NAEYC Website

I chose to examine the NAEYC Website. As previously mentioned, I am a member, but have not really taken the time to examine the website in depth.

The first part of the Website I looked at was the topic of Common Core Standards, since that was part of this weeks discussions.  I was able to read over the article NAEYC published for this weeks discussions regarding the cautions and opportunities the CCS allow.

The other article I read, discussed CCS in Kindergarten, and how there are so many differences in each states Kindergarten program, that having nationwide standards may be a disservice since there are so many different variables regarding the implementation of Kindergarten. While completing this weeks discussions, I had not really thought about this point. I was so focused on the "push-down" effect, that it really didn't even dawn on me about the different variables that Kindergarten presents and how the CCS may not be appropriate to implement in Kindergarten (Snow, 2012).

The other part of the NAEYC website that caught my attention this week was the "Voices of Practitioners" section.  This is where teacher research is published. It is a great place for teachers who are doing great things in their classroom let other early childhood educators see it, without having to go through the hassle of publishing. There was one teacher summary regarding diversity in classrooms.


Snow, K.(2012). Variation in children's experience in kindergarten and the common core standards.
                             National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington D.C.

Variation in Children’s

Experience of Kindergarten

and the Common Core   

Week 3 Getting to Know Your Interenational Contacts

I had no luck contacting international educators. I contacted three and no one responded. It seems like that is a common theme. I went to the many of the websites that were listed as part of our Alternative for this assignment and did not have much success there either. Most of the sites came up as unavailable.  Again, seems like a common theme.

When I finally was able to hear a podcast it was from the Global Fund for Children. I listened to Victoria Dunning speak. She is the vice-president of the Fund.  I was curious as to what the GFC actually did. I learned that they are in the business of supporting Community Based Organizations aka CBO.  GFC feels that the CBO's are in the best position to serve children because they really know what the families in their communities need.  GFC supports the CBO with money, value added services and knowledge management. GFC really focuses on innovation and new solutions to world issues. The GFC has 300 grant partners and surprisingly all of those partners have different focuses and are serving different populations.  GFC really focuses on "reaching children where they are." That is why they so strongly support Community Based Organizations.




Dunning, V. (2012)What Children Need to Succeed: Victoria Dunning’s Presentation at the Foundation Center

Web Resource Sharing

This week I chose to sign up for a monthly newsletter from Earlychildhoodnews.com

It provides links to news articles about early childhood education, developmentally appropriate classroom activities, arts and crafts project ideas and opportunities to network with other early childhood professionals.
I am already a member or NAEYC, so I wanted to see what else was out there.

Looking over archived newsletters it seems that it will be very informational. A few of the newsletters talked about diversity in the classroom as well as special needs students. Both of those topics interest me, so hopefully this newsletter will provide me with information pertinent to my interests.

Initial post for EDUC 6162

For this weeks assignment I chose to use the UNICEF website to see what contacts I could make to professionals in other countries. I  chose to contact Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. I chose those three countries because I have been to all of them and have some general background knowledge of their educational system.  I have not heard back from anyone, so I may need to reconsider what I am doing for this assignment.

I am a member of NAEYC but have not taken the time (recently) to look at their website. So, this week I did take the time to look over what was on there.  I really like the "Family" section. I think it is a great resource for teachers to use when families have some tough issues to deal with or are wanting more information on a topic. I also appreciate that NAEYC has an accreditation tool to help families look for quality Early Childhood Programs in their area. It is so tough for parents to delve into the world of ECE that they need a tool to help them sift through all that is out there.

My Supports

Throughout the last 5 years as an educator my parents have been my biggest supports.  My mother has had varying roles in education over the last 36 years. My father was a supervisor in an educational entity for 35 years. I am always chatting with them about the highs and lows of my educational experiences.  I cannot imagine my life without my parents support!

This year I am looking for more colleague support because of the complex students I work with. I love the days when therapists come into my room because I can talk with them about what they see in my class.  Talking with colleagues also helps validate what I have been doing. I do not look for constant validation, but when working with students with disabilites, I do not always see the growth the students are showing because I see them on a daily basis. It feels good to hear that I am doing things well!

My Connections to Play

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.

Ovid
Roman poet

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

Kay Redfield Jamison

 

Today play is considered a luxury- which we all know is not what is appropriate for our young learners.  When children play today, more then likely they are playing with electronics by themselves.  Today, play is so different from play even 10 years ago, let alone when I was a child over 20 years ago.  My parents did not buy me any electronic games. I have never owned a playstation, or wii, etc. I was encouraged to use my imagination and creativity (the pictures I have added are what I played with the most as a child).  I think in the 21st century, there is so much of a focus on play being with electronics, and play being isolated to oneself. Luckily for children who attend early learning centers/preschools that know the importance of play, they have that opportunity to be creative with their minds. But there needs to be more of a push for families to get back to playing with each other, and not through electronics.

Relationship Reflection

There are three groups of people in my life that I have relationships with. These three groups impact my life in a positive way on a daily basis.  I could not imagine my life without positive relationships.

They three groups are as followed with characteristics that show our positive relationship:

Family:
- unconditional love
- laughter
-trust
-support
-expressiveness
-personal growth



Friends:
-unconditional love
-laughter
-trust
-support
-expressiveness
-personal growth

Some difficulties keeping a friendship in tact is time and distance.  I had a great group of friends in high school and thought they were going to be my friends forever. Realistically, we are now friendly acquaintances. As I have grown in my 20's I have developed new friendships that fit where I am in my adult life.




Colleagues:
-partnership in education
-respect
-support
-personal growth
-expressiveness

I believe that my colleagues, especially the ones that are in my classroom  (ie. therapists, psychologists, program specialists) have/need to maintain positive relationships and partnerships.  I see  my colleagues and I being in a partnership because we are all working together to provide quality education for the children we work with.