ASSESSING CHILDREN

As a human being I believe that we are all different in our minds, body and spirits. When we were younger we developed at different stages amongst others and the same pattern exists today. In my opinion there are no two persons including twins whom develop alike. Children should not be assessed. Each child is different and may learn easier than others. A child’s background, culture and ethnicity should be taken into consideration before considering there is a learning delay. Often time’s children are being taught at school but have no one to tutor them while at home. Education should be taken seriously but I do not agree with school boards giving a test to determine where that child stands. That’s considered labeling and not every child is able to comprehend with standardized test. Some adults may become over excited or nervous when taking test and cause them to not do as well. This may occur with children also. The pressure of a test may cause them to become tensed and not able to concentrate.

VIOLENCE

As a child my parents were married but not happy together. My father was an aggressive police officer that like to drink and cheat on my mom. I remember times when he would come home bickering with my mom for no apparent reason. My sister and I were quite small at the time, I probably was 12 years old at the most. Hearing the yelling and screaming made my sister and I very uncomfortable. We would be inside our rooms hugging one another while our parnets were arguing. That made me feel scared and unconfrotable. I survived by praying. My parents have been divorced for over 13 years now. My sister and I was glad they made that decision.

In China the population is high, along with the poverty rates. It has become better over the years but it still exists. Growing up in a huge country in poverty can take away from that child. It can harm their self esteem, they shut others out, they have a smaller chance to receiving a great education.

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

BREASTFEEDING

I never found breastfeeding to be so important until the day I delivered my daughter who was born 2lbs and 15oz. The doctors stressed how important it was to breastfeed a premature baby. I was told how healthy the milk was, and that it would help my daughter from becoming sick. This subject is meaningful to me because it expresses reasons to mothers on why they should choose to breastfeed. According to researchers babies are likely to be less sick due to the hormones and antibodies. Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system. (It also been proved that it can reduce the risk of SIDS (Women’s Health).

I discovered that in New Zealand when babies are breastfed they are more intelligent.   (Horwood and Ferguson). Mostly all children in Pakistan are breastfed. It is recommended that babies be exclusively breastfed for 6 months (Hanif 2011).  

The information towards breastfeeding impacts my life because I plan to have more children. My first child was breastfed until she was 5 months, so hopefully the second go round will last until the 12^th month. In researching several articles I’m still convinced that breastfeeding is the option for me. Once I decide to birth again I will remember that breast milk helps to keep babies from getting sick and may even make baby girls less at risk for cancer as they become older.

References:

Horwood and Fergusson, "Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes", Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1

http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/why-breastfeeding-is-important/ empowering women to live healthy lives

Hanif, H.(2011).  Trends in breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in Pakistan, 1990-2007. Breastfeeding Journal 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2012.

The Birth of my Daughter

Having my daughter was one of the best feelings ever! I was overwhelmed with joy. Steps leading to the deliverance of my child was terrified. I was having sharp pains and shortness of breath on a Saturday night. My husband rushed me to the hospital where i was later admitted to discover that i had high blood pressure and fluid around my heart. To my discovery i was diagnosed with preeclampsia. I was in shock of the entire situation especially when the doctor told me that i may have an emergency C-section that night. They closely monitored me and i did not have a C-section that night. At the doctors discretion I spent a week in the hospital being closely monitored on special diets. After a week of being there, the doctor decided that it was no longer healthy or safe to keep my child in the womb any longer. He scheduled me a C-section for the next morning. At 32 weeks i gave birth at 8:32 am on March 19, 2010 to a beautiful baby girl who weighed 2lbs and 15oz. It was a blessing that see did not need any breathing machines she breathing fine on her own. Moments after her birth she was rushed to the NICU to be tested and closely evaluated. I never held her on that day. Luckily my husband was able to walk her over to the NICU which was very briefly. I was able to hold my baby girl for the first time on March 20, 2010. Holding her i instantly felt a bond. I was attached within seconds. My daughter spent an entire month in the NICU before released to come home. I called the hospital every 3hours to check on her, and went to see her 3 times out a day. Each night before I left, i cried hysterical. I was devastated, that i had a child who was unable to return home with me. On April 19, 2010 i was ecstatic that my daughter was coming home to live with her parents forever.

The birth of my child was a special event in my life. It was a scary moment, but God answered our prayers and saw fit for my child to survive. Today she is a healthy and active toddler whom i love more by the minute. I cherish every moment i spend with my child because it could have been another outcome to my situation.

Code of Ethics

We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work

**Being a mom, and experiencing the moment of dropping my child off to school for the first time I want to feel confident that my child is safe in good hands. As a professional childcare instructor I must make parents feel confident that I am a great teacher trustworthy to work with their child. I must first build a relationship with each parent and learn each child. In order for the parents to trust me, they must learn about me.

To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

**Going to school and receiving training will allow you to stay up to beat in better serving the parents and children. In order to teach to children and give them a great education I would have to be knowledgeable of what I’m teaching to relate it with the children.

We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula
and learning environments to facilitate young children’s development and learning.

**Establishing a relationship with any child is extremely important. A child must feel safe and confident before they confide within anyone. Gaining a child’s trust is not hard if you are honest, gentle and respectful. Once that bond between the parents, children and teacher has been established they are able to move forward to the next step in teaching.  

Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Article: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

RESOURCES

Video Program: “The Resources for Early Childhood”
Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/72033/CRS-CW-5691428/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
• 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://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• 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.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

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 video 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/about/
    Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

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/main/about.cfm
• 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//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• 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.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?”, select “Tips for Specific Formats and Resources,” and then “e-journals” to find this search interface.)

• 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:

Infant and Toddler Quicksource       http://www.teacherquicksource.com/infanttoddler/default.aspx

National Education Association      http://www.nea.org/home/18163.htm

Ortlipp, M., Arthur, L., & Woodrow, C. (2011). Discourses of the Early Years Learning Framework: Constructing the Early Childhood Professional. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 12(1), 56-70. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Quotes by Lyndon B Johnson

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." Lyndon B Johnson

"We must throw open the doors of opportunity. But we also must equip our people to walk through these doors."

"Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity."

Marian Wright Edelman

“You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.”

     “The challenge of social justice is to evoke a sense of community that we need to make our nation a better place, just as we make it a safer place.”

“If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.”

"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

“If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much.”