GOOD- BYE Communications Course....

Just want to say THANK YOU to all my colleagues in this Communications Course.  It's been a great learning experience to share ideas and insights with you and from you.....feel free to keep in touch through this blog or email me at:  janetcoloma@verizon.net.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.....

JANET

Week 6- Team Adjourning

When I consider the five stages of team development, and I focus on the dissolution of a team, I can recall leaving my last job and the wonderful group of people I worked with.  It was a private school, and although I loved the location, the people, the curriculum, EVERYTHING, it was financially possible for me to stay when compared to going to work for a public school district.  That was a really tough decision for me, but I had to do it for my family.

The biggest closing ritual I guess we did was a going away party for me with my co-workers, students and their families.  They had a big party for me at the end of the year and the children made me a book drawing pictures of their favorite day with Ms. Janet.  It brought tears to my eyes.  I couldn't have asked for a better good-bye.  Seriously.  I will never forget it.

I'm sure that when I complete my Master's and say goodbye to this group of colleagues, it will be difficult too.  I feel that we have collaborated and learned a lot from each other.  We are in all parts of the world, and so we've brought many different sides to discussions, but I know that many of us will stay in touch and use each other as references in our future endevours.  I think adjourning is an essential part of team development and dissolution mainly because we can reflect on our successes, thank one another for the great ideas that we brought to the table and feel the accomplishment of having reached a goal and reached it together, as a team! 

I'm sure going to miss everyone when this comes to an end, but it's a joyous ending for sure!

Conflict Resolution -

Conflict Resolution, ahhh, those two words that everyone knows but everyone hates.  Nobody likes conflict, at least I don't think they do.  Not only is it draining on you but it's draining on those around you.  I can remember a conflict that I had just a week ago, and it's very personal so I can't really share the details in case that person is reading my blog, but let's just say it was two strong personalities arguing their side of an issue that has created great distance between the two people for years and years.  The issues at this point aren't important anymore, it's the distance that stands.  We are strangers because of life's past events and because responsibility can't be taken and apologies aren't happening, we are getting NOWHERE.

I must take responsibility for being on the attack.  I wasn't violent, but very verbally aggressive, and I regret that very much but the circumstances of our conversation or argument created a hostile environment for both of us and it should never have taken place at that time.  Tension was high, stress was tremendous as we were losing a close family member, and I guess that's a time where families get together and things just seem to happen.

Looking back now, I know I have some repairing to do, I need to be more relaxed when this person approaches me again.  I need to listen and see if our conflict has a resolution.  It's so far beyond repair for me that I have to come up with a compromise that I can live with and work toward a better relationship in the future because our past is our past and really cannot be changed.  It's going to take a great effort on my part and I don't even know if I'm ready, but I am willing to be open to the possibility of moving forward once responsibility and acceptance is received.  I am going to try hard to practice the 3R's because it's the only way I think I can really try to resolve this conflict once and for all.....only then can we begin to heal.

What I learned about me

Well, this week I am writing in three entries because I suffered a great death in my family, the woman I loved more than anyone in the world, My Mother!  And it's been tough getting back to work, so here goes.

For Week 4:

After taking the quizzes to learn about myself as a communicator, I was most surprised to find that my husband's score for me was EXACTLY the same as the score I got for myself in the Verbal Aggressiveness and Listening Style profiles.  I was shocked because he (like most husbands) always says I don't listen enough, and I've been accused on more than one occasion to be a little loose with my words, so I was PLEASANTLY surprised to find that our scores were the same and that I am not imagining to be someone that I am not.

This week, learning about myself gave me a clearer picture of the area that I need to work on more; listening.  I am all about problem solving, so I know I'm guilty of trying to solve everything instead of really listening to people.  I learned that being empathetic begins with being a good listener and it helps build relationships.  I think that's an important part of any relationship, even with a strange.  I also learned that I am programmed to make judgments on appearance alone, and although it stems from past experiences and from media portrayal, I have to keep a close eye on my perceptions and judgments to make sure I'm being fair and equal to others.  Very interesting week.....

Cultural Diversity Communication Strategies

After learning all I have about communication the last few weeks, I have self-reflected and seen the differences in my communication with people from different cultures.  I do believe that I communicate differently, especially with the parents of my students.  I feel that I speak slower and I try to use very proper Spanish.  I know that's from own hang-ups about being corrected for my "Cuban slang Spanish" through the years.  I also find that I give a lot more detail on my Spanish directions to the parents because I feel that they just don't understand my directions most of the time, such as with homework assignments.  This has been from my previous experiences with Spanish-speaking families.

Some strategies that I could use when communicating with them more effectively is to withhold judgment and get a deeper understanding of them, instead of using my past experiences as my impression of ALL Spanish speaking families.  I also need to model things for them instead of giving so much direction so that they have an example to follow (when asking for family-made projects) and lastly create a better expectation of their abilities because I'm sure I could come off as coddling as compared to my English speaking parents who I just explain things to once and have an expectation that they know how to follow directions.

It's hard to be free of bias, especially when previous experiences have shown me to communicate a certain way with different people.  It's something that I am aware of and something that I know I must work on for the rest of my career.  It all begins with educating myself, so I'm ready to put this to practice!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Jeannette

Communications in Mute

"Trophy Wife"

For this week's assignment, I chose to watch the show TROPHY WIFE which I knew nothing about.  First I watched it in mute, paying close attention to the non-verbal communication, then I watched it with the volume on and boy were my assumptions of what was going on way off.....

First of all, I assumed that the husband in the show lived with two wives and that those two wives were good friends.  The truth was that his ex-wife is always hanging around his house and his new wife really doesn't care for her much.  When the volume was on, they were very sarcastic to one another which in mute seems like genuine friendliness.  Very interesting!

Second, there were two other women in the show who had a couple of scenes together and I thought they were lesbians who were fighting, just because of the way they looked at each other and the closeness of their proximity in their interactions.  Well, again, truth is they just met and they weren't very nice to one another because one was a doctor who thought very little of the other, a mere bartender. 

If this had been a show that I normally watch, like Modern Family, I wouldn't have the same assumptions because I know the casts relationship with one another and it would have been easy to figure out what was going on in the episode, even on mute.

So, my biggest A-HA moment of this assignment was how SARCASM looks like genuine friendly interaction when you don't hear what is being said.  I have always hated sarcasm, and now hate it even more.  hahahahaha

Hope you enjoyed this post!  I for one, now picked up another show because Trophy Wife was actually a pretty funny show...(with the sound on!)

Janet

Communication - Blog 1

I consider my principal to have great communication skills.  She is very knowledgeable about early childhood education and helps to make all the teachers.  She always listens to our questions and concerns and validates our feelings.  That, in turn, makes us feel heard.  I would definitely like to be more like her because although she may have a strong opinion about something, she never forces it on us, instead is open-minded and listens to our suggestions.  I think that is a very important part of communication.  It's listening as well as giving your point of view.  It has to be two-sided.

Professional Hopes and Goals

As I conclude this class of Diversity and Culture and Social Equity in Early Childhood Education, I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Johnna Darragh Ernst for all her guidance and support and for asking just the right questions to make me critically think!  I would also like to thank all my colleagues for their comments and probing questions and especially for all the great ideas that were shared throughout this course.  It has been a wonderful learning experience for me.

When I think of working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, my one hope is that I am worthy of giving them all the understanding, respect and welcome that they deserve and that I make a positive difference in their lives.  I want them to feel included and equal in my classroom and for them to walk away with a smile each and everyday because they are an important part of my life.

Lastly, the goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is to INCREASE the training that educators receive in the areas of culture, diversity, social justice and equity so that teacher are prepared to welcome and respect these families they come in contact with because it is crucial to the development and the self-worth of the children they will teach.  Not only do new upcoming teachers need more training, but those working in the field for years need professional development in these areas.  It should be mandated because it is that important!

Again, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!  GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE VENTURES....


Jeannette Coloma

Welcoming Families from aroud the World

Imagining that I was in my current job as a preschool teacher and that I was going to have the opportunity to welcome and teach a child of a family from Ethiopia, which I know nothing about, I would do the following things to be culturally responsive to them:

1)  Learn all I could about the cultural beliefs of Ethiopian families, including their traditions, customs, etc.

2)  Try to discover commonalities or experiences that we share or that would be shared by this child and the rest of the class.

3)  Develop and use vocabulary of greetings and common key phrases in their language so they can feel welcome.

4)  Meet with the family with an interpreter so I can find out all I could about the family and the child.

5)  Create lessons that would introduce this new child's heritage and culture to the classroom

I think these preparations would help the child and his/her family feel like I was prepared for their arrival and eager to include him/her into my class.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudic and Oppression

I was stumped when trying to recall a time that I felt discriminated against for being a Hispanic woman, but then it came to me....being a WOMAN has me dealing with bias all the time.  I work in an urban setting where I have to park my car in a very "male loitering" block every day.  I deal with the issue every morning and again every afternoon.  CONSTANT OPPRESSION!!  It's the same group of men, whistling and giving me sexual looks and comments and it's very irritating.  At first, I remember feeling embarrassed and ashamed and I would even question what I was wearing to try to not get their attention, but I quickly realized that it didn't matter and it wasn't me, it was them.  At this point, I almost don't hear them anymore but I always walk quickly.  I wait in my car sometimes to see if they go into a store or something and I never, EVER make eye contact.  In order for this to change into an opportunity for greater equity, they would have to really see how I feel which I don't think is ever going to happen.  They don't have any respect for women and it's absolutely disgusting.  Maybe if I turned around and started crying one day and told them how awful they make me feel in the morning, it would spark something......but no thanks, I won't be engaging in any type of conversation because ultimately I don't think it would get me anywhere.....I'm just going to continue avoiding, even though I know it's the wrong thing to do.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week, I took the time to really observe my surrounding looking for microaggressions that occur all the time.  The main one that stood out for me was beyond obvious and I have to share it.

At lunch today, I overheard a group of people that were on their way to pick up food.  It was a group of men and women, about six of them and there was one black man in the group of whites.  When deciding what to order, the one guy said to the black guy "We're thinking Popeyes cuz we know you brothas love fried chicken."  and they all started laughing.  The black guy laughed too, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was just laughing on the outside or if he was genuinely un-offended. 

What I do know is that although it seemed unintentional and they were all clearly friends, it was an insult nonetheless.  I felt bad for the guy and thought how bad that sounded out loud.  It was nuts!  This example was clear as day, but I now know that I am more in tune with the racism that goes on around me and I am aware of the damage it does on a persons self-image, self-esteem and self-worth.  We really have to stop the madness and start thinking more before we speak....only then can change begin!

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I decided to use social media for this blog entry and posted the question "What is your personal definition of culture and diversity?'  I thought this would be a great way to get different perspectives from a lot of my family and friends of different genders, races, class, etc.  Here's what I got:

Culture:  1) Origin, customs from our place of birth, foods, behaviors, beliefs & traditions.
               2) Something you grow up with...events that make you who you are.
               3)  The beliefs and traditions of one's nationality, how they dress, behave, eat, and speak.
               4)  Rituals and beliefs passed down from generation to generation

Diversity:  1)  Acceptance of the cultural differences in everyone.
                  2)  A mixture of different cultures, a melting pot.
                  3)  Blending in with different cultures, living together and sharing traditions, melting pot.
                  4)  Different mixes of things and people.

I think these definitions were definitely part of what I have learned in this course so far, especially the definition that number 3 gave of detailing how people dress, behave, eat and speak as being a culture.  Not only your background.  I agreed with all of their definitions and particularly liked "the melting pot" used by two different people when defining diversity.  It's a good way to think about all cultures blending or mixing together to form this diverse world we live in.

My Family Culture

If I had to be evacuated to another Country and I could only take three items with me, other than a change of clothes, it would be:

1)  My Childhood Memories Scrapbook
2)  My grandmother's ruby earrings
3)  My wedding ring

I would explain that these things have special value to me.  My childhood memories scrapbook is a book I put together that has many pictures of my three children, my husband and myself through the years.  This is dear to my heart because I plan on passing it onto them when they grow up.  My grandmother's ruby earrings are an heirloom that she left me when she passed away and I plan on passing that on also from generation to generation.  It is one of my most prized possessions as it came from someone that I loved so much.  Lastly, my wedding ring is a symbol of the love my husband and I share and the commitment that we've made to eachother.  I've never EVER taken it off since he gave it to me and there's no way I would leave it behind.

Now, if upon arrival in this new country I was told that I could only keep one of these personal items, I honestly don't know what I would do.  Each has it's own sentimental value to me.  Each is equally important.  I guess if I had to, HAD TO pick one, it would be My Scrapbook.  I would have to keep that because it has pictures of my three pregnancies, and baby shots, etc., it's irreplaceable and it's something that they have to see when they grow up.  I'm sad just thinking about it!

I realize through this exercise this week that I am very attached to things that are emotional and that I want to pass on to my children.  I think in any culture, family is important and children are at the center of that.  I guess I'm very attached to things and am looking forward to sharing things with them in the future from my past.  Very interesting.....  I love learning about ME!  hahaha

Thanks for reading my post!

Jeannette

When I think of Research...

The biggest insight that I gained from taking this course is that I can really be a researcher!  Thinking back to the inception of this class, I was very scared of just the thought of research, let alone actually understanding it piece by piece.

My ideas are now more positive because, like anything else, I have learned about the different aspects of putting together a research simulation and feel more positive and confident as a potential researcher myself.  It's all about need, value, support, validity and ethics.  I learned that if I take my time and take the appropriate steps, I can actually help the field of early childhood.  It's a great feeling.

I now know that conducting research is not only about my beliefs, but about the people being researched and its effect on them.  I now understand about risks ad extraneous variables that must be taken into consideration before anything else.

One challenge that I had during this course was remembering the new vocabulary and terminology that I read about, especially the differences between research style like quantitative vs. qualitative.  It was easiest to understand when I compared them side by side, in chart form, and when I finally understood that one is to understand "how" something works and the other is to understand "why". 

Lastly, I would like to express my greater appreciation for all early childhood researchers because I see how much work goes into designing, developing and interpreting a good research study and I commend them all for their contributions to the field that I love so much!

It's been a great learning experience over all and I look forward to what is to come...

Good Luck everyone!!

Jeannette

Research Around the World

I looked into the Australian equivalent to NAEYC at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org which opens up a world of information about early childhood education in Australia.  You can click on several links that take you to many newsletters, articles, journals and much, much more.

I learned through this website that Australia has created and begun to implement new standards in education.  "The new national standards will ensure all children have access to good quality learning experiences early on in life", but they are just beginning stages of their implementation and assessment.  I think this is a great thing because we know from our own standard implementation that we have a guide to follow to make sure that children are developing correctly and that they are ready for what is to come.  This was a new insight for me because I've always assumed that like the United States, Australia would have already had a set of national standards in place.  Just goes to show you that research goes a long way.  I also learned that Australia has a series of books called "The Everyday Learning Series" that people can subscribe to that gives them a choice of many hardcover or online books for $14.95 that include topics such as sensory learning, meaningful conversations with children, helping children grow, bullying, making most of your environment, responding to emotional needs and many others.  These books are a wonderful tool or parents and educators alike.  I am a parent educator in my school and I was very happy to have come across this resource because I am going to ordering some of these books to help put together presentations for our parents in the upcoming school year.  CHECK IT OUT!  The link even gives you chapter descriptions and samples .  You will love it.!

Research that Benefits Children and Families - Uplifting Stories

As a teacher in a low-income, urban district in New Jersey, I have seen the huge success that Early Intervention Services have had on my students academic success.  These services have been made possible because of the research that has been done on low income families such as in the study  by Campbell, F. A. and Ramey, C. T. (1994), Effects of Early Intervention on Intellectual and Academic Achievement: A Follow-up Study of Children from Low-Income Families. Child Development, 65: 684–698. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1994.tb00777.x. 

Without research like this, these programs would not be running and low income families who do not have the means of others wouldn't be as successful in our classrooms as they actually are.  This year, for example, I had a three year old who received early intervention services for six months before he came to my class and he went from not speaking at all, to a vocabulary of over 100 words.  By the end of the school year, he was almost right where he needed to be and his family and I couldn't be happier to see his progress.  That's what research is all about, the success of others!

My Personal Research Journey

Hello everyone!

The topic I have chosen for my research simulation is "What effect does learning through play in early childhood have on self-regulation in higher grades."    I chose it because where I teach, we use the Tools of the Mind curriculum which is based on Vygotsy's approach of teaching through play and although there is much negative talk about our curriculum not teaching enough academic material, I find that my students leave very self-regulated and know how to share, play, take turns and really have a love of school.  I wonder if those children still feel and act the same way (less behavioral problems, etc.) when they move up in elementary school.

Creating the research chart this week was a challenge for me, especially figuring out the differences between Qualitative and Quantative research approaches.  I find it a bit confusing and overwhelming, but I was lucky enough to have a friend who just finished his dissertation help explain it to me in the simplest of terms.... apples and oranges!  And, thankfully it makes better sense to me now. 

I look forward to reading everyone else's topics!  Good luck to you all!

FINAL BLOG ASSIGNMENT- Issues and Trends

As this class comes to an end, I think about the collaborative community that we've built here and all that I have gained from this experience.  I think the consequences of this learning community, especially about the international early childhood field has been 1) greater awareness of the unknown 2) expanded vision of early childhood as a whole and 3) passion for learning more about the education of children around the world.  This experience has not only made me grow as an educator but has opened my eyes to things I never, ever thought of.

My goal in the near future with respect to international awareness is to learn more about Cuba and their early childhood education practices.  That is my country or origin and I hope to visit very soon so it would be great to learn and then go see for myself.  I'm really looking forward to it!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Okay, so since I haven't received a response from CUBA or PERU although I have really been trying since they are my ethnic countries, I chose option 2....:(

Here's what I learned this week:

1)  As per the Global Monitoring Report in UNESCO, there are four important skills for a child to learn:  1)  Critical thinking about themselves  2)  Learning about other children's culture  3)  Skills to be good citizens and 4) Life skills and core values.

2)  A quality education helps reduce poverty and enables children to become empowered and gain social cohesion and peace and human development and most importantly, children have a right to learn from birth....."Children's Rights are Human Rights". --UNESCO, 2013.

3)  "International Day of the Girl Child" is a program to raise awareness and build stronger action for girls'  UNESCO is committing to getting the estimated 32 million girls who should be in primary school to gain access to education.  It's a global effort!!!  How great is that???

References:
 (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Sharing Web Resources NAEYC

This week, I decided to go ahead and join NAEYC as a member to receive all it's membership privileges, and boy did I learn something!  If you become a member for only $40 as a student, or $66 as an educator, you gain a world of resources at your fingertips.  You can join discussion groups with other online members, share resources and join interest forums.  In addition, you receive Young Children and/or Teaching Young Children in your home bi monthly.  Also, you have members only access to current issues of these magazines and even Tesoros y Colores which is the Spanish version of Teaching Young Children in digital format.  With the click the mouse, you also get access to years worth of these magazines with tons of reference articles.  These articles are not only good for students conducting research and teachers looking to education themselves further, but they are terrific to print out for parents.  Lastly, a great benefit to being a member of NAEYC is that they are even offering 10% off tuition for new Walden University students!!!!!!

Although the newsletter didn't directly relate to this weeks topic of discussion; Awareness, Accessibility and Responsiveness, it did have archived articles under previous issues of Young Children that related.  If you are interested in accessing these articles, you must first become a member and then logon and read "Early Childhood Education:  Diverse Approaches for a Diverse Nation", July, 2010, Volume 65 or "Supporting Dual Language Learners and their families", March, 2013, Volume 68.  Both these articles related to responsiveness in early childhood.

As for equity and excellence in early care and education, I think the website's family link provides an excellent resource for parents.  They have a link for parents to search around their location for accredited programs and also include their standards for accreditation.  It gives parents a way to look for quality programs, read articles about their child's development and has an area for them to sign up for family newsletters to keep them on top of all the current developments in early childhood education around their area.  Not to mention the links on the family site that has discussion forums, blogs, family activities, music and much, much more.  This is an excellent resource for everyone.  I am surely going to put it on my classroom newsletter under Favorite Websites.

Mainly this week I am happy to announce that I am a member of NAEYC and that the benefits that come along with the membership are going to be an excellent asset to my Master's Degree research, as well as a resource that I will be sharing with my co-workers, students and families.  I hope that everyone takes a minute to check out www.naeyc.org and becomes a member if they aren't already so they can gain the same benefits!!!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- PART 2

In reviewing Harvard University's Global Children Initiative website, I found new insights that I am very excited about. 

1)  CHILD AND FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH -  This project focused on anxiety and anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, and all kinds of conduct problems in children including adolescent delinquency and violence.  I found this to be very important as it should be a top priority to educators and parents all over the world.  So much is known about children's development, yet we see time and time again children struggling with these mental issues that affect their entire lives.

2)  RELATED RESOURCES SECTION -  This section of the website provides non-English videos which are translated into Spanish and Portuguese and they are informative videos about the core concepts in Early Childhood Development which is also a great resource around the globe for people who are visual learners, and especially for those who do not know how to read.  I failed to realize how important it is to have videos available to parents who cannot read.  How can we expect them to know what's appropriate for their child by just giving them a pamphlet?  These videos are full of information and it would be great if they were translated in more languages.

3)  "UN BUEN COMIENZO", A Good Start -  This was launched in Chile and it's a professional development educational program for teachers to improve the quality of early childhood education and health (including socio-emotional development) in this Country.  We know that programs like this are a great success and it's great that it's being implemented in Chile.  I hope to see this type of initiative to be taken all over the world, especially in poorer countries where there are so many children lacking health and educational well-being.

I think it's important to understand the issue of health and well-being in all children.  If we understand it, we can work toward getting programs started globally that will make a difference in all children's lives.  There has been great advancement, however, we have a ways to go.  It's taking classes like these that open our eyes to the problems in early childhood education and the resources and hope that there is to create a better tomorrow for ALL children.


References

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative

SHARING WEB RESOURCES: NAEYC

As posted earlier, I chose NAEYC as my website to explore and this week their newsletter published an article about Technology in the Preschool Classroom that coincides with the professional development happening in my district as we are all getting IPADS in September to supplement our students' learning.  NAEYC and Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media got together and conducted studies and created a position statement that is in favor of using tablets in the classroom, one really good reason is that children don't have to know how to handle a mouse to navigate touch screens which is great for children with fine motor delays.  They believe that  "young children need opportunities to develop the early 'technology-handling' skills associated with early digital literacy that are akin to the 'book-handling' skills associated with early literacy development." (NAEYC, 2013).  I also learned through this newsletter that there are over 5000,000 apps available in all subjects, with 58% of those apps geared toward preschoolers.  What a great tool!

This article made me view the technology in the classroom in a whole new way because I see a lot of children struggling with computer skills and mouse handling, so I'm very happy that research is pushing for tablets in the classroom.  I also think it will be a great asset to teachers taking anecdotes for assessments. 

The newsletter also contained an article about Obama's historic budget proposal for 2014 which calls for 75 billion dollars over the next 10 years for preschool education.  It's called "Preschool for All" which I really hope passes.  He is a big supporter of early childhood education and I can't imagine the change that would create for families struggling with child care and the jobs it will create for teachers and the advancement it will create for children in general.  GO OBAMA!!!!!

Last, but not least, I learned through the website that they are offering

GETTING TO KNOW MY INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS

Despite many attempts to contact both UNICEF organizations in Peru and Cuba, to learn more about those countries and their education systems, I have failed to make contact.  Emails have been returned as undeliverable and the ones that have gone through, have not replied.  So, I am doing to alternative assignment with the podcasts.

I have chosen to learn more about Indonesia, specifically the orphans left behind after the devastating Tsunami of 2004.  So many years have passed that people have forgotten all the horrible devastation that occured there and how over 500,000 people were left homeless. 

Through the World Forum Foundation Radio podcasts, I was able to hear from Meridas Eka Yora who is the founder and chairperson of the Fajar Hidayah Group.  His organization started boarding schools for the 400 orphans of the Tsunami in 2004.  They employ teachers who not only teach these children but act as their mothers and father.  He said in the podcast that "this is a big home, a big family for us", as they are trying to provide as normal a life as possible for these children.  Today Fajar Hidayah Group runs four schools in Aceh, Indonesia housing over 2000 students ages 2-17.

I also researched poverty levels in Indonesia and found that as of 2010, their total population was 239,870,937 and of that number 18,436,000 live below the poverty line.  Here are some statistics from http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/topic:

Statistics

Poverty, hunger and malnutrition

• More than one billion people in the world live on less than US$1 a day
• 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than US$2 per day
• More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day, including 300 million children
• Every 3.6 seconds a person dies of starvation, and most of those who die are children under age of 5
• Every year 6 million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday

When you read these things it really opens your eyes to the poverty that exists around the world.  I look forward to getting more information and to see if there's anything we can do to advocate and possible make a difference.  So much devastation for so many children, it's just awful!!

References:

Website: World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals.
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

Website for Dimensions of Indonesia:  http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/topic

Sharing Web Resources

I am going to be following NAEYC as an organization that is focused on accrediting programs of the highest quality in early childhood education as well as providing endless research, professional development and resources to educators and families in the early childhood field.  You can sign up for NAEYC's free newsletter at http://www.naeyc.org/. 

Their current newsletter included an Online Training on Creating Classroom Portfolios that you could sign up for.  A Classroom Portfolio is a great way for teachers to document and display children's learning experiences for families.  I thought this idea was great because you can learn to put together a portfolio that can be put into a Power Point and can be shown at different times of the year.  It can also be translated into different languages which is one of the topics we have been learning about, culture, diversity and languages.

Parents like to see what's going on in the classroom and this is a great way to display that for them.  I'm definitely signing up!

If you would like to sign up too, please click on this link:
http://www.naeyc.org/ecp/online/portfolios

Establishing Professional Contacts & Expanding Resources

Okay, so I have sent emails out to try to reach UNICEF in both Cuba, my country of origin and Peru, my husbands country of origin.  I have also reached out to the Global Alliance of NAEYC in Cuba and I am very hopeful that they get back to me.  Right now, I haven't received a response from any of them, but I will keep on trying!!

I have also decided to expand my resources and learn all there is to learn about NAEYC in the United States, and particularly in my home State of New Jersey.  I have some experience with them as I have attended their convention in Atlantic City the past couple of years but attending workshops is just a piece of what they offer as an organization.  I have subscribed to their newsletter and am looking forward to learning a lot more to better assist my students, co-workers, families and community.

I'll keep you all posted!

"My Supports"

When I think about supports, I immediately think of my husband and the tremendous support he is to me.  My daily life is supported by him in many ways, not only emotionally but practical and physical too.  He helps me everyday with household chores like laundry and washing dishes and clearning the house.  He also helps me in practical things like doing our online banking and taking care of all the odd jobs around our house.  If something breaks, I know he will fix it, I never give it a thought.  Lastly, but most importantly, he is my emotional rock.  He keeps my spirits up when I need it and he's always there to help me, laugh with me and even cry with me.  He also happens to be the best father in the world to our three children and there is a great love between him and our boys and he helps me cloth them, feed them, educate and love them. 

The challenge I chose to imagine is my life WITHOUT him.  Just the thought of it brings tears to me eyes.  My life would be upside down!  I would need help without a doubt because I don't think I could raise these three children, manage this household, work full time and do my Master's all on my own.  I would need someone to watch the kids in the morning and after school for starters because my job doesn't allow me to be home with them in the mornings or after school.  That would mean, of course, that I would need more financial means to pay that person.  I would also have to figure out the banking (which I'm guilty of not doing right now), so I could pay the bills.  Speaking of paying the bills, I wouldn't be able to afford this house without him, nor the truck I drive so I would have to move to a smaller place and drive a more affordable car.  I don't know how to fix a thing either, so I guess I would also have to pay for handy work should things break around my new, smaller place.  My Master's would also have to go because I can't afford this without him either.  Lastly, but most importantly, I would lose my rock, so I have absolutely NO IDEA what I would do without my very best friend.  I can't imagine substituting him with someone else, so maybe therapy would become a big part of my life so I would have someone to talk to.  I don't have much family so this is pretty much what my life would be like without my #1 SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND!  May GOD BLESS HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!

I really hope I don't sound too shallow, but this really comes straight from the heart.  I know many single mothers who struggle and make it work and I commend them LIKE CRAZY because I don't know how they do it......  This is my truth.

"My Connections to Play"

 

Two quotes that summarize what play meant and still means to me are:

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." -Plato

"If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society."  - Jean Piaget


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PLAY ITEMS FOR MY YOUNGER SELF.......

Cabbage Patch Dolls, I had at least 10 of them!

One of my FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TOYS





Paper Dolls....boy, did I ever play with these!
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In my childhood, I spent a lot of time alone in my room playing by myself.  I remember playing with my dolls and doing a lot of imaginary play in the mirror.  I was an only child so most of my memories are of playing by myself, but I do have a few random memories of playing with Lincoln Logs in preschool with a boy named Peter.  We used to build together and I remember always following him and playing what he wanted to play.  I don't remember my teachers much, just Peter being very nice to me and always building legos and blocks with me for my dolls.

 

I don't think play has changed all that much because I see my students playing with the same things I used to play with and I see friendships that are inseparable.  I have two students that I have to encourage to go to different centers because they choose to do the same things together every single day and their parents want them exposed to other friends and other learning centers.  I also see my two sons playing together all the time and it's different than my upbringing because they have eachother so they always have a playmate. 

 

I think play was a big part of why I wanted to become a teacher.  I always played "school" in my room and my cabbage patch dolls were my students.  I used a chalk board to teach them and I always, always talked to myself in the mirror.  Some things haven't changed much because I still talk to myself in the mirror all the time!  ha ha ha.... I also love to play with my kids and with my students and I always want to have that little kid in me alive inside!  You have to live a little and that means being a kid sometimes, it's the funnest time of your life!



RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

I think relationships and partnerships are important to me because they provide support, guidance, advice and most of all, LOVE.  Here is a picture of my #1 relationship...

These are my amazing children!  They are my love, my life and my world.  I have different relationships with each of them and they are special in their own way.

My oldest son is now 17 years old, driving a car and driving me crazy!  Our relationship has gone from mother/baby to mother/young man.  It has evolved into friendship consisting of understanding and trust on both our parts, and that was no easy challenge.  Teenagers can be challenging, but I think he and I get along beautifully and we have a very open relationship, one that I wasn't able to have with my own parents, so I treasure it very, very much.

My middle son is now 10 years old, getting into an age where he is finding his own identity and doesn't want to "need mommy" all the time.  He is very independant, and takes his role of big brother (to his little brother) very seriously.  He comes to me as a last resort, because he feels like he's a big boy now and can do everything on his own.  Our relationship has probably been the most challenging because he doesn't like to be seen as a baby, and thinks I embarass him all the time.  It has been hard to watch him grow and let him become independant, even more challenging that my oldest, I'm not sure why?????

Lastly, there's my baby who is not so much of a baby if you see him.  He may be 8 years old, but he thinks he's 2!  That one needs me for everything and he's not embarassed to say it.  He and I still have a mommy/baby relationship and I'm not going to lie, I'm glad he's growing up slower than the other two.  I can really understand how people always said that kids grow up too fast.  I love our relationship and I wish I could keep him this age forever!

It may be difficult at times to juggle the three relationships I have with my children, but I try my best to be fair and give each equal attention.  It's true that sometimes I'm pulled in three different directions, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Having and maintaining positive relationships comes from within ourselves.  If you approach a relationship in a positive mindframe, chances are you will have positive results.  These are the most important relationships in my life and they have each shown me how to be more caring, empathatic, nurturing and loving which in turn has made me a better teacher.

I show love, respect, empathy and care for every one of my students.  I make sure to treat them fairly and most importantly, I treat them the way I would hope my children are treated by their teachers.

When I think of Child Development........

When I think of Child Development, I think of my beautiful sons who were once babies and growing up so fast.  They are each at a different level of development and oh how I wish I could turn back time! 

Here's a picture of them when they were 1 month, 2 years, and 7 years old....



This represents Child Development for me because it represents Growth, Love, Trust, Bonding, Attachment and Happiness...all of which are significant in the development of children.

Here's a picture of them now....



Still, all these years later, this is the picture of Child Development for me, they have turned into these amazing people who display Trust, Maturity, Love, Respect, Independence, Friendship and Happiness, again.... my picture of beautiful Child Development!

Testing for Intelligence

I am a firm believer that children SHOULD NOT be assessed by Standardized Testing in this, or any other Country.  I think that children should be looked at as a "whole person".  What makes him learn?  What does he know about himself, others, the world around him?  An algebra equation does not tell you who a child is or what he/she knows.  I think a combination of teacher anecdotes should be compiled and assessed so that each child's intelligence is measured fairly by the teacher that spends the day with him.

In my District, we use something called Work Sampling System, WWS for short.  This is an assessment tool that is a combination of anecdotes and work samples that we put in for each child every day.  We measure their individual strides.  I observe three children a day and focus on different areas of development....Social/Emotional, Language/Literacy, Math/Science, Social Studies and Health.  I fill out checklists that eventually tell me what the child knows and what he doesn't so that I may differentiate for him to become proficient in particular areas. 

I teach preschool and there is no testing which is why we have this program in place.  I love it and think that if we used that in higher grades it would be a better evaluation tool that a standardized test.

In Cuba, like in many countries around the world, there is an assessment program called PISA.  Pisa is an international study that was launched by the OECD in 1997. It aims to evaluate education systems worldwide every three years by assessing 15-year-olds' competencies in the key subjects: reading, mathematics and science. To date over 70 countries and economies have participated in PISA (www.pisaorg).  So like us, they are also being assessed by standardized tests.

References

www.pisa.org

STRESS on our CHILDREN

My friend's story....

I have a friend who grew up very poor.  He often speaks of his misfortune and stress as a kid and it's truly heartbreaking.  His parents divorced when he was just a toddler and his mom remained in custody of him and his sister.  His mother was uneducated and as an immigrant to this Country, didn't speak the language.  She worked several jobs, but it was never enough.  They had to move several times from city to city or from apartment to apartment.   We once made a list of all his addresses (at least the ones he can remember) and he had something like 25!  That's insane!  He remembers being hungry and crying himself to sleep asking himself "why me"?  He also remembers budgeting and figuring out how much money his mom was going to have for groceries after paying all the bills at the young age of eight.  I've realized through the years that his upbringing really caused emotional stress.  He can tell you a story and cry in a heartbeat and he is now a forty-year-old man.  He says the worry used to keep him up at night and give him stomach aches and he was always nervous of what the future would hold.  He is thankful to have had very good friends who supported him in his time of need and his coaches and teachers who really made a difference when they donated clothing and food to his mother. 

His memories are far from what I knew as a kid, and when he tells me stories like running an extension chord from the basement outlet up three flights of stairs so they could have electricity, I just cannot imagine.  I am happy to say that he is a very educated, well rounded successful adult today.  While greatly affected, he will be the first to tell you that his childhood stress made him who he is today....a wonderful husband, father and son and he works hard to not only provide a stable and stress-free life for his own children, but he helps his mother and his sister in every way he can and although those stories still bring tears to his eyes, he says he is so blessed and grateful that all his wishes and praying for a better life came true!

Children in Cuba

 

I was born here, but my parents immigrated here from Cuba.  They have always spoken of the poverty they lived with and how there was no opportunity for them there.  During my research on Cuba, I found that children there not only live in poverty and deal with hunger, but there is also child labor which causes even more stress for children.  If you ask my family, they believed that children should work to "help" the family, which is something that still exists today in Cuba.  Although there are child labor laws that don't allow for children to work until the age of 15, they are sent to work way before.  My Dad remembers cleaning shoes in the streets, wiping car windows, bagging groceries for change.  On a recent trip that we visiting Cuba, you still saw the same thing.  Children running into restaurants to eat leftover food, children picking and selling flowers for money and teenage girls offering themselves.  Another big stressor is the fact that children must enter the military at the age of 15 which is the number one reason my father decided to come to the U.S. 

 

Here are a couple of pictures I found that really defines "Child Stress"...

CHILD SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR

 

CHILD MAKING THEIR OWN TOY

 

CHILDREN'S POOL

 

 

 

If you want to see more information about Cuba and it's children, visit:

 

 

http://www.paho.org/english/mdg/cpo_cuba.asp

http://www.therealcuba.com/page4.htm

http://www.cubanet.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 



CHILD DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC HEALTH

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of the leading causes of death among infants one month through age one in the United States of America. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) defines SIDS as the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history.

This topic is meaningful to me because I had a co-worker who lost her baby at two months old and it was ruled as SIDS.  I'll never forget her pain.  I remember that she kept blaming herself and didn't understand what she did wrong.  Her baby was strong and healthy, eating, developing normally, and all of a sudden one morning when she skipped a feeding, she realized that she was dead in her crib.  No blanket, sleeping on her side, still.  It's unimaginable and it's unexplainable because they still don't know what exactly causes SIDS.  Research has concluded that some risks include sleeping with parents, tummy sleeping and blankets/pillows.  But, my friend's baby had none of those things and still, she died of SIDS.  Why?  We may never know.

For unknown reasons, the rate of SIDS is much lower in Canada and Japan than in the United States, but higher in New Zealand (Berger, 2012).  When researching SIDS in other parts of the world, I found that in India, a baby cannot sleep anywhere else but beside their mother and father.  It is a tradition and it must be followed although that completely contradicts what the United States considers a huge risk factor for newborns.

The information I gathered on SIDS will greatly impact my future work because many of my student's parents are pregnant and I can pass along this information to them so they are aware of the many risk factors for their new babies and hopefully make a difference in someone's life.

REFERENCES

http://neuroanthropology.net/2008/12/21/cosleeping-and-biological-imperatives-why-human-babies-do-not-and-should-not-sleep-alone/

Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Childbirth in my Life & Around the World

November 30, 1995 is an unforgettable day for me.  It was the day I gave birth to my first son after 14 hours in labor.  Back then they waited a really long time before they gave you the option of an epidural injection to help numb the pain, so needless to say, it wasn't easy.  All through the pregnancy, my doctors had told me to stay away from coffee and tea, because caffeine would mean a hyper-active baby.  At 19, I failed to realize that "iced tea" was the same as "hot tea" and therefore contained just as much, if not more, caffeine and sugar.  I drank iced-tea by the gallons those nine months of pregnancy because it eased my nauseau which I had all the time.  Long story, short, my son was moving so much when I got to the hospital that they couldn't monitor his heartbeat through a belly belt, instead they had to break my water, clamp his head (sorry for the mental picture) and monitor him that way for those long 14 hours!

This example came to mind immediately because as I lay there in pain, the doctor was trying to figure out why the baby had so much movement and why this complication was arising, and it was at that moment that the iced-tea, caffeine, factor came up.  They concluded that my caffeine intake had greatly affected the baby and I should prepare myself for a very hyper baby.  That delivery was difficult, more more so it has been 17 years of very hyper behavior and personality.  He had poor impulse control his whole life and I've blamed myself for it his whole life.  I'm older now and wiser and realize I was young and naive but I know that I significanly impacted his development and therefore impacted his life.  Child development begins that early and I'm sure that in young adults who are first time parents, it's  imperative that they understand every aspect of what they do when they are pregnant so they can avoid possible problems in the future.

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When researching about Mommies Do's and Dont's around the world and other birthing practices, I found the following facts to be interesting:


Guatemala: Women in this country, particularly those of Mayan descent, may remain at home throughout their entire nine months because they fear any influential exposure to illness, evil spirits or even the ill will of others.

Inuit: Inflating balloons or blowing bubbles with gum is avoided during pregnancy to prevent premature rupturing of the membranes.

Bolivia: No hand-knit booties for Bolivian babies! Knitting while pregnant is believed to cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby’s neck.

China: For the duration of their pregnancies, Chinese women make a conscious effort to steer clear of evil spirits, funerals and sex.


These practices show you that across the world, there are beliefs that may affect child development and women are urged to follow these practices to ensure a healthy baby, just like in the United States, staying away from caffeine is greatly encouraged.  I guess my greatest insight is that mommy's everywhere have to follow directions, no matter how crazy it may sound.  It's the culture and that's a major characteristic of child development EVERYWHERE!

**If you want to check out more facts about prenatal, birth and post birth practices around the world, click on the link under my references.  It's very interesting!

REFERENCES

 

http://www.pnmag.com/pregnancy-lifestyle/friends-family/passport-pregnancy-traditions-around-world