When I Think of Research...

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? I have definitely gained a deeper understanding of research and the importance of it.  I’m still not 100% clear on the understanding of all the research styles but I am clearer than I was when I took this course in undergrad.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? I’m learning more and more that research is important to the future of education. Doing research helps to deepen your understanding in any topic

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? I have incorporated research in my everyday life but certainly in my career as an educator, I will be using research to help me understand the field more so I will be able to serve children the way want to.

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

My main challenge is gaining a full understanding of all the research styles and how to apply them to the early childhood education field. I am still learning how to meet the challenges.
With continue studying I will be able to meet the challenge.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? Well, my perspective hasn’t been modified but has been enhanced. When I started I want to open a school but after this, I realize I need to open an organization and start with early childhood education.

My Personality Type: The Harmony-seeking Idealist

My Personality Type: The Harmony-seeking Idealist

Research Around the World

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ)

The EECERJ, the Journal of EECERA, is one of the most prestigious early childhood journals in the world. It is one of only four early years journals indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information. The ISI is highly selective of the journals in the citation databases and indices it maintains. EECERJ is located in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). EECERJ is peer reviewed, scholarly and is particular interested in research which has application. Abstracts are in English, French and German.

EECERJ is issued four times annually and now is in its 18th year of publication. It has become a world leader in the field. EECERJ is published by Taylor & Francis.

Organization: EECERA Administration

EECERA is a voluntary association wholly owned by its Membership and administered under the usual protocols of a charity with Board of Trustees elected by an Electoral College.

The Electoral College consists of all those members who have been Conference Chairs, who are on the EECERJ Editorial Board, who have been Editors of Special Editions of the EECERJ, who are Convenors of active EECERA SIGs, who are active Country Coordinators and all current and former Trustees.Executive decisions are taken by majority vote of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees are supported by two current Emeritus Trustees who do not vote and two part-time administrators.

Conferences

EECERA Annual Conference is the largest and most significant early years' research conference in Europe, regularly attracting more than 600 researcher delegates from all over the world. The EECERA Conference is hosted in a different European city each year by a local university or early years network and to encourage networking and cross-national collaborations, includes a full social program. The local knowledge and the EECERA organizational structure mean that each conference is unique but of consistent quality.

Conferences have been hosted by a variety of institutions, local and national government agencies, NGOs and charitable bodies but the Scientific Committee appointed for reviewing the Conference papers is always linked to an academic institution. The EECERA Trustees are particularly open to conference hosts who in the participatory spirit of the Association make collaborative cross-sector links to stage the conference.

Most delegates will make a short symposium paper presentation in a themed group of three papers, but there are a number of other ways in which to participate in Conference including posters, self-organized symposium, SIG symposiums or simply being a delegate. Invitations to deliver keynotes speeches are considered highly prestigious and EECERA attracts internationally renowned leaders in their field.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories Option 2

I chose option 2 which is What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be? I would want to research the effect a high quality education and have on a child’s self esteem. The positive contribution that I imagine is understanding the importance of high quality education for children. When children receive high quality and are doing well, they feel better about themselves and what they are doing. The effects of a higher self esteem will be with a child throughout their entire life. The contribution of the effects of high self esteem is high grades, better attitude, and better outlook on live and less involvement in criminal behavior for starters. A more in depth research will reveal the rest. 

Multicultural Education; Diversity Issues in the Classroom_(360p).avi

http://www.youtube.com/v/9I8u1R_0078?version=3&autohide=1&showinfo=1&feature=share&autohide=1&attribution_tag=1EIzcjtWBgqGc99wEBBxCA&autoplay=1

Your Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose is “The importance of early literacy and its impact on a child self esteem and its influence on the family” I chose this topic because I feel that early learning is essential to a child’s academic success. Growing up, I received early learning but it wasn't high quality early learning. By the time I was in fifth grade, I had to repeat a class which affected my self esteem. I believe that if I would not have received a sub par education, I would have been better prepared by the time I reached 5^th grade and I self esteem wouldn't have been affected by it.  I felt I wasn't smart all through school which is one of the reasons why it took me so long to enroll in college. Another reason why I chose this topic is because of my experience working in a New York City high school. I came across 2 siblings who were seventeen and nineteen years old and neither of them we able to read or write. I was shocked and appalled that 2 students of that was unable to read and write. It was a disservice to the students and their family. 

Final Blog Assignment EDUC6162

While learning about international childhood education field, I learned the teachers in Africa don’t not just receive traditional education training but they must learn how to be able to teach and adjust when the climate changes when is something America teachers don’t have to be concerned about because most students learn indoors with heater and air conditioning and are all protected for the wind and the rain.

I learned that in many countries boys are the primary ones to go to school because girls are taught domestic duties. It is not until more recent years that girls are being included in education. Therefore the assumption that all children are learning around the world is false.

Lastly in some countries primary education is free. To receive secondary education which is high school, student must pass a require test and once passed they can attend secondary school. For those who don’t pass has t their pay for school or they will become dropouts

One of my goals is to one day visit a school in another country and teach young children how to read and write which is something I never thought of before attending Walden University. Walden has a passion for international education that has definitely rubbed off on me.

I wish great success for all my colleagues in the education profession. I pray that those who have yet to find their passion do so and for those who have, continue to strive for excellence in early childhood education on every level!!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

Share at least three new ideas or insights you gained about issues related to international early childhood education that relate to your professional goals.

While researching this site I was surprised to learn that early childhood education was not a priority for children in developing countries.  The 1990 Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA) stated that countries should view early childhood as part of basic education. Once countries recognize the positive value of state investment in this area, the next challenge is to mobilize funds. In general, government funding for early childhood is extremely small. For this reason approaching the private sector (non-profit and for-profit) can be an effective strategy (2013).

While reading about training teachers in Africa, it doesn’t occur to me that the lessons that students-teachers learn is slightly different from what is taught in America. Learning how to prepare lesson plans for a climate change and how to conduct a field trip is more important for that environment than something such as play theory.

Cross-sectoral coordination is difficult, especially at the national level. It is one of the main challenges facing governments of both developed and developing countries trying to promote a holistic approach to early childhood. Responses vary and some countries have sought to remove the problem by integrating sectoral responsibilities into a single ministry.

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

Sharing Web Resources

• Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead? The website I have chosen is Harlem Children Zone. The only outside link that I found were reviews from several news outlets.

• Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find? Under the media tab I click on whatever it takes. Whatever It Takes is a book “Written by New York Times editor Paul Tough, "Whatever It Takes," is a compelling, in-depth look at the ground-breaking work of the Harlem Children's Zone and its leader, Geoffrey Canada (2013).” In addition there is a lesson plan that goes along with the book that discusses urban education issues explored in the book. This was very exciting for me because I want to replicate this program when I move to another state.  This link also led to reviews from several from The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times
  
  
• If you receive an e-newsletter, follow a link related to one of the issues you have been studying. What new information is available? When I opened the newsletter, it was Harlem children zone wanting to send their 300 graduates of their program who are now college students, a package of school supplies to remind them that they will always be there for them.  This newsletter did not relate to any of the issues I have been studying.

• 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 Harlem Children Zone strives for excellence so much so that they have been recognized by the President of The United States and  the President plans to replicate the program in 20 states.

• ·         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?  What I gained the most is the knowledge that President Barack Obama plans to replicate the Harlem Children Zone and its success across the country. I am so impressed and inspired by the Harlem Children Zone, when I moved across the country; I plan to replicate this educational system.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

1.    The multimedia video , Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change describes the need to focus on building the capabilities of caregivers and strengthening the communities that together form the environment of relationships essential to children's lifelong learning, health, and behavior. It goes on to say that  What children need is entire environment of relationship to be invested in their overall healthy growth. It starts will building active skills in adults and when this is done, we find that Building adult capacities and improve children outcomes. With out this strong foundation children will fall behind

2.    InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning, Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, and revise plans as necessary. This edition of the InBrief series explains how these lifelong skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life. Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years, and having the right support and experiences through middle childhood, adolescence, and into early adult life is essential for the successful development of these capacities.

 

3.    The full range of abilities continues to grow and mature through the teen years and into early adulthood. To ensure that children develop these capacities, it’s helpful to understand how the quality of the interactions and experiences that our communities provide for them either strengthens or undermines these emerging skills. They are as follows:

1. When children have had opportunities to develop executive function and self-regulation skills successfully, both individuals and society experience lifelong benefits.

2. The critical factors in developing a strong foundation for these essential skills are chil­dren’s relationships, the activities they have oppor­tunities to engage in, and the places in which they live, learn, and play.

3. If children do not get what they need from their relationships with adults and the conditions in their environments or worse if those influences are sources of toxic stress, their skill development can be seriously delayed or impaired.

Harvard university center on developing child offers several activities. One of the programs offered is student education and leadership development: Learning opportunities.

The Center’s Education and Leadership Development (ELD) agenda is a full suite of formal and informal opportunities committed to enhancing the growth of the next generation during the critical early stages of their intellectual development. We are also focused on building the capacity of career professionals to translate research into policy and action. As such, we engage both current and future leaders in constructive dialogue to expose them to new paradigms and theories in order to guide their understanding of how to leverage this new knowledge on behalf of vulnerable children and their families.

Student Seminar Series

The Center on the Developing Child’s Student Seminar Series is designed to foster interdisciplinary conversations among Harvard undergraduates and graduate students who are interested in promoting the healthy development of young children in the United States and abroad. Led by a doctoral student facilitator, the yearlong, non-credit Student Seminar Series will focus on a variety of topics and employs various formats, including conversations with practitioners, policymakers, and researchers and discussion of current events. 

Sharing Web Resources

I plan to move to another state and open a school.  I chose Harlem children zone because admire their business model.  At Harlem Children's Zone, they believe in doing 'whatever it takes' to ensure that children graduate from college so they can be prepared for the high-skills job market.  

Geoffrey Canada is the President and CEO of Harlem Children Zone.  His program addresses the needs of children at each stage of their development, as they work to strengthen the families and community around them. This program starts from birth to college. It starts with The Baby College, which teaches best-practice parenting to parents of children from 0-3 years old.  HCZ runs Birth to Pre-Kindergarten programs to get children on track early. Children then attend one of two HCZ Promise Academy K-12 charter schools or are supported by HCZ staff in the seven public schools in the Zone.  HCZ also runs innovative middle and high school afterschool programs for local public school students. HCZ's College Success College Success Office supports HCZ's students - many of whom are the first in their families to attend college - so that they can successfully navigate the new challenges and responsibilities they face.

What I’ve learned the most id that supporting children in their education in the early years is essential to them being prepared for life and having the ability to enter the job market fully prepared. When children are adults after successful completing all levels of schooling, they are more apt to become part of the work force. People that are part of the work force contribute to the economy of this country. These people are less likely to end up entering the welfare or in the correctional facilities

This is why I am so passionate about teaching early childhood education. Early learning is the solid foundation the early child all over the world deserves to have. Education is every child’s right and I am dedicated to educate every child n my reach.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

According   to the World Forum Foundation and Association for Childhood Education International, there is a initiative to ensure that every child all over the world will have access to quality primary education (2013).  This goal was to be reached by 2015 which seem to  be unlike to be achieved. One of the barriers that are keeping this from happening is poverty.  Because poverty is prevalent around the world children leaving school before completing their primary level it contributes to the slow rate of achieving universal primary education.  It is also stated the children living in rural location re two times less likely in urban environments.  Poverty is a contributing factor to children not attending school, starting school late or children leaving school prior to completing primary school. Not only educators but people all over the world should help go combat poverty globally to ensure that all children receive a quality education.

What I’ve learned is since poverty is a contributing factor in a children’s education, I will find way to ensure that children in my community have healthy meals. The more I research this subject, the more it resonates in me the importance of children and family having healthy meals.

Blog Assignment: Sharing Web Resources

The Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) is a non-profit organization for poverty-stricken children and families living in Harlem, providing free support for the children and families in the form of parenting workshops, a pre-school program, three public charter schools, and child-oriented health programs for thousands of children and families. The HCZ is "aimed at doing nothing less than breaking the cycle of generational poverty for the thousands of children and families it serves.

The Harlem Children's Zone Project has expanded the HCZ's comprehensive system of programs to nearly 100 blocks of Central Harlem and aims to keep children on track through college and into the job market.

Quoting from the HCZ Project web page: "The HCZ Project began as a one-block pilot in the 1990s, then following a 10-year business plan, it expanded to 24 blocks and then 60 blocks. The goal is to serve 15,000 children and 7,000 adults by 2011. The budget for the HCZ Project for fiscal year 2009 is over $40 million, costing an average of $3,500 per child." In addition to this private financing, the HCZ schools receive about $12,500 in public funding per student. According to The New York Times, these figures do not include the costs of the HCZ "after-school program, rewards for student performance, a chef who prepares healthy meals, central administration and most building costs, and some of the expense of the students' free health and dental care".

The HCZ and its promotion as a model of education to aspire to, especially in the recent documentary Waiting for "Superman", have been criticized as an example of the privatization of education in the US.  University of San Francisco Adjunct Professor in Education, Rick Ayers writes that Waiting for "Superman" "never mentions the tens of millions of dollars of private money that has poured into the Harlem Children's Zone, the model and superman we are relentlessly instructed to aspire to."  One year after this film was made; the Grassroots Education Movement made a film entitled The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman, which accused the original film of exaggerating the success of the HCZ.

The Harem Children Zone has a program called project pipeline. Their model is from the cradle to college to community: preparing our kids for bright future.  I am intrigued by this because although initially I want to focus on early childhood education, replicating the program when I move across the country. I’m drawn to this model because I believe that children should have a strong foundation and if they are support throughout their lives, the will become successful adults. Simultaneously the families of these children would receive support and services through the children academic career. The children and families will grow and flourish together.

www.hcz.org

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Attempting to locate two international professionals in a week proved to be way move difficult than I thought. I thought it would be easy because I know two international professionals personally, one is from Tobago. Both people were difficult to reach because I had to try to reach them via facebook. After the attempts failed I decided to choose the world forum foundation radio website which is the alternative assignment or Part one.

For part two, I have decided to use the Harlem Children Zone because I have seen and heard Geoffrey Canada and I am truly impressed by his accomplishments. I have applied for a position at the Harlem Children Zone in the past.

The Harlem Children Zone, which first began as a one-block pilot program in the 1990s, was the brainchild of Geoffrey Canada, an obsessively energetic anti-poverty activist who grew up in the Bronx. Now spread over 90 blocks in Harlem, it takes an intensive and comprehensive approach to child development. At its most basic, the idea is to support children in the neighborhood from the minute they're born until they leave for college. That means parenting classes, intensive kindergartens, high-quality schools called Promise Academies with robust after-school programs, even help with college applications.

"What About The Children?"

         "What About The Children?"

                                                                   by Yolanda Adams

Tears streaming down, her heart is broken
And because her heart is hurting, so am I
He wears a frown, his dreams are choking
And because he stands alone, his dreams will die
So, humbly I come to you and I say
As I sound aloud the warfare of today
Please hear me, I pray

[CHORUS:]
What about the children
To ignore is so easy
So many innocent children will choose the wrong way
So what about the children
Remember when we were children
And if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to show us
Where would we be today

So, where is your son
and where lies his refuge
And if that young man can't come to you, then where can that young man run to
She's such a foolish foolish girl, yet still, she's your daughter
And if you will just reminisce on all the crazy things that you did when you were that young
You see, it's not where you've been, nor what you've done
Because I know a friend who specializes in great outcomes
See His love overcomes

[CHORUS:]
What about the children
To ignore is so easy
So many innocent children will choose the wrong way
So what about the children
Remember when we were children

And if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to show us
Where would we be today...
What about the children they need our help today
And what about the children they need us
more than ever more than ever more than ever
what about the children where would we be today
where would we be today
what about the children

Where would we be today
Where would we be today
Where would we be today
What about the children

Testing for Intelligence

When considering the commitment to viewing young children holistically here are several things that should be measured which is social development and emotional development. There are others but in my opinion these are the most important. Children learning how to develop social and emotionally is important in aiding them in developing self confidence. When a child has self confidence they tend to perform better in school.

As far as assessment in my state, I don’t know much about it. What I do know is that there are state tests in 3^rd, 8^th and 12^th grade which determines each child’s next school choice. Working in a private elementary school, we use oral testing for letters and sounds, numbers and word recognition for preschool and kindergarten and written testing in mathematics, spelling and reading for first and second grade

Education in Trinidad and Tobago is free and compulsory between ages 5 and 16. Trinidad and Tobago is considered one of the most educated countries in the World with a literacy rate exceeding 98%. This exceptionally high literacy rate can be attributed, in part, to free tuition from Kindergarten (Pre-School) to University. In addition, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, via the Ministry of Education provides free transport, books and meals to students of primary and secondary age.

The education system in Trinidad and Tobago mirrors the British education system. Children generally start Pre-School at the early age of 3 years. This level of tuition is not mandatory but most Trinbagonians start their children's schooling at this stage as children are expected to have basic reading and writing skills when they commence primary school. Students proceed to a primary school at the age of five. Seven years are spent in primary school. During the final year of primary school, students prepare for and sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) which determines the secondary school the child is to attend. For most children and parents, this is a very stressful period.

Students attend secondary school for a minimum of five years, their first major exam is the local NCSE [National Certificate of Secondary Education] examinations, which is done in the third year of this system and administered by the Ministry of Education. The next major exam of the system which is done on the fifth year of school is CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate), which is the equivalent of the British GCE O levels. Children with satisfactory grades may opt to continue high school for a further two-year period, leading to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the equivalent of GCE A levels. Both CSEC and CAPE examinations are held by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

www.ibe.unesco.org/National_Reports

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Psychological Abuse.

Growing up, there was a lot of psychological abuse. I lived in fear most of my childhood and it spilled over into my adulthood. And it comes up from time to time. All though my father loved us, He would yell and scream all the time. One minute we would be relaxed and playing and the next minute he would be screaming at us. We never knew what to expect from Him. We were always on edge.  This experience affected me in school. I was always afraid to speak up in school when I was having difficulties. I would tell no one. I affected my confidence and turned me into an introvert and as a child I was very shy. A child psychological well being is important because it impacts every thing they do in adulthood and as educators it is our job to lead children to be productive citizens and the best individual they can be and that cant happen if they are not psychologically well. 

Poverty in the region of Africa

Today, growing up in a rural region in Southern Africa often means growing up without a decent education. Rural people are often caught in the vicious cycle of having no access to the services and opportunities that might lift them out of poverty; education, gainful employment, adequate nutrition, infrastructure and communications. Poor health such as eye problems, undernourishment and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome cause problems. Although the government’s feeding scheme is of great help, it’s the only meal of the day for some learners. Therefore it’s just not sufficient to feed all children properly. Poverty and illiteracy remain overwhelmingly rural phenomena. Education for rural people lies at the heart of rural development and this is fundamental for reducing poverty worldwide.

A crucial issue is that the curriculum must be relevant to rural people’s needs. One approach is to develop curricula that combine core content with local content. It is especially important that the content of education is closely related to local conditions to enable learners to apply the knowledge and skills learned. Linking school with the community will enable teachers to improve the quality and relevance of the education they are providing. It is an accepted fact that rural people with basic education are more likely to adopt new technology and become more productive, and can deal better with change. However, there are no quick fixes for providing education to the rural poor; this requires a long-term effort and commitment on the local, national and international level.

Child Development and Public Health

Malnutrition- There is three forms of malnutrition: Wasting, stunting and protein-calorie malnutrition. Protein-calorie malnutrition occurs when a person doesn't consume enough food to enable them to grow normally. This can cause various illness, severe weight loss and death. Stunting is when you don’t grow normally due to server end chronic malnutrition. Wasting is when a child’s age and stage of development because of malnutrition.

According to UNICEF, 2011 Figure 5.9 stunting in children under 5 occur more frequently than in North America. The worst is in south Asia, stunting in children under 5 occur almost fifty percent of the time. North America is less than 5 percent and the lowest number besides North America is Latin America/ Caribbean which occurs less than fifteen percent of the time.

This topic is meaningful to me because, although I was never malnutrition or deprived of food in any manner. I have one memory as a child that I have never forgotten. I ate breakfast at school every morning because my mother worked before I had to be to school. My father woke us up late one morning and by the time I got to school breakfast was over. I cried half the morning and I didn't feel better until I ate lunch. That one experience taught me to have empathy for children who don’t have enough to eat. One of the reasons children who don’t get enough to eat have trouble in school because they can focus on school work due to the hunger pains amongst other factors.

This will impact my future work because I will make sure every child I educate has something to eat everyday. If a child comes to school hungry I will make sure they have breakfast or some sort of snack to hold them over until lunch time. In addition, if necessary I will make arrangements for the family to become connected with a food program in their community to help continue with healthy nutrition at home. 

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

Unfortunately I have no personal birthing experience. I have no knowledge of my own birth other any when and where I was born. I have no children and I have never given birth to any children and I have never witnessed a child being born. It is difficult for me to give my thoughts regarding birth and it’s impact on child development for personal experience.

In Africa 1 in 39 women die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth in Africa compared to 1 in 4,300 in industrialized countries. Maternal death rates are particularly high in Africa because of the lack of skilled midwives, obstructed labor, unsafe abortions, anemia, and malaria. Pregnant women in Africa are especially vulnerable to malaria as their immunity is low and they often do not have the knowledge or the means of prevention.  

Obstructed labor is a significant problem for young women who give birth when their bodies have not yet sufficiently developed. Some countries in Africa have the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world – up to 40 % of girls give birth before they are 14.

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Psychological Abuse.

Growing up, there was a lot of psychological abuse. I lived in fear most of my childhood and it spilled over into my adulthood. And it comes up from time to time. All though my father loved us, He would yell and scream all the time. One minute we would be relaxed and playing and the next minute he would be screaming at us. We never knew what to expect from Him. We were always on edge.  This experience affected me in school. I was always afraid to speak up in school when I was having difficulties. I would tell no one. I affected my confidence and turned me into an introvert and as a child I was very shy. A child psychological well being is important because it impacts every thing they do in adulthood and as educators it is our job to lead children to be productive citizens and the best individual they can be and that cant happen if they are not psychologically well. 

Poverty in the region of Africa

Today, growing up in a rural region in Southern Africa often means growing up without a decent education. Rural people are often caught in the vicious cycle of having no access to the services and opportunities that might lift them out of poverty; education, gainful employment, adequate nutrition, infrastructure and communications. Poor health such as eye problems, undernourishment and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome cause problems. Although the government’s feeding scheme is of great help, it’s the only meal of the day for some learners. Therefore it’s just not sufficient to feed all children properly. Poverty and illiteracy remain overwhelmingly rural phenomena. Education for rural people lies at the heart of rural development and this is fundamental for reducing poverty worldwide.

A crucial issue is that the curriculum must be relevant to rural people’s needs. One approach is to develop curricula that combine core content with local content. It is especially important that the content of education is closely related to local conditions to enable learners to apply the knowledge and skills learned. Linking school with the community will enable teachers to improve the quality and relevance of the education they are providing. It is an accepted fact that rural people with basic education are more likely to adopt new technology and become more productive, and can deal better with change. However, there are no quick fixes for providing education to the rural poor; this requires a long-term effort and commitment on the local, national and international level.

Child Development and Public Health

Malnutrition- There are three forms of malnutrition. Protein-calorie malnutrition occurs when a person doesn’t consume enough food to enable them to grow normally. This can cause various illness, severe weight loss and death. Stunting is when you don’t grow normally due to server end chronic malnutrition. Wasting is when a child’s age and stage of development because of malnutrition.

According to UNICEF, 2011 Figure 5.9 stunting in children under 5 occur more frequently than in North America. The worst is in south Asia, stunting in children under 5 occur almost fifty percent of the time. North America is less than 5 percent and the lowest number besides North America is Latin America/ Caribbean which occurs less than fifteen percent of the time.

This topic is meaningful to me because, although I was never malnutrition or deprived of food in any manner. I have one memory as a child that I have never forgotten. I ate breakfast at school every morning because my mother worked before I had to be to school. My father woke us up late one morning and by the time I got to school breakfast was over. I cried half the morning and I didn’t feel better until I ate lunch. That one experience taught me to have empathy for children who don’t have enough to eat. One of the reasons children who don’t get enough to eat have trouble in school because they can focus on school work due to the hunger pains amongst other factors.

This will impact my future work because I will make sure every child I educate has something to eat everyday. If a child comes to school hungry I will make sure they have breakfast or some sort of snack to hold them over until lunch time

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

Unfortunately I have no personal birthing experience. I have no knowledge of my own birth other any when and where I was born. I have no children and I have never given birth to any children and I have never witnessed a child being born. It is difficult for me to give my thoughts regarding birth and it’s impact on child development for personal experience.

In Africa 1 in 39 women die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth in Africa compared to 1 in 4,300 in industrialized countries. Maternal death rates are particularly high in Africa because of the lack of skilled midwives, obstructed labor, unsafe abortions, anemia, and malaria. Pregnant women in Africa are especially vulnerable to malaria as their immunity is low and they often do not have the knowledge or the means of prevention.  

Obstructed labor is a significant problem for young women who give birth when their bodies have not yet sufficiently developed. Some countries in Africa have the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world – up to 40 % of girls give birth before they are 14.

A Note of Thanks and Support

I have enjoyed this course, initially I didn't feel like I was learning enough because I didn't have a huge textbook in front of me and I didn't understand the significance of the blog. As we progressed in the course I began to love the blogs. This should be a requirement in every course. Posting and reading your blogs has caused me to learn from you in a way that I could not do in the course room. The collaboration between all colleagues has been fantastic. Learning different techniques, tools and resources to enhance my knowledge in the early childhood field is irreplaceable. It has been a pleasure learning and growing with you.

Examining Codes of Ethics

1.    Ethical Responsibilities to Children

Childhood is a unique and valuable stage in the human life cycle. Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education in settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each child. We are committed to supporting children’s development and learning; respecting individual differences; and helping children learn to live, play, and work cooperatively. We are also committed to promoting children’s self-awareness, competence, self-worth, resiliency, and physical well-being.

I-1.1—To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

I-1.3—To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.

I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

I-1.9—To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful.

2.    Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives

1. We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.

2. We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the developmental outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

3. We shall recognize and respect the dignity, diversity, and autonomy of the families and children we serve.

4. We shall advocate for equal access to high quality services and supports for all children and families to enhance their quality of lives

3.    Professional and Interpersonal Behavior

1. We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential of each child.

2. We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work.

3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others.

4. We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for the professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that enhance the quality of their lives.

I think the classroom should have a dual feel. It should feel like a place where children can learn and stay focused and it should feel like a little piece of home and have a sense of family. If this can be achieved, children will be excited to come to school everyday.

COURSE RESOURSES

Position Statements and Influential Practices

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides.Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP's mission.

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/

Selected Early Childhood Organizations

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

YC Young Children

Childhood

Journal of Child & Family Studies

Child Study Journal

Multicultural Education

Early Childhood Education Journal

Journal of Early Childhood Research

International Journal of Early Childhood

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Developmental Psychology

Social Studies

Maternal & Child Health Journal

International Journal of Early Years Education

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

https://www.nyc.gov/acs

https://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/

www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/childcare/