Professional Hopes and Goals

After eight weeks of study, we come to the end of Perspectives on Diversity and Equity.  We have learned about the definitions of culture, diversity, and microaggressions.  I have been surprised at my own revelations and have learned from the perspectives of my colleagues.  My hope is that I take what I have learned here and apply to my work with children, families, and staff.  As we see the demographics in our community change with the influx of new immigrants from numerous different countries, we need to be prepared to support them in navigating the waters of education.  My role as a professional is to lead and coach others in ways to work with all families and children and I hope that some of the information I have gathered in this course will transfer to my daily interactions and training with staff.

One goal for our early childhood field is to incorporate more diversity training and education in the higher education institutions.  It is so important that new professionals coming in to teach in our classrooms know how to interact with families from all backgrounds and cultures.  I think in my undergraduate program there was one class on diversity.  If we start with the "front line", we can begin to ensure that children and families are well supported.  Once they enter the workforce, it is more difficult to find time for those trainings because they are focused on planning environments and curriculum.

I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues.  I think this course provided all of us with great insight and discussions about difficult topics and issues.  I appreciate all of your candid responses and posts and I look forward to learning more from you in future courses.  Have a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!

Sincerely,
Katherine

P.S.  Here is the "covenant" by Raffi that the last video referenced.  I think it is beautiful!
We find these joys to be self evident: That all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect. The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own song. Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to a loving “village.” And to pursue a life of purpose.
We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young, to honour their caring ideals as the heart of being human. To recognize the early years as the foundation of life, and to cherish the contribution of young children to human evolution.
We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep from harm or neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens. As guardians of their prosperity we honour the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains us. Thus we pledge our love for generations to come.
From http://www.raffinews.com/child-honouring/covenant-principles

Welcoming Families From Around the World

This week, I have been asked to imagine that I will be working with a family that has recently emigrated from a country I know nothing about. As the demographics in our community changes, this is becoming more common.  As educators and advocates for children and families, we need to plan for working with these families and prepare for their arrival in our programs. 

The country I chose is India. Best Buy is a local company that employs several professionals from India at its headquarters.  As a result, we have enrolled several of these families in our program.  In order to better prepare myself and my team, these are some things that I would do.  India is rich with culture and history.  I would spend time reviewing the basic background of the culture, including religions, traditions, and customs.  I would use websites like Wikipedia, the U.S. Department of State, and Lonely Planet.  Next, I would explore local organizations and resources like the India Association of Minnesota to connect the new family with support services if needed.  I would secure an interpreter if the family did not speak English so that we could communicate effectively before the child starts in the program and after to ensure a smooth transition.  I would have a meeting with the teaching staff to talk about the culture and traditions of the family.  Finally, I would support the classroom in creating an environment that is respectful and engaging for the child and the family.  This includes providing images, books, activities, and learning experiences that reflect the child's home culture.

Through all of this preparation, I would hope that it would increase our confidence in interacting with the family and make the transition of the family into the program smooth and seamless.  In addition, I would hope that it would create an environment that would encourage the family to be involved in the program, adding a richness to the classroom that will benefit the children and the staff.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

     As we have explored these ideas of bias, prejudice, discrimination, and oppression, I have become more sensitive to the subtle ways the media often expresses some form of discrimination toward an individual or group.  In television shows, mostly crime shows, there continues to be a theme of black males playing the role of the criminal.  In the last blog posting, I shared an incident on a comedy where a white male professional calls his assistant who is from India "Mogli".  As a society we have become immune to the subtle, and often blatant nature of such biases.  It is frightening to think of the impact it is having on the children of today that grow up in homes where the television is on both for active watching and as "background noise".  I do not envy parents of today that must compete with media for the attention of their children.
      In each incident, there is diminished equity for the individual. As roles of criminals are played by black males, the idea becomes that it must be true in greater society.  It does not seek to dispel the myth that black males are criminals and, as I said earlier, the impact of that image on young children can only be harmful.  If it were up to me, shows like that simply would not exist.  As for the comedy program that pokes fun at the ethnic origin of its characters, it diminishes the equity that is portrayed in professional settings.  The fact that the character played by the white male holds a sense of power over the other and is representative of the dominant culture, the interpretation of such a scenario is dangerous.  It conveys the idea that people of color cannot hold a position in leadership and that, as an assistant, comments about them are condoned.  I could not believe it when I heard it, and yet, the live audience or the laugh track reinforced how funny it was supposed to be as a joke.
     I think that in order for these kinds of images to change and make a difference, media should begin casting characters that reflect greater society.  People should begin to recognize these subtle attacks on individuals and groups and start talking about it.  Since they are so subtle, or are simply "how it has always been", the more we bring it to light, the better possibility of it changing.

Microaggressions

This week, we have been asked to focus on instances of microagressions, or
"brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental, that they may be intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that often time causes severe psychological distress and harm" (Sue, 2010).  As I listened to those around me, and to myself, I was surprised to hear the number of times that a comment or conversation could be considered a microaggression.  The example that impacted me the most was from a television show where a white man calls his assistant, who is from India "Mogli".  The show was a comedy and so the laugh track started right after the comment.  I was amazed at the comment and thought that it was a blatant assault on another person that was perpetuated by the media.  I felt embarrassed for the individual even though it was a fictional character.  How many young children may have seen that episode and now think that it is funny to call someone of that race a name like that?

As we study this topic further, I know that my sensitivity to these interactions will become heightened.  My challenge will be to monitor my own expressions and interactions and find a way to communicate more appropriately and effectively.

References

Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. New York, NY: Wiley.

Defining Culture and Diversity

This week we have been asked to share the responses of individuals that we have spoken with about culture and diversity.  As we strive to define these concepts for ourselves, we know that the meanings are different for others.  We take those perspectives and allow them to shape our own definitions.

In my conversations with friends and colleagues, I found that their definitions of culture and diversity were similar and insightful.  One colleague spoke of culture as a broad term that encompassed many groups of people of similar characteristics, yet also has the potential to be a narrow designation.  She acknowledged that culture is not only one's ethnicity or heritage, that it also includes their family practices and traditions.  A friend struggled to define culture as one specific definition, but diversity was something that was easier to explain.  She called it the idea that differences are accepted among individuals and  many cultures are brought together in communities living and working together.  We talked about culture and she said that she understood that it included more than just race or ethnicity.  Finally, I spoke with another friend that spoke of local culture and diversity as one in crisis.  There are areas of our community that clearly struggle with unemployment, poverty, and discrimination.  In this conversation, culture was defined mostly as race and ethnicity and diversity was limited to areas outside the community in which people live.

Most people I spoke with were aware that culture is more than a person's race or ethnicity, though few could identify the less obvious characteristics of culture, such as socioecomonic status, parenting styles, and home life practices.  Diversity seems to be an easier concept for most people to define and identify.  They know that differences are what make us unique and what bring us together to create communities.  In reflecting on these individuals' answers, I understand that we all struggle to define culture and diversity for ourselves personally.  We can generate a definition, but when we think carefully about either our own culture or that of the children and families we serve, we have a lot of work to do to fully understand where they are coming from and how to best provide for their needs.

Perspectives on Diversity and Equity

In my new course in diversity and equity, we are exploring the ideas surrounding the cultures and backgrounds of children and families, how families are defined, and how professionals can partner with families to provide the most quality experiences for children and families in our programs.

This week, we have been asked to consider the following scenario:

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

Blog about all of the following:

A description of the three items you would choose

How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise

I would take a family photo, a family recipe book, and a small key chain with St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers on it that I received from my dad before I traveled to Russia after high school.  The family photo would remind me of the bond we share as a family.  It would allow me to remember times when life was simpler and encourage me to establish that life again once we settled in the new country.  The recipe book would be important for us in that process to establish a sense of normalcy in the new country.  It would also be a tool to share our culture with others that have been displaced.  Food brings people together and sharing traditional foods is a great way to develop relationships with others.  The key chain would be important to me to remind me of my dad and the faith he and my mom raised my sister and I with.  It is a small token that holds very significant meaning.  I carry it in my purse every day!

If I was told that I could only keep one of the items, it would be the key chain.  I could carry it with me and remember my family and my past experiences, as well as feel a sense of security in the presence of a reminder of my faith.  I would feel a sense of loss in leaving the photo and recipe book behind.  When you think that those are the only possessions you have in the world other than the clothes on your back, it is tragic to think that they would be taken from you.  This exercise should be a reminder to us that this happens to people all over the world every day.  We hear in the news about people fleeing their homes because of war, famine, or other catastrophic events.  We must be thankful for what we have and the security we feel.  When we approach families, we need to be mindful of the pasts from which they come.  We often have no clear idea of the traumas they have experienced and the care they will require until we build a strong relationship with them.

Final thoughts on research

In this final week of "Building Research Competencies", we have been asked to reflect on what we have learned and experienced over the past eight weeks.  When we began this class, I was so excited to learn about the research process and the different elements that make a quality research design.  I think that we improve our professional environments based on the volumes of new research that is emerging all the time. 

Throughout the course, we focused on a simulation that we designed and "practiced" all of the steps that a researcher would take in completing the study.  I learned that the topic you choose must be very specific even though it can contain many different aspects that would be beneficial to study.  For example, my topic was social and emotional development and the relationship of healthy attachments.  I needed to narrow that down to how language development affects healthy attachments in children that have been adopted from non-English speaking countries.  There are so many aspects to research that I had not realized.  I found the literature review to be the most challenging.  In finding information about the study that I was conducting, it was difficult to determine what would be helpful and what I should not spend time reviewing.  I found that I examined the abstracts more carefully before exploring the full article.  It was also difficult to keep from following the tangents that the article searches often went on.  I had to keep my focus question in mind when searching for information.

Research in early childhood comes with it own challenges and considerations.  When working with children and families, we must be very sensitive to the dynamic that they present, the backgrounds from which they come, and what the impact of the research will be for them.  When planning a research design for early childhood, I think that the mixed method approach is important.  I found that the qualitative process creates more of an opportunity to explore the subjective nature of  children and their families.

My perceptions of professionals in our field have changed as a result of this course in that we can, and should, become active participants in the research process.  We should appreciate all of the wonderful discoveries that we are provided with, but we should also be pursuing our own.  This is a very exciting prospect for me.  Having been in the field for over 20 years, I am looking at my next 20 years with new eyes and all of the possibilities!

Thank you for all of my colleagues (again!) for your comments, questions, and feedback.  I look forward sharing ideas and learning more from you in the future.

Katherine

Exploring International Research Sites

This week we have been asked to explore a variety of international website devoted to sharing the latest research on early childhood education in their region.  I chose to focus on the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (www.eecera.org).  What I found there was that the research and topics of concerns are similar to that of the United States and align well with my own interests within the field.
The two main topics I found the most information on are inclusion in early childhood education and research around the birth to three age group.  Both of these topics are of interest to me and are ones that I am involved with daily.  In my work in inclusion, I have learned that it is a growing trend and becoming more widely practiced in early learning environments.  We are seeing the value in creating opportunities for children to learn alongside peers that have varying abilities.  I have always been passionate about the youngest age group in our care.  My "career" started in an infant room when I was 16!  It is fascinating to me to see the research and development of theory and programs on an international level.
The EECERA website has journal articles that share the knowledge on each topic.  One such article describes the shift in thinking around the education and care of babies in settings outside the home resulting from the increase in women returning to the workplace (Rayna, S. & Laevers, F., 2011).  The authors seeks to explain the various factors that influence the approach to caring for young children including research on attachment and social and emotional development.  Another article reflects on the idea of embedded instruction for children with special needs in inclusive environments.  The authors found that the use of embedded instruction was beneficial for children with special needs to gain new skills and also generalise them across other areas of development (Rakap, S. & Parlak-Rakap, A., 2011).  Embedded instruction is the practice of identifying natural times and activiites to engage a learner in the instruction of a particular skill or concepts.
While exploring the EECERA website, I found that they accept submissions for journal entries.  This is something that I have considered throughout this master's degree experience.  I am interested in sharing some of the knowledge and research I have gathered with others and I never knew how to go about doing that.  With more experience in writing on a graduate level, I hope to gain the confidence to submit some of my work to a professional organization similar to EECERA.


References:

Rakap, S., & Parlak‐Rakap, A., (2011): Effectiveness of embedded

instruction in early childhood special education: a literature review, European Early Childhood

Education Research Journal, 19:1, 79-96

Rayna, S. & Laevers, F. (2011): Understanding children from 0 to 3 years

of age and its implications for education. What's new on the babies' side? Origins and evolutions,

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19:2, 161-172

www.eecera.org

Research Topic

I was recently exploring the ZERO TO THREE website for resources on infant and toddler development and the latest research that is being done to support the work done in that age group.  Social and emotional development is of great interest to me since, in my opinion, it is lays the foundation for successful, healthy children and adults.  Under the "Behavior and Development" tab there is a section on Early Childhood Mental Health.  On that page there is a video clip of an experiment done to show the effects of a responsive caregiver and a non-responsive caregiver.  The reaction of the child is fascinating and it truly shows how important our reactions to children are.  The research and work done in the area of mental health has direct implications on our field.  We all know that the demand for quality early childhood programs is increasing and with the information that is provided by this kind of research, we can begin to understand our role in training and sharing the knowledge with those in the field that are interacting daily with young children.

Here are more details about the video I referenced:

"The Still Face paradigm, designed by Edward Tronick, is an experimental procedure for studying infant social and emotional development. During the experiment, an infant and a parent interact playfully before the parent suddenly stops responding and looks away. After a short period, the parent reengages with the infant. The infant’s reaction to a suddenly unresponsive parent and his or her behavior when the parent resumes interaction, have been used to study many aspects of early social and emotional development."

"This video clip is excerpted from ZERO TO THREE's Helping Babies From the Bench: Using the Science of Early Childhood Development in Court."

References:

http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-childhood-mental-health/

My Personal Research Journey

In this newest course "Building Research Competencies", we've been asked to choose a topic in early childhood that is of interest to us.  I have chosen to study attachment theory and its relationship to healthy social and emotional development in young children.  Recently, I have observed an increase in the number of families that are adopting children from foreign countries and I am interested in learning about the ways those children develop attachments to their new parents and how they adapt to the environment.  I am also very interested in how language development plays a part in that process, particularly if the child is an English language learner.

In evaluating resources and information on the internet, I realize that I need to carefully evaluate each piece for quality and validity.  The discussion this week encouraged us to look for sources that were both valid and non-valid and decide why they should be considered so.  This will help in my search for information on attachment theory and language development and my colleagues have shared many great sites to search.

Social and emotional development is often overlooked in early childhood.  With growing pressures for young children to perform academically, we must keep their emotional health in focus and understand that it is crucial for other areas of development.  I think it is interesting that there is so much in the news these days about bullying in elementary and secondary institutions.  The truth is it begins in early childhood, if you watch very carefully.  And as educators I believe that we MUST partner with parents to ensure that children are acquiring the abilities to empathize and recognize emotion in others and themselves.  In addition to the pressure to ensure academic success for children, teachers and administrators are now looking at having the primary responsibility of monitoring the emotional social treatment of others.  I realize this is a side sub-topic that could be a research simulation in and of itself, but I think there are some similarities.

Do any of you (my colleagues) have experience with working with families that have adopted children, either from the area or from abroad?  I would be interested to hear what services you know of that are available to them and how you think the process of language development affects healthy attachments.  I am looking forward to studying this subtopic and learning from you all about yours as well!

Katherine

Final thoughts on issues and trends in early childhood

In this last week of our course "Issues and Trends", we have been asked to reflect on the various issues we've studied and the various lenses we used to study them.  In addition, we have been asked to reflect on the international early childhood community and how learning about it has influenced us as professionals.  One of the consequences we face in learning about practices in the international arena is that we are forced to examine our own practices with a magnifying glass, looking for ways to improve, change, or match what our colleagues are doing worldwide.  Personally, I have been stretched to think more globally about the field and not just focus on my own individual work.  When I say "globally", I am referring not only to the international community, but also my own local community outside of my school.  Another consequence is that we see that there are thriving programs in the most rural communities and in affluent areas there are children living in poverty.  The same holds true for America and so we must look at the ramifications of economics on learning and the success of children and families.  Finally, a personal consequence for myself is that, as I study the various programs and organizations that are working to support children and families worldwide, the desire to travel is stirred.  One of my long-term goals is to work for an organization on a global level, allowing me to see the world and do the work I have chosen (or that has chosen me).  In my very first blog entry you will see that it is titled "My Part Yet to Be Played".  I do believe that I am in the right field and my desire to travel to various parts of the world to study and support children strengthens as I continue through this master's program.  I appreciate my colleagues and the insights they have lent to my discussions and presented on their own.
I will continue to attempt to contact professionals in the international community.  My goal is to create an exchange of information that will allow me to better understand the most pressing issues in various places and gather insight into how to improve practices in my own work and in my own community.
Thank you all and best of luck in future courses and your work!
Katherine 

Another informative online resource

I continue to be  amazed at the wealth of information that is available to us in the field of education.  This week, we have been studying the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) website.  Founded in 1945, after the second world war, its purpose was and is to create and maintain successful development of programs and policies that cultivate peace.

Specific to education, UNESCO has initiatives, internships, and programs around the world.  I was most interested in the work they are doing in Africa.  After my trip to South Africa, I tend to track progress in that area of the world more than others.  UNESCO's work focuses on integrating native African languages in to lifelong learning promotion.  I was also interested to read that UNESCO offers internships for graduate students, specifically on literacy.  "They are engaged in UIL activities in support of literacy initiatives, lifelong learning policies and information provision in the field of adult learning and education." (UNESCO, 2011).
Finally, I was interested to learn that the founders of this organization included well-known pioneers in educations like Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget.

As I review my professional goals this week, I am encouraged by all of the information and opportunities that are available to me in the field of early childhood education.  I am no longer required to remain tied to direct instruction and can begin to see the scope of influence that I could have unfold in front of me through this course of study, my part yet to be played.

www.unesco.org

Exploring the Zero To Three website

There are two additional links that I have found on the site.  They lead to the National Infant and Toddler Care Initiative and Early Head Start.  In addition, there are links to a funded project for military families and to their national training institute, listing the upcoming conference they are having in December.

After exploring the project that supports military families, I am excited about the work they are doing.  Here is a description of one of the projects:

ZERO TO THREE is committed to supporting young children and families within the military community. Coming Together Around Military Families® (CTAMF), an initiative at ZERO TO THREE supporting military families, strengthens the resilience of young children and families across all military service by increasing awareness and collaboration throughout the military community. In turn this knowledge allows parents and professionals to more effectively care for very young children and their families.
One newsletter I receive from the site is like an "ages and stages" informative newsletter for families.  In the most recent, "From Baby to Big Kid: Month 8", it has various links back to the website for information on what to expect from your 8 month old.  It gives specific examples of milestones and what to do to support the child.

Though this newsletter does not offer specific information on the current study we are doing on equity and excellence in early childhood, I was impacted by the link on the site to the projects they are doing to support military families.  I think this is often an overlooked community of people that are looking for ways to maintain consistency in their lives when one or both primary caregivers are away on duty.

www.zerotothree.org

 

Global Children's Initiative

This week, we explored the Global Children's Initiative's website, which is part of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.  The goal of the initiative is to educate and inform policy makers about the science behind development, to support the science and research that drives the work we do in early childhood, and define a leadership role in global development of systems and policies for early childhood.  They are focusing on three arenas: child development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict.   Some of the activities the initiative has begun to engage in are improving preschool quality in Chile through effective interventions, measuring outcomes linked to malaria control in Zambia, and establishing child and family-based strategies to address mental health issues related to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Rwanda.

In addition, I reviewed a podcast from the World Forum Radio featuring George Forman.  He has worked intensively in the area of how children think and has authored several books on Piaget.  He states that it is important to think about the development of children's thought processes in terms of how things in their environment change and the ways they notice and adapt to those changes.  Instead of teaching children concepts in one state only, such as "What color or shape is this?", we should allow children to explore and investigate the changing state of concepts, such as how colors change.  In his experience with the Reggio Emilia model, he was impressed by the idea that even fantasy play could help children reflect on their thinking and that symbolization allows their thinking to become visible.  I so appreciate this way of thinking when it comes to early learning.  In our recent studies about the state of our programs in the U.S. and how we are moving toward a universal, standards-based approach, I fear that we will lose sight of the importance of play and exploration in our field.  Children learn through playing and no matter how strict the standards or how much time we devote to direct instruction, nothing will replace the role of play and the valuable lesson it alone can teach.

References

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio

Sharing Professional Web Resources

As I continue to explore the Zero To Three website, I have found the information on early literacy extremely interesting and am learning ways to make the information useful in my current role.  On the homepage currently, there is the following information:

Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development - ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center announces the release of a video and a new policy brief illustrating how early language and literacy development contributes to a child’s success throughout life. Play the video right from our website and show it to policymakers, advocates, community partners, and others. For more information, check out the early literacy webinar and our wealth of early literacy resources.

The video referenced is about 6 minutes long and it very well done.  This is a simple way to share the importance of early literacy and learning and how one investor saw a need and filled it because he realized the impact it will have.  The research that continues to emerge about the impact of early interventions and programming for children in the area of literacy will be pivotal in convincing lawmakers and economists to shift the thinking to include early childhood in policy development.

There is a section of the website that address "maltreatment" and the fact that infants and toddlers are at a disproportionately higher risk of abuse and neglect.  While not necessarily controversial, I find the information disturbing and it creates, yet another area for which to advocate.  I have volunteered for a local child abuse prevention organization during a fundraising event and I believe this is an important social issue to address with policy makers as well.

www.zerotothree.org

Podcasts and poverty

This week we are studying the effects of poverty on children and families, both in the US and abroad.  According to the Children's Defense Fund website, there are 15 million children living in poverty in the US.  Ironically, they all live in a working household.  In the country of Kyrgyzstan of the former Soviet Union, the poverty rates have fluctuated since they sought their independence from the union in 1991.  They have gone from 32.9 percent of the population living below the poverty line in 1991 to 60 percent in the mid 1990's, to the now still shocking rate of 47 percent.  Proportionately, young children are experiencing higher rates of poverty and extreme poverty.  Children are entering the workforce in the areas of agriculture, selling in markets, and domestic service.  "Recent research estimate that approximately 24 per cent of children work either full or part time, similarly since transition there are now homeless or 'street' children in Kyrgyzstan's cities, and some reports of child prostitution and trafficking (Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre)."  I think the last portion of the quote is so alarming.  While I understand that it happens more often and in many other countries, it is disturbing that one would view a child as a commodity rather than a valuable asset to society.  Another insight from the information I gathered about this country is that they are experiencing lower levels of education than other countries.  The use of kindergartens dropped to 6 percent (from 30 percent) in 2001, after 10 years of economic upheaval.  This fact alone is a key predictor of troubling times ahead for these children as they enter adulthood.  The country is working to address these issues, but as any struggling country, it is a very slow process. 

I traveled to Russia and the Ukraine in 1992, just after the fall of the union, and things were bleak then.  I was only 18 so I was not fully aware of the implications of the disruption of the government's systems and processes for citizens and families.  What I do remember is that after a home visit in a very small town in the Ukraine, we went with the host family's daughter to the market to buy a thank you gift for her and her family.  We stopped at a flower market and asked what kind of flowers her mother liked.  She picked daisies so we proceeded to gather a bunch of them for her.  The daughter stopped us after picking 6 or 7 and said it would be too much money if we purchased more.  I don't recall what the price was in rubies, but it was equivalent to about 80 cents!  That is an experience I will never forget.

I am still waiting to hear from my international contacts.  In the mean time, I have been listening to World Forum Radio and have enjoyed the short stories of success and the experiences they have had.  Susan Lyon shares about her journey to her work with the Innovative Teacher Project she launched in 1994 in San Francisco.  As a teacher she worked with a boy on a spelling list and she was trying to help him with the word "city".  She described it for him and when she eventually told him what it was, he responded with "That's a small for a big place."  It was this simplicity of thinking that led her to study the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching, where there is a progressive image of the child, the child has some control over their learning, and they learn primarily through sensorial experiences.  Today, she leads the Innovative Teacher Project, which is a network of schools that share environments and take part in round table discussions about processes and practices.  There are both public and private schools that participate in the project and teachers come to use it for professional development.  One of the greatest impacts she has found is that she can create and encourage quality, even in a public school setting.

Resources:

www.childrensdefensefund.org
www.childhoodpoverty.org
http://worldforumfoundation.org

Professional Organization - ZERO TO THREE

I have been a subscriber to the ZERO TO THREE website for over a year.  In my work with infant through preschool aged children, I have found the information and resources on this site to be so helpful.  There are resources for teachers and families that I have shared in trainings and parent meetings and conversations.  The organization was founded in 1977 and they are headquartered in Washington, D.C.  They are a nonprofit that strives to train professionals, policy makers, and parents in their efforts to support the development of infants and toddlers.  Their mission speaks to the importance of enhancing the early experiences based on the latest research and knowledge.  there are newsletters, weekly downloads, and videos that support the work of professionals and families.

One issue that the website highlights is early language and literacy.  They provide researched-based resources for use in the classroom and with families.  There are supporting materials for use with children who speak Spanish.  I would like to see them provide materials in the future that support children who speak the various other languages we are seeing increasingly in our programs.  However, as we learned through one of our articles this week called "The Latino Education Crisis", there is a vital need for comprehensive services for children and families in the Latino communities.  There must be a "continuum of interventions rather than discrete interventions" and preschool efforts alone will not close the learning gap for these children. (Gandara, 2010).  We must treat the child as part of a whole and address the needs of the families that may or may not speak English and have access to quality community resources.

www.zerotothree.org

Gándara, P. (2010). The latino education crisis. Educational Leadership, 67(5), 24–30.

International Contacts and Networking

I am so excited about this course's blog assignment.  We've been asked to establish two international contacts in the early childhood community and I have chosen to reconnect with the country of South Africa.  I traveled there in 2000 to exchange information with educators and policy makers about their practices and was amazed at the culture, people, and kindness I experienced.  I am looking forward to hearing about the state of things today.  I think it is so important to network with other professionals in any field you work in to determine best practices and learn about difference within the field.

I attempted to connect with the Centre for Early Childhood Development and the University of South Africa online.  My intent is to learn about the practices in the field and find out about the process of preparing "practitioners" (their term for educators) for the education of young children.  I have not yet heard back from them.

For this course, I will be examining and exploring the website for the Zero to Three organization.  I have subscribed to the various enewsletters, emails, and written communications they offer.  My passion is birth to three and so I look forward to learning more about the work being done by this organization in this area of expertise.

My Supports

Support can take many forms in life.  As a child, my family supported me in school, with friendships, and in the development of my character.  As I grew older, I came to depend on friends for different levels of support.  I never had a large group of friends, but I had a small, close-knit group that shared the experiences that childhood is made of.  We watched each other struggle with studies, social strife, and family challenges like divorce and sibling rivalry.  Interestingly, I one of very few children in my social group whose parents were not divorced and looking back I see that as a significant influence in my success as an individual and the way I view relationships.

Now that I am an adult, I still depend on friends and family for support in life, but there is another group that has come to mean so much to my success and that is my colleagues at work.  I think when you work in a human service field, it is so important to surround yourself with individuals that share the passion that you have for the work and, fortunately, that is the case in my current environment.  The teachers I work with and my peers on the administrative level view their daily work as part of a mission to serve and support children and families.

In addition, there are other, more simple supports that I take advantage of in my daily life.  I am a list maker and a planner keeper, and without them I am much less productive and often feel that I am unable to then support others.  I am a single woman with a house of her own.  I have learned to fix and repair many things, but thankfully I have people in my life that can offer advice or help with projects that are overwhelming to me.  For example, I just had a tree pruned in my yard by a professional.  But a few years ago, my friend Marcy came over and helped me trim it up with her little saw.  It may not have been the best, but it was nice to know she was willing and equipped for the situation!

Without all of these supports in my life, I know that it would be tough to get out of bed every day.  Early education is hard work and without a strong group of colleagues and teachers to remind me of the importance of the work each day, the passion for the mission may diminish and it may become more like just a job instead of a calling.  In addition, without family and friends to share it with at the end of the day, life is a series of days strung together until the end. It is all about relationships!  I believe we were created as social beings, not meant to live in isolation.  As an introvert, I do enjoy my alone time, but for the most part, I crave the companionship of others.

Imagine if I lived in a part of the world that experiences daily violence, oppression, or poverty.  I may not be allowed to pursue my chosen career path or to further my education as I am doing now.  I may live in constant fear of injury or death.  I may worry about where my next meal would come from, or how to secure the resources to survive.  In this scenario, the most important supports would be safe shelter, financial resources, and the opportunity to be heard.  It would be so important for me to have an outlet for expressing the desires and dreams that I think we are all born with.  For me, those desires and dreams are related to improving the lives of young children and families locally and globally.  However, without the access to a safe and secure environment, food, water, clothing, and the provisions for other basic needs, the pursuit of a dream would be nearly impossible.  I think this can be applied to the increase in refugee and relocated children and families that we are seeing, not only in my area, but throughout the states.  We need to be sensitive to the needs they have for basic security and resources, as well as the dreams and desires they carry with them.

My Connections to Play

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm.  ~Bill Vaughan

When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.

Fred Rogers

This week's focus is play.  In my own childhood, play was part of every day life.  I grew up in a neighborhood full of children my age and we would leave our homes early in the morning with only the instruction from our parents of "Be home by dark."  Even then, we would often end up having impromptu sleepovers or late night games at someones house.  My family was one that played cards every time we gathered for an event.  I learned Canasta and other complex card games at an early age and have the fondest memories of sitting around a table, not a television!  Truth be told, our family was the last in my peer group to have a color television and our old black and white had lost its knobs so we turned the channel with a wrench!  We also had the privilege of having family in Door County, WI, where nature was our playground.  We would disappear into the woods behind my grandma's house for hours, building forts and throwing rocks down at the shore of Green Bay.

This is my cousin Amy.  We are about 2 years apart in age and we were very close growing up.  Even though she and her family lived in WI, our families made a point to visit several times a year for holidays or long weekends at a hotel.  In middle school, we began the tradition of spending a month or two during the summer at each other's houses.  We'd take turns and have the best time playing all day, going to the pool, the parks, and pretending the most amazing adventures.  One time, we packed up our Cabbage Patch babies and some snacks and went to my mom's car that was parked in the garage.  We were going to Florida and we took turns "driving".  I don't know exactly how long we were in that car, but it is a memory that we talk about when we get together to this day!

Play today is grounded in the same principles, but because times have changed, play has changed.  There is a greater fear of the environments in which children play, so often parents are not willing to allow them to go out on their own.  The presence of technology and video games has changed the way children interact with one another.  There is less imaginative play and more competitive play.  There is a greater focus on academics early in life and so children are losing the opportunity to apply knowledge they are gathering in school to real life situation.  It breaks my heart to hear of 4 and 5 year old children that are over scheduled and go from school to dance or soccer, instead of home to play with their family or to the park.  Those activities have their place in a child's life, but I feel that parents think it is a better use of their time to be in an organized event instead of simply hanging out in the backyard looking for bugs or going to the park after dinner. In an article by Kenneth Ginsburg, he discusses the pressures parents feel to make sure their child is prepared for school and life and that the concept of "building a resume" for the college admissions process through both academic and other activities is starting at younger ages (Ginsburg, 2007).  My hope for young children today is that they find joy in what they choose to play and that families realize that it is the time they spend together, not necessarily the activities they choose that makes the greatest impact.  A secure, empty car, two dolls and some snacks were all Amy and I needed for hours of imagination and fun.  The other piece that I hope parents begin to realize is the they do not always need to facilitate their child's play.  Children are so capable of creating worlds of play on their own or with a close peer that will make lasting memories.

As you can see, play has been part of my life because my family saw the value in it.  As much as we protested about that old black and white television, the fact that my dad refused to change and often required us to go outside and play or help with a project has made a great impact in my life.  As an adult, my family still sees the importance of play and relaxing.  We go on a vacation at least once per year and my cousin Amy and I still get together often (though we do not go to Florida with our dolls anymore)!

Reference:

Ginsburg, Kenneth R. (2007).  The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. American Academy of Pediatrics, 119, 182-191. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2697.

Relationship Reflection

This week we have been exploring and discussing the importance of relationships and partnerships in the field of early education.  We know that building a relationship with the child is only part of the equation that makes the time spent in the classroom successful.  When we partner with families we gain a better understanding of where the child comes from and how best to tailor their learning.

In my own life, I have several significant relationships.  Some have shaped who I am as a person and some have influenced who I am as a professional.  All of them have their own significant meaning and as I reflect on a few of them here, I am reminded of the ways in which each of them came in to my life or how I entered theirs.

My family has played a significant part in who I am, both as a person and a professional.  My older sister and I were not close growing up.  We are four years apart and to say that we had a rivalry as children would be an understatement.  It was only after we had both been to college and back that we became close.  She is extremely bright and I go to her for advice or answers for most everything I encounter.  We have had to work on our relationship as I believe the rivalry we had scarred us.  We are very different in many ways and disagree about many things, however we have learned that we can disagree and still continue the conversation.  We spend time on vacations together, with my mom.  The three of us are very close as it has been just the three of us since my dad passed away almost 17 years ago.  That was a difficult time that I believe brought my mom and I closer together.  My dad and I were always close, but when he died I relied on my mom for so many more things.  It is interesting to look back and think about the ways you are influenced by your family and that you will never have that time back.  The relationships within a family are often complex and you are tied together forever so it is important to reflect on where you have come from to see where you are going.

(From left to right: me, sister Jen, mom Linda)

I was never the girl that had a large group of friends.  I have always had a small group of close friends and, to this day, I wouldn't trade that for anything.  I think it is because I invest time in each relationship that I value so I only end up with a few!   My best friend from high school and I are still so close.  She is still single (like me) and we feel bonded in that way.  She and I have not always seen eye to eye on things and have taken time away from one another, but we always seem to come back and pick up where we left off.  She is one person that I can say anything to and has been there for me through so many things.  She knows when I need space and I know when she does.  This has occurred over a long period of time and so I think that it has been those challenges that we have worked through and not given up the relationship over that has allowed us to remain such close friends.

My best friend from college and I have had a similar journey.  We were never roommates in college, but when I bought a house after college she moved up to Minneapolis from her small town.  It was difficult for both of us to be on our own, but we figured it out together.  We met new people and had fun living our post-college lives.  After several years, I was ready to live on my own and so she moved out.  It was not easy for me to talk to her about it, but she understood.  It was awkward and uncomfortable and after she moved out we didn't talk or see each other for over a year.  Finally we reconnected and began spending more time together.  We traveled to New York and California together and established our post-living together friendship.  She has a degree in the early childhood field and, though she is not using it, she supports my work and asks about the master's program I have started.  She has always been someone that I can go to about challenges I am having at work and she offers sound advice because she understands.  This is another example of a relationship that went through its challenges, but was not left behind.

(From left to right: Cheri (college best friend), me, Colleen (high school best friend))

In each of these relationships, there were times that things were difficult and it was through these experiences that I learned that these individuals were people that I could rely on. In my professional life, I can see this process happening frequently, whether it be with an employee that does not agree with a policy or practice or a family that is unhappy with the service they are receiving.  Investing time and space allows each side to think carefully about the best interest of the child and, through further discussion, a common ground can often be found.  There will be times that disagreements occur and may not be reconciled, but that does not mean that the relationships should be abandoned.  When partnering with families, there is most often always a way to meet in the middle and act in the best interest of the child.  As with personal relationships, partnering with families takes time and effort and the construction of the relationship does not happen quickly.  It must be cultivated slowly and with sensitive guidance.

Final thoughts

"Play is the work of childhood."

This past eight weeks, we have been asked to chart the development of young children, conduct observations, and reflect on the various factors that influence young children in this generation.  Technology, assessments, and other expectations are changing the face of education, but one thing remains:  Play is the work of childhood.  Whether you agree with the use of technology, media, and computer games, you cannot deny the importance of play and social interactions in early childhood education.  As educators, we need to be mindful of these various influences and provide children and families with the support they need.

Assessing Children's Abilities

This week, we have studied the early elementary age group and have been discussing the current trends in testing and evaluating young children.  In the United States, there is much emphasis on the academic skill level of young children.  Teachers in early grades find themselves focusing on teaching the skills and concepts the children will need to know in order to pass the state mandated tests they face each year.  Teachers I know have told me that they feel limited in their creativity, ability to stimulate free thinking, and feel pressured to ensure their children do well in order to secure their own job.  They follow curriculum, but find that the children who learn at a different pace or in a different manner are falling behind early in the year and have difficulty catching up.

So it begs the question...what skills should be measured and how?  In early childhood, we evaluate children on basic skills like literacy, numeracy, gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive abilities like scientific and mathematical thinking.  I believe that these skills can be taught and attained in a play-based environment.  Children learn best through play, right?  When does that change to children learn best through direct instruction in chairs and desks? 



In addition to the skills listed above, I believe that it is important to invest in and assess children's social and emotional intelligence.  If a child is unable or struggles to interact with peers and adults, it will also be difficult to learn some of the key skills needed to pass standardized tests.  For example, if a child cannot regulate his or her emotions in a stressful environment, the child will struggle to attend to the tasks asked of him or her to practice the learning necessary to pass the test.  It seems like a complex example, but it is so common, even in our early childhood environments.

In the Republic of South Africa, children ages 7-15 are required to attend school. When I visited the country in 2000, we spoke with many teachers that told us of stories of children and families that struggled to send their children consistently because the family lived too far from the school or one or both of the parents had passed away from HIV and the child was sent to live with extended family. 

"By 2009, only around 2.5% of children aged 7 to 15 were not in school. Yet

this 2.5% represents around 200 000 children who are not in school when

they should be. There are many reasons why these children are not in

school. Some children live very far from a school. Others are children

who need special education and who get told that the local school cannot

offer them this. Nearly all those children who are not in school are from

poor homes, sometimes with no adults in the home." (Government Gazette, 2010).

According to the South African Government Information website, there is an action plan to improve the performance of students in the education system.  In the plan, one of the goals is to increase the number of learners in Grade 3 who by the end of the3 (Government Gazette, 2010).  They use a standardized test called the "Annual National Assessments", which focus on language and math.

year have mastered the minimum language and numeracy competencies

for Grade

References:

http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=DV%2bNwF3%2bM1s%3d&tabid=418&mid=1211

Stress in early childhood

This week, we have been asked to identify and reflect on different stressors in the lives of young children.  In this day and age, there are so many worldwide, from natural disaster to war and poverty.  The idea that children are resilient is common, but we are left to wonder about the long-term effects of stress on the developing child.

In my own childhood, I can recall very little stress.  My family was stable, always employed, and we were happy.  We didn't have everything we wanted, but we had everything we needed.  Living in the Midwest, there was little threat of natural disaster or war, however, I do recall being fearful of war.  When the US invaded Grenada in 1983, I remember watching the coverage with my dad and asking if we were going to war.  I was too young to fully understand the situation and how minor the incident was.  All I knew was that people died in war and I was afraid of a similar invasion of Minnesota.  This is a great illustration of the impact media has on young children.  I was lucky to have parents that responded to my questions and reassured me that there would be no invasion of Minnesota, but I internalized what I saw on TV in those days and remember feeling anxious whenever people would talk about it.

For children directly affected by war and violence, the impact can be long-lasting and early intervention is crucial.  In a study of refugee families in Australia that had experienced war-related violence and stress, the use of supportive play groups provided them with an outlet to process what they had experienced and gain a sense of stability (Jackson, 2006).  The study was an intervention that provided families with programming for the children and families.  It was intended to allow for the exploration of the events that had occurred in a safe and nurturing environment.  The children were enrolled in a supportive playgroup for five or more hours in the day and the families were given opportunities to participate as well.  The findings indicated that the structure and content of the playgroup, the relationships between the child and parent, and the sensitivity to separation anxiety in this population were some of the most critical factors in ensuring the success and protective nature of the project (Jackson, 2006).

It is important for us to remember that children are resilient, but for those that have seen tragedy, they need support and an environment in which to recover and feel protected.  War-related trauma is not a common issue in the lives of children in the U.S., but with their access to media and all that is happening worldwide, we need to be vigilant and sensitive to their questions about what they are seeing and hearing.

Reference:

Jackson, D. (2006). Playgroups as Protective Environments for Refugee Children at Risk of Trauma. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(2), 1-5. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

The Whole Child

This week, we have been asked to look closely at one topic in the public health arena related to young children.  I chose to focus on mental health in mothers and fathers and the effect it has on the development and functioning of children and families.  As an educator and administrator, it is important for me to understand where families are coming from, what stressors they are experiencing in their daily lives, and how it affects the overall performance as parents and the support network for the child.  It reminds me that the child does not exist as an isolated being...that there are many factors that affect their development and success.

In Taiwan, there was a study that shows the state of mental health of the mother and father have an affect at different ages and stages of development, and that it is important to note the age and education level of the parents as well. It examined the impact of the growing trend of mothers returning to the workforce and the need for fathers to play a larger role in child rearing.  If a father is experiencing any sort of depression, it tends to increase the presence of behavior problems, especially in sons.  However, the presence of the fathers also offsets stress and depression in mothers, creating a positive impact on the family.
The role of age and education at childbirth should also be examined. For instance, children of older mothers have better social development at 6 months of age, but children of older fathers have worse overall development at 6 months of age and improved social development at 18 months of age.  This highlights the importance of preparing parents of any age for the role they are to play.

In Australia, a different study showed the impact of the behaviors and emotional development of children diagnosed with autism on parents.  It found that there is more stress felt by mothers, but that fathers experience more stress that those of children without a diagnosis.  This study highlights the importance of both early intervention for the child and adequate and abundant support for the families.  We often forget that families take on the stress that a child with special needs presents and it is part of our job to support them in their journey to find resources, services, and support groups.

Currently, I see a need for increased support for families.  We may have become "experts" in teaching their children, but we need to remember that our commitment is to the success of the child and the child does not come to us as an individual.  There are parents, extended family members, and friends that are part of the child's life that have an effect on that success.  In the future, I would like to be able to provide more extensive support to families in simple ways such as support or networking groups, newsletters, trainings, and connections with community resources for them.

References:

Lung, F., Shu, B., Chiang, T., & Lin, S. (2009). Parental mental health, education, age at childbirth and child development from six to 18 months. Acta Paediatrica, 98(5), 834-841. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01166.x

Herring, S. S., Gray, K. K., Taffe, J. J., Tonge, B. B., Sweeney, D. D., & Einfeld, S. S. (2006). Behaviour and emotional problems in toddlers with pervasive developmental disorders and developmental delay: Associations with parental mental health and family functioning. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50(12), 874-882. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00904.x

New Life

I have had the opportunity to be part of two births, other than my own.  The first was a child that could not wait to travel to the hospital so he was born at home while I took care of his older sibling and dad and the paramedics assisted mom.  The other occurred in a hospital, though without the use of drugs.  When I think about each of them, I remember the various emotions I felt, from fear to joy and everything in between!

As I took care of the sibling in the first experience, I had to remain calm for him, yet support dad until the paramedics arrived.  I remember him asking me to go get a shoelace and thinking "What for????".  I learned later that it would have been used to tie off the umbilical cord.  As a 23 year old, I was learning more than I really wanted to about the miracle of life.

In the hospital with my close friends that had invited me to be part of the birth of their second child, I was again reminded of all the emotions that go along with such an event.  I met them at the hospital at 11:30 in the morning and Lucas was born at about 3:00.  It was a long 3 hours for me, but even longer for her as she progressed so quickly, regretted not getting the drugs, and managed to have this beautiful baby boy regardless.  At one point, I was encouraging her through a contraction and the phrase I had used again and again was "You've got this."  She turned to me and said "I DO NOT HAVE THIS!"  It was time for me to either find a new phrase or just be quiet and hold her hand.  We joke about it to this day.

Compared with a "home birth" in Ghana as described our text from this week, it seems that, because the process is more widely practiced, it is a calm and quiet time for both mother and newborn child.  "The baby did not cry, not because there was any problem, but because it was a gentle birth" (Berger, 2009).  In my experience, the mom I observed was a calm as she could be, but because it was progressing unexpectedly fast, there was panic and tension.  Notably, the child has developed typically and has no lasting effects of the birth, except an incredible story to tell.

Final week of class

I've come to the end of my first graduate course and it has been a wonderful beginning to the journey.  I have learned from resources and classmates a wealth of information that I would have never accessed if not for this program.  I can feel the unrest in me and it is a good thing.  It means that I am not content to continue the day to day operations, but that I am being pushed and pushing myself to do and be more.  I am looking forward to the next course and, while I know that there is a lot of work ahead of me, I know that I am on the right path and haven't been this excited about anything for a long time!
Good luck to all of my fellow classmates!  I hope to cross paths with you again and wish all of you the best of luck in finding your place in the field of early childhood.  We have much work to do!

Sincerely,
Katie

Ethics and Ideals

In the field of education, there are several codes of conduct that govern the professionals who work with children and families.  This week, we reviewed two documents that outline some of those rules.  They both served as a reminder of the importance of professionalism, advocacy, and leadership.

In the Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) for the Council for Exceptional Children, the one that resonates with me is "we shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children" (DEC, 2009).  Parents of children with special needs are faced with so many obstacles when they are navigating the education system.  It has recently become clear to me that we are not only responsible for the present care and education of the young children in our program, but we must also support families and prepare them for their future in education and provide them the tools to access all of the necessary resources to help them be successful.  This might be public school services, PCA services, or evaluations that will allow them to access that support.

In NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment, there are two ideals that are significant to me and my professional role.  The first outlines my responsibility to the employees of the program.  It states that we are "to encourage and support continual development of employees in becoming more skilled and knowledgeable practitioners" (NAEYC, 2005).  As a supervisor of teachers and support staff, it is important that I be able to recognize the strengths of each employee and identify areas of growth.  I believe that we have much to learn from each other and I encourage my team to share knowledge with one another, while evaluating areas in which to provide additional training.  Some of the areas we have begun to focus on is how to best incorporate curriculum standards, creating a responsive classroom, and working with challenging behaviors in an inclusive environment.
The second ideal that resonates with me is the one that states that we are "to work through education, research, and advocacy toward an environmentally safe world in which all children receive health care, food, and shelter; are nurtured; and live free from violence in their home and communities" (NAEYC, 2005).  this is a comprehensive summary of why I chose to enter this masters program.  I am passionate about working in a field that does everything it can to educate not only children and families, but the surrounding community about the importance of investing in young children.  It is my hope that I can have a broader scope of influence in the field of early education.

References:

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

 NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resources for the Early Childhood Educator

This week, we have been exploring the variety of resources that are available to educator and professionals in the field.  Here is a list of some of them:

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56607/CRS-CW-4744594/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf

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

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

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://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://www.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

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/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/

There are local resources that I have depended on for information.  The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network has provided trainings for the programs I have worked in, as well as the Eager to Learn program (http://www.eagertolearn.org/).  In my work in inclusion, I have referenced the Center for Inclusive Child Care for information and training (http://www.inclusivechildcare.org/).

In addition, there are resources that are not necessarily published or tangible.  These include mentors and colleagues and your owned shared experiences.

Wise People Once Said...

This week we have explored individuals in our field of study that have pioneered new theories, expounded on new practices, and contributed knowledge and experience to early childhood education.  These people come from different sectors of the industry, such as research, Head Start, and public early childhood education.  I chose to profile Janet Gonzalez-Mena, an author and educator, and Art Rolnick, a business man who has taken interest in the dire importance of investing in early childhood education.  In an interview in 2010 with the Star Tribune, a local Minneapolis newspaper, he stated that "We're way under-investing in early education.  There is all kinds of research to say that if you provide a healthy environment for our children starting as early as prenatal, so that kids when they start kindergarten are healthy and cognitively ready and socially ready to learn, our children are much more likely to be successful in life."  That about sums it up!  My hope is that we are beginning to move in the right direction, despite the struggling economy.  Investment is preventative action to ensure that the future holds success for our youngest citizens.

In addition,  Louise Derman-Sparks, a champion for diversity in the field said that "teachers must figure out who they are."  When a teacher views a class of children, he or she must know his or her own temperament, views, biases, and culture in order to effectively reach and understand each and every child there.  It is a difficult undertaking, but beneficial to the teacher, the children, and the families they are working to teach.