Thank You!

I would like to say thank you to all of my Walden colleagues who have been apart of my journey. So many of you have taken the last few classes with me. You have helped me grow and understand my self better when it comes to education. I thank you for the wonderful feedback and encouragement that you have given me along the way. I would like to wish you all the best of luck in your future classes and careers. I realize that most of us only have three more classes left until we are awarded our master's degree for all of our hard work.

Team Building and Collabortion

When building a team there are five stages that you will go through. The last stage of team building is adjourning. During this stage the group starts to break up and go there own separate ways. I find that the closer a group has become to each other the harder this stage becomes. I was a girl scout until I was 18 years old. I formed very close bonds with the group of girls that were in my troop. When it came time for me to leave the troop I found it very hard. We still keep in contact with each other even though we no longer have to work together to accomplish task. I have always found that when a group runs like a well oiled machine and learns to work with each other on such a high level it is very difficult to leave that group. Groups where you feel used or under valued are the ones that it is very easy to leave. Even though it may be hard to leave a group eventually we have to learn to stand alone. Always depending on others will not help us grow into the people we need to become. Any group that a person works in makes a difference in their life and helps mold a part of their life and that is what being in this program has done for me. I have enjoyed finding out more about myself and my colleagues. Realizing that we are so alike and yet so different. Helping each other along this educational path will be something I will not forget.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Recentely I got into a disagreement with one of my family members. I have learned that both of us are very strongly oppinonated. When we get into disagreements it can get very heated. I  have learned that I can not talk to him when I am exteremly upset. I usually have to walk away and give myself time to cool down. After about 30 minutes to an hour I can come back and talk to him. I know that talking when am upset may turn into a physical altercation. I try to listen to his point of view and he tries to listen to my point of view. We usually to reach a comprimse on the situation. We really have been using the 3 R's "respectful, reciprocal, and responsive" without even realizing it.

When I am having a conflict with a co-worker I try to listen to their point of view. I find that I don't back down easitly when it comes to things that I feel very passinate about. If a comprimse can't be reached than I will say "I understand where your coming from but I still don't agree and if you feel that way I am sorry. " I know that sometimes you can't reach an agreemnt with someone. You have to realize that all situations will not be solved with everyone being happy.

Who am I as a communicator?

This week we were asked to take three quizzes. The quizzes evaluated communication anxiety, verbal aggression, and listening style. When I took the communication anxiety quiz I scored in the mild range. This is at no surprise to me. I find it easy to speak in public situations. I have also found that when I am in a group I usually end up being the group spokesman. Taking the listening style quiz I scored in group 1. Group 1 means that I am a people oriented person and a good listener. The only thing that surprised me was the results from the third quiz for verbal aggression. When I took the verbal aggression quiz I scored in the moderate range, but when one of the people I asked to judge me took the quiz I scored in the significant range. I found that I am very verbally aggressive toward that person. I hadn't realized that I act differently toward him. I feel that I need to pay more attention to how I treat that particular person. As a teacher I always want to make sure all of my children are being treated with the same respect. Maybe I should apply this same rule in all of the other parts of my life.

Communication in Culture

When communicating sometimes I find myself changing my personality depending upon the person or group of people I am talking to. When I am speaking with my family or friends I am very direct. I speak to people telling them my full opinion. When I am communicating with parents I have to say negetive things in a positive way. I have to be careful in the way that I say things.  I've also found that my tone and body language change when I am upset. I recently had to communicate with a sales associate at a car rental office. I spoke calmly, without yelling, but the tone in my voice communicated that I was upset. I know I showed that I was upset because the manager was walking by and stopped to see what had happened. When angry I know that cursing and yelling will get nothing accomplished. You have to get your point across without losing your cool.  Everytime you communicate with someone I believe the way you communicate changes even if it is just a little bit to fit the type of person you are talking to.

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

I was asked to watch a show that I don't normally watch and look at it once without sound and then again with sound. I decided to watch a show called the middle. When the show began it has random pictures of people climbing things. Then a lady walked in a room with a  torch. I thought that it meant she had climbed like the people in the pictures. She was talking to man whose faced looked confused as the woman talked to him. A girl came in the room and talked to the woman and the man. She seemed very excited, because she had a large smile on her face and started jumping up and down. The show then showed which seemed like flashbacks of the girl at school. The girl then went into the the school attendance office (there was a sign on the door) she talked to the lady behind the counter. As she talked you noticed that she was getting upset. Her smile left her face and she shook her hand up and down. When I turned the sound on I found on that the pictures at the beginning were comparing the great moments to overcoming the hurdle of the last week of school to start summer. The woman bought a torch as a sign of summer. The girl was excited when she came into the room because she was to receive the perfect attendance award from school. The flashback showed how the girl went to school no matter how she was feeling. When the girl went to the schools attendance office she found that the school had her absent on one day so she would not receive the attendance award.

Watching a show with no sound was very interesting. I never noticed how much people move their hands when they talk. A persons face and body movements tell you a lot about how they feel. I found that I was guessing correctly about the feelings of the people in the TV show. A persons body language can really help you understand how they are feeling.

What is Communication?

Having good communication is an essestial part of any job. I expecially learned this from working at the parking office at Louisiana State University. Students, faculty, and visitors would come to this office to get parking passes, pay for tickets, and get their car out of impound. When a person is involved in this type of work they have to be able to have good communication skills. A person that demonstarted excellent communication skills was my superivor Mrs. Debeorah. She showed me how to let a person vent if they come to the office upset. You let the person get out what they have to say first. Once the person has expressed what they want to say, you then restate what they told you. "What you are telling me is...... Is that corret?" Once you know what the person wants you can proceed in helping them. An important rule of communication is to remain open minded and calm. Sometimes when a person is feeling a certain way they can come off as harsh or mean, but you have to put yourself in their shoes and think about what you would want done. Staying calm is essential because nothing happens when everyone is shouting at each other.
When I talk to parents or anyother adult I keep these skills in mind. They really do help you make the best of any situation. Using these skills also shows parents that I am here not help not to destory what they are trying to do. I want them to know that if we work together we will get better results.

Professional Hopes and Goals

This school year I have began to truly understand diversity. In my school district they have choosen to stop busing students who are English Language Learners to certain schools and make them attend their neighborhood school. With the district choosing to do this several teachers at my school have children in their class from various backgrounds who don't speak Englsih at all. Being put in this situation has caused me and many others to pay attention to way that we do things so that we are including and not offending these children and their families. I hope that we can all learn to work together to do what is best for the children and their families. We all need to find ways to adjust and accomidate so that everyone feels welcome and a part of something. A kindergarten child that speaks only chinese started at our school. Her parents knew that it would be hard on her as well as the class. So the parents made cards that have things like "I have to go to the bathroom" in English and Chinese so that the girl can read them and show them to the teacher to rell her what she wants. 
With the people at my school learning to work with diverse families I want to make it a goal for the early childhood field to be more willing to learn parts of the families lanuaguage and culture. I have found a program online that when I type in something in Englsih the program will say what I typed in a different language. This way I know the family is understanding what I am trying to tell them.

I would like to say thank you to all my classmates and collegues from this semester and class. You all have helped me stay on track and keep things together. I know that all of us started this journey togehter and we are all going to make it to the end. We are almost the end and I know we can all see the finish line.

Welcoming Families from Around the World

I am an elementary school teacher. We recently went back to school this past Wednesday. I have a little girl in my class name Seetha. Her family is from India. The father speaks little to no English and the mother speaks some English. Seetha is also deaf. She has a cochlear implant so she can hear in her right ear. To accommodate the family I welcomed them in English and with a traditional Hindu greeting by bowing and saying Namaste. In Indian culture the father is the head of the household. I made sure that when I was talking I tried to address the father most of the time, even though I knew he really didn't understand me. To accommodate Seetha the mother requested I talk to her on her right side. So I made sure she sits to my left so that she can hear me. I also requested a speaker system for my class. This system comes with a small speaker and a microphone I would wear around my neck. The speaker helps to magnify my voice so that Seetha will be able to hear me no matter where I am in the classroom. I hope to learn more about her family and culture as the year goes on. I think this will be an interesting experience.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

In high school I worked at a restaurant. We were not busy one day so the manager asked to take out the trash and clean off tables etc.  I had no problem doing it until I noticed that no one else was cleaning. I was the only African American girl working that day. When he asked me to clean the bathrooms I questioned him and asked him and said aren’t we all suppose to share the work? He told me that he was in charge and if I didn’t like what he said then I could clock out and go home. Well I went home. It made me mad that he thought he could treat me that way. I had no problem doing my share, but I was not about to do all the cleaning while the other girls stood around and talked. He was being racist.  If he had changed his mood then I could have turned the situation around. When I brought it to his attention that I was the only one cleaning he could have said oh I didn’t mean to let me get someone else to do it. The fact that he got so upset when questioned proved to me that he was being racist. Later when I informed the head manager of the situation she didn’t seem all too pleased. I was fired a few days later for “poor performance”. It is funny that I never had a problem or got a bad review until I complained. That just told me that this restaurant was not the place for me.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggression is when someone makes a comment or assumption about someone based on their race, gender, class, etc.

I have witnessed microaggression several times in my life. I have experienced microaggression a lot of times when I call people on the phone. During this past school year I received a new student late in the year. I called his mother to express some concerns I had about his grades from the other school. The next day the mother came to the school to talk to me. When she came she couldn't remember who called her house so she told the office staff a white woman had called her. They assumed it was the speech therapist who is white. When she spoke to the speech therapist, she found out that it was not her that called her. The parent could not speak to me at the time, because I was in a meeting. The parent then came back the next day. When she walked in my room the next morning she said "Girl, I thought you was a white women when you called me."

This is an example of microaggression because she felt that as a black woman I was not suppose to speak proper English. I did not feel bad about it because this is a problem I have dealt with before. People have told me that I sound white. I really don't understand this because in my family we are encouraged to speak with proper English and not slang. I also feel that as a teacher I should speak proper English.  I realize that everyone has microaggressions. I know that when a person exhibits a microaggression they don't mean to be offensive. Educating people to know when they are exhibiting microaggressions is the first step in stopping them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For EDUC 6164 I was told to ask three friends or family members what their definition of diversity and culture are. I asked my father, Uncle Eric, and Aunt Jackie.

Father:  Culture- The language, music, up bring, and work of a particular people.

              Diversity- the differences within people

Uncle Eric: Culture- deals with the way a person is brought up and what they learn

        Diversity- not having the same background

Aunt Jackie: Culture- an individual way of doing things, religion

     Diversity- different ways that races do things

After talking to my family and friends I realized that everyone feels that culture is the way a person is raised. No one really got into details about the specifics. Through the Lacerate Education videos in class I learned that race, ethnicity, language, religion, ability, class, parenting pattern, and life style also play an important part in one’s culture.  I know they understand what culture is because in order to define it they had to give examples as it related to them and what their culture is. They did the same with diversity.  I don’t think that anyone included class as a part of culture. People don’t remember that your social class plays a part in how you are raised.   Listening to my family’s definition of culture made me realize that I was lucky to be raised in such an environment where culture and diversity is recognized and respected. Being accepting of who people are is an important aspect of the culture in which I was raised.

References

Laureate Education Inc. (2011) “Family Cultures: Dynamic Interactions” (Video Webcast). Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5364616&Survey=1&47=8004829&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

My Family Culture

If there was a catastrophe in my home country and My family and I were forced to relocate I would be devastated. Then I find out that I could only take three items with me. The first item that I would choose would be my patchwork quilt. This quilt is very special to me. My grandmother hand made this quilt. She put pieces of clothing and things that meant something to someone in our family. The second item I would take would be a baby bassinet crib. This bassinet has been handed down for generations. My husband slept in this bassinet and so did our son. The third item I would bring is my language. My father's family is from "Cajun country." They know how to speak Cajun french. I feel that even though we'd be going to another country this would be important to carry with us.
I want others in this new country to understand that staying together with my family is one of the most important things. All of these items mean so much to me because I want to feel close to where I came from and what I know.
Unfortunately when we arrive in the new country I am told that I can only keep one of the items that I brought. I know I would keep my quilt. I think that it means the most. The quilt holds pieces of different family members and represents who we are. I can also keep my language. The new country could not take that from me. I will be able to teach my children and they can teach their children.
After doing this exercise I realized that all parts of my family are important to who I am. When I was thinking of things to take I couldn't just look at my mother's side or my father's side or even just my side of the family. I know that I am made up of so many more things then I originally thought and it makes me happy.

When I think of research.....

Before I started EDCU 6163 I knew very little about research. I realized that it takes many steps to plan an effective research study. While planning my research simulation I kept hitting dead ends. I questioned myself at every step. Research is not easy at all. Whatever you plan do in a research study has to be approved and if is wrong you have to fix it. I tip my hat to those who do research for a living. It takes countless hours reading, looking, and conducting your study. Some challenges that I kept running into was wording. I was having a hard time wording things in the way that I wanted to say them so that others could understand what I meant. To fix this challenge I talked to others that I let read over my papers. I found that if I could explain to them what was going on in my head then they could help me figure out how to word correctly. Another challenge I had when doing research was understanding. I continually became confused with the terminology of research. To understand the terminology I found myself googling words. Sometimes it took me looking at three or four definitions to finally get a word. As an early childhood professional I now see the importance of research. Research is done in such a way that it benefits the children. I know see that when we are told to try a new way of teaching because research has proven it works. I think after going through this course I will take the time to listen to the research and give it a chance, because I now know what it takes to go through the process.

Research Around the World- Week 5

What are some of the current international research topics?

In Africa there are a lot of motherless children due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.5 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2009 around 1.3 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.8 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic 14.8 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.” (Standley,E., 2009) A majority of the research topics center around the motherless children. People are trying to find out how these children are being cared for in orphanages. Research is also being conducted to find better curriculum in childcare. The country wants to find better ways to support families through education about AIDS no matter if it is a single parent, grandparent, or two parent house hold.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

I found after exploring this sight that the people in the Sub-Saharan Africa have many of the same problems that we here in America have. They have to deal with orphaned children. They want to improve their educational system. Educating parents is a big part of what they are trying to do. People all over the world are dealing with these same issues.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

I found that people are coming to same conclusion about childcare all over the world. “The relationship between employment and support to working families for better childcare can no longer be ignored. As we become more aware of human rights there is a need to appreciate and respect humanity by recognizing what goes into nurturing a ‘whole’ human being right from the start that will contribute to national development. The cost of child rearing should be given due priority in all sectors. There is a need for multisectoral collaboration in supporting families to ensure that young children get optimum care from their parents and other competent persons as their parents contribute towards national development through employment outside the home.” (Nankunda , H. C., 2004) Yet, we still have our governmental leaders turning a blind eye to the facts about early childhood.

Resources

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), (2005) Final Major Projects and Theses. Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Standley, E., (2009) HIV & AIDS in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-africa.htm

Nankunda , H. C., (2004) Policies and Programs in Support of Childcare for Working Families: A Case Study of Data Sets and Current Activities in Uganda. Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Nankunda%20-MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Option 2:
Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?

If I could conduct research on any topic in the early childhood field  I want to look how a child's ability to interact socially plays on their future job. The study will show parents the importance of disciplining their children and teaching them respect for others. I think this study will make people want to raise more socially conscious children. The reason this is so interesting to me is because I recently found out that a janitor at our school was one of those children who disrespected teachers and would not follow directions in school. I wonder if it was because of her behavior as a child.

Research Journey

As part of my Building  Research Competencies class we were asked to come up with a a possible research simulation that I could do. The research simulation question I came up with was to determine how parents choose the type of childcare they put their children in. I choose to break it down further by looking at if state funded child care assistance was not available would so many children be in childcare centers. I know that child care assistance is a vital component when parents are thinking about child care. Sorry to say that many families probably wouldn't be able to afford to send their children to daycare.

I have learned after starting this research process that research does take a long time. You are not just looking at what you know or think but what information is out there. You have to be able to support your findings with other people's work. I found that you have to take your time and look around. Making sure a source is credible can take up some of your time. You don't want to quote people who are not creditable because then it makes your work look bad.

Change, Contexts, Consequences, and Constraints

Throughout my EDCU 6162 course I was asked to make contact with international early childhood professionals in other countries. I made contact with two international professionals. One of the professionals was Juan Carlos Borda located in Bolivia. The other professional was Robin McMillan located in Canada. over the past several weeks I began learning about these professionals and the early childhood field in the countries in which they reside. I found it interesting to learn what the early childhood field is like in other places besides the United States. Learning about other countries is not all it is cracked up to be. I found several consequences to learning about other countries. The first consequence is realizing that other people are in situations way worst then you are. The state of the country and children are horrible in some cases. You realize that the things you complain and worry about don't compare to what is happening in other countries. The second consequence is getting attached. I learned how hard it is in other countries and started taking on their problems as my own. You start to feel so connected to these people and what they do that all you want to do it help. I started looking into what it would take to become a teacher in the other countries. You want to go over and help. Lastly I regret not meeting my international contacts in person. I would have loved to meet these early childhood professional in person. Any person that spends their life fighting for children and what is right is an inspiration to me. I think that early childhood professionals we need to connect and share any information that we have to help improve the state of early childhood all over the world. So I think my goal would be to increase the awareness of the importance of early childhood education in every country.People around the world need to know that early childhood is just as important as a college education. Children are so important to the future of the world that we must start them off on the right foot.

International Contacts- Part 3

• To Become a teacher in Canada:

• Get a Degree

  • Earn an undergraduate university degree that includes or is followed by at least one year of teacher training. Most universities in Canada offer a one-year or two-year program leading to a Bachelor of Education. Students apply to these programs after obtaining a three-year or four-year undergraduate degree in any subject.

  Choose your Subject

  • While any subject can be pursued, focus your studies on the areas pertaining to what you want to teach. For example, if you wish to teach high school biology or physical education, consider a science degree with a minor in kinesiology. If you are aiming to teach at the elementary level, consider taking courses in child psychology.

  Learn the Language

  • If you immigrated to Canada or your first language is not English or French, remember that proficiency in one or both of these official languages is a requirement.

  Gain Experience

  • To distinguish yourself from the competition, gain work or volunteer experience in addition to the academic requirements. For instance, if you want to teach at the elementary level, consider finding work at a children's camp during the summer.

  Get Certified

  • To ensure that your training and experience fulfill the requirements for the province or territory in which you wish to teach, consult the teacher certification agency in the relevant jurisdiction. After completing your education, apply for professional certification under the regulating body in the relevant province and territory. Further information and links to these organizations can be found on the website of the Canadian Teachers' Federation

  
  
  

Sharing Web Resources

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

I decided to explore past the National Head Start Association website to the individual state websites. I found that the Louisiana Head Start Association office is located in Opelous, LA. I have passed it several times traveling to my families home but never knew it was the Main office. I also learned that Louisiana is apart of Region 6 with Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?

I found that the National Head Start Association has a program called GO SMART. The GO SMART program is aimed at having high quality physical eduction programs in head starts. Families and educators learn techniques to engage children from birth up to age five in regular physical activity, inside and outside of the classroom and the home.

• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available?

They do not have an e-newsletter. The have a printable newsletter called Family Connections. It did not have any links in it.

• Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

The website has a Father/Son Initiative. The National Head Start Association recognizes that a majority of their children come from single mother households, but they do want to reach out to the father's of those children.

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

I found that money was given to head start by congress in 2009 but if they don't find a way to keep it going all the extra spots and jobs would be lost due to lack of funding. We need to find better ways of keeping funding for early childhood programs.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

I am in contact with Juan from UNICEF in Bolivia. Here are some Issues related to excellence and equity in the early childhood field.

Fifity per cent of children aged under 1 and 12 per cent of children aged from 0-9 years old lack a birth certificate. The causes of this lack of registry are of an economic and cultural character: the cost of obtaining a birth certificate is high, and there is a lack of information on the benefits of registering children. A child whose birth is not registered does not exist in the eyes of the state and therefore does not have access to the basic services and rights guaranteed by law.


An estimated 616,000 children and adolescents work.  These children prematurely have to assume responsibilities which do not correspond to their age, and frequently are exploited at work. Also, work impedes many children from attending school. Only 39 per cent of working children continue their schooling, while 4.3 per cent have never gone to school.

Sharing Web Resources

The National Head Start Association http://www.nhsa.org/

• What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

The National Headstart Association Website has added a live newsfeed to its website for the most uptodate inofrmation on headstart programs. With this feed you know what is going on with headstart all around the country.

• Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

US House of Representatives introduced H.R. 1 which would fund the Federal government for the remaining 6 months of FY 2011 by slashing funding for many key programs. This included a drastic nearly 25 percent cut to Head Start programs that would result in more than 200,000 children losing services and more than 50,000 Head Start employees losing their jobs. .

• What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

The U.S. Senate rejected HR1, the House bill that would have cut more than 218,000 children from Head Start and eliminate 55,000 jobs.

The Bad News:
An alternative Senate bill, which would have preserved funding for Head Start, was also rejected.

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

International Contacts

In EDCU 6162 we were asked to make contact with early childhood professionals from other countries.I was able to make two contacts.I was able to make contact with a early childhood professional from Canada and one from Bolivia.

 The first contact is Robin McMillian. She is a senior consultant for Canadian Child Care Federation. From her I was able to learn that Canada's poverty rate is 9.1%. It has decreased from a few years ago when it was 11.9%.

The second contact I made was Juan Carlos. He is a social communicator from Bolivia.He works for UNICEF. Bolivia is among the five poorest countries in South America, with high maternal and infant mortality rates.59% of the population of over 8,274,325 inhabitants live in conditions of poverty and 24.4%live in conditions of extreme poverty.

I realize that all countries have really hard poverty problems. Each country deals with their problems in the same way. They all try to solve the problems the best way they can.

National Head Start Association

The organization I choose is the National Head Start Association. http://www.nhsa.org/

NHSA Mission

Our mission is to coalesce, inspire and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education.
We are compelled to fulfill this mission by the promise of all the possible outcomes:

• one powerful, united Head Start voice;
• a collegial, collaborative Head Start field, one that is a valluable and valued partner and resource to early chiildhood development and education;
• nonpartisan support of increased Federal commitment to Head Start and, ultimately
• healthier, empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities.

Issue
The National Head Start Association puts out a montly newsletter called Family Connection. This newsletter is intended for the parents of the families in headstart. Each newsletter focues on one topic at a time. The Feburary newsletter talked about how important it is to get out and move. It gave parents different activites they could do with their children to get them more active. The newsletter also told why parents should get their children active. The top three reasons why your children should be more active:
1) Children who are physically active are better behaved.
2) Children who are more active sleep better at night.
3) A young child's phyical development is tied to helping their reading and math skills

FYI

Head Start actually consists of two programs: Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS). HS is a comprehensive early childhood development program primarily serving at-risk preschool-age children and their families. Established during the 1994 Reauthorization of HS, EHS is a comprehensive early childhood program serving primarily at-risk children prenatal to age three, pregnant women, and their families.

1,117,687 children and pregnant women were served in HS and EHS programs during the 2009-2010 program year: 2
* 983,809 in HS and 133,878 in EHS

Establishing Professional Contacts

As you grow as a professional you need to start making contacts with other professionals. This week in EDCU 6162 we were asked to make contact with Early Childhood professionals from around the world. I used the websites that were given and went through and found some organizations to contact. I have received no replies yet from any of the organization that I contacted. To choose me organizations I tried to find ones that I felt may know English. I feel that it is very difficult to send emails in English to countries that speak different languages. I believe

The organization I choose to study is the National Head Start Association. I choose this organization beacause I am big believer in what they do. This organization helps to proivde an education to young children whose families may otherwise not be able to afford it. I have been an advoacate for them without even realizing it. I am constantly telling people who have children who are of age about the program. I don't believe in excusses when it comes  to a child's education. I look forward to gong more indepth into this organization.

My Supports

Every person needs support to get through life. Support to me is the help you get from the people who understand you. In my daily life I receive support from almost everyone around me.


My sister






My sister and I have grown together so much since getting older. She helps my with son when my husband has to work and just lets me talk. We laugh and have fun and she is just there for me. She supports me in anyway she can.










My bestfriend



I have known my bestfriend since the 6th grade.  

She keeps my grounded. She advises me and helps me. When I need someone to talk some since into me she is the one I go to. She gives emotional support.




 

 My husband is my ulitmate best friend. He makes me laugh. I stepout of my confort zone with him. He supports me with sharing housework and taking care of our son. He helps me emotionally talking with me and bringing me to earth.

 My son gives me physical support. He hugs me and kisses on me and makes me feel like a wonderful mommy. He also mentally supports me with all the wonderful questions he ask. I like to tell the real reason things happen and answer his questions truthfully so I am always doing research.


My brother-in-law



My brother-in-law gives me support with my son. He is 15 and is usually with us on the weekend. He helps entertain my son so that I can get things done.









My calendar is my monteray support. They keep me together. I have three one in my purse. One in my kitchen and the other on my desk at work. They keep me together and organized.

LOSSING MY SUPPORT



 If I lost some or all of my supports I would lose it. I think I would have quit my job by now if I didn't have emotional support. I love my job but some days I just get so frustrated. If I no longer had my son I don't think all the other things would matter anymore. He is my heart and a body can't function without a heart. Losing the physical support of shared housework would be devastating. My house would look a mess until the weekend. I leave home early and get home in time to make dinner. Don't think my house could take it. Oh my gosh! I lost my day planner in my purse once and I almost lost it. i was not able to set up a new appointment because I didn't know if I had something already there. I did not have my password to my account. I tore my house apart until I found it. I would not have made it very long. (I have three calendars. One in my purse. One on the wall of my kitchen and one on my desk at work) If I did not have my brother-in-law my house would fall apart. I know this from last weekend when I was washing dishes and my son walked in covered in baby powder. He covered his room in baby powder. SO I had to stop what I was doing, clean it up, and make him take a nap. Then I was able to clean.



My son covered in baby powder.



 

MIGHT NEED SUPPORT

My husband and I are trying to have a second child. I know that when that child gets here I will need some new support. I will need my husband to help me with the middle of the night feedings.(He is a sound sleeper and hears nothing.) I will need the support of my mom to guide me on the right things to do. In a perfect world I would have a nanny to help me with my children. I would also have a personal trainer come to my house to get me back to pre-baby weight. I am going to need emotional support for the sleep deprivation.

Thank You to those people who show my support eveyday!





My Connections to Play

"A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm."  ~Bill Vaughan

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again."  ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

Play is an essential part of childhood. Growing up I was pushed to go outside and interact with other children. You would see children every where. A child could turn anything into a toy. You never had to have the newest or most expensive anything, you were just happy to be outside playing. One toy that I loved as a child was a teddy bear my daddy gave me. My father brought him home in Army fatigues like the ones he wore. The bear went everywhere with me. It was a prized possession. My other prized position is a sock doll my grandmother made me. I still have her and my grandmother made me a new one as I got older. She hand made the dolls, the dresses, the socks, and shoes. I didn't know it then, but I know now how much love went into the doll.

  (These are my sock dolls)

The children of today don't do outside anymore. You always see children inside playing video games. Parents don't push there children to go outside and play. The reason I believe all children are inside is the safety of the neighborhoods. So often you hear of children being innocent bystanders when adults are doing wrong. To help the children learn about when I was younger, I try to teach the children hand games and other games that I played when I was young. I love the idea of play. I thank my family for forcing me out to play. I make sure my child has the opportunities I had. I let him go out and play as much as I can. He doesn't go outside without me, but I still want him to play. I hope parents realize children need to run and have fun. Parents need to realize "play contribites to cognitive growth, aids social and emotional development, and is essential to physical development. Many of the abilities required to succed in school settings are gained through play experiences." (Brewer, 2004)

Refernces
Brewer, J.A. (2004) Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool through Primary Grades. Person: New York, New York.

Child Development and Public Health

According to www.mumsweb.com Breast milk is perfectly suited to the baby it's made for. If a baby is born prematurely, that mother's milk will be higher in iron than it would have been had the baby gone to full term. As each baby grows, mother's breasts produce milk which changes in volume and composition to meet the baby's changing needs.
Breastfeeding is meaningful me because I breastfeed my son for the first 4 months. I felt that it was a bonding experience. I feel closer to my son because of it. I have also noticed that he does not get sick as much as other children. I found that people in the United States do not breastfeed as much as people in the other countries. In India breastfeeding is a necessity for the poor people who live in the slums, but in the middle and upper class breastfeeding is becoming less common because the women are being consumed by being working mothers. I find that more women need to breastfeed. I will use this knowledge to tell more women about breastfeeding. I will do my part by breastfeeding any future children I have. I want more women to protect their children like I did against illness.