iLEARN, iDO, iTEACH...

Thanks,
Cortnee :)

The name of my families origin is Moldova. 

The five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family is:


Thanks,
Cortnee :)

Thanks,
Cortnee :)

Thanks,
Cortnee :)

Reference: 

Early Childhood Australia. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

My chosen topic for the research simulation this week is How Play Supports Children's Learning. This has always been something I have been passionate about so I decided to research it further. I really enjoyed utilizing the research chart. I feel that it helped me organize information about my topic. It seems to be a good tool. I am looking forward to learning more about the research process.

Thanks,
Cortnee :)

Resource:

UNESCO. (2012). Education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

The early childhood organization I have been researching and enjoying getting to know is the Early Childhood Council in New Zealand. This website has been wonderful in getting to see a glimpse into another area of the world. If you want to check them out you can do it here. 


When looking at the outside links I noticed they all revolve around early childhood education government resources, other professional resources, technology resources, teacher resources, and other interesting websites. This is also the area I chose to explore more. One of the resources in their interesting websites category is called the Child Care Exchange. They are a collaborative website that offers magazines, books, and training resources. 


I followed a link related to the issue of children's equity when starting preschool. The link I followed was for a website that encourages centers when starting out. They provide assistance to these centers and believe that faith, hope, and love will be the sustaining force in their help with children. The website is the Living and Learning Foundation. They are also located in New Zealand and help their community. 


Something else I found really interesting in their e-newsletter was an article about a music teacher who had been teaching for 25 years. Because of her experience she decided to create a curriculum based on music. She had seen the positive affects of children learning through music and decided to implement it into her curriculum. The results were amazing and helped with social skills, attention, language, listening skills, and gross motor skills, to name a few.


Thanks,
Cortnee :)

The podcast I chose to focus on this time is Susan Lyon's episode. She is responsible for bringing Reggio Emilia's concept of 100 languages to the San Francisco area through The Innovative Teacher Project that she founded. She has always been intrigued by how children learn and how they view the world. This is why she likes the Reggio Emilia way of educating children. They listen to children and set up the environment in response to children's needs and desires for early childhood development. Susan has created this project to prove that the Reggio Emilia style can be incorporated into public and private schools and be successful. Any school can participate and teachers use this project for personal professional growth as well.

After looking at the Global Children's Initiative on the Harvard Center on the Developing Child's website I discovered quite a few different programs that have been initiated from researchers and policy makers. One of them is the Zambian Early Childhood Development Project. This project is a way to collect data about how the early childhood development is doing in Zambia. Many collaborators are understanding that there is a plethora of information about some of the major countries, but certain areas are lacking, like this one.

Another interesting program is the Executive Leadership Program. This program brought all types of people including Brazilian politicians, policymakers, public managers and civil-society leaders to learn an executive leadership course on early childhood development. Yet another program on this website was based on something the Global Children's Initiative to "use the science of child health and development to guide stronger policies and larger investments to benefit young children and their families in Brazil" (Center on the Developing, 2010). 


Thanks,
Cortnee :)




References:


Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from 
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/


World Forum Foundation. (2010). World forum radio. Retrieved from http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio

The website I am researching is the Early Childhood Council based in New Zealand. You can check them out here. The section of the website that seemed particularly relevant to my current professional development is their workshop series. They offer workshops for center managers and teachers. I feel like this is something I am lacking in my area. Because I am in school the resources are limited within my school district. Therefore if I wanted to go to a workshop I would have to search for something outside of my immediate area. It makes it tough for me to build into my schedule.


One issue the e-newsletter addressed was about parent/family involvement in their child's every day learning. The way they addressed it was by creating an application that you can download in the App Store that allows them to do this. It is an online portfolio of your child's growth. You can see information about your child, pictures, learning stories, and videos. Wow! I have websites for my parents that do the same thing, but to have an app for parents/families to use is wonderful and culturally relevant. 


The e-newsletter contained information about how economists, neuroscience, and politicians support the early childhood field in their early childhood curriculum. There is an article within the e-newsletter that talks about how the curriculum is benefiting the country as a whole. It seems similar to what we are talking about in the states, but possibly more so. 


The e-newsletter is full of articles for parents that help them understand what the Early Childhood Council provides. It seems supportive of wanting to keep the connection between school and home. They have a broad amount of information from their finances, to workshops, to reasons for their curriculum, etc. 


Thanks,
Cortnee :)

• Represent the interests of independent early childhood centres; and,
• To promote the provision of quality early childhood education services

The Early Childhood Council is the largest representative body of licensed, quality early childhood education centres in New Zealand. We have more than 1,100 member centres, 38% of which are community-owned and 62% of which are privately owned. Our members employ thousands of teachers, and care for tens of thousands of children" (Early childhood council, 2010). You can read more about them here.

The one thing that caught my eye on this website was the information available for parents. Not only is this website a resource for early childhood educators but also for parents looking for a quality early child care program. On their parent page they have information regarding what to look for, finding an ECE service, planning a visit, and what quality means in ECE services (Early childhood council, 2010). I really feel this is a great resource for parents in the New Zealand area. So many parents do not know what to look for in an early childhood program, it is good to know there is a service for people in their area.

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

Reference: 

Early childhood council. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ecc.org.nz/MainMenu

The first daily support I have is Jesus Christ! Without Him in my mornings, the rest of my day would not be right! He helps me through His word and my prayer time with Him. I also like to listen to worship music while getting ready for the day. This really helps me to get my heart right and ready to help children and parents and co-workers that I talk do daily.

“Literature is a textually transmitted disease, normally contracted in childhood.” 

― Jane Yolen, Touch Magic

I feel that relationships are important to me because I don't believe we were created to be alone. The first relationship I value and believe to be the most important and positive relationship in my life is with Jesus Christ. I feel that this relationship is positive because Jesus's message is all about love. The love he has for me is better than anything in the world. The way in which I develop and maintain this relationship is through prayer and reading the Bible. I believe that the Bible is God-breathed which means that everything in it comes from God. Therefore everything in it is beneficial for me. It helps me to learn, grow, and understand God's love. Prayer is the communication part of the relationship. I feel that prayer is essential to our relationship. Without communication in a relationship there is nothing. I feel that because of my relationship with Jesus I am a better employee, a kinder caregiver, and an empathetic teacher. It helps me to handle all situations, including ones with parents.

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again." ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

Assessments in Other Countries...


A Report Issued by the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence on US Perspectives on Student Assessment in Other Countries Prepared by David E. Kirkland, states that:





Thanks,
Cortnee :-)

My father was in the Vietnam War. He was a typist for the Army. That meant he flew all over typing for the Army. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but as he recalls, everyone's job in a war is a big deal.

In his own words I will let him tell you what happened...

I had a nervous breakdown after I got out of the Army, having abused drugs and alcohol.  I was in Germany for two years working in a NATO headquarters guarding Europe, but I was never in Vietnam itself.  Because of the drugs and alcohol, therapy and medication followed after the breakdown (when I was hospitalized for 2 months undergoing tests and treatments).  In the end of that journey through depression, pain, isolation and physical problems that could not be solved by human hands, I stumbled upon Teen Challenge in June, 1971.  They offered free counseling and that was the carrot that brought me to their evangelistic meetings, where I accepted Christ.

 

Since then my father has relied on Jesus to help him daily. He always talks to me about how Jesus always got him through every gloomy situation he put himself in. That He always loved him unconditionally and how the Bible clearly explains how we can live our lives so that there is peace and joy. This is how my father coped with the stress from being in a war, and how he continues to cope with everything that life throws at him.

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

"According to the Pan American Health Organization's Haiti Profile, inflation was estimated at 15 percent and food prices increased to 10.4 percent from 1999 to 2000. Moreover, Haiti's per capita income is less than $400 (in U.S. dollars) per year, the average life expectancy is 57, and half of the children under the age of five are malnourished (World Bank 8). Hence, Haitian mothers and children are more likely to experience chronic poverty" (Edmond, Randolph & Richard, 2007).

"A number of researchers have shown that living in chronic poverty has a harmful effect on maternal behavior. Specifically, poor parents experience more chronic stress over family economic pressures, such as difficulty paying bills, substandard housing, and poor-quality medical care, as well as the stress associated with the daily tasks of childrearing (Hashima and Amato 394; World Health Organization 10). Because parenting can influence children's social, emotional, and cognitive adjustment, efforts have been made to determine the variables that affect parenting behavior, and one such variable is parenting stress." (Edmond, Randolph & Richard, 2007).

Reference:
Edmond, Y. M., Randolph, S. M., & Richard, G. L. (2007). The lakou system: a cultural, ecological analysis of mothering in rural haiti. Journal of Pan African Studies, 2(1), Retrieved from http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/lakou-system-cultural-ecological-analysis/192394089.html

When I think of childbirth I think of my son, James, age 6. He is my only child and therefore, my only personal experience with giving birth. What I remember about my son's birth is that it was magical. From the moment he came out and was put on my chest I fell in LOVE! I loved my son in the womb, but my love for him was magnified by a 1,000 percent when I saw him for the first time! I will never forget what he looked like and how he felt in my arms. I remember that he came out screaming and I could have cared less. I think I even told him he could yell as loud and as much as he wanted! His head was so full of blonde hair I was shocked. I had never seen a baby with a full head of blonde hair like his. It was beautiful and so was he. The nurses took him to the changing station where they made sure he was perfect and I remember not being able to wait until he came back to me. I wanted to hold him forever. After he was cleaned up and given back to me with a clean bill of health, I held him and rocked him for as long as I could remember. I didn't take my eyes off of him for one second! People came in to see him and congratulate me but I don't remember saying much to them or even looking at them. I knew in my head I was exhausted but I could have held him for another three days I think. I didn't want to waste one minute not looking at him or caring for him. He is the most special and precious thing I could have ever been blessed to know or love. 

My thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development is that we have come a long way!  I feel like we have made such huge strides in regard to understanding how and why children develop. Because of these strides, we understand so much more the benefits of caring for children in the womb and beyond. It amazes me the research development in this area as well. Being able to understand brain and body functions inside the womb is astounding. I also feel that the understanding that we need to start care as soon as we know we are expecting has impacted child development in that it has strengthened how we continue to care for children as well. 

I chose to study and write about the Beng people of West Africa. "The Beng (pronounced beng), also known as the Gan or Ngan, are a people group of Cote d’Ivoire" (International Mission Board, 2012). The reason I decided to study and write about the Beng's birthing practices is because of a previous study I had done years ago about the Beng culture. I studied them originally in an infant/toddler class and had to do a report on them. This was so fascinating to me that I decided to find more information on their childbirth practices and share it with you here. 

In Alma Gottlieb's book Under the kapok tree: identity and difference in Beng thought, Alma talks about the different cultural aspects and taboo's that are common in the Beng culture. The Beng culture puts a large emphasis on the superstitions that happen in the forest. They believe it is taboo if a woman is eating while pregnant and walking through the forest and drops crumbs on the ground. They believe if this happens, the child will be born a snake. Therefore, during childbirth "it is taboo for a Beng woman to deliver a child in the forest at large and in the agricultural fields in particular" (Gottlieb, 1997). If a Beng woman is having contractions, she must find her way into the village in order that the child will not be born a snake.

These obvious differences between the United States and the Beng people are astounding. I would never conceive of giving birth to a child in a village or in a forest. Nor do I believe that if I drop crumbs on sacred ground that my child will be born a snake. I will however comment that when I was pregnant with my son I remember having vividly wild dreams about him being an alien. But I hear that is normal during pregnancy because of our hormones being out of whack. But I never actually believed I was going to give birth to an alien!

I respect the Beng culture and their beliefs, but I do not believe that they are an educated people. I feel that superstitions and taboos are something that we make up in our minds to justify what is happening. But justifying things to reason without actual knowledge of truth will only lead to misconceptions and more ignorance. Which, to me, is not what child development is all about. I feel that the more we understand the more capable we are of taking care of our young ones. 

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

References:

Gottlieb, A. (1997). Under the kapok tree, identity and difference in beng thought. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. Retrieved on January 7, 2012, from

http://books.google.com/books?id=cL23oNvqiXkC&pg=PA83&dq=beng birthing practices&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sdUIT7mdGsehiAKdptmaDw&ved=0CFYQ6AEwBQ 

International Mission Board. (2012). People groups. Retrieved on January 7, 2012, from http://www.imb.org/main/pray/searchby/PeopleGroupResults.asp?Hitdate2=Currentdatetime()&PrayerCode=NHB00&Age=90&submit12=Find Prayer Items