A Merry Farewell

I would like to thank all of you for your support and insight over the last eight weeks and many of you much longer than that. I have learned valuable knowledge about early childhood from your personal experiences and the information each of you have shared. I wish you all much success and happiness on your professional paths. May your dreams be achieved and your lives be filled with many blessings during the holidays and throughout the year.

Hopefully, I will work with some of you again as we begin our specializations, but for those who will go separate ways, good luck. Continue to be a learner and advocate of early education!

Happy holidays to all! Enjoy the time with family and friends!

Tabitha

The Adjourning Phase

The adjourning stage to me is usually one that is bittersweet. There is usually an accomplishment that I am proud of and glad to have completed, but it is always difficult for me to leave the relationships that have been built in the process. There are many examples of groups we have all been a part of, but the ones that are hardest to say goodbye are the ones that I have been apart of the longest and created the closest friendships.

My high school graduating class is a group that I grew up with all through school. Although we were not always in a specific group, we worked on different projects and assignments throughout school. To me, high school graduation was one of the saddest days of my life. I was happy to start a new chapter, but extremely sad to be going separate ways from all of my childhood friends. The adjourning of this special group was so hard because of the relationships I had built within this group. This happened again when gradating from college. The group of  my close education graduating class had traveled together through many of our education classes and learned a great deal from each other. Again, the adjourning of this group was hard for me. Many of my friends graduated and moved back to their hometowns and only a few do I communicate with today. As I look forward to graduating yet again from my Master's program, I feel that I have learned a lot from this group as well. However, with this group I have not had personal contact with anyone and only conversed through class discussion, so the adjourning process will be more of a celebration with my classmates this time. I look forward to celebrating this accomplishment with my classmates.

Conflict Management

My husband and I recently had a disagreement on our Christmas budget. In my opinion, he would spend twice as much on our children as I would. Yes, I know that sounds weird; however, I come from a family of seven children and material possessions were limited. Don't get me wrong, I love to buy for my babies, and I feel they get more than enough on Christmas and birthdays, but if I left it up to my husband, they would get even more. It is extremely important to me that my children understand that they are blessed and that some children are not as privileged as they are. We both want to raise our children to give to those less fortunate, so why not buy a little less for our children, and give a little more to children who will not get any Christmas.

We used a few strategies during this discussion that were important to help us come to an agreement on how we wanted to spend our money on Christmas this year. First, we both shared our ideas and we both had to use effective listening. Interrupting and getting upset was not going to help the situation. After listening to both sides, we decided that we would compromise and make a list of things that each of us wanted to get the kids. This list included gifts that we both wanted them to have and a few gifts for the whole family. We then discussed how much we would spend on each angel that we picked from the tree at church. At the end of our discussion, I felt that we got a lot accomplished and that both our children and the other children would benefit from effective communication in the Krueger household. I was a happy lady!

Who am I as a communicator?

I chose to let my husband and my mother-in-law take the tests to evaluate me as a communicator. My husband and I were within a few points of each other on both the communication anxiety inventory and the verbal aggressiveness scale and the same group for the listening styles profile. I expected this to be the case since we have known each other for 18 years and married 10 years. I have to communicate with him on many different levels about many different topics. It was actually reassuring that he had the same perceptions as I have of myself. My mother-in-law's scores were lower on the first two and the same group on the last one. On the communication anxiety inventory she placed me 12 points lower than I scored myself. This tells me that she perceives me as a confident communicator who is comfortable communicating on all levels. This is not the case in all situation and I often have anxiety about speaking to groups; however, I do try hard not to let others see my anxiety. So, although our scores were vastly different, I am thankful that others perceive me as a confident communicator.

I have learned that even though you have moments when communicating with others can cause you to feel anxious, it is still possible to be an effective, confident communicator.

Communicating Differently

Since becoming an educator, I take pride in the way I communicate with others. I often find myself thinking of what I am saying before I say it and even correcting myself when I say something that I think may not make sense to the person I am speaking to. My family is made up of different abilities, political beliefs, and races. I believe the only situation that I communicate differently is when concerning different abilities. I would explain something a little more or speak a little slower if needed. A good example of this is with my grandmother. She grew up in a completely different generation than I did, so when talking about technology or something that she is not familiar with, I have to explain things usually numerous times and in simple terms.  A recent example of this is when she asked me something that she could get my nine year old son and his cousin that is the same age, I mentioned that an Itunes gift card would be something that I thought they both could use to get music for their Ipods. She said, " a what card for their I- what." She had no idea what Itunes or Ipods were.

Within my neighborhood, there are many races, religions, political views, abilities, and other differences. When having neighborhood gatherings, I find myself communicating with others differently than I would communicate with close friends or family. I am more careful about what I say because I am not sure how other people feel or think about certain situations. When around people that I am comfortable with, I communicate more openly and more expressive with my feelings. At these gatherings, I find myself being more of a listener and taking in what other people are saying. Listening to others helps me to learn more about them.

There are some strategies that could help me communicate more effectively in these situations. First, I could learn more about the backgrounds of the people I plan to communicate with. Understanding their culture can help me feel more comfortable when communicating with them. When communicating with people of different abilities, it may be helpful to have other tools/props when explaining something to them. It would have helped my grandmother to take her to the store and show her what kind of gift card was correct or show her what an I pod looks like. Last, it would be helpful to find something that I have in common with my neighbors, so that we can begin our conversation with something that we feel comfortable talking about. This would establish a commonality between us and help us to communicate effectively.

Communication on Television

I chose to watch the talk show "The View" on ABC. If you know anything about this show the hosts talk about all the hot news topics at the beginning of the show and many times the discussions get pretty heated. So, I decided to watch this show without sound to watch for nonverbal behaviors. I noticed that Joy and Elizabeth seemed to use their hands to talk more than the others. Sherri tends to make facial expressions when talking about something she is passionate or upset about. I saw her roll her eyes and have looks of disgust at one point in the show. Whoopi seems to sit with a more relaxed posture than the others. Barbara being the oldest and most experienced host seems to have most mature upright posture. At one point in the show, Elizabeth seems to be talking loudly as she gets a little red on the face and neck. Before the show takes commerial breaks, I notice that they leave for break all smiling and happy.

After watching the show with sound, I noticed that Joy talks with her hands a good bit trying to be funny and add humor to the show, where as Elizabeth uses her hands and talks louder when talking about a topic that she knowledgeable about such as politics. Sherri gets upset when talking about a racial issue in public schools. She doesn't like a comment made by Whoopi about not understanding why African Americans are so upset about it. She rolls her eyes as if to disagree without saying anymore. Barbara Walters is a well-known news anchor who seems to just deliver the facts with very little emotion or opinion.

I assumed that they were all talking about topics that they were knowledgeable about or things that they were interested in after watching them. However, many times they were just mentioning items that are in the news or entertainment topics. I do think that assumptions would be easier if I watched the show regularly. I have seen the show a few times before, but it has been awhile. I was familiar with the format of the show which helped me understand it a little more; however, not hearing what they were saying made it hard to determine the meaning of the nonverbal communication.

Communication

The person that I think demonstrates competent communication is my aunt Marchai. She is a very successful business woman who has traveled the world for different companies throughout her life. She has a wonderful presence about her and brightens every room that she enters. When she speaks to you, she speaks with such sophistication yet makes you feel like what you have to say is valued and important. She is well spoken, a great listener, makes eye contact when talking to you, and shares her knowledge in a respectful way. She is well known for her services within her career and motivates the people around her.

I would love to model my communication behaviors after my aunt. I would love to have the confidence that she has when she speaks to people.  Because she is so confident, people look to her for advice, ideas, and comments on any given topic. This confidence, along with her body language, eye contact, knowledge, and bubbly personality makes her an amazing communicator, and someone I would like to model my communication skills from.

Goals and Hopes for Early Childhood

My one hope for children/families from diverse backgrounds would be that they feel valued in their early childhood setting and that they are allowed the opportunities to share the beauty of their culture and background with the other people.

My goal for the early childhood field on the topics of diversity, equity, and social justice would be to continue to educate people on what it means to live in a diverse world, help all people accept one another for their difference, and allow for more opportunities for to explore cultures other than their own.

A Big Thank You

To my colleagues,

Thank you so much for your comments, thoughts, and questions in regards to my blogs and discussion posts. I have enjoyed reading your discussions and blogs and learning from each of you. It has been interesting and informative to hear your own personal stories related to diversity, as I feel that I have gained a wealth of understanding and knowledge on this topic. I wish you all the very best in your future plans. Hopefully, our paths will cross again!

With much gratitude,

Tabitha Krueger

Welcoming Families from around the World

The country I chose is India.

First, I would do research on the country of India. I want to gain more knowledge of their traditions, language, and culture. I would do most research online and check the library for informative books.

Second, I would like to interview a family from India that now lives in the U.S. I would like to get a personal feel of the culture by talking with a family that can give me insight into the challenges they will face once they are in America.

Third, I would plan to meet with the family before the child enters the early childhood setting. I would like to get to know them as much as possible and make them feel comfortable with the EC program.

Fourth, when the child comes to the child care setting for the first time and throughout the transition period, I would make the child feel valued by incorporating her culture into the curriculum. I would talk with the child about her culture and allow the child to share pieces of her culture with the other children.

Last, I would continue to help the child transition to life in America by assisting her and her family with daily dilemmas and continue to respect her family culture learning about the things that are important to them.

Learning more about the Indian culture and speaking with a family that can share insights into future challenges will give me knowledge that will allow me to be valuable in the lives of the family. Making a great effort to learn the cultural traditions that  are important to this family will let them know that I respect their culture and value their transition into the American culture.

The Personal Side of Bias

I was trying to think of a good example where I was the victim in some type of bias which I am sure there are many. However, this week I experienced something that I am not very proud of. I showed gender microaggression one day this week, and I knew it the minute it came out of my mouth. I was picking my son up at preschool at our church in my hometown. There happened to be a lot going on at the church that morning, so I was hanging around talking with different people. As my son and I got on the elevator to head downstairs, an older lady entered carrying a sewing machine. She started talking about the sewing class she was taking. Well, I commented that I had bought a sewing machine last Christmas, but I have no idea how to sew. I told her that I would love to learn how and asked if there was room in the class she was taking. She told me to head back upstairs and talk with Chris/Kris. I responded that I would love to go up to talk with her. Well, this is where I assumed that the Chris/Kris was a female because we were talking about sewing. I made an assumption based on a stereotype and felt horrible. I could tell the lady was shocked that I assumed it was a woman, and she corrected me very quickly.

Needless to say, I felt so badly and knew the minute I said it that I did exactly what we have been talking about in this class. I was thankful that I now notice right away when I show prejudice or bias against someone else. This class has opened my eyes to the ways in which we show biases and don't even know it.

I diminished equity in this example by assuming that women are the only people who enjoy or know how to sew. In order to give this example greater opportunity for equity, I must do away with my own personal bias when it comes to gender assumptions. I must realize that all people have the same opportunities no matter what their gender. Like I said, I am not proud that I said that and was quite ashamed of myself. However, I immediately recognized what I had experienced and corrected my own thinking.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I have become aware of microagressions in the form of insulting messages that can be intentional or unintentional. I have found myself considering the ways in which my words could be offensive to other people. My thoughts took me into my classroom with my students. Because I taught 5th graders (the oldest kids in an elementary school), our assistant principal would call down to my classroom every once in awhile and ask for assistance. He would ask for me to send a few students to help him load something or deliver things to classrooms. After studying microaggressions, I recall the fact that I stereotyped by gender and would send my bigger male students to do the job. Many times the girls would ask me why I never picked them to go, and now I realize that this was a type of unintentional microaggression.
My experiences this week have led me to understand that people often show prejudice/discrimination and stereotype against others without realizing it. I am now aware of the microaggression talked about in this week's resources, and I will use the knowledge gained this week throughout my life and career to be sensitive to others when it comes to gender, race, ability, or sexual preference.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

After talking with three people in my neighborhood, I gathered their perspectives on culture and diversity.


41 year old white male
Culture means belonging to a certain group of people. This group shares similarities in beliefs and the way they live life. Diversity relates to culture because diversity refers to these different groups (cultures) living in the same place or location. 


10 year old African American female
Culture means sharing the same language and ideas with other people, like your family. She wasn't quite sure what diversity meant so I talked to her a little about it. She then said it means that people are different but yet can live in the same place. For example, at my school, we have different types of people, but we all go to school together. 


65 year old grandmother from Bolivia 
Culture is sharing similar traditions and beliefs with other people that are important to you. Diversity means bringing these different cultures together and sharing and learning with each other. We sat and talked at the neighborhood park one afternoon. She was asking me how much time I got to spend off of work with my new baby. I told her that I got to spend several months off with her but that most American working women only get 6-12 weeks off. She told me that in Bolivia, mothers get the first two years off. It was difficult to talk with her because of her language barrier, but I would love to know if they get paid for this time off and if their professional position is held for them while they are off. It was interesting talking with her. She lives with her daughter's family who live on my street.


What I realized after talking with others about diversity and culture is that they understand the basics of what culture means. They referred to differences in language, beliefs, and traditions, but they did not refer to the deeper meaning of culture. No one referred to the day to day interactions with others or a person's thinking and perspectives about things as culture. The idea that culture is learned from those around you was not mentioned in our conversations. I think that most people see culture as Janet Gonzalez-Mena explained it. They see the tip of the iceberg. The cultural differences that are obvious, but they do not understand that there are much deeper aspects of culture that lie below the surface. I believe that if we all had a complete understanding of the meaning of culture and diversity then people would be more understanding of our culturally differences. 

My Family Culture

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

I would bring:

1-My Bible- I will need spiritual guidance throughout this journey and the Bible will help my family and I get through this hardship. If the people of our new destination speak English, I will share a few of my favorite Bible verses. If not, I can only show them what it looks like. The Bible represents the faith of my family and gives us hope for the future. 

2- My family photo albums- These albums are my prize possessions. They are the one thing that I can not leave without. These albums hold all of my treasured memories of my wedding day, the births of my children, many family vacations and holidays, and  little moments and milestones. 


3- A collection of toy figures- This collection of figures I started when I was a young girl. I played with them and my children have played with them. Taking these with us would give my children something to play with and represent a keepsake that has been in my family for many years. 


My feelings if, upon arrival, I was told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me:
I would be frustrated to know that I left many important things behind in my country and now have to give up two others. I would not want to leave any of them behind, but if I could only take one it would be my family photo albums. Taking my albums with me would help me keep my family culture alive as we adapt to the new culture around us. These are moments that I want to treasure forever and having the album to look at helps me to remember and visualize them. It will also help me to keep the family culture within my own children.


After thinking about experiencing a situation like this, I began thinking about immigrants who come to America not knowing our culture or language. I thought deeply about how frustrating and sad they must feel. It would be frustrating not being familiar with anything in the new country and sad to leave many of your family traditions behind. It gives me a new sensitivity for those people who struggle to learn the English language and adjust to American culture.

Consequences of Learning

I have learned some valuable information about the international early childhood field from the podcasts and from exploring the websites. Below are three consequences of my learning:

1) I have gained international knowledge of how early childhood issues affect other parts of the world. I also learned ways in which other countries are dealing with these issues.

2) I have gained additional resources that I can use throughout my early childhood career. These resources offer information that can be used to continue my professional development as I work to help families and childern in early education.

3) Lastly, I have gained other cultural perspectives on early education. By exploring international contacts, it has given me other ideas and insights into early childhood issues.

My goal is to continue to use these resources to broaden my understanding of international issues related to early childhood education. Hopefully, as my colleagues and I continue to grow as professionals, we will remember the insights we have gained from these resources and from each other. I wish you all well in your professional endeavors.

UNESCO Website

I enjoyed reading about early childhood quality in the section on the right hand side under policies briefs. There was an article on the early childhood workforce in developed countries. I found a section of this article to be interesting because it talked about the origins of early childhood services. Dating back to the 19th century, there were two main origins in early childhood services: nurseries for poor families and schools for middle class families. Today we offer early education to all familes; however, because of this history, there is a divide between systems with differences in staff, access, cost, funding, and regulations. Still we have divided systems with one system offering "childcare workers" and the other offering "teachers". There is a difference in education levels, pay for staff, employment conditions, and social status between the two systems. In towns all across America, this is still a problem today and education professionals and early childhood advocates are trying to change this through policy reform.

Under the investments tab, I found an interesting article that shared information about how Colombia created and two percent early childhood development payroll tax in order to improve programs for children and families in Colombia. In 2004, 21% of the population received services. An evaluation showed that the programs created by the funds from this tax expanded women's employment, improved children's cognitive and social development, and protected children. However, the following areas still needed improvement: home child care environments, mother educator training, child development, nutrition, and health services.

I found this paragraph on access to be very powerful.
"Central governments must ensure an equitable distribution of resources among different populations and especially those who live in the most disadvantaged regions. This approach aims to expand access without creating serious regional inequities. However, where there is universal provision for a certain age group while the overall enrolment in other age groups is low, this policy can create inequity."

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

Sharing Web Resources

On the website, NAECTE, I followed the outside link under Journal. This link takes you to the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education where it welcomes research reports, position papers, and essays on educational issues. When exploring a little deeper, I noticed a side bar on the right hand side that shared the "most read" articles, so I thought I would take a look at those.

The article that I thought best related to our class and study was an article on Historical Themes and Contemporary Issues. This article discusses the increase of investment in prekindergarten education  and raises questions of what makes a well-qualified early childhood teacher. In this article, the author explores what is "high quality" and attempts to define quality teaching. It also suggests that there is much to be learned from the history of kindergarten and talks about ideas of best practices. This article touches on the topics of equity and excellence as we have explored this week. In order to reach excellence an early childhood program will have to be of high quality and employee well-qualified, educated teachers.

Global Children's Initiative

As I explored the Center of the Developing Child @ Harvard University, I gained the following insight:

What is the Initiative about?
The Center on the Developing Child from Harvard University has committed to global work in other nations to meet the needs of all children around the world. Using strategic objectives from the U.S., the Global Children's Initiative has built a portfolio of activities in early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. The plan is to educate leaders of international agencies, publish scientific framework for global work in early education, and research effective ways to translate information on child development to global policymakers. The initiative also wants to focus on the issue of child mental health, an issue that is currently not effectively addressed. There is a group working to develop a focused research agenda.

National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs
This forum works to explain why investing in early education for young children is important. The forum tries to answer the questions of why and how investments should be made and assesses program evaluation research. There are several featured publications and videos to explain programs and policies related to early education.

Child Mental Health Network
This was started by the Center on the Developing Child in 2008 to address the gap of what we know and what we need to know about child and adolescent mental health. It focuses on the child development until young adulthood and using this knowledge of children's mental health to inform policy and practice. The initiative focuses on four areas that account for the majority of child mental health concerns: anxiety and anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, and conduct problems ranging from disobedience to violence.

Web Resources

When exploring the website for NAECTE, I found numerous helpful resources. I went onto the journals link and saw a journal on Preparing Early Childhood Teachers for English Language Learners. This seemed to include valuable information for teachers who have students that English is not their native language. This article described what occurred during the first year of professional development within a early childhood preparation program. This development helped the faculty move from awareness level to integrated English Language Learners skill development. I found this to be valuable information as we head into a more culturally diverse world.

I did not find any information about the support of economist, scientist, and politicans, but  I found the book resources to be interesting and relate to past topic of diversity, dual language learners, early childhood curriculum and many others. There is a brief description on each book. It includes a book on issues faced by immigrant children and challenges and successes within the school setting, as well as others concerning the issue of diversity.

Contacts and Poverty

I have had no response from the contacts that I sent emails two weeks ago, and I am curious to see if any of my classmates have had better luck. Because I received no communication from educators around the world, I had to complete the podcast assignment this week.

 I listened to the podcast on Susan Lyon. She is an early childhood professional from the San Francisco area. She brought a concept called "100 Languages of Children" to northern California after visiting Reggio Emilia.  She also started the Innovative Teacher Project where she offered participating schools round table discussions on how to use this approach to give children a wonderful environment to learn.

 I have had no communication with early childhood professionals, so I went to the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center's page. Wow, what great information! I was shocked when I read that 600 million children worldwide live in poverty. I cannot even comprehend the magnitude of this issue. It is definitely an issue that our country needs to improve on.

 I was interested to see how poverty affected children in China. Education is a top priority in China and even poor families say that they would not let poverty prevent their children from a proper education or entering higher education. However, like in other countries, the limitations are still there. There are no additional funds to invest in additional education programs or private tuitions for after school hours. Also, children of poor families are not able to get the vaccinations not covered by the state funded immunization plan. In times of need, poor families often relied on relatives, friends, and neighborhood committees. 60 % of urban households receive the Minimum Living Standard Security Allowance.

Resource: National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators

NAECTE Newsletter link: http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=29 )

When reading this newsletter, I found the information on developmentally appropriate media programming very interesting, as it relates to this week's topic of discussion. The University of West Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning expressed understanding of the social and cultural value of the content in which young children are exposed to. As audio-visual programming entertains and informs young children, it helps them to develop their identity, so it is important that young children are provided with media that reflect who they are. Public television is the leader in providing high quality educational programming, in fact, 85 percent of parents trust what their children are watching. As studies show that children watch four hours of television a day, the goal of the Developmental Appropriate Programming and the University of West Georgia Television Station 13 is to offer education, information, and language development to young children in a fun, exciting way. This program plans to meet the needs of area prekindergarten children through service learning, storytelling, puppetry, and exploring culture and traditions.

This issue made me consider the television program that my four year old spends a lot of time watching. He loves to watch the shows on Nick Jr. where he has learned many social concepts, practiced speaking Spanish, explored musical concepts, and much more. He has even answered me in Japanese and often counts in Spanish after watching popular shows on this network. The network's slogan is "preschool on TV," and I believe that it has given my child many social and cultural experiences. There is a wonderful cultural variety on this network with shows like: Dora the Explorer (Spanish), Go Diego Go (Spanish) and Nihao, Kai-lan (Japanese). I feel this is such a great experience for young children to see this on television and then be able to embrace cultural differences as they grow up in our changing society.

Professional Contacts

Part One: Professional Contacts

I have sent contact emails to the following countries: Canada, Netherlands, and Haiti. I received the email information from the NAEYC website. I have not heard back from contacts at this point but hope to hear from them in the next few days. This is the introduction email that I sent to each of them.

Hello,

My name is Tabitha Krueger, and I am from South Carolina in the United States. I am currently working on a Master’s degree in Early Childhood. Right now, I am studying issues and trends in the early childhood field, and we have been asked to contact professionals outside the United States to converse about issues and concerns in the field. I got your email address from the NAEYC website of Early Childhood Professionals and wanted to see if you are willing to communicate back and forth with me over the next eight weeks.

I would like to share some information about me and my career, so that you have a little background to build from. I graduated with a B.A. degree in Elementary Education in 2004 and began teaching that year. I taught fifth grade for seven years, and recently decided to change career paths. My future goal is to open a learning center in my hometown. In order to achieve this goal, I decided to get my Master’s degree and learn as much as possible about the early childhood field. I have a background in education but needed some knowledge about early childhood to be my best.

I look forward to learning about early childhood in your country. Please email me back at your earliest convenience. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me.

Tabitha Krueger                                                                                                                                                                   

Walden University

Part Two: Professional Website

I chose to study and learn from the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators website. This week I navigated to the different links just to see what they offered. I read the e-newletter for summer 2011 and gathered information of upcoming events and information. I read about the conference that was held in Rhode Island in June. I also read about ResearchNet on teacher research focusing on research by teachers at all levels. This is a form of professional development that gives teachers a forum for research studies, an outlet for research results, and profressional development opportunities.

When I Think of Research....

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

Throughout this course, I have learned a great deal about early childhood research, but probably the greatest thing I learned was that I can be one of those professionals that conduct research also. I have gained the insight and knowledge to begin researching topics that are important to me in the field. I have gained a new respect for professionals that devote time and energy to researching topics within this profession.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

Before this course, if someone would have said to me that I could become a researcher in the early childhood field, I would have said they were crazy. I had no idea what it meant to be an early childhood researcher and had no idea where to start. However, after completing this course and completing a research simulation, I feel more confident about doing research and feel that I now have a starting point. The activities completed as well as the course textbook will be great resources for the future.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I learned many things about research throughout this course. When planning for research, there are numerous things to consider. First, you must consider the ethics in research by thinking about the participants that will be affected by your research. You need to get informed consent from the participants, think about confidentiality and privacy, and also consider the risk/benefit equation. Second, I learned how to develop a research question, identify variables, and decide on data collection methods. When designing research, I learned several methods that can be used. There is quantitative, qualitative, and the mixed method approach. It is important to consider the type of data collection needed when choosing a method for research.  The planning and designing pieces are nearly complete, and the conducting of research would be the next step.

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

The biggest challenge was deciding on the research topic and turning it into a research question and hypothesis. I wanted to make sure that my ideas on what I wanted to know more about in the field could be something that I could complete a research simulation on. Once I thought about it and wrote a few ideas on paper, I was able to decide on a good topic and create a research question.

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

After this course, I value research more. Now, I know what goes into a research project and all the things that have to be considered before beginning to research. I also value the professionals that completed the research as well. When reading an article on an early childhood topic, I will slow down and take time to consider the people who completed the research. I guess you can say I have a new found interest in conducting research and a new respect for those professionals who do it.

Thanks to all of my colleagues who collaborated with me in another interesting course. Your weekly discussion posts, responses, blog posts, and blog responses have again enriched my understanding and knowledge in the course. I wish you all the best as you continue your journey to completing a master’s degree!

Research around the World

I explored the early childhood website of Australia at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/.

On the top of the home page, I found the mission statement to be similar to that of the thoughts and views of early childhood professionals in the U.S. It states the importance of advocacy for children birth to eight years of age to ensure quality education and equity in early childhood issues.

International Research Topics
As I read through many research topics on this website, many of the topics were similar to that being researched in the U.S. as well as many other countries. For example, there were many articles on the importance of play, school readiness, and impacts of different emotional issues on children's abilities to learn. These were a few of the articles that I read through and found familiar research information.
-Technologically constructed childhoods: Moving beyond a reproductive to a productive and critical view of curriculum development
-Defining and assessing school readiness
-Choices and changes in early childhood education in Australia: A ‘Play School’ perspective
-The implications of poverty on children’s readiness to learn

Noteworthy News
As I explored the site I found numerous topics that we have discussed in class this session. The following topics were of interest to me, as I related prior knowledge from class resources:

• The Code of Ethics section of the website- a new code of ethics was endorsed in September 2006
• Values mentioned on the homepage included: the rights of children, diversity, social inclusion of children
• web and print resources on information about school readiness and transitions and child health and childhood obesity

Facts and Insights
Another interesting part of the website that I found was the section on supporting best practice. It gave wonderful information on a variety of topics with amazing subtopics under each heading. It gave information on emotional well-being, children's development, speaking out for children, professional development. I read information under children's development: everyday learning and play: routines and rituals. I learned that children like predictable environments where daily routines are consistent. Routines provide children a sense of stability, feelings of warmth, and an opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them. It is important to keep a routine consistent yet remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the children. This section of the website offers great information under each topic.

Research on Child Labor

I found the research article on child labor to be interesting reading. This article was shaped by theories on human rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which focused on respecting children as participants with human rights throughout the research process. The research question focused on the following: Were children who work social actors or vulnerable dependents?

In the 1900s, child labor become a worldwide issue of concern especially in the United States and some European countries. As this concern grew, trade unions lobbied for child labor to be eliminated and were in support of trade sanctions and consumer boycotts to achieve it. Those advocating for children wanted all forms of child labor abolished stating that children were vulnerable and in a time of dependence, learning, and development. Other non-government organizations argued that these efforts to eliminate child labor could harm family and social responsibilities. By the mid-1990s, the battle was on between those advocating the abolishment of child labor and those advocating children's right to work.

At this time, research increased dramatically and was influenced by children's human rights principles; a new increasingly influential methodology was child-centered research. This research wanted to get the children's genuine views and experiences without the influences of others. It began to look at children as social actors instead of vulnerable dependents.

Children's Experiences of Work-Labor and Life in Jakarta

This research was conducted with children in Jakarta, Indonesia between 1994-1999. The study findings suggested that the agencies working to abolish child labor failed to recognize the importance of or benefits of their work. On the other hand, those advocating the right to work failed to acknowledge the factors that influence the choices that children make.

121 children participated in the research and were between the ages of 10 and 16. They worked in three broad categories: girls working in manufacturing factories, boys working in street vending and services, or girls and boys working in informal sector activities. The studies were based on a series of open-ended discussions with small groups of children. Discussions included question surrounding the type of work, why they work, likes/dislikes about work, and likes/dislikes about school.

The studies concluded that for most children the decision to work was the result of a set of pressures (including economic pressures) or opportunities in their lives or their families. However, children rarely saw themselves as victims. Many children explained their work as a means that helped their families and fulfilled family responsibilities. Younger children worked within family groups while those that were older often worked outside the family. The girls shared that choices of their lives was a benefit of working. Many of the girls lived independently in factor dormitories or nearby communities. The girls provided a portion of the wages to family but kept some money for necessities and entertainment purposes. Additional findings that are important to highlight are that the work of the children in these studies presented significant risks to their health and development. None of them were participating in work that would be described as beneficial or positive. Also, the children in the study did not experienced forced child labor or child slavery. The research findings in the 1990s called into question the merits of a single policy approach to child labor including the minimum age legislation in the early 2000s.

Reference:
Bessell, Sharon. 2011. Influencing international child labour policy: The potential and limits of children-centred research. Children & youth services review. Apr2011, Vol. 33 Issue 4, p564-568, 5p. Retrieved from Walden Library Academic Search Complete database.

Early Childhood Research Topic

The research topic that I think will be beneficial to my future plans of opening a learning center in my hometown is exploring the different types of early childhood curriculum and their effects on preschool age children. Being an elementary certified teacher, I feel that I have great qualities to add to an early childhood program; however, I also feel that I am lacking the knowledge in some areas to be a successful owner and director. There are three subtopics that I have in mind to help expand my knowledge on the different types of curriculum and how each type affects early childhood education.

The first subtopic of interest is to learn the similarities and differences between the three most popular choices of early childhood curriculum. Looking at the different curriculum types and comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses within the curriculum will help me to make the best choice for the children in my future learning center.

The second subtopic of interest is the effects early childhood curriculum has on school readiness for preschool age children. With the prior knowledge that high quality early education is such a significant factor in young children and their success in elementary school, it is extremely important to me that my program prepare these young children for maximum school success. This subtopic will allow me the knowledge to choose a curriculum that will prepare all young children in my program for success at the next level of education.

The third subtopic of interest is the effects these three types of curriculum have on social emotional development in preschool children.  Not only do I want the children in my learning center to be academically ready for school, but I also want all children to be socially and emotionally ready for school.

I believe the knowledge we will gain as we complete the research charts will give us the understanding to be future researchers on important early childhood topics. I feel like taking it step by step to learn how to be a good researcher will be so beneficial in our career. As I begin the journey of exploring my research topic, does anyone have any significant insight or knowledge of resources that would help me when searching for types of curriculum? Many of you already work in the early childhood field, so I thought that some of you may be able to give me some guidance as I begin.

My Supports

Support to me means to help, be there for, or encourage someone you care about. Without physical, emotional, and practical support on a daily basis, I would not be able to achieve the things I do each day. Today, Americans are so busy with their day to day responsibilities and commitments that they need more and more support from others.

My biggest supporter is my husband. I count on him to give me support with our children, keeping up with the house work, disciplining the children, financial decisions, preparing dinner, and many other daily chores. He supports me emotionally by encouraging me to achieve my goals, continuously making me feel loved, and being there when I need him. He supports me physically by doing the things around the house that I can't physically do. He takes care of the lawn maintenance, takes out the trash (in the big garage trashcan), and builds and repairs things around the house. We work together to create a healthy, loving household for our family.

My husband and I also have support from our extended family in a variety of ways. They are there when we need them to help with our children, to give advice about parenting or finances, to encourage us, and to just show unconditional love and support. We often share family meals and get together to participate in fun family activities.

I have support from my colleagues while I am at school. My team teachers and I work together to provide support to each other in several ways. We share ideas, help each other with daily lesson plans, keep each other company, help watch each others students when needed, switch duties when needed, and just help out when we know someone needs it. Because I have a supportive, caring group of teammates, it makes my job more enjoyable and easier.

I also have quite a bit of practical support. Because I am so busy with my kids after school activities and our family commitments, I could not remember everything without my daily calendar and my to-do list. These two things serve as a daily reminder of what all I have to get done by the end of the day, week, and month. Both of these supports help me to stay calm and relaxed about achieving my daily responsibilities.

My last support is my faith in God. I believe this support is what makes me feel complete. The following bible verse is one that I find powerful and supportive:

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

Philippians 4:13

Without each of these supports in my daily life, I would be incomplete, lost, and unsuccessful. Everyone needs help and support from others, and I am blessed to have such an amazing support system around me.

The challenge I chose to imagine having is being in a wheelchair (paralyzed). The biggest support I would need would probably be physical support. I would need someone to drive me around, help me to get around, help me take care of myself, and meet my daily physical needs. I would also need emotional support. I am sure that my self-worth would be low, and I would often need someone to lift my spirits. My family would have to be a huge support for me with this disability. I would also have to have several practical supports within my household to function on a daily basis. I would need a handicap ramp, resources for getting around the house, means to bath and cook, and many other things that I could not do without support in some way. Having a disability or other challenges would be difficult; however, people live their lives each day with these challenges. They use and need support from others just as you and I need it.



My Connections to Play

“Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs.” ~ James L. Hymes Jr.

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison

My boys playing @ the town Halloween festival.

No better play time than play time at the

beach!

“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” ~ D.W. Winnicott



 

Cabbage Patch Kids were some of my favorite things to play with when I was a little girl. I collected many of them and had numerous accessories to go along with them. I often pretended that they were my children and I was their mommy. They all had names, and I love to change their clothes.

I also enjoyed playing with the Disney princess dolls and playing dress up to look and act like them. I loved the classic movies and acting out scenes from them.

One of my favorite toys as a child was the hula hoop. I would spend hours trying to see if I could bet my record from the day before. It was great exercise and really helped develop gross motor skills. Even today, I am a great hula hooper on the Wii, and I always say it is because of my experience with it as a child.

As a child, I loved playing with the things mentioned above, but what I loved to do even more was to get dirty playing outside. We lived in a very small house on a family owned dirt road. Even though our living space was limited, our outdoor play space was endless. Because we lived on a family-owned road, I had cousins all around me. So, we would spend hours and hours exploring in the woods. We would build forts out of old scrap wood, create swings out of vines, make mud pies out of dirt and creek water. My mother and grandparents were very supportive of our outdoor play time and on occasion would come out to see our latest invention. This type of play was so important to my development. I believe it played a major part in the development of my independence and creativity. Unfortunately, this type of play is non-existent in the lives of many children today. Living spaces seems to be larger but the outdoor space is limited. Houses are enormous but the yard space is tiny. Play for my children is extremely different than play when I was a child. I played in the woods, and my children play in small areas of the neighborhood at the park or in the cul-de-sacs. I did not have very many toys, so I was creative with what little I had. Today, children have rooms and rooms full of toys to choose from. No matter what type of play children are experiencing, it is so important that children are allowed to explore, be creative, and be active. Even as adults, there are many things we do to keep play a part of our lives. We love to hike, bike ride, play outdoors with our children, play on the beach, and spend time just exploring the things we love. Play is evident and significant in all ages of life.

Relationship Reflection



My family

My boys with grandparents and cousins

 

The relationships that I have built throughout my life have impacted the person I have become. Whether it be my family, friends, mentors, neighbors, children, or significant other, the things I have experienced and learned from these relationships have fostered the choices and decisions that I have made. I am thankful to have people in my life that inspire me to be the best me, challenge me to achieve my dreams, and love me unconditionally.

My grandmother is a very important person in my life and continues to be an active, involved person within our family. She has always been a person that I could count on. Growing up, she gave me consistency and security. She has instilled in me the value of family and created a passion in me to be a kind and giving person. I strive each day to be a person that she will be proud of.

My friends influence my daily life by being there for me. They are there to support me when I need a lift, laugh with me when sharing fun stories or experiences, talk to me when needing guidance or advice , and just spend quality time with me. These relationships are one of a kind.

My husband has been in my life since my early teens. We have literally grown up together. It is amazing to me how strong our relationship is because of the trails and triumphs we have endured. My relationship with him and my children are the most valuable in my life. He is my best friend, my partner, my cheerleader, my supporter, my encourager, and my inspiration. We meet each other half way in everything that we do and realize that life will occasionally throw us curve balls. Because of the strength of our relationship, I believe that we can do anything!
. "The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. --Sir Hugh Walpole



The relationships I have made with my sons are indescribable. Every ounce of my heart and soul is put into the love I have for them. I have created relationships with my children that will hopefully leave a legacy for many generations. I have tried to express the qualities that I believe an amazing mother should have. They make me feel important, special, and loved! I think that the relationships and love I have for my children makes me a better educator because I understand that the children I teach are as precious to their parents as mine are to me. I want to make sure that I take care of them the way I want my children to be cared for. I try to give them the best education I can because that is what my children and all children deserve.

Early Childhood Quotes and Thanks

"Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don't begin thinking about education in the early years, our children are at risk of falling behind by the time they start Kindergarten."
- Robert. L. Ehrlich

I thought this quote was a good reminder of how important early childhood education is. As the nation faces major budget deficits over the next few years, I can only hope that this quote will find its way to the hearts and minds of those who will make the difficult decisions. Hopefully, the United States will continue to value early childhood education and make the futures of our children brighter.

All children wear the sign: 'I want to be important NOW.' Many of our juvenile delinquency problems arise because nobody reads the sign.

-Dan Pursuit

All children deserve a childhood that is filled with love and attention from caregivers. We need to take the time to make sure we reach all children. It could make a significant difference in their lives.

Special Thanks to my Group 1 Classmates:

I want to thank my classmates for giving their insights and sharing their experiences with me over the last eight weeks. I have gained a wealth of knowledge about early childhood and enjoyed reading post and responses from all. I wish you all the best in your careers and future endeavors.

Testing for Intelligence

The measure of intelligence has been around since the early 1900's when the French government asked a psychologist named Alfred Binet to develop an IQ test to help identify children that needed specialized services. This intelligence test is still in use today. However, Binet did not believe that this single test could give you an accurate measure of intelligence. Instead, he suggested that intelligence is too broad and influenced by a number of factors to measure it by a single number.

Unfortunately, in my district students who receive "gifted and talented" services are measured based on a few criteria. All of which are standardized test. Classroom abilities, grades, and teacher recommendations are not included. To me, this seems unfair because the whole child is not taken into consideration. However, when we test children for special services (learning disabilities) there are many factors that come into play. We consider test scores, but we also do additional testing, look at work samples, make observations in the classroom, consider grades on school work, and talk with the teacher. A team of professionals join together to determine the services that these children need. In this situation, I feel that we do a better job of considering the holistic child. Should we discriminate between a child with a disability and a child with exceptional ability?

My second grader took the Cognitive Abilities test (CogAT) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) back in November and received his scores last week. He did very well on the test, so he now has to take an additional test in order to be considered for the program for exceptional learners. Although I am very proud that he has the opportunity to take the additional test, I do not feel it is necessary. What I would like to see is the district consider his classroom abilities per his teachers for the last three years. Would they have a better understanding of my child as a learner? I believe so. He works hard and tries his best, but most of the work he completes comes easy to him. I would love to see him be challenged, so that he too could have the best chance for future success. I believe that whether you have an exceptional learner, an average learner, or a disabled learner, they all deserve the best possible environment for success. I agree with Alfred Binet in that ability should not be measure by a single test or multiple tests for that matter. There is so much more to a child than a standardized test score.

I found this map to be interesting.

World Distribution of IQ Scores of Indigenous (pre European migration)

Peoples (Adapted from Lynn, 2006).

A survey by Lynn (1991) of the intelligence of people around the world found the highest levels of intelligence were found in Eurasia, and the lowest levels were found in Africa, Australia, and parts of the Americas. Most theorist suggest that the reasons for this are because of racial differences and climate differences.

References:
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologicaltesting/a/int-history.htm
http://www.vdare.com/rushton/070926_indians.htm
http://www.lrainc.com/swtaboo/stalkers/em_evol.html

Poverty Is Stressful

Poverty causes stress on everyone involved. The constant feelings of not having enough money, unhealthy living conditions, and the feelings of not being in control of one's life can cause chronic stress for adults and other family members (Leonard, 2009). I have firsthand experience as to how poverty or lack of money can affect all members of a family including children.

My parents were teenagers when my mother found out that she was pregnant with me. They were not married, did not yet have high school diplomas, and were not ready to support a family. However, they did what they thought was right and got married. They were working minimum wage jobs and living with family in the beginning. The stress of not having the money to support a family caused my parents to fight a lot. They were teenagers trying to live like mature adults. Two years later, my sister was born. The lack of money continued to cause my parents extreme stress and eventually they ended up divorcing. My mother was 22 years old with a 4 year-old and a 2 year-old with nowhere to go. We lived with my grandmother for years, and my mother was not around very much. I remember missing her at night the most. We lived with seven people in a small trailer. I recall not being able to have friends over, never having new clothes, feeling insecure and worried, and wanting my childhood to be different. Poverty definitely caused me a great deal of stress as a child.

As I became a teenager and an adult, I decided to let my experiences with poverty lead me in a different direction in life. I decided that I did not want to continue to live my life in poverty, so I made choices that lead me in a new direction. I found a way to get a college education and have established a family with an amazing man who wants the same things in life as I do. Fortunately, Americans have opportunities to rise above poverty that people in other countries to not.

Unfortunately, poverty affects millions of people all over the world. One in two people in Sub Saharan Africa survive on less than a dollar a day. Less than 50% of Africans have access to a hospital and one in every six children die before they are five years old. Only approximately 50% of children go to primary education and only one in every three children finish school. 33% of the African population suffers from malnutrition and 300 million do not have access to safe water. So, although some Americans struggle to support a family, we have wonderful government assistance as well as organizations to help families in poverty. Many other countries do not have these benefits, so there families are in severe poverty with no way out.

References:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/3880
http://www.food4africa.org/index.asp?pgid=42

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Anyone who has children has heard about the many benefits to breastfeeding. What they don't tell you is the many complications that you may experience. A new mother's decision about breastfeeding depends a great deal on her experiences during the first few weeks (Berger, 2009). There are studies that show that many women in the United States want to breastfeed, but it sometimes is not always practical due to early difficulties. However, in countries like Sweden and Norway 98% of new mothers begin breastfeeding and 70% are still doing it after six months times. In these countries, the social acceptance, supportive medical practices, and extended maternity leave help women to experience success (Boston Women's Health Book Collective, 2005).

The benefits of breastfeeding are endless. Babies that are breastfed are less likely to get sick because of the antibodies in the mother's breast milk. Breastfeeding decrease risks of many illnesses and diseases such as: childhood asthma, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease (Berger, 2009). Additional benefits include easier digestion because the fats and sugars in breast milk make it easier to digest than prepared formula. Also, breastfeeding helps to create an immediate bond between mother and infant. A survey found that in the United States parents of babies that are breastfed are more likely to be married, educated people (Berger, 2009). Most doctors worldwide highly recommend breastfeeding an infant for the first four to six months (Berger, 2009).

Once again, this topic is really important to me because of the decisions I have made and will make as a mother. When my first child was born, the delivery was extremely traumatic. Breastfeeding was difficult from the beginning, but I tried to hang in there. I breastfed him for the first six weeks of his life before beginning to supplement formula. When my second son was born, I was determined that he at least deserved the same. However, he had trouble with acid reflux, and it was scary at times. I also managed to make it six weeks before beginning to supplement formula. To many people this is probably not long enough, but for me I had to make the best decisions for my family. I had to go back to work after a short maternity leave with both of the boys. Teaching is definitely not an easy job for breastfeeding mothers. So, this was a determining factor for me. However, as many of you know, I am expecting my third child in May. This course, along with other factors, has encouraged me to see if I can breastfeed six months this time. I am planning to stay home for a year or so after having the baby, so it seems more practical this time. A part of me feels guilty for not allowing my sons the continued benefits, but I am thankful to have healthy, happy children. Breastfeeding was not a pleasurable experience for me in the past, so I am planning to stay positive and hoping for an easier experience this time around. Wish me luck!

In the future, I could use my knowledge of breastfeeding to support mothers of children in my center. I would try to make it as easy as possible for them to bring a supply of breast milk and make sure their babies received the breast milk when needed. I will also make sure that I support other employees in my center that are breastfeeding as long as they need it.

References:
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Excerpted from Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era, Copyright © 2005, Boston Women's Health Book Collective. Retrieved at http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/excerpt.asp?id=31