Good-Bye and Thank-You!
I would like to thank everyone for their support and confidence in the discussions and blogs. I appreciate the feedback and ideas that were shared. It is nice to know that I am not alone when I have an issue to resolve and I enjoyed sharing my insights. I also hope that I have helped in a small way through my discussions and blog. I am sure this course has helped all of you as much as it has helped me to communicate more effectively in both my personal and professional life. My wish is for everyone to use what they have learned from Walden University as they pursue their goals. I personally have another four courses to get through before I finally graduate with my MS in Early Childhood Education. I hope to "see" some of you in the next course; good luck and best wishes to all.
My contact information is as follows so feel free to use it!
Jill Grimes
Trinity Daycare & Preschool
2402 N. Arkansas
PO Box 4449
Wichita, KS 67204
316-838-0909
jillosaurs@juno.com
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Adjourning; Saying Good-Bye
I have been involved in many meetings and break-out committees in my career in early childhood education. Some were unproductive, some were very productive. I find the hardest group that I had to say good-bye to was the most successful group because we all had the same vision, organizational skills, and were very professional. We did goof off sometimes by sharing stories, personally and professionally, but these stories never interfered with our goal. Some of us in this group had worked together before and knew the norms, but the norms were still always explained to the rest of the group. I have also been in groups who did not have a clue what they were doing or where to start. This type of group usually did not meet their goals and, me being me, would take over on the side with like minded people and get results. It was not difficult to say goodbye to this group! When I do work in a group that is high-performing, I hate for it to end. The people in this type of group had the energy, knowledge, and personality to get things done in a professional way.
The adjourning stage has some rituals that should be done before everyone leaves. Tying up any loose ends for the project is a must, as well as doing an evaluation, either as a group or individual. Spending time reflecting on what was successful or a failure, and identifying areas for development is important. I feel that the adjourning stage is important for closure that benefits everyone involved.
I have "known" many of my colleagues since I started working on my Bachelor's Degree. I have read about your visions and goals, personal history, and situations at work in your blogs, the student lounge, and the discussions. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and I am hoping many of us can still stay connected even though we all lead busy life's. We have come this far in our education, and there is still so much more we can learn from each other.
I have been involved in many meetings and break-out committees in my career in early childhood education. Some were unproductive, some were very productive. I find the hardest group that I had to say good-bye to was the most successful group because we all had the same vision, organizational skills, and were very professional. We did goof off sometimes by sharing stories, personally and professionally, but these stories never interfered with our goal. Some of us in this group had worked together before and knew the norms, but the norms were still always explained to the rest of the group. I have also been in groups who did not have a clue what they were doing or where to start. This type of group usually did not meet their goals and, me being me, would take over on the side with like minded people and get results. It was not difficult to say goodbye to this group! When I do work in a group that is high-performing, I hate for it to end. The people in this type of group had the energy, knowledge, and personality to get things done in a professional way.
The adjourning stage has some rituals that should be done before everyone leaves. Tying up any loose ends for the project is a must, as well as doing an evaluation, either as a group or individual. Spending time reflecting on what was successful or a failure, and identifying areas for development is important. I feel that the adjourning stage is important for closure that benefits everyone involved.
I have "known" many of my colleagues since I started working on my Bachelor's Degree. I have read about your visions and goals, personal history, and situations at work in your blogs, the student lounge, and the discussions. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and I am hoping many of us can still stay connected even though we all lead busy life's. We have come this far in our education, and there is still so much more we can learn from each other.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Conflict Resolution
The conflict I am going to write about happened a few days ago. The parties involved were myself, a mom, and a step-dad who has never been in to pick up the child before even though the child has been in my center for over a year. Mom is a laid back type of person just like her daughter. At the time they came in to pick up "Kimberly," the two year old class had just walked in from outside and stopped in the bathroom for potty break. Step-dad rounded the corner and saw one child hit his step-daughter. He did not know at the time that his step-daughter had just pushed the other child off a small step that all the children were sitting on. He came into the office demanding to know what I was going to do about this situation and that I must hire more teachers for supervision. At the time I had two teachers with seven children, way under our teacher/child ratio. I explained to him the developmental stages of a two year old and what his step-daughter had done to the other child, and no, that it does not make it right for the other child to hit her back. He cut me off so fast and stated that if this happened again he would call his lawyer. I apologized and stated that since he feels this daycare/preschool is not meeting his step-daughter's needs, that today could be her last day and gave him the daycare lawyers name and phone number just in case he needed it. He backed down quickly, saying how wonderful "Kimberly" was doing here and that everyone was doing a great job. He thanked me, said see you tomorrow, and left; mom said nothing the entire time. I have not had any issues with the family since then. My center is a small Christian center with only sixty-two children. I believe this step-parent felt he could intimidate me with the "lawyer talk" and did not expect me to reply with my "lawyer talk." He did not take the post-it note with the lawyers name or number.
One strategy that I have learned about is the use of the 3 R's. I am always respectful with everyone and felt that I was responsive to this step-parent by maintaining eye-contact and a respectful tone of voice. I did not want to sound defensive or make this step-dad look bad when he was addressing this issue. I wanted him to understand that I emphasized with him and the situation. I also did not want him to think that I was "all powerful" and knew everything making him feel small. When people can recognize and have empathy for their own emotional reactions, they have a better chance of being able to make a conscious choice on how to respond to any given situation.
Another strategy that I have learned this week through The Center for Nonviolent Communication is that other people may attempt to use fear, shame, or guilt to get what they want and need from others. I believe that the step-dad was trying to "put the fear in me" by mentioning his lawyer. I also got a bit defensive and that is why I mentioned my lawyer which I should not have done. I could have done a better job on observing and concentrating on what he was saying even though he was verbally "attacking" me. If I would have done this, I would have been able to meet the family's needs in a more professional manner.
The conflict I am going to write about happened a few days ago. The parties involved were myself, a mom, and a step-dad who has never been in to pick up the child before even though the child has been in my center for over a year. Mom is a laid back type of person just like her daughter. At the time they came in to pick up "Kimberly," the two year old class had just walked in from outside and stopped in the bathroom for potty break. Step-dad rounded the corner and saw one child hit his step-daughter. He did not know at the time that his step-daughter had just pushed the other child off a small step that all the children were sitting on. He came into the office demanding to know what I was going to do about this situation and that I must hire more teachers for supervision. At the time I had two teachers with seven children, way under our teacher/child ratio. I explained to him the developmental stages of a two year old and what his step-daughter had done to the other child, and no, that it does not make it right for the other child to hit her back. He cut me off so fast and stated that if this happened again he would call his lawyer. I apologized and stated that since he feels this daycare/preschool is not meeting his step-daughter's needs, that today could be her last day and gave him the daycare lawyers name and phone number just in case he needed it. He backed down quickly, saying how wonderful "Kimberly" was doing here and that everyone was doing a great job. He thanked me, said see you tomorrow, and left; mom said nothing the entire time. I have not had any issues with the family since then. My center is a small Christian center with only sixty-two children. I believe this step-parent felt he could intimidate me with the "lawyer talk" and did not expect me to reply with my "lawyer talk." He did not take the post-it note with the lawyers name or number.
One strategy that I have learned about is the use of the 3 R's. I am always respectful with everyone and felt that I was responsive to this step-parent by maintaining eye-contact and a respectful tone of voice. I did not want to sound defensive or make this step-dad look bad when he was addressing this issue. I wanted him to understand that I emphasized with him and the situation. I also did not want him to think that I was "all powerful" and knew everything making him feel small. When people can recognize and have empathy for their own emotional reactions, they have a better chance of being able to make a conscious choice on how to respond to any given situation.
Another strategy that I have learned this week through The Center for Nonviolent Communication is that other people may attempt to use fear, shame, or guilt to get what they want and need from others. I believe that the step-dad was trying to "put the fear in me" by mentioning his lawyer. I also got a bit defensive and that is why I mentioned my lawyer which I should not have done. I could have done a better job on observing and concentrating on what he was saying even though he was verbally "attacking" me. If I would have done this, I would have been able to meet the family's needs in a more professional manner.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
My Communication Styles
I had a co-worker and my son take the tests to see how they felt I rated as a communicator. We all agreed that with the Listening Styles Profile I was a in group 1, as I am very people-oriented. Being in group 1 states that I am very trusting of others which sometimes can backfire for me, and it has! This reminded me of a situation when I was picked for jury duty and one of the attorneys asked me if I would trust everyone who walked into a store. I replied that since I am a Program Director of an early childhood center that my little world is full of trust with the children, parents, and staff, so yes I would probably trust everyone because I "live " in the perfect world of childcare. They did not pick me for the jury but everyone had a good laugh. My listening style is very important both in my professional and personal life especially when I am dealing with parents and their children all day. It is imperative that I do not "tune out" parents for the safety and well being of their children in my care. On the other hand, I do sometimes "tune out" some of my boring friends even though my non-verbal cues say that I am interested.
My son and I both evaluated me as having a low level of communication anxiety, and my co-worker evaluated me as having a mid level of communication anxiety. I would tend to go with what my son and I thought, but I understand how my co-worker evaluated me differently. She does hear me complain when I have an issue about a child and I have to have a serious conversation with a family about their child's development or behavior. Because of my position of being a Program Director, I have to have a low level of communication anxiety because I address groups of parents all the time and I also teach child development classes. This also helps me in my personal life because I am not afraid to start a conversation with a sales clerk, manager, or even a person who is behind me waiting in line.
My co-worker and myself evaluated me with having a moderate level of verbal aggressiveness which surprised me after reading the description. My son evaluated me with a a low level of verbal aggressiveness. I have been "watching" myself this week when I communicate with my staff and families, and make sure I do use the facts in my conversations and not to "attack" anyone personally.
An insight that about communication that I gained this week is that my past experiences do make up my personal perceptions, but some of my perceptions have changed with age. For example, I know some people who shy away from people who have tattoos or piercings because they feel they are dangerous or illiterate which makes these people a bad influence. Maybe because I am fifty-five years old, I take things with a grain a salt. Most of my staff have tattoos; I have four myself. Parents will show off their own tattoos proudly to me and this does not change my communication outlook when talking with them.
I had a co-worker and my son take the tests to see how they felt I rated as a communicator. We all agreed that with the Listening Styles Profile I was a in group 1, as I am very people-oriented. Being in group 1 states that I am very trusting of others which sometimes can backfire for me, and it has! This reminded me of a situation when I was picked for jury duty and one of the attorneys asked me if I would trust everyone who walked into a store. I replied that since I am a Program Director of an early childhood center that my little world is full of trust with the children, parents, and staff, so yes I would probably trust everyone because I "live " in the perfect world of childcare. They did not pick me for the jury but everyone had a good laugh. My listening style is very important both in my professional and personal life especially when I am dealing with parents and their children all day. It is imperative that I do not "tune out" parents for the safety and well being of their children in my care. On the other hand, I do sometimes "tune out" some of my boring friends even though my non-verbal cues say that I am interested.
My son and I both evaluated me as having a low level of communication anxiety, and my co-worker evaluated me as having a mid level of communication anxiety. I would tend to go with what my son and I thought, but I understand how my co-worker evaluated me differently. She does hear me complain when I have an issue about a child and I have to have a serious conversation with a family about their child's development or behavior. Because of my position of being a Program Director, I have to have a low level of communication anxiety because I address groups of parents all the time and I also teach child development classes. This also helps me in my personal life because I am not afraid to start a conversation with a sales clerk, manager, or even a person who is behind me waiting in line.
My co-worker and myself evaluated me with having a moderate level of verbal aggressiveness which surprised me after reading the description. My son evaluated me with a a low level of verbal aggressiveness. I have been "watching" myself this week when I communicate with my staff and families, and make sure I do use the facts in my conversations and not to "attack" anyone personally.
An insight that about communication that I gained this week is that my past experiences do make up my personal perceptions, but some of my perceptions have changed with age. For example, I know some people who shy away from people who have tattoos or piercings because they feel they are dangerous or illiterate which makes these people a bad influence. Maybe because I am fifty-five years old, I take things with a grain a salt. Most of my staff have tattoos; I have four myself. Parents will show off their own tattoos proudly to me and this does not change my communication outlook when talking with them.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Culturally Diverse Communication
I do find myself communicating differently with children, adults, and the daycare cat! For older people I tend to speak slower, louder, and maintain eye contact so I know they understand what I am trying to communicate to them. I check for non-verbal and behavioral cues before I speak. When I communicate to my staff, I use the word "thingy" a lot and they instantly know what I am talking about; sometimes they even finish my sentences because of the longevity they have with me. My daughter, who is also my assistant director, always tells me that if there is an issue and I am not around, she will "think" about how I would handle it and communicate my words to whoever she is speaking with; staff or parents. I have to admit that I am proud of her to want to emulate me! When I am with children, I always make sure to maintain eye contact and use proper English when communicating to them. I use the "mom" voice and look if there is a problem that I am trying to clear up. Sometimes this requires me to defined some words that I use. I have never used "baby talk" that some parents will not give up. But, I will sometimes use "baby talk" to Ms. Kitty, the daycare pet therapist cat. I talk to her all the time, asking her about her night as she lives at the daycare, and if she is ready to eat. Some of the children have picked up on this and will do the same thing. When I communicate with someone I do not know, a waitress/waiter or store clerk, I always use their name when I speak with them. It makes them feel "human" and not like a "machine" taking my order or ringing up a sale. They seem to appreciate it.
Years ago, when my daughter was three years old, my husband and I took her to the doctor for an ear infection. The doctor was Asian and I found myself talking LOUD to him even though he was standing right next to me. The doctor and my husband used a normal conversational tone, but not me. When the doctor left the room,my husband asked why I was speaking so loud. I was not aware that I was doing this. Subconsciously, I think that because the doctor was Asian I must talk loud for him to understand my situation. From there on out, I always remind myself of this when speaking with someone from another country or culture.
Strategies that I could use to communicate more effectively are:
*Keep the message simple, but deep in meaning. Depending on who you are talking with, make the message inspiring, something that is easy to relate to or to understand.
*Listen! Use good listening skills and show a genuine interest by using the person's name. Be aware of the non-verbal and behavioral cues.
*Telling a story or communicating personal experiences tend to help the people who are listening to you to "tune in" better to your message. People tend to remember these stories and they can be strong positive influences on culture building communication and behaviors.
I do find myself communicating differently with children, adults, and the daycare cat! For older people I tend to speak slower, louder, and maintain eye contact so I know they understand what I am trying to communicate to them. I check for non-verbal and behavioral cues before I speak. When I communicate to my staff, I use the word "thingy" a lot and they instantly know what I am talking about; sometimes they even finish my sentences because of the longevity they have with me. My daughter, who is also my assistant director, always tells me that if there is an issue and I am not around, she will "think" about how I would handle it and communicate my words to whoever she is speaking with; staff or parents. I have to admit that I am proud of her to want to emulate me! When I am with children, I always make sure to maintain eye contact and use proper English when communicating to them. I use the "mom" voice and look if there is a problem that I am trying to clear up. Sometimes this requires me to defined some words that I use. I have never used "baby talk" that some parents will not give up. But, I will sometimes use "baby talk" to Ms. Kitty, the daycare pet therapist cat. I talk to her all the time, asking her about her night as she lives at the daycare, and if she is ready to eat. Some of the children have picked up on this and will do the same thing. When I communicate with someone I do not know, a waitress/waiter or store clerk, I always use their name when I speak with them. It makes them feel "human" and not like a "machine" taking my order or ringing up a sale. They seem to appreciate it.
Years ago, when my daughter was three years old, my husband and I took her to the doctor for an ear infection. The doctor was Asian and I found myself talking LOUD to him even though he was standing right next to me. The doctor and my husband used a normal conversational tone, but not me. When the doctor left the room,my husband asked why I was speaking so loud. I was not aware that I was doing this. Subconsciously, I think that because the doctor was Asian I must talk loud for him to understand my situation. From there on out, I always remind myself of this when speaking with someone from another country or culture.
Strategies that I could use to communicate more effectively are:
*Keep the message simple, but deep in meaning. Depending on who you are talking with, make the message inspiring, something that is easy to relate to or to understand.
*Listen! Use good listening skills and show a genuine interest by using the person's name. Be aware of the non-verbal and behavioral cues.
*Telling a story or communicating personal experiences tend to help the people who are listening to you to "tune in" better to your message. People tend to remember these stories and they can be strong positive influences on culture building communication and behaviors.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Communication Assumptions
I do not own a television so I asked to borrowed a DVD from my son. He gave me Quantum Leap to watch and now I am hooked on this show!
Watching with the sound off was more difficult then I though it would be. The relationship of the two main charterers, Sam and Al, showed that they seemed to be good friends at some points, and yet they seemed to have a difference of opinion on some issues. Al's facial expressions were animated and he used his hands a lot when talking. It seemed like his body was always in motion whether he was singing, dancing, or pretending to swing a golf club. Al was always holding on to a small computer that he would type in something and then his whole body became agitated with it as he would start pounding on it with his fists. At this time his facial expressions would show anger. Sam always looked confused when someone other than Al was talking to him, but he did smile a lot. I did not understand why Al could act goofy and not have the other people around him say anything. When Sam looked at himself in a mirror, it was a different person looking back at him. Apparently Sam was the only one who could actually see Al and Al would appear and disappear at will which startled Sam.
Watching this show was definitely more fun with the sound on. With the sound on, I could see that Sam and Al were good friends and my interpretation of this was right. Al was Sam's sidekick but Sam was the only one who could see him and that is why Al could act goofy and get away with it. When Al could not get the information from his hand held computer, he was upset and would usually disappear. I now understand why Sam appeared to almost always have a confused look on his face as he "leaped" back into time and had no clue where he was or who the people around him were. I just thought he looked confused because of the things Al would tell him from his computer.
I believe my assumptions would be spot on if I actually watched a show that I was familiar with. It has always been said that one should not make assumptions. The nonverbal cues in this program gave me the message that Al was a happy go lucky guy and Sam seemed uptight until toward the end of the show. When I re watched with the sound on, I noticed that some of the nonverbal cues that Al was making did not match his words.
I do not own a television so I asked to borrowed a DVD from my son. He gave me Quantum Leap to watch and now I am hooked on this show!
Watching with the sound off was more difficult then I though it would be. The relationship of the two main charterers, Sam and Al, showed that they seemed to be good friends at some points, and yet they seemed to have a difference of opinion on some issues. Al's facial expressions were animated and he used his hands a lot when talking. It seemed like his body was always in motion whether he was singing, dancing, or pretending to swing a golf club. Al was always holding on to a small computer that he would type in something and then his whole body became agitated with it as he would start pounding on it with his fists. At this time his facial expressions would show anger. Sam always looked confused when someone other than Al was talking to him, but he did smile a lot. I did not understand why Al could act goofy and not have the other people around him say anything. When Sam looked at himself in a mirror, it was a different person looking back at him. Apparently Sam was the only one who could actually see Al and Al would appear and disappear at will which startled Sam.
Watching this show was definitely more fun with the sound on. With the sound on, I could see that Sam and Al were good friends and my interpretation of this was right. Al was Sam's sidekick but Sam was the only one who could see him and that is why Al could act goofy and get away with it. When Al could not get the information from his hand held computer, he was upset and would usually disappear. I now understand why Sam appeared to almost always have a confused look on his face as he "leaped" back into time and had no clue where he was or who the people around him were. I just thought he looked confused because of the things Al would tell him from his computer.
I believe my assumptions would be spot on if I actually watched a show that I was familiar with. It has always been said that one should not make assumptions. The nonverbal cues in this program gave me the message that Al was a happy go lucky guy and Sam seemed uptight until toward the end of the show. When I re watched with the sound on, I noticed that some of the nonverbal cues that Al was making did not match his words.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Competent Communication Skills
My thirty-five year old son is very competent when it comes to communication as his skills began at an early age. He is very articulate when he communicates to anyone both verbally and non verbally. He maintains eye contact, keeps his tone of voice even, and is an active perceiver when he listens. If he does not understand the point or goal of the conversation, he will restate what he feels that the point or goal is. Because of his intelligence, he will strive to distinguish fact from inferences and communicates with knowledge.
He is also aware of cultural context when communicating with others as he comes in contact with other cultures frequently. I have been modeling my own communication skills after my sons for several years. What I must work on is my listening skills. When I become lost with what someone is trying to tell me, I tune out. I need to become a more active listener.
My thirty-five year old son is very competent when it comes to communication as his skills began at an early age. He is very articulate when he communicates to anyone both verbally and non verbally. He maintains eye contact, keeps his tone of voice even, and is an active perceiver when he listens. If he does not understand the point or goal of the conversation, he will restate what he feels that the point or goal is. Because of his intelligence, he will strive to distinguish fact from inferences and communicates with knowledge.
He is also aware of cultural context when communicating with others as he comes in contact with other cultures frequently. I have been modeling my own communication skills after my sons for several years. What I must work on is my listening skills. When I become lost with what someone is trying to tell me, I tune out. I need to become a more active listener.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Professional Hopes and Goals
My hope for all children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds is for them to feel comfortable, safe, and welcomed in their environment. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives. We also must take the time to understand why people do the things they do within their social identities; the purpose behind the action. We need to move beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating diversity. People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs.
A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is for teachers to learn some different concepts and theories with diversity in order to adapt new strategies into the teaching curriculum. Teachers must examine themselves for any hidden biases they may have, or encounter on the job, and learn techniques that will counter the potential negative effects of these biases. Culture sensitivity also plays a required role in the designing of new teaching techniques that would have an emphasis on raising awareness of microaggressive thoughts or actions. Learning these types of techniques will be an ongoing process.
I would like to thank all my peers for their suggestions, personal thoughts, stories, and caring attitudes for the children to be working on their Master's Degree. You have inspired me to challenge myself even more. Good luck to all.
My hope for all children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds is for them to feel comfortable, safe, and welcomed in their environment. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives. We also must take the time to understand why people do the things they do within their social identities; the purpose behind the action. We need to move beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating diversity. People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs.
A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is for teachers to learn some different concepts and theories with diversity in order to adapt new strategies into the teaching curriculum. Teachers must examine themselves for any hidden biases they may have, or encounter on the job, and learn techniques that will counter the potential negative effects of these biases. Culture sensitivity also plays a required role in the designing of new teaching techniques that would have an emphasis on raising awareness of microaggressive thoughts or actions. Learning these types of techniques will be an ongoing process.
I would like to thank all my peers for their suggestions, personal thoughts, stories, and caring attitudes for the children to be working on their Master's Degree. You have inspired me to challenge myself even more. Good luck to all.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Welcoming Families From Around the World
The country that "my family" came from is Germany.
Five ways that I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family would be:
1. I would learn the culture from the area where the family came from. I would also like to have a list of resources to help the family to assimilate to our country.
2. I would read books about Germany, learn important words or phrases in German and have a translator standing by to help out if needed.
3. I would, hopefully, receive information about the child and his family before they arrive so I would know the child's strengths, weakness, likes, and dislikes. I would also want to know what type of educational programs he has attended in Germany.
4. Having pictures that the child and family can relate to hanging up in the classroom, along with books both in English and in German would be beneficial for all the children. I would like to have toys, different activities, and music that are native to Germany in the classroom to make the child feel like he is important to the classroom.
5. I would like the learn about foods that the child likes and see if we could reproduce a recipe in the classroom so all the children could enjoy it.
These are just a few ways to make the child and their family feel comfortable. It will also make the other children feel comfortable knowing that a child who may not speak English or who eats different things then what we eat will be in their classroom. The children will be able to ask questions about their new friend that I may be able to answer, and if not, they will be find answers to their questions when he attends and not be afraid of what they do not understand.
The country that "my family" came from is Germany.
Five ways that I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family would be:
1. I would learn the culture from the area where the family came from. I would also like to have a list of resources to help the family to assimilate to our country.
2. I would read books about Germany, learn important words or phrases in German and have a translator standing by to help out if needed.
3. I would, hopefully, receive information about the child and his family before they arrive so I would know the child's strengths, weakness, likes, and dislikes. I would also want to know what type of educational programs he has attended in Germany.
4. Having pictures that the child and family can relate to hanging up in the classroom, along with books both in English and in German would be beneficial for all the children. I would like to have toys, different activities, and music that are native to Germany in the classroom to make the child feel like he is important to the classroom.
5. I would like the learn about foods that the child likes and see if we could reproduce a recipe in the classroom so all the children could enjoy it.
These are just a few ways to make the child and their family feel comfortable. It will also make the other children feel comfortable knowing that a child who may not speak English or who eats different things then what we eat will be in their classroom. The children will be able to ask questions about their new friend that I may be able to answer, and if not, they will be find answers to their questions when he attends and not be afraid of what they do not understand.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression
The experience I am writing about took place a couple of weeks ago, and I am still flabbergasted that my staff reacted like they did. My center accepts children from 12 months to 5 years of age. We have a two year old who is still breastfeeding as mom usually pumps and brings the breast milk in his sippy cup, but on occasion she has actually breast fed her son in the car after picking him up from the center. One day, she decided to breast feed in the classroom sitting in the rocking chair. She had a blanket covering herself and part of her son, so it looked like she was just cuddling and rocking him. My staff seemed shocked and embarrassed at the same time and I could not understand why. Children continued to play, parents came and went, and not one person noticed anything different or said a word except for my staff. I had an impromptu staff meeting to listen to their concerns about this situation. My first words were that she has every right to breast feed and this center supports breastfeeding. I asked my staff their feelings, and a few responded that it was awkward because she did not warn us what she was going to do. Another said that the child was too old and another staff member stated that there is a time and place for everything. All I could think was WOW, how could my staff that I have trained and nurtured be so biased? Upon further discussion, I found most of my staff agreed that breast milk was the best for children. Of course, I handed out information about the benefits of breastfeeding.
I felt this situation diminished equity because of the reaction from my staff. Did they think she was giving a bad example for other adults or the children? If my staff agree that breast milk was the best thing for a child, why were they so shocked when they saw this mom breast feed? My staff said that breast feeding was good, no doubt about that, but just not when they were around. I could say that my staff is just uneducated about the issue, but they are not; it is a biased situation. I asked the question "How would you feel if you saw a mother breastfeeding at the mall, restaurant, or park? What would your feeling be then?"
My feelings on this subject was that of surprise for my staff. I did not believe that they were so opinionated on this issue. Could it be since that they personally knew this mother that they might have been embarrassed? I personally sat in the room and talked to her and her son while she was breastfeeding. I did try breastfeeding my first born, but it did not work for me. I applaud breastfeeding moms!
The experience I am writing about took place a couple of weeks ago, and I am still flabbergasted that my staff reacted like they did. My center accepts children from 12 months to 5 years of age. We have a two year old who is still breastfeeding as mom usually pumps and brings the breast milk in his sippy cup, but on occasion she has actually breast fed her son in the car after picking him up from the center. One day, she decided to breast feed in the classroom sitting in the rocking chair. She had a blanket covering herself and part of her son, so it looked like she was just cuddling and rocking him. My staff seemed shocked and embarrassed at the same time and I could not understand why. Children continued to play, parents came and went, and not one person noticed anything different or said a word except for my staff. I had an impromptu staff meeting to listen to their concerns about this situation. My first words were that she has every right to breast feed and this center supports breastfeeding. I asked my staff their feelings, and a few responded that it was awkward because she did not warn us what she was going to do. Another said that the child was too old and another staff member stated that there is a time and place for everything. All I could think was WOW, how could my staff that I have trained and nurtured be so biased? Upon further discussion, I found most of my staff agreed that breast milk was the best for children. Of course, I handed out information about the benefits of breastfeeding.
I felt this situation diminished equity because of the reaction from my staff. Did they think she was giving a bad example for other adults or the children? If my staff agree that breast milk was the best thing for a child, why were they so shocked when they saw this mom breast feed? My staff said that breast feeding was good, no doubt about that, but just not when they were around. I could say that my staff is just uneducated about the issue, but they are not; it is a biased situation. I asked the question "How would you feel if you saw a mother breastfeeding at the mall, restaurant, or park? What would your feeling be then?"
My feelings on this subject was that of surprise for my staff. I did not believe that they were so opinionated on this issue. Could it be since that they personally knew this mother that they might have been embarrassed? I personally sat in the room and talked to her and her son while she was breastfeeding. I did try breastfeeding my first born, but it did not work for me. I applaud breastfeeding moms!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions
Microaggressions occur on a daily basis and are usually brief slights, insults, or indignities of messages which can happen verbally or non verbally to people of different races, cultures, or genders. I feel that it can be a form of aversive racism. Microaggressions usually happen outside the level of awareness of people (Sue, 2011).
Unfortunately, I see and hear microaggressions everyday from both adults and children. The one I am going to write about happened several years ago when my daughter was about sixteen or seventeen years of age. We were traveling to a small county in Wichita and stopped at the only gas station we could find for gas and snacks. We are white, and the lady at the register was from Iran, as I overheard her tell a customer who just left the store. My daughter and I were the only customers left and we walked around the small store picking up junk food and pop. When we sat our snacks down on the counter, the lady coldly informed us that she does not take Vision cards. Vision cards in Kansas are cards that help people pay for food. I simply stated, before I could stop my mouth, "That's nice because I do not have a Vision card. Do you have a Vision card?" She simply said no and I paid her in cash. I was so angry because she pegged me as someone who did not have any money and that was not the case. Sure, my daughter and I were wearing "seen better days" shorts and tee shirts, but still, she did not have to say anything to me about a Vision card implying that I need help to pay for food. My daughter, on the other hand, played devil's advocate saying that maybe because we were dressed "down" and did not look like we had money, or maybe people had tried to use Vision cards there before us is the reason she made this statement up front. Regardless, I felt this was a microinsult and microinvalidation to me, and still have not forgotten about it.
In my center, I see microaggressions in the classrooms when African American children tell mixed children that they can not play with them because their skin is not dark enough. Hurt feelings are one of the hardest issues to overcome, as you can tell in my microaggression from above. The older I become, the more tolerant I am of most everything, including the "isms." Disregarding or downplaying the feelings, beliefs, or opinions of others is one of the main contributing factors to microaggressions. As long as people feel they are superior to others, and vice versa, they will have tendencies to react negatively to those they consider different from their own standpoint in the power structure of hierarchy.
Laureate education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. [Video file].
Retrieved from http://class,walden.edu
Microaggressions occur on a daily basis and are usually brief slights, insults, or indignities of messages which can happen verbally or non verbally to people of different races, cultures, or genders. I feel that it can be a form of aversive racism. Microaggressions usually happen outside the level of awareness of people (Sue, 2011).
Unfortunately, I see and hear microaggressions everyday from both adults and children. The one I am going to write about happened several years ago when my daughter was about sixteen or seventeen years of age. We were traveling to a small county in Wichita and stopped at the only gas station we could find for gas and snacks. We are white, and the lady at the register was from Iran, as I overheard her tell a customer who just left the store. My daughter and I were the only customers left and we walked around the small store picking up junk food and pop. When we sat our snacks down on the counter, the lady coldly informed us that she does not take Vision cards. Vision cards in Kansas are cards that help people pay for food. I simply stated, before I could stop my mouth, "That's nice because I do not have a Vision card. Do you have a Vision card?" She simply said no and I paid her in cash. I was so angry because she pegged me as someone who did not have any money and that was not the case. Sure, my daughter and I were wearing "seen better days" shorts and tee shirts, but still, she did not have to say anything to me about a Vision card implying that I need help to pay for food. My daughter, on the other hand, played devil's advocate saying that maybe because we were dressed "down" and did not look like we had money, or maybe people had tried to use Vision cards there before us is the reason she made this statement up front. Regardless, I felt this was a microinsult and microinvalidation to me, and still have not forgotten about it.
In my center, I see microaggressions in the classrooms when African American children tell mixed children that they can not play with them because their skin is not dark enough. Hurt feelings are one of the hardest issues to overcome, as you can tell in my microaggression from above. The older I become, the more tolerant I am of most everything, including the "isms." Disregarding or downplaying the feelings, beliefs, or opinions of others is one of the main contributing factors to microaggressions. As long as people feel they are superior to others, and vice versa, they will have tendencies to react negatively to those they consider different from their own standpoint in the power structure of hierarchy.
Laureate education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. [Video file].
Retrieved from http://class,walden.edu
Friday, May 23, 2014
Perspectives on Diversity and Culture
People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs. I spoke with a Caucasian male in his sixties, a Hispanic female in her twenties, and an African-American female in her thirties. All three stated that they believed culture and diversity means people who are respectful of others that are different from themselves. They also were in agreement that respect is not only for the traditions and values, but also for gender, race, religion, and socioeconomic status.
My Hispanic friend also feels that her culture is a group of people having the same beliefs and they work together to make their culture better. This, to me, would be considered deep culture as having everyone working together to make their culture richer involves the thoughts, beliefs, personal values, and traditions that everyone expresses in actions and words everyday.
My Caucasian friend believes that culture is influenced by ones upbringing and environment. One issue that I do not remember reading about is how the environment influences ones culture if they have been removed from their own comfortable culture. Will they still hold onto to their values and beliefs, or embrace the culture they were placed in by adoption or another circumstance. It might depend on the age of the child.
Talking to different people and getting their opinion about culture and diversity made me realize that I really did not think much about culture years ago. Being in the dominate culture, I really did not have any clue of the issues and hardships some cultures went through. I also thought about the influence of power structures in our society and the impact they can have on cultural dynamics and values. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives.
People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs. I spoke with a Caucasian male in his sixties, a Hispanic female in her twenties, and an African-American female in her thirties. All three stated that they believed culture and diversity means people who are respectful of others that are different from themselves. They also were in agreement that respect is not only for the traditions and values, but also for gender, race, religion, and socioeconomic status.
My Hispanic friend also feels that her culture is a group of people having the same beliefs and they work together to make their culture better. This, to me, would be considered deep culture as having everyone working together to make their culture richer involves the thoughts, beliefs, personal values, and traditions that everyone expresses in actions and words everyday.
My Caucasian friend believes that culture is influenced by ones upbringing and environment. One issue that I do not remember reading about is how the environment influences ones culture if they have been removed from their own comfortable culture. Will they still hold onto to their values and beliefs, or embrace the culture they were placed in by adoption or another circumstance. It might depend on the age of the child.
Talking to different people and getting their opinion about culture and diversity made me realize that I really did not think much about culture years ago. Being in the dominate culture, I really did not have any clue of the issues and hardships some cultures went through. I also thought about the influence of power structures in our society and the impact they can have on cultural dynamics and values. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives.
Friday, May 16, 2014
My Family Culture
It was difficult to decide what three items I wanted to take with me as I have accumulated so many trinkets and personal possessions in my age that hold great value to me. After I thought about this assignment for a couple of days, my top three choices became clear. I would take with me the following items:
*Pictures of my family; my children, parents, siblings
*My first rosary that I received at my First Communion
*Chicken Soup for the Soul book by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
These three items are very special to me as they represent my identity, my culture, my life, and my inspirations. Provided my host country can speak my language well enough to understand my descriptions, I would inform them about the importance of my three items and the significance that they hold in my life.
My family pictures give me the memories and remind me of the happy and sad times throughout my life experience. The rosary that I received as a gift from my parents during my First Communion represents my faith and its calming effect helps to soothe my anxiety during stressful times. My copy of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book has many inspiring stories and sometimes makes the difficult choices I face in my life more manageable by granting me greater clarity and focus.
If I were forced to make the choice to keep only one of my items and abandon the other two, I would undoubtedly experience deep sadness and heartache. Despite the grief and pain associated with having to relocate from my familiar environment and way of life to somewhere completely different against my will, I would have to keep my family pictures. That way, I would be able to share my past experiences with others in a visual way, and still have a physical representation of better times in my life.
This assignment has really made me question my values and evaluate what is important to me. I know that my family will always be a priority in my life and am proud to share that fact with others. With my pictures, I would have an easier time communicating my experiences with another culture that may or may not speak my native language. In this way, I can both embrace my culture and celebrate diversity at the same time.
It was difficult to decide what three items I wanted to take with me as I have accumulated so many trinkets and personal possessions in my age that hold great value to me. After I thought about this assignment for a couple of days, my top three choices became clear. I would take with me the following items:
*Pictures of my family; my children, parents, siblings
*My first rosary that I received at my First Communion
*Chicken Soup for the Soul book by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
These three items are very special to me as they represent my identity, my culture, my life, and my inspirations. Provided my host country can speak my language well enough to understand my descriptions, I would inform them about the importance of my three items and the significance that they hold in my life.
My family pictures give me the memories and remind me of the happy and sad times throughout my life experience. The rosary that I received as a gift from my parents during my First Communion represents my faith and its calming effect helps to soothe my anxiety during stressful times. My copy of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book has many inspiring stories and sometimes makes the difficult choices I face in my life more manageable by granting me greater clarity and focus.
If I were forced to make the choice to keep only one of my items and abandon the other two, I would undoubtedly experience deep sadness and heartache. Despite the grief and pain associated with having to relocate from my familiar environment and way of life to somewhere completely different against my will, I would have to keep my family pictures. That way, I would be able to share my past experiences with others in a visual way, and still have a physical representation of better times in my life.
This assignment has really made me question my values and evaluate what is important to me. I know that my family will always be a priority in my life and am proud to share that fact with others. With my pictures, I would have an easier time communicating my experiences with another culture that may or may not speak my native language. In this way, I can both embrace my culture and celebrate diversity at the same time.
Friday, April 25, 2014
When I Think of Research....
Some insights I have gained about research is that research takes patience and is time consuming. I also realize that everyone does research everyday in an informal way. I have learned that research is an important tool in the early childhood field as it improves the knowledge we need when teaching young children. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights, and knowledge (Rolfe & Mac Naughton, 2010, p. 3). I have learned to be aware of any bias's when planning research with children and that the Ethical Standards for Research with Children has different rules and regulations to keep children safe from any type of research compared to conducting research with adults. In the field of child-based research, it is imperative that the well-being of children involved is the first and foremost priority and child-based research is typically held to stricter standards and scrutiny.
My ideas about research have changed in many ways. The first is because of the many different types of research methods; interviews, surveys, focus groups, direct observations, and experiments. Research can verify or nullify stereotypes and help researchers to have the ability to eliminate guesswork and assumptions about different concepts. Another way that my ideas about research has changed is that not all research results are always valid. When I use the elements of the process of triangulation I will have a better understanding on the study and be more confident in the results of the research. A statement about the validity of a study is a judgement about the extend to which it can be said that the research has captured important features of the field and has analyzed them with integrity (Edwards, 2010, p. 162). Integrity in research is extremely important and any contribution toward validity is a step in the right direction.
I have learned that I have difficulties narrowing down research questions but once I do narrow them down, the hypothesis comes easy for me. When I have these two "ducks in a row," I do not have any problems deciding what research method to use and how to apply these techniques. I have also learned that I should do a feasibility study to determine possible positive and negative outcomes before investing in the research.
One challenge that I had to overcome was the actual research; that is finding information and articles to fit my needs. I became overwhelmed with the amount of reading involved but I was excited to learn that I could safely skip a large portion of any research article and still know exactly what the research was all about (Lepuschitz, 2011, p. 1). Reading the abstract and introduction was very beneficial for me as it told me whether I wanted to continue reading the article. Another challenge I had was narrowing down my research question as I was always too vague when writing this question. I do believe that I will always have difficulties with this situation.
I would like to thank all my colleagues who posed some challenging questions to me in the discussions as these questions had me looking at things in a different light. Just the discussions alone were very beneficial to this course and I appreciate the resources that everyone has suggested. This course was difficult for me and I respect and value everyones opinions.
Lepuschitz, J. K. (2011). A practical guide to reading research articles. Laureate Education,
Inc. Baltimore, MD.
Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraji-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood
research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hil.
Some insights I have gained about research is that research takes patience and is time consuming. I also realize that everyone does research everyday in an informal way. I have learned that research is an important tool in the early childhood field as it improves the knowledge we need when teaching young children. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights, and knowledge (Rolfe & Mac Naughton, 2010, p. 3). I have learned to be aware of any bias's when planning research with children and that the Ethical Standards for Research with Children has different rules and regulations to keep children safe from any type of research compared to conducting research with adults. In the field of child-based research, it is imperative that the well-being of children involved is the first and foremost priority and child-based research is typically held to stricter standards and scrutiny.
My ideas about research have changed in many ways. The first is because of the many different types of research methods; interviews, surveys, focus groups, direct observations, and experiments. Research can verify or nullify stereotypes and help researchers to have the ability to eliminate guesswork and assumptions about different concepts. Another way that my ideas about research has changed is that not all research results are always valid. When I use the elements of the process of triangulation I will have a better understanding on the study and be more confident in the results of the research. A statement about the validity of a study is a judgement about the extend to which it can be said that the research has captured important features of the field and has analyzed them with integrity (Edwards, 2010, p. 162). Integrity in research is extremely important and any contribution toward validity is a step in the right direction.
I have learned that I have difficulties narrowing down research questions but once I do narrow them down, the hypothesis comes easy for me. When I have these two "ducks in a row," I do not have any problems deciding what research method to use and how to apply these techniques. I have also learned that I should do a feasibility study to determine possible positive and negative outcomes before investing in the research.
One challenge that I had to overcome was the actual research; that is finding information and articles to fit my needs. I became overwhelmed with the amount of reading involved but I was excited to learn that I could safely skip a large portion of any research article and still know exactly what the research was all about (Lepuschitz, 2011, p. 1). Reading the abstract and introduction was very beneficial for me as it told me whether I wanted to continue reading the article. Another challenge I had was narrowing down my research question as I was always too vague when writing this question. I do believe that I will always have difficulties with this situation.
I would like to thank all my colleagues who posed some challenging questions to me in the discussions as these questions had me looking at things in a different light. Just the discussions alone were very beneficial to this course and I appreciate the resources that everyone has suggested. This course was difficult for me and I respect and value everyones opinions.
Lepuschitz, J. K. (2011). A practical guide to reading research articles. Laureate Education,
Inc. Baltimore, MD.
Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraji-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood
research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hil.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Research Around the World
I researched the Early Childhood Development Virtual University Sub-Saharan Africa portal using the link http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
One research topic presented in Nigeria is "Assessment of the Caring Practices in Two Motherless Babies' Homes" and "Delivery of a Nutrition Training Program to the Staff of These Homes to Improve Nutrition of Children in Their Care." Children's orphanages represent a defenseless group of children that must have better care for healthy development. Training of high quality teachers for this project will support and encourage appropriate practices while discouraging inappropriate ones. Unless significant efforts are made to control these conditions, they will continue to be major challenges both in Nigeria and internationally (Akomas, 2004, p. 2).
Another research project presented in Malawi is "A Community-driven Rural Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project, with Emphasis on Culturally and Developmentally Appropriate Exploratory Learning Concepts." The project was designed to address the children's needs from a holistic perspective. It provides experiential learning pedagogy as well as a meeting place for the children's psychosocial and cognitive requirements (Day, 2004, p. 3).
One interesting fact that I read was about the extreme poverty level in Malawi. The families in the villages would not be expected to pay any fees for their children attending the early childhood facility. They would need to be involved with the learning by contributing firewood, maize, clay, or homemade toys. This project was expected to be branching out to other villages. Not only will the children benefit from this project, parents will benefit as well. I am sure these families who live in poverty are grateful for the early education their children will receive that they would willingly become involved with the facility. In the United States, getting families involved in their child's education is sometimes very difficult.
The ECDVU held its first Early Childhood Higher Education Symposium in 2013 and feels that leadership in this field cannot be met within the current traditional academic framework. This website provides many links with projects about improvements made in the field of early childhood among the poorer areas in Africa. The virtual university is addressing issues that are global; poverty, the training of high quality early childhood educators, offering appropriate learning experiences, food insecurity, and language barriers, but maybe not as intense as what is happening in Africa.
Akomas, O.E.U. (2004). Assessment of the caring practices in two motherless babies' homes in Abia State, Nigeria and the development and delivery of a nutrition training program to the staff of these homes to improve nutrition of children in their care. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
Day, C. (2004). A community-driven rural early childhood development (ecd) project, with emphasis on culturally and developmentally appropriate exploratory learning concepts. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
I researched the Early Childhood Development Virtual University Sub-Saharan Africa portal using the link http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
One research topic presented in Nigeria is "Assessment of the Caring Practices in Two Motherless Babies' Homes" and "Delivery of a Nutrition Training Program to the Staff of These Homes to Improve Nutrition of Children in Their Care." Children's orphanages represent a defenseless group of children that must have better care for healthy development. Training of high quality teachers for this project will support and encourage appropriate practices while discouraging inappropriate ones. Unless significant efforts are made to control these conditions, they will continue to be major challenges both in Nigeria and internationally (Akomas, 2004, p. 2).
Another research project presented in Malawi is "A Community-driven Rural Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project, with Emphasis on Culturally and Developmentally Appropriate Exploratory Learning Concepts." The project was designed to address the children's needs from a holistic perspective. It provides experiential learning pedagogy as well as a meeting place for the children's psychosocial and cognitive requirements (Day, 2004, p. 3).
One interesting fact that I read was about the extreme poverty level in Malawi. The families in the villages would not be expected to pay any fees for their children attending the early childhood facility. They would need to be involved with the learning by contributing firewood, maize, clay, or homemade toys. This project was expected to be branching out to other villages. Not only will the children benefit from this project, parents will benefit as well. I am sure these families who live in poverty are grateful for the early education their children will receive that they would willingly become involved with the facility. In the United States, getting families involved in their child's education is sometimes very difficult.
The ECDVU held its first Early Childhood Higher Education Symposium in 2013 and feels that leadership in this field cannot be met within the current traditional academic framework. This website provides many links with projects about improvements made in the field of early childhood among the poorer areas in Africa. The virtual university is addressing issues that are global; poverty, the training of high quality early childhood educators, offering appropriate learning experiences, food insecurity, and language barriers, but maybe not as intense as what is happening in Africa.
Akomas, O.E.U. (2004). Assessment of the caring practices in two motherless babies' homes in Abia State, Nigeria and the development and delivery of a nutrition training program to the staff of these homes to improve nutrition of children in their care. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
Day, C. (2004). A community-driven rural early childhood development (ecd) project, with emphasis on culturally and developmentally appropriate exploratory learning concepts. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php
Friday, March 21, 2014
Research that Benefits Children and Families-Uplifting Stories
In 2005, I enrolled in a Child Psychology class to finish up my Associates Degree. I had to pick a topic, research it, and if possible, actually conduct the research. I chose to research "The Good Behavior Game" which was invented by Montrose Wolf. The Good Behavior Game is an intervention for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. The Good Behavior Game is not a separate curriculum but a behavioral procedure. It is unique because it is the only practice, at the time it was created, implemented by teachers that is documented to have long term effects. The Good Behaviors Game allows children to work in teams in which the members of each team are responsible to the rest of the group.
Teachers define a disruptive behavior they want to reduce; such as keeping your feet to yourself while sitting in circle time. The teacher clearly defines what she means and even demonstrates an example of the action expected, in this case how to sit without your feet touching or kicking your neighbor. The class is divided up into two teams with a mixture of the well-behaved children and the more "spirited" children. The teams pick names and are posted on a small chart. The teacher will place a check mark by the team when one of the children displays the behavior that is to be corrected. The team that receives the least amount of check marks while the game is being played are rewarded at the end of the game with stickers or candy. The Good Behavior Game should be done for ten minutes a day, three times a week for preschool children and can be extended longer later in the year.
I actually applied the findings of the Good Behavior Game to my pre-k class using the scenario above. I used ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the afternoon for three days of one week. Once the children understood what was expected, they took over the "game." Meaning that the well-behaved children would remind the other children on their team about keeping their feet to themselves. Sometimes the children would say to their peers "you can't tell me what to do!" But after the children saw that a reward was given at the end of the game, they worked together on their teams. The children would always ask to play the "game" and even played it while in their centers. The Good Behavior Game did help the children keep their feet to themselves for a few weeks and then we had to start over as a reminder.
All in all it was a positive experience for everyone as sometimes both teams won. I was worried about the rewards of stickers or candy being the focus for the appropriate behavior and that the children would become angry with each other if some did not do the right thing on their team. But, at this age, it did not appear to have any negative psychological effects on anyone. In some studies, the Good Behavior Game is implemented in the first and second grade. Long term results of the research include such statistics as fifty percent lower rate of illicit drug abuse, fifty-nine percent less likely to smoke, thirty-five percent lower rate of alcohol usage, and a sizable increase in high school graduation (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).
Because of its simplicity and evidence of long-term effects, the GBG has been termed a "behavioral vaccine" (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).
Donaldson, J. M., Vollmer, T. R., & Berard, K. (2010). An evaluation of the good behavior game in kindergarten classrooms. Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3177341
In 2005, I enrolled in a Child Psychology class to finish up my Associates Degree. I had to pick a topic, research it, and if possible, actually conduct the research. I chose to research "The Good Behavior Game" which was invented by Montrose Wolf. The Good Behavior Game is an intervention for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. The Good Behavior Game is not a separate curriculum but a behavioral procedure. It is unique because it is the only practice, at the time it was created, implemented by teachers that is documented to have long term effects. The Good Behaviors Game allows children to work in teams in which the members of each team are responsible to the rest of the group.
Teachers define a disruptive behavior they want to reduce; such as keeping your feet to yourself while sitting in circle time. The teacher clearly defines what she means and even demonstrates an example of the action expected, in this case how to sit without your feet touching or kicking your neighbor. The class is divided up into two teams with a mixture of the well-behaved children and the more "spirited" children. The teams pick names and are posted on a small chart. The teacher will place a check mark by the team when one of the children displays the behavior that is to be corrected. The team that receives the least amount of check marks while the game is being played are rewarded at the end of the game with stickers or candy. The Good Behavior Game should be done for ten minutes a day, three times a week for preschool children and can be extended longer later in the year.
I actually applied the findings of the Good Behavior Game to my pre-k class using the scenario above. I used ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the afternoon for three days of one week. Once the children understood what was expected, they took over the "game." Meaning that the well-behaved children would remind the other children on their team about keeping their feet to themselves. Sometimes the children would say to their peers "you can't tell me what to do!" But after the children saw that a reward was given at the end of the game, they worked together on their teams. The children would always ask to play the "game" and even played it while in their centers. The Good Behavior Game did help the children keep their feet to themselves for a few weeks and then we had to start over as a reminder.
All in all it was a positive experience for everyone as sometimes both teams won. I was worried about the rewards of stickers or candy being the focus for the appropriate behavior and that the children would become angry with each other if some did not do the right thing on their team. But, at this age, it did not appear to have any negative psychological effects on anyone. In some studies, the Good Behavior Game is implemented in the first and second grade. Long term results of the research include such statistics as fifty percent lower rate of illicit drug abuse, fifty-nine percent less likely to smoke, thirty-five percent lower rate of alcohol usage, and a sizable increase in high school graduation (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).
Because of its simplicity and evidence of long-term effects, the GBG has been termed a "behavioral vaccine" (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).
Donaldson, J. M., Vollmer, T. R., & Berard, K. (2010). An evaluation of the good behavior game in kindergarten classrooms. Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3177341
Saturday, March 15, 2014
My Personal Research Journey
The topic that I chose to research is self-regulation and I had a difficult time narrowing it down to subtopics. My original subtopics were social-emotional self-regulation, cognitive self-regulation, and activities for scaffolding self-regulation skills. Dr. Darragh-Ernst suggested that I narrow my subtopics down even more as my subtopics could each be a stand alone major topic. I wanted to keep self-regulation of preschoolers in my research because it is an important skill young children need to learn in order to be successful in life. Since a self-regulation foundation develops in the first five years of a young child's life, early childhood professionals play a huge part in helping children regulate their though process. So, with Dr. Darragh-Ernst's guidance, I narrowed my subtopic down to strategies that support cognitive self-regulation in preschoolers.
I found many articles on self-regulation for both social-emotional and cognitive development, and also found that self-regulation is not an isolated skill. Because self-regulation involves different domains, regulation of one domain affects other areas of development (Florez, 2011, p. 2). Early childhood professionals must teach children to regulate themselves through different strategies or techniques such as modeling and scaffolding self-regulation during normal activities throughout the day. Children's thinking affects their emotions and these emotions affect their cognitive development. I also found many articles about how pretend play helps to develop cognitive self-regulation.
I felt like I spent hours researching cognitive self-regulation as one article would have a footnote to another article, and so on. Sometimes I got lost in what my original topic was as I dug deeper into the articles. I searched the Walden Library and the Wichita State University Library looking for articles about my topic. With so much information available, I had to decide what was important and what was not, which was not that easy. The research chart helped me a lot as far as terms used and the definition of these terms. I also kept going back to the resources from week one to determine creditable articles. One issue I found in research is that it is time consuming! Has anyone found any easier ways to research their topics? Maybe just using key words?
Florez, I.R. (2011). Developing young children's self-regulation through everyday experiences. Young Children. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/yc/
The topic that I chose to research is self-regulation and I had a difficult time narrowing it down to subtopics. My original subtopics were social-emotional self-regulation, cognitive self-regulation, and activities for scaffolding self-regulation skills. Dr. Darragh-Ernst suggested that I narrow my subtopics down even more as my subtopics could each be a stand alone major topic. I wanted to keep self-regulation of preschoolers in my research because it is an important skill young children need to learn in order to be successful in life. Since a self-regulation foundation develops in the first five years of a young child's life, early childhood professionals play a huge part in helping children regulate their though process. So, with Dr. Darragh-Ernst's guidance, I narrowed my subtopic down to strategies that support cognitive self-regulation in preschoolers.
I found many articles on self-regulation for both social-emotional and cognitive development, and also found that self-regulation is not an isolated skill. Because self-regulation involves different domains, regulation of one domain affects other areas of development (Florez, 2011, p. 2). Early childhood professionals must teach children to regulate themselves through different strategies or techniques such as modeling and scaffolding self-regulation during normal activities throughout the day. Children's thinking affects their emotions and these emotions affect their cognitive development. I also found many articles about how pretend play helps to develop cognitive self-regulation.
I felt like I spent hours researching cognitive self-regulation as one article would have a footnote to another article, and so on. Sometimes I got lost in what my original topic was as I dug deeper into the articles. I searched the Walden Library and the Wichita State University Library looking for articles about my topic. With so much information available, I had to decide what was important and what was not, which was not that easy. The research chart helped me a lot as far as terms used and the definition of these terms. I also kept going back to the resources from week one to determine creditable articles. One issue I found in research is that it is time consuming! Has anyone found any easier ways to research their topics? Maybe just using key words?
Florez, I.R. (2011). Developing young children's self-regulation through everyday experiences. Young Children. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/yc/
Friday, February 28, 2014
Strengthening Bonds With Professionals
One consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is how other countries are facing the same issues that the United States early childhood field is facing; poverty, training of high quality early childhood teachers, quality early childhood experiences, and language barriers. The Children's Defense Fund website gave me many articles on how advocates can help families in poverty by investing in early childhood.
Another consequence would be culture. With all the different races and languages, quality early learning opportunities are a must for any child. There must be a liaison advocate for parents of immigrants for help with the language barrier and help them secure resources that are available.
A third consequence is the knowledge that I received from my contact in Africa. He wrote a lot about inequity for African children, especially for poor children who usually get less quality nutrition, less appropriate leaning opportunities, and generally less resources for early childhood education.
One of my personal goals is to hopefully stay in touch with my contact in Africa. I will continue with online research learning about the differences, commonalities, and inequities with other countries and the United States. I have enjoyed the discussions with my peers as we all have interpreted these discussions in different ways. Teaching young children is one of the most altruistic professions as we give so others can benefit.
One consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is how other countries are facing the same issues that the United States early childhood field is facing; poverty, training of high quality early childhood teachers, quality early childhood experiences, and language barriers. The Children's Defense Fund website gave me many articles on how advocates can help families in poverty by investing in early childhood.
Another consequence would be culture. With all the different races and languages, quality early learning opportunities are a must for any child. There must be a liaison advocate for parents of immigrants for help with the language barrier and help them secure resources that are available.
A third consequence is the knowledge that I received from my contact in Africa. He wrote a lot about inequity for African children, especially for poor children who usually get less quality nutrition, less appropriate leaning opportunities, and generally less resources for early childhood education.
One of my personal goals is to hopefully stay in touch with my contact in Africa. I will continue with online research learning about the differences, commonalities, and inequities with other countries and the United States. I have enjoyed the discussions with my peers as we all have interpreted these discussions in different ways. Teaching young children is one of the most altruistic professions as we give so others can benefit.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Getting to Know Your International Contacts--Part 3
My contact in Africa, Eric Atmore, did not respond to my two emails that I sent, so I explored UNESCO's "Early Childcare Care and Education." My goals that I wrote in the Foundations course were:
*To better myself in the field of early childhood education
*To positively impact the quality of life for young children and their families
*To nurture and support my staff so they will continue to have balance with their
personal and professional lives
One article that I read was "Better Monitoring in Sight for the Well-being of Young Children." This article parallels with my goals as I work hard to empower the children, families, and teachers in becoming socially and emotionally well balanced competent adults. Thirty early childhood experts from around the world met in Paris in 2010 to develop a holistic index to improve Member States' ability to track progress towards quality early childhood care and education (ECCE)-the first of the Education for All (EFA) goals (UNESCO, 2014, p. 1). It is a huge challenge to keep pace with the changing world and making sure that all children receive the skills needed in this increasingly knowledge-based economy.
Another article, "Vox Pop: What are the Three Most Important Skills a Child Should Learn?" is also similar to my goals as I want to recognize children and their families as a group, but relate to them as individuals. Children should be thinking critically about who they are and how they relate to their world around them, in a social and political perspective...(Sahni, 2013, p. 2). Children, and sometimes their families, need to learn life skills and core values along with respect for the different cultures. \
One insight I learned when exploring this website is that internationally, countries want to place more emphasis on investing in girl's education. In the United States, we take education for granted. But in poorer countries, education is not readily available to everyone, especial females. Girl's make up half of 140 million children who are out of school (UNESCO, 2011). Education for females results in better health, stronger families and communities, and lower maternal child mortality. UNESCO supports the provision of school meals and encourages parents to send their daughters to school. By the year 2015, one of the six goals set by Education for All is all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities have access to, and complete, free and compulsory early education (UNESCO, 2014, p. 1).
Sahni, U. (2013). Vox pop: What are the three most important skills a child should learn?
Education UNESCO Bangkok. Retrieved from, http://www.unescobkk.org/education/news/article/vox-pop
UNESCO. (2011). A winning equation. Retrieved from, http://www.unesco.org
UNESCO. (2014). Better monitoring in sight for the well-being of young children.
Retrieved from, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems
My contact in Africa, Eric Atmore, did not respond to my two emails that I sent, so I explored UNESCO's "Early Childcare Care and Education." My goals that I wrote in the Foundations course were:
*To better myself in the field of early childhood education
*To positively impact the quality of life for young children and their families
*To nurture and support my staff so they will continue to have balance with their
personal and professional lives
One article that I read was "Better Monitoring in Sight for the Well-being of Young Children." This article parallels with my goals as I work hard to empower the children, families, and teachers in becoming socially and emotionally well balanced competent adults. Thirty early childhood experts from around the world met in Paris in 2010 to develop a holistic index to improve Member States' ability to track progress towards quality early childhood care and education (ECCE)-the first of the Education for All (EFA) goals (UNESCO, 2014, p. 1). It is a huge challenge to keep pace with the changing world and making sure that all children receive the skills needed in this increasingly knowledge-based economy.
Another article, "Vox Pop: What are the Three Most Important Skills a Child Should Learn?" is also similar to my goals as I want to recognize children and their families as a group, but relate to them as individuals. Children should be thinking critically about who they are and how they relate to their world around them, in a social and political perspective...(Sahni, 2013, p. 2). Children, and sometimes their families, need to learn life skills and core values along with respect for the different cultures. \
One insight I learned when exploring this website is that internationally, countries want to place more emphasis on investing in girl's education. In the United States, we take education for granted. But in poorer countries, education is not readily available to everyone, especial females. Girl's make up half of 140 million children who are out of school (UNESCO, 2011). Education for females results in better health, stronger families and communities, and lower maternal child mortality. UNESCO supports the provision of school meals and encourages parents to send their daughters to school. By the year 2015, one of the six goals set by Education for All is all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities have access to, and complete, free and compulsory early education (UNESCO, 2014, p. 1).
Sahni, U. (2013). Vox pop: What are the three most important skills a child should learn?
Education UNESCO Bangkok. Retrieved from, http://www.unescobkk.org/education/news/article/vox-pop
UNESCO. (2011). A winning equation. Retrieved from, http://www.unesco.org
UNESCO. (2014). Better monitoring in sight for the well-being of young children.
Retrieved from, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems
Friday, February 14, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
The resource that I have been researching is The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
http://www.nieer.org/resources/newsletter/index.php
There were several outside links that NIEER took me to: The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, NAEYC, The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), and Rand.
I explored the link to The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) which produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Their belief is that public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence (NEPC, 2014, p.1). This organization has many articles, policy briefs, and think tank reviews. I was intrigued by the think tank reviews which are academically rigorous reviews of the strengths and weaknesses of selected publications. The expert assessments provide the public policymakers, and the press with the information needed to make informed judgments about the value of the conclusions drawn, and recommendations made in the reviewed reports (NEPC, 2014, p. 1). One article in the think tank review explained how Hispanic children have the largest achievement gap at kindergarten entry. Hispanic children have least access to preschool education because of limited access to public programs, inadequate outreach, and few dual language programs (Barnett, 2013, p. 3). A dual language Pre-k is critical to young children as bilingualism has cognitive, economic, and social benefits. The US must increase access to high quality Pre-k, especially Pre-k that meets the needs of young Hispanic children (Barnett, 2013, p. 5).
I also receive Preschool Matters...Today which is the NIEER blog. The blog that I received on February 10, 2014, states that all levels of government will have to increase their support for young children and families, including the federal government which can best lead the way by priming the pump-providing financial support and incentives that encourage and enable state and local governments to develop sustainable quality programs (Barnett, 2014, p. 1). Educational failure and inequality that plaques the country begins in children's experiences before they actually enter kindergarten. The need for quality early education is clearly greater than the funding we receive.
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, http://www.fpg.unc.edu, is another excellent link to explore issues such as developmental disabilities, diversity, early care and education, physical and social health, international initiative, professional development, and public policy.
Other issues and trends that I found interesting is the debate about universal Pre-k.
Barnett, S. (2013). Young Hispanic children: Early learning needs and opportunities.
National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from,
http://www.nieer.org/resources/mewsletter/index.php
The National Education Policy Center. (2014). Think tank review. Retrieved from,
http://www.nepc.colorado.edu/think-tank-reviews
The resource that I have been researching is The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
http://www.nieer.org/resources/newsletter/index.php
There were several outside links that NIEER took me to: The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, NAEYC, The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), and Rand.
I explored the link to The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) which produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Their belief is that public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence (NEPC, 2014, p.1). This organization has many articles, policy briefs, and think tank reviews. I was intrigued by the think tank reviews which are academically rigorous reviews of the strengths and weaknesses of selected publications. The expert assessments provide the public policymakers, and the press with the information needed to make informed judgments about the value of the conclusions drawn, and recommendations made in the reviewed reports (NEPC, 2014, p. 1). One article in the think tank review explained how Hispanic children have the largest achievement gap at kindergarten entry. Hispanic children have least access to preschool education because of limited access to public programs, inadequate outreach, and few dual language programs (Barnett, 2013, p. 3). A dual language Pre-k is critical to young children as bilingualism has cognitive, economic, and social benefits. The US must increase access to high quality Pre-k, especially Pre-k that meets the needs of young Hispanic children (Barnett, 2013, p. 5).
I also receive Preschool Matters...Today which is the NIEER blog. The blog that I received on February 10, 2014, states that all levels of government will have to increase their support for young children and families, including the federal government which can best lead the way by priming the pump-providing financial support and incentives that encourage and enable state and local governments to develop sustainable quality programs (Barnett, 2014, p. 1). Educational failure and inequality that plaques the country begins in children's experiences before they actually enter kindergarten. The need for quality early education is clearly greater than the funding we receive.
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, http://www.fpg.unc.edu, is another excellent link to explore issues such as developmental disabilities, diversity, early care and education, physical and social health, international initiative, professional development, and public policy.
Other issues and trends that I found interesting is the debate about universal Pre-k.
Barnett, S. (2013). Young Hispanic children: Early learning needs and opportunities.
National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from,
http://www.nieer.org/resources/mewsletter/index.php
The National Education Policy Center. (2014). Think tank review. Retrieved from,
http://www.nepc.colorado.edu/think-tank-reviews
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 2
I emailed Eric Atmore who is an Associate Professor of The National Early Childhood Development Alliance in Africa and asked if he had any thoughts with regards to issues that are related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field, and this is his response:
Eric Atmore wrote, (personal communication, January 7, 2014), on excellence there is a global tendency that "poor children" must make do with "whatever they get" which is most often second class. Every child irrespective of socio-economic status deserves the best, so whilst excellence is relative, poor children also deserve excellence. On equity in the ECD field in Africa, our experience is that ECD opportunities, facilities and programs are not equitable (I doubt that they are anywhere in the world). African children generally get poorer quality nutrition, less appropriate learning opportunities and certainly less resources for education in general and ECD specifically.
"The majority of young children in South Africa have been negatively impacted by a range of social and economic inequalities" (Atmore, 2012, p. 1). As Mr. Atmore stated in his reply above, because of the inequalities and lack of excellence for early childhood education, health care, nutrition, and social resources, all of this has undermined the development of the youngest children. In 1995, South Africa signed the Convention of the Rights of the Child, established a Directorate for Early Childhood Development within the national Education Department, and also established the Children's Act all which deals with early childhood development programs and trying to develop excellence. In the Children's Act, it states that no child should be without the basic necessities of life. "There are 23,482 ECD sites in South Africa" (Atmore, 2012, p. 10). South Africa is in the process of developing a framework for ensuring the best interests of children. The Government has identified the need to increase access to ECD as well as enhance the quality of ECD programs and services. A lot has been done to impose access and quality of early learning programs but there is a long way to go to the enhancement of the service delivery.
We have the same issues in the states with regards to excellence and equity in the early childhood field. Issues such as poor teacher-child ratio, poorly trained staff, minimal salaries, remoteness from funding sources, and poor nutrition. We are fortunate to have Head Start as a resource for families and children who need help.
Atmore, E. (2012). Challenges facing early childhood development sector in South Africa.
National Development Agency. Retrieved from, cecd@iafrica.com
I emailed Eric Atmore who is an Associate Professor of The National Early Childhood Development Alliance in Africa and asked if he had any thoughts with regards to issues that are related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field, and this is his response:
Eric Atmore wrote, (personal communication, January 7, 2014), on excellence there is a global tendency that "poor children" must make do with "whatever they get" which is most often second class. Every child irrespective of socio-economic status deserves the best, so whilst excellence is relative, poor children also deserve excellence. On equity in the ECD field in Africa, our experience is that ECD opportunities, facilities and programs are not equitable (I doubt that they are anywhere in the world). African children generally get poorer quality nutrition, less appropriate learning opportunities and certainly less resources for education in general and ECD specifically.
"The majority of young children in South Africa have been negatively impacted by a range of social and economic inequalities" (Atmore, 2012, p. 1). As Mr. Atmore stated in his reply above, because of the inequalities and lack of excellence for early childhood education, health care, nutrition, and social resources, all of this has undermined the development of the youngest children. In 1995, South Africa signed the Convention of the Rights of the Child, established a Directorate for Early Childhood Development within the national Education Department, and also established the Children's Act all which deals with early childhood development programs and trying to develop excellence. In the Children's Act, it states that no child should be without the basic necessities of life. "There are 23,482 ECD sites in South Africa" (Atmore, 2012, p. 10). South Africa is in the process of developing a framework for ensuring the best interests of children. The Government has identified the need to increase access to ECD as well as enhance the quality of ECD programs and services. A lot has been done to impose access and quality of early learning programs but there is a long way to go to the enhancement of the service delivery.
We have the same issues in the states with regards to excellence and equity in the early childhood field. Issues such as poor teacher-child ratio, poorly trained staff, minimal salaries, remoteness from funding sources, and poor nutrition. We are fortunate to have Head Start as a resource for families and children who need help.
Atmore, E. (2012). Challenges facing early childhood development sector in South Africa.
National Development Agency. Retrieved from, cecd@iafrica.com
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) provides me with many links to articles for research, assessment, the annual state Pre-K reports, and the blog, Preschool Matters. The blog, Preschool Matters, is sent to my email and always has pertinent information regarding high-quality early education. The research section is also informative with articles such as "Is Early Education Worth the Cost" or "There Is A Lot Of Talk About Early Childhood Education But Not Much Action."
In the Preschool Matters blog, the information about the success of the Perry Preschool project and the Abecedarian Project was interesting. I was surprised to read that in recent years, however, evaluations of the effects of some early childhood programs, most notably the Head Start Impact Study, have disappointed (Barnett, 2014, p. 1). Because of alternative early childhood experiences that have improved, comparison to Head Start gives the appearance of smaller effects for this program. This tells me that other daycare/preschools are now understanding how important it is to become a high-quality program.
NIEER projects that in 2030 all but 1 state would spend less on education from Pre-K though grade 12 under federal proposals that incentivize states to raise Pre-K quality standards, offer a full school day, and serve all children under 200 percent of the federal poverty level (Barnett, 2013, p. 1). Every dollar spent on a quality preschool program yields seven dollars to society. One article I read said that preschool access maybe a national security issue. Without enough skilled men and women available to serve in tomorrow's armed services, we endanger the future strength of our military. According to (Chandler, 2014), 75 percent of people from ages of 17-24 are ineligible to join armed services because they are poorly educated, have a criminal record, overweight, or otherwise unhealthy. Our biggest investment is early childhood education so children will grow up to be healthy, educated, and able to make important decisions about their own future. How wonderful that retired military officers are concerning themselves with early education. One retired General stated that early childhood education is not being funded as it should be.
Play and playful learning have a critical role in children's development and should not be lost to instructive teaching in preschools. Academic activities are embedded in playful learning and children learn socialization techniques, enhance language and problem solving skills, and cognitive skills. I understand that curriculum matters more when teachers are trained to implement it. My state needs more funding for the training of teachers.
Barnett, S. (2013). Expanding access to quality pre-k is sound public policy. National
Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from, http://www.nieer.org
Barnett, S. (2014). When it comes to preschool, modest results may be meaningful.
National Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from,
http://www.nieer.org
Chandler, M. (2014). Is preschool access a national security issue? National
Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from, http://www.nieer.org
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) provides me with many links to articles for research, assessment, the annual state Pre-K reports, and the blog, Preschool Matters. The blog, Preschool Matters, is sent to my email and always has pertinent information regarding high-quality early education. The research section is also informative with articles such as "Is Early Education Worth the Cost" or "There Is A Lot Of Talk About Early Childhood Education But Not Much Action."
In the Preschool Matters blog, the information about the success of the Perry Preschool project and the Abecedarian Project was interesting. I was surprised to read that in recent years, however, evaluations of the effects of some early childhood programs, most notably the Head Start Impact Study, have disappointed (Barnett, 2014, p. 1). Because of alternative early childhood experiences that have improved, comparison to Head Start gives the appearance of smaller effects for this program. This tells me that other daycare/preschools are now understanding how important it is to become a high-quality program.
NIEER projects that in 2030 all but 1 state would spend less on education from Pre-K though grade 12 under federal proposals that incentivize states to raise Pre-K quality standards, offer a full school day, and serve all children under 200 percent of the federal poverty level (Barnett, 2013, p. 1). Every dollar spent on a quality preschool program yields seven dollars to society. One article I read said that preschool access maybe a national security issue. Without enough skilled men and women available to serve in tomorrow's armed services, we endanger the future strength of our military. According to (Chandler, 2014), 75 percent of people from ages of 17-24 are ineligible to join armed services because they are poorly educated, have a criminal record, overweight, or otherwise unhealthy. Our biggest investment is early childhood education so children will grow up to be healthy, educated, and able to make important decisions about their own future. How wonderful that retired military officers are concerning themselves with early education. One retired General stated that early childhood education is not being funded as it should be.
Play and playful learning have a critical role in children's development and should not be lost to instructive teaching in preschools. Academic activities are embedded in playful learning and children learn socialization techniques, enhance language and problem solving skills, and cognitive skills. I understand that curriculum matters more when teachers are trained to implement it. My state needs more funding for the training of teachers.
Barnett, S. (2013). Expanding access to quality pre-k is sound public policy. National
Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from, http://www.nieer.org
Barnett, S. (2014). When it comes to preschool, modest results may be meaningful.
National Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from,
http://www.nieer.org
Chandler, M. (2014). Is preschool access a national security issue? National
Institute for Early Education Research. Retrieved from, http://www.nieer.org
Friday, January 24, 2014
Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 1
Getting to Know International Contacts-Part 1
Eric Atmore is an Associate Professor at The National Early Childhood Development Alliance in Africa and is the only response I received who is willing to communicate with me. He was on summer break until January 19th, but he did send me a comprehensive research report titled "Challenges Facing the Early Childhood Development Sector in South Africa" which he was the main researcher.
This paper covers issues from how important early childhood development is to the African children, teacher qualifications, ratios for teacher/children, nutrition, and government funding. According to Atmore, 2012, South Africa is home to 95,000 children living in child-headed households. In rural communities, such as Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and North West and Mpumalanga, sixty percent of children live in poverty. These children are more at risk than others of poor to services, inconsistent income and poor living circumstances. Children living in poverty in South Africa are vulnerable, often discriminated against, and isolated.
In South Africa, the majority of children from the poor communities do not have access to early childhood education programs because families cannot pay the fees and the distance to the programs are too far. In 1995, the the government signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that all children have the right to have the basic learning materials and resources, funding, security, proper toileting amenities, and electricity. Atmore, 2012, also stated that due to the extraordinarily high prevalence of poverty in South Africa, hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity are significant challenges facing children in communities across the country. Some interventions in nutrition are offered by many different providers such as NPOs and private companies. Food gardens and training on nutrition and agricultural development is also being used.
I researched the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre's website. There are many interesting links and articles that I explored. I read two articles on how important it is to break the poverty cycle especially in early childhood. According to Harper, 2004, there is clearly a crisis in childhood poverty of staggering proportions which has significant and long-term implications. It is the same for any young child in any country who lives in poverty; his health, education cognitive and physical skills, and emotional and social development are in danger.
Within this website, I researched the Campaign Against Child Poverty in Canada (CACP). Canada is concerned about the hazards to the future educational, social, physical development and employment success of the children who are presently living in poor families. The CACP believes that the public should be informed about the facts and the implications of children in poverty. "15.6 % of all children in Canada live below the poverty line" (Campaign Against Child Poverty, 2014, p. 1).
Most interventions or solutions to eliminate poverty lies in early childhood education. Early childhood education must be effective, accessible, and equitable and countries must invest in it. Even poor countries can develop such systems. According to Hill, Harper, and Marcus, 2004, Mongolia, one of the world's poorest countries has a valued kindergarten system. Resources are very important for the poor, but equitable access to these resources is crucial.
Atmore, E. (2012). Challenges facing early childhood development sector in South Africa.
National Development Agency. Retrieved from, http://cecd@iafrica.com
Harper, C. (2004). Breaking poverty cycles-the importance of action in childhood.
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. Retrieved from,
http://www.childhoodpoverty.com
Hill, F., Harper, C., & Marcus, R. (2004). Early childhood care and development-
an innoculation against poverty or a daycare refuge for the very poor.
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. Retrieved from,
http://www.childhoodpoverty.com
Eric Atmore is an Associate Professor at The National Early Childhood Development Alliance in Africa and is the only response I received who is willing to communicate with me. He was on summer break until January 19th, but he did send me a comprehensive research report titled "Challenges Facing the Early Childhood Development Sector in South Africa" which he was the main researcher.
This paper covers issues from how important early childhood development is to the African children, teacher qualifications, ratios for teacher/children, nutrition, and government funding. According to Atmore, 2012, South Africa is home to 95,000 children living in child-headed households. In rural communities, such as Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and North West and Mpumalanga, sixty percent of children live in poverty. These children are more at risk than others of poor to services, inconsistent income and poor living circumstances. Children living in poverty in South Africa are vulnerable, often discriminated against, and isolated.
In South Africa, the majority of children from the poor communities do not have access to early childhood education programs because families cannot pay the fees and the distance to the programs are too far. In 1995, the the government signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that all children have the right to have the basic learning materials and resources, funding, security, proper toileting amenities, and electricity. Atmore, 2012, also stated that due to the extraordinarily high prevalence of poverty in South Africa, hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity are significant challenges facing children in communities across the country. Some interventions in nutrition are offered by many different providers such as NPOs and private companies. Food gardens and training on nutrition and agricultural development is also being used.
I researched the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre's website. There are many interesting links and articles that I explored. I read two articles on how important it is to break the poverty cycle especially in early childhood. According to Harper, 2004, there is clearly a crisis in childhood poverty of staggering proportions which has significant and long-term implications. It is the same for any young child in any country who lives in poverty; his health, education cognitive and physical skills, and emotional and social development are in danger.
Within this website, I researched the Campaign Against Child Poverty in Canada (CACP). Canada is concerned about the hazards to the future educational, social, physical development and employment success of the children who are presently living in poor families. The CACP believes that the public should be informed about the facts and the implications of children in poverty. "15.6 % of all children in Canada live below the poverty line" (Campaign Against Child Poverty, 2014, p. 1).
Most interventions or solutions to eliminate poverty lies in early childhood education. Early childhood education must be effective, accessible, and equitable and countries must invest in it. Even poor countries can develop such systems. According to Hill, Harper, and Marcus, 2004, Mongolia, one of the world's poorest countries has a valued kindergarten system. Resources are very important for the poor, but equitable access to these resources is crucial.
Atmore, E. (2012). Challenges facing early childhood development sector in South Africa.
National Development Agency. Retrieved from, http://cecd@iafrica.com
Harper, C. (2004). Breaking poverty cycles-the importance of action in childhood.
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. Retrieved from,
http://www.childhoodpoverty.com
Hill, F., Harper, C., & Marcus, R. (2004). Early childhood care and development-
an innoculation against poverty or a daycare refuge for the very poor.
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre. Retrieved from,
http://www.childhoodpoverty.com
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Sharing Web Resources
Sharing Web Resources
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://www.nieer.org/resources/newsletter/index.php
The Mission Statement of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is to "conduct and communicate research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life" (National Institute for Early Education Research, 2014, p. 1).
Some issues this organizations research team is involved in is to monitor and evaluate national and state progress of early childhood education, and to develop standards and regulations to improve access to quality care. They also find information on the status of early childhood education access and quality, and help to develop research and communication strategies so they can apply scientific knowledge to early education policy. NIEER also partners with other organizations to publicize vital information about early childhood education.
One article that was of interest to me was "Budget Deal Expands Some Early Childhood Programs." This article explained that thousands of young children would be eligible for early childhood programs because of a budget deal decided by lawmakers. These lawmakers are hoping the passage of a universal preschool for four year olds. This budget deal also restores funds that were cut from Head Start. "The deal includes $2.4 billion for a program that provides grants to states for child care assistance for low-income families..." (Hefling, 2014, p. 1). Advocates were encouraging states to create and expand all day preschool programs for low-income children. This budget deal still needs to be approved by Congress, but "Congress is acknowledging the importance of investing in a child's earliest years..." (Hefling, 2014, p. 2).
Reference
Hefling, K. (2014, Jan). Budget deal expands some early childhood programs. Retrieved
from, http://nieer.org/publications/journal-articles.
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://www.nieer.org/resources/newsletter/index.php
The Mission Statement of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is to "conduct and communicate research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life" (National Institute for Early Education Research, 2014, p. 1).
Some issues this organizations research team is involved in is to monitor and evaluate national and state progress of early childhood education, and to develop standards and regulations to improve access to quality care. They also find information on the status of early childhood education access and quality, and help to develop research and communication strategies so they can apply scientific knowledge to early education policy. NIEER also partners with other organizations to publicize vital information about early childhood education.
One article that was of interest to me was "Budget Deal Expands Some Early Childhood Programs." This article explained that thousands of young children would be eligible for early childhood programs because of a budget deal decided by lawmakers. These lawmakers are hoping the passage of a universal preschool for four year olds. This budget deal also restores funds that were cut from Head Start. "The deal includes $2.4 billion for a program that provides grants to states for child care assistance for low-income families..." (Hefling, 2014, p. 1). Advocates were encouraging states to create and expand all day preschool programs for low-income children. This budget deal still needs to be approved by Congress, but "Congress is acknowledging the importance of investing in a child's earliest years..." (Hefling, 2014, p. 2).
Reference
Hefling, K. (2014, Jan). Budget deal expands some early childhood programs. Retrieved
from, http://nieer.org/publications/journal-articles.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Getting Ready-Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources
When I started my journey to establish professional contacts in other countries, I was very excited knowing I was going into a different "world" of early childhood education. I sent emails to Germany, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, Canada, Spain, and many other countries. I received quite of few messages stating that a particular email was no longer valid. I was thrilled to receive a response from Germany, in German, saying they could not read my email. Fortunately my son speaks German and helped to translate the message. I also received messages from Italy and South Africa. For Italy I wrote to the UNICEF Office of Research and received a reply stating that early childhood education was not one of their main topics of interest and suggested Pakistan and South Africa. This organization suggested other websites that could help with my research:
http:www.unicef-irc.org/publications/700 which is for a children's publication
http://www. unicef-irc.org/publications/search/?Title=early+childhood&CatagoryID=O&AuthorID=O&SeriesId=O&Year=O&LangID=O&GeogID=O&Themeld=O&ISBN=
Eric Atmore, Associate Professor in South Africa, responded that his organization was closed until January 19th for summer break and that he would respond to me when he got back into the office. All I could think about was the warm sun and wearing shorts as I looked down at my snow boots! A few days later, Mr. Atmore sent an article titled "Challenges Facing the Early Childhood Development Sector in South Africa" of which he was the principal researcher, and he also stated that he would be sending more information in the coming weeks. I may have to utilize the alternative to part one if I do not hear from anyone else, but I am continuing to request information from other counties.
I have decided to purse information from The Division for Early Childhood and Zero To Threes: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families for part two in Expanding Resources.
When I started my journey to establish professional contacts in other countries, I was very excited knowing I was going into a different "world" of early childhood education. I sent emails to Germany, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, Canada, Spain, and many other countries. I received quite of few messages stating that a particular email was no longer valid. I was thrilled to receive a response from Germany, in German, saying they could not read my email. Fortunately my son speaks German and helped to translate the message. I also received messages from Italy and South Africa. For Italy I wrote to the UNICEF Office of Research and received a reply stating that early childhood education was not one of their main topics of interest and suggested Pakistan and South Africa. This organization suggested other websites that could help with my research:
http:www.unicef-irc.org/publications/700 which is for a children's publication
http://www. unicef-irc.org/publications/search/?Title=early+childhood&CatagoryID=O&AuthorID=O&SeriesId=O&Year=O&LangID=O&GeogID=O&Themeld=O&ISBN=
Eric Atmore, Associate Professor in South Africa, responded that his organization was closed until January 19th for summer break and that he would respond to me when he got back into the office. All I could think about was the warm sun and wearing shorts as I looked down at my snow boots! A few days later, Mr. Atmore sent an article titled "Challenges Facing the Early Childhood Development Sector in South Africa" of which he was the principal researcher, and he also stated that he would be sending more information in the coming weeks. I may have to utilize the alternative to part one if I do not hear from anyone else, but I am continuing to request information from other counties.
I have decided to purse information from The Division for Early Childhood and Zero To Threes: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families for part two in Expanding Resources.
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