I have had no responses from my attempts at international contacts so I chose to listen to another World Forum Podcast and to investigate The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and their Global Children's Initiative. The following stories highlight efforts being made to improve early childhood experiences around the world.
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard was established in 2006 in an effort to utilize Harvard's resources to generate research and knowledge to support improved life outcomes for children everywhere.
The Global Children's Initiative's focus is to educate the public and specifically policy makers on the science of learning, behavior, and health; to support research and projects in selected countries to help them understand healthy development and how to achieve it; and to empower child development leadership and research in low- and middle-income countries (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/).
Un Buen Comienzo (UBC) which means "A Good Start" is a collaborative project located in Santiago, Chile. The goal is to improve early childhood education for four, five, and six year old children, especially in the area of language development and socio-emotional development. The program focuses on professional development for the teachers; but, also works on getting families involved with the early education process,and improving children's health to bolster school attendance. The program is the first of its kind in Latin America to utilize a longitudinal evaluation, supplying comprehensive data. The project not only has funding support from the Center on the Developing Child, but also from international public and private sources.
The Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) was established to measure the effects of ongoing malaria control efforts in Zambia (Sub-Saharan Africa). The ZECDP developed a comprehensive assessment tool to measure physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development of children before and throughout their schooling experience. The assessment tool is called ZamCAT and was first used to assess preschool children in 2010, then reassessed in 2011 and again in 2012. There was a link on the website to the actual Child Assessment Tool and the Parent Assessment Tool which I found very helpful in getting an idea of what they were assessing. The Parent Assessment Tool was very interesting because it covered everything from background information on who lives at home with the child, the types of reading material in the home, the mother and the child's health history, and the parents' perception of their child's socio-emotional development.
I also listened to an interesting podcast with Irma Allen, an American, living in Swaziland which is located between South Africa and Mozambique. She is the Chairperson of Swaziland Environment Authority which is the equivalent of the U.S. EPA. She is also a member of the World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children. She trains people from the community to become early childhood teachers. Her love of nature serves her well as there are no classrooms in Swaziland - only nature! She said they build all their lessons around nature - the trees, grass, or water. They make their own little laboratories out of their surroundings. They learn a respect for their environment. She shared a story of a young man who told them his early childhood experience with them had motivated him and given him a love for his country and appreciation for nature which he had taken for granted. He also told them how the welcoming, nurturing experience he had with them had significantly impacted him and provided him the acceptance he needed as an orphan. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
More on the NAEYC Website
I continue to explore the NAEYC website and reap the benefits of membership! Under "Topics" I found a wealth of information on the importance of Play. This week's study of the impact of science, politics, and economics, led me to focus quite a bit on the importance of play and the need to preserve childhood as pressure to test and "skill-drill" edges out time to explore and use the imagination.
I found several articles on practical suggestions for scaffolding learning through specific forms of play including make-believe, playdoh, blocks, and manipulatives, linking specific standards with activities involved in play.
One form of play that some might view as controversial is "rough and tumble" play. Some feel it is not safe and too disruptive in the preschool setting. NAEYC gives a sneak peak into one of their books written by Fances Carlson entitled "Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play is Essential to Children's Development and Learning". The book points out not only the physical benefits of this type of play, but also the cognitive, social, and emotional development that evolves from it.
Another interesting section of the website called "Research News You Can Use" had an article called "More Threats to Preschoolers' Play" by Kyle Snow. The article focused on three reasons why play is dwindling at preschool - concerns about child safety, pressure to focus on academics, limited space and equipment for big body play. The article stressed the importance of meeting safety guidelines and vigilant monitoring of play time, it also emphasized the meaningful learning opportunities that evolve out of play, and listed resources to help programs acquire safe play equipment.
As the new school year approaches and I begin to plan using developmentally appropriate practices I am finding valuable, practical resources on the website to assist me as I evaluate my classroom and make changes to be more child-centered and effective.
http://www.naeyc.org
I found several articles on practical suggestions for scaffolding learning through specific forms of play including make-believe, playdoh, blocks, and manipulatives, linking specific standards with activities involved in play.
One form of play that some might view as controversial is "rough and tumble" play. Some feel it is not safe and too disruptive in the preschool setting. NAEYC gives a sneak peak into one of their books written by Fances Carlson entitled "Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play is Essential to Children's Development and Learning". The book points out not only the physical benefits of this type of play, but also the cognitive, social, and emotional development that evolves from it.
Another interesting section of the website called "Research News You Can Use" had an article called "More Threats to Preschoolers' Play" by Kyle Snow. The article focused on three reasons why play is dwindling at preschool - concerns about child safety, pressure to focus on academics, limited space and equipment for big body play. The article stressed the importance of meeting safety guidelines and vigilant monitoring of play time, it also emphasized the meaningful learning opportunities that evolve out of play, and listed resources to help programs acquire safe play equipment.
As the new school year approaches and I begin to plan using developmentally appropriate practices I am finding valuable, practical resources on the website to assist me as I evaluate my classroom and make changes to be more child-centered and effective.
http://www.naeyc.org
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Poverty in Italy
Facing the reality that none of the contacts I pursued were going to work out, I listened to a very interesting podcast from the World Forum Radio website http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php I listened to a conversation with Susan Lyon who was inspired by her visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy. She brought The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit back to San Francisco with her to train teachers in the Reggio approach. An outgrowth of this was the development of the Presidio Child Development Center located in the Presidio National Park. From the podcast I located an article about the center in Exchange Magazine. As another attempt to connect with a professional in the field, I sent an e mail to the center's director who also traveled to Italy and was greatly impacted by what she saw. I have not heard from her, yet. I was surprised to learn The Presidio Child Development Center provides access to impoverished children.
Sixty percent of the children speak a second language and over half of them qualify for free or reduced lunches (Kalinowski, 2011). Tuition is based on a sliding scale determined by per capita income and family members must be working, in training, in school, or have protective services needs (Kalinowski, 2011). I am hoping to learn more about the center and about the director's insights into early childhood education in Italy.
Looking into poverty in Italy, I discovered a vast difference in living conditions between Northern and Southern Italy. Two-thirds of Italy's poor Italian families live in the south (Bonati, & Campi, 2005). Southern Italy has the third largest population of children under five years old in all of Europe and one of the poorest health conditions for children of that age (Bonati, et al, 2005). Because of limited health services in the south, most families have to travel to the north if their children need hospitalization, and only 54.9% of children in the south received a measles vaccination (Bonati, et al, 2005). Related to inequities in health care is limited access to early childhood experiences (2.2%), the rate of primary school drop-outs is 2.5 times greater than in Northern Italy, and unemployment for teens is 65.2% compared to those in the North at 7.1% (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati called for a change in policy to address the denial of the human right to dignity being ignored for the children of Southern Italy. Policy has been based on national averages, not based on regional or local needs (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati linked denial of quality health care, high drop-out rates, and underemployment to high risks of stress, shame, and depression ( 2005).
Reggio Emilia, Italy, where Susan Lyon and the director of the Presidio Center visited to learn of the Reggio method is located in Northern Italy.
Bonati, M., & Campi, R. (2005). What can we do to improve child health in Southern Italy? PLoS Medicine, 2(9), 849-852. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Kalinski, M. (2011). A program showcase: Presidio Child Development Center, San Franciso, California. Exchange, Mar/Apr2011(198), 86-87. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Sixty percent of the children speak a second language and over half of them qualify for free or reduced lunches (Kalinowski, 2011). Tuition is based on a sliding scale determined by per capita income and family members must be working, in training, in school, or have protective services needs (Kalinowski, 2011). I am hoping to learn more about the center and about the director's insights into early childhood education in Italy.
Looking into poverty in Italy, I discovered a vast difference in living conditions between Northern and Southern Italy. Two-thirds of Italy's poor Italian families live in the south (Bonati, & Campi, 2005). Southern Italy has the third largest population of children under five years old in all of Europe and one of the poorest health conditions for children of that age (Bonati, et al, 2005). Because of limited health services in the south, most families have to travel to the north if their children need hospitalization, and only 54.9% of children in the south received a measles vaccination (Bonati, et al, 2005). Related to inequities in health care is limited access to early childhood experiences (2.2%), the rate of primary school drop-outs is 2.5 times greater than in Northern Italy, and unemployment for teens is 65.2% compared to those in the North at 7.1% (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati called for a change in policy to address the denial of the human right to dignity being ignored for the children of Southern Italy. Policy has been based on national averages, not based on regional or local needs (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati linked denial of quality health care, high drop-out rates, and underemployment to high risks of stress, shame, and depression ( 2005).
Reggio Emilia, Italy, where Susan Lyon and the director of the Presidio Center visited to learn of the Reggio method is located in Northern Italy.
Bonati, M., & Campi, R. (2005). What can we do to improve child health in Southern Italy? PLoS Medicine, 2(9), 849-852. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Kalinski, M. (2011). A program showcase: Presidio Child Development Center, San Franciso, California. Exchange, Mar/Apr2011(198), 86-87. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Web Resources
To update you on my quest for international professionals: The possible contact in Germany is moving back to the states in 3 weeks and understandably felt too busy and stressed to commit to e mailing; however, she was going to try to connect me with a colleague in Sweden. There is still hope! The other two potential contacts in Germany and Switzerland have not been heard from as of yet.
I mentioned in last week's blog that I became a member of NAEYC. The link to the NAEYC is http://www.naeyc.org I have been enjoying the perks of membership, looking through archived issues of YC: Young Children and in so doing found some articles that address the issue of dual language learners - the topic I chose to write about this week as one of the issues of changing demographics. The articles offered practical suggestions for reading storybooks to dual language learners, strategies to involve immigrant families in their children's education, and hands-on teaching practices to foster communication skills in dual language learners. Please see my reference list below for specifics.
The website also has all of the NAEYC's position statements on important issues in the early childhood field. One of particular interest this week was their stand on Assessing Young English Language Learners. The stand offers recommendations for: using assessments for appropriate purposes, what constitutes culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments, what to be cautious about when using standardized assessments, what the characteristics are of those conducting the assessments, what the role of families should be in assessing, and what the needs are in the early childhood field to better facilitate assessment of dual language learners NAEYC, 2009).
The e-News comes out monthly and provides information on upcoming NAEYC conferences and training sessions and offers a link to register. If you are looking to enhance your professional resource library, e-News gives listings and descriptions of new books and resources published by NAEYC which you can purchase or pre-order with the link provided. e-News also gives a sneak peak of upcoming YC issues as well as issues of Teaching Young Children.
References
Chen, J. & Shire, S. (2011). Strategic teaching: Fostering communication skills in diverse young learners. YC: Young Children, 66(2), 20-27. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Gillanders, C., & Castro, D. (2011). Storybook reading for young dual language learners. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 91-95. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on assessiing young English language learners. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
I mentioned in last week's blog that I became a member of NAEYC. The link to the NAEYC is http://www.naeyc.org I have been enjoying the perks of membership, looking through archived issues of YC: Young Children and in so doing found some articles that address the issue of dual language learners - the topic I chose to write about this week as one of the issues of changing demographics. The articles offered practical suggestions for reading storybooks to dual language learners, strategies to involve immigrant families in their children's education, and hands-on teaching practices to foster communication skills in dual language learners. Please see my reference list below for specifics.
The website also has all of the NAEYC's position statements on important issues in the early childhood field. One of particular interest this week was their stand on Assessing Young English Language Learners. The stand offers recommendations for: using assessments for appropriate purposes, what constitutes culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments, what to be cautious about when using standardized assessments, what the characteristics are of those conducting the assessments, what the role of families should be in assessing, and what the needs are in the early childhood field to better facilitate assessment of dual language learners NAEYC, 2009).
The e-News comes out monthly and provides information on upcoming NAEYC conferences and training sessions and offers a link to register. If you are looking to enhance your professional resource library, e-News gives listings and descriptions of new books and resources published by NAEYC which you can purchase or pre-order with the link provided. e-News also gives a sneak peak of upcoming YC issues as well as issues of Teaching Young Children.
References
Chen, J. & Shire, S. (2011). Strategic teaching: Fostering communication skills in diverse young learners. YC: Young Children, 66(2), 20-27. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Gillanders, C., & Castro, D. (2011). Storybook reading for young dual language learners. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 91-95. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on assessiing young English language learners. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Vesley, C., & Ginsberg, M. (2011). Strategies and practices for working with immigrant families in early education programs. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 84-89. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Friday, June 29, 2012
International Professional Contacts
It is exciting to think about the prospect of corresponding with international colleagues in our field. It has been a slow process making contacts, but I am looking forward to hearing from a couple of inquiries.
I attempted to make contact with Germany through the Global Alliance of NAEYC. I received a prompt and very kind reply informing me that the same request was made from students last year and no one was able to find time to e mail weekly.
I have an e mail out through the UNICEF website trying to reach a Vietnamese contact. We have had quite a few Vietnamese families at our preschool and I would like to familiarize myself more with their culture. Hopefully, I will get a positive response.
I also tried to make contact through personal connections. A friend who is the director of the early childhood program at the community college gave me the email address of a colleague in Germany. I haven't heard back yet, but it sounds promising. Another connection is through one of the parents of a preschool parent who is Swiss. She is trying to connect me with an early elementary psychologist she knows in Switzerland.
If none of these work out (but, I so hope they do) I am going to contact Children's International here in the Kansas City area to see if they can help.
Hopefully, this time next week I will have some positive responses!
I thought this was a good opportunity to join NAEYC. I have been intending to do that since January. Their website is http://www.naeyc.org/ I received a student discount as a Walden student and the membership includes a subscription to YC: Young Children. If you are not already a member I would encourage you to look at the website and consider joining. The membership connects you with other e.c. professionals, keeps you informed on NAEYC conferences, and gives you access to articles from Teaching Young Children, and keeps you informed on current trends and issues in the field.
I attempted to make contact with Germany through the Global Alliance of NAEYC. I received a prompt and very kind reply informing me that the same request was made from students last year and no one was able to find time to e mail weekly.
I have an e mail out through the UNICEF website trying to reach a Vietnamese contact. We have had quite a few Vietnamese families at our preschool and I would like to familiarize myself more with their culture. Hopefully, I will get a positive response.
I also tried to make contact through personal connections. A friend who is the director of the early childhood program at the community college gave me the email address of a colleague in Germany. I haven't heard back yet, but it sounds promising. Another connection is through one of the parents of a preschool parent who is Swiss. She is trying to connect me with an early elementary psychologist she knows in Switzerland.
If none of these work out (but, I so hope they do) I am going to contact Children's International here in the Kansas City area to see if they can help.
Hopefully, this time next week I will have some positive responses!
I thought this was a good opportunity to join NAEYC. I have been intending to do that since January. Their website is http://www.naeyc.org/ I received a student discount as a Walden student and the membership includes a subscription to YC: Young Children. If you are not already a member I would encourage you to look at the website and consider joining. The membership connects you with other e.c. professionals, keeps you informed on NAEYC conferences, and gives you access to articles from Teaching Young Children, and keeps you informed on current trends and issues in the field.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Daily Supports
When I think of my supports I think first of my faith in God. His Word calms me, guides me, and encourages me. And through my faith I have connected with friends who pray for me for whatever needs or concerns I might share with them. My faith is my life compass so without that I would be lost.
My husband supports me in prayer, also; but, he is also my daily sounding board and encourager. Through him I have someone who loves me and is my companion on life's journey. The journey would be much harder and lonely without him. Without his support, I also would need a better paying job and would move because I would not be able to take care of our home by myself. He travels a lot but we talk everyday so we stay involved in each other's lives, therefore another support I have would be my phone.
My dog, Abby, supports me with her unconditional love and companionship. My days would be quite empty without her.
We live in the country so my car is a support I need since there is nothing in walking distance. It gets me to work, shopping, visiting.
Currently, my computer is a support. It connects me with Walden, my studies, classmates, and support team. On site studies was not an option I considered so I wouldn't be pursuing my Master's if I could not do it on line.
Physically, I am grateful for my health so that I can get around without assistance. I do need glasses, however, and would not be able to see a foot in front of me if I didn't have my contacts in or glasses on!
I imagined the challenge of being deaf and how that would affect me. I don't need to hear physically to "hear" from God so my prayer life would not be affected - actually, probably more focused since I would not be distracted by noise. I would want to learn to sign so I could communicate - my husband would have to learn to sign, too. A big change would be our daily phone calls. I would have to get a special system phone for hearing impaired. I would use my computer even more to e mail and would text. Technology would definitely be a lifeline. I would use closed captioning on t.v. I would not be able to teach where I do since most of our children do not sign. My network of social support would probably change to include others who sign as their primary means of communication. If I continued working, I would want to work with children who are hearing impaired. My network of support would then change as I entered a new job environment.
Clearly, as someone's physical status changes their daily supports change drastically.
My husband supports me in prayer, also; but, he is also my daily sounding board and encourager. Through him I have someone who loves me and is my companion on life's journey. The journey would be much harder and lonely without him. Without his support, I also would need a better paying job and would move because I would not be able to take care of our home by myself. He travels a lot but we talk everyday so we stay involved in each other's lives, therefore another support I have would be my phone.
My dog, Abby, supports me with her unconditional love and companionship. My days would be quite empty without her.
We live in the country so my car is a support I need since there is nothing in walking distance. It gets me to work, shopping, visiting.
Currently, my computer is a support. It connects me with Walden, my studies, classmates, and support team. On site studies was not an option I considered so I wouldn't be pursuing my Master's if I could not do it on line.
Physically, I am grateful for my health so that I can get around without assistance. I do need glasses, however, and would not be able to see a foot in front of me if I didn't have my contacts in or glasses on!
I imagined the challenge of being deaf and how that would affect me. I don't need to hear physically to "hear" from God so my prayer life would not be affected - actually, probably more focused since I would not be distracted by noise. I would want to learn to sign so I could communicate - my husband would have to learn to sign, too. A big change would be our daily phone calls. I would have to get a special system phone for hearing impaired. I would use my computer even more to e mail and would text. Technology would definitely be a lifeline. I would use closed captioning on t.v. I would not be able to teach where I do since most of our children do not sign. My network of social support would probably change to include others who sign as their primary means of communication. If I continued working, I would want to work with children who are hearing impaired. My network of support would then change as I entered a new job environment.
Clearly, as someone's physical status changes their daily supports change drastically.
Friday, May 25, 2012
My Connections to Play
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play then in a year of conversation." -Plato
That quote was certainly true of me since I was a relatively quiet child unless I was involved in play. I am an only child so my play involved imaginary friends as well as real friends. I loved make-believe play and could play house or restaurant or mommy or school for hours alone or with a friend. I took this photo today. Yes, I still have my favorite doll, Maddie and my rocking chair used to rock her to sleep. The Wizard of Oz album I played over and over, acting out all the parts and singing all the songs - one of my absolutely favorite things to do.
Here I am engaged in another of my favorite play activities - playing in the cold Wisconsin snow, rolling snowballs into snowmen with my dad or flying down a hill on my saucer or building a snow fort!
I grew up in the 60's when it was safe to spend a lot of time outside playing with neighborhood friends. If we weren't swinging on swings, playing hide and seek and tag, or doing cartwheels, we brought dress up clothes and dolls outside and made our play house under the big tree.
You can see from my expression that I loved to play and as I recall I filled my days with it. That is why I think this quote describes my state of mind when I was playing:
"It's a happy talent to know how to play." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
My parents had different roles in my play. My dad was more active in play when it came to outdoors activities or any sports I attempted as I grew older. My mom played cards and table games with me. She was the one who made sure I didn't get frostbite - calling me in to warm up and put dry clothes on during the snowy play sessions. They were wonderful facilitators in helping me find props for dress up and dramatic play. They gave me the freedom to enjoy free play with the boundaries I needed for safety.
I see some similarities in the play I experienced in the 60's and play today in the basic desire to experience life through play, whether it is dramatic play, blocks, drawing and painting, or running and swinging. The difference I see is that children sometimes struggle to keep themselves engaged for any extended amount of time. They also need more prompting by adults to get their imaginations started. Now children have computer games and electronics which were not even around when I was growing up. I hope advocates for play in the early education setting make their voices heard so children have that opportunity to learn through play. Children are not as safe as they once were to play outside and enjoy nature. Hopefully, parents will see the value in finding ways for their children to enjoy playing outdoors and exploring nature.
Dr. Stuart Brown pointed out in his discussion of play that throughout life is essential to play in order to become resilient people. I agree with his conclusion that play keeps us young, no matter what our age. As a preschool director and teacher I am blessed with the opportunity to experience play with the children in our care. I know that keeps me young at heart!
Microsoft Research. (Producer). (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=103479
You can see from my expression that I loved to play and as I recall I filled my days with it. That is why I think this quote describes my state of mind when I was playing:
"It's a happy talent to know how to play." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
My parents had different roles in my play. My dad was more active in play when it came to outdoors activities or any sports I attempted as I grew older. My mom played cards and table games with me. She was the one who made sure I didn't get frostbite - calling me in to warm up and put dry clothes on during the snowy play sessions. They were wonderful facilitators in helping me find props for dress up and dramatic play. They gave me the freedom to enjoy free play with the boundaries I needed for safety.
I see some similarities in the play I experienced in the 60's and play today in the basic desire to experience life through play, whether it is dramatic play, blocks, drawing and painting, or running and swinging. The difference I see is that children sometimes struggle to keep themselves engaged for any extended amount of time. They also need more prompting by adults to get their imaginations started. Now children have computer games and electronics which were not even around when I was growing up. I hope advocates for play in the early education setting make their voices heard so children have that opportunity to learn through play. Children are not as safe as they once were to play outside and enjoy nature. Hopefully, parents will see the value in finding ways for their children to enjoy playing outdoors and exploring nature.
Dr. Stuart Brown pointed out in his discussion of play that throughout life is essential to play in order to become resilient people. I agree with his conclusion that play keeps us young, no matter what our age. As a preschool director and teacher I am blessed with the opportunity to experience play with the children in our care. I know that keeps me young at heart!
Microsoft Research. (Producer). (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=103479
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