Thank You

 I just like to thank my colleagues and Dr. Klien for their support and the comments in the discussion board and the blogs. I really  enjoyed the detailed feedback Dr. Klien gave on everybody post and the resources and how she explain in detailed  of the materials of child development. I feel like that everyone that she comes across will gain a knowledge of learning from each other and I want to wish everyone much success.

Assessments

I think in today’s society too much pressure is being put on the children when it comes to the assessments they are being given. Some of the assessments being used are not a true measure of what a child knows. Think about standardized test and the questions you may see on those. Most of the questions are based on how well you can memorize information instead of being about how well a child’s problem solving skills are. I think assessments should show growth and not just measure what a child knows at a certain time. Think about when you use to study for test, how often did you remember the information after finishing the test? Also consider that some people are not good test takers. Some people panic when taking a test and in the end do not do their best.  I think when measuring or assessing a child’s knowledge we could look at everything the child has done as a whole.

Assessments in England

I decided to take a look at how children in England are assessed. When talking about how children are assessed in England, I must first discuss how the education system works.  The basic curriculum includes something known as the national curriculum. These are subject and standards taught so that children in primary and secondary schools can learn the same thing. Under the national curriculum, children are required to reach a certain standard in each subject. The national curriculum is divided into blocks of years called Key Stages.  At the end of each key stage, a child’s teacher will formally assess their performance to measure the child’s progress. For each subject there’s something known as a ‘program of study, which describes what children should learn. There is also an ‘attainment target’ - usually split into 8 levels for each subject.  Between the ages of 7 and 11, a child will complete 3 assessments.  They complete a teacher assessment over English, math, and science and have to be in their second year in all subjects by the age of 7.This occurs during Key Stage 1(KS1). Between the ages of 10 and 11, a child will take a national test and a teacher assessment also in English, math and science. At this time the child should be at a level 4. All of this occurs during Key Stage 2(KS2).

Now we get to the actual assessment. During Key Stage 1, children will complete tasks and test over several subjects. These subjects are reading, writing, speaking and listening, math, and science. The teacher will use a child’s work to determine what level the child is at in each subject. The teacher will also consider the child’s spoken work and homework when determining the level. During Key Stage 2, the child will take a test that covers English reading, English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and math. It also includes mental arithmetic. If a child demonstrates higher achievement the head teacher may decide to have them take extra test to determine true level. At the end of key stage 2, the teacher will give a report on a child’s progression in English, math, and science.

Reference:

The National Curriculum. (2013).https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum/overview

Stressors

 

RACISM

 A stressor is an activity or an event that causes stress. My uncle experienced a stressor during his childhood with racism. Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes. During the past 500-1000 years, racism on the part of Western powers toward non-Westerners has had a far more significant impact on history than any other form of racism such as racism among Western groups or among Easterners, such as Asians, Africans, and others.

When my uncle was in his younger childhood, he went to a school that only had 2 African Americans and he was included in the 2. He said that the children called him and the other African American child bad names. He also said that some of the parents took their children out of school because they attended the school. He doesn't show in any way that it affected him but it was stressful for him during that time. I feel that we should treat everyone like we want to be treated whether they are black, white, orange or blue, it shouldn't matter. I've taught my kids to never judge a person from the outside but the inside.

Some children do suffer from racism for a long period of time. I watched Oprah during black history month and there were so many people on there who were still hurting from something that happened when they were children. For example, one lady was on there and she talked about how this other lady called her names and made fun of her to her friends an bothered her every day. This lady was still hurt today from that incident. The lady apologized for doing all those horrible things to her and gave her a hug. It was sad to see. Racism still lives but people need to get right with God because they will have to answer to that one day. Children in all states and countries effected by racism however it is stronger in some places than others. 

Nutrition/Malnutrition

Before you can understand how nutrition/malnutrition impacts the development of a child, you must first understand nutrition and malnutrition. Nutrition refers to the consumption of materials necessary to support a healthy life. Malnutrition is the condition that comes from the lack of nutrients in diet, too high of an intake or the wrong proportions are being consumed. Both nutrition and malnutrition play a huge role in the development of children.Proper nutrition provides children with the energy and nutrients needed to meet their physical and mental potential. The lack of nutrients present in a child’s diet is damaging because their bodies are constantly changing, going through different stages of development.

Whether we realize it or not, a child’s diet affects them on a daily basis. Students that get the proper nutrients and the proper amount are providing their bodies with the fuel needed to grow their minds and body. Children with a healthy diet tend to be more focused and have a longer attention span. Children that are malnourished experience fatigue, low energy, and are more perceptible to infection and sickness.

Malnutrition in Central America

Malnutrition has never been a huge problem in Central Americauntil now. Recently, chronic malnutrition has been as prevalent in Central America as it is in Africa and South Asia. In Guatemala, half of all children under five years are chronically malnourished.  In El Salvador, Honduras andNicaragua, one out of every three children under five years is affected.  There has been no improvement in reducing malnutrition in these four countries for over a decade. Malnutrition in these countries is a direct reflection of increased poverty and has a negative effect on the economic growth. Children that live in poor and rural areas suffer more from malnutrition.

Reference:

Pitts, N.(2012) Central America. Malnutrition and Poverty threaten to the region yet. Retrieved from http://www.jpic-jp.org/71-en.html

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

I do not have any children but I have encountered the birth of my Godson in 2010. I remember that he was born in a hospital and discharged one day after the birth. I remember that he was very small and needed extra care during his first few months. I remember being there with my 2 cousins who were going to be first time was nervous anytime she made a sound that was different from her usual coos. I choose this example because it is the closest encounter I have had with a newborn. My cousin nurtured him even in the womb with classical music and educational tapes playing on her stomach. I feel that developmentally these prenatal influences aided in his advanced  way of thinking and development now. He is now 2 years old and is well above the development of children her age. At doctors visits he is always above average and shows his knowledge base in his inquisitive take on everything around him.


I was surprised in my research of how much they take care of their mothers in the Netherlands. There expectant mothers are referred to a midwife practice and the woman decides if she wants a home or hospital birth. All mothers are required to pick up a knaampukket which include medical supplies for a home birth. If they chose to have a home birth a midwife is assigned to make house calls and check up on them and advise them of when they should go to the hospital. After birth, a nurse comes to stay with the parents for seven days and provides medical care, cooking, cleaning, parenting classes, and manages the flow of visitors which is covered under their insurance.

I thought it was amazing how much the Netherlands automatically takes care of their expectant mothers throughout the process and after of pregnancy. There should be more practice of this in the North America. There is the choice of home birth or hospital birth but I am not sure home birth is covered by your insurance as it is in the Netherlands. I think as far as development a home birth is much more personal but at the same time can but the child at risk without proper hospital equipment and medication. Being born in a hospital developmentally gives you the best chance with all the supplies needed in any situation which gives the child a solid foundation of  a more healthier start than a home birth.

The NAEYC Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Ideal 1.10

The NAEYC Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Ideal 1.10

Ideal 10 in the NAEYC ethics code’s first section, the section related to responsibilities to children, says that early child hood professionals should “ensure that each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program”.

This ideal has been an ideal that I have learned a lot about since I began working with young children in the school system for about six years. It is important to me because I realize that I would want my culture respected if I were the parent allowing my child to be taught or cared for by someone who is not part of my culture. This ideal has also caused me to take a lot of consideration in how I care for children because my own values and beliefs about child care could conflict with a parent’s culture. Ultimately, however, I have found that if I am open to the parents’ wishes and also offer parents information about effective ways to care for children, the parents are as willing to be flexible as I am, so that worrying is something I am more likely to do before I have brought up a difference of opinion or culture with parents

The NAEYC Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Ideal 3A.1

The NAEYC Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Ideal 3A.1

In regards to a professionals responsibility to co-workers, the NAEYC code 3A.1 states that early childhood professionals should strive to “establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers.” 

Although there are certainly attributes people would like to see their coworkers exhibit, there are only certain things we can honestly expect from each other. Clearly, we all have personal expectations, which we want coworkers to measure up to, yet the only qualities they must share are those that guarantee their job is done to employer specifications. Beyond these attributes, all other positive qualities are a bonus. On the other hand, it is necessary to understand what we can or cannot honestly expect from our coworkers to ensure we get what we deserve.

The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Evidenced Based Practices

The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Evidenced Based Practices

The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Code of Ethics and my Professional Life: Evidenced Based Practices 

The CEC’s DEC Code of Ethics, Evidence Based Practices’ second principle states that early childhood professionals should “use every resource, including referral when appropriate, to ensure high quality services are accessible and are provided to children and families.”

 

This principle is part of my professional life because there are times when there is a child in my class who needs resources that  I can’t provide because I am only a substitute teacher and I am not trained to provide these resources. For example, one student in the class has been identified as needing speech services and perhaps other special education services. It is the schools responsibility to ensure that this student is assessed for these services. It is also my responsibility according to this principle to research ways to help children who need extra help by talking with the speech therapist and by reading articles about appropriate instruction. This is especially true because there is very little time for a child with speech needs spent in speech therapy. Most of this child’s time will continue to be spent in the classroom.

Course Resources

Course Resources

Part 1: 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, from http://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, fromhttp://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, fromhttp://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, from http://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
  
  
• 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.

Part 2: 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, from http://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

Part 3: 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/main/about.cfm
• 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.preknow.org/
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

• 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

• 
  

  Cooper, D., & Costa, K. (2012, June 1). Increasing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Existing Public Investments in Early Childhood Education Recommendations to Boost Program Outcomes and Efficiency. Center For American Progress. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2013/04/earlychildhood.html

  
  

  Early Childhood News. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/

  
  

  Otto, B. (2007). Literacy development in early childhood: reflective teaching for birth to age eight. (p. 405 pages). Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall .

Motivational Quotes

It is a good rule to face difficulties at the time they arise and not allow them to increase unacknowledged.-- Edward W. Ziegler

"It's not all about you. You have to take your ego out and think to about what's best for the child and you care about them enough to help them transition to what's next."Renatta Cooper

"Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills, knowledge, and judgment to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them".
Susan Bredekamp

Childhood Web

 This is my new husband Ronrico Green and my stepdaughter Ja’Maya Green. My husband and daughter have influenced me in more ways than one. They have helped me to become a mature adult and learn how it feels to have someone depend on you for their everyday needs.  I have learned to adjust my feelings and share them so that my family will continue to love and cherish one another and build an unbreakable bond.  Every woman has the power influence their family for the better or worse.

This is my sister Kendri T. McCracken growing up I saw my sister as the authority figure on just about everything due to our mother always working.  She made sure I always had everything I ever needed and wanted. Being seven years apart we didn’t always see eye to eye especially when she was a senior and I was only in the 6^th grade and all I wanted to do was hang with her and her friend (which never happened). I would never ask for a better big sister .

This is my wonderful mother Mrs. Yvette Allen.  A bond between a mother and daughter is powerful.  It affects everything from her daughters health to her self-esteem and even her relationships with others.  My mother has been there for me since day one and has never let me go without. She also married a man who accepted me and my sister as his own and it meant a lot to me because I was able to marry my best friend and take in his daughter as my own because of her great choices.

 This little lady is my one and only niece name Kayla McCracken. This girl has influenced me in so many ways. She has encouraged me to not give up on my education because she is watching me and she lets me know that I motivated her to continue to be the straight A student that is has always been. She carries herself with respect and lets not one discourage no matter what.