Final Week

A famous quote that I love about children is:

"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!" David Vitter

This quote is so true to me, and dear to my heart. If educators and parents are supportive of the children and guide them they would go far in life. Children need to feel loved and want someone to believe in them and help them succeed. All children have potential to succeed.

I always tell my students and children that they could become anything they dream of becoming. The sky is the limit!

Holistically....The impact on kids

At all ages and grades students are tested for various reasons. Some testing is to see if the child is prepared to advance to the next grade, if the child understands the materials, if the student needs special one on one help, and etc. I believe that testing is a good thing if assessed the correct way and for a good reason. The school system has to assess students, and parents and guardians should understand that, the problem comes from over usage of it.

According to worhnetweb.princton.edu, holistically means emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole. I think the child as a whole should be assessed. The reason I think that is because every individual have a weak spot, and should not be punished for it. For example, I am quick and fast in math, but slow in reading. Should I be placed in a special need reading class because my 3^rd grade assessment was low? What if my 2^nd grade test was normal? My point is that children should be assessed as a whole, and not parts. For example, I use to have a student that was smart and capable of completing his work. He went to public school, and they are trying to place him in a special needs class for the wrong reasons. He was assessed and has behavior problems. Yea, we know he has behavior problems, but is placing him in a special needs class the way to go because he was assessed and his teacher said so. I had this student before he went to public school) for 2 years and his work was well, and I was able to control his behavior. I think it could be overused.

Children in the UK get assessed in somewhat the same way as they do in the US. The teacher assesses them in the classroom, during particular age groups. They also use 3 National curriculum levels that assist them. They aim to make sure that everything is balanced in the classroom. The systems are similar to how our educators do things, which could have its perks.

Children do need to be assessed, but it is a thing called over-measured. The child should be looked and assessed as a whole and not in parts.

Consequences of Stress

Although there are many common stressors, I would like to focus on diseases. A few years ago when I was completing my Undergraduate degree in healthcare, I learned a lot about different stressors and how it affects children. One of the courses that I had to take was centered on AIDs prevention. I attended a seminar called AIDS 101, it was one of the best experiences that I could have had. I met a sibling that explained how they were born with the illness, and their mom died when they was young from complications from the disease. They elaborate on how their childhood was. They had doctor’s appointments every week, hard to keep friends (when they find out they have AIDs they get scared), always sick, play no sports, missed a lot of days of school (the brother dropped out), etc. I could imagine how their childhood was, because it’s a lot for a child to handle.

AIDS is a major problem in other countries, a bigger problem than the United States. Africa has most of infected people living in sub-Saharan Africa.  It is a number of reasons why the disease can spread so fast. The poverty level, economic status, or lack of knowledge could all be factors on why this particular disease could be affecting so many people in Africa. Children also have to stay in the hospital longer than any other patients.

AS a child growing up in Trinidad, AIDs is a huge problem. On the radio station, boards, schools, etc., they discuss the prevention and the importance of being educated about the disease. The children whose parents the disease spend a lot of time with other family members and friends, because their parents was sick a lot and weak a lot. My aunt is a nurse at the hospital and she came home crying many nights because of the death of child from the disease.

Child Development and Public Health

                      Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

A few years ago a friend of the family, 4 month old baby died from sudden infant death syndrome. She was asleep in her crib and  never woke up. She was lying on her back, covered with a blanked (in January), and it was no toys in the crib. The autopsy found nothing out of the ordinary which contributed to her death. They said it was SIDS. It was a very painful moment for family and friends.

What is SIDS:

SIDS is suspected when a  infant, usually younger than 6 months of age, is found dead in bed (while they sleep).

Facts about SIDS: from

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sudden_infant_death_syndrome_sids/article_em.htm

• About 90% of SIDS deaths occur in infants younger than 6 months of age.
• 
  

  SIDS is not predictable or preventable.
• 
  

  SIDS is not caused by immunizations or bad parenting. 
•  SIDS is not contagious or hereditary. 
  
•  SIDS is not anyone's fault
• African American babies are twice as likely to die of SIDS as white babies

The U.S. SIDS rate remains high, compared to other developed countries.

For example, in 2005, the US. rate ranked second highest (after New Zealand) among 13 countries in a research study by Fern Hauck and Kawai Tanabe.

Some of the lowest SIDS rates in other countries were in the Netherlands and Japan.

As a future child care professional I will utilize everything that I learned about SIDS to keep parents informed.

My birthing Experience

I have two boys and both of my kids birth was a blessed experience. I had both my kids through a planned c-section. I remember thinking about how I am going to have a bundle of joy coming into the word in a few minutes. The procedure was rather quick and the babies were out within twenty minutes, but the after effect is what was hard. I had trouble walking for a few days, and I also had lower stomach pain for a few weeks.  Giving birth to my children is the best birthing experience that I could elaborate on.  I also remember the hospital staff taking his footprint and the small little band around their hands, for identification and security.

                                                                 My youngest son footprint from the hospital

        My 2 pride and Joy                            

Birth is something that should be taken seriously. The whole process involves patience and obedience.  A mother has to be careful what is transferred to the unborn baby. No matter how much you want the baby to be delivered it is a waiting game. If the baby is delivered prematurely, the child will be impacted with their development. Now through this week’s reading, plasticity brings hope that children can outgrow or their ability can change over time.

Preparing for the medication to take effect!!

 Trinidad and Tobago birth

My family is from Trinidad and Tobago, an Island in the West Indies. In the past a lot of the births use to happen at home with midwives. Most deliveries were natural with limited medication for the mother, to me more painful. My grandmother had no medication at all with any of her 5 deliveries. Within the past few years more and more women is going to the hospitals to give birth, much like we do in the United States. My cousin, who is younger than me, went through a medicated delivery in the hospital. In the United States it seems like the percentage of women that gets c-section is higher than other countries or Islands, like Trinidad for one. I think a lot of the Islands are starting to modernize and adapt too many things that are done in the United States.  

Most of the hospitals in Trinidad are free, so they don’t offer much extra’s in the hospitals. But if you want a better level of care then a mother would have to go to private hospitals. The newborn child would still get tested for the diseases, but the extra amenities like footprints and pictures would not occur.

                                   Map of Trinidad and Tobago       

Thank You

Over the past few weeks I have learned so much and gained so much insight, with the help of my colleagues. I just wanted to take the time out and say "Thank You" for each and every one of you that made my transition into this program a success. Considering this is my first time using a blog, it has been a pleasure working and collaborating with everyone. Hope everyone reach their goal and much success in life!

Examining Codes of Ethics

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

All children are special and are blessed with different qualities, personality, and abilities. They are all capable of learning and can blossom no matter what is put in their way. No child should be placed above another 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 believe that children needs to be in a environment that cam allow them to grow to their full pontinal. Children would be happier if their setting was a cheerful and positive one.

I-2.8—To help family members enhance their understanding of their children and support the continuing development of their skills as parents.

Educating family members would only benefit in the child’s development. It is nothing wrong with having too much information when it comes to the children.

I could go on and on with codes of ethics that is meaningful to me, but the bottom line is in the early childhood field we have to stay educated and current with research and information that would benefit the children. All the codes of ethics benefits the children in one way or fashion.

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 

Growing Your Collection of Resources -additional resources

Quotes Related to Children:

Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child’s future. A child’s self-esteem affects every area of her existence, from friends she chooses, to how well she does academically in school, to what kind of job she gets, to even the person she chooses to marry.                         
                                                              STEPHANIE MARTSON

Children need models more than they need critics.      
                                                              JOSEPH JOUBERT

Website:

Resources for Educators –Early Childhood Development Coalition.

http://www.earlychildhoodswi.org/ResourcesForEducators.html

Books:

Evidence-Based Practice in the Early Childhood Field by Virginia Buysse

Inside American Education by Thomas Sowell

Growing Your Collection of Resources- Course Resources

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

• Association for Childhood Education International
• http://acei.org/about/
• 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
• Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• FPG Child Development Institute http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• HighScope  http://www.highscope.org/
• Harvard Education Letter http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.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.preknow.org/
• The Erikson Institute  http://www.erikson.edu/
• The Division for Early Childhood  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• WESTED  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
• Where we stamd on school readiness.  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• World Forum Foundation  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
• Voices for America’s Children http://www.voices.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/

Lyndon Johnson, Ann Turnbull, and Sandy Escobido offers great words of inspiration and motivation

Lyndon Johnson

“Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity.”

“We have entered an age in which education is not just a luxury permitting some men an advantage over others. It has become a necessity without which a person is defenseless in this complex, industrialized society. We have truly entered the century of the educated man.”

Ann Turnbull

“Positive behavior support is an approach for helping children develop social and communication skills, while creating a positive environment for learning and growth. Essentially, positive behavior support is a package of strategies, not just one intervention.”

Sandy Escobido

“ My passion stands from my personal experience growing up. My mom and dad come from different countries. My mom comes from Mexico and my dad from El Salvador,  they came to this country looking for oppitunity for themselves and for me.”

“So when I go to these parent meetings and actually see parents see how to speak to policy makers and learning how to write letters and learning how to tell their stories and share their voice that’s what keeps me motivated regardless of all the challenges going on.”

Personal Childhood Web

Grandfather-Reny Textus

I was a papa's girl. As a young child I grew up in Trinidad and he was always there for me. He was retired and his life revolved around me. He took me to school every day, he came to any event that I had, he spent time with me like a father should of. He always told me I had a gift of love, and that is what I think fuels my passion for children. My papa never turned a hungry man away, and to this day if someone tells me they have no money for food I will provide for them.

                                            On the beach in Trinidad when I went for a visit

Papa, Tyler, and I in 2006

Grandmother-Lonia Textus

My grandmother and grandfather have been married since they was 18, so they was very much in love. My grandmother was focused on my education and wouldn't let me sit on the job. She knew I could do anything that I put my head too, and she told me that every chance she got. I remember she used to make me special treats when I finished reading a book (ice cream, cake, comb my hair in a fancy way, etc.) Family is first is what she always said, and to this day I follow her belief. I just pray that my husband and I will a happy marriage for as long as they did.

                                                  The last picture I have with my grandparents

Mother-Jillian Tucker

My mother is my rock and my role model. She came to the United States at a young age, alone, and learned from her mistakes. In my younger years even though I was not physically living with her until the age of 8, she made sure that I was able to experience different things. I went to the best schools, different trips, and had everything that I wanted. As a young girl she wanted me to know that I didn't need to depend on anyone but myself. My mother made it possible for to me dream. She is a fighter- she overcame cancer, financial obsticles, and the reputation that she wasn't going to amount to anything becasue she divorced her husband. The number one thing I learned and practice from my mother is to never give up on my dreams.

                                            My beautiful mother enjoying the sun

                       My mom and Andrew (my youngest son) infront of her first home

                        That was her dream!!!!

Meaningful to me

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conducts is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11

Days of the week drawing

I love this drawing that my son made for his book. I like for him to do work thoughout the summer even if he don't have school. About two weeks ago he hold me that he wanted to do a days of the week book. He went on to tell me that when school starts he wants to give it to his teacher so they know what he did in the summer. So for Sunday he drew a picture of him going to church and on Monday playing basketball and he continued until he reached Saturday. What makes this picture so special is that he looked in the newspaper to get the spelling of basketball, and took the church program out my purse to spell church. All I could do was laugh, and I hope his teacher likes his book.

Go, Dog Go is a Great book

"Go, Dog Go" by P.D. Eastman is a fantastic book. The main reason this book is one of my favoriates is because my 5 year old son can read it to me. The book is about dogs, things they do, places they go, and things they see. The interesting part is that the book is loaded with sight words, which makes it a easy  book for 4 and 5 year olds to read. Let's not forget the pictures throughtout the book, it is colorful and goes hand in hand with the story. Once a week my son reads this book to me and each time it gets easier and easier for him.

My first post

This is my first time blogging. I hope it gets easier as the classes progress. Does anyone have any advice that I can use to make blogging easier?