Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Three organizations that I find interesting Early Childhood Education Community are First Steps, Mississippi Head Start Association and The Hamilton-White Child Development Center. 

First Step (http://msdh.ms.gov/) is an early intervention program that connects children with developmental delays and other birth defects with the proper community resources such as speech therapist, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and special education teachers. These services are given to families for not cost and can help aid in the success of a child later in life. 

Mississippi Head Start Association (http://www.msheadstart.org/) mission is to provide the state’s children and families with a range of individualized services in the areas of education, early childhood development, medical, dental, mental health, nutrition and parent involvement. They also support families, cultures, and diversity in the community. 

The Hamilton-White Child Development Center (http://www.deltastate.edu/) is a early education center located at the local university, Delta State. Their goal is to target the developmental areas of every unique child by organizing classes and activities aimed to reach the learner in every child. 

Job opportunities that interest me:

Early intervention teacher- This position would require a masters in early childhood development alone with certification in special education (degree or 21 hours). I would have to have collaboration and communication skills because it would be imperative to form a bond with parents and other therapists during the early intervention process in order to plan the best education program for the child.

Head Start Director- This is a leadership position that would require a degree in education (21 hour concentration in early childhood or special education), experience in teaching and also some experience in a leadership position. As a leader it would also be important for me to be continually trained on early education trends alone with being able to make decision for what is best for the children and teachers I lead. 

Preschool teacher- I would have to have a degree in early education alone with license for the State of MS (passing of praxis scores). 

References
First Step http://msdh.ms.gov/ 
Mississippi Head Start Association http://www.msheadstart.org/
The Hamilton-White Child Development Center http://www.deltastate.edu/

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.