Testing for Intelligence

I believe that it is very important that we asses the whole child. My reasoning is because the whole child consist of  the overall well-being and in order for them to be successful we must assess not only their intellect but their surroundings as well. Brazil participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA. This program measures the cognitive skills of 15 years old worldwide in the areas of math, reading, and science. It aims to assess the actual competencies of students reaching the end of education.  Secondary education is very important for it provides skills necessary for successful entry into the market. Brazil's graduation rates are low, but they are continuously rising. 

In my opinion, I believe that testing young children is really overrated. It is to much pressure for children at such an young age. Elementary age children should be enjoying these years, but once testing comes around it is a lot of pressure put on both teachers and students. If the students do not succeed, it is seen as the teachers fought and they possibly lose their jobs. To me this is really doing to much, you have been in a classroom all year long, teaching students so well, not all students succeed and then you're out of a job. The lawmakers are not educators, so they do not know what it best for the child. Georgia in particular puts to much emphasis on standardized testing, and in my opinion I believe they should all be abolished.  

https://books.google.com/books?id=S_tHBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=school+age+assessments+in+Brazil&source=bl&ots=9g1FNwjBuy&sig=-H2mqOcDDPUw-odvJDwGQVaYA6M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiH8PPWo6zTAhXL6iYKHQoiCJgQ6AEITTAG#v=onepage&q=school%20age%20assessments%20in%20Brazil&f=false

Poverty as a Stressor

Growing up we did not always have what we wanted, but our NEEDS were always met. When people think poverty, the first thing that comes to mind is someone who  has little to nothing and is doing really bad in life. But in all cases, this is not the cases. Most people in poverty are working check to check just to make ends meet and they live in subsidized housing. This is what I grew up in as a young girl. I did not go to school with raggedy clothes and naughty hair. I was always kept up and my mother made sure of it. According to the federal guidelines, we were considered poverty stricken because my mom did not meet the criteria to be considered as a middle class citizen, or able to survive on her own. When I was a little girl, not having some of the things that other kids had kind of made me jealous, but as I got older it began to fade away and I just learned to be thankful regardless of any situation. One of the perks about poverty, is that there are plenty of services available to you. My mom took full advantage of all the services so that we would not have to come out of pocket so much on food, medical appointments, dental appointments, eye appointments etc. Not only were receiving help from the government, but we also had family that was helping out when they could as well as the church. 

The country of Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. According to text 2/3 of the population is live in poverty and of the adult population is illiterate. The economy has declined majorly because of lack of support from the government and their policies. President Rene' Preval wants to translate good wishes into donor contributions and constructive government programs that promote the well-being and improve the livelihood of the Haitian people. This will help to keep food afloat for the community as well as bring about a change in the families where they are able to go out and work to make a better lives for themselves and families. 

https://www.usip.org/publications/2006/07/haitis-economic-challenge

Mental Health of Families, mothers, and fathers

The mental health of families, mothers, and fathers are important because it is vital for the child to survive and have a stable mental health of their own. Mental health affects children in a lot of ways, rather parents are aware or not, and if it is not being treated it can be bad for both the parents and the child. There are constantly cases being heard on the news of mothers or fathers killing their children over petty things such as the mom having a new boyfriend so he kills the kids or dad has a new girlfriend so she kills the kids. These are the people who need help. The bible mentions to us that there is always warnings before destruction. So once a threat is made, it should not be taken lightly. There was another case in the news were a mom, intentionally drove her and the kids into a river. The most important thing to know is that the kids are innocent. They have no dealings with what you are going through, so why should they have to suffer. Having a parent(s) who suffers with mental health issues put a big toll on the child. They suffer both, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and eventually become a mental health victim themselves. 

Mental health data, along with a range of family demographic information, were collected from over 4600 families in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative cohort study. It ranged from ages 4-5 and 8-9. The results were as followed: both cohorts of children had greater mental health distress with higher SDQ scores on average if their mother or father had a mental health problem. For children aged 8–9 years, a history of mental health problems in maternal grandmothers and grandfathers was associated with higher SDQ scores in grandchildren, after controlling for maternal and paternal mental health and other family characteristics. For children aged 4–5 years, only a mental health history in paternal grandfathers was associated with higher SDQ scores.

Learning this new information but me into the perspective that no matter where you are in the world, mental health always remains the same. The moral is The mental health histories of both parents and grandparents play an important role in the social and emotional well-being of young children. This helps me in my future work to treat who are mental health victims with much delicacy, and get them the help they deserve.

Hancock, K. (november 9, 2013). A three generation study of the mental health relationships between grandparents, parents and children. 1-1. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-299

The Birthing Experience

    The Birthing Experience 

       A personal birthing experience that I am going to speak about are those of my kids. I have a 8 year old and a 5 year old, and I experienced C-sections with both. With my daughter I was trying to have a vaginal delivery, and boy was that painful. I went a while without medicine, then finally I asked for my epidural. Since I had a c-section with my daughter, the same was for my son. This time I was immediately numb and alert throughout the whole process. 

    The reason I chose the example of my kids was because it is the birth that meant a lot to me. I was young during both times, but to experience the joy of birthing a human and carrying them for 9/10 months is an excitement to remember. Birth plays a major role in child development. If anything goes wrong during the first few moments of the birthing process it could affect the child for the rest of their lives. This when doctors foresee problems, they complete immediate c-sections for the health and safety of both mom and baby. 
    
        Births is Congolese Africa are much more different than the United States because they view Cesarean as failure on the mother's behalf and they try hard to avoid them. Although they have inadequate health facilities some still choose to give birth in a hospital. Boys are always circumcised, as well as some girls (only 5%). This includes the cutting of the clitoris and partial or full removal of the labia minora. Although different parts of the world, some things remain the same such as having babies in hospitals and giving boys circumcisions. The differences will be that no girls in America have circumcisions, and when needed, we will have a cesarean in a heartbeat. 

    Both birthing experiences have their similarities and differences, but I guess both have their ways of doing what is best for the child. The article that I read also mentioned that within 3-14 days the child is passed through smoke head down a few seconds, then they are released to mom. This is done so that the child will not be as Americans say a "punk", but stand their own ground.

https://africantribesuws.wordpress.com/birth-and-childhood-rituals/

 

Examining Codes of Ethics

     Code of Ethics is a very important matter because it states how you should maintain your professionalism while on the job. It lets us know the dos and don'ts of our job, so that we may keep our jobs. The three main points that stuck out to me from this week code of ethics were 1)Professional and Interpersonal Behavior, which is listed in the DEC code of ethics, simply says that we shall hold ourselves in respectful character, and always strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence.                           The second was we are also committed to promoting children’s self-awareness, competence, self-worth, resiliency, and physical well-being, and this stems from the NAEYC ethics. This statement let others know that ECE are for the WHOLE child, not just parts. We are their school mommies and daddies.                                                   The third point was the core values, found on the NAEYC code of ethics, and it states: We have made a commitment to • Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle • Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn • Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family • Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture,* community, and society • Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague) • Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues • Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect.                                                                                               These three points play much significance in my professional life because they acknowledge the importance of putting children first and that they have much concern for their well being. It states in plain form what ethics you should uphold being an Early Childhood Educator. 

Resources for Early Childhood Educators

Course Resources:

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP's mission.
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/
  Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

Tip: Use the Journal option under Search & Find on the library website to find journals by title.

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

 Additional Resources

The State Teacher Quality Network is a free electronic newsletter published biweekly by the Teacher Quality Network of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The newsletter highlights information related to teacher quality and improvement efforts at state and district levels. www.ccsso.org/whats_new/newsletters/teacher_quality_and_improvement/index.cfm

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) provides nonpartisan research-based information related to the education of three- and four-year-olds. The institute commissions new research, advises policy makers, journalists, researchers, educators, and more. http://nieer.org

PBS Teachers provides early chilhood educators with professional development resources as well as curriculum tools and ideas. www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood

http://naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200707/ClusterResources.pdf
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_16253176_1&content_id=_39506740_1

Words of inspiration and motivation

A few quotes from Bill Clinton are as followed:

"When we make college more affordable, we make the American dream more achievable."

"It turns out that advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right and good economics, because discrimination, poverty, and ignorance restrict growth, while investments in education, infrastructure and scientific and technological research increase it, creating more good jobs and new wealth for all of us."

These two quotes give insight on how President Clinton feels about both education and poverty. During his president he made sure all people are able to succeed, and that nothing could stagnant them and keep them down.

Some quotes that Susan Bredekamp are famous for:

"Children benefit most from teacher who have the skills, knowledge, and judgement to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them."

"The fact that not only do you have to consider children as individuals, but you also have to consider children as members of groups with their own cultural identities."

The quotes from Susan Bredekamp describes her as a person who has the interest of the child first at heart. Her quotes make statements towards teachers that encourage them to be for the child and put forth their best, and the student will do their best. 

From the video from week 2,  the quotes are from Mrs. Louise:

"The reason the children were not succeeding had nothing to do with their innate intelligence, but the fact that they needed the tools to learn to survive and thrive in a public school system. "

"The preschool years are critical, they are the first most fundamental period were children are noticing who they are and the stereotypes. "

Her first quote speaks on her work with the children in Headstart who were not succeeding, becasue of the environment they were inm which did not have the tools needed to become successful. The next quote comes from her research as an early childhood educator in which she researched preschool children. 

 Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). The passion for early childhood.

 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_j_clinton.html

http://tlsgoodmaneducator.blogspot.com/2013/02/susan-bredekamp-quotes.html