Poverty

I chose to listen to the podcast of Susan Lyon because I have not heard back from the early childhood professionals that I had contacted during the first week of this course. When Susan Lyon first visited Reggio Emilia, Italy she was inspired by the progressive image of children (Kalinowski, 2011). After visiting Reggio, Susan Lyon came back to the States and started the Innovative Teacher Project. This project works to encourage professional development for educators by training them on how to implement the progressive image of the child within the classroom. After developing the Innovative Teacher Project, she then went into a public school system to prove that this type of quality education can work in the public centers.

Even though this podcast was not centered on children living in poverty, it still had some concepts that can be applied to that subject matter. One of the Susan Lyon’s main goals was to find out how children view things and how they understand the world (Kalinowski, 2011). I feel that this is an important concept that educators need to apply to the classroom. If we want to help children who are living in poverty then we need to understand how they view it and others in the world around them. I really enjoyed learning that she wanted to prove that quality education can be conducted within the public centers (Kalinowski, 2011). The majority of children who live in poverty are attending the public centers and public school systems. Studies like this one will help educators to know how they can provide quality education to all students.

I was not able to hear a response back for Susan Lyon regarding child poverty so I research child poverty in India. According to Childhood Poverty (n.d.) about 260.2 million people in India live in poverty. Over half of the children in India are malnourished and about 34 percent of the newborns are born underweight. Unfortunately there are still inequalities for children in India. Girls are more likely to be less taken care off and in some cases neglected. There is also a lower school enrollment for girls then boys due to girls having to work.

I have always had a high interest in the mistreatment of the young girls in India. Due to India’s poverty the girls are forced to experience serve hardships. I would love to be able to go to India one day and apply some of Susan Lyon’s ideas to their school systems. I would enjoy being able to give all children in poverty and equal opportunity to education regardless of sex and race. Reading this information about India helps me to appreciate America. I have a baby girl and it breaks my heart to think that if she were born in India she would not be treated equal due to her sex.  

Reference:

Kalinowski, Michael. (Narrator). (2011, February 10). Susan Lyon [Audio podcast]. Retrieved

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

Childhood Poverty. (n.d.) Country Overviews. Retrieved from

            http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

            http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

Effeitive Communication

Zero to Three (n.d) is the National Center for infants, toddlers, and their families. Their website, zerotothree.com, is filled with resources to equips educators and families with information regarding infants and toddlers. Zero to Three sends out monthly newsletter. I registered for the newsletter last week and was told that I will start receiving their monthly newsletters by the first of next month. I am looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of infancy through toddler-hood. When exploring Zero to Three’s website I found an article containing information about the three keys steps of parent communication.

Zero to Three’s (n.d) first key step is awareness of your own feelings. When educators are unaware of their feelings it can lead to a negative relationship with parents. It is essential that educators find ways to communicate their feelings in a positive manner to the parents. Parents and educators need to come together as a team to create the best environment possible for the child. When parents feel like they are the educator’s team member and not the subject of blame then it will lead to a positive relationship. Once educators are aware of their own feelings then they are able to move on to the second step of communication.

The second key step that Zero to Three (n.d) suggests for communicating with parents is taking the child’s perspective of the situation into consideration. Becoming aware of the child’s viewpoint enables educators to reduce tension and stress by creating an answer to the problem. They give an example of a child who throws a tantrum when a parent comes to pick him up. In that situation the educator could allow the parents to see the tantrum from the child’s perspective, they are enjoying playing with the toys in the room and that it is not against the parents. After an educator has become aware of their feelings and the feelings of the child then they are able to move onto the third step.

Zero to Three (n.d) says that the third step to parent communication is partnering with the parents.  Educators can ensure that parents do not view them as competitors by creating strong partnerships. Some ways that educators can guarantee they are developing a partnership are by using “I” statements when communicating with parents, asking for the parents’ point of view, and lastly being willing to compromise. Parents are educators’ most valuable resources to the child’s likes and dislikes.  It is important that we as educators do not neglect the power of partnerships with parents.

I found this article to have good points that I can apply to what I have learned this week in Issues and Trends. This week we are studying diversity and demographic changes that are taking place in America. As an Early Childhood professional it is imperative that I have effective communication skills with the parents of my students. These three steps can be used for any parent that comes into my classroom. Educators need to first think of how they personal feel about the situation, then how the child feels, and lastly how to establish partnerships with parents. All three of these steps can be accomplished regardless of race, language, and background. When the parent knows you want to be their partner because you have their child’s best interest in mind it will lead to positive relationships. Positive relationships are built around good communication.

Reference:

Zero to Three (n.d.) Effective Communication with Parents. Retrieved from

http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/family-friend-neighbor-care/effective-communication-with-parents.html

Establishing Professional Contacts

 I have attempted to contact three different professionals in the Early Childhood Field. I have sent emails to Mr. Mr. Eric Atmore from South Africa, Mrs. Eva-Hammes-Di Bernardo from Germany, and Sra. Hilda Pérez Forest from Cuba. In my emails I have asked if these professionals would be able to inform me about the current issues that are going on in their field and what type of contributions they have made to the Early Childhood Field.  I was able to find these professionals email address at http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance. I am waiting to hear back from my contacts. If I do not hear back from my contacts then I plan to use World Forum Foundation Radio to learn about current issues and trends that are occurring around the world.

I wanted to find an Early Childhood organization that had an website that is easy to navigate. I also was looking for a organization that had a large amount of information that pertains to the Early Childhood Field and a free newsletter that I could sign up for. When I took all of these factors into consideration I found that Zero to Three met all of my needs. As soon as I found out that the Zero to Three website, http://www.zerotothree.org/ I registered for the newsletter and began researching the website.

I am looking forward to obtaining new knowledge about the Early Childhood Field. I enjoy getting to communicate with others who share my passion for teaching. I am already thinking of questions that I can use to gain a better understanding of issues and trends that are occurring in the Early Childhood Field from all around the world.  

My Supports

My daily supports: 

I have been fortunate to have a life filled with support. My biggest support is my relationship with God. My relationship with my Heavenly Father has helped guide me through life. I know that God loves me and that He is in control of my life. I trust him with all of my life. It is hard to imagine my life without my Lord and Savior. It would be extremely difficult for me if I did not have my relationship with God. I would feel lost without my relationship with God. He is a part of my everyday life and He is always by my side. I think my whole life would be completely different without having God as a support. I would not be married to my husband, living in my house, or even living in Georgia. Not only has my relationship with God given me great support in my life, but also reading my Bible.

My Bible has provided me with unlimited support throughout my life. Every choice and situation that I have faced I use my Bible to find the answers. It is relevant in every aspect my life. If I did not relay on my Bible, I would not know how to handle certain situations that come up in life. My Bible not only helps me know what decision I should make, but it also helps me to deepen my relationship with God. When I have a deeper relationship with God it helps me to develop loving and meaningful relationships with others that God has placed in my life.  

God has given me a supportive husband. My husband is a great listener and always wants what is best for me. He is my anchor. My husband is always seeking the best ways to support me and our family. He helps me to stay focused on our Heavenly Father when life is stressful and seems like it is to much to handle. I have thought about what my life would look like if I did not have my husband and it becomes overwhelming for me. My husband is loving, funny, laid back, honest, and encouraging. He is my husband and my best friend. If I did not have my husband, I would be a stressed out worry wort. My husband has helped me to find my voice and confidence in who I am and what I believe in. If I did not have my husband, I feel that I would lack the confidence that I need to stand up for what I believe in. 

My mother is a big support in my life. She has been teaching in the Early Childhood field for over 25 years. When I have challenges that come up in the classroom that I am not sure how to face, I go to my mom for help and advice. She always gives me wise godly advice on how to handle various situations that I face daily in my classroom. I would not of been able to make it in the early childhood field if I did not have my mother. I would have handle situations differently that would of changed who I am as an educator. 

Not only do I have relationships that provide me support, but also list and technology. If you would walk into my classroom or home you will notice list. I have list for what I need to purchase at the store to list that help me stay on track for what needs to get done in that day. I feel like Toad, from Frog and Toad, if I lose my list then I forget what needs to be done. If I did not have my list I would not be able to get work accomplished during the day. My list help me to remember. My biggest problem is remembering where I put my list. I also use my phone and laptop as a daily support. I have a Mac laptop and a iphone. This allows me to keep my calendars updated on both sources. If I input something on my phone calendar, it will show up on my laptop calendar and vise versa. I also use both sources to keep up with my emails from my work and parents in my classroom. If I did not have my phone or laptop, I would not be able to have access to email or calendar. If I had to use a different type of calendar, I would consistently be losing it. Having a calendar on my laptop or phone is great, because I never lose both.

 My Challenge and the Supports that I will need: 

I am 7 1/2 months pregnant with my and my husbands first child. Since this is our first child, I am unsure of the challenges and supports that we will need as we enter parenthood. Becoming a parent is going to be both a blessing and a large responsibility. I feel that I am ready to be a parent, as long as I have my support system. One of the biggest challenges that I am going to face as a first time mom is living so far away from family. My family lives 11 hours away and my husbands family lives 13 hours away from us. We have absolutely no family close by. Our biggest support is going to be one another. My husband will be supportive in helping take care of the house, our baby girl, and providing income. Since my husband and I are both going to be working, I will need a babysitter for baby Candyce. One of my co-workers  retried from teaching last year and she will be taking care of baby Candyce. She is going to be a big support in my life and my baby's life. I will need her to help me with different choices that I will need to make as a mother. She will also be a support to my daughter because Candyce will become her adopted granddaughter.  Not only will I need my husband and my daughters babysitter as support, but I will also need my church family. Since my husband and I live so far away from our families, our church has become our adopted family. The church will be a support in helping guide me in how to become a godly parent. I want to show my daughter that God loves and cares for her and I know that my church will help me in showing God's love. My family will also be a big support in my journey of becoming a mom. I will be able to call and/or Facetime my family to ask for advice. I will also need the support of my doctors. We will need to have a predication that will support us in ensuring that our daughter is healthy and developing right on track. Having a child requires a unlimited amount of support. I know that my daughter is going to be loved by me, my husband, and the supports that we develop around her.

My Connections to Play

Quotes that summarize my playtime as a child

"Life must be lived as play."
Plato
Retrieved from http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."

Albert Einstein 
Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2012/0313/Albert-Einstein-15-great-quotes-on-his-birthday/Imagination-is-power



"Play is the highest form of research."   
Albert Einstein    
Retrieved from  http://www.joyofquotes.com/play_quotes.html

 "…play produces feelings of pleasure which help you escape from two major creativity killers – stress and self-consciousness."   
Jordan Ayan    
Retrieved from http://www.joyofquotes.com/play_quotes.html




How people in my life helped to support play

Some of my favorite memories are built around playing. My family and I would have a game night about once a week. We would turn the television off and would spend the evening playing board games and card games as a family. It was a great way for our family to play together and spend quality time with one another.

I also remember always being outside playing. The only time that I would be inside the house playing was when the it was late or the weather would not permit me to go outside. I would spend hours upon hours riding my bicycle with neighborhood friends, playing on the neighborhood playing, climbing trees, or just pretending to be anything I wanted to be. 

As I grew up, my style of playing had changed. I went from playing with the neighborhood children to playing ball with my teammates. In middle school, high school, and college my play revolved around sports. I loved playing basketball and soccer and everything that I did was built around becoming better at my sports. I would spend hours playing hoops with my father or kicking a soccer ball around with my brother.

The similarities and differences from my playtime and playtime for today's generation

When observing children in today's generation playing I can tell that they still enjoy using their imagination. I would hardly go an minute without using my imagination. I do not think there is a big age gap between my generation and today's generation of children, but there is a big playing gap. 

As a child I was always playing outside, and when I couldn't be outside playing my parents had a small trampoline in the house that I could jump on. I always wanted to be moving and doing something. One of the biggest differences that I have noticed from my childhood that is missing in a lot of my students childhood, is the desire to just play without the assistance of some form of technology. Don't get me wrong, I loved playing on my Nintendo when it was raining. It is sad to see how unsafe and corrupt the neighborhoods have become. When I was a girl we could play out in the streets for hours without having the parents watching every move. Today's generation rarely get to have that privilege.


The role of play throughout my life

Playing has helped me to stay focused and on task when needed. As a child I would play just for the pure pleasure of playing. It was enjoyable and helped me to meet new friends. As I grew my playing turned into sports, which taught me a lot of life lessons. Through the sports I have learned self-discipline, unity, teamwork, winning, losing, and so much more. Now that I am not involved in childhood playing or sport teams, I  go to the gym to shoot a basketball and play one on one with my husband. When I pick up a basketball, all of the days stresses and worries just melt away for the brief moment of time.  So many times I get focused on the tasks that are due tomorrow that I end up missing the beauty of the moment. Playing helps me to relax and to enjoy that moment.