Quote about Children

This is so true. It is very important to teach children to make the right choices from an early age. Children are like little sponges and they absorb everything good or bad. As educators, we must help to prepare young children for their future education to be scaffolded upon. It is important to model positive behavior, because children are the future leaders of this country and the world. 

Testing Intelligience

     I think that in today's society people are quick to point out differences and compare children to one another. How do we test intelligence? I think that the holistic approach is the best way to assess children. I believe it is necessary to take into account the social, emotional, physical, and psychological development. These are important factors that play into standardized testing. The testing results are used to identify strengths and weaknesses.

     England and Steffy (2001) talk about standardized testing and the effects it can have on students and teachers. I did my student teaching in a 5th grade classroom and there was so much focus on the CRCT. Most of the time I spent student teaching, I was helping to prepare the students in for the test. I saw the fear, anxiety, and worry among the students as it got closer to testing time. I think the test are great, but they is so much focus on the test. I agree children should be tested, but some children get anxious taking test that have so much at stake. Here in Georgia the students can be held back by failing the test in certain grades. My son is in 3rd grade and he has been stressing for two weeks about the Georgia Milestone test he is going to take this week.

     The country I chose to research was China. I wanted to learn more about the ways they assess their students. In China they have testing prep schools. According to Larmer (2014), the students in China can spend 16 hours a day preparing for the tests. It is know as a "cram factory" Larmer (2014). They have a very long day of working on memorization for the test. I think this is good and bad. These people have so much pressure and spend so much time preparing for the test. The good thing is the students are learning, but I think 16 hours a day is way too long to be preparing for tests. Its like working 2 eight hour shifts.

      Here in America, the students are assessed, but they do not have to spend 16 hours a day in school. I think China and America have similar ideologies. Both countries are extra focused on test prep. I have noticed a lot about the the testing being a teacher. Even in Headstart, children are tested for their abilities and put into different categories based on the criterion base. The results and statistical information of their scores is put into a spread sheet to see if they are developing properly. As a teacher, I think testing is important, but their intelligence should not be assessed only by testing.




References:
Larmer, B. (2015, January 3). Inside a Chinese Test-Prep Factory. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/magazine/inside-a-chinese-test-prep-factory.html?_r=0



Steffy, B., & English, F. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=6g4InO8-QZIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=testing intelligence of children high stakes testing&ots=CyKBtnNAFh&sig=ylrLf62FPHFFpjC_8JcMzB7ut54#v=onepage&q=testing intelligence of children high stakes testing&f=false

Poverty-Seen Around the World

Poverty is a topic that comes to mind. I personally did not grow up in poverty, but I teach for Headstart, and many of the children that come through our program are living in poverty. Poverty as described by Merrium-Webster, is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions (Webster 2015). I see many of my students lacking what society would think of as the socially acceptable things. Headstart provides these students with access to two free meals a day and a snack. They also provide other access to assistance that may be available through agencies in the community. 
The country I chose to research was Indonesia. Indonesia has a high poverty rate. According to the information I read, people are trying to get by on $1-2 per day. Indonesia's per capita rate is around $3,000 per year according to (J.C. 2011). This is hard to fathom. In Indonesia they do not have the same access to clean water and good nutrition that we have hear. There are no programs like Headstart to help their underprivileged families receive good nutrition and free education. 
Indonesia is not the only country that has this problem. There are people all around the world and here in the USA that are living in poverty. It is a global problem. There has got to be some way to help these families. I think if we each pay it forward a little at the time we can make changes and help the world the best we can. As educators, it is our duty to do the best we can to inspire others to make a change. Together we can make a difference.


References:
To make a million people unpoor. (2011, August 3). J.C.
Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2011/08/indonesias-poverty-line

Merriam Webster
Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty

Mental Health of father, mothers, and caregivers

It is important for caregivers of children to have a strong mental capability. The impact of the mental capacity of the caregivers can have damaging effects on the children in the caretakers hands. Children need to feel they are cared for and appreciated by the people that are closest to them. It is important for children to have a sense of love, affection, appreciation, nurturing, etc. I believe that children that come from such environments are more apt to reciprocate these feelings and their offspring are more likely to grow and thrive better than those who don't  receive these kinds of interactions.

In many cases children who come from families that suffer from mental illness, they are more likely to exhibit these same behaviors. The children that come from families with long lines of mental illness are more likely to have mental illness themselves. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness in order to help people receive the help they need to cope with these symptoms.

There are many cases where mental illnesses are genetically passed from one generation to the next. In order to help control the seriousness of these mental illnesses it is important to provide early diagnosis and help to provide treatment as necessary. I think we can help people with mental illnesses with proper diagnosis and management of symptoms.

I chose to research Australia and their occurrence of mental illness in parents and caregivers. According to (American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 2007), children that come from from homes were depression and anxiety tend to have these same behaviors. About 21% to 23% children are living in households where at least one parent has a mental illness (Maybery, Reupert, Patrick, Goodyear & Crase, 2005). This makes it hard on the child because they learn to cope with their problems the same way their parents do.

From reading the information I have learned that mental illness can have serious effects on families. I think it is very important to help educate families and children on the importance of mental health and offer referrals to others services when possible.

References:

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, (2007) Vol. 77, No. 3, 362–36 

 

Births of children-Comparison

Thinking back to the births of my two children, I had two very different experiences. With my daughter Jaleigh, I was induced a week after my due date and dilated so quickly that I didn't get the epidural they planned on giving me. I was induced at 5:30 in the morning on April 3rd, 2003 and delivered a beautiful 7lb 20 1/2 inches long bundle of joy at 10:28 a.m.

Joshua on the other hand was delivered via c-section. I went into labor on my own on January 24, 2006 at around 7 am. I went to the hospital and continued to have contractions. I dilated to 6cm and stopped. They had to due a c-section because he had already had a bowel movement in the womb. He was delivered at 5:28pm and weighed a whopping 9lbs and 20 1/2 inches long.

The two births were different, but the outcome was the same. I gave birth to two precious children that stole my heart. I was able to give birth in a clean, sterile environment and my babies were cared for by trained professionals. In other countries people aren't so fortunate.

The country I chose to research was Africa. Africa has a high mortality rate of mothers and babies because they have limited access to healthcare and trained professionals. According to Unicef (2013),  there were around 40 million unattended births. This is very different from what we are used to here in America. African mothers are more likely to die due to hemorrhage and birthing complications because of their limited or lack of medical care.

This is very alarming. After reading this information I realize how fortunate I was to have a clean, sterile environment and great prenatal care during my pregnancies. It also makes me sad to think that we have come so far with advances in technology and healthcare, but there are so many people here in America, Africa, and around the world with no access to good healthcare. Hopefully in the future African mothers and mothers everywhere will have the quality healthcare they need to ensure a safe delivery and proper prenatal care.

References
DISPARITIES IN COVERAGE. (2013, January 1). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://data.unicef.org/maternal-health/delivery-care

Code of Ethics

NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

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.

*This is very important to me because I believe it is crucial to allow students to feel safe and in a healthy setting. It is essential to have an environment conducive to nurturing the "whole" child. I try to ensure that I provide this type of learning environment in my classroom to help my students feel loved and appreciated. I think this helps in promoting the development of the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of the child. 

I-1.12—To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next.

*It is very important to work with families and children to ensure they are ready for the next program. It is important to encourage families to become involved and stay involved in their child's education. It is a collaborative effort between the teacher, parent, and child to help the child be prepared for the next stages of their education.

I-2.5—To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs. 

*I think it is very important to respect the preferences of the family. We must take into account culture, language, customs, etc, because not all children are going to have the same beliefs. We do not want to offend anyone and we want to be respectful of the beliefs of others. It is very important not to overstep boundaries and try to force our beliefs on others. 

DEC Code of Ethics

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

*This is very important because we want to appreciate each student's individuality. It is important to recognize the potential in each child and strive to provide a meaningful education that will enable the child to reach their fullest potential. Every child has potential and we need to nurture them to enable them to learn and grow. 

• Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
• Article: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
  http://www.dec-sped.org/

Additional Resources for Early Childhood Educators

National Headstart Association
http://www.nhsa.org

Media and Technology Resources
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators

Teachers Pay Teachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com

Pinterest
www.pinterest.com

These are just a few websites that have a wealth of information for teachers. I posted the National Headstart Association website you all can learn more about the services Headstart offers. The other three websites have great resources for teachers to use and share information with other educators. Please feel free to post some websites you find interesting.