Competent Communication

If I had to chose one person whom I admire for their communication skills, it would be my children's school principle Mrs. Jackson.  I say this for many reasons.  My children attend a Catholic school of about 200 students, the families and community are very close which we absolutely love for our children.  Mrs. Jackson sends out notices over emails all the time and it is strange but she has a way of addressing the needs of all the families but on a personal level where you can understand how it pertains to just your children.  When you visit the school, she always greats you by name and makes you feel welcome.  This is actually her first year at this school and she has made it her priority to get to know all of the individual families and the children.  When I review the NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct, I cannot find any ideals that she does not follow but there are certainly ones that she has mastered.
I 2.2 " To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve." (NAEYC, 2005)
I 2.3 " To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program." (NAEYC, 2005)
I 1.12 " To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next." (NAEYC, 2005)

These are three that just really embrace the level of communication that she exhibits.  We trust that she will do the best for our children.  She is always encouraging parents and other family members to participate in the program and in many cases grandparents are a huge part of the programs.  And when it was time for our oldest to apply to high school, she handled the applications and sent them out with the teacher recommendations personally to make sure all of the students information made it on time.  This was something I did not expect.  Many times in education as parents we feel like we are alone in the process, it is truly a blessing when educators make extra efforts to remind us that we are all in this together.  As an educator, I strive to my best to be honest, caring, trusted and respected, all characteristics that she embraces.  It is my hope that I will have the same impact on my families that she has on us, her communication behaviors are definitely a model to strive towards.

Reference

National Association for the Education of Young Children.  (2005, April).  NAEYC code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Personal Research Journey

     The general topic that I have chosen to research in the early childhood field is if there is any information out there on the possible long term side effects of ADHD/ADD medication on children and how the ongoing development of assessments and a more stringent curriculum will play a role in the amount of children diagnosed not only with ADHD/ADD but sensory processing disorder as well.  My journey into researching this subject so far has brought me to three subtopics of interest including what genetics tells us about the inheritence and gene expression that are predictors of ADHD and ADD and the prevalence of males versus females, do universal assessments take into account phenomenons such as right-handnessness, left-handedness and the differing learning abilities between males and females, and what medical information is currently available about the long term effects of ADHD/ADD and SPD medication on young children into adulthood and what are the alternatives.
    I have many reasons for choosing these particular areas to research.  With advances we have seen so far in early childhood, and the emergence of universal standards, it makes individuals accountable for their part in early education but what is also creates the field of " expectation" for some parents and education is race and as a result full day kindergarten has become a nationwide event. (Elkind, 2009)  But how does the emergence of more rigourous standards and this need for specific outcomes affect our children?  First legislation brings forth the "No Child Left Behind Act," which ensures that children get the help they need to move on to the next grade but as a result disorders such as ADHD and ADD become more prominent and children who are exhibiting problematic or inability to sit still are often being medicated to make it through the school day. But is this just a short fix that will ultimately cause further problems in a child's future not only academically but possibly medically? 
     I have seen and educated children with ADD/ADHD and and a child who the school system had misdiagnosed and encouraged the parents to medicate their child even though he was only in preschool and after six months, assessments,  and progress reports I, at the time not having any knowledge of sensory processing disorder, encouraged the school to re-evaluate and with the help of specialists came to conclusion that he had SPD and the help he needed was with a therapist not medication.  I was so facinated by this discovery and to find out that in his medical file, being from an orphanage in a poor, underdeveloped country whose mother was victum of malnourishment and no pre-natal health care that he chances of having this disability were very much increased.
     I have chosen an area which engulfs many areas of research and has an immense amount of information to offer.  I will still research what I can find out about how children progress in the years after taking medication for ADD and ADHD but I have chosen to mainly focus on what genetic predictors are out there in recognizing children who are successtable to this type of behavior and what other options there are for parents of these children in hopes that as an educator I will learn valuable information that will help in my quest in creating and running a more inclusive program that will adhere to these needs.  I hope in my quest I will take from it key aspects that will also help me in creating curriculum appropriate and adjustable to varying needs of individual children.
    What I have learned so far is that the knowledge of this particular subject requires the specialization of the fields of not only education but neuroscience, genetics, and psychology and I hope that in the years to come information like this will be used in appropriately assessing children.  I would love any suggestions any one has or research studies that they would recomend or suggest, it is not a small topic.

Reference:

Elkind, D. (2009).  The Wisdom of Play.  How Children Learn to Make Sense of the World.  Retrieved from http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/RoomPlanningWisdomofplay.pdf.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

  For this week's assignment, I have chosen to share studies from the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) and available at www.childrenandnature.org.  I am huge advocate of children having the ability to explore and learn about nature first hand.  I think often with many of our busy schedules, just finding the time to play outside with our children can be a bit of a challenge and the unfortunate consequence of this is that our children sometimes miss out on self directed learning and exploration.  Don't get me wrong, the time spent learning in the classroom is a must but simple things like studying the shapes of clouds, or watching flowers bloom and lets not forget what of the most important benefits of fresh air is it's great for our health!
   The first study I found interesting is about called "School gardens positively impact children's learning and behavior,"a study by D. Blair from Penn University. (childrenandnature.org, 2010)  Gardening takes place in schools throughout the nation and D. Blair did her research on evaluating the relationship between school gardening and it's relationship to children's learning and behavior. The study targets on on the many reasons school gardens exist which includes providing children experiences with natural ecosystems, enhancing children's understanding of food systems, helping children develop environmental attitudes and behavior , and serving as a basis for experimental learning. (childrenandnature.org,2010)  Out of 12 qualitative studies reviewed it was found that 9 of the 12 studies found significant positive impacts from gardening in test measures,which included children's science achievement and food consumption behavior.  And of 7 of the qualitative studies reviewed it was determined that students enjoyed and were highly motivated by gardening, students demonstrated improved attitudes and pride as a result of the gardening,enhanced bonding between the students along better teamwork skills and more learning opportunities.  (childrenandnature.org, 2010) Based on the results, the research indicates that gardening had an overwhelming positive impact on student's achievement and behavior.
     The next study I found interesting is "Nature-smart kids get higher test scores,"by the American Institutes for research. (childrenandnature.org, 2010)  The study observed at-risk youth, 56% of whom reported never having time spent in a natural setting and then comparing them to students who had experienced an outdoor education program.  The results were staggering, major findings illustrated a 27% increase in measured mastery of science concepts, enhanced cooperation and conflict resolution skills, gains in self esteem, gains in positive environmental behavior, as well as problem-solving motivation to learn, and classroom behavior. (childrenandnature.org, 2010).
    And a third study titled " Green School Gyms improve children's health,"by the BTCV,which is a charitable organization in the United Kingdom that created Green Gyms to improve people's health and the environment. (childrenandnature.org, 2010).  As part of the project, individuals participate in a large range of outdoor conservation and gardening projects and as part of the School Green Gyms an average of 1 to 1.5 hours sessions are provided for 10 weeks for 10 children at each school.    As part of the evaluation process,questionnaires were filled out before and after participation in the program.  In analyzing the results, researchers found that the children's psychosocial health along with their overall health improved; weekend physical activity levels significantly increased after the program and children exhibited positive feelings about the program,  (childrenandnature.org, 2010)  The program provided valuable data information about the impact of an innovative outdoor program on children's health.  (childrenandnature.org,2010)
    These were only a few of the studies from the website but there was so many more interesting ones to view and can be found at:

http://www.childrenandnature.org/downloads/EducationsynthesisMarch2010Final.pdf

Additional references for the full articles:

Blair, D. (2009).  The child in the garden; an evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening.  Journal of Environmental Education, 40(2),15-38. http://www.heldref.org/pubs/jee/about.html (Volume 4)

American Institutes for Research (2005).  Effects of Outdoor Education Programs for Children in California.  http://www.sierraclub.org/youth/california/outdoorschool_finalreport.pdf(Volume1)

BTCV.  (2009).  Evaluation findings: health and social outcomes 2009.  BTCV. http://www2btcv.org.uk/display/greengym_research (Volume 4)

Quotes about children

"Children see magic because they look for it." ~ Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

" A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." ~ Carl Sandburg

" Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to always and forever be explaining things tho them." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

" Your children are the greatest gift God will give to you, and their souls, the heaviest responsibility He will place in your hands.  Take time with them, teach them to have faith in God. Be a person in whom they can have faith.  When you are old, nothing else you've done will have mattered as much." ~ Lisa Wingate

" The soul is healed by being with children." ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

" Nothing you do for children is ever wasted." ~ Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home

" Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."~ Emilie Buchwald

Retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/children

Professional Hopes and Goals

     The journey into early childhood has brought about many lessons, awakenings, possibilities, and of course many smiles.  Each time you see the little smiling faces or their cute little laughs or the look of the feeling that you know your children are developing skills, mastering concepts, or writing their name for the first time, you realize that having the ability to be part of these moments is what makes the field of early childhood so rewarding and we are lucky to be a part of it.  With each new day, a new experience, each new family, an opportunity to build a new relationship, and an opportunity for a new learning experience.  As early educators we need to embrace, differences, change, diversity and be activists for our families promoting social equity, anti-bias behavior, and inclusive practices that will make each an every children feel loved, respected, and proud.
     My hope for working with families from diverse backgrounds is that professionally I will have all of the tools, trainings, and education to prevent a children from feeling the effects of cutural discontinuity and be inclusive and flexible in my practice to adjust and mold my program to give each child the same opportunities of academic success regardless of barriers such as language or economic hardship.  Personally, I hope to be able to build relationships with families that will allow for their sharing of culture and traditions in a way that I will be able to work with them to create equilibrium between home and school for their children and they will experience what it means to be "truly bicultural."
    In the field of early childhood, I have found that with each individual child and family there is something that despite all of the resources that we have available, there is always something that we don't know or that we could be educated more fully on.  Cultural and diversity in our environment is all around us and families have many resources in multiple languages that are consistent with what their needs are.  The shocking reality that I have learned is that despite all of the planning, the individuals who do not always have the answers they need, is the elders in my community.  After the insight that we have gained from the positive effects of young children working with elders, I hope to bring more of this into my program and my hopes is that besides for the positive effects it should have on the two groups, that it will help to cause attention by the community of what their needs are that we are not meeting.  It is very sad to me to see that a community that has suffered through wars, poverty, and employment that provided them with very few resources or compensation are struggling now just to keep warm.  We should be learning from them and embracing their culture, traditions, and knowledge.
      The other issue dealing with equity and diversity that is actually my second goal is to become better educated and trained to assist children with differing learning abilities.  I have had some experience and training to help children exhibiting symptoms associated with attention deficit disorder as well as sensory processing disorder but my new challenge is to become trained to help children with dyslexia. My goal is to receive certification in this area and add it to the tutoring services that we now offer for school age children.  The drive for this is not just professional but has recently touched our family on a more personal level and it is my goal to know as much about what children are experiencing at each stage with this barrier in academics.
      I just would like to address to send out a personal note of thanks to all of the students in the program for all of the interesting and eye opening discussions sharing personal and professional experiences that have been a contribution to my program in multiple ways.  As well as the professors who I have learned so much from throughout the duration of this program so far and a personal thanks to Dr Kien for her guidance, direction, and understanding throughout this course as well as through child development. See you all next class!
   

Welcoming Families from Around the World

     Families immigrate from countries all over the world in search of better employment, education, and a better way of life.  This week we are faced with how we could help a family to make the transition from another country to here in the United States.  In this scenario, I am a hospital worker helping a family who has just relocated from Bulgaria.  This is a challenge for me considering at this point I have no knowledge of the culture, heritage, language, medical care, or education system  in Bulgaria.  It is located on the Bulkan pennisula in south eastern Europe, borded on the east by the Black Sea, on the north by Romania and the Danube River, on the south by Greece and Turkey, and on the west by Macedonia and Serbia (everyculture.com).                                   

Map of Bulgaria
In order to be culturally responsive to a family arriving from this country

1) The national language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian, which uses the Cyrillic script (everyculture.com)  The turkish minorities speak Turkish, and the Gypsies speak Romany (everyculture.com)  For this reason, the first thing I would need to do is find a translater to overcome the language barrier that will exist for this family.

2) Bulgaria's basic economy is made up of about 16 percent agriculture, 60 percent industry, and 24 percent services (everyculture.com).  Many women entered paid employment during the socialist era and women make up nearly half of the workforce in the last twentieth century usually employed as teachers, nurses, pharmacists, sales clerks and laborers but are largely responsible for the household tasks; childcare, cooking, cleaning,and shopping.  This information will be helpful in getting the family started on an employment search if they have already not been sent to the United States because of a job opportunity.

3) Marriages is mongomous and marriages are free choice (everyculture.com)  Early infant care is provided my the mother, working mothers receive a paid six month for maternity leave, children aged three to six years of age attend state run kindergartens when available, otherwise early education is left up to the grandparents (everyculture.com)  Helping this family to find the right education and childcare program for them that would embrace their culture and diversity would be neccessary for the children to receive a smooth transition.

4)Most ethnic Bulgarians belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church but small numbers are Muslim, Protestants, and Roman Catholic, Gypsies are often Christian (everyculture.com)  Helping the family to find a church that practices their religion or another area that celebrates their religion will help them to continue with their religious traditions.

5) Families from Bulgaria celebrate many of the Christian holidays that are celebrated in the United States but they also celebrate others as well such as festivales of kukeri, which marks the beginning of spring and the agricultural period (everyculture.com)  Finding photographs of these celebrations and encouraging this new family to share with us their experiences and memories of the celebrations will help them feel more accepted and welcome.

6) Bulgarian children receive many of the same immunizations that American children do but sadly tick borne encephalitis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C and the H5N1 virus are common in Bulgaria (cdc.gov)  For these reasons, setting them up with a healthcare provider early on will help them to know where to turn for help.  Along with this educating them about all of the resources for assistance that are available for families will help the families to know who to turn to.

References

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/bulgaria.htm

http://everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Bulgaria.html
 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

     Unfortunatley in our society, negative behaviors such as bias, prejudice, and oppression exist in many forms.  We do not only encounter these behaviors in interactions and experiences from our daily lives but in information from the media, television, movies, books, and in music.  I just often wonder if the individuals performing these acts are even mildly aware of the long term damage that they are instilling on the recipiants of the act.  Maybe if individuals were a little more aware of it's implications, then they would do it, or maybe they still would?
     When I think of bias, prejudice or oppressive behavior in movies, the first movie that comes to mind is Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere  The scene that comes to mind is when Julia Roberts walks into the dress store with all of the money that Richard Gere had given her to buy a dress for their dinner engagement they had that evening and the women in the store without even knowing her decided that based on her appearance, she could not have afforded to shop there.  I think most people who have seen this movie had that overwhelming feeling of sadness for Julia.   The fact that circumstances in her life had led her to prostitution and now even though it was not the best of circumstances someone had entered her life that could rescue her from this dangerous and sad life that had become hers and without hesitation, these two women let her know she did not belong nor did she fit in dressed in her current attire.  There was not equality in this situation.  Even though, she had more than enough money to shop at this elaborate store, they would not even allow her to try on any of the clothes.  Besides for this, they would not show her the common curtosy that they would shown other customers.  The incident made me very sad because even though many of us dream of having enough wealth to buy anything we want, the fact that most of us are looking down at our faded black pants that we have had for ten years and hoping that no one will notice that they are not quite black anymore and that we just did not have the ability to buy a new outfit.  To turn this situation into an equitable one, the women in the store would have to see past the surface characteristics of Julia's attire and not judge her based on what they could see on the outside.
       I often think that some people not everyone have to experience some kind of struggle or disadvantage to truly understand how hurtful it is to be on the receiving end of biased, prejudice, and oppressive behavior.  This is not true for everyone, many individuals do encompass empathy for others, but in this particular case and in many cases that I have witnessed first hand, income and wealth or lack of can serve as a foundation for oppressive behaviors to happen.  I have witnessed first hand even in my own child care parents who will comments about children who are on vouchers and how they would not put their children in care with a child receiving one.  It's as if because a family needs help, there must something wrong with the child.  Poverty is not contagious!  All children deserve the same equal chance at a good education regardless of their family's income.