Thursday, October 27, 2011

Good Luck

I have enjoyed reading each of your blog postings and appreciate all of the information that you have shared. I hope to have the chance to meet some of you in future classes.  Good luck to each of you!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

NAEYC and DEC Ideals






NAEYC Section 1 Ethical Responsibilities to Children 1-1.11 To provide all children with experiences in a language that they know, as well as support children in maintaining the use of their home language and in learning English.
This ideal is particularly meaningful to me because of my experience with the Early Reading First project.  Because of this experience, I have done research on this topic and have become passionate about the need to help children maintain their home language.  In order to be prepared for school, children also need to be exposed to English.  I feel strongly that this should not be left to chance or but rather that strategies for supporting the home language and exposing the child to English need to be intentional and research based.  It is impossible for a teacher to speak the language of the diverse population that many of us find in our classrooms, however, it is essential for professionals working with English Language Learners to be knowledgeable about second language acquisition.  This Ideal is significant to my professional life because the majority of the children and families that I work with are Spanish-speaking.  I have found that very few teachers are prepared or feel comfortable working with English Language Learners. Because of this, it is important for me to share what I have learned about strategies for working with English Language Learners and to help teachers understand the importance of supporting each child’s home language. 

NAEYC Section 1 Ethical Responsibilities to Families  1-2.9 To participate in building support networks for families by providing them with opportunities to interact with program staff, other families, community resources and professional services.
Young children must be viewed in the context of their family.  This Ideal is important to me because it is essential to provide a wide variety of resources for families in order to improve outcomes for children.  Providing opportunities to interact with program staff can support the relationship between families and their child’s teacher.  This connection can be instrumental in helping parents learn more about child development and parenting strategies.  Connecting families with other families in the program can be a great source of support.  Many families face multiple risks so being connected with community resources and professional services can be very beneficial.  This Ideal is significant in my professional life because the center where I work combines an early education experience for children with family support component.  This approach ensures a strong bridge between school and home and the individualized support and resources that each family needs.  This has been a very successful model, but we are always looking for additional ways to support families.    

The Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Professional and Interpersonal Behavior 4.  We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that enhance the quality of their lives.

This Ideal is significant to me because while it is the responsibility of all professionals in the field of early care and education to support children and families, it is even more important to support those children with disabilities and their families.  Agencies must be aware of their role in developing policies that improve outcomes for children and families.   This Ideal is significant to my professional life because the classrooms that I supervise include a significant number of children with disabilities.  We have been in the process of creating policies and procedures to ensure that these children and families receive the support and high quality services that they need.  We are also working with outside agencies that provide services to children with disabilities enrolled in our program and their families to ensure that we are truly working in partnership and delivering services in an efficient and professional manner.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Early Care and Educations Resources


Additional Resources that I would recommend are:

Websites

http://www.pitc.org- This a great resource for trainers.  There are powerpoint presentations, activities and handouts based on the WESTED philosophy

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu  This is a great website for information about guidance strategies for teachers and parents which includes videos and resources such as social stories.  Most are available in English and Spanish.

http://consciousdiscipline.com This website has information and resources positive guidance

Books
The Emotional Life of a Toddler Alicia F. Lieberman     This book is a must for anyone working with toddlers. 

I Love You Rituals   Rebecca Bailey  This book has  a variety of strategies for building relationships with children that have a positive impact on children’s brain development. Rebecca Bailey also developed Conscious Discipline

Simple Transitions for Infants and Toddlers   Karen Miller     Good basic practices for working with infants and toddlers in group care.  The information is presented in a very simple, easy to understand manner that makes it useful for teachers at any level.  Great for helping teachers put theory into practice.


Week 5 Resources
   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, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.

   Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53. 
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 
Part 2: Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being
   Websites:
                     World Forum Foundation 
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage  

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

                     Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/about/ 
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.
Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week’s Application assignment.
Part 3: 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/
   Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
   FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
   Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
   HighScope 
http://www.highscope.org/ 

   Children’s Defense Fund 
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
   Center for Child Care Workforce 
http://www.ccw.org/
   Council for Exceptional Children 
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
   Institute for Women’s Policy Research 
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
   National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education 
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
   National Child Care Association 
http://www.nccanet.org/
   National Institute for Early Education Research 
http://nieer.org/
   Pre[K]Now 
http://www.preknow.org/
   Voices for America’s Children 
http://www.voices.org/
   The Erikson Institute 
http://www.erikson.edu/
   
Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?, select Tips for Specific Formats and Resources, and then e-journals to find this search interface.) 
   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

Saturday, October 1, 2011

More Quotes from Leaders in the Field of Early Childhood


Quotes from leaders in the Field of Early Education

“The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child’s world.”
-Janet Gonzalez-Mena


“Parents don’t make mistakes because they don’t care, but because they care so deeply.”
-T Berry Brazelton


“Each of us must come to care about everyone else’s children.  We must recognize that the welfare of our children is intimately linked to welfare of all other people’s children.  After all, when one of our children needs life-saving surgery, someone else’s child will perform it. If one of our children is harmed by violence, someone else’s child will be responsible for the violent act.  The good life for our children can be secured only if a good life is secured for all other people’s children.”
-Lillian Katz



“We in the field of Early Childhood have the opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better.”
-Sandra Escobido

“Sometimes success is helping just one child be successful in the classroom.”
-Raymond Hernandez


"Each of us must come to care about