Thank you! I appreciate all of the support, information, and discussion we have had with each other over the past eight weeks. It has been wonderful working with all of you and I look forward to working with you in future classes. I wish everyone the best in moving forward in this adventure.
"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate." ~Anonymous
“A child miseducated is a child lost.” ~ John F. Kennedy
“Even a minor event in the life of a child is an event of that child's world and thus a world event.”~ Gaston Bachelard
Friday, February 24, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
I am torn about formalized testing. I do not take written tests well and I know other people that feel the same way. I believe to really learn what a child is going through is by observing. School age can be a very fragile time for children; they are going through major physical and biological changes. I am not to familiar with this age group, so I am going on what I experienced… As a child I was always worried about how I did because of testing, it controlled my life. Official assessments can show what a child can do on paper but an observation can show what a child does best!
Primary school (Scuola primaria/elementare)
School in Italy is compulsory from the age of six onwards. Recent legislation changes means that children may start scuola primaria from the age of five and a half onwards (this is Testing for Intelligence:
to bring Italian schools in line with European schools regarding school leaving ages). All children who will be six years old by 31 December following the start of the school year can register for primary school.
At primary school children learn to read and write and study mathematics, geography, Italian, English, science, music, computer studies, religion (optional) and social studies.
Primary school lasts five years. Classes have between 10 and 25 pupils each. Until recently pupils had to pass an exam at the end of year five before they could progress to secondary school, but this is no longer the case.
http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/schooling.asp
Primary school (Scuola primaria/elementare)
School in Italy is compulsory from the age of six onwards. Recent legislation changes means that children may start scuola primaria from the age of five and a half onwards (this is Testing for Intelligence:
to bring Italian schools in line with European schools regarding school leaving ages). All children who will be six years old by 31 December following the start of the school year can register for primary school.
At primary school children learn to read and write and study mathematics, geography, Italian, English, science, music, computer studies, religion (optional) and social studies.
Primary school lasts five years. Classes have between 10 and 25 pupils each. Until recently pupils had to pass an exam at the end of year five before they could progress to secondary school, but this is no longer the case.
http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/schooling.asp
Friday, January 27, 2012
Violence
Violence
Approximately 11 years ago my sister was raped. I can remember the call from Mom when she heard about it. They never found the person that did it and she is still skittish to this day. Her husband was not there for her. He needed hand holding because he was the one that left the slider door unlocked, which is how the rapist got in. After it happened Karen came to Mom’s for several days. The police were involved but were not much help. She went to counseling for a couple of months and stopped. I am not sure if she has really gotten over what happened. Montgomery County Police have never followed up with my sister.
The Occupy Movement has moved across the World! Unfortunately violence comes with them. I just looked up violence in Italy and this is what came up. So sad that this is what we have come down to. It also covers other Countries going through the same thing.
Italy tallies damage from 'Occupy' violence
Italian PM vows crackdown after Rome protest turns violent
CBC News
Posted: Oct 16, 2011 10:06 AM ET
Last Updated: Oct 18, 2011 11:43 AM ET
Read 173 comments173
The Occupy Denver demonstration turned violent on Oct. 29, as police fired rounds of pepper spray and arrested at least 15 people. Here, a man is arrested while clashing with police in downtown Denver. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post/AP)
Approximately 11 years ago my sister was raped. I can remember the call from Mom when she heard about it. They never found the person that did it and she is still skittish to this day. Her husband was not there for her. He needed hand holding because he was the one that left the slider door unlocked, which is how the rapist got in. After it happened Karen came to Mom’s for several days. The police were involved but were not much help. She went to counseling for a couple of months and stopped. I am not sure if she has really gotten over what happened. Montgomery County Police have never followed up with my sister.
The Occupy Movement has moved across the World! Unfortunately violence comes with them. I just looked up violence in Italy and this is what came up. So sad that this is what we have come down to. It also covers other Countries going through the same thing.
Italy tallies damage from 'Occupy' violence
Italian PM vows crackdown after Rome protest turns violent
CBC News
Posted: Oct 16, 2011 10:06 AM ET
Last Updated: Oct 18, 2011 11:43 AM ET
Read 173 comments173
The Occupy Denver demonstration turned violent on Oct. 29, as police fired rounds of pepper spray and arrested at least 15 people. Here, a man is arrested while clashing with police in downtown Denver. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post/AP)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
SIDS is the leading cause of death in infant’s age 1-12 months in the United States and can be prevented. I have been exposed to the topic of SIDS throughout my career in Early Childhood, especially in the past 6 years, when I began working for The Resource and Referral Network. In Maryland SIDS is a required training potential childcare providers need to take before they can become licensed. I offered this training at the office once a month and usually had to cancel it due to lack of registration. It took me awhile to understand why, if this class was a requirement, were they not registering for it? Then I learned the reason, it is offered online. I understand the convenience of online classes, but for a topic as important as SIDS it should be an in class training only. I feel it is important that providers understand what can cause SIDS and what they can do to prevent it. In class trainings give providers the opportunity to interact with the instructor and other classmates, ask questions, listen to personal experiences some may have had, and gain a real understanding of SIDS. I have heard many stories over the years of babies sleeping on sofas, regular beds, and wrapped in blankets, it makes me cringe to think of the possibilities of what could have happened to those children. I also feel that it is important that parents attend these classes also. When I was on the referral line I found many new, young, and low-income parents that were unaware of what SIDS was.
Like the United States, Hong Kong is reporting the major factors they are seeing for SIDS is: parental smoking, bed sharing, tummy sleeping, sleeping on soft bedding, overheating, and several other unsafe sleeping habits. They are also embarking on a campaign to educate the public on the possible causes of SIDS and what can be done to prevent it. SIDS is prominent in both countries; however by being proactive and educating the public the United States and Hong Kong have been able to reduce the number of deaths caused by SIDS.
After learning more about the possible causes of SIDS, and the fact that it is a preventable disease, I want to be able to focus some of my efforts on educating the community on the reality of SIDS and the devastating results it has on families and let them know that that does not need to be the case. It is my hope that the more I am able to educate people on the causes and prevention of SIDS they will take that information and pass it on to another part of the community, an so on. I want to get the ball of information sharing going! I would like to see in the near future that SIDS is no longer the leading cause of death in infants 1-12 months.
SIDS is the leading cause of death in infant’s age 1-12 months in the United States and can be prevented. I have been exposed to the topic of SIDS throughout my career in Early Childhood, especially in the past 6 years, when I began working for The Resource and Referral Network. In Maryland SIDS is a required training potential childcare providers need to take before they can become licensed. I offered this training at the office once a month and usually had to cancel it due to lack of registration. It took me awhile to understand why, if this class was a requirement, were they not registering for it? Then I learned the reason, it is offered online. I understand the convenience of online classes, but for a topic as important as SIDS it should be an in class training only. I feel it is important that providers understand what can cause SIDS and what they can do to prevent it. In class trainings give providers the opportunity to interact with the instructor and other classmates, ask questions, listen to personal experiences some may have had, and gain a real understanding of SIDS. I have heard many stories over the years of babies sleeping on sofas, regular beds, and wrapped in blankets, it makes me cringe to think of the possibilities of what could have happened to those children. I also feel that it is important that parents attend these classes also. When I was on the referral line I found many new, young, and low-income parents that were unaware of what SIDS was.
Like the United States, Hong Kong is reporting the major factors they are seeing for SIDS is: parental smoking, bed sharing, tummy sleeping, sleeping on soft bedding, overheating, and several other unsafe sleeping habits. They are also embarking on a campaign to educate the public on the possible causes of SIDS and what can be done to prevent it. SIDS is prominent in both countries; however by being proactive and educating the public the United States and Hong Kong have been able to reduce the number of deaths caused by SIDS.
After learning more about the possible causes of SIDS, and the fact that it is a preventable disease, I want to be able to focus some of my efforts on educating the community on the reality of SIDS and the devastating results it has on families and let them know that that does not need to be the case. It is my hope that the more I am able to educate people on the causes and prevention of SIDS they will take that information and pass it on to another part of the community, an so on. I want to get the ball of information sharing going! I would like to see in the near future that SIDS is no longer the leading cause of death in infants 1-12 months.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
My Birth
I have struggled on how to write this assignment all week. I have never given birth or participated in a birth so I cannot write on either one of those. My birth Mother gave me up for adoption when I was born and the files are sealed so I don’t know anything about the type of prenatal care she had or the experience she had while giving birth to me. I also do not know the reason why she gave me up. So I am going to write about the experiences I had for the first three months of my life while I was in foster care and write about my “birth” my parents experienced after they adopted me.
All I know about my foster care parents is that the husband worked mid-shift, so when he got home at 11:00pm or 12:00am he woke me up and played with me for several hours. So that explains why I am a night owl and my parents cursed home for the first several years after bringing me home. To tell you the truth I would like to find him and ask him what he was thinking!
I am the youngest child in my family; my sister who is 2 ½ years older was a very quiet and content baby. So when they decided to adopt a second child they were sure that child would be the same way. Imagine their surprise when they brought me home and all I did was cry all night because I wanted to play. I am still reminded to this day of this. ;-)
As I said earlier I do not know the circumstances of my birth or my birth mother’s life. However I am very thankful that I was adopted into the Snyder family. Even though I did not sleep they gave me unconditional love no matter what. They taught me the importance of education and supported me in the paths that I chose. I am going to describe them as very nurturing, caring, supportive, and loving parents who are appreciative that I came into their lives and that I was a healthy baby.
In Afghanistan most woman do not get prenatal care and most births occur at home. Sadly I learned that infant mortality is very high there, as I found to be similar in other underdeveloped countries I read about. Most Afghan woman gives birth to 5 children and on average 3 of those children dies. The good news is those numbers are starting to change and more infants are surviving because of different World Organizations investing money to open birthing centers and train woman to be mid-wives in the rural areas of Afghanistan.
All I know about my foster care parents is that the husband worked mid-shift, so when he got home at 11:00pm or 12:00am he woke me up and played with me for several hours. So that explains why I am a night owl and my parents cursed home for the first several years after bringing me home. To tell you the truth I would like to find him and ask him what he was thinking!
I am the youngest child in my family; my sister who is 2 ½ years older was a very quiet and content baby. So when they decided to adopt a second child they were sure that child would be the same way. Imagine their surprise when they brought me home and all I did was cry all night because I wanted to play. I am still reminded to this day of this. ;-)
As I said earlier I do not know the circumstances of my birth or my birth mother’s life. However I am very thankful that I was adopted into the Snyder family. Even though I did not sleep they gave me unconditional love no matter what. They taught me the importance of education and supported me in the paths that I chose. I am going to describe them as very nurturing, caring, supportive, and loving parents who are appreciative that I came into their lives and that I was a healthy baby.
In Afghanistan most woman do not get prenatal care and most births occur at home. Sadly I learned that infant mortality is very high there, as I found to be similar in other underdeveloped countries I read about. Most Afghan woman gives birth to 5 children and on average 3 of those children dies. The good news is those numbers are starting to change and more infants are surviving because of different World Organizations investing money to open birthing centers and train woman to be mid-wives in the rural areas of Afghanistan.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Code of Ethics
Ethical Responsibilities to Children
I-1.7—To use assessment information to understand and support children’s development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services.
I feel that it is very important to use assessment tools to track children’s learning. By assessing my students I was able to adjust my curriculum if needed to address areas they were not doing well in and also to provide parents with important information that lead to identify learning difficulties.
Ethical Responsibilities to Families
I-2.2—To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.
I-2.3—To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.
I could have chosen all points in this section! It is so important to have families involved in their children’s education. It shows their support, allows them to have an active voice, come in and participate in classroom activities, among many other things! I always encouraged parents to take an active role in their child’s education and to come in and volunteer in the classroom when they were able to.
Responsibilities to employers
I-3B.1—To assist the program in providing the highest quality of service.
I am a firm believer in teamwork. Without it the quality of service/education can decline. In the school I worked in we all worked together and assisted each other with problems, concerns, and celebrating successes. The parents recognized this and were very appreciative. I feel it also made them more active in the school.
I-1.7—To use assessment information to understand and support children’s development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services.
I feel that it is very important to use assessment tools to track children’s learning. By assessing my students I was able to adjust my curriculum if needed to address areas they were not doing well in and also to provide parents with important information that lead to identify learning difficulties.
Ethical Responsibilities to Families
I-2.2—To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.
I-2.3—To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.
I could have chosen all points in this section! It is so important to have families involved in their children’s education. It shows their support, allows them to have an active voice, come in and participate in classroom activities, among many other things! I always encouraged parents to take an active role in their child’s education and to come in and volunteer in the classroom when they were able to.
Responsibilities to employers
I-3B.1—To assist the program in providing the highest quality of service.
I am a firm believer in teamwork. Without it the quality of service/education can decline. In the school I worked in we all worked together and assisted each other with problems, concerns, and celebrating successes. The parents recognized this and were very appreciative. I feel it also made them more active in the school.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Early Childhood Education Resources
Position Statements and Influential Practices
NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.
Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being
Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
Websites:
World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage
World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP’s mission.
Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/about/
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.
Selected Early Childhood Organizations
National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/
WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/
Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/
Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/
Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/
Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voices.org/
The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
YC Young Children
Childhood
Journal of Child & Family Studies
Child Study Journal
Multicultural Education
Early Childhood Education Journal
Journal of Early Childhood Research
International Journal of Early Childhood
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Developmental Psychology
Social Studies
Maternal & Child Health Journal
International Journal of Early Years Education
Additional Resources:
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org/
Administration for Children and Families
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html
National Association of Child Care Professionals
http://www.naccp.org
NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.
Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being
Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
Websites:
World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage
World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP’s mission.
Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/about/
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.
Selected Early Childhood Organizations
National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/
WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/
Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/
Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/
Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/
Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voices.org/
The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
YC Young Children
Childhood
Journal of Child & Family Studies
Child Study Journal
Multicultural Education
Early Childhood Education Journal
Journal of Early Childhood Research
International Journal of Early Childhood
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Developmental Psychology
Social Studies
Maternal & Child Health Journal
International Journal of Early Years Education
Additional Resources:
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org/
Administration for Children and Families
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html
National Association of Child Care Professionals
http://www.naccp.org
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