When I think of Research.......

1. What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

I have gained many insights from taking this course. One of the main things I learned is to how create a research topic, form it into a research question, and create a hypothesis. In the beginning, I was like I'm just using the same question for everything. I wasn't aware of the difference between the research question and the hypothesis. As I was forming my question I realized that initially the question was too broad and I learned how to narrow it down to be very specific. My research question was "How does standard learning in early childhood effects children social, cognitive, and emotional development"? My hypothesis was "Standard learning in early childhood can have an impact on a child social, cognitive, and emotional development". I learned that a hypothesis is an explanation of something observed or a prediction of something we expect. Also, I gained insights about informed consent with children and adults. I learned that when researching different cultures it is important to know who the consent must come from. In certain cultures the consent may not come from the parents but rather the leader or head of the tribe of the culture.

2. In what ways has your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?  

Ha! In the beginning I was a wreck....Let me tell you....The first two Application Assignments I was like oh boy this not going to work. This might be the first class that cause me to lose my 4.0. I started to pray and even ask people around me what they knew about research. Initially, I'm thinking research is nothing but being in science labs with goggles, lab coats, and gloves. My mind frame was presenting something on a three panel scientific board. My perception of research has changed significantly. Research doesn't necessarily have to do with science. I learned from this class that research can be used in any field. I gain knowledge of participants and how they should be chosen. Previously, I didn't even think that people used children for research. I thought that using children for research would be too much on the child. I have a better understanding of why people do research and that research can either be a good thing or bad.

3. What were some of the challenges you encountered- and in what ways did you meet them?

First off let me just say....I literally read the chapters in the textbook over and over again until things started to make sense to me. I goggled words I didn't know because not all the definitions were in the glossary in the back of the text. The textbook as well as discussion question responses really helped me in completing this class. Some of the challenges I encounter was sampling process, understanding the difference between dependent variable and independent variable, choosing which data collection source would be best for my research. The textbook, application worksheet explanations, and Dr. Todd responses helped to overcome my challenges. I looked at different examples of the variables before coming to an understanding of the difference. When I was struggling with the sampling process I think I didn't really take into consideration what exactly the sampling process consisted of. I just thought oh pick some kids out and call it a day. However, currently I know that the sampling process is very detailed.

4. What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

 As an early childhood professional I have notice how essential it is for researchers to conduct studies that will not harm, deceive, or break any confidentiality agreement. I understand now how biased researchers can harm children as well as the early childhood field. As an early childhood professional I know that my heart is into children but when conducting research I should be careful not to let my personal views interfere with results of the study. When dealing children especially for me I always want what is best for them but I learned that not all researchers in early childhood have the same mind frame as I do.

In closing, I would like thank my colleagues who took time to read my discussions. I really hope i didn't bore you with how lengthy they were. Your feedback really helped in getting a better understanding of research in early childhood. Dr. Todd thank you for your patience. I can only imagine your thoughts in helping to shape my outline. I feel more confident now to do research compared to how I felt eight weeks ago. The course textbook is definitely a book I want to always keep in my library. I had a great time reading everyone blogs and I hope that you guys share more things outside of the class.

Happy Holidays to everyone. Take these next two weeks to relax your brain from writing papers, answering discussion questions, and writing blog entries. I'm sure everyone could use this break. Until next time.....

Research Around The World

I choose to read about articles from the Early Childhood Development Virtual University. They had several research topics such as:

• Improving the quality of childcare through parenting enrichment and Training on Trainer: The Eritrean Model
• Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development
• Assessment of Interaction and Stimulation in Single-Mother Low-Income Families
• Leadership Skills Training for Administration and Parent Support Training for Caregivers.

I took a closer look at the "Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development" because I feel like all children need both parents present especially boys. While mothers tend to take on both roles there will come a time in the child like where they will seek the love and affection that only a father can give. Boys need there father present to show them how to become a man and be a provider for the family.

In this study the focus was on fathers, their involvement in the child upbringing, and if cultural beliefs had any influence as to how involved the father was to the child. The study was done in different villages in Nigeria. As I read the article, I realized that there are many factors as to how involved the father is with the upbringing of their child. Men are considered the bread makers of the family in most cultures in Africa while the wife stays home and tends to all the needs of the house. Lack of parenting programs is another factor because many men are following the tradition of how they were raised. Not saying that the tradition is right or wrong but first time parents need help especially if the grandparents are not present. In addition, I learned that grandparents involvement have a significant difference on how involved fathers are with their children.

I learned just from this one article to be grateful for all the people who helped in the upbringing of my childhood. In some homes in Africa the children are living with numerous of people due to father being a polygamist. Since the father has so many children and wives it is rather hard for him to be dedicated or involved in all the children upbringing. I learned that girls in small villages are deprived from going to school because they have to learn at a early age how to submit themselves to others, care for younger siblings, and do house chores.

The website Early Childhood Development Virtual University offers 6 one-year programs to help people who want to get more educated on International Child and Youth Care for Development. The programs are offered to individuals who have or don't a degree that is recognized by the University. All the programs seem very information just from reading what the course offers. I think its great that this websites is helping to better the lives of the children.     

Research that Benefits Children and Families-Uplifting Stories (Week 3)

If I had the ability to conduct a research I would chose ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This disorder hits home for me because my nephew was diagnosed with it. However, his parents had little no knowledge about the disorder and I believe that just because he had behavior problems his parents just assumed that had this disorder. ADHD seem like the most common thing people are saying their children have in my community.  I really feel that parents should be sure about labeling their children with different conditions because if it is the wrong label it can harm the child in the future. Previously, I have did research on ADHD to familiarize myself with the conditions and and how to treat a child with this disorder. Below is a link that gives you information on symptoms, different types, getting tested and treatment. Understanding ADHD- ADHD in Children

In choosing this topic I feel the major contributions to children and families would be the following:

• Properly identifying which type of ADHD the child has
• Provide adequate results with how to handle a child with ADHD
• Provide a clearer picture of what signs to look for when determining if a child has ADHD.
• How to administer the proper treatment with a child
• Determine if the child need additional treatment outside of the medication that is provided

These contributions will benefit families and children because they will have a better understanding of exactly what ADHD is. Every child case is different which means that their symptoms and treatment will be different. As I begin to look further into ADHD I realized that are several types of ADHD. Many parents are not even aware of these types. It seem like once the child is diagnosed as ADHD that is all the parent know. It is important to know how much dosage of medication to give a child because the wrong dosage can cause an allergic reaction or the child can begin to become addicted to a high dosage that never needed in the first place.

Since my research will not have restrictions of the present I would use children who have been diagnosed with ADHD as well as children who parents think they child has ADHD. Some parents have the tendency to just think they child has the disorder because of types of behavior that another child possess. In conducting this research it is my hope to show parents that some of the children just have a behavior issue and not necessarily have ADHD. This will also prevent many children from being diagnosed with a disorder that they don't have.

My Personal Research Journal (Week 2)

Greetings to all my colleagues in this research class. First let me say I feel this class will be challenging but I'm still looking forward to walking away with an A. I'm not a research fanatic and I'm use to just finding two or three scholarly articles and calling it a day. I already have had a headache with my research topic but hopefully some or many of you can help me clarify exactly what I'm trying to research.

The Topic I chose is standardize learning. I'm not sure if that is too broad because I'm having such a hard time finding resources for this topic. I chose this topic because I see so many child care centers taking play out the classrooms and changing the curriculum to more standardize learning. While I do believe that children need to learn, I also feel that play shouldn't be eliminated from there schedule. As I begin to do the research I see myself moving from standardize articles to elimination of play in the classrooms. So do I change my topic or keep the same? I'm really disturb at why play is being eliminated because their are so many researchers that says play helps children learn. I'm curious as to who really benefits from standardize learning. In my last class I really showed interest in this topic because my nieces and nephews are in Mastery Charter Schools and they never have gym or outdoor play. They are in a structured learning environment for 8 1/2 hours. I feel that this is wrong because children learn differently and they tend to get frustration with school because someone is always constantly teaching teaching and teaching. In addition, standardize learning doesn't even allow teachers to be creative and teach outside of the curriculum. Ok I feel like I'm just venting but I just wanted to give you all a sample of how feel about standardize learning.

My personal experience with the stimulation process has been like a roller coaster. While I am learning about the ways of finding a good reliable resource I am also trying to understand the language of the research. I can't even remember the last time I looked at a research study. While I am very familiar with the topics in the research model it just gives me the feeling of being back in high school. I can see now that everyone has an opinion but some people are lazy in doing research and they might begin the process but not finish it. Lastly, I understand what I need to know about credible resources.

The insight that I want to share is don't be a procrastinator in this research class. Since we are researching topics I feel that you can't wait until the last minute to do assignments. I am a person that works best under pressure so I tend to do my assignments during crunch time. As I look over the assignments for this course I am mentally preparing myself to put additional time aside to work on these assignments. So I encourage my colleagues to don't be like me and allow yourself time to ask questions or get feedback for others.

Currently, I don't have any resources to share but I am open to suggestions, feedback, criticism, and anything else that will help along on this research journey. 

Early Childhood Education Internationally Week 8

Issues & Trends in Early Childhood will forever be course that I will never forget. It is amazing how fast this course went. Seems just last week I was stressing about finding an international contact and passing this course. However, I learned a lot about different issues such poverty, equity and excellence, changing demographics and diversity as well as policies and economist. I have a clearer picture of how other countries teach children, what professionals need to teach, and what trainings are available for early childhood professionals.

~Three consequences of learning for international early childhood are as follow:

• I have a different attitude towards the education system in Philadelphia due to learning about Germany education system. In Germany kindergarten or preschool is not free and as a result so many children are entering elementary school academically behind because they are home. While I always came down on my community education system I'm learning to be apprecative because at least parents are not paying out of pocket expenses for there child or children preschool and kindergarten education. Also, I learned that child care funds are nearly impossible to receive for families who children are beneath the age of 3. Germany feels that mothers should be at home during the early years of a child life.

• I have learned about Awareness, Affordability, and Access and these three issues has motivated me to become a child advocate. During one of the week assignments it was really heart breaking to hear about how different cultural families who come to the U.S don't know how to find funds for childcare, find high quality child care centers, or how to apply for public assistance like food stamps and medical care. I'm in the process of finding places that will allow information pamphlets on the premises. People from different cultures come to the U.S. for a better life for themselves and their children. They should be aware of everything that will guarantee their child to have a successful life. 

• I have also leanred many things from my international contact Dr. Anika. She has truly helped to appreciate things more in the U.S. She also gave me an understanding of the process of becoming a teacher in Germany. Its crazy how in the U.S. government officials slack on making sure teachers are qualified while in Germany the policies are much harder. I think people in the U.S. abuse the freedom that they have in not providing the best education for children. Also, I learned different ways to raise awareness with policy makers and government officials. Dr Anika has great passion for children just like myself. i truly enjoyed speaking with her through emails.

~One goal in reference to international early childhod

• The one goal that I feel is important is for EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION to take place across the globe. I feel like people are taking but nobody is listening. It is imperative for policy makers, government officials, parents, children, teachers, community leaders, and child advocates to begin speaking out about issues and then begin to resolve them. I learned that parents don't speak out of embarrassment and the thought that nobody cares, government officials don't really assess the issue, and some teachers have a I dont care attitude due to lack of compensation. In order for change to happen everyone needs to come together with one voice and one sound creating change for children.

All the issues pertaining to early childhood can be eliminated if everyone start working together and not against each other...... 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 3 Week 7

In preparing for this week discussion I asked Dr. Anika various questions pertaining to quality issues that her country may be experiencing. We discussed what opportunities or requirements exist for early childhood professionals, her professional goals as well as her professional hope, goals, and dreams.

Dr. Anika Schmidt discussed that in Germany issues that are being discussed about quality in early childhood education are the lack of programming for children between the ages of newborn to three, decrease in training for staff members due to budget cost, and improvements that need to be done in regards to special education children. Dr. Anika Schmidt stated that she was concerned about the children (newborn-three) who are denied programming because the government believe that children are suppose to be home with their mothers. In addition, mothers of children newborn to three are faced with lack of work because the government don't have policies that allow there children funding or programs to attend. Dr. Anika believes that the government is not being fair and it should be choice for the mothers as to whether or not she wants to stay home or work. Furthermore, Dr. Anika is concerned that children who start early childhood programs after three may take longer to adjust to settings and have attachment issues. Germany requires early childhood professionals to have a bachelor's degree and Praktikum (internship) before working with children. Inspections and evaluations to facilities are done every 4 to 6 years. Dr. Anika says that outside of the requirements the government decrease the availability for training because their were not enough funds available. She discussed that if individuals wanted to have a deeper understanding of their profession the government encourage them to attend more classes at the university. Lastly, she spoke about how the government needed to improve programs that addressed the needs of  special education children. She discussed how their are too many children between the ages of 5 and 6 who are absent from school due to professionals not being able to address their needs. The government is dragging their feet in providing services for at-risk/and special needs children.

Dr. Anika expressed that their are opportunities for early childhood professionals to continue their education in either a Master's or Doctorate program. In addition, their are partnership research opportunities at leading public universities under government grants. She has one professional goal and that is work hand in hand with government officials to change policies for mothers and children. She believes in equal education for all children. Before she retires she wants to produce a book about cultural comparison of legislation in early childhood education.

I have truly enjoyed speaking (email) Dr. Anika. I feel that we are both passionate about creating change for children. I really love the fact that she is writing a book and she wants it produced before she retires. Just from the conversations that we had it would really be nice to visit Germany and for Dr. Anika to visit the US.

Sharing Web Resources: Week 6

Save the Children is the resource that I have been sharing information on. Save the Children has a link for blogs and within this link I discovered that the CEO has her own Blog titled Logging Miles. The CEO of Save the Children name is Carolyn Miles. She blogs about all her experiences around the world, how Save the Children is making a difference, and photos of children learning in different parts of the world. Her latest blog was titled "Put the Frontline Health Worker Into the Post-2015 Framework". Her blog spoke about how she visited a maternal and health clinic in Haripur, Pakistan. She stated,  It is one of the most impressive facilities I have seen anywhere in the world at the primary care, or village, level. She gave statistics about how children are saved in small villages due to skilled and trained health workers. In addition, she has partnered with Frontline Health Workers Coalition to honor and acknowledge health workers around the world who go above and beyond everyday to save lives of children and their families. As I was reading her blog it was interesting to see that she is not a CEO who sits behind a desk and gives orders. She is a CEO who is always in the field. She visits all her Save the Children sites around the world and that is amazing.

In the e-newsletter that was published September 2013 Save the Children drew awareness about children who are not being educated due to conflicts within their country. In some countries more than 28 million children are out of school because of conflict zones with the government. Save the Children partnered with Global Partnership for Education in hope to create a push to plan, prioritize, and protect all children. These two organizations are sending their concerns to Education Cannot Wait event coordinator. There plan is as follow:

More Planning for emergency prevention and integration of emergency prepardeness and reovery in education sector plans and national budget.
Prioritizing education in emergencies by increasing humanitarian aid education and improving the way it is delivered on the ground
Protection of children, teachers, and education facilities from attacks.

Save the Children believe "Education should not be interrupted as children who miss out on school are unable to catch up and experience cumulative disadvantage throughout their lives".

I learned from this newsletter that not everybody care about the education of children. Countries bombing schools and forcing children six thru fifth-teen to join armies is ridiculous. As I read about how other children are lacking, it makes me feel like many families in America take advantage of the freedom that they have. When the government don't get alone no one is bombing schools and shooting up classroom boards. Its families right here is the U.S. who don't even take time to send their children to school, read to them, or participate in their education. Quality of education doesn't just come from the school it starts at home and the sooner many people realize that the greater chance of children really excelling. If you would like to read more about Save the Children please click on the following link Save the Children

Getting to Know Your International Contact-Part 2 Week 5

My International contact name is Frau Doktor Anika Schmidt. During our discussions I wanted to get to know more about the early childhood field and what qualifications are required to teach in Germany. My contact and I communicate through email and due her busy schedule she tried to answer as many questions as possible.

Frau emphasized that in Germany there education system is known for having high quality. However, in the Early Childhood Sector there seems to be some on going issues. As mentioned in a previous blog Germany requires or rather have strong morals about mothers who return to work before their child is 6. Germany government believes that children should be at home during their fundamental years. The government does not make it easy for working mothers. Availability full-time childcare in Germany is very scarce. For children 5 and under only 1/3 of them actually receive full-time childcare. Due to the availability mothers are forced to return to work only part-time and working still is very hard or impossible. Frau states, Germany provides publicly-subsidize to childcare facilities in preschool but they come with many restrictions for the parents. In preschool children are only given a half of a day and in kindergarten children are required to go home for lunch. Lunch is not made available for them and the government requires a two hour lunch for the children. This is hard for working mothers because they have to work around the schedule the government provides for them.

Frau states getting the required training and certifications to work with children was challenging. Before she could teach she had to obtain her Bachelor's degree first. Once graduated she entered her Masters program but she also had to register for certification program. In Germany, in the education field the required work consist of hands on approach with children, curriculum, and dissertations. At the end of the studies students are required to take a exam, write a dissertation, and have a exam working with children. She stated that at times it was overwhelming because  of the time frame that assignments were due. In addition, she states the hardest task was completing her German knowledge and language exam. No teacher is allowed to teach without scoring a proficiency score on the exam. Germany requires you know the culture as well as the language.

When asked about issues of equity and excellence she replied with the following comments. Currently, there are no large issues regarding quality. The only topic of discussion is access and further help for single and full-time working parents, increasing the number of guaranteed hours for Early Childhood Education, further integrating Early Childhood Education into the social structure of German culture.

As I continue to read emails from Frau I'm learning that in every part of the world their is always something to be done in regards to better the education system for all children. While she may have found the course work and certifications overwhelming it felt good to know that Germany has high expectations for educators. Not just anybody can work with children. Getting your Bachelor and Master degree is highly important and you also have to prove that you are capable of working with children with the hands on approach. A new insight that still has me at WOW is that in kindergarten children are required to go home for lunch. I thought to hours was a bit long but I understand that meal time with families is important for the German culture.  

Sharing Web Resources

Save the Children has a component called Education. Within this component there are many areas that deal with Education such as Girls Education, A World with no Math, Healing and Education Through the Arts, Reading in Rural America, and Literacy Boost. Those are just of the few areas that are under Education component. HEART (Healing and Education Through the Arts) is the are that really interested me this week. HEART helps children who have experience extreme poverty, limited opportunity, and loss of family and home due to a natural disaster heal emotionally and learn critical skills, so they can achieve their highest potential. HEART has already reached 10,000 children and is looking to reach 50,000 children by the year 2015. This component is relevant to my professional development because I teach children dance on Saturdays and I'm also incorporating it in my daily activities with the children I provide care for.

Dance is a way to express your emotions through movement. I teach liturgical dance which allows children to pick songs that they can relate too and express the song through movement. The younger children normally pick songs that gives them a lot of energy, normally fast and happy songs. I have been dancing for about 12 years. I started dancing right after my parents divorced and dancing really helped me to channel my emotions. In dance classes its not just about moving but I take time to allow children to write and read. They keep a journal of how they feel throughout the week and we have circle time to see what songs describe how they are feeling or what songs can make them feel better.

Save the Children has a Literacy program called Literacy:Success in School: Creating Lifelong Learners. This program helps children in 13 states by expanding the curriculum in English, math, and science. This program is offered to school based programs for disadvantage children. The passion for this program is driven from the fact that 60% of low-income families cant afford to have books in their home. I found this to be very alarming and I find it hard to believe that with the percentage why would government officials close libraries and school?

In various e-newsletters Save the Children foundation provides information on how the government is involved. In April 2013, President Obama wrote a proposal to reform U.S. International Food Assistance Program. Also, in this reform President Obama urges law makers to ensure that these food assistance programs continue to reach the worlds poorest children. Save the Children foundation believes that President Obama proposal will help them in reaching more children if the U.S. International programs were more flexible, timely, and cost effective.

Save the Children foundation is really a great organization after the heart of children. I truly believe that poverty rates will decrease if this program continues to get support from people around the world as well as the government. What I found in this organization is that although they are creating change globally they have a strong desire to help the children in the U.S. first. They are launching programs that goes inside the school to help children. In additional, they have web links of parents who show gratitude for how the Save the Children foundation has their children and family.

Read more of this organization at   http://www.savethechildren.org

Getting to Know Your International Contact: Part 1

After three weeks of posting numerous Facebook post, LinkedIn statuses, emails to numerous of early childhood organizations, and speaking with family and friends I have found one International Contact. I made contact with this person through a mutual friend. The connection was made Thursday and it was better to email her rather than calling.

My International Contact name is Frau Doktor Anika Schmidt and she from Germany. She has a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood from Freie Universiate. She also has a Doctorate in Psychology from Freie Universiaet in Berlin. I asked her about what role she plays in the Early childhood field, are there any changes she would like to see happen in her country in the ECE field, and as a ECE professional what are ways she can help to make the early childhood better? She expressed that she works directly with Robert Bosch Siftung Center for Early Childhood Education (which is in conjunction with Freie Universiate) and she professionally assist the Hamburg government on Childhood Education in the political realm. Her desire is for her country to make changes in having more excess to ECE for fulltime working mothers and single parents. In Germany, there are not many funds that support working mothers and single parents. Lack of funds is due to the belief that children are suppose to be at home during the early stages of life. The government also made policies that restrict families of ECE funds for children under 3. As a ECE professional her focus is on political policies in the state of Hamburg encouraging the shift of preschool being regarded as an intrusion the private family life and making it an integral part of the German education system.



In addition, I asked Frau what were her views on poverty. She explain, Living in Hamburg and Berlin, poverty tends to be found in areas outside of the city, and areas tend to have families of ethnic minorities, single parents, and blue-collar workers. There are lower access to ECE in those areas, and the quality of education is lower, although there isn't as much of a disparity as in the US. 

Although, my international contact and I shared two emails I learned a lot in two days. Reading her email made me feel grateful and appreciative because the education system in Germany is way different than the US. In Germany, kindergarten is NOT FREE. The government feel that the children should be at home and children are not suppose to begin school until the age of 6. Germany government forces parents to pay tuition for children enrolled in kindergarten. In addition, I learned that along with the curriculum children must learn the state religion and prepare for jobs in the industry. As I was reading the email I couldn't imagine a 10 year old learning how to work. 

This week I learned that poverty is not a new topic. Poverty is happening globally and that the government needs to pay more attention to this issue. For a country (USA) to be one of the richest countries in the world I find it hard to believe that they are amongst the top countries with the highest homeless rate. In addition, I learned that people living poverty don't want to discuss the issues they have with their living status. It is great to know that there are organizations like "Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness" that are helping to eliminate poverty. I am very excited about this organization and I hope that by sharing this resource others will step up to help policy makers form better decisions about homelessness and poverty. 

If you would like to read more about source here is the link: Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness

Sharing Web Resources

Save the Children is a leading organization whose automate goal is to change lives of children across the nation. This organization work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and local partners to create a lasting change in the lives of children. Save the children helps families who have experienced disasters, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and diseases. This is an organization that welcomes all people who have a desire to help children and their families. You can become an advocate, donate funds, sign-up for their monthly newsletter, spread the word thru social sites, send ecards, become a volunteer and sponsor a child. I encourage everyone who has a passion for change to visit this website and see in what ways you can help. Here is the link Save The Children.

·         Each month the organization releases a publication in reference to an area that is harming children. In September, Save the Children release an publication called "Beyond School Walls- A Boost for Readers. This publication discussed how children are failing to read and learn globally. This really stuck out to me because there are so many children who don't know to read and this shouldn't be. This publication showed that 250 million primary school age children cannot read or write and this whether they attend school or not, 20% of children that live in poverty are 4 times more likely to be out of school than children living in wealthy populations and 60% of children in the U.S who come from low-income families have no reading books at home. Save the Children created a program called Literacy Boost which is currently helping 24 countries around the world. Some of the countries are Haiti, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. This program is designed to help children read and learn in as well as out of the classroom. Literacy Boost is also helping children living in extreme poverty and girls have the highest rate of being illiterate. Currently, more than 30 million girls are out of school every day. I really feel that this website addresses lot needs of children and more educational professionals should get involved. Children not reading, living in poverty, dealing with hunger, and not having medical supplies is not just a U.S issue it a GLOBAL ISSUE!!!

·          

·         Read more of this article: Beyond School Walls

Getting Ready-Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

 

Searching for two Early Childhood Professionals outside of the U.S. made me nervous and excited. The nervous portion of my emotions comes from the thought of not being successful in making a connection. As I begin sending out emails I found that many of the email addresses that I choose were coming back failed delivery. It took me moment to see why they were coming back that way. My understanding of the failed delivery is that the email addresses were not from the U.S. For example on email address I choose was Canadian Child Care Foundation ydionne@cccf-fcsge.ca. Any email that didn't end with org, net, or com came back failed delivery. 

The other emotion being excited comes from looking forward to communicating with other professionals across the world in my field. Im really hoping I can make this connection so I sent an email out four places..Kosovo Education Center, El Salvador, Step by Step Program/ Tipa Tipa, and Honduras. In the email I explained that I am a graduate student at Walden University working on my M.S in ECE. The purpose of the email is to find other professionals in my field and create a communication line of each other dreams, inspirations, issues, and activities in regards to children.

Outside of the resources that was provided to help make this connection I also used my facebook and instagram page to ask for help. I made a post to my family and friends asking them if they know any one how could possibly help with this assignment. In addition, I spoke with a head start coordinator at my local church who has a group that focus on helping to stop trafficking of children. I asked her if she could look to see if she has anyone in her organization who might be able to help. As the search continue I hope that the connect will be made. I haven't received back any responses but I'm keeping "HOPE" alive!!! 

The Early Childhood Organization I choose to research is Save the Children. My ultimate goal is to create change in my community in the lives of all children. Currently, Philadelphia is ranked one of the highest cities for child trafficking. While this is sad I just became aware of this information recently. If I didn't know about this I'm sure there are others who don't as well. Save the Children Organization offers services in child protection, child survival, education, health and nutrition, hunger, and emergency response. This organization partners with governments and internationals agencies to promote awareness on issues relating to children and how to keep them safe. I have signed up for there newsletter and I'm excited to read ways in which I can help children.

 Save The Children

My Supports

There many things and people who support me on daily basis. As I think of my day to day routine I can see little things that may not matter to others but are very important to me.

 My iPod and iPod dock is one of the things that supports from day to day. My alarm clock goes off in the morning. I pray and then I have my morning inspiration. I listen to a total of three songs. Two praise songs which are fast and one worship song which is slow. I absolutely need this in the morning because it sets my mood for the day. It wakes me up and get me fired up for all the activities that I need to complete. My cell phone and laptop are two other things that supports me. I use my phone to check to voice mails or any missed calls. my phone keeps me connected to people especially parents of the children I care for. My laptop is used for school of course, keeping track of social media, and emails. In my travels I always carry my laptop with me.

My super Nintendo is my best friend at 4pm Monday-Friday. After the last child leave I use my game to unwind and relax. I normally play my game for a good 30 minutes before attending to the rest of my evening. Oh yes and how I can I forget my ice cold mountain dew that is a must have. I keep these sodas stock. While it does have a lot of sugar I still drink it cause it taste good and it makes that moment right while playing my game.

CHILDREN support me in many ways. From the children I care for to my nieces and nephews they all support me in more ways than one. The children I care for support financially. The are the source to income that allows me to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. They also keep me going during the day with silly faces and just being active. When I first start providing care for them I use to wish they were older because all they did was sleep all day and I was bored. My nieces and nephews support me by allowing me to be active in their lives. They are my motivation to want to do more for children. I get to learn from them and they don't even know.

I have many friends, family, church members, mentor, dance members and classmates that support me all time. My siblings support me by making sure my assignments for school are on time and they give me quiet time to get the assignments done. My friends support me by encouraging me that I will open my day care center. They also get me out the house so I won't drown myself in school work. Taking online classes was something I feared. I thought I wouldn't be able to keep up, not understand course material since I changed majors, or have a hard time managing my schedule. My classmates supports me through responding to my post and blog. When they complete assignments they support me because it gives me hope that I can do the assignment also. I really am appreciative of the classmates who do there assignments early because it pushes me not to be a procrastinator.

 My biggest supporter is my fiance. I can call on him at any time of the day and he is always there listening, holding my hand, giving me a hug, and letting me know there is nothing too hard for God. He is my EVERYTHING on this side of heaven.







The challenge that I chose to imagine is life without state funding. Currently, many day care centers get funding thru the state from a program called CCIS: Child Care Information Services. I couldn't imagine parents getting no financial help for child care. Just recently, the Philadelphia School District Superintendent made a broadcast that if the state didn't provide funding public schools wouldn't open in September. For me this is sad and it had me thinking of how many children lives this would effect. Not having funding for child care would put me out of business because parents need help with child care. With the increase in unemployment it would be impossible for parents to pay out of pocket for child care. No funding would result in me not having any financial means of supporting myself and my household. I would have to rely on my fiance for help but that would be a burden since we live in two separate households. The joy in my life will slowly decrease because I wouldn't see those small smiley faces on the children. My future surrounds the life of children. Their existence alone keeps me hopeful and motivated. They are a major supporter of why I changed my major to Early Childhood, why I'm starting my own business, and why I'm so passionate about change. CHILDREN ABSOLUTELY ROCK AND I NEED THEM!!!!!

My Connections to Play

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers 

As a child my siblings and I use to play "House". It was enough of us to cover all the roles in the house. I remember I was always the mom and my older brother was the dad. It was interesting playing this game because we acted out what our parents would say such as the rules of the house, doing chores, and saying your prayers before bedtime. Of course we add our own words to make it fun but it was during these times we learned more about our parents expectations as well as who was the lazy person in the family.

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” ~ O. Fred Donaldson 

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel 

Growing up I lived in village apartment complex and in the summer time all the children on the terrace would gather things out their room to play school. We did everything from counting, writing, reading, learning about different states, and even how things were created. It was a fun but learning time because we got to see what the other kids brought out their houses. Some of the kids had really cool books, coloring books and crayons, and educational devices. We use split up in two groups and see which group was the smartest by playing spelling bee's and solving math problems.

Hopscotch was one of my favorite games to play. My dad use to buy colorful chalk that my sisters and I used to make our own hopscotch. We use to be creative with it and draw pictures inside of the boxes such as hearts, butterflies or stars. Somehow I always ended up being stuck on seven. LOL!!! The good ole days of hopscotch.

 My father is probably smiling down from heaven as I right this because I use to think this game was torture when my father was teaching me how to play. I thought it was boring and for boys. However, I started to love this game because my dad taught me how to beat my siblings. It was crazy because while we could have played checkers or marbles we all wanted to play chess. It became a family game that my father even allowed us to rename the pieces. For example the pawn was called Power Pound Puppy....Silly I know....Would give anything to play chess with my father again.

Supportive People in my childhood

My parents were major supporters of play in my childhood. While I had play time on my own my parents did participate in some of my play time. One of the things I use to love doing was coloring. Coloring was major in my household. 

We had everything from paint, crayons, color pencils, and markers. My dad taught me how to blend in colors and stay in between the lines. It was a great time. I use to be ashamed to tell people but I still enjoy coloring as an adult. When I'm stressed or overwhelmed I color. It take my mind off things and its soothing. My siblings and neighbors were great supporters as well. Any outdoor play always involved all the kids on the terrace or apartment complex. We played tag, hide and seek, and jump rope. While we didn't always get along we learned from each other and I built friendships from playing.

Past vs Present Play

Growing up playing outside was the best thing to do. Going to play ground or the community swimming pool was like the "thing" to do. Riding bikes and jumping rope until the street lights came on was pretty much the norm. When I was younger my parents brought my siblings and I a super nintendo (which I still own and play). We was only allowed to play the game on the weekends even in the summer time. Currently, game systems, cell phones, or pads is all kids are into. You can go in any community and find kids outside but playing with some type of device. Electronics have taken over tag, hopscotch, or playing school. Even when it comes down to simple things as riding a bike, many kids have remote control cars or power scooters. I feel that new technology has made the next generation lazy. 

Thoughts on Play 

As an adult I find ways to bring out my childhood experiences. When I'm watching my nieces and nephews I still like to color and create club houses using the living room furniture, sheets, and blankets. I think its good for a child to use their imagination while playing. Sometimes we will lay on the bed at night with a flash light and play who can spot the biggest star. To me I feel that those moments of play will be memorable. Throughout my childhood I remember always carrying around "JACKS" cause I use to love to play with them. How many people remember jacks? The silver ones too...lol.... When children become adults they should remember good times in their childhood like this. However, they have to engage in play in order to have the memory.