Education Quotes

A few quotes from Maria Montessori that I love are below:

"If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?"

"The real preparation for education is the study of one's self. The training of the teacher is something far more than the learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit."

"Help me do it alone!"

 "Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them, they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves."

Stress on Children

Stress on children can cause long term consequences on the biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development.  My grandfather grew up in a small town in rural South Carolina and was faced with many stress.  Poverty, hunger, and chaos were a few challenges he faced everyday.  His mother died when he was very young and his father was an alcoholic who left town for weeks or months at a time.  He and his sister were left to fend for themselves.  They were able to stay with their grandmother at night to sleep but she did not allow them in the house much after school each day.  As he tells the story he would wonder around and try to find food where ever he could and hang out around the house until finally she would yell for them to come in and get a little dinner and go to bed.  She didn't have much herself so they done had very nutritious meals very often.  He grew up and was never very tall.  I think this stems from the lack of adequate nutrition during the important years of young childhood.  Even though he wasn't very big he was very fast at running and when he got into high school he joined the football team because they were given free lunch at school each day and then before the game each week they were given an homemade meals by the other parents.  He says this was his favorite part about playing football.  At 18 years old he went into the military again he says so he would be feed and make a little money.  During adulthood he married, has two boys and found a job at a food distribution company.  He slowed worked his way up the corporate ladder and put in 24 years of hard work.  He was able to retire early and given a great retirement package that will allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.  Throughout the years he was also able to acquire numerous properties which he owns to this day and rents out for additional income.  Although his childhood is a very sad story the outcome was wonderful for him.  He was able to overcome growing up in extreme poverty, never knowing where the next meal was going to come from and never really having a place to call home.  Unlike many he used his challenges to give him goals and a direction he wanted out of life.  He coped with his adversity and slowing made a better life for himself.  He will tell you he never thought he would be where is today and he thinks his childhood is what made him who he is and he is grateful for having experienced it because that allows him to appreciate the life he now has.

I was just reading an article other day about how China stills enforces a one child policy.  I think this is completely barbaric and causes numerous stressors in children and adults.  I feel like this is a type of isolation for children as they are growing up never knowing what it is like to have a sibling and eventually, as their parents pass away, it will leave a whole generation of children without the support of a family.  They are not able to learn socially like other children and often lack vital networking skills needed for life.  It also means children grow up in a constant state of fear as their family is essentially owned by the state.  Mothers are not in control of their own bodies and face strict fines and forced abortions is they end up pregnant with other children.  Often there are complications with these abortions and can leave women with permanent medical issues or even cause death.


References:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/06/chinas-barbaric-one-child-policy

Healthy Water

Access to healthy water is a public health topic that deserves much attention.  It is one main foundation needed for life.  I have always heard about other countries that do not have access to healthy water but I was shocked to learn more facts as I researched this topic.  There are 780 million people in today's world that do not have healthy water.  It is so hard to believe that in our advanced society of today that they are still so many people left without adequate sanitation and clean water.  The facts are outstanding.  It is so sad to me that children have to grow up without clean water and without the facilities needed for a healthy life.  The diseases and malnutrition that comes from this affect millions each year.  Sanitation is the single most important medical advance since 1840" said one British Medical Journal reader survey and I agree.  Without access to healthy water it is almost impossible to have a high survival rate.  I think that we need to do all we can to help other countries develop.  Africa alone has 345 million people without to access clean water.  Some even walk miles to gather water for their families and sometimes families go for days without any water.  It is sad to hear stories like these especially because many American's take for grated our abundance of water.  We have it at the touch of a faucet or purified water to drink anytime we want it.  After researching this topic I am planning on getting involved in the efforts to brink clean water to everyone!


References:

http://www.unicef.org/search/search.php?q=Clean%20water&type=Main

http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/

http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/3897.cfm

The Birth of My Son

The only firsthand personal experience I have to draw upon is the birth of my own son.  It took five days all together and was definitely an unforgettable experience.  I went into labor at exactly 36 weeks and when I arrived at the hospital they put me on medicine to try and stop the contractions.  Since I went to a doctor's office with multiple doctors whenever you went to the hospital you saw whoever was on call at that time.  The doctor on call did not want me to deliver for a least another week and he said he was going to do everything he could to make me wait.  This included a liquid diet.  I was hungry and did not like this at all.  This continued for three in a half days until he decided I could check out and go home and wait. He wanted me to check back in the office the next day and then we would go from there.  As soon as I arrived home my water broke and right back to the hospital I went.  Now, since my water broke they would not allow me to eat anything still.  I was starving and had to wait another 24 hours or so until my son finally decided to make an appearance.  Still having all the medicine to stop my contractions I was not dilating and the time was running out.  They then decided I would have to be induced.  I wish I had known more about what was going on but I trusted that the doctors knew best.  I think my body was so confused it didn't know what to do.  Start labor, stop labor, start labor... It was a mess.  I was so grateful to finally have him but I was beyond weak.  The whole process took a lot out of me and I think that being on the liquid diet make it so much worse.  I didn't have much strength during the birth and I felt like it was never going to be over with.  I was so happy to see my son but I feel like the whole thing could have gone a lot differently.  Since then I have had time to study other birthing options and if I ever had another child I will be looking at these options with more seriousness.  I do not ever want to go though what happened to me before, again.  I don't think they should have tried to stop my labor but instead let my body do what it wanted to do naturally.

I have a good friend from Korea and she said that childbirth there is very different.  Most people have their children in the hospital in open rooms with little privacy.  The often are given no medicine and have to endure the pain.  The mothers are expected to remain silent to focus the energy on the child. The fathers are usually not in the room.  I can not believe they are silent during such a time like that. I can't imagine what that must be like.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who has helped support me throughout this course.  Blogging has definitely been a new experience for me so thanks for having patience as I have learned more and more.  This has been a great first class and I hope I have the opportunity to work with some of you as we continue through our studies at Walden.  :)

Codes of Ethics

There are many ideals in the NAEYC Code of Ethics that I find valuable to learn and put into effect as an educator. The following three are a few that I feel very strongly about:

I-1.4—To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults. 

-This is so important to remember because children often can not speak or do things for themselves so it is up to adults to make sure that get and  have every they need.  Children are so precious and, as educators, we must always try to do whatever we can to give them all the opportunities available.  

P-1.8—We shall be familiar with the risk factors for and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including

physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse and physical, emotional, educational, and medical neglect.

We shall know and follow state laws and community procedures that protect children against abuse and

neglect.

-The more anyone in the field can learn about risk factors and how to best handle situations such as these is so vital to children.  Teachers spend a lot of time with children and sometimes see them more than their own parents so we must try to always be on the look out for what is going on in their home life.  Abuse to a child is such a sad thing for any child to have to go through and the more information we can have the more services we can offer to the families suffering with such issues.

I-2.5—To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs.

-Today, more than ever, children come from such diverse home settings.  Often they are different from our own but we must remember to respect everyone and try to do whatever is best for each family.  The more we can communicate and learn about one other the better the support can be for each child accordingly.  It is an ever changing world but we must not judge but instead try and understand one another's points of  view and find a way to reach each family in a respectable and professional manner.  

Course Resources

Important Course Resources

Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP's mission.
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/
  Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources

http://www.montessori.org/ - This is a great site for all things Montessori.  It has online learning tools for parents as well as the latest information happening in the Montessori community.  It also has information on how to become a certified Montessori teacher. 

http://www.thescea.org/ - This is the website for The South Carolina Education Association that I have been a part of since my undergraduate studies.  

http://www.sc.gov/education/ - A detailed list of the standards and test scores for the State of South Carolina.   

Inspiring Quotes in Education

Inspiring Quotes in Education

Itard and Montessori:

"If we consider human intelligence at the period of earliest childhood man does not yet appear to rise above the level of the other animals. All his intellectual faculties are strictly confined to the narrow circle of his physical needs. It is upon himself alone that the operations of his mind are exercised. Education must then seize them and apply them to his instruction, that is to say to a new order of things which has no connection with his first needs. Such is the source of all knowledge, all mental progress, and the creations of the most sublime genius. Whatever degree of probability there may be in this idea, I only repeat it here as the point of departure on the path towards realization of this last aim" 

 - Jean Marc Gaspard Itard 

After studing Victor (The Wild Boy) Itard said, "The progress of teaching may, and  ought to be  aided, by  the  light of  modern medicine, which of  all the  naturla sciences can co-operate the  most  effectually towars the amelioration of  the  human species, by  appreciating the  organical and  intellectual peculiarities of  each individual;and  by that means determining what education is  likely  to do for  him and  what  society  my  expect  from his  future character.

- Jean Marc Gaspard Itard

“We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself. That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.”

-Maria Montessori 

“Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.”

-Maria Montessori 

“Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.”

-Marie Montessori

Quotes from Multimedia Presentation - Week 2:

"My passion comes from my intrinsic motivation that I have for the work that I do."
-Raymond Hernandez MS ED
Executive Director of School of Early Childhood Education
University of South California

"It's not about you.  You have to take your ego out of it and think about what is best for this child"
-Renatta M. Cooper
Program Specialist - Office of Child Care
LA County Chief Administration Office

Personal Childhood Web

There have been a lot of people in my life who have supported me and made me feel special.  The list below is five of the most important figures during my childhood.

My Mother - She has always been my biggest fan and my best friend. Growing up she took care of everything and made sure my sister and I had whatever we needed.  She has always encouraged me to pursue anything that I had an interest in.  I can remember spending a lot of time in the car after school going from one activity to the next.  We were always busy and she made sure to keep us involved. As I have grown up she is still as encouraging as ever.  I moved home when I was pregnant to be close to her and my father.  She watches my son whenever I need her to and she is always more than willing to help out with anything.  I hope that I am half the mother she is, to my own son.  I couldn't ask for a better mother.  She has always put everyone before herself and is such an outstanding example of a selfless human being.  She truly is my hero and role model.

My Father - He is the best example of a hard working man I have ever seen.  Rarely has he ever even taken a day off of work.  He has always been our provider and a wonderful example of a man.  He has always been there for me no matter what I needed and I can say I am definitely a "daddy's girl."  Whenever I need a shoulder to cry on or some uplifting words he is the one I call.  I can remember one particular trip we took when I was young, just he and I, went to Atlanta to see a Falcon's game and we stayed at a nice hotel and I was even allowed to drink "Shirley Temple's" in the bar area.  We toured Atlanta and spent a few day together.  It was one of the funniest trips of my childhood and I am so excited to recreate it with my son in a few weeks.  We are going for his Spring Break and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I hope he always remembers this trip the way I always have.  My dad also spends a lot of time with my son and helps him learn "manly" things.  I love my daddy and I couldn't imagine my life without him.

My Sister - She is five years younger than me but we have always had a super strong bond.  She recently got married and was promoted to Philly so I'm not able to see her as much as I used to but she still means the world to me.  My life would not have been the same growing up without her.  Of course we fought, like siblings do, but we also shared a lot of wonderful memories.  As she grew up she always came to me with any problems she was having and I always tried my best to give her advise or insight from my own experiences.  She is a wonderful aunt to my son and my best friend.

My Grandmama - One of the things I remember most about my childhood was being at my Grandmama's and Grandaddy's house.  They helped raise me when I was little and I spent almost every weekend there.  They lived in a very small town and it was so nice to get away and spend time with them. I was the first grandchild and my Grandmama loved me very much.  I can remember her always showering me with love and affection.  Unfortunately she passed away from a brain tumor when I was only eight years old.  I wish I could of had more time with her but I have never forgotten the love she made me feel.

My Grandaddy - He was one of the funniest people I have ever known.  He was always there and would do anything for me.  As I grew up he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and moved to Columbia to be close to my mom.  We began taking care of him but really it was him who took care of me.  Although he forgot a lot over the years he never forgot who I was and he relied on me often to help him make sense of situations.  I learned so much from him and I value all of our time together.  My son reminds me a lot of him.  He has my Grandaddy's laugh and seems to have a lot of his spirit in him.  I wish they had been able to know each other.  They would of been the best of friends.   

Another person, who loves and cares for me, is my son Mason.  Obviously he was not there during my childhood but he supports and loves me everyday.  He has thought me so much about life and what it takes to truly love another.  He is my reason for breathing and I honestly don't know what I did with myself before he came along.  Having a child also make me appreciate those other five people because I could finally understand what they had each sacrificed for me during my childhood.  I can not imagine my life without the bright light of my son each day.  He makes me happy when I am down and he loves me no matter what.  We  have such a close bond and I hope we will be able to keep it that strong always.  Although, in a way, it is sad to see him grow up I also can't wait to see him grow into a man and someday have children of his own.  

More About Me

This is a picture of me when I was about 3 years old.  It has always been of my favorite!  This was taken at our summer beach house. Growing up in the hot state of South Carolina, I spent a lot of time as a young children running around in a swimsuit.  I still love the beach and enjoy taking my son there now and making fond memories.  

Where The Wild Thing Are by: Maurice Sendak has always been one of my favorite stories.  I loved it as a child and I bough it for my son before he was even born.  I love how the simplicity of the scene, his bedroom, evolves into such a dramatic story.  I think it is a wonderful example of how a child's mind works.  Their imaginations are amazing and I find that this book really exemplifies this.  

I love the quote... 

                 "Education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions."  

from Ken Robinson's The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.  I feel like if we, as teachers, could do more of this in our own classrooms it would help build a better future and society of individuals.  I believe each child should grow and develop at their own pace and not be lumped into a "group" during their early childhood years.  This leads to labeling and sometimes, no matter how hard a child tries, it is nearly impossible to break out of these "label" given at such a young age.  

Introduction

I have set up this blog as a way to chronicle my journey to becoming a teacher of Early Childhood.  This is my first blog but I am excited to learn about blogging.  Hope you all enjoy watching my site grow as my knowledge increases.