Adjourning Stage

The last year of college I had the pleasure of working with a team which was a high-performing one. We had minor conflicts but we were able to work them out. This team was unlike the others I worked on. The other teams had members who were studying different majors. This team I was on the last year of college consisted of everyone studying the same major. I don’t know if this made a difference of why this team was more effective than the others, but it was. When we adjourned we were happy and sad. We were happy to finally be finishing and obtaining a degree. We were sad because we knew this would be the last time we would be in the same setting like this and we had sort of became like family. We celebrated by having a party in our last class. We promised to keep in touch, which some of us have. The adjourning stage lets you know that you’ve made it to the end, whether it was successful or not, it’s finally finished.

When it is time to adjourn from my colleagues, I’m sure it will be bittersweet. I haven’t gotten to know any of them personally, but we have formed friendships through discussions and blog assignments. I know I will miss communicating with them on a  weekly basis.

Conflict Strategies

A conflict I recall was with a friend of mine. We were disagreeing on which company I should use to have my tire fixed. The company I wanted to use was less expensive than the company he wanted to use and I’ve used that company before. He said the company he wanted to use did a better job. I said as long as the tire is fixed correctly does it matter who does a better job. He explained to me in more detail why the other company was better. After about 20 minutes we came to a compromise. I decided to try the company he suggested this time. We agreed he would pay half of the cost to have the tire fixed. Half of the costs equaled what I paid at the other company. The company he suggested did do a better job. We were able to compromise and our conflict was resolved in a win-win method.

Although the conflict was minor, it could have escalated into something else. I learned to listen, be open to new ideas, and to not think I have the better solution. My friend was patient while trying to get me to see the bigger picture.

 

Evaluation Blog

As I evaluated myself and my daughter and colleague evaluated me I was surprised at one of the evaluations. The one that surprise me was how my daughter evaluated me on the communication anxiety inventory. Her evaluation suggested I was on a mild level and I felt a bit uneasy in some communication situations. I thought I did well when communicating with anyone. It also stated that communication was something I seemed to not worry about. I do not agree with that. I do worry about how I am conveying information to others, especially children. My evaluation level was moderate which indicated I feel somewhat concerned about numerous communication contexts. I learned I handle verbal aggressiveness wee. This was good to know because I do not want to appear too aggressive when conversing with others, especially children. My listening styles profile stated I was people-oriented which is true. I am empathetic and can sometimes be too trusting. My daughter and colleague scored the same as I on the listening styles profile. Personally and professionally I know there are areas for improvement. I will continue to work on the way others perceive me and how I perceive myself to be. I do not want to be too trusting and it clouds my judgment of others.

Communicating With Diverse Cultures

Growing up I was around people of different cultures. I never paid any attention to how we communicated with one another. As I’ve worked for different child care centers and schools, I’ve come across many different cultures. I communicated with them in a way I think they might understand. We have a lady working at our school who is from Trinidad. I sometimes cannot understand what she is saying, so I always ask her to repeat it until I understand. When I talk to her I talk to her a little slower so she will understand what I am saying. There was one time she was trying to tell me something and I didn’t understand her. I was going to ask her to write it down, but she said that’s okay. I really wanted to know what she was trying to convey to me but I didn’t want to frustrate her.

Three strategies I can use to assist me in communicating with people of other cultures are as follows:

As I interact with them I will also learn from them. I want to ensure each time I communicate with them I understand their culture more.

Listen to them and ask them to clarify, before I respond, if I don’t understand what they are conveying.

Learn patience. It is difficult for them as it is for us. They have to adapt to learning about a new culture just as we have to.

 

Communication Blog (Television) Wk. 2

The show I chose to observe was called Rules of Engagement. In the beginning there were five characters (two women and three men) in a restaurant eating. I thought they were two couples and one guy who were a friend or relative to one of them. As I observed their nonverbal communication, it looked as though they were eating and having fun, because they were smiling. One of the women stood up, kissed one of the men, and then she left. Later in the show the same couples and one friend were at a Christmas Party. All of them appeared to be having fun, except the single friend. What I got from this is he did not have a date, so he was not happy or having fun.

Once I turned the sound on I realized that I was correct that there were two couples and the other guy was a friend. The single friend hangs out with the couples often. The single friend is lonely because he isn’t married or in a relationship. If this had been a show I watched regularly my assumptions would have been correct.

Competent Communication

The person in my life who uses competent communication skills is my daughter. She is only 24 years old, but I have watched her grow into a very intelligent young lady. When she speaks to you she does it in a way that anyone can understand (adult, teenager, child, etc.). She ensures you understand what she is trying to say. She chooses her words carefully.  She will ask you if you understand what she is talking about. My daughter is currently in school for Psychology and the courses that she has taken have even broadened her communication skills.

I would want to model my communication skills after her. Communicating effectively is very important, not just for children and families, but for anyone who you come in contact with. My daughter has experience working with Pre-K children. I often observe how she communicates with her daughter. I have and will continue to use some of her communication techniques to communicate with children.

Professional Hopes and Goals

There are many things I hope for working with children from diverse backgrounds. One hope I have is there will be continued research about ways to assist these children and families. I know there can be difficulties when children from diverse backgrounds come together. There will be many different personalities and cultures coming together. I want all children to be accepting of one another no matter the nationality. I also hope no teachers are not biased, myself included, when working with children of diverse backgrounds. Children need educators who will treat them fairly.

I also have many goals related to children in the early childhood field related to diversity, equity, and social justice. One of my goals is to continually study ways to better the childhood field for children and families, especially children from diverse backgrounds. All children should have a teacher who is knowledgeable and a teacher who strives to do what is best for the students. I want to learn as much as I can to assist these children and families.

I would like to thank my instructor and my colleagues for another wonderful class.  This class was one of the best I’ve partaking in thus far. I have learned so much from all of you. I wish you all well with your continued studies.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I chose to explore is Austria. It is located in central Europe, north of Italy. Their language is German. Austrians greet by quick handshakes while maintaining eye contact. More information can be found at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/austria-country-profile.html

I know that their culture will be different from my culture. To prepare myself to assist this family, I will research their culture and their family’s culture.

I will search for books, pictures, videos, etc. about Austria that I can share with the class and so the student can feel welcome. The fact that their language is German, I’m sure I would need a translator to assist with the communication process with the child and family. I will also learn some of the German language. I will encourage the student to share with the class information about their culture. While I am learning about their culture, I will also ensure the student learns about the United States’ culture. I will invite the family to come in to observe our class activities and to share things about their country.

Preparing for the children and family of Austria will help the children and family feel welcomed and valued because we are acknowledging their culture.

 

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I did not witness this event I am going to share, but it happened to someone very close to me. Last weekend my daughter went to the restaurant to pick some food up for us. As she arrived she said she saw a Caucasian man walking around the parking lot. She went in the restaurant to pick up the food. When she came out she said the man approached her cussing and asked her why was she parked so close to him. My daughter said his truck was on the line. She said “I’m sorry, but this was the only parking space”. She said he then said I don’t want to hear that (curse words). She said he starting calling her Nigga, trash, and other words. She said he got in her car and he stood in front of the car cussing at her and calling her racial names. She proceeded to pull off and he moved out the way. As she pulled off she said he looked at her tag on her car to see what county she was from and he said go back where you came from while still cussing.  My daughter called me in tears. When she arrived home she was still in tears and shaken. We tried to keep her daughter from seeing her this way because we knew she would have questions as to why her mother was crying. I told my daughter she should have called the police because he could have tried to hurt her physically. He had already hurt her emotionally. I was hurt and angry. I wanted to call the police and report him, but she said she saw him get in his truck and leave. Customers in the restaurant and others, who were arriving, witnessed this event. My daughter said no one said anything to him but they were commenting saying how awful it was.

Equity was diminished because my daughter had a right to park and be at the restaurant just as he did. He was the one who was not parked correctly, but he felt the need to accuse my daughter because she was African American. My daughter also looks very young for her age. I told her he also probably thought she was a young teenager who easy to pick on.

All people who are prejudice are going to have to change the way they think about people of other nationalities in order for there to be opportunity for greater equity. A person’s skin color does not define who they are. This world is so full of prejudices, and some against their won race.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I was very surprised to have actually witnessed a microagression this week. It was during lunch time and the students were coming in for lunch. One of the students is from Africa. This particular student was misbehaving in the line and one of my co-workers said he’s been misbehaving every day this week.  One of the students, who is an African American, said that’s the African in him. I was in awe. I could not believe he said that. This was a micro insult. This child does not know the extent of what he said. I told him not to say that because it isn’t nice and where a person is from has nothing to do with their behavior.

That showed me it happens more frequently than I thought. Since I have learned about microagrression I will be more observant when someone is conversing and I will be more cautious about what I say. A microagression can happen without a person even realizing it.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

To find out how others view culture and diversity I spoke to three people. The people I spoke to were an African American female (24yrs old) an African American male (30yrs old)  and a Puerto Rican female (48yrs old). I asked them what culture and diversity meant to them.

 The African American female said culture meant to her how you were raised, your values, beliefs, and ethics. The male said your background or where you’re from. The Puerto Rican female said background, language, and food. I asked each what diversity meant to them and the African American female said liberal, open to different views, learning about different cultures, and experiencing different cultures. The male said ethnicities, the other female said people of different ethnicities.

Aspects of the definitions of culture and diversity that was included in what I have been studying are different ethnicities, language, and food. Other aspects of culture and diversity that wasn’t included were characteristics, dress, gender, body language, and lifestyles.

When I think about their views on culture and diversity, I realize these would have been the same answers I would have given had I not been studying about it. I’ve learned it is so much more to culture and diversity than I have ever imagined. Studying about culture and diversity has been an enlightening experience. I now view people differently. I know it’s more than the way they look, speak, and dress.

My Family Culture

I can’t imagine having to relocate to another country permanently, especially if it isn’t my decision. Having my immediate family with me is more important to me than anything. I have many things of sentiment, but if a catastrophe were to happen, the three things I would take with me would be pictures, my wedding ring, and sentimental gifts from loved ones.

My pictures are dear to me because I have pictures from my childhood living in Philadelphia and pictures I’ve taken since I relocated to Georgia. I was born in Georgia, but raised in Philadelphia. I was three years of age when we moved there. I made many friends in Philadelphia and also had family there. I’ve always loved to take pictures so I have many pictures of friends and family from Philadelphia. These pictures mean a lot to me because some of the people on the pictures, family and friends, have passed away, so this is one of the ways I remember them. When I relocated to Georgia at the age of 21, I started taking more pictures of family and the friends I met throughout the years here. My wedding ring means so much to me because my husband passed away and this is one way I remember him and our life together. Sentimental gifts from family, friends, and co-workers mean a lot to me because the gifts from them showed me how much they cared about me.

I would be deeply hurt if I was told I could only keep one item, because they all mean so much to me. I can’t imagine having to give up any. If I had to choose, I would choose the pictures because I have pictures of all my family, friends, and some co-workers.

An insight I have gained from this exercise is it is difficult to choose what is most important to you, besides your family. I also reflect back to the victims of the hurricane, they could not choose what to take with them when they had to relocate. It means a lot to have that option.

 

When I Think of Research...

Insights I have gained about research is it takes a lot of work and time to do. The research process is very demanding.

My ideas about research has changed in regard to I thought it was geared more towards researching information on the internet. I see it is much more than that. I now know a research is performed to find something out and it won’t happen overnight.

When planning, designing, and conducting research you should prepare for possible setbacks. There are times when the research may not go as planned. You also have to ensure there are no biases. Everyone should be treated fairly. Know exactly what you are looking for.

Challenges I encountered were choosing the right research question and trying to figure out how to apply it to a quantitative design. To overcome these challenges I revised my question several times and I asked myself can I measure it. I finally figured it out, although it was difficult for me.

I now feel more confident knowing there are researchers out there, including me and all the participants, who are willing to go that extra mile to better assist our children. Information gained in the research process in very important to the early childhood program.

 

I would like to say thanks to all my colleagues for the support they’ve given me throught this course. It has been eye opening.

 

 

 

Research Around the World

After exploring the three websites I decided to use Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This website caught my attention specifically, because of the program in Uganda. It is called Strengthening the Capacity of Grandparents in Providing Care to Children Less than 8 Years Old Affected by HIV/AIDS. This program assists grandparents who are left to care for their grandchildren because their parents died from HIV/AIDS ( Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU), 2005).  The grandparents may be in poor health themselves and are unable to financially or physically care for their grandchildren. The program assisted grandparents in trainings on how to care for young children and assisted them with food (ECDVU, 2005). Early care is essential to a child’s cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Another program this organization has that caught my eye is in Ghana. The program is called Parents’ and Other Caregivers’ Perception of Early Childhood Development Needs and Quality: A Study of the PLAN-Assisted Programs in Bawjiase, Ghana. This program addressed the creativity and understanding of children’s needs and quality of Early Childhood development from the parent’s perspective (ECDVU, 2005).  They compared the perspective of the parents with the perspectives of caregivers and Early Childhood development program managers. The parent’s perception did not differ much and it showed parents were knowledgeable about their child need to develop (ECDVU, 2005). 

A new idea I thought would be useful is training grandparents on how to better assist their grandchildren who they care for. There is always focus on parents, but there are many grandparents caring for children who are not ill or whose parents have not died. Caring for young children can be challenging, especially for the elderly who hasn’t raised children in some years. This program can benefit many grandparents.

 

Other information I found interesting were studies that addressed parent involvement in their child’s development. Parents are the first teachers, so these studies addressed ways to implement parents into their child’s development. It is important for parents to begin teaching their children at home, understand what their child learned at school and to reinforce what their child has learned.

 

Reference

 

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). (2005). 

Final Major Projects and Theses. Retrieved from

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Beneficial Research for Children and Families

 

If I could conduct research studies in early childhood it would be how a free high-quality education program for all children world-wide would be beneficial to children, families, teachers, staff, etc.  This would include all facilities (Head Start, public schools, daycares, etc.). This will also include all teachers and staff of high-quality working in these facilities. Other studies can include are there enough facilities in all areas to accommodate, are there enough teachers and staff who are highly qualified to work in these facilities, and will parents who are unemployed  take advantage of the program? There can also be other studies within these studies. High-quality education is a broad subject that can include many areas.

There are too many children starting school behind and failing because they do not have access to a high-quality program and some don’t have access to any programs. We need all children to have a fair start and for the teachers, families, and staff to be involved in some way.

My Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose for my simulation is, what defines a high-quality EC program? I chose this topic because I’m interested in reading the different thoughts on what defines a program as being high-quality. Many people have many views on this subject. I feel all children should have access to a free high-quality program.

I had a difficult time with the research simulation. I was unsure which database to use. After trying several databases and entering my topic several ways, I was able to find what I was looking for. The database I used was EBSCO Host Education Research Complete.

The research chart has been very helpful in guiding my understanding of research, so far. I don’t know if it will become easier or more difficult. There are several areas of the research process that I find to be complex that I want to learn more about.

I welcome any advice on making the research process easier. Please share any resources you feel may be helpful for my chosen subtopic. Thanks in advance.

Final Blog Assignment

One consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is it has brought awareness to me personally and professionally that they are having the same issues we are having in the early childhood field. Knowing this has inspired me to continue receiving the newsletters to stay abreast of what they are doing to correct their issues.

A second consequence is learning about their issues have broadened my understanding about the different issues and trends in the early childhood field. All the information I’ve read, although it comes from another Country, has been helpful in my understanding of issues and trends in the field of early childhood.

A third consequence is, it is enlightening to know there are organizations who are working together to address these issue in the early childhood field. There are some organizations working together to address the needs of children and families.

One goal for the early childhood field is to ensure every child has access to a high-quality early childhood program. Participating countries teamed up to expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education for the poorer children who did not have access to these quality programs.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

After exploring UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education website, I came across some information about the region of Arab. They are working on providing a stable learning environment that provides good quality education for all in society. This relates to my professional goals because I want all children to have access to a good quality education. It is their right regardless of their income level.

In Africa they have workshops on ways to improve teacher development in Early Childhood Care and Education. This applies to my professional goals because I want to be a high-quality Early Childhood Care teacher. It is important to know how to educate our young children. Early Childhood is the starting point for their learning development. When they leave my class I want to have inspired them to want to continue learning.

In Latin America and the Caribbean they are addressing the needs of education and cultural diversity. Issues addressed are how they can communicate educational policies that promote respect for cultural diversity, how education can bind the richness characteristic to cultural diversity to improve the teaching learning process and add to a more broader human development, and how they can turn cultural diversity into a foundation of understanding, multiplicity, and social structure. This relates to my professional goals because I want to learn ways to educate children and families of cultural diversity. As more families from other countries move into the United States it is important to know how to communicate with them in ways they understand.

These are not my only professional goals, but they are three important ones. I never had an idea that other countries were dealing with cultural diversity issues. This was surprising to me. It is enlightening to know that other countries are working to address issues related to education, especially early education. It is all about the children.

Sharing Web Resources

As I explored other links on the Pre-K Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States website I discovered information under issues. I chose the link on families.

 The link on families addresses how The Obama administration is trying to expand a voluntary home visiting program. This program will match parents with professionals who are trained to provide information and support to them while they are pregnant and throughout the child’s first three years of life.

Children have to be healthy to learn and enjoy everyday activities. Dental care is the highest unmet need among children. Pre-K Now has a dental care program that helps low-income families have access to high-quality dental care. This program has expanded the number of professionals providing this care.

There wasn’t any information that added to my understanding of equity and excellence in early child care education.

An insight I’ve gained is about the home visiting program. When the Pre-K Now center did research on the program, they found that when this program is done when the child is an infant or toddler there is better child development in pre-k. There were also better child outcomes when the child was in fifth grade, and there were more inspiring and nurturing home environments in pre-k and fifth grade. This is good to know. Family involvement is healthy for the well-being of the child. When a child starts school they should be prepared to learn.

 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

I explored the Global Children’s Initiative website, http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative,  and three insights I gained were their work on children’s mental health, early childhood development, and children in crisis and conflict situations.

Mental health issues in children has been an under addressed issue with major implications for the bigger health and development of children and societies. To help with this issue they are developing an intensive agenda in education, research, and public engagement to address major gaps in knowledge and delivery of service. They are assessing mental health services for children in China, to prevent mental health issues in children affected by HIV/Aids in Rwanda, they are developing and evaluating family-based approaches, and in Barbados, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname, they are addressing child maltreatment and mental health outcomes.

Their work on early childhood development in other countries is, in diverse global environments they assess the quality in early childhood settings and programs, conduct assessments in Zambia to measure child development results related to malaria, and expanding effective interventions to improve preschool quality in Chile.

To address children in crisis and conflict they are working with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health. Together they are using a science-based developmental view point into the assessment and management of the well-being of the children during man-made and natural crisis. Their focus is on immediate situations and long-term change.

As far as equity and excellence, they have a program called Education and Leadership Development (ELD). This program is to educate future leaders about health, behavior, and life-long impacts of the early years of life, support advanced and multidisciplinary research that will build the knowledge base for application of policy and practice, and provide professional development opportunities.

What a good program to ready our future leaders to help children and families have better lives.

Sharing Web Resources

The website I've been studying Save The Children, has some relevant information about education. They train teachers to involve their students through more active teaching practices. They teach the parents and caregivers how to assist their child's learning early before school starts. This organization also has a program that offers parents and community volunteers ways they can get children to read and do math when not in school.

I looked at the issue on hunger  and livelihood in a new way. Save the Children does not only try to prevent hunger, they also teach parents how important it is to provide their children with the correct variety of foods to stop malnutrition. They train smaller farms how to prevent losing crops or livestock because of floods, drought, or disease. I think this is important because we all, especially the children, need this food for survival. They teach family farmers how to grow foods that are nutritional and how to raise animals to produce eggs, meat or milk.

There  is a section on the website that addresses two senators who says that five areas are not being met when it comes to children's policy and the programs. These areas are early childhood education, economic security, K-12 education, health and safety, and permanence and stability. It goes on to say vote for these candidates who will support investments in children. This tells me again it all goes back to money and wanting the votes. They only want to be elected and the children will be forgotten about.


I admire the fact that they have programs to teach children who been abandoned or institutionalized by their parents because of a disability. The program is called Ensuring Children Have Quality Care. This program helps children get into and stay into school. They also ensure children who cannot attend regular classes will continue to learn through quality non-formal education programs. This is just one of the programs under Ensuring Children Have Quality Care. This is something great they are doing to include everyone. Every child deserves an education and one of quality.

Getting To Know Your International Contacts-Part 1

I read the information about childhood poverty and what is being done about it on the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s (CHIP) website page. Insights I’ve gained were surprising to me. It was very surprising to learn that worldwide there are 600 million children living in poverty. This comes to 1 in 4 children living in poverty. In other countries the rate is higher. That is too many children living in poverty. When children experience poverty even for a short period, it can affect the rest of their lives. When children are malnutrition it can lead to poor health and lifelong learning difficulties. Poor children can lead to poor parents once they are grown.

CHIP is working to deeply understand the main causes of poverty so they can eliminate it. They are examining social and economic factors on the international, national, and local levels. They also communicate their findings to policy makers, advocates, and practitioners. Organizations they work with are Save the Children and the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC).

I haven’t been able to establish communication with anyone so I read about case study in India. A seventeen year old boy, who comes from a family of ten, had to drop out of school to work and his family could no longer afford his education. His father was sick and unable to work to care for the family. Two of his other brothers had to drop out of school to work also. He worked for two years and then he changed jobs. His father got a loan and started a carpet weaving business. The teenager wanted to finish school and get a better job, but family circumstances prevented it. His parents feel as though the carpet weaving business helped them to arise from poverty. Only one of their children was able to stay in school and receive an education.

I feel for this young man having to drop out of school when he was close to finishing. He did what he had to do to ensure the family comes out of poverty, I admire him for that. It makes you appreciate the fact that you didn’t have to endure this as a child or teenager.

Sharing Web Resources

I chose two organizations, one in the United States and one outside the United States. The one I chose in the United States is Pre-K Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States. Pew is a global research and public policy nonprofit organization. They bring policy makers and experts together to   develop solutions that are driven by facts, and they conduct reporting and in-depth research across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. They use evidence to determine which policies work and which policies do not work. The link to this organization is

http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

 

The other organization I chose is Save the Children. They are an independent organization who go out in the communities to help children and families in need. When disaster strikes they go out and help with food, medical care, and education and they help communities rebuild through their long- term recovery programs. They also try to resolve ongoing struggles our children face each day like, hunger, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. This organization works in the United States and around the world. The link to this organization is http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146405/k.C7E9/About_Us.htm

What caught my eye from the organization Save the Children was what they do for children who are hungry. I think it's admiral to help any child regardless of the situation. The fact that I work with children and nutrition was another reason it caught my eye. No child should be hungry with all the resources available. At the school where I'm employed we do all we can to ensure each child eats. We don't know if our meals are the only meals that they may receive for the day.

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

During the week I tried contacting several professional contacts for this assignment. I have had no luck in establishing contacts. Can someone give me a suggestion on what I can do? I chose alternative 2. I listened to some podcasts  and I have subscribed to some. I've tried to contact some early childhood professionals from the podcasts, so far no luck.

I chose two early childhood organizations for my resources, one from outside the United States, Save the Children, and two in the United States, Pre-K Now: A Campaign of the Pew Center on the States and National Head Start Association. I've subscribed to their newsletters, so far I've only heard back from one. I'm looking forward to learning more about these organizations.

My Supports

I have many supporters in my life. My daughter, parents, brother, and close friend have all been big supporters to me. My daugher helps me out around the house and she sometimes run errands for me. My parents still give me advice about issues when I need it, plus more. My mother is also the person who listens to me when I need to vent. My brother and father helps me with my car when it needs minor work. My close friend does yard work and is there for me through good and bad times. All of these people do so much more, and without them I don't know how I would make it.

My car is a big support, without it I couldn't get to work, run errands, or go anywhere for pleasure. My computer and cell phone are also big supports. Without them I could not do homework or communicate with others. I also need my phone in case of an emergency when I'm on the road.

If I was paralyzed I couldn't drive, work, or attend school. If my supporters were not around anymore, it would be difficult to function on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to feel like a burden to any of them, but I know they would help me. Paralysis limits many things a person could do. I would not  be able to bath, dress myself, play with my granddaughter, or enjoy everyday life. I can't imagine not being able to do the things I do now.

MyConnections to Play

Two qoutes I chose about play are:

The true object of all human life is play. G. K. Chesterton

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.  Fred Rogers

I loved to play with paperdolls when I was younger. When I played with paper dolls I would imagine it was me dressing up.


The rubix cube was a game where you had to use your brain. It took a lot of thinking and concentration to line up all the colors.


When I was younger people supported play by allowing us to play as long as we wanted, and by encouraging us to go outside to play. My parents would send me and my brother outside everyday as long as the weather permitted and our homework was finished.
Play is similar today by children still pretending to be adults when they play. Play is differnt is some ways from when I was younger by, children are more into television, video games, and computer games than going outside to play or playing with toys indoors. I hope play continues in school and I hope more parents encourage indoors and outdoors play.
I feel play is healthy for children as well as adults. You are never too old or too young to engage in play. When a person play, and have fun doing it, it gives you an overall feeling of goodness. When I was younger my brother and I would play inside together. He would play with his trucks or train set and I would ride my dolls or paper dolls on the trucks. When we would go outside we would play with our friends. I would ride my bike, skate, play hopscotch, or jump rope. We had so much fun playing outside, we never wanted to go in. During the summer we would play outside all day. As an adult the play I've engaged in is bike riding, playing computer games, video games, and playing with my granddaughter, who keeps me on my toes.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because it is satisfying to have happy and healthy relationships with people whom you trust and care for. Positive relationships are beneficial in many ways, they build your confidence, they help yoou to succeed in life, and they give you support in difficult times in your life. The list could go on.

I have positive relationships with my daughter, granddaughter, mother, father, brother, niece, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and a special friend.

My relationship with my daughter is positive because we talk to each other about almost anything and we encourage each other's success. When I enrolled to return to school she told me she was proud of me and that I was her inspiration. What contributed to and maintained our relationship is the fact that there has always been a secure attachment. This relationship is developing with my granddaughter who is three years old. She means the world to me.

The relationship I have with my mother and father contributes to the fact that they have always been there for me. Although I am an adult, I still need mom and dad. When my mother and father seperated my dad and I lost contact for a couple of years, but when we reconnected it was as if we never lost touch. My relationship with my brother is the same as my parents, we have been there for each other since day one. My brother's wife had a massive stroke two years ago and she's currently in a nursing home, this left him caring for his daughter. I help him, as much as I can, take care of her. She looks up to me like a mother. I always look forward to helping her when I can. It gives me great pleasure to help her.

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law are my late husbands sister and mother. My relationship with them developed over time as I dated my husband. When I first met them I can feel that it was going to be a positive relationship. They have always encouraged our relationship. They always made me feel at home when I would visit them. My father-in-law was apart of the positive relationship before he passed asway. They told me I brought out the best in their son and brother. We became even closer when my husband passed.

My relationship with my special friend has been good for me. We encourage each other's personal growth as well as school. He is currently in school and that makes me happy. We do our homework together sometimes. We sometimes take weekend trips just to get away. He has been an inspiration to me in many ways. Our relationship gives me feelings of enjoyment and happiness. My husband was my best friend, so when he passed a part of me passed with him. It hasn't been easy finding some one to fill those shoes. My new friend doesn't fill those shoes, but I am happy again.

There can be challenges developing and maintaining relationships. When you meet someone you're unaware if this person can be trusted. People come and go in our lives. There are times when people don't work well together. Sometimes it take years before you can develop a positive relationship with someone.

Chidren's Quotes

"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate."

Anonymous

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.

~Stacia Tauscher

I chose these quotes because I feel each one has a message that we as parents, caregivers, educators, etc. can relate to.

Assessing Children

Each child is unique and learn in different ways. I think a child should be assessed not only by testing them in class, but also by observing their actions.  Observing a child's behavior that is exhibited in different environments can give you an understanding of what they may or may not know.  Their actions and behaviors should be observed when they are home, at school, out with family, and out with friends. Children sometimes act differently when they are with different people. Some children are shy and may not show their whole self around a particular person or people.

Studies in India have shown 10% of school-going children having scholastic difficulties. Scholastic problems in children are a significant source of stress for the child and the family. India did a study using a computer-based program to assess the intelligence of children ages 8-11. One group was given the computer-based training and the other was not. There was substantial improvement in cognitive performance and school marks for the computer-based group and not the other group.
What shows positive results for one child may not necessarily show positive results for the other. Each child learns differently, so it's just a matter of figuring out what works best for who.

Stress on Children's Development

When I was around 12 years old, I witnessed my 5 year old cousin suffer abuse from his mother's boyfriend. My cousin had bruises and burns on his body. The boyfriend would also beat my aunt. This is a form of violence. It was hid in the beginning. My aunt would not come around the family at first. The family started to become suspicious, so they would visit her. Once everything came out about what was going on, my cousin was taken away and given to foster parents. My aunt's boyfriend went to jail. My cousin had several surgeries for the burns on his body. We were able to see him some years later and his mom could too. My cousin is all grown-up now. He and his mother has a strained relationship. He said she didn't love him and allowed that to happen to him. He still says she doesn't love him. I think this was emotional and physical stress. I've seen him interact with his children and he shows them plenty of love. I'm glad he was able to love although he feels his mother didn't, and still doesn't, love him.

Females in India are targeted for violence more than boys. Some are beaten, raped, or killed. Sons are preferred over girls, the girls are looked upon as liabilities. This abuse comes from parents and other people in society. They are incapable of coping with anger, frustration, and stress in life, so they vent their stress on children. These stresses are physical, mental, and emotional. There has been an organization put in place in India to protect the children from any type of violence. No one, especially an innocent child, should have to suffer abuse. This can affect the development of a child in many ways. The child may grow up and become abusive them self.

Nutrition and Malnutrition

A public health topic important to me is nutrition and malnutrition. One reason I chose this topic is because every child should be receiving the adequate nutrition no matter their age. Nutrition is important because without it a child can’t grow on function normally. Cooking or buying a healthy meal will ensure the child receives the needed nutrients to survive. This topic is also important to me because I am a manager for school nutrition. I observe children everyday who rarely touch their food. I try to encourage them to eat, especially their vegetables. Vegetables seem to be the last thing touched on their tray. There are children who bring lunch from home, and these meals are not healthy. I see the children with potato chips, cookies, soda, and tasty cakes. The entrée is usually a sandwich, and they sometimes have lunchables. School meals are designed to give the child adequate calories needed for their age group.

In the Philippines, there is a high rate of malnutrition. Some reasons for the malnutrition are poverty, hunger, and food insecurity. The majority of the underweight children are from infant to five years old. Various health and nutrition programs are implementing ways to address malnutrition in the Philippines. Some of these measures are serving hot meals and milk to school children, promoting breastfeeding in the community, hospitals, and workplaces. There is much more being implemented to end malnutrition in the Philippines.

This information I learned about nutrition and malnutrition will assist me when I am an educator in the classroom. I will use what I know, along with what I learned, and pass it along to the parents. I will continue to encourage the children to eat their food and explain to them why it is important to eat all their food.

My Grandaughter's Childbirth and Childbirth in India

The childbirth I wish to  write about is that of my grandaughter. That was one of the best days of my life. I was there for the birth along with the father. My daughter was not in active labor in the begiining. The hospital was actually considering sending her home. A few hours later she was in actual labor. I held my daughter's hand and comforted her through it all. I was so excited thinking about I can't wait to hold her, who will the she look like, and how much will she weigh, all while praying for a safe birth for my daughter and granddaughter.

I chose this birth because it was a great experience participating in a birth that was an addition to my family. This birth reminded me of the day I delivered my daughter.


Birth is a wonderful experience. It is amazing to me to actually carry another living person inside you and to actually deliver this living person into this world. Once this baby is born, the thoughts of will they devlop normally, what kind of child will he or she be, what will they grow up to be, and so on.


Most women in India give birth at home with no skilled medical attendant. the infant mortality rate is high because of this. The women are isolated so they won't be around any pollution during birth. Some of the women lie down during birth, while others choose to squat on a stool or the floor.

India births are similar to the United States in regards to both have hospitals where women can give birth and women lie down to give birth.

With the quality of care being poor in India, babies have a high chance of having poor development. There needs to be more skilled medical professionals to assist in the assurance of a healthy pregnancy and delivery of the baby.