For this weeks assignment, I chose to create a collage of pictures depicting what I have learned so far. This proved to be a difficult task! I found some great pictures that really spoke to me about childhood trauma, resilience, and growth. I put them into a beautiful collage, and then it would not attach to my blog. Even though it isn't formatted to the way I wanted, I still believe that the pictures themselves speak volumes. As an educator, it is important to me to recognize children who may be experiencing a trauma, and to help them through it as best I can. Resilience is a powerful word and something that everyone can learn from, not just children. I have really enjoyed learning about this topic, and appreciate how it will help me with my students in the future.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation



One way that I have noticed heterosexism permeating the world of young children is in toys. If you go to any department or toy store, you will see a big difference between toys that are being targeted towards girls, and toys that are targeted towards boys. Most of the girls’ toys are in bright pink or purple packaging with pretty lettering and deal with cooking, make-up, dressing up, or taking care of something else (dolls, babies, animals). The boys’ toys are in dark blue packaging and deal with cars, weapons, soldiers, and being tough. This type of marketing sends a signal saying that there is a definite difference between what boys and girls should be playing with, and it is a line not to be crossed. What happens to the little boy who loves to bake because it’s the only thing he gets to do with his Grandmother? Or what about the little girl who wants to grow up and be in the Army because her favorite Aunt was? They should be allowed to go up and down the toy isle and pick out whichever toy they wish, not the toy that society or packaging tells them is right for their gender.

A personal experience I had where a child used a homophobic term when referring to another child happened last year in my kindergarten classroom. I had a group of boys who loved playing football during every recess, and there was a little girl who wanted to play with them. With any other girl that had asked to play, they said no, but when this girl asked one of the boys said, “you can play because you’re a tomboy, and you’re good at football.” The comment the little boy made wasn’t meant to be hurtful, instead he probably gave it as a compliment, but it could send the wrong message not only to the little girl, but to the other children as well. The little girl could take it in a negative way meaning she is more like a boy than a girl. The other girls could take it to mean that in order to play football, they must act more like a boy than a girl. In the end, I made sure to have a classroom conversation about how we can do anything we put our minds to, regardless of whether we are a boy or a girl.

As we come to the end of this eight weeks, I wanted to say thank you to all of my classmates. You have all been so supportive and really pushed me to think in different ways. I wish you all the very best of luck in your continued education! Keep up the GREAT work!
-Melanie

Five Stages of Team Development

The five stages of team development are; forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. In the adjourning stage, the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions (Abudi, G., 2010).

For me, groups in which there is positive interaction, high performance, and honest communication are the hardest groups to leave. These groups become sort of a family unit in which you are all working together to complete a common goal. Groups that are the easiest to leave are the groups in which not every member pulls their own weight, there are negative interactions, and low performance.

Thinking back to groups I have worked in, there have been no clear closing rituals besides presenting our information or project and thanking each other for their work. In groups that are successful and positive, I would like to get together after the fact in a more casual setting and discuss things other than the project.

At the end of the Masters program, I believe that I will thank the colleagues I have worked with for helping me on this important journey. It is harder in this context because everything has been online, and I have not met anyone in person.

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Since the start of the school year, I have been experiencing some conflict with my Principal regarding one of my students and how they are handled. To this date, the student has physically hit me four times, thrown scissors, rocks, and other objects at me, ran out the door of the classroom and down the hallway towards an exit door, and many other things. I have gone to my principal on a daily basis asking for help with this student since none of the strategies I have incorporated seem to be helping the negative behavior. When the behavior occurs, very little is done besides having him sit in the office for 15 minutes and then sent back to class. Each time I go to my principal for help, I am met with very little help, no sympathy, and no constructive ideas. This is very frustrating for me, and in turn I have gone to others asking for help.

            Some strategies that I have tried are to play Devil’s advocate and bring up the scenario of this student hurting another student in the classroom. I try to make my principal realize that this is not a chance that can be taken, and even though the physicality has only been limited to me so far, it’s only a matter of time before it’s directed at someone else. I also bring up the fact that because of this negative behavior occurring on a daily basis, he is requiring so much of my focus and attention, that the other students are not getting the attention that they need and deserve, and it’s also only a matter of time before I start getting behind in curriculum because of the constant need to stop lessons and correct behavior. Another strategy I have tried is to be open and cooperative with parents, and try to work together for a positive outcome. This has been a challenge because the parents seem to be in denial about their child’s behavior.

            I ask you, my colleagues, what would you do in this situation? What other strategies could I try? It as been a very stressful and exhausting year already, and I am open to any comments and suggestions. Thank you!

Communication can be a tricky thing. Sometimes it can be very easy when you are speaking with someone you have a lot in common with. With these people, your conversation is going to flow and there will be a variety of topics you can discuss. On the other hand, communication can be rather hard. If you are speaking with someone you have little in common with, or someone from a different culture, your conversation may not flow as easily and topics could be scarce.

In thinking about this, I would say that my communication style changes depending on whom I am talking with. Below you will find three examples.

1) With my kindergarteners I speak in an expressive and supportive demeanor. I want them to know that I care about their thoughts and ideas, and I also want them to be excited about the information I am conveying.

2) When speaking with colleagues, or my Principal, I usually speak in a confident tone. I want to express my professionalism and also my commitment to my job.

3) In talking to those I do not know well, I speak with my feelings and emotions. I want them to feel comfortable and also have them know that I am genuinely interested in what they have to say.



Competent Communication

            In thinking of someone who demonstrates competent communication, I immediately thought of a professor I had during my undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University. Her name is Dr. Holly Hoffman, and she taught my Introduction to Special Education class. Before this class, I knew very little about Special Education. Dr. Hoffman taught with such knowledge, excitement, creativity, and understanding, and this created a wonderful collaborative learning environment. Even in the great big lecture hall, she made it seem like we were in a small classroom. She would walk up and down the aisles as she spoke, instead of just standing at the front. I learned so much in that class and felt so much more comfortable with special education terminology and issues afterwards. 

            I would definitely model communication behaviors after Dr. Hoffman. I hope in speaking to my young kindergarteners that I convey information in an exciting manner that makes them eager to learn. I also hope that they look forward to coming to school and being in my classroom, and feel special the way Dr. Hoffman made each of her students feel. 

ONE HOPE: When working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, one hope that I have is that they are able to attain any help needed when acclimating to the school environment. A lot of times, to a diverse family, starting school can be even more daunting especially if they come from a different area or country, or speak a different language. My hope is that the school system and teachers are aware and have a plan in place to help these families adjust as comfortably as possible.

ONE GOAL: A goal I would like to see every school system and staff member have when it comes to diversity, equity, and social justice, is to have the children’s best interest in mind and in heart. A lot of times I have seen teachers and other staff members get away from what is in the best interest of the child, and instead think in a way of “what is best for me, or what is easiest.” This is wrong on so many levels, and is heartbreaking to see. If we do not advocate for the children, who will?

I would like to thank my wonderful colleagues for a GREAT 8 weeks!! We discussed some difficult topics, and shared some personal stories, but I felt comfortable talking to each and every one of you. I wish you the best of luck in your continued education and also in the fast approaching school year!!! THANK YOU J

Welcoming Families from Around the World

1) My family’s country of origin: Hungary

2) Five ways I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive to this family:

-         Learn Hungarian words and sayings to make my student and family feel     welcome.

-         Incorporate books with a multicultural theme, including books from or about Hungary

-         Learn and teach a native Hungarian children’s song or rhyme

-         Play native Hungarian games like Hungarian hopscotch

-         Play Hungarian music

I hope that these ideas and activities will not only make this new family feel welcome, but also prepare myself and my students by introducing bits of the Hungarian culture into our classroom. Ultimately, the comfort of my new student is key, and I want school to be a place that they feel excited coming to and sharing their culture and ideas openly.



The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

An example of a time that I saw prejudice was when watching the TV show Big Brother. Some of you may have heard about this instance, as it has been talked about since happening. One of the contestants made a comment to an Asian housemate and said, “why don’t you go and cook some rice.” I could not believe that this comment was made, but it shows us that prejudice is still very much a part of our society today.

This comment diminished equity because it is a nationally televised show, associated with a specific TV broadcasting channel. CBS had no idea that comments like these would be made, and after they were, they quickly put up a disclaimer at the beginning of the show. This disclaimer made it clear that in no way were the comments made by houseguests in affiliation with CBS or its employees.

In watching this incident, I felt sad. Not only did I feel sad for the people the comments would affect, but I also felt sad for the person who made such comments. It is obvious that they are a close-minded individual, and most likely have not been educated in diversity or other cultures.

While this was a horrible incident, the positive is that it can be turned into an opportunity for educating people on differences, and how making these types of comments can be very hurtful.

This week, I learned about microaggressions and how they can affect people. In the video, Dr. Sue explains microaggressions to be brief everyday indignities that are verbal, environmental, or behavioral. They are communicated intentionally or unintentionally, and contain an insulting message that causes physical stress or harm (Laureate Education, 2011).

A personal experience I have had with microaggression had to deal with my gender. I was in my early teens, and have grown up with an extended family full of boys and uncles who LOVE to hunt. Just because I was a girl, didn’t mean I was excused from the woods, so I would go out with them and build blinds, bait, and even hunt with my own bow and arrow. I remember as a writing assignment in middle school, I wrote about hunting with my cousins. One of the boys I sat next to said to me “I bet you’ve never shot anything in your life.” He was implying that because I was a girl, and not that many girls hunt, that I was no good at it. It really hurt my feelings, and I remember that moment to this day.

Before this class, I knew that discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes were wrong, but unfortunately were also things still prevalent in today’s society. The effects of these things can be very hurtful to those who are the target, and even to those who are not the target, but perceive them to be wrong. I myself am very saddened that we still have these issues today. The key is education, and we need to do a better job of not just learning ourselves, but teaching others just how important these differences are. In learning about microaggressions this week, I will definitely be more mindful as I believe I have most likely unintentionally been part of a microaggression at some point in my life.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in Everyday

Life [Video webcast]. EDUC- 6164-8, Diversity & Equity. (Course Media). Baltimore, MD: Author

1) Jennifer: Friend, 29 years old

Definition of Culture: A group of people that share the same ways of thinking, traditions, lifestyles, religion, and beliefs.

Definition of Diversity: A separation of individuals based on race, language, culture, etc.

2) Pat, Mom, 56 years old

Definition of Culture: The way that a group of people have the same beliefs, look at things the same way, and deal with things the same way.

Definition of Diversity: The ways people are different: race, age, gender, religion, etc.

3) Tom, Dad, 58 years old

Definition of Culture: The backbone of society.

Definition of Diversity: Melting pot, everyone is different

4) Leslie, Friend, 28 years old

Definition of Culture: People’s perception and behavior based on the ways that they are raised, and the environment that they live in.

Definition of Diversity: People of different cultures working together.

Both surface and deep cultural aspects were given in response to the questions, such as religion, traditions, beliefs, etc. Things that were omitted were self-identities, such as political standpoint, sexual preference, career, etc.

In starting out, all four of the people I interviewed had a hard time starting to answer the question. They all paused and said umm……and some even laughed because they were having trouble putting their thoughts together. This is kind of how I felt before starting this class. I had ideas about culture and diversity, but they were hard to put into words. These past weeks and assignments have really helped me to gain a deeper understanding of culture and diversity.

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

This is the scenario I was presented this week. While this is certainly a dire circumstance, I am happy to be alive and able to travel to a different country where I can survive.

The three items I would bring along with me would be; a photo album, an owl figurine, and my pets. I would bring a photo album with me because it holds many memories of family and friends, good times, and happiness. It would allow me to show those in my new country where I came from and what I represent. Family is the most important thing to me, and I think that is a universal feeling that most people can understand. I would also choose to bring an owl figurine because it represents my Grandmother. Her and I were very close, and she passed away when I was 13 years old. She collected owls and had them everywhere! I was fortunate enough to be able to keep most of them when she passed and they help me to remember her and how much she meant to me. This is kind of like bringing the photo album, just another way to show who is most special to me. The last thing I would bring is my pets, I could never imagine leaving them or living without them. They are pretty much an extension of my family, and are just as important.

If I was told, upon arrival, that I could only keep one of these items I would feel terribly sad and torn. All three of these things mean so much to me. In the end, I would choose to give up the photo album and owl, and keep my pets. I would choose this path because the photo album and owl are inanimate objects that I can keep alive in my memories, my pets are living things that need me just as much as I need them.

This was a very hard exercise! There are so many things that mean so much to me and represent who I am. I could not imagine the feelings people have after loosing everything in a terrible disaster.



            I have to admit that coming into this class I was very nervous about the topic and the types of assignments it would bring. I was very unfamiliar with researching, and had never formally done any type of big research project. Yes, I had done small amounts of research in undergrad, but nothing earth shattering. At the end of this eight weeks I can say that I am still wary, but feel much more confident in my abilities now.

            One thing I have learned is that I am technically a researcher in my every day job as a kindergarten teacher. I say this because I am continually collecting data on my students and analyzing it in a way to better my teaching, and better their education. I had never thought of myself as a researcher before, but now I know that I am walking the teacher-researcher line.

            I have definitely met some challenges throughout this course. One is the lack of confidence in myself. Because of the nervous feeling I had coming into the course, I found myself doubting my answers or my abilities at some points. I have learned to trust myself and just go with it. This has definitely been a learning process for most of us I believe, and I am glad to have gone through it with my colleagues there to support me.

This week I chose to look at the Early Childhood Australia website that can be found at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. I chose this website because Australia is a place I would like to someday visit, but is also a place that I do not know much about as far as their education system goes.

In looking through the website, some of the current research topics I saw were:

-         Learning and teaching through play

-     Use and cost of family daycare

-     Misconceptions about mathematics

-     Teachers support of Children's scientific learning

-     Parent and staff expectations of continuity of home practices

Surprising facts/insight I found:

-         Not only does Early Childhood Australia work with government, professionals, and caregivers, but it is important for them to include and work with parents and grandparents. I find this to be amazing! Parents and other family members should be included in the care and education of their children, and I think this is something that the United States could use more work in.

Other information:

-         Early Childhood Australia is affiliated with NAEYC

-         They believe in fully including children with disabilities into classrooms

-     There is an ECA branch in every state/territory of Australia

Option 2- Research Studies

If I had the means to research any topic related to education, I would like to look at assessment in the elementary grades. These days, too much emphasis is placed on standardized testing, and I feel that our kids are over-tested. Teachers are "teaching to the test" and no one takes into consideration what our children may have faced that morning. We look at unsatisfactory test scores and automatically blame the teachers and the children. Could it have been that the child didn't get enough sleep the night before, missed breakfast, isn't feeling well, or is going through family troubles? I would like to look at other countries and how they view or carry out testing, and their findings.

Teaching Diversity in Education

"Building positive identities and a respect for differences means weaving diversity into the fabric of children's everyday lives. Working with families is an important first step in helping children accept, understand, and value their rich and varied world" (Gonzalez-Mena, J & Pulido-Tobiassen, D, 1999).

I was given the amazing opportunity to live and teach in Ghana, Africa and ever since it has been important to me to share my story, and the story of my students, with my current class. I teach in a small rural, predominately caucasian-catholic town. There is little to no diversity. The majority of my students have not been exposed to others who differ from themselves in terms of race, religion, learning abilities, class status, etc. They amaze me every year with their excitement and curiosity in learning about my friends from Africa. Because of this, I chose to make teaching diversity in the classroom my personal research journey.

In researching this topic, I have found a lot of suggestions and ideas in how to bring diversity education into your classroom. This is all well and good, but I would like to narrow my research to things like how many schools teach diversity education, where are they located, is it mostly urban schools that teach this topic, etc.

The United States continues to grow and change, and it is a place of freedom. Our differences need to be celebrated and talked about. Diversity is not something that should only be taught in places where it is predominate, but everywhere, even in the small towns like the one I teach. It is important that our youngest learners know that everyone is different, and that's okay!



Final Blog for EDUC 6162

Throughout this course, I listened to many different pod casts from educators around the world. While I would have enjoyed exchanging e-mails with educators in different countries, I know firsthand how difficult it is. My experience in Ghana taught me that the Internet isn’t always as readily available, or a top priority, like it is here in the United States.

Three consequences about the international early childhood field are; funding is not always high in some areas of the world, there is a lack of necessary tools in some areas, and acceptance of differences and disabilities is not always high in all parts of the world.

My wish for the field of education is to bring international awareness into teacher preparation courses. As an undergrad, it was not until I was immersed in a global setting that I had heard anything about education in areas other than the United States. This experience ultimately made me a better, more aware, educator. I think it would be very beneficial for our future educators to learn about how things are done in other parts of the world.

UNESCO- Early Childhood Care and Education

Since I chose to do the alternative assignment, this week I was able to visit the UNESCO website (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and explore the early childhood education section. Three new insights that I gained from this website were:

1) Important conditions are that learning environments should be well-resourced and that child-staff ratios should reasonable. The notion of a reasonable ratio differs across countries, but fewer numbers help children to generate peer communication and engage together in project and group work according to their affinities and interests. The presence of sufficient numbers of staff also ensures that each group can enjoy the support of a trained professional who will lead children toward the attitudes, skills and knowledge valued in a particular society. In Sweden, for example, national statutory requirements for child-staff ratios do not exist, but the average across the age group 1-6 years is 5.6 children per trained staff member. In the pre-school class for 6-7 year olds, the national average is one teacher + assistant for 13 children (UNESCO, 2004, September).

This is something I believe should be put in place in the United States. We have classes with upwards of 30 students with only one teacher. We cannot possibly reach every student, and attain to their specific needs, without extra support and help.

2) Even with higher levels of education, work in early childhood services may still be less socially valued than, for example, teaching older children in school. A high proportion of students taking the new integrated Swedish teacher education, in which they need only choose their area of specialization after starting their course, are choosing to specialize in teaching school-age children. Preferring to work with older children may reflect the continuing lower status of early childhood work, and the inferior employment conditions that still apply to teachers in Swedish early childhood centers compared to schools (UNESCO, 2004, October).

This boggles my mind that Early Childhood teachers are valued less. In my opinion we should be valued more because this is such an important age where the children’s minds are like sponges and they learn the basics that will carry them through their educational journey.

3) Brazil has a mandatory education fund for primary education called FUNDEF (Fund for the Development of Primary Education and Teacher Development). The scheme, which requires 60% of the local governments’ – the states and municipalities – education budgets to be spent on primary education, helped increase net enrolment in primary education from 92.7% in 1994 to 96.4% in 2000. This increment of net enrolment, which brought the country closer to the ideal of universal primary education, is significant, given that the growth rate of enrolment normally slows down at the higher level. More importantly, the fact that it is mostly the children from marginalized populations who benefited from the initiative makes FUNDEF a politically important achievement (UNSECO, 2003, October).

References

UNESCO. (2003, October). Mandatory Funding for Early Childhood Education: A Proposal in Brazil. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137406e.pdf

UNESCO. (2004, October). The Early Childhood Workforce in ‘Developed’ Countries: Basic Structures and Education. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137402e.pdf

UNESCO. (2004, September). Curriculum in Early Childhood Education and Care. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137401e.pdf

Sharing Web Resources

The website I have been looking at these past weeks is the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.

1) Outside links: The NAECTE website has multiple links to related organizations such as; the Association for Childhood Education International, Council of Exceptional Children, Education Commission of the States, National Association for the Education of Young Children, etc.

2) When I looked at the annual conference section of the website, I found out that the NAECTE meets twice a year. They have a fall conference and June conference, with their fall conference being the main one. They have information on the upcoming conference, as well as overviews of previous years conferences.

3) The NAECTE e-letters are sent every season (fall, winter, spring, and summer). They contain information about the association, but do not contain outside links.

4) The Association has its own by-laws, policies, and position statements on education. These statements and positions talk about teacher preparation and providing children with a quality education.

5) While I enjoy looking at this website, I wish that it contained more information, issues, trends, and research on current early childhood education topics. If you are a paid member, you can access the members’ only section and view different manuscripts. I wish that this was available to anyone.

International Early Childhood Systems

This week I listened to Meridas Eka Yora speak about the devastation that was caused after the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. The tsunami killed 250,000 people, and left 500,00 homeless. After this horrible event, Yora opened up three boarding schools for children that were orphaned in Aceh, Indonesia. Listening to him speak about what these children went through really opened my eyes to how strong these children must become. They relive the trauma everyday, with some so affected that they still believe they will find their family members some day. Something that he talked about that really hit home is how the teachers first must be fathers and mothers to the children, and educators second. When the schools first opened, they hired many psychologists but soon found out that the teachers were the best psychologists for the children. I feel that educators everywhere play this role, whether their students have survived something horrible or not. Hopefully, we create an environment where our students feel safe and loved and can talk to us about anything that may be bothering them or that they may be feeling. Not only are we educators but; nurses, therapists, parents, friends, and providers as well.

In exploring Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website, I gained these three valuable insights:

-As part of its Global Children’s Initiative, the Center is launching Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância, its first major programmatic effort outside the United States. In collaboration with local experts, this project aims to use the science of child health and development to guide stronger policies and larger investments to benefit young children and their families in Brazil. This project represents a unique opportunity for the Center to work with Brazilian scholars, policymakers, and civil society leaders to adapt the Center’s programmatic model for the local context in order to catalyze more effective policies and programs that will, ultimately, foster a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable society (Harvard University, 2013)

- While a large number of studies have investigated the impact of early childhood experiences on children’s developmental, health, and educational outcomes in developed countries, relatively little evidence is available on early childhood development in sub-Saharan Africa. To address this knowledge gap, the Zambian Ministry of Education, the Examination Council of Zambia, UNICEF, the University of Zambia, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009, a collaborative effort to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia. In order to measure the full impact of the anti-malaria campaign on Zambia’s human capital development, the ZECDP created a new comprehensive instrument for assessing children’s physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling careers—the first assessment tool of its kind in Zambia. Completed in May 2010, the Zambian Child Assessment Test (ZamCAT) combines existing child development measures with newly developed items in order to provide a broad assessment of children of preschool age in the Zambian context (Harvard University, 2013).

-    Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), “A Good Start,” is a collaborative project in Santiago, Chile, to improve early childhood education through teacher professional development. The idea is to improve the quality of educational offerings for four-to-six-year-olds, particularly in the area of language development. This project is also designed to intervene in critical health areas that improve school attendance as well as socioemotional development, and it seeks to involve the children's families in their education (Harvard University, 2013).

References

Harvard University. (2013). Applying the Science of Early Childhood in Brazil. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Retrieved April 6, 2013, from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/applying_the_science_of_early_childhood_in_brazi/

Harvard University. (2013). Un Buen Comienzo. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Retrieved April 6, 2013, from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/ubc/

Harvard University. (2013). Zambian Early Childhood Development Project. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Retrieved April 6, 2013, from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/zambian_project/

Yora, M. (2013, April 6). Episode 6: Meridas Eka Yora [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/



Childhood Poverty

           Over 600 million children worldwide live in absolute poverty - an estimated 1 in 4. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 percent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines. Over 10 million children under five still die every year from preventable diseases - the vast majority of them in developing countries. As one of the most powerless groups in society, children often bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty (www.childhoodpoverty.org).  

One of these costs is abuse, both physical and mental. This week, I listened to Delfena Mitchell speak. She is the Director of the Liberty Children’s Home, on the outskirts of Belize City. This program opened in the summer of 2005 and is licensed to house up to 40 children, predominantly between birth to 5 years of age. However, older children who have younger siblings in care are and will always be accommodated. All of the children at the care center have been abandoned, abused or orphaned and many have disabilities, special needs or are HIV positive (www.worldforumfoundation.org). While listening to Delfena speak, she really tugged at my heartstrings when she spoke of one of the boys, named Joe, in the Children’s Home. Joe had come with his six older siblings, and was so severely neglected and abused that he hadn’t spoken at all for a whole year. The first time he did speak was with Delfena during an outing riding horses. He told her of what he had come from, how he had been abused, seen his sister abused, and had to hide under his bed to eat so that his food wouldn’t be taken by the other children or adults.

It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around abusing a defenseless child, or stealing what little food they have right out of their hands. Belize is not the only place that this happens, and there are too many children living like this in poverty. Throughout my career, I have seen children and adults living in poverty not only abroad, but in the United States as well. This is something that is very close to our own home, and even your neighbor or friend at work could be experiencing these hardships.

References

Mitchell, D. (2013, March 23). Episode 3: Delfena Mitchell [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

www.childhoodpoverty.org

www.worldforumfoundation.org



Sharing Web Resources



I chose to select the National Association of Early Childhood Teachers, or NAECTE for short. Their website can be found at www.NAECTE.org. I chose this website because I, myself, am an Early Childhood Teacher and was drawn to their goals and purpose.

Their purposes are as follows:

• To promote the professional growth of our membership
• To discuss educational issues specific to our membership
• To advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education
• Provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators
• Provide a communication network for early childhood teacher educators
• Facilitate the interchange of information and ideas about research and practice
• Use, as vehicles, the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, conferences, resolutions, position papers, and other publications
• Cooperate with other national and international organizations concerned with the study and education of young children

In looking over their Winter 2013 newsletter, I found their theme for the upcoming spring conference to be interesting. The theme of the conference is Fostering Resiliency, Agency, and Advocacy in Early Childhood Teacher Candidates. This is the exact topic I chose to write about in this week’s discussion, so it was neat for me to also see this big organization also concerned with preparing our future educators with the necessary tools to become strong advocates for their children.

Professional Contacts

During my time teaching in Ghana, Africa I made some great friends and supports in the teachers that I worked with. I would love to use them for this assignment, and still have their email information. Unfortunately, the internet connections in Ghana vary day by day. A lot of times service will go in and out making it hard to have time sensitive conversations. Because of this, I will be participating in the World Forum podcasts to communicate and learn from educators abroad.

The Early Childhood website I have chosen to explore and study is the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. I chose to study this website because the name was most appealing to me, and after looking at the website found it to be something I was interested in and would like to know more about. I was originally going to choose the NAEYC, but am a member and am familiar with their positions and work, so wanted to choose an association I was not familiar with.



My Supports

*Emotional- I receive daily emotional support from my family, friends, and colleagues. Anytime I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I know I can always count on my parents and sister to be there for me. Although my friends and colleagues may not be there as much as my family, I know I can always count on them to give me support and advice when needed.

*Practical- Obviously, my job provides me with daily practical support in the form of a paycheck. Without my job, I would not be able to financially support myself and my interests. I am also a list person. At any given time, there are probably at least 3 different task lists that I am working from. It may sound crazy to some, but these lists keep me sane. J

*Physical- My body is a daily support system that allows me to be a good teacher, friend, family member, and learner. Keeping my body healthy is important in being able to complete the tasks at hand.

All of these supports are very important to me, and without any of them I would be a different person. I lean on my family and friends when I am feeling not at my best, and I count on those lists to make sure everything is done on time. If I was not healthy, it would be a daily struggle to live the busy and exciting life that I have.

 The challenge I chose to imagine is one I have not experienced yet, but hope to in the near future. I chose to think about the types of support I would need being pregnant and caring for an infant.

*Emotional- I would imagine being pregnant and caring for your first child would be a happy time, but also a very stressful and anxious time. Positive emotional support I would hope to have would be from my parents (who have gone through this before), my significant other (to calm me down in times of stress or feeling overwhelmed), and friends (to give me all of the scary details and also provide me with the blessings that come with these details).

*Practical- Being a list person, I’m sure these will get out of control when trying to prepare for a child! At the same time, they will keep me calm and focused. More practical support will come in the form of registering for things the baby needs, and setting up his/her nursery.

*Physical- My body will be going through a lot of changes being pregnant, so I will rely on my Doctor to give me support and let me know the things I can and can’t do, and also vitamins that I would need to make sure the baby stays healthy.