Personal:
All through out my moms childhood she had to deal with poverty. My grandmother was only 16 when she had her and never finished high school. Once my aunts came along several years later when my mom was 9, my mom had to make sure they were fed and taken care of while my grandmother was at work or off with her boyfriend at the time. There was many times when my mom had to make what she could with what was left in the cabinets to feed my aunts. She would save every bit of money she ever was given and usually spent it on food, never on something for herself. The only time she was able to be a kid was when she was with her aunt who was would give her the world.
Since my mom was a teen mother as well, she made sure that even as she got older she saved every penny since she knew it would be difficult for herself and my dad to provide for 2 kids at 18 and 20 years of age. My siblings and I have never had to go with out food in our belly's or anything we needed. My mother is also always giving money to the homeless and helping out those less fortunate around our neighborhood. And like her aunt, she tries to spend as much time with her nieces and nephews to let them be kids and experience all the great things the world has to offer.
Africa:
It is sad to see any child around the world have to deal with stress that can impact their development. In Africa children have to go through so many harsh times to even survive til adulthood. Most child hood stressors are poverty, war, traumatic stress, absence of a parent, malnutrition is one of the largest stressors, malaria and other diseases. These are only a few of the things that impact the lives of African children, with so much more out there that are not recorded.
Many agencies are trying everyday to raise funds to send medicine and adequate food to every child in Africa. As for some of the other stressors, only the countries government can protect the children from the effects, but little to none is being done.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/36666785/Traumatic-Stress-in-South-Africa
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Public Health: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
I selected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS as most people refer to it because it is something that can occur to any child between the ages of one month to a year. SIDS can occur in any socioeconomic standing or culture and is defined by a child under the age of ones death that is not explained after investigation.
SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants. It can be caused by the child sleeping on their tummy, sleeping in an adult bed or being around second hand smoke. Ways to prevent SIDS is by sleeping the child on a firm mattress, keeping the child's body temperature level and if possible sleep with a pacifier which has been shown to decrease the chances of SIDS.
Across the world, SIDS can be defined differently. Some countries consider SIDS to happen between birth and one year and up to one month and one year. Also difference in investigation and autopsy can establish differences in the cause of a child's death. But in every nation there is several cases of SIDS every year, that occur the same here in the United States.
I found public health information on SIDS highly important because it is a common fear of parents of infants because there is no way to predict it or firmly stop it from happening. The more information that is out there, the better suited parents will be to protect their babies from SIDS. I also selected this because it can happen to any family and any part of the world, it is unfortunately a common death around the world that everyone is impacted by.
Resources:
Cj foundation for sids. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cjsids.org/resource-center/what-is-sids-suid.html
Hauck, F. (2011). International trends in sudden infant death syndrome: Stablization of rates requires further action. Pediatrics: Official journal of the american acadmey of pediarcs, 303(5), 430-437. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/122/3/660.long
SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants. It can be caused by the child sleeping on their tummy, sleeping in an adult bed or being around second hand smoke. Ways to prevent SIDS is by sleeping the child on a firm mattress, keeping the child's body temperature level and if possible sleep with a pacifier which has been shown to decrease the chances of SIDS.
Across the world, SIDS can be defined differently. Some countries consider SIDS to happen between birth and one year and up to one month and one year. Also difference in investigation and autopsy can establish differences in the cause of a child's death. But in every nation there is several cases of SIDS every year, that occur the same here in the United States.
I found public health information on SIDS highly important because it is a common fear of parents of infants because there is no way to predict it or firmly stop it from happening. The more information that is out there, the better suited parents will be to protect their babies from SIDS. I also selected this because it can happen to any family and any part of the world, it is unfortunately a common death around the world that everyone is impacted by.
Resources:
Cj foundation for sids. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cjsids.org/resource-center/what-is-sids-suid.html
Hauck, F. (2011). International trends in sudden infant death syndrome: Stablization of rates requires further action. Pediatrics: Official journal of the american acadmey of pediarcs, 303(5), 430-437. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/122/3/660.long
Friday, January 6, 2012
Child Birth
This blog post is certainly difficult for me because I do not have a personal story of a child birth. I have never had a child or even seen one personally been born. The only information I have about child birth is from what family members have told me, from books and television programs. I understand how this can limit how insightful this blog can be, but that is all I have to go off of.
As for birth in another country, I selected Sudan, Africa. Countries in undeveloped regions continue to have children like they have for centuries, unlike here in America where almost every child is born inside of a hospital. In Sudan most children are born in the home by the village midwife unless they are wealthy or civil servants. The fathers are not present at birth and do not provide any care for the child until they are older. Women are to take a 40 day rest after giving birth when female members of the family will provide meals and do the cleaning. Mothers will spend this time at their family home and return to the husbands village after the child is weened.
Child development in the prenatal stages for America and Sudan are probably different due to the medical care the mothers receive. The birthing experience on the child is probably the same developmentally because not much happens to the child right away, unless their is religious reasons.
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/sudanese-preg-prof.pdf
http://www.africanoz.com/af_study/sudanchild.pdf
As for birth in another country, I selected Sudan, Africa. Countries in undeveloped regions continue to have children like they have for centuries, unlike here in America where almost every child is born inside of a hospital. In Sudan most children are born in the home by the village midwife unless they are wealthy or civil servants. The fathers are not present at birth and do not provide any care for the child until they are older. Women are to take a 40 day rest after giving birth when female members of the family will provide meals and do the cleaning. Mothers will spend this time at their family home and return to the husbands village after the child is weened.
Child development in the prenatal stages for America and Sudan are probably different due to the medical care the mothers receive. The birthing experience on the child is probably the same developmentally because not much happens to the child right away, unless their is religious reasons.
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/sudanese-preg-prof.pdf
http://www.africanoz.com/af_study/sudanchild.pdf
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thank you!
Thank you all for your support and encouraging words through out this 8 week course. It has been a pleasure working with all of you!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Code of Ethics
DEC: Code of Ethics
Professional Practice: Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
"3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and
using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to
the suggestions of others."
I believe that in order to be the best person in your job you should always be learning and exploring the field to better yourself. With all of the knowledge out there it would be a shame not to always be learning something from it and changing your system to stay with the times and better serve the families and children at your center.
NAEYC: Code of Ethics
Ethical Responsibilities to Children: Ideals
"I-1.5- To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and contributions."
I am a stronger believer in stations that adhere to different learning styles. Since not all children learn in the same fashion it is very important to give them the opportunity to learn and explore topics in the fashion that they choose. It is also important to let them explore their surroundings and communicate with their class mates in a free setting so that they can create bonds.
Ethical Responsibilities to Families: Ideals
"I-2.2- To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve."
I feel that it is crucial to have a good relationship with the families in order to have a good relationship with the child. If there is tension, the child will pick up on it and will display bias towards a particular party. In order to benefit the child it is highly important to have a functioning relationship with the parents. I try to personally lay everything on the table in order to make sure their is no confusion by anyone and to let them know that I have an open door policy.
Professional Practice: Professional and Interpersonal Behavior
"3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and
using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to
the suggestions of others."
I believe that in order to be the best person in your job you should always be learning and exploring the field to better yourself. With all of the knowledge out there it would be a shame not to always be learning something from it and changing your system to stay with the times and better serve the families and children at your center.
NAEYC: Code of Ethics
Ethical Responsibilities to Children: Ideals
"I-1.5- To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and contributions."
I am a stronger believer in stations that adhere to different learning styles. Since not all children learn in the same fashion it is very important to give them the opportunity to learn and explore topics in the fashion that they choose. It is also important to let them explore their surroundings and communicate with their class mates in a free setting so that they can create bonds.
Ethical Responsibilities to Families: Ideals
"I-2.2- To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve."
I feel that it is crucial to have a good relationship with the families in order to have a good relationship with the child. If there is tension, the child will pick up on it and will display bias towards a particular party. In order to benefit the child it is highly important to have a functioning relationship with the parents. I try to personally lay everything on the table in order to make sure their is no confusion by anyone and to let them know that I have an open door policy.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Course Resources
Position Statements and Influential Practices
- NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
- NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
- NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
- Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
- FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
- Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.
- Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
- Websites:
- World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage
- World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP’s mission.
- Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/about/
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/
- The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
- Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/
- WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
- Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
- FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
- Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
- HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/
- Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
- Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/
- Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
- Institute for Women’s Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
- National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
- National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/
- National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/
- Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/
- Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voices.org/
- The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
- YC Young Children
- Childhood
- Journal of Child & Family Studies
- Child Study Journal
- Multicultural Education
- Early Childhood Education Journal
- Journal of Early Childhood Research
- International Journal of Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Research Quarterly
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Studies
- Maternal & Child Health Journal
- International Journal of Early Years Education
My Personal Resources
Effectiveness of Early Educational Intervention
Education-Portal.com
NIEER
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Inspirational People In The Field of Early Childhood
Marian Wright Edelman "I never, ever thought about what I do as a job or a career it was always just a mater of figuring out what needed to be done"
Edward Zigler PhD "...we need to recapture the hope, to believe once more that it is possible to set the next generation of American children and families on a course toward a better life"
Raymond Hernandez "we are not here to save the world but to make a difference" (The passion for early childhood, video)
(Edelman) Goodman, C. (1999). Marian Wright Edelman: "I know why I've been put on this earth.". New Crisis, Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=15c52ef2-188c-49f9-8f00-6d7e7450d123@sessionmgr111&vid=2&hid=122
(Zigler) Neugebauer, R. (2010). The start of head start. Exchange, 20-21. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=74fb0cf8-6d79-498a-8bff-bad2e76ce98a@sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=122
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