April's Bulletin Board

Where is Spring?

A Note of Thanks!

I would like to congratulate all of my classmates for another successful class towards completing one of our many goals in the education field. Thank you to each and everyone of you for your responses and views on all the discussion topics presented in this class.  I have learned and discovered so much more than what I had anticipated. I would like to wish you all the best of luck throughout the remainder of this program. At times, I wanted to give up because of some difficulties during this course but because I am resilient, I have managed to pull through and complete this class. I hope that my discussion responses have helped you as well. 

Quotes

" A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on a cold iron." Horace Mann 

" Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin

" It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted." Linda Conway 

Testing for Intelligence

The apartheid in South Africa is mainly responsible for teachers being unmotivated which led to their laid back attitude resulting in no motivation or inspiration from students. Most teachers were unqualified or under qualified. Since the reform on education in 1994, they established one national system of education in 2005. This new system wanted to withdraw from the rote model of learning to student center. They changed because they wanted to produce learners who become life long learners. According to the National Curriculum assessment is suppose to be continuous process of gathering information on student achievement.

Currently, students are assessed by collecting data, observing during classroom task, standardize test and classroom test  and peer and group assessment. Educators are responsible for recording all assessment procedures and using a checklist to ensure that everything is collected and reviewed. According to Robyn Dixon of the Los Angeles Times, students in South Africa are given a choice of test in 11 subject areas.Students must past at least 6 out of the 11 test subjects. They must pass 3  subject test at 40% and the other 3 at 30% in order to receive their National Senior Certificate. Entrance into a Public University depends on your National Senior Certificate exam scores and or the National Benchmark test.

Consequences on Stress on Children's Development in Africa

Children in Africa are exposed to a numerous amount of stress that impacts their development. It's unfortunate that they are in an environment where they have to worry about the next attack on their village, whether or not they will have enough to eat, where they are going to live and how they are going to survive after the disease HIV/AIDS has claim their parent or adult guardian. As we know, Africa has been hit the hardest with the disease HIV/AIDS effecting 60% of the population. I will discuss the effects of this horrible disease on children's development.

If a family member is affected with HIV/AIDS and can no longer complete any work related duties, the families income decreases by 60%, they go into debt and food consumption drops by 41% (Richer,2004). Families often relocate to the home town village of their parents. Sometimes there are family members that are willing to assist in help the sick parent. The children's work responsibility increases, children as young as 5 years old have duties they now have to complete for the families survival. Work responsibilities include domestic chores, farming and begging for food and supplies. Children's school attendance is affected because of their new responsibilities and in some cases where the child is still able to go to school they refused to attend in fear of being made fun of.

One of the most important effect of AIDS on children is emotional. Children watch their parents and sometimes guardians suffer over a long period of time and because of their deaths , children are sometimes separated from their siblings and are left abandon, lonely, or become an orphan. Children want to know about their future and would like for their parents to educate them about this disease but parents are silent in helping their children understand what is going to happen next. This stress triggers anxiety, depression, fear, sadness and withdrawal.

Overall, there is a consensus that the first priority is to strengthen the family and to educate the people of Africa about this disease and its effects on the family structure and the country. It is also to support families and children when the parents first become sick. The organization that is trying to make a difference in Africa is www.developafrica.org , they are trying to help educate the people and make them more knowledgeable about the prevention of this disease.

Richter, Linda (2004). The impact of Hiv/Aids on the development of Children. Published in Monograph No.109.

Consequences on Stress on Children's Development

I remember spending the night at my them BFF's house for the first time ever. We stayed up late, played on the phone did each other's hair and talked about what career's we wanted. That Saturday morning her mom woke up up very early as our punishment for laughing and playing all night. I remember thinking, my mom would have never done this to us.We did all that we were told to do sweep, wash dishes, mop the floor, clean the bathroom and dust the living room. We were tired and worn out. My friend called her grandmother to complain about what her mom made us do, her grandmother requested to talk to her mom and that was the beginning of the sleep over form hell. Once her mom ended the conversation, she stormed into the room, where we both were watching television, with a belt. Her face was red, her eyes were huge and her lips were tight. At that moment she just began attacking her daughter, repeatedly hitting her with the belt. She was screaming and had balled up into a fetal position. I was frozen, stuck and confused by what was going on . I wasn't being hit but, I flinched with every hit her mom landed on her body. I was so afraid that she was coming for me next. After, the beating was over, her mom separated us and began yelling about how she was a good mother, how she gave up so much for her and how could she call to say she didn't want to be there anymore. Obviously  the phone conversation made her irate. I wanted to cry but didn't .I wanted my mother so bad to come and rescue me. 

As soon as my mom entered she sense something was wrong. My friends mother began to explain what happened and her actions. My mother entered my friends bedroom and saw her still balled up on the floor. She was sore to the touch, black and blue and blood soaked into her clothes. My mom exit the room with disgust. She asked if I was hit and immediately asked my friends mom to talk in the other room. Soon after we left. I never spent the night again. I was too afraid. 

In school her grades were never steady, she was always in danger of failing. She didn't have many friends, her attendance was poor and she was aggressive towards all adults and authority figures. We are no longer friends but, I would like to know how she is functioning as an adult. 

Child Development and Public Health

Breastfeeding is a topic that is meaningful to me because I breastfeed both of my children. I was only able to breastfeed my first son six weeks but, with my second I was able to breastfeed him until he was six months old.

Breastfeeding is beneficial to both mother and baby. The benefits for babies are that it provides all the nutrients and antibodies they need. It protects babies from illness because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Babies who are breastfeed are less likely to experience ear infections and diarrhea.

The benefits for mothers are that it decreases her risk for breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer and are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression. I enjoyed breastfeeding for the following reasons, I didn't have to sterilize any bottle or nipples, the baby bag wasn't heavy, it saved me money and it allowed me to have more quiet time with my new baby.

I looked into breastfeeding in Africa. I just recently researched the traditional and cultural ways to give birth in Africa, so I decided to further my investigation. The husband, the village elders, education, socioeconomic status and their culture and traditions determines whether or not a mother will breastfeed her new baby.

• more than 95% of infants are breastfeed in Africa 
• average duration of breastfeeding is 0-6 months before they are introduce to water and porridge
• AIDS epidemic is threatening breastfeeding in Africa 
• World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting exclusive breastfeeding for moms in Africa 
• all villages and huts are not properly equipped with clean and sanitized water so formula and bottle feeding are impossible and unsanitary for those living there. 
• decision making individuals like husband and grandmother are not properly educated about the benefits of breastfeeding 

Improvements are being made by educating mothers on their perception of breastfeeding and providing them with the proper counseling and support by the World Health Organization. 

Differences and Similarties Between Delivery Process

                                                       Differences

• Birth taken place in a medical facility 
• Birth directed by a medical trained professional 
• Under the doctor's care during pregnancy 
• Hospital was equipped with proper resources to help if a problem occurred. 
• Equipment to monitor baby and mother's progress throughout delivery. 
• Support throughout pregnancy and delivery

                                                      Similarities 

• Mother's concern for a safe delivery
• No medication was used for delivery 

The impact of the birthing experience on development is crucial. Many times we don't recognize our blessing, having a safe, secure and equip environment to deliver our children in. The circumstances in which we have our children in can and will have an effect on their future development. If , the proper precautions don't take place and the professionals are not knowledgeable about alternate ways of safe delivery complications can occur. These complications can have a developmental effect on our children. Some of the developmental effects from labor and delivery are cerebral palsy, delayed speech, sensory impairment, brain damage, physical disabilities, hearing impairments, motor delays and blindness all of which can persist beyond early childhood. This assignment has definitely opened my eyes and mind to be more knowledgeable about how developmental problems may occur in children. 

Births in Africa

Did you ever wonder how births happen around the world? Well, I never did. I never really thought about it until this course Early Childhood Development. I've decided to look into the birth traditions and rituals of Africa.

It is normal for delivery to happen with a woman squatting on the ground . In some cases the mother is supported by sisters, relatives and neighbors for the first time but, is expected to do it alone after. Midwives are an essential part in this delivery process, they are considered the backbone for all deliveries that  takes place in the low socioeconomic villages of Africa. Families in Africa live in small groups and settle in tents or homes made out of local materials.

Maternal death rate is extremely high in Africa. According to www.womendeliver.org in Sudan 509 women die for every 100,000 live births. Most midwives do not have the proper training to identify complications during the delivery process. Women are literally in labor for days before, the man decides to seek help. Many families are miles away from the local hospitals with no means of transportation. The transportation women have are cows in their village. When these women reach professional help, they pass out from exhaustion, and the babies are dead. Many of the women Dr. Waaldijk operates on are extremely young, have not yet developed fully in order to safely deliver a baby and have suffered from obstetric fistulas. Obstetric fistulas is when the baby is stuck in the birth canal, resulting in the stop of blood circulation, holes in their bowels and urethra's. This is prevented by having c-sections. Many women in Africa are not knowledgeable about the fistula repair centers and they suffer for years in their hut alone, embarrassed and neglected by their husbands, families and neighbors.

After a successful birth their are different placenta traditions. Some women bite the cord and bury the placenta after giving birth, some treat the placenta as a dead twin of the live child and give it full burying rights, some believe that when the cord falls off it signifies that the baby belongs to the mother and the community, some believe that the place where the placenta is buried is a place where they can later connect with ancestors and some bury it to symbolize ongoing life.

Child Birth Experience

On July 25, 2007 at about 35 weeks pregnant, I woke up at about 10am to use the bathroom when I felt a big rush of water. I realized that my water had broke! The first thing I thought about was my mom telling me the night before to make sure my bags were packed, so I called my mom first. "I think my water broke", I said, my mom so excited about the arrival of her first grandchild yelled , "okay, I'm on my way." About 15 minutes later my mom arrived and we were on our way to the hospital two towns over. My doctor worked out of Meadowlands Hospital and I heard they had a very good staff and the hospital was very clean and family oriented. Luckily, my doctor was at the hospital doing rounds when I arrived. After, being checked by my doctor she told me that I was not fully dilated yet so she was going to do her office hours until 4pm and then come back to deliver. My family aunts, cousins and friends started arriving waiting in the lobby for the delivery. I went to sleep for a few hours but it felt like I had a full nights rest. At about 5pm I started feeling contractions, the tightening of my stomach muscles. I was instructed to breath through it. At this time I thought maybe I should have signed up for those labor and delivery classes but , it was too late now. The pain really wasn't that bad, it was more uncomfortable than painful. By 5:30 I was fully dilated and was being prepped for delivery. I was moved from the general room to a private delivery room. My mom, my aunt the doula , a woman trained to support the laboring woman(Berger, 2010) and dad was present. Cameras were fully charged and ready for my baby boy to enter this world. The contractions was beginning to get stronger but still manageable. I remember squeezing down on the handles of the bed and closing my eyes to get through them. I had completely blocked out everything everybody was saying. The nurse came to my side asking, if I needed anything and I said no. A few minutes later I felt the need to go to the bathroom, of course they refused to let me go so I began pushing. When the doctor looked over, she was shocked that the baby's head was already coming. Four pushes later my son Riley was born at 8:13 pm weighing 7lbs 8ozs and 21 inches long. I remember holing him in my arms and saying " he don't look like me". He had his own team of doctors who immediately took him to get cleaned up and conduct the Apgar scale assessment, a simple rating scale of five vital signs(Berger, 2010) . My support team left me and followed the baby to the nursery. My doctor congratulated me and told me job well done. She never had a first time mother deliver with no medication. Holding my son for the first time, I was so pleased and couldn't have chosen a better team or hospital to have this life changing experience at.

Berger, K.S. (2010) The developing person through childhood.

Examining Codes of Ethics

                                              NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct  (April 2005)
           
                                                          Ethical Responsibilities to Families
Section II 
I-2.3- To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.
Significance: I believe this NAEYC code of Ethical Conduct is especially important, our programs are successful because of  our families. Without our families participation in our programs we would have a difficult time in recruiting other students. Family's that participate in the educational program in which their child(ren) are involved in are more knowledgeable about the significance of " play". Children of parents who participate in their education are more confident and willing to participate more in the classroom.

                                                          Responsibilities to co-workers
Section III
I-3A.2- To share resources with co-workers collaborating to ensure that the best possible early childhood care and education program is provided.
Significance: A true leader shares information they receive by attending workshops, professional development, review of current research and experience. We must encourage professional growth within our emerging leaders. There is no reason why workers should with hold information. Sometimes, you learn more strategies and the most hands on advice from other professionals within your field.

P-3A.1- We shall recognize the contributions of colleagues to our program and not participate in practices that diminish their reputations or impair the effectiveness in working with children and families.
Significance: It is so important to feel appreciated and recognized for your contributions to your program. Being recognized gives workers a sense of pride and leadership, it helps workers to continue to makes strides in their field.

                             Division of Early Childhood Code of Ethics  (August 2009)

                                             Professional Development and Preparation

1. We shall engage in ongoing systematic reflective inquiry and self-assessment for the purpose of continuous improvement of professional performance and services to young children with disabilities and their families.
Significance: Self reflection is most effective when identifying areas of improvement. When a professional can identify the areas that they need improvement in, they are more willing to work on them. The teacher is the main person in the class implementing strategies and therefore know exactly where they need improvement. As a professional in the education field, I keep a journal, where I write various things down. In my journal I include things that worked, such as strategies, routines and transitions, things I need more understanding in and things I want to achieve or accomplish within the next school year.

" Passion for Early Childhood" Course Media from Walden University

"I think I had a built in passion, that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices in the world." Louise -Derman Sparks 

" I  was able to really see what an unique opportunity we have in working with children. We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's future."  Sandy Escobido

Sometimes, we all need just a little motivation on our professional journey from others in our field of early childhood.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

We have had and continue to have many people to contribute to the early childhood field. Sometimes, we need to stay connected with them.

The two contributors that I am connected to are, Dr. Sylvia Chard and Marcy Whitebook. I will now often refer to some of their quotes when I need motivation to keep pushing to make changes and continue to advocate for children and professionals in the early childhood field.

                    " Young children are inquisitive. They ask questions, wonder about thing , and like to investigate interesting phenomena in their world."   Dr. Sylvia Chard 

                   "Every early learning program should be staffed by teachers and providers who can and do establish warm and caring relationships with children, tends to fire children's curiosity and love of learning, and foster their development and readiness of school. "  Marcy Whitebook

                               

Classroom Evaluation

Today my class was evaluated using the ECERS guidelines. (early childhood environmental rating scale), my class scored very well!  We scored 7 in almost all the categories in our control. So proud of myself.

MLK Jr. Bulletin Board 2013

My students and I had a discussion about dreams and the things you have to do to make them come true. We also read Martin's Big Words.

My Favorite Book!

This is one of my favorite children's book. I always take my students on a big adventure when we reenact this story. This story provides sequence, repetition and imagination. This story truly captivates their imagination!
This pick was really difficult. I have so many on my favorite list.

I could not leave this one out.

"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember,involve me and I understand."  Chinese Proverb

Favorite Quote!

"If your actions inspire children to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are indeed worthy of the title " Teacher".  Robert John Meehan

Just me the creator.

I've been teaching pre-k for 9 years . This is my passion.
Nothing else will fuel my soul.

Goodbye to the weekend

So, the weekend is over and Monday is back! Lesson plans, blankets, and talkative students was what my day was like. So, far so good.

Test # 1

This is just a test I'm new to this.