Take A Bow

 

 

"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."- John Scully

 

 

Well Done! We are all one step closer to accomplishing one of the greatest accomplishments in all of our lives. Many of us started with fears and apprehensions; which has now grown into undeniable confidence. Our visions have grown and our possibilities are now endless.

Throughout this course I have enjoyed getting to know a little more about each of you and hope to continue to get to know you all more as we enter into another phase of our journey.

We all seek to do great things and make a positive impression in what I like to call the, “Exciting World of Early Childhood Education”. We are the experts that are now geared and ready to make a dent in not only the Early Childhood Sector, but the universe.

We cannot do it alone; but must band together as a team in order to make a significant change.

 

"Let’s make a dent in the universe."- Steve Jobs

 

Looking forward to  continuing  a life long  journey of learning and reaching the world through my passion and service to the Early Childhood community.

 

Stephanie. P. Rudison

Spaggett1908@yahoo.com

Currently  residing  in the Dallas area if any one lives near or is interested in visiting the area.

 

Adjourning

I believe that both groups are difficult to adjourn from. When a group has not been successful and goals have not been accomplished it is hard to walk away knowing that the job/project was not completed successfully. Each week the 1^st grade team plans lessons for the week. Seldom have these meeting lead to some of confrontation because someone does not want to compromise. They get stuck in their ideas and their way, not the teams’ way. These type of meetings lead to there not being an agreement but to the someone in the team crying and stressed out. This type of reaction makes it hard to continue to a relationship with other who you must work and collaborate with.

High-performing groups are certainly difficult to leave. These forms of groups are so enjoyable that you hate to depart from them.

There has been several closing rituals that I have experienced. Being a part of a sorority in college provided me with a lot of team and planning experiences. Each time graduation came around for a group of our members our hospitality committee would purchase a cake and gift to celebrate them. This was always difficulty as we had all grown close together from attending and conducting meetings and community projects.

I can imagine that adjourning from my colleagues will be an exciting one in which we will all be able to celebrate and reflect on our accomplishments. Adjourning allows us to reflect and evaluate how well the project and team worked. It gives an opportunity to see what adjustments can be made.

Conflict Resolution

Most of my disagreements occur mostly with my husband. I typically don’t have disagreements with  anyone other than him.  The most recent disagreement was about him thinking that I am always on the phone. Of course I see things differently and attempted to explain myself. He just couldn’t see my point of view. To end it all and prevent myself from getting upset I ended the verbal disagreement with yes you are right and allowed the disagreement to end in silence.

From this week’s reading there are  two strategies that I could have used to better handle the situation. ow

I could have not disregarded his feelings and could have been more empathetic of his feelings. There is a reason he felt the need to voice his opinion.  I could have listen more.

I could have also acknowledged and talked more about the problem .  I was not  very attentive but more defensive to what he was saying. I felt as he was attacking me. Going forward I must change if I want him to change. I must be the better person and utilize tools of an effective communicator.

Communication Evaluation

 

This weeks assignment allowed me to  gain a better understanding of how I view myself and how others view me as a communicator.

Surprisingly, I came to the conclusion that depending on the type of relationship that I have with individuals determines the way in which they perceive me as a communicator. Consistent communication builds relationships and helps others to understand an individual better. Taking a look at the Communication Anxiety Inventory my husband and friend viewed me as a communicator that has low communication anxiety. Based on their perception of me I feel very comfortable communicating in most situations and feel confident in anticipating such encounters. My self-report defines me as one who feels a bit uneasy in some communication situations. Based on this information I have established that the perception that others may have of me relates to the type of relationship that we may have together. Social interaction is key to developing one’s self concept because when you communicate with others, you  receive evidence that  you can then use to develop, confirm, or change your self-concept(O’Hair & Wiemann,2012). During this week I also gained insight that though our self-concept strongly influences how and when we communicate with others, when we interact with others, we also get impressions from them that reveal how they evaluate us as a person and as a communicator.

 

  References

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. (2^nd ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's

Communication and Culture

I often speak differently depending on the group of people and the setting that I am in. The jargon and the tone in which I use varies.  I try to consider the reactions as well as the body language that I my receive from others when communicating with them. With some of my colleagues I speak in a more professional manner and us different verbiage than what I use when speaking to my friends. Even with some of my older family members I also speak different with them.

In my opinion I put forth a great effort to be an effective communicator with individuals and specific groups. When I am speaking with ESL Learners I focus more on what they are saying and proceed following up with what they are saying.

Three strategies that I could use to be an effective communicator with people or groups:

1. When speaking to different groups of people make sure that your language is clear and relatable. Language should be intelligible but in simple terms so that others are able to interpret what you are saying. You know what you are saying but do others understand.

2. Get to the most valuable point when speaking to others. Do not get off subject of the message that is truly to be gotten across. This can confuse the person that is being spoken to.

3. Be a good listener and let others also speak. It is important to show interest in the other person and also allow them to continue to the conversation. It is important not to dominate the conversation and allow others to equally offer input into the conversation.

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

Laverne & Shirley – “Not Quite New York”

Original air dates: 11/18/1980

 

When reviewing this assignment I thought what I could possibly watch that I typically don’t. I honestly just flipped through the channels and where it landed is what I decided to watch. I do believe that my remote controlled landed on one of the best sitcoms to air during the 70’s to early 80’s.  This was the perfect show to watch and observe the reactions, body language and expression of the characters.   

 

 

 

Watching this show with no audio was a very interesting experience. Being that I am very inquisitive about those in my surrounding this is something I do often. I often find myself observing others who might be in deep communication or an altercation making assumptions according to their body language and some lip reading. In real life my assumption are often right for the most part but in the case of interpreting what is going on during this episode of Laverne & Shirley-“Not Quite New York” I was completely wrong.

Being that I know very little about the show I assumed that the two ladies were sisters who had just moved in to a new apartment with each other. The show begins with a visit from what I thought were there parents who themselves had just come from a visit.  In this portion of the show it appeared that one the girls was upset because she was given a small instrument and the other girl was given a large guitar.   The girl that was given the small instrument about the size of a handheld maraca was so excited until the other girl received her guitar.  The girl who received the small instrument face instantly went from excited to an expression of disappointment. As the show goes on I quickly came to the conclusion that these two were friends who were comfortable with sharing their emotions with one another. Watching the on mute I consistently observed a lot of smiles and excitement. There was even a time when the two girls witness a guy falling from the window. They immediately comforted each other with hugs, shoulders, and patting’s of the back.   The show continues on with what appears to be an earthquake and from here I become really lost with the plot.

Watching the show with audio was a really fun show which helped better depict the emotions and the body language that I read.   

For me my aha moment was that body language-nonverbal communication says a lot and it speaks just as loud as verbal language.

While watching the show on mute there was also a scene in which a friend grabs one of the stuff animals off the sofa. Instantly the reaction of I believe it to be Shirley changed, kind of a snarling look. She became very territorial and Laverne immediately picked up her facial expression and removed it from the friends hand and handed it over to Shirley.

This was another great example of nonverbal code that  sent a message without words.

 

An Effective Communicator

 

                 "Understanding that we are all more powerful than we know -- that we are all connected to something bigger than ourselves -- is the real conversation I want to have. In many ways, it is the only conversation, I believe, truly worth having," Oprah Winfrey

           The first person that came to mind when I think of effective communication is Oprah Winfrey. The quote simply states it all. For twenty six years Oprah Winfrey has hosted her own internationally talk show. She has had the opportunity to interview and communicate with individuals from all over the world and all circuits of life experiences. Within these twenty six years Ms. Winfrey has build relationships and shared them with us all. She has manifested into one of the best communicators that the world publicly knows. Over the years she has communicated to me that conversations or more that just words but a deeper meaning of understanding others and yourself. Not only does she communicate effectively with those that she interviews or communicates with but she provides inspiration and knowledge that is essential to their daily living that many can relate to.

          Observing her style of communication she provides an environment that is welcoming first and is open to listening to the thoughts and comments of others. Very seldom have I ever seen her over talk someone or force her thoughts on others. She’s allows one to speak and be heard. For these reasons I believe  is why she has been so successful. She has actually allowed the openness of speaking and being heard along with the comfortability to do so. Like Ms. Winfrey I want others to feel comfortable with speaking with me because I am going to allow them to speak and be heard. Often times the only thing some people need is to be heard without others passing judgment and or speaking over them. Like Ms. Winfrey displays effective listening skills I too want to learn to be an effective listener. Effective listening skills are a key component to effectively communicating with others.

Professional Hopes and Goals

 

             When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds my hope is that all children and families are treated with respect and provided with an excellent and quality educational setting that is accepting to their needs. Let children and their families be treated based on their character and not overlooked because of their differences. As an educator I must vow that though I will not agree with many actions and beliefs of others I have made a commitment to provide students with high quality instruction that has been manufactured according to their individual needs.

My goal is to establish a commitment of excellence to all children and families regardless of their race, creed, color, religious background or other diverse characteristics. As a parent and  early  childhood  educator  it  is  my  belief that I not  discriminate and  devalue  what each family  has  to  offer. I must address their individual needs with the intent to teach and meet the needs of the whole child in my care.

I would like to thank all my colleagues for their continued support and words of encouragement. This was definitely an experience in which we all grew and learned about each other together. I wish all my peers the best as they continue to travel through this journey of growth and knowledge. I urge you all to continue to embrace healthy supportive relationships and continue to advocate for all children and their families.

 

              You must be the change you want to see in the world.-Mahatma Gandhi

 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

My family is a family relocating from Bangladesh.

In preparation of providing an environment that is culturally responsive toward the family:

1.          I would find out about the families culture, background, their history and experiences of different groups from their country. This would help me to better understand the family and their culture.

 

2.          I would also assess my classroom and arrange it so that there are multiple diverse materials and visuals that connect with the child. Some of the materials would be toys, posters, games, dramatic play props, and multicultural books.

 

3.          It would also be important that I meet with the parents so that we can discuss their goals for their child and child’s interest. Meeting one on one with the parents would allow me another opportunity to learn more about them and the needs of their child.

 

4.          I would also develop and provide multiple instructional approaches that will help accommodate the students learning style.

 

 

5.          I also feel that it would be important that I integrate the family’s home language with the English language through song, stories, and classroom labeling. This will allow the child to feel more comfortable with the classroom setting.

 

Through these preparations I hope to provide a quality school experience that sets a strong foundation of good health, growth and success in education for the family’s child as well as other children within the classroom environment. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

             

 

 

            This story captivated me at such a young age. It depicts what so many young girls experience when they think of the image of beauty and what is pure. As a young girl I used this story as an inspiration of self-worth unlike the story which provides an example of self-oppression due to racal and skin complex.

            The memory that I have of an incident of oppression that has always stuck with me is actually from a book that I read in seventh grade.  The story the, Bluest Eye written by  Toni Morrison is a 1970’s novel about a young girl named Pecola who has an inferiority complex due to her skin and eye appearance.   The book focuses on racism, incest and child molestation. In the story the main character, Pecola is constantly told that she is ugly and has been instilled with the idea that whiteness is beautiful. In the book whiteness stands for beauty. Due to this Pecola who is of darker skin connects beauty with love and believes that if she had blue eyes all of the wrong in her life would go away and be replaced with love and affection. For Pecola she wishes is she had blue eyes she could see the world in a more beautiful positive light. The overall story compares blackness and whiteness as well as describes the negative impact that white cultural domination has on culture identity.

My description doesn’t really give the novel the justice that it deserves. I recommend that others read the story to get the full scope of what inspired me at such a young age.

 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

 Awareness is the ability to perceive, feel, gain, become aware of and understand something that is occurring.

Often times we observe microagression , but are not aware that it is occurring.  Sometimes we initiate it and are not aware of doing so. What do we do in these situations? What don’t we do?

I encountered a situation which at the time I was not aware that it was defined as microinvalidation.

I recently held a conversation with a group of friends both male and female and males getting a pedicure and a manicure. Instantly some replied that’s gay if a man gets his feet and nails done, especially if another man is doing it and he adds polish to it.  

This to me is an example of homosexual men being marginalized as men who get there nails done. All homosexual  men don’t fall in that category. We must not assume that actions such as these are only limited to one group.

In this situation I explained that the polish, who does it does not matter. It is about having a choice and options of ways of grooming yourself- unisex ways of doing so. Is it not ok for a man to get his hair cut and washed by another man I asked; a practice that many partake in male and female, homosexual and heterosexual?

I think in situations like this one sometimes people act out of stupidity or lack of knowledge and fear of what it is that they don’t know.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

 From my conversations I believe that a person’s experiences highly impacts their meaning of culture and diversity.  Speaking with different individuals that I am close with about their meaning of diversity and culture was very interesting. All three gave a different level of meaning. For me when I think of diversity what comes to mind is multifaceted and various differences that are linked in some way or another. Culture for me is a person’s way of life.

 1^st Respondent-Mrs. Warner

Relationship-Friend

 Her background: Mortgage Loan Underwriter

 Diversity: A mixture of cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, and demographics

Culture-morals and beliefs

2^nd Respondent-Mrs. Johnson

Relationship-Mother

Her Background- Social Worker

Diversity: A mixture of things that don’t resemble but still consist of a person being treated equally

Culture-Your Experiences

3^rd Respondent-Mrs. Guardio

Relationship-Teacher Assistant

Her Background –Mother and 1^st year teacher assistant

Mrs. Guardio provided an example of her experiences as it relates to culture and diversity.

She explained that her family loves to gather together for every occasion. She even showed pictures that represented the unity and the many gathers that her families have had. She went on to speak about her son who has Cerebral Palsy and how he is treated differently and the way  they are looked at. She explained that people part ways when they walk to a restaurant or a public place. She doesn’t like it, but she sticks her chest out nice and tall with pride to show them she is not ashamed. She and I spoke about the differences that people see in others can one day affect another.  She showed so much passion discussing her experiences. She also mentioned how difficult it had been for her to learn to speak English. Her husband taught her and made it an important part of his life to teacher. He would explain to her you have to Mi hija.  You have to learn how to speak and learn English.   

My Family Culture

The three items that I would take with me would be my bible, family photo album, and our family recipe book.

Our Christian faith and values hold my family together like glue. From as long as I could remember I would be in church from sun up to sun down on Sunday. On Saturday growing up I was required to be involved in the choir or a form of service offering my praises to the Lord. On Wednesday after school there was bible study. Continuously praising and worshipping God has helped model me into the one I am today.

On the first and third Sunday of every month my great grandmother would cook for our pastor. My great grandmother was said to be the best cook in town.  Gathering as a family and community is also essential to my soul. We would eat, listen to old stories and enjoy the company of one another. As a child I loved when the holidays came around and all of my family was together.

 

 The last item would be a photo album of my family. This album has captured many of the most memorable moments that we have encountered together. 

If I were told that I could only keep one item. It would be very difficult. The one item that I think I would keep would be the family cookbook. I feel that the recipes would allow me to reflect on the many celebrations, connections, and the unity that my family and I share. Thinking back on our family cookbook reminds me of my great grandmother who instilled so many strong  values within me.

My Research Experience

          

I am proud to say that this course has come to an end. I did not allow the difficult research jargon to scare me away; even though at times that is what I wanted to do.  Before I began this course I had an understanding of the impact that it has on the field of early childhood as well as many other professional domains. Research is a great tool that helps us answer important questions about early childhood by gaining understanding, insights, and knowledge.  How to complete the process was my hurdle. Not until I began to learn more week by week did I understand the processes that were involved in compiling and completing research. One of the chapters that provided me with great insight on completing research was chapter seven, design issues.  It discussed the process of planning and designing research. Research design was defined as a set of procedures developed to guide an entire study, from formulating research questions to disseminating results (Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. 2010).    During this phase of research a researcher clarifies, refines and identifies their specific topic. The researcher then moves forward with selecting design options, such as experimental, quasi-experimental and non- experimental. During the design process it is important to address the dimensions of time, considerations of retrospective and prospective approaches; those will participate, sampling options, and data collection options. Research design is very essential to completing a successful research study. The research design process was the most difficult for me. There were great difficulty in refining my topic and generate questions that would provide a quality research that would be beneficial to others. To overcome this challenge it required me to do a little studying and investigating resources that helped me narrow my topic down and formulate a research that I discovered would be research able and benefit others.

Reference

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Research Around The World

The web-site that I chose to view is the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

During my search I located and viewed two research articles. The first one, Developing an international network to support early childhood development (ECD): Results from experience in Africa describes an early childhood development (ECD) network for Africa and its multipronged approach of regional partnerships, south learning exchanges through international conferences and seminars, and an ECD virtual university that uses 21st-century technologies and distributed learning methods to provide systematic training and build capacity among cohorts of ECD leaders in the Majority World.

Surprisingly information quoted from Grantham-McGregor and colleagues (2007) estimate that more than 219 million children under age 5 will not reach their developmental potential due to illness, malnutrition, and a lack of nurturing care, early stimulation, and education. Quality ECD interventions can reduce the risk for vulnerable children, yet in 2008, 86% of children in sub-Saharan Africa had no access to an early childhood program (CGECCD 2010). Through initiative such as The World Bank’s Africa Early Child Care and Development  with their efforts to improve the capacity of African countries to attain the education MDGs by laying a strong foundation of early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

The second research document that I reviewed,  Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development by Rosemary Hua The study examines fathers’ role in early childhood care and development in Shanna Community, a Tiv tribe in Benue State, Nigeria. The study highlights the role of fathers and their involvement in child upbringing. From this research study it was concluded that  it is also apparent in other places: that men’s failure to relate with their children is not something that is inherent in males but in the culture and norms of that society. Overall the research findings suggest the need for a range of interventions to target father-child relationships to increase male involvement in children’s lives.

From this article it provided insight for me on how children in other countries are brought up. From the survey used to conduct data for this research paper it was determined that the parents in the Shanna community teach their children according to their children’s sex. Women in Shanna are considered as subordinates early in girlhood with the division of household labor by gender. Girls assume domestic responsibilities as early as the age of six. I found this paper informative and interesting. From the research paper I reflected on the relationships that must be established with children and families from other cultures. What I perceive as norm is not necessarily norm to others. I thought on the fact that in situations as this it is important to remain objective and not attempt to persuade an interviewee based on your views.

The research document, Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development provided me with a great example of peer written research paper.

 Reference

Garcia, M. & Pence, A. (2010). Developing an international network to support early childhood development (ECD): Results from experience in Africa. Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.13 No.2 pp. 119-137

Hua R. (1986). Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development., University of Jos, Nigeria,

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

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

                         Research that Benefits Children and Families- Uplifting Stories

         In this week’s discussion I mentioned that throughout my life I was a participant in a Longitudinal Study. Over the course of 13 years I participated in Add Health Study designed by researchers at the University of North Carolina and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Add health began as a study of more than 20,000 adolescents in 1994 and 1995 and states as being the only source of longitudinal data about the health and health behaviors of nationally representative sample of men and women who were followed from adolescence to adulthood. 

          As a Wave I and IV participant I was provided with a pamphlet which described the nature of the research, what was expected of me, the benefits of the project as well as an incentive that was available once the interview was completed. The first phase consisted of an in-home interview that consist of questions on health status, peer networks, decision-making  processes family composition and dynamics, educational aspirations and expectations, sexual partnerships, substance use and several others. In addition to interviewing me my mother was also interviewed.  In Wave IV the topics were similar to phase one asking questions about physical and mental health, friendships and romantic partners, family relations, education, and community involvement . The information provided was stated as being essential to the research community and important in improving the understanding of the health and well-being of young  people as the mature and influence public policy. The information  combined information from all four  waves of interviews, physical measures and information  about  neighborhoods and school, public health professionals can examine how a wide variety of experiences during  adolescence are related to  health behavior  and  health  outcomes in adulthood.

         From the research that I participated in over 1000 published articles and reports from around  the world have been presented from the data conducted gained through Add Health. A few examples of findings that have been contributed are drug use puts teen, especially girls, at risk for future depression. From findings it was concluded that this finding contradicts the common idea that teens take drugs to Self-medicate their depression.  Another finding from the research is that parents have a strong influence on teens over a period of time. One of the most consistent factors associated with not having had  sex is a teen’s knowledge  that a parent disapproves.

          My participation was very vital in the development of  health and identifying and assessing  the various factors that place  adolescents at  risk for a host of  potentially health-compromising behaviors ranging from eating disorders to vehicular safety to early sexual activity. The studies and continued  research using  the Add Health data has promised to help parents, communities and policymakers understand the factors  that protect against or promote risky behavior among adolescents and also provide a role in interventions that will ultimately improve the overall health of teenagers and the population. For further information on the Add Health findings visit www.guttmacher.org/pubs The Guttmacher report on public policy, August 2001,Volume 4,Number 4 and www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth.

My Personal Research Journey

What are the positive consequences of early interventions on language development?

      For my research simulation topic I have chosen the benefits of early intervention on childhood language development. This topic was chosen because language is a key part of child development. Children must understand language before they can use language effectively. Through this research I seek to provide positive consequences and negative consequences of fostering language development through early interventions.   Not only is this topic of great  interest  to me; but is significantly import for many reasons. Currently I am working specifically with infants, toddlers, and preschooler as well as I has children of my own. At this stage in life children begin to acquire language and recall simple words. Many children by the age of four begin experiencing difficulty with receptive language. I see this type of research topic as being an important topic for those wanting to assist parents in the early stages of development. I am currently seeking any suggestions in completing this process. What have some of your experiences been in regards to language development and benefits of early intervention versus  very little intervention’s?

        So far I  have  grasp that  concept that anyone can complete research with that knowledge of establishing the steps to the research process. My weakness previously was thinking that I was required to read an entire article. Thus far I have found out otherwise and see this being essential to the research process.  Through the research chart I have established that the jargon alone will require that I apply critical thinking skills and apply previous knowledge to this course. There is a connection to each course that is required. This week’s course reading allowed me to take a closer look at design research. This is the planning phase of research and requires a systematic  approach be followed in preparing a research project.

Final Blog Assignment

Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures. ~Eugene P. Bertin

This is a quote that I have applied to my teaching profession. As  I continue to proceed through this program I realize that I will forever be a student in which my experiences and the people that I   come in contact with make precious deposits into my knowledge back.

The resources and conversations that my colleagues have shared with me has left a lasting  impression on my  professional career. The research and resources has made me more aware of issues and trends that occur not just around me but across the global. I really enjoyed reading my colleagues Laura Mastroianni post. She always had something very interesting to read on her blog site. I enjoyed reading the conversations that she had with her international contact, Swati the director of TULIPS (The Universal Learning Integrated Program) in Mumbai. Swati proves that the shape of passion for children is the same across the world. A quote of Swati’s that I will forever appreciate is, “A teacher should teach her student how to live life, how to enjoy success and how to endure failure.”

Just as I have learned several things and been inspired by the contact that Miss Laura has had with  Swati; I hope to follow in their same example of continuing to motivate and inspire others about the world of educations.

Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts(Alternative)—Part 3

Sad to say the up and down communication with my international contact did not  last.  I was really excited about getting to learn more about the Northern Territory of Australia. After over a few weeks of waiting for her to return my email about the questions in regards to this assignment I never received a response from her again. I pray that all is well with her health as I mentioned previously that she had been ill.

So for this reason I was left with the great option of exploring  another  resource, UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education”. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural  Organization seeks to  contribute  to the building of  peace, the eradication of  poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. One of the organizations main objectives is attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning.

Exploring the website, there was so much information to review and discover. Within my  search I  came across the UNESCO Institute for  Statistics which provides cross-nationally comparable  statistics on education, science and technology, culture, and communication for more than 200 countries and territories.

One of our major focuses of this course has been quality child care and educators. In the report Teachers and Educational Quality: Monitoring Global Needs For 2015 chapter 2 discusses teacher training, qualifications and education quality. The report discusses that there are two issues that make the development of cross-nationally comparable indicators of teacher quality difficult, availability of data and uncertainty about the measurable characteristics of effective teachers.  In a number of countries the minimum standard for primary teaching is an upper secondary qualification, typically a specialized program for training teachers which is not designed to lead to studies completed at a university. The entry standards for teaching vary widely across countries.  In a few countries less than one-half of their teachers reach the standard.

The  report  also distinguishes that  many  countries that  have  set  mandates and qualifications are not  meeting  them making  it  difficult to  set cross-nationally comparable. Many countries that are not  meeting their  standards have lowered them to meet qualifications set. Other countries that are meeting  their standards have  raised their  qualifications  with a negative effect that  appears that they are not meeting standards.  This alone has a major impact on the fate of our next  generation as countries are continuously  lowering their standards only  so than can meet them. Another reason that research over the past decade suggests that many developing countries have lowered their standards and qualifications is to control cost.  Many countries are bringing in large numbers of unqualified or less-qualified teachers or by supplementing school capacity with teacher aides and community volunteers. This too has had an effect on lowering the average qualification and experience level of the teaching force. From this report it expanded my knowledge to what  type of education children around the  world receive and why  it  is important  to  continue to  advocated for equity and  equal education for  all children.

 

Reference

http://www.uis.unesco.org/Library/Documents/teachers06-en.pdf  Teachers and Educational Quality: Monitoring Global Needs For 2015, retrieved  June 16, 2012

Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families (Part 2: Availability, Accessibility, and Affordability)

This week has been a very hectic one. I have been dedicating 12-13 hours of my day since Sunday to making sure that my center is meeting the needs of all children that attend and that care and quality meet excellent standards.  This course has helped me so far by providing me with current research and policies supporting quality child care.

In our course this week we continued to discuss Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for children and families. As we continue to place focus on the trilemma of child care quality, affordability, and availability as mentioned in the article, The child care trilemma: How moral orientations influence the field, I found myself wanting to gain insight on what the parents themselves want  from a center or a facility. ChildCare Aware of America formally NACCRRA- has dedicated a section of their website to the parent perspectives. This section can be located in one of their main categories Public Policy. The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, has conducted  several national parent  poll that  focus  on understanding  what parents  look for  in child care, the  assumptions that  make  about  licensed  centers, the  availability  of  care  that  they  have in their area, and current  policies they  would  support to  strengthen quality  child  care. On study conducted  to better understand parents’ views and experiences in the current economy regarding child care, as well as the types of changes they support to improve the quality and availability of affordable child care, NACCRRA  conduct a nationwide telephone survey of 1,000 parents with children under the age of 12; The Economy’s Impact on Parents’ Choices and Perceptions About Child Care completed September 2010.The survey concluded that many  families are  still  struggling are  worse off than they were  before. The survey shows that 31 percent of parents rate affordable child care as the most important factor in helping working families. The  greatest concern when  parents  were  asked  to  identify their single greatest concern about  child care  nearly  four  in  10 chose  quality  as  their highest  concern for  their  children’s care, the  cost  of  care  is  their  second  biggest  concern.  Fifty  one  percent  of  families  with  children  under the  age  5 say  that  they  worried  at  least  some  of  the  time  about  paying  their bills. Many  families also  worried that  they  total family  income  would not  be  enough  to  meet  their  family ‘s expenses and  bills  worrying  about  being  able  to  afford  child  care. Due  to  many  parents  economic  situation more  than one in 10 said  that  they  have  had to  move  their  children to  be  closer to relatives for their help or moved their  child to  a  child care  setting  of  lower  quality.  Though  most  parents were  experiencing  difficulty  many of  them  still  were willing to support increased funding  for  child care to improve quality  care even if it  increased  their  taxes by  10 dollars a year. The study concluded with NACCRRA making recommendations to Congress and the states. Some of them where: Require that inspection results and substantiated complaints be publicly posted on the Internet so that parents have access to current, accurate information and can make informed choices about child care, require all paid providers caring for unrelated children every week (like a business) to be licensed, and  require 40 hours of initial training (before working with children or within the first few months) and 24 hours of annual training,(Training should include child development, guidance and discipline, CPR/first-aid, recognizing child abuse and neglect, and related health and safety issues).  This survey shows that regardless of families economic situation the value of quality care is still a very important indicator of child care.

The Economy's Impact on Parents' Choices and Perceptions about Child Care http://www.naccrra.org/public-policy/resources/policy-library-recent-reports/economys-impact-on-parents-choices, retrieved June 9, 2012

Lash, M., & McMullen, M. (2008). The child care trilemma: How moral orientations influence the field. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9(1), 36–48. Retrieved from http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/freetoview.asp?j=ciec&vol=9&issue=1&year=2008&article=5_Lash_CIEC_9_1_web