Sharing Web Resources

Some of the links that I followed are the ResearchNets link that would be useful if you wanted to be part of a research project that the NAECTE is involved in. I also checked out the affiliates link. This is useful so you can see who is close to your area if you needed any additional information. 

I really liked the link for the additional resources. This would save someone a lot of time searching on the internet for valuable resources. You know that these resources are all educational without having to go through other avenues. This link is very useful because all these links are in one spot, and it has what they are all related to. 

On the e-newsletter I got, there was no other link on there to go to another page. As I looked through the NAECTE website and there is a lot of journal articles and books that are related to the issue of equity. There wasn’t anything in the recent newsletter about the issue this week but I have seen it on some of the older journal articles, so I know that the information is out there. From the website I know that there is a lot of information on the website available to me, when I need to do research. There are journals that I can access and links that will lead to me other resources that I can use. I am looking forward to using these resources throughout the rest of my time in school as a continue my way towards my degree. 

Issues and Trends

The Podcast that I listened to was Who Will Save Kindergarten? Posted on October 3, 2011 from NAEYC Radio by BAM Radio. By Jerlean Daniel, and Rae Pica with Vivian Gussin Paley . This stood out to me because I am a Kindergarten teacher. The speaker in the podcasts talks about some of her concerns for kindergarten and preschool teachers. Her main concern was that play is being taken away in Kindergarten because of the academics that are having to be taught. The speaker Vivian Gussin Paley talk about how, play is a natural way for children to express themselves. I think that this is very true. They are learning to use their imagination and if they don’t know how to express themselves through words they can use play. She also mentioned that teachers need to be able to figure out how to incorporate play into the classroom.This goes back to also finding a balance with what you have to teach to how can you teach it.  Some resources that can help you are your colleagues that teach the same grade that you do. 

The Global Children’s Initiative is a great. Looking at the website and all the programs that they are trying to set up and work with leaders of other organizations to get these programs started and running in other countries. One essential, cross-cutting aspect of the Center’s approach is its commitment to work collaboratively across disciplines and institutions, drawing together the best and most creative expertise available to achieve the Initiative’s goals. (www.Developingchild.harvard.edu, para 2, 2014)

One thing that stood out are the programs that they are setting up to help children's mental health. On the Global Children’s Initiative Fact Sheet it says, “Mental health concerns constitute a massively under- addressed issue that has significant implications for the broader health and development of children and societies ( www.Developingchild.harvard.edu, pg 2, 2014).  Some things that they are doing to help in other countries with regard to mental health is, assessing in China, the mental health services.  In Rwanda they are helping to evaluate mental health problems in children affected by HIV/AIDS.  They are also working with three Caribbean Nations to address maltreatment and mental health.  Mental Health is an area that doesn’t get a lot of attention, especially when dealing with children, because a lot of people don’t know what to do to help children. 

  Another issue that stood out to me that the Global Children’s Initiative is helping with is helping children dealing with a crisis. This stands out to me because in 2011 we had a huge flood come through my hometown and surrounding areas and my niece still talks about it.  Also on the Global Children’s Initiative Fact Sheet it says,  “The goal of this effort is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration that incorporates a science-based, developmental perspective into the assessment and management of child well-being in a range of natural and man-made crises, focusing on both immediate circumstances and long-term adaptation” ( www.Developingchild.harvard.edu, pg 2, 2014). They are setting up programs in Haiti and Chile to see how children are doing after the earthquakes. 

Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that they are open to collaboration and using science and research to help their programs and they are wanting to help leaders in other programs. They are not coming in and taking over. This organization is wanting to share their information. 

Resources: 

http://developingchild.harvard.edu Retrieved on February 8, 2014

Daniel, J. , Pica, R. , and Gussin Paley, V.  Who Will Save Kindergarten? http://www.bamradionetwork.com Retreived on February 8, 2014.

NAECTE

I think right now, the issues that I feel applies to me. Is having teachers that are highly educated. The position statement that the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), Just reinforces this. When we talk about children being in Early Childhood programs they need to have educators that are trained in early childhood. “The teacher certification/endorsement required in state funded pre-kindergarten programs, kindergartens, and primary grade classrooms should be specific to early childhood education” (http://www.naecte.org/, para. 1, 2014). In many places people are being hired without a clue what is developmentally appropriate for young children. 

Just reading the position statement made me that much more aware that if anyone is working with young children in the classroom or in an early childhood facility that they need to have a degree that is meant for young children. Also on the website it talks about the annual conference that was held in November, and that the speaker was Dr. Patricia Cooper, and that she was gonna focus on the role that research plays in our profession. I didn’t see any specific information or issues that talks about how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support or field. 

Poverty

I listened to the podcast BAM radio through the World Forum Foundation. The title of the podcast is The Challenges of Teaching Students in Poverty. Tom Whitby is the host and he was joined by Nancy Blair and Rafranz Davis. In the podcast they talked about the bias that people in poverty and how people think that people who are in poverty are responsible for being in poverty. The research that I have read this week, tells me that just isn’t true. Most people are just not making enough money to earn a living. Tom Whitby from the pod cast said that the average person working in the fast food industry is 34 years old and only making minimum wage. Rafranz Davis mentioned that children are not worried about their school work or seem uninterested in school because when they go home they are not getting enough sleep, they don’t know if they are gonna get enough to eat and their are afraid of their neighborhoods. This also means that the teachers are not understanding what children are going home to. It was also mentioned in the pod cast that a lot of high schoolers drop out of school to get jobs to help support their families. 

I also researched through the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page, I was transfered to the http://www.huffingtonpost.com to read the article It's Time For a 'New Deal' on Education for Syrian Refugee Children. This article caught my attention because this is such a big topic in the news today. I never really thought that all those children are not being educated now and their whole life has been uplifted, and moved around. “The crisis in Syria has placed future of a whole generation of refugee children is in jeopardy. Yet aid donors have systematically failed to respond to the education crisis” (Watkins, 2014). So not only have these children been forced to leave their homes, now the chance that they will be living in poverty forced by the issues in Syria are even great. Especially because of government aid not realizing that their education is at risk. “Such an outcome would be a travesty. Syria's refugee children have suffered enough. They should not be punished twice over, with displacement compounded by a loss of education” (Watkins, 2014). 

Reading this article makes me realize that more needs to be done for children in war torn countries that are missing out on an education as little as it might be. They are also more likely to get sick with being displaced and not having appropriate health care provided. They also are more than likely having to stay in a shelter or a home with a lot of other people who have been displaced as well, so they are probably not getting enough sleep or enough food to help. I never thought about any of this when I heard about the conflicts in Syria, but I think more people as well as myself need to be educated on what children are going through over there. 

Whitby, T., Blair, N. and Davis, R. The Challenges of Teaching Students in Poverty. Retrieved from http://www.bamradionetwork.com on January 25, 2014. 

Watkins, K. It's Time For a 'New Deal' on Education for Syrian Refugee Children. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ on January 25, 2014.

NAECTE

The Name of the organization I am looking into is the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. Here is the linkNAECTE. The purpose of the organization is to:

• To promote the professional growth of our membership
• To discuss educational issues specific to our membership
• To advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education
• Provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators
• Provide a communication network for early childhood teacher educators
• Facilitate the interchange of information and ideas about research and practice
• Use, as vehicles, the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, conferences, resolutions, position papers, and other publications
• Cooperate with other national and international organizations concerned with the study and education of young children

(NAECTE.org,  2013)

Looking on the site I found a book that one of the members wrote that has to do with the issue/trend that we were learning about this week. The book is Global migration and education: Schools, children and families. written by Adams, L., & Kirova, A. in 2007. (NAECTE.org,  2013). It would be great to be able to check out that book and see how it compares to what we have learned in class. Also I saw that in their newsletter they want to incorporate more classroom ideas and activities, which I think would be very helpful. 

I have yet to get in contact with someone from a different country and I even tried contacting two more. So unfortunately I think I am going to have to go with alternate for part one from last week.

Setting up Communications

I have taken a step to set up communications with Suzana Kirandziska from Macedonia
Foundation for Educational and Cultural Initiatives of Macedonia (FECIM) and with Siobhan Fitzpatrick from

 OMEP Irish National Committee Nippa - the Early Childhood Organization, in Ireland. I hope to hear back from them by this weekend. If I do not hear from them,  I will try to contact others, before I have to use, the alternative route.

The organization that I chose to research is the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. As an educator in Kindergarten I feel that this organization better suits my needs in the education field. 

I hope that everyone was able to make contact with someone. Also if  anyone has any pointers on establishing contact that would be great. Good luck and I look forward to reading all the blog posts.

My Support!

      I have many people and things in my life that support me. My parents are my biggest supporters. They are always telling me how proud they are of me and how much they love me. They are always willing to help out in any way they can, which means a lot! I have a busy schedule with working full time as a Kindergarten teacher, I have a part time job as well, and Grad school to top it all off. I have a house of my own and its hard to keep up with everything. My parents are always telling me to come over for supper because they know I probably haven't had time to go to the grocery store, so I will just eat cereal again:) They want me to focus on my classes and not to worry about the little stuff. My dad will go to the grocery store for me and he will come over and shovel my drive because of all the recent snow we are getting in my hometown. My mom makes a point to bring me out to lunch sometimes, just because she knows I need a break from the day to day life, and it is much needed.
      My friend Amber is always there for me to lean on, when I am having a break down moment when everything seems to be piling on way to much. Sometimes I will call her and say I need to have a drink and she will pick me up and take me out. Or she will surprise me with a text message and say how good of a friend I am, even though I haven't talked to her in a week or so, because I am so busy with life. She just lets me know that it is ok, and she is supportive no matter what.
      My coworkers are always there for me as well. They have been great this year with me going to school. They help me plan my lessons and they help me decorate my classroom for all the different holidays and so on. They know I have homework to do and they also know I love my job, so they are trying to help me any way I can.
     The benefits from these people are amazing. They are saving me time and my parents are even saving me a little money by providing me with supper still:) When it seems like I just can't go on or that I am super tired, I just think of these great people who are helping me achieve my goal of getting my Masters.
       A challenge is that I know that I am taking time away from there busy schedules as well. My co-workers have their own classrooms to get ready and their own lessons to plan. My parents have a budget they have to maintain as well, and so I decline their offer of supper and having my dad get my groceries for me, even though I always give him money and somehow I always manage to get it back. Sneaky Man:) When they are all busy all the shopping and shoveling and decorating comes back to me and it takes more of my time and then I get frustrated and discouraged. It always has worked out and I know that it will continue to, because I know I have a great team that has my back.
       There are also things in my day to day life that help me out that are not people. My job supports me  buy giving me a paycheck, so I don't have to worry about how I am going to pay my bills. It also reminds me why I love what I do, and why I chose to go back to school to further my education. It might sound funny but music also helps me through my day. I have to have music on all the time. It just calms me down and makes me stress free for a while. Although it can be distracting also, because I find myself lost in the music instead of my work. 
        There are many things that can give support and there are many things that will be a challenge as I continue. I just keep taking it day by day and I remember all the people and things that help me through the day.