and the diversity of some students in the class.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

I am torn between my opinion of including books dealing with sexual orientation in early childhood centers. One side of me feels that sexual orientation is a natural occurrence that most children that young have not considered and that including books like that would only confuse them more. On the other hand, there are many children who live in homes that may have two moms or two dads. Because of this, I think that it is important to educate all children about society and how families come in different ways. Including books like this will also help a child who live in a homosexual household. They will feel accepted and not different because of the sexual orientation of their parents. I compare this also to children who come from single parent homes. These children are embraced and this type of family unit is taught in early childhood curriculum.; therefore families that have two moms/dad should be shown as a type of family in today's society. 

I have experienced a situation in which an adult called a small child "gay." This irritated me and I automatically went into defense mode for the child. I asked the adult what made him say these things and how he would have felt if he was in that child's position. The things that the child was doing were inappropriate (playing with baby dolls, putting on girl jewelry, and women shoes) for a little boy; but instead of insulting him with name calling, I told the adult that it would be more effective to tell him/teach him  what little boys should do. I think that this situation itself did not effect the young boy because he had no idea what "gay" meant. From that point on, I began to teach gender specific things such as women wear high heels, and little girls wear costume jewelry. 

Collaboration Appreciation

This has truly been a great 8 weeks! I have enjoyed reading the posts and personal experience of each of my classmates. I am very appreciative of the feedback that I have gotten on my blog and in the discussions. I have learned so much about communication and the need for effective communication.

 I hope that I have said something that will inspire each of my classmates to continue of the this journey of education. I know that I have learned things about myself that will help me as I aspire to be a educator in this field.

I hope that your journey here continues to be successful and that we get the opportunity to EFFECTIVELY communicate again in the future.

Adjourning

Sometimes we become members of groups that are effective and efficient. These groups are often hard to say goodbye and are very rare in life. I have had the privilege of being parts of groups that I wish I did not have to say goodbye to. The adjourning part of team development was emotional. I was a volunteer at a soup kitchen. During this time I worked with a team to provide meals to less fortunate people. I enjoyed every minute of it. We faced some difficult times during the summer but the team I was working with made it worth while. At the close of the program, I was recognized as a shining star. This made me feel so special and made it even harder to say goodbye.
Leaving a team can be just as hard as being part of a team. I think as I finish my courses here at Walden leaving my team will not be as hard but will always be apart of me as I continue my career and education and as professional educator.

Resolving Conflict

I recently had a conflict with a close friend of mine. I asked her to help with a church program that I was unable to attend. I did all the behind the scene work and communicated with her throughout the process. She never said that she had a problem with helping but when it was time for to print the programs she came up with every excuse. This really made me mad and I have not really talked to her since. After this week's lesson I hope that the skills I have learned in conflict resolution will help me mend my friendship. The skills taught in the Third Side article may be effective her because I may need to look at it in a different way and hope to find a resolution so that our friendship can be saved.

Who Am I as a Communicator?

I took three different surveys to evaluate who I am as a communicator. The results did not surprise me, in fact, I knew exactly what things I need to change in order to improve my communication skills. The three surveys indicated that I was a good listener (too good sometimes), too aggressive at time, and show little levels of anxiety. I also let two other people evaluate my communication style and their results were very close to mine. The fact that the survey showed that i had a level of aggression was surprising because I only show aggression toward people are know on a personal level. I have never become aggressive in my professional job settings. These surveys showed that there are more elements to communication other than simply talking. 

After taking the surveys I plan to improve my style by being more aware of my aggression towards others and not becoming emotionally involved to quick. I think that this will overall improve my professional abilities as a future early childhood teacher. 

Communication and Culture Diversity

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

Yes, I often find myself communicating different with people depending on the group and culture. When I communicate with my family and friends I use informal language and different voice tones. My family is very loud and opinionated and to some looking in you would think that we just argue and holler. It is quite funny if you did not know us but that is the way we communicate. We crack jokes, laugh, and sometimes get mad! My communication, of course, changes when I am at work. My tone changes and the words I use change. I become the active listener that was discussed in earlier lessons. I take in consideration of all people involved and do my best to relate to their feelings and ideas.  Communication with my friends is also very informal. We have known each other since elementary and we usually crack jokes and sometimes say inappropriate things that would not be acceptable any place else. 

In this week's lesson I have learned more things about communication. To improve my communication with others I will strive to be more empathetic toward others and how they feel about things. I learned that it is not always important to get my message across but to understand the message that others are trying to get across. After reading the article about nonverbal communication, I have become more conscious of my body and facial movements. Many of my friends have said that they could tell what I was thinking by the look on my face. When working with families, this is something that I need to be more aware of in the future. 

Communication Assignment

       For this assignment I watched Grey's Anatomy. I have never really watched the show and had no idea of what was going on. When the sound was off , I interpreted that the doctors were have a city wide crisis. Patients were being brought to the ER but there was not enough room for them. The doctors looked worried and unsure of what to do. They examined the patients as they came in and tried to give them the best care. Eventually the frustration of the doctors affected their communication with each other and the medical performance.
      After watching the episode with the volume down for ten minutes, I turn the volume on and realized that the doctors were in a city wide crisis. A college had been attacked by a shooter and the shooter was in the hospital. The frustration between the doctors occurred because some felt that the shooter should not have been saved and that the victims should be seen first.
      This was a fun activity. It made me realize the importance of nonverbal communication and also how it effects acting! The actors in the show did a great job with their facial expressions in the show. Nonverbal communication and plays a vital role in effective communication.

Communication

Some one who exhibits competent communication is my friend Chanelle. She is a well educated young woman who is very knowledgeable in her field of Special Education. She speaks well in public and especially at church. She is effective because of her eye contact and her tone of voice when she communicates. She is very receptive to what others have to say and does a great job of expressing herself. She knows what to say and how to say it. She can communicate with children and adults. She has encouraged me many times on my own public speaking and I wish to one day communicate as she does.

Professional Hopes and Goals

I have really enjoyed this course on diversity. It has given me an insight on diversity and the need to prepare for children and families who come from diverse backgrounds. My goal as a future educator is to learn to relate to diverse families and incorporate their way of life somehow into my class setting. I believe that this will help students become comfortable in the environment and help them embrace their differences.

The early childhood field also has room for improvement in the area of diversity. One goal should be to better teacher educators exactly what steps to take to support diverse families. This could involve doing a small intern in a diverse society or even learning a different language to use in a lesson plan.

I would like to thank all of my classmate for reading my blogs and giving my the support throughout the course.

Shorlone

Welcoming Families From Around the World

For this activity, I was asked to pretend to be a child care provider preparing to welcome a child and family from a country I am unfamiliar with. I chose to welcome a family from Russia. In order to prepare for the family I will study the culture of families from Russia, how they socialize with each other, the roles of individuals in the family, how they view education, and America. I will learn more about the family by using the (1) internet to do research. I will also (2) visit the local library to read books about the country itself. Other ways I will find information is by (3)watching films on Russia, and (4) talking to people who may have a better insight into families from Russia. I think that also (5) talking directly to the parents will help me be more culture responsive to the needs of the child directly. I think that these ways of preparing for the family will help me to choose the correct things to say when pertaining to their child's education. It will also help me understand their ideology of education and their views of what is expected from me as a teacher.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I have personally experienced prejudice that has greatly disturbed me especially in my town. The town in which I live has re-developed the downtown area with different boutiques. All of these stores are locally owned by white people. There is one boutique that I really enjoy going to because the clothes are so stylish. The owners and workers try to be nice, sometimes overly nice, but the way in which they talk to me makes me feel as if they are judging me. Every time I enter the store I am immediately followed around by a worker and constantly asked if they can help me with something. One particular day, I was shopping for a white shirt for church. I picked up a white shirt that was perfect for our church occasion. When I asked to try it on the sales associate told me that it was not on sale and that there was a rack in the back that had similar styles. This BOTHERED me and I immediately responded! I was not proud of what I said but at that moment I knew that she thought I could not afford the item because of my color. This was the last time I visited the store and I do not recommend anyone to shop there.

I think that I could have handled the situation better if I had asked the associate why she felt that I would want a sales rack item. I believe that this should have been a learning experience for both her and I. I think it would have also been beneficial to speak to the owner concerning the matter because I know I am not the first customer this has happened to. I think that people in general have to STOP stereotyping people based on color! You can not tell a person's socioeconomic status based on their race. Blacks, whites, and every other race have to learn to live in harmony and not categorize people before they get to know them.

Microaggression

I have experienced many situations in which microaggression was felt. As a mother I pride myself in the way in which I rear my children. I have taught them to stand up for what they believe in and never let someone treat your wrong. They attend a majority white school that is considered a top school in the district. It took a while to get them accepted to the school but once they began to attend I began to notice many subtle forms of racism. One that stands out the most are the ones done to my children. I have had some situations in which teachers have assumed just because of their color they were not capable or able to do things. I expose my children to different cultures in life. I teach them to be acceptable of all people regardless of their race and socioeconomic status. There have been a few situations that I have had to stand up for my children. I do not want them to feel inferior to others just because of the color of their skin. I recently experienced my own form of microaggression at my new job. Being a woman, I am often stereotyped as not being able to perform certain duties. I work in corrections which is looked at as a "man's" job. I deal with small forms of microaggressions daily but I do not let them stop me from achieving my goals in life.
     This week's lesson have taught me that forms of discrimination still exist in the world today. It saddens me that it is so, but it has lead me to teach my children about the world that we live in. I want them to understand this world but not be affected by the way people treat them. I teach them to strive for their goals and not let the ignorance of others deter them.

Diversity and Culture

Chanelle: She defined culture as the traditions, ideas, and customs that a group of people share. The group of people do not have to share the same race but share characteristics that are similar to each other. She stated that diversity means differences. These differences can be religion, ideology, customs, cultures, race and value.

Jay: Defined culture as way different races view the world and the ideas they hold. He defined diversity in the terms of different races and religions.

Sarah: She viewed culture as the unique characteristics associated with different groups of people. She gave an example about how different the culture of the South is when compared to culture in the North. She stated that diversity means differences. These differences can happen inside a single culture but are respected by all members of the society.

In my conversation with these three friends many examples of culture invisibility were given. Sarah discussed the culture of Mexicans as being only the language and food that they eat. This showed that she did not know much about the actual culture of the group of people and that there were many other unique characteristics to Mexicans.

In the definitions given the idea of how a group of people view the world was not given by any of the people I identified. 

The responses from these three people made me think of how people have their own working definition of what culture really is. Just like the people in our resource videos, these three thought of different alike but similar definitions of culture. I think that it is very important to understand the definition of culture because it is the first step in accepting diversity among different cultures. 

Family Culture

Family culture is very important to me. As a child, I was taught the importance of family and remembering the struggles my ancestors live through in order for me to enjoy the life I have today. My values and beliefs are not just my own but they were passed down from generation to generation.

My Perspective, Diversity and Equity course wants me to imagine that my family and I are survivors of a catastrophic incident. As a survivor we are being shipped off to stay in a foreign country completely different from my normal family culture. I am allowed to bring three items to remind me of my family culture. If my family and I were forced to leave this country and live in a place completely different from my culture it would not be hard to decide what three things I would take with me to preserve my family culture. I would take the family Bible, a picture of my great great grandparents, and a family quilt.

The Bible has been my key to life. I was taught using the Bible and I am currently training my children to live by the Word. Being in a foreign country could have a great effect of my family’s faith, but having the bible with us will remind us of our Christian beliefs. The picture of my great great grandparents would be a visual of my heritage. My grandmother would always tell me stories about her parents and I plan to pass these stories down to my children. The quilt I would take symbolizes my own children. I began to work on the quilt using clothes from my children. It is a way to remember their births and different mild stones in their lives.

If I had to choose which of the three items I would take with me if I could only take one it would be the Bible. I live by this book and anytime I need comforting or insight into my problems in life I can got to Bible. I was taught this as a child by my mom and grandmother.

I learned that many of my family values are in fact religious based and may not be so different as any other Christian of any other ethnicity. These values I have been taught are passed down and have been helpful to all generations of my family. 

When I Think of Research

After reflecting on all of the things that I have learned about research in this class, all I can say is WOW! Research is a very detailed and informative subject that provides so many people with different insights and data to help them understand and address issues that they may be experiencing, especially in the area of early childhood.  However, I have really enjoyed learning about the research process and hope that one day I will be able to conduct a research study of my own.

The resources, assignments, and discussions have allowed me to gain many insights on the topic of research.  When it comes to research there are many things that the research must consider and determine when approaching and addressing the problem at hand.  The researcher must carefully go through each step of the research process in order to determine some very important aspects which include the type of research, the research design, data collection methods, participants, and rules/ethics that must be applied throughout the entire study.  The researcher has a big job on their hands but have to remember it is all worth the work because of the impact that they will make on people in society.  Going through each week and learning about each part of the research process has made me feel differently about research.  I used to think that research was boring and took too much time, however, now I feel that research will allows the researcher to make an impact on people and develop solutions to problems that have been around for many years.  Just the thoughts of making an impact on the lives of children and allowing them to experience life in a positive way makes me want to share with everyone the benefits of research.

During this course the professor made sure that we were aware of different lessons that pertained to planning, designing, and conducting research.  Basically the researcher has to be patient and make sure that all research guidelines are followed and that they remain ethical throughout the process.  The researcher must also make sure that they carefully plan their study to make sure that it focuses on a specific problem as well as a specific population.  When it comes to designing the study, the research must make sure that every step has been addressed to make sure that no vital information is left out.  The researcher should also make sure that they have received consent from the participants and have explained every aspect of the study to keep from being deceitful and labeled as untrustworthy.  The lessons that I learned allowed me to get through my research simulation which was not an easy task.  While going through my research simulation, I experienced several challenges which were somewhat hard to overcome.  The one challenge that has given me trouble the entire time is the development of a topic and research question which is specific.  Every research question that I developed was deemed as broad and really made things frustrating for me.  Every time I changed the question, I was still stating it in a broad manner.  This is something that I have to work on in order to successfully complete my major assessment for this class.  This is a challenge that I am still facing and have not accomplished as of yet but hopefully I will be able to work through this challenge.             

This class has really opened my eyes to many of the issues that early childhood professionals, children, and families are experiencing.  This information has taken my perception of the early childhood professional to another level in which I am even more excited about becoming an early childhood professional and an advocate for children.  I feel that every child should experience a life where they do not have to deal with the problems that children are faced with today.  I want to be a part of this field and join forces with others to aid children in achieving the best education possible in order to develop into successful adults.   

As I close this blog and complete another class, I would like to thank the professor and my colleagues for such a wonderful time of learning.  I am so glad that I have such a supportive and motivating network of people, who are focused on the same goals and traveling the same road to success.  I wish you all the best of luck and I will see you all in the next class!

Research Around the World

After reading the directions for the blog assignment, I was excited to know that we were given the opportunity to explore different websites that allowed us to obtain information on research topics that were being conducted internationally.  We had to choose only one of the three websites that were listed so I decided to take a quick look at each of them to determine which website I would further explore.  After a quick search on each website, I decided to use the Early Childhood Australia website as the focus for this week's blog assignment.  This was the best choice I could have made because I was very pleased with the information that was shard on the website in which early childhood professionals could really benefit from the information that focuses on different issues and topics within the early childhood field.  

Just like any early childhood professional, Early Childhood Australia is an advocate for children in which the organization is developed to provide information on different topics, issues, and research in order to provide others, such as families and professionals, with quality information on the early childhood field.  Some of the quality information comes from different research topics in which the organization sheds light on different research that has been conducted in hopes of informing others about the studies.  One of the research topics that caught my attention was Early Childhood Flexibility Practices and Patterns.  This topic was a project developed by Early Childhood Australia that is funded by their government.  The purpose of the project includes the opportunity to detect groundbreaking practices that are being implemented or may have the possibility of providing flexibility the types of care families and children can receive, showcase how quality programs and services run effectively, and the identification of the different issues or problems that prevent the increase in flexibility through other sources (Early Childhood Australia, n.d.).  I feel that this type of research study will allow other childhood professionals the opportunity to address some of the issues and concerns that prevent them from becoming a high quality program.  IN addition, this will allow other programs to be reviewed to determine the path they need to take in order to provide flexibility in their practices and patterns that they develop.

As I continued to explore the website, I am across some other information that would definitely be valuable as I continue my journey to becoming an early childhood professional.  The new insight that I gained from the website was through the exploration of the supporting best practices section of the website.  Every early childhood professional wants to know the practices that exists that will allow them to better serve and provide resources to both families and children.  In this case, any professional can come to this website and view information on several best practices that include working with children of different ages, emotions and feelings of children, and their rights (Early Childhood Australia, n.d.).  This information can be considered noteworthy because the information I read in the different sections will allow me to become more informed on the different topics in which I will be somewhat knowledgeable on each of the topics.

References

Early Childhood Australia. (n.d.). Early childhood flexibility practices and patterns. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/projects/early-childhood-flexibility-patterns-and-practices.html.

Early Childhood Australia. (n.d.). Supporting best practices. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/supporting_best_practice/supporting_best_practice.html.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

As an aspiring early childhood professional, I am willing to dedicate my life, time, and energy to helping children and impacting their lives in a positive way.  If had the ability to make things happen at the snap of my finger, no child in this world would experience any hurt, pain, stress, and would basically grow up feeling like they are on top of the world.  However, in the world we live in, children are placed in situations that they cannot control and have to deal with things that no child should have to go through.  Of all the things that I can name that a child experiences, I feel that child hunger is one that should not even be an issue.  According to Share Our Strength (2013), “48.8 million Americans - including 16.2 million children - live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis.  As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year" (para. 2).  No child in this world should go with daily balanced and nutritional meals.  There is too much food in this world for children to go hungry and someone has to do something about it.  Therefore if I had the ability to conduct a study it would focus on the impact of hunger on children and ways to eradicate it.  

The focus of the study would be to show the world the harsh realities of child hunger and the fact that it is destroying the lives of children and negatively affecting society as a whole.  To see a child go hungry should not sit well with any human being who considers themselves a part of society.  Children are the most innocent human beings on this earth and deserve a fair chance at receiving the necessities of life.  The study would change the minds of every person in the world including the poor, middle class, the rich, the politicians, business owners, and every person that can make an impact on the lives of children will be affected.  This is an issue that cannot be changed by one person but the entire world.  According to the Food Effect (2014), “Fortunately, the issue is solvable. It will take a concerted, focused effort on the part of our society, our lawmakers, our charitable organizations and ourselves to feed our children and feed them well” (para. 2). 

Therefore in order to make positive contributions to the well-being of children and their families, I would have to get everyone on the same page and join the fight to end child hunger.  Once everyone is on the same page we would be able to make several positive contributions which would include no child going hungry, constant supply of foods, relieve of stress from families and children, uniting society as one, rebuilding the communities, and promoting the healthy development of children.  This will allow all children the opportunity to focusing on learning, enjoy life, and become productive citizens who are willing to give back to their communities.  In conclusion, my study will not talk about the situation of child hunger but actually do something about it.       

References

Share Our Strength.  (2013). Food insecurity. Retrieved from http://www.nokidhungry.org/problem/hunger-facts.

The Food Effect. All about hunger. Retrieved from https://www.thefoodeffect.org/all-about-hunger/.

My Research Journey

I am a person that loves to learn new things and seek new knowledge especially when it focuses on the well-being of children.  Since the beginning of this program I have been able to obtain information from many different sources that have given me an idea of the issues and problems that children, families, and early childhood professionals are faced with.  Also during my current course, I have been introduced to the research process and also given the opportunity to select a topic of interest that I have in regards to the early childhood field for my simulation.  After careful consideration of things that I have learned and resources I have read, I decided to select poverty as the topic for my simulation.  Poverty is situation that many children and families are living in which has a major impact on their lives as well as their development.  Living in poverty is very stressful for children in which it affects them in all areas of development.  This is a topic that every early childhood professionals should be informed on especially when it comes to the impact it can have on children academically.  Early childhood professional should be aware of the living conditions of their students and also be able to provide them with different resources and services that can help the families address their situation.  Basically my simulation will provide every early childhood professional with important information regarding how living in poverty effects a child socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically.  

The process of conducting research can be very difficult in which I must make sure that I keep my topic in mind at all times when going through the research process.  However, after being provided with information on how to identify scholarly resources, I feel more comfortable with selecting sources that will be used in my research.  In addition, I was able to gain an even clearer view of research by conducting the research chart in which I was able to identify different topics and terminology I did not understand and eventually convert it into information that is understandable.  I feel that going through each process individually and taking time to understand each part will allow me to successfully complete my simulation and have a stronger view and position on poverty and its effect on children.  I was also able to begin looking for resources on poverty in which I was able to identify several resources that will provide me with a great deal of information on poverty.  The articles I identified are as follows:

• The Effects of Poverty on Children retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/07_02_03.pdf.
• The Effect of Child Poverty on Child Development and Educational Outcomes retrieved from http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=psycd_fac.
• The Impact of Poverty on a Child's Social and Emotional Competence retrieved from http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/policy-brief/impact-poverty-childs-social-and-emotional-competence.

I look forward to finding more information on this topic, learning more about research, and successfully completing my simulation.  I also look forward to sharing resources with my classmates and I encourage them to share resources with me as well as we continue to learn about the early childhood field.    

Networking in the Early Childhood Field

As I think about the experience I have had these last seven weeks, all I can say that it has truly been worthwhile.  The information that I have learned from my international contact has allowed me to view things in a different manner and has also informed me that children from all over the world are experiencing some of the same problems.  Stephanie has shared with me her views on the early childhood field and initiatives that the NAEYC has taken on to address the issues that the early childhood field is faced with.  I am honored to say that my international contact has basically given me that extra boost needed in order to achieve my ultimate goal which is to help improve the lives of children all over the world.      

As I reflect on the things I have learned and my experience networking with international early childhood professionals, I have developed several consequences of my learning on both a professional and personal note.

1. There are professionals all over the world that possess the same desire to address the negative issues that exist in the early childhood field in order to allow children to reach their full potential and develop into model citizens.
2. In order to become a quality early childhood professional I must make sure that I am aware of the issues, policies, and initiatives that currently exist within the early childhood field.
3. In order to make changes in the lives of children I must dedicated myself to a life to impacting as many children as possible and remember it’s not the number of children but the quality of the service. 

Communicating with Ms. Olmore has basically made my journey a little easier in which I know that there are many people out there already in the field waiting on new people to join in the fight for children.  However, as I continue my journey and work towards receiving my degree, I will always keep in the back of my mind the goal that I have to achieve which is:

1. To one day receive a position in the early childhood field that will allow to network with people all over the world in order to connect with them and develop a team that will be unstoppable and big enough to eradicate any issues that serves as a disservice to children.

 As I end my blog for this class I would like to leave you all with the following quote:

"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!"

David Vitter, U.S. Senator

References

Compassion.  (2014). Famous quotes about children.  Retrieved from http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/famous-quotes/.

The World Around Us

It has been such a rewarding experience being able to communicate with other professionals in the early childhood field.  I have learned so much in these last seven weeks and look forward to shoring the information and applying in my future career as a professional.  I can honestly say that I am an advocate for children and will dedicate my time making their lives better by providing them with services and resources that will allow them to achieve academic.  I have learned a lot from my professional contact in which she has been a great inspiration and has given me the motivation to pursue my dream.

Stephanie Olmore is a dedicated professional who has devoted many years of her life as an advocate for children and is now in the position of being able to oversee all of the international efforts of NAEYC.  She has been in many positions that have allowed he to learn about the issues that exist within  the early childhood field as well as participate in many initiatives to address the issues that exist.  My contact with her this week was filled with a lot of information that she provided about issues discussed within her area, opportunities for professional development, professional goals, and her hopes, dreams, and challenges. Stephanie shared with me that she has enjoyed every minute of being a professional in an area that changes the lives of children all over the world.  When asked about the issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals being discussed where she work she stated that the issues were developing high quality early childhood programs that provide all children the opportunity to attend, setting high standards for professionals, consistent training across the states for professionals, and educating families on the benefits of providing their children with learning opportunities at an early age.  She also stated that within the NAEYC there are several opportunities for professionals to receive professional development which includes workshops, online learning, training DVDs, and conferences.  She stated that NAEYC is devoted to providing professionals with the necessary tools and information needed in order for them to better serve the children throughout the world.  In addition, I was able to gain information about her personal goals and dreams in which she wants to be able to develop initiative and programs as partnerships with as many international memberships with the NAEYC.  She feels that regardless of the location of the child or where they are in the world. they have the right to receive a quality education that will allow them to be successful throughout their entire education.  Her dream is to one day provide children to necessary tools and services needed to become model citizens.

This has been one interesting and wonderful learning experience and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  The information I have learned will allow me to be a better early childhood professional in the future.         

Sharing Web Resources

I am just so happy that I chose the Harlem Children’s Zone as my website of choice to learn more about what it has to offer children and families in Harlem.  This has to be one of the most successful community-based programs that exist in the United States.  The website is so full of information and resources that are valuable to families, children, and adults who are seeking a better life for themselves.  I just enjoy clicking on the different links and reading all of the information on the progress of the organization, the impact it is making on the community, and the lives of the people that they are changing on a daily basis.  While searching this week on the website, I notice that none of the links led to outside materials or websites and most of the links related to information about the organization.  However, I was very pleased to come across one of the programs being offered in the early childhood programs for parents and children referred to as the Baby College.  

The Baby College is an early childhood program that is offered to pregnant mothers and mother with children up to age 3.  The programs provides services, resources, and classes that teach the mothers how to care for their children as well as become teachers for their children.  According to Team HCZ Newsletter (2002), “The Baby College goal is to parents with information and support necessary to bring up happy and healthy children who enter school ready to learn ” (p. 2).  This program allows the parents to learn from professionals and a curriculum that will teach them about child development and effective methods to enhance their child’s learning.  Being that the first five years of a child’s life is when they learn the most; I feel that this program will be very helpful to the people in the community in which they will begin at an early age molding the children into productive citizens.  It made me feel really good reading the article and knowing that my future colleagues are making such an impact on the lives of children and their families.  This makes me so excited about becoming an early childhood professionals and turning things around for the children and families I will serve.    

Also while searching the website; I was also able to find information about the type of races and families that are served in which the organization has a diverse range of families that live within the community they serves.  Due to demographic changes, more and more immigrant and minority families are moving into Harlem and receiving some of the services provided by the Harlem Children’s Zone.  According to Team HCZ Newsletter (2002), “Today Central Harlem is about 15 percent Hispanic, and people of many different ethnic, racial, and national backgrounds are streaming into the neighborhood, including a growing population of West African immigrants” (p. 2).  This means that the Harlem Children’s Zone has to be able to meet the needs of the different cultures and make them aware of the programs and services that are being offered.  This also means that the professionals of the organization have to be informed of the different cultures and develop ways to get the families involved in their child’s education.  Reading the information on the website has basically provided evidence that the world is coming more divers and as early childhood professionals we have to be ready for the challenge and provide high quality services and programs for everyone.      

References

Team HCZ Newsletter. (2002). A look inside.  Retrieved from http://www.hcz.org/images/stories/pdfs/ali_summerfall2002.pdf.

Excellence and Equity

Once again I was able to communicate with Ms. Stephanie Olmore, in which she was more eager than I to share with me NAEYC's focus on the concept of equity in education.  NAEYC is well-known for its participation in different alliances in which it works with other organizations as a team effort in order to address the issues that are arising within the early childhood field.  One current alliance that NAEYC is a part of is the World Forum Foundation.  NAEYC along with 15 other alliance members which include organizations such as the Canadian Childcare Federation, Early Childhood Australia, South African Congress for Early Childhood Early Childhood Development and many others are dedicated to providing a quality and equal education to children all over the world.  The alliance serves as a global exchange of information and ideas that focus on the well-being of children and the providing of high quality services for children and families.  I was also informed by Ms. Olmore that the NAEYC is also a member of the membership organization referred to as the International Step by Step Association that also focuses on equity in education.  Basically the organization serves as the connection point between professionals and organizations in order to determine what is needed in the early childhood field.  According to the International Step by Step Association (n.d.), " ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives. Established in the Netherlands in 1999, ISSA’s network today stretches across the globe from Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia, Asia, and the Americas" (p. 1).  This membership allows the NAEYC the opportunity to work with other countries and seek information on the state of education in other countries.  

World Forum Foundation

https://www.worldforumfoundation.org/

International Step by Step Association

http://www.issa.nl/

After communicating with Stephanie, I realized that there are many organizations around that world that is dedicating their time, services, and resources to help families and children. This fight for children cannot be done a lone in which it takes a village to raise a child. Therefore, an early childhood professional, I dedicated my time to serving others. 

References

International Step by Step Association.  (n.d.).  Home.  Retrieved from http://www.issa.nl /index.html.

Sharing Web Resources

Well everyone, I am here again to share with you more information on an organization that is making a big impact on the lives in children in Harlem.  The Harlem Children’s Zone is dedicated to providing children with the necessary programs and services that will allow them to develop into model citizens who will give back to their community.  The website for the organization is filled with valuable information for any parent, child, or professional, especially those who work within the early childhood field.  As I searched through the website, I became overwhelmed and overjoyed with the amount of information that seemed particularly relevant to my current professional development.  One specific section that caught my eye was the one that was titled Issues.  Many of the issues discussed in this section are issues that are occurring with children and professionals all over the world.  The resources in this section provided different literature on topics such as long-term success of children, list of effective programs, and federal initiatives.  Another section that is relevant to my current professional development is the section on programs that are being implemented by the organization.  This section will allow me to view actual programs that have been effective and which can be applied in my community as well.  It gives any professional an idea of what works and what is effective when it comes to serving children and families.   

As I continued to browse the website I came across a newsletter that was printed in 2009.  The thing that caught my attention about this newsletter was the effort that the organization put forth in order to keep things going and impacting children.  This made me think about all of the programs that have been started in my community that later failed.  What were they doing wrong? How were the programs evaluated?  These are questions I began to ask myself and wonder why they couldn’t be successful like the Harlem Children’s Zone.  This organization receives help from celebrities, volunteers, community officials and makes sure that everything that is done focuses on their core values.  I feel that this is an organization that could help other organizations progress and change things for the better in other communities.  I was even able to find information that adds to my understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field.  The Harlem Children’s Zone has developed a Quality Assurance Team to make sure that their programs are effective and that the resources and services the children receive will pay off in the future.  According to Team HCZ Newsletter (2009), “QAT was developed to improve that division’s quality of work, while building upon HCZ’s core values.  On an ongoing basis, QAT now reviews and evaluates the output of preventive’s five branches to ensure that the division is servicing its clients and families to the best of its abilities and performing at its optimum potential” (p. 2).   

As an early childhood professional, I am so glad that the Harlem Children’s Zone is dedicated to changing the lives of children and I hope to one day be a part of an organization that has the drive and force like this one.

References

Team HCZ Newsletter. (2009). 100 days of Peace and purpose.  Retrieved from http://www.hcz.org/images/stories/pdfs/teamHCZ_spring09_v4.pdf.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

Stephanie Olmore

Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives at NAEYC

I can honestly say that I have definitely enjoyed the blog assignments so far in which we are given the opportunity to get to know professionals within our fields and learn about different organizations and resource that can be used in our future careers.  However, getting to know other professionals has been a great experience so far.  I became discouraged in the beginning because no one had responded to any of my emails, however, the director of NAEYC, Rhian Evans responded and forwarded my email to the appropriate individual.  The individual who I have been communicating with and would like to introduce to everyone is Stephanie Olmore, Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives at National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  Stephanie has a very extensive background in which she has basically been working in the early childhood field since her college years in which she served as an assistant for a child care program on campus.  She received her Bachelors at the University of Colorado at Boulder in which her major was Sociology.  She also received her Master’s degrees from the University of Colorado at Denver in which her major was Early Childhood Education.  She has worked for many companies throughout the years which include working for the Step by Step Association, Governor of Colorado, University of Colorado at Denver, and now at the NAEYC.  She is very dedicated to the early childhood field and an advocate for the well-being of children all over the world.         

The reason why Rhian Evans thought that this would be the perfect person to communicate with is because Stephanie is responsible for overseeing of all international efforts of NAEYC.  The international efforts of NAEYC have just begun in which the organization is seeking and encouraging other early childhood programs from the world to become accredited through the NAEYC.  The organization is in the process of implementing Global Connections which serves as a resource to support high-quality early care and education for all children all over the world.  The organization believes that the best way to address some of the issues that exist with children and families is with the providing of high quality early care and making sure that every child has the opportunity to receive that type of care.  The countries that have developed a partnership and joined Global Alliances include the following countries:

• Africa
• Asia
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Europe
• North America
• South America

According to NAEYC (2013), “The Global Alliance for the Education of Young Children provides an opportunity for early childhood associations from countries throughout the world to distribute materials and share information about programs and services, so that members of the participating organizations will have access to a greater range of early childhood resources” (para. 2).  This will allow the countries to use the resources and services in order to address issues such as poverty in order to aid people in their countries to provide better lives for their families.

When she shared this information I thought to myself that this just may work.  When it comes to issues of poverty a lot of families are not able to afford high quality child care for their children.  However, if all children are given the opportunity to receive this type of care, regardless of their income level, then there is a possibility that this early education will prepare the children for regular school.  This in return will allow the students to continue to excel and eventually receive good jobs in the future so their families will not have to struggle and live in poverty.  Education is the key to success and if we are going to fight to end poverty, educating children is where we need to start.     

References

NAEYC.  (2013).  Global alliance.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance.