Farewell All

This course has been very insightful for me.  I have learned so much about the development of children and how they think, as well as how everyday stressors and factors affect their lives'.  A quote that I absolutely love is listed as follows:

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.  The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." -Emma Goldman

I absolutely love this quote. Each child has the potential to be something different just as each child learn and develops at his or her on rates.  It is up to the teacher to help the child become and develop to his or her fullest potential.

I would like to say thanks to my two colleagues, Temeka and Denise.  You two have supported my blogs, and have given me insightful feedback that was more than useful.  I also enjoyed reading your blogs as well and find them very helpful.  To receive meaningful feedback from others who are trying to achieve similar goals as you is beyond important.  I wish you both the best of look as you travel along your journey to become amazing educators and professionals.

Happy Learnings All (:

Is There a Right Way To Assess Children?

I honestly do not like standardized tests.  These tests are designed to assess a child on what the state believe a child should know.  This in return causes the teacher to lose focus on teaching a child holistically, and instead teach just to the test (which is not beneficial to the child).  I do believe that each child should be measured, so the needs of the child can be met, as well as for their progress to be viewed.  However, I do not believe that standarized test is the best way to do this.  Teachers know their students better than anyone, and are able to assess there students in a way the pencil and paper cannot.  Therefore, I believe that teachers should use the test that they typically use at the end of the week to assess the children.  Now there are some tests that are beneficial to the students, such as Dibels.  This test allow the teacher to see where the child is at phonemically, and what areas need to be work on to enhance the child's learning.

In China, I learned that they have been doing children assessment  longer than any other country.  Just like here in the states, they too have termed-tests, as well as the end of the year testing.  There isn't too much of a difference between the way our children are tested and their children are tested.  Also, literacy is very important to them as it is to us, and they have several programs that are set up to enrich the child's literacy ability.

Noise as a Stressor

One stressor that I have seen effect children directly  is a noisy area.  One of my students live in an apartment complex; and for the past few weeks he has been extremely cranky in the morning.  When I talked to his mom about this, she said that they have new neighbors and it is hard for her son to go to sleep due the loudness.  This not only affects how he behaves at school, but also it is not beneficial to the development of his growing brain.  Kids need an ample amount of sleep, in due to him getting less than six hours a night is taking a toll on him.

I wonder how do children react to noise in big cities like Las Vegas, Nevada.  This city is very busy and always full of busy people.  I did find out that there is something called a noise ordinance which sets the limits on the level of noise during certain time frames.  If one is found to breaking this law, then a complaint can be filed against them.  However, kids that are normally around a lot of noise, are not impacted by it as much.  They have grown accustomed to the loudness, which in returns has little or no effect on them.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

I chose research the benefits of breastfeeding.  I exclusively breastfed my son for seven months just so that he can receive all the nutrients.  Breastfeeding is not only good for baby but also for the mom.  This helps reduce the risk of breast cancer in women, ovarian cancer, as well as postpartum depression.  Breast milk has antibodies in that helps strengthen the babies immune system.  Breast milk also has been proven to lower the risks of ear infections, stomach viruses, as well as respiratory infections.  Also, this aids in strengthening the bond between mom and new baby.  I absolutely loved breastfeeding my son.  It help create a bond that cannot be broken.  The look that he gave me during feedings is something I will never forget!

Breastfeeding in other countries in a sense is more beneficial to the infant.  Especially in countries were clean water is hard to find.  If the baby is breastfed in these countries, then their life expectancy is higher, than those who are not.  Also, families may be unable to afford formula, which in returns yields a malnourished child. 

Here in the states, the mother is encouraged to breastfeed the baby exclusively for the first month, or at least the first few days so the baby can receive colostrum.  However, in Sierra Leone women believe that colostrum produces a poison toxin, and often stop breastfeeding early.  In return, babies are introduced to solid foods way too early.  Sierra Leona also has some of the highest infant mortality rates, and lowest exclusively breastfed baby rates in the world.  If you are interested more in this topic, I will post two links below for you all to view!

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/breastfeeding.html
http://www.incultureparent.com/2012/03/breastfeeding-around-the-world#slide6

Birth of My Son

Around this time last year I was blessed with my first and only child.  It's funny because we are currently planning his birthday party, and me or his dad cannot wrap our minds around the fact that our sweet boy will be turning one on January 21.  I can still remember the day we found out we were having a baby to the day he was born.

I had a lot of support from my family, friends, sorority sisters, and fraternity brothers.  I had to be induced at 40 weeks because my little monster wasn't quite ready to come.  I had a little over 20 people waiting with me throughout the entire process.  I had to have an unplanned cesarean section at the last minute due to my baby being to big.  I was beyond scared, but I had a lot of support to get me through this.

I was very sedated and I could not wait to meet my little boy.  After the surgery had been performed, I was completely out of it.  I do not remember much that first night.  My recovery was not the best experience.  I experienced postpartum depression for about 8 weeks.  However, once I made it past that I now know there isn't any obstacle that I cannot overcome.  

My son was breastfed so immediately a bond was formed between us.  He is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I thank God for my little blessing.  I was surrounded by love throughout my entire pregnancy, and still am today.  My son has a very strong circle that loves and care for him so much, and I am blessed to have such great family, friends, and sorority sisters that treat him like he is family.

I researched babies born in South Africa.  Babies are both born in and out of hospitals, but the one thing that both delivery methods have in common is the babies being abandoned by the mothers due to Child Welfare.  I learned that the worst city for child abandonment is Cape Town.

Farewell Colleagues (:

     I have truly enjoyed this class this semester.  I am pleased to say that I  have a better understanding of what it means to be an educator in the Early Childhood Field.  I am thankful for the feedback that you all have provided me with, and I enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you as well as reading what you all have to say.  One of the best things about taking this online course was being able to connect with so many different people.  From educators, to site owners of daycares, to those who wish to be great family advocates.  Being able to share and compare ideas with one another has made me a more well-rounded educator.

     Another thing that I have learned, is the importance of staying in the "new".  It is important that we as educators keep up with the current issues, as well as new approaches that are being introduced in our field.  Since taking this class, there is no doubt in my mind that I could not see myself being anything other than an educator, or someone who works to ensure all  children receive the best education possible.

     I am also able to say that now I am aware of many different resources that I will  be able to use I continue my journey to be a better educator.  I wish you all nothing but best as you continue your journey as well!

Happy Learnings (:

Code of Ethics

After reviewing the Code of Ethics Article and the the core values of NAEYC, here are a few that I found very meaningful.

Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle

Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based

on trust and respect.

Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues

We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value

and human potential of each child. 

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

I chose these because they are important factors that I believe all educators should possess.  It is important that we teach our children in a way that is meaningful to them.  Every child and ever family is different, therefore, we as educators must be able to be knowledgeable of several different resources to ensure that our students and their families are reaching their full potential.