Sharing Web Resources

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

           I checked out the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators and read through the E-letters and regional reports. The regional reports were from different states and what legislatures in these states and advocates for early childhood education are doing. It seems as though the main concern for early childhood education is to not let it become lax in licensing and accredidation. Licensing and teacher quality are important and needs to be kept in the forefront.

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

I did not find anything controversial on the website. I felt that this website makes you think about how important our jobs are as early childhood educators or anyone involved with children to be strong advocates in this field. There are many conferences held throughout the  United States and the organization is linked with others to help decide the best practice for children and what is needed for quality preschool and early childhood programs. This organization is definitely about making sure we have the appropriate teachers in place and are of good quality.

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

In the Regional reports of the newsletters, governors and other members of the state's political parties are very much a part of the organization and are interested in how early childhood and the educators are important. There is also a toolkit on the website that explains how to get in touch with those people so that you are able to voice concerns.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

I really liked the toolkit because of the information it contained. I printed it off for my own files and hope to locate someone from the Iowa affiliation of this organization to find out more about it here in my state.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

I have yet to establish contact with someone outside of our country so I am choosing the alternative assignment for this week.

My first insight was how kindergarten in the country of Kyrgyzstan has declined from 30% to 6%. Many of the children here have to work as laborers on farms or are street vendors. There also seems to be a rise in child prositution and trafficking. What a sad situation for these children and the country as more and more families are forced further into poverty.

The second insight is in regards to the country of Mongolia and how migration impacts families. Families are moving into the urban areas and this move can either be a benefit or a hinderance. The result of migration of a family who does not benefit from moving can be devastating. One would think that moving to a more populated area would bring better job opportunities and resources but it may not be the case for all families.

The third insight was looking at the pictures of children and families in the different areas. I put myself in their position and wonder if I would be able to survive in the conditions they live in. Looking at those children smiling and looking much like any early childhood classroom is absolutely astounding. I look around my classroom and see the toys that my students have to play with and they have barely anything and they are still smiling. What a difference our children have compared to those in areas of poverty who do not know the difference.

I hope that the faces of those children can somehow be a reminder to us that if we, as a world, do not look for ways to help, we could be facing similiar situations everywhere. I think that time is coming faster than we think.

Reference
http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php.

Sharing Web Resources

I chose the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators for my resource because I had never heard of this organization. This resource has a wonderful array of journals, e-letters, conferences, and research articles. The organization is worldwide and addresses issues that affect educators from all over and brings the issues into the forefront.

The newsletter is issued every quarter and contains information regarding upcoming conferences and regional news. This resource is more focused on the education portion of early childhood so that educators know how and where to further their education and how to voice their concerns and opinions in regards to early childhood education.

The issue that caught my eye was the doing away with or watering down the early childhood license or certification standards in each state. I think this is a concern in regards to educating our youngest learners and making sure that educators and programs are top quality.

I am continuing to try and find out about the affiliate in my state which is Iowa. I would like to know more about the organization here and some of the concerns facing the state.

Links:

http://www.naecte.org/
http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=29 )

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Like many of my colleagues in the class, I was excited about trying to establish contact from early childhood professionals from around the world. The first website I tried, The Global Alliance of NAEYC, provided several email addresses and I tried contacting the German National Committee for Early Childhood Education emails. I tried both and have yet to hear anything back so I hope to hear something this week. I also tried contacting the South Africa National Early Childhood Development Alliance with no response yet but I don't want to give up yet.  I guess if I have to do the alternative portion of the assignment I will but I really want to wait and see if I hear something from these two countries.

I chose National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators for part 2 of our blog assignment. I am familiar with just about all of the websites listed so I decided to try this one. I read the current newsletter and am very excited to establish a contact within my state to see how I could possibly become more involved at the state level.

I think we all need to keep trying to establish contacts and but do the alternative part if necessary. I hope that all of us are able to talk to someone from another part of the world and share it with each other.
Good luck to everyone!

Daily Supports

I am blessed with several factors:

My husband- Without him I don't know where I would be. He is the gift that I can never imagine living without. He is always there with a listening ear, a shoulder for support, and wonderful insights that keep me going in my career.

My Faith - My faith has sustained me through the darkest moments in my life when my first husband died in a car accident and my daughter was seriously injured. I never knew what kind of strength I had until that moment and my faith was tested beyond words.

My friends - I have a wonderful system of friends whom I laugh and cry with. I talk to my friends every day and love to get together with them.

My Mom- She has been my support for many years through my single parenthood and staying at the hospital with my daughter while I planned my husband's funeral. Now she is in a nursing home and I treasure every day she is here.

My School - I have been blessed to go back to work at a school system where staff is treated as family. Our small school is an extended family and we are very close-knit. We all sit together at basketball games!

Without them, my life would be empty.

My challenge- An illness that would be life threatening. Every one of my supports would be there through every aspect of this challenge. My husband would be the rock and would do everything to help. My friends and school family would do those little jobs that come with fighting for your life on a daily basis such as cleaning house, rides to the doctor, sitting by your side, wiping your tears, holding your hand, or making meals  for my family. This challenge would fall completely on me if I did not have my supports. I guess anyone would really know what they are made of if they are all alone. You would have to reach deep down in your soul to find the strength to go and fight. You would have to have a positive mindset and take one day at a time.

I am truly blessed. I do not take each day for granted. My supports are there for me and I am there for them.

My Connections to Play

I have very fond memories of playing as a young child. I lived in the upstairs of a very old house with my mom and there was an elderly lady who lived downstairs. I had my own play room and every Saturday morning, I would clean out my toy box. After I had cleaned it out, I would sit in for awhile and play with my toys before putting everything back in.  I played by myself, with my mom, my grandparents, my babysitter, and a little boy who lived next to us. 

Quotes About Children and Play:

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)’

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

This is one of my favorite toys! I remember when my mom bought the box of Crayola Crayons with 64 crayons and a built-in sharpener! I drew pictures until the crayons were just stubs! I loved crayons with points  and looking at all the colors in the box.

Here is my other favorite toy! I have no idea how many miles I put on my tricycle but I have the scars on my legs to prove that this toy was the best! I took it to my babysitter's every day and rode it up and down the sidewalk and then would try to go as fast as I could around the corner and into the driveway without falling off. Ha, I think I feel in the bushes more than I did making it around the corner! 

   My third favorite toy was the sandbox/dirt pile. I played in those two places and Alice, my babysitter gave me all kinds of shovels, bowls, containers, watering cans, whatever I needed to build with and get extremely dirty with! 

I feel that everyone around me as a young child supported me in play and allowed me to do so many hands-on activities with them. It seemed I was never in the house during the day but outside playing. I think everyone really engaged my imagination and that allowed me to pretend and create.

I think play today is similar with outside toys and activities at least. There are still tricycles, sand boxes, and other large motor developmental activities that children still play on and with. But play is different too because children now have video games, computer, hand-held games, television, cell phones, and a whole slew of electronic gadgets that do not encourage them to do anything but sit. 

I felt like I played a lot longer with toys and other outdoor activities because my imagination was so well developed. I played with dolls and Barbies until I was in 6th grade. I played outside whether it was in the snow or going swimming at the pool. I enjoyed play time because I had to find things to do and had no trouble doing it. I now find myself playing with the children in my preschool and trying to be a good role model to them by allowing them to use toys and other open-ended items that will hopefully encourage their imaginations. I think adults need to find a way to play to perhaps get rid of the stress that seems to take over our lives. I think working in a preschool keeps me young at heart!

Relationship Reflection

I was blessed to have found two of the most perfect relationships in the world between my first husband Gary and my second husband Dave. My first husband Gary was an outgoing, friendly, gentle soul who was my best friend for almost 10 years. He blessed me with our daughter and was a good father to my son and his two children from his first marriage. We had good times and bad times but worked together to get through the tough stuff. He was killed in a car accident in 1999 and I thought my world had come to an end. I was brave enough to try again 2 years later when I went on a blind date with a classmate's uncle. This man is truly my soul mate in so many ways that are different from my first marriage. We have so much in common from growing up and graduating the same year to experiences that most people would not understand unless they too had been through the same thing. He took on me and my two children (ages 15 and 8 at the time), not an easy job by any means but did it and has done it well ever since 2003. My children are now "our children" and he loves them as his own. He will do anything for them. He knows me better than I know myself and I can tell him anything and vice versa. In some ways he is like my first husband but in other ways he is the complete opposite.

I can probably say the same thing for my best friend Barb. She and I got to know each other through teaching and our daughters who are the same age. We always say we are sisters separated at birth because we have shared similar experiences, not always happy, and have come a long way in our lives. She truly is the sister I never had and she and I share a bond that cannot be explained. We did not grow up together or even live in the same area until 1992. I can talk to her about so many things and she can talk to me and those confidants are never shared with anyone else. 

My other friend Sherrie and I met through the workplace and just clicked from the first day.  We have a unique friendship that I treasure dearly. I talk to her every day through text or a phone call. She reminds me of my best friend from high school. We both provide a strong shoulder for one another.

I could probably say the same thing about several friends who I have close relationships with. I am not sure if it is because I do not have siblings but I take my friendships and relationships seriously. These relationships are more with people I have met since moving away from the area where I grew up and graduated from. I am not in contact with classmates from high school at all anymore. I feel that the relationships I have now are extensions of my high school friends but on a different level. One fault I have with friendships/relationships is that sometimes I put too much trust into people who I think are a friend but are not. I have learned to step back and evaluate the situation before revealing too much or investing too much. I like to think I am a very outgoing and friendly person. My husband says I can talk to anyone about anything.

Relationships/friendships take work; they are not born that way and need nurturing. I think this is how I see parents in my program who do not know me. We continue to build and establish that relationship and I hope my parents think it is a relationship worth nurturing. I have enjoyed getting to know my parents this year. I have a very unique group of them and  we have established an excellent rapport. I try very hard to communicate with them through newsletters, phone calls, emails, and face-to-face contact. I know I can improve my skills even more and hope that I can do this throughout the remainder of the school year.