Relationship Reflection

          As we build positive relationships with others, we become happier and more fulfilled and feel more supported, supportive, and connected. Positive and supportive relationships will help us to feel healthier, and more satisfied with our lives.

       The relationships and partnerships that we build throughout our lives are the things that help shape who we become as well as help us to navigate our world.   As we build positive relationships with others, we become happier and more fulfilled and feel more supported, supportive, and connected. Positive and supportive relationships will help us to feel healthier, and more satisfied with our lives.  Some of these experiences have made us better, while others have left us wondering how or why did things go wrong.

              The relationships that I treasure the most are the ones I have with my immediate family.  My husband John of 30 years, and our amazing daughter, son, and grandson. These are very precious partnerships that add meaning to my life.  John is not only my husband, he is also my best friend.  My husband and children’s love and support have remained constants in my life; In other words, they are the calm to my storm, providing support socially/emotionally, physically, always encouraging me to pursue my passion of returning to school to earn my advanced degree in an early childhood.

                  As an early childhood educator, I also understand and appreciate the importance of creating partnerships with the other educators and families to collaborate to give children and families the emotional and concrete supports they want and need to reach better outcomes. Cultivating positive relationships is essential in building strong healthy partnerships that allow parents to feel supported and willing to become active participants in their children social/emotional and academic development.  Additionally, families can be a great resource for learning about the needs not only of the students but also the families.  In other words, when we make the time to collaborate with them, we increase the chances for success both social/emotionally and academically.
Additionally, cultivating partnerships with schools and communities also help in fostering positive outcomes for the children and families we work with.  When we create bonds with the people and institutions, this helps to build caring, inclusive, participatory communities for our students which are of vital importance. When a school meets students’ basic psychological needs, students become increasingly committed to the school’s norms, values, and goals. Enlisting students and families in maintaining that sense of community, the school provides opportunities for students to learn skills and develop habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

 

 

 

thx
 

Once again I would like to thank each and every one of my online community of professional learners for all your support, encouragement the tremendous contributions of your professional and personal experiences.   It has truly been a pleasure learning from and with each and every one of you. It is my sincere hope that we continue to have academic success as we continue our educational journey.  Again, Thank you. 

 

 

‘Educators take on many roles and are actively involved interacting with individual and small groups of children; we should use these opportunities to transform and empower the lives of the children we teach.   Below are images and quotes that articulate my views of what a quality education should look like.  

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Assessment of Children In the United States and Africa (How and Why)

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The assessment of early childhood students is both complicated and multifaceted. These assessments are used to inform, monitor and support the growth of learning in the development of young children.

The purpose of these assessments should bring about benefits for children; either in direct services to the child or in improved quality of educational programs.  They should address the full range of early learning/cognitive development, including physical, motor development and the social/emotional development of each individual child being assessed.  

For infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, instructional assessments address the following areas of

development:

  • physical and motor;
  • social and emotional
  • approaches to learning
  • language and communication
  • cognitive
  • general knowledge

Screening – To identify potential problems in development; ensure development is on target.

Instructional – To inform, support, and monitor learning.

Diagnostic – To diagnose strengths and areas of need to support development, instruction, and/or behavior.  To diagnose the severity and nature of special needs, and establish program eligibility.

 Program Evaluation/Accountability – To evaluate programs and provide accountability data on program outcomes for the purpose of program improvement.

The following assessment systems, used by early education and care programs across the state, are recommended by and available through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care:

  • High Scope COR: (Child Observation Record) Educators follow COR’s three-step process: 1) observe and record, 2) score, using the Online COR, and 3) report findings to share. http://www.onlinecor.net
  • Teaching Strategies GOLD: This strategy bases its assessment around 38 objectives that are important to early childhood education. http://www.teachingstrategies.com
  • The Work Sampling System: The system is structured so that the combination of student portfolios and guidelines and checklists create the assessment for the educator. https://www.worksamplingonline.com
  • Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (Head Start Bureau, 2001),

which includes standards for language, literacy, math and science, creative arts, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, and health/physical development. http://resourcesforearlylearning.org/fm/early-childhood-assessment/

  • Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning, Fourth Edition [DIAL-4] Carol Mardell Ph.D., & Dorothea S. Goldenberg, Ed.D

http://www.k12.wa.us/EarlyLearning/pubdocs/assessment_print.pdf

In the US there are 4 types of tests used to assess children to monitor and track their progress.

  1. Diagnostic: This testing is used to “diagnose” what a student knows and does not know. Diagnostic testing typically happens at the start of a new phase of education, like when students will start learning a new unit. The test covers topics students will be taught in the upcoming lessons. Teachers use a diagnostic testing information to guide what and how they teach Students are not expected to have mastered all the information in a diagnostic test.
  2. Formative: is used to gauge student learning during the lesson. his informal, low-stakes testing happens in an ongoing manner, and student performance on formative testing tends to get better as a lesson progresses.
  3. Benchmark: this testing is used to check whether students have mastered a unit of content. The assessments are designed to let teachers know whether students have understood the material that’s been covered.
  4. Summative: This testing is used as a checkpoint at the end of the year or course to assess how much content students learned overall. it cumulatively covers everything students have been spending time on throughout the year.

https://www.noodle.com/articles/4-types-of-tests-teachers-give-and-why

 

Children in Africa are assessed using the International Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (iPIPS).

This testing tool will provide much-needed information about children starting school, and the progress they make during their first year. It will also give the province an opportunity to benchmark itself against other countries and regions, using high-quality data in of South Africa and sub-Saharan African countries.

There are five components to the (iPIPS) Assessments:

Cognitive development

Personal, social and emotional development

  1. Physical development
  2. Behavior
  3. Contextual information

Segments of  parts of (iPIPS) assessment consist of a number of measures which have been shown to be good predictors of later educational achievement:

  • Handwriting – the child is asked to write his/her own name
  • Vocabulary – the child is asked to identify objects embedded within a series of pictures
  • Ideas about reading – assesses concepts about print
  • Phonological awareness – rhymes and repeats
  • Letter identification – a fixed order of mixed upper and lower case letters
  • Word recognition and reading – words, sentences, and comprehension
  • Ideas about mathematics – assessment of understanding of mathematical concepts
  • Counting and ability to use numbers
  • Sums – addition and subtraction problems presented without symbols
  • Shape identification
  • Digit identification
  • Mathematical problems – including sums with symbols
  • Short term memory – recall of a sequence of highlighted buttons

The (iPIPS) assessment is administered using an App which functions on a smartphone or tablet alongside a picture booklet.  The child is shown the picture booklet and an adult administers the assessment and collects the data using the App.  The App makes the administration of the assessment and collection of data very simple and efficient. The whole assessment takes approximately 20 minutes per child.

 

Examples 

The children would be shown this picture and asked “Which is the biggest cat?” and “Which is the smallest cat?”            

cats

Here is an example in two languages, Afrikaans and isiXhosa:

 

people pips

Each section of the assessment presents items of increasing difficulty until the child has got a few wrong and then it moves onto the next appropriate section (i.e. the assessment operates on sequences with stopping rules).

  1. Personal, social and emotional development is designed to assist with the monitoring of children’s personal, social and emotional development in the first year of full-time education.  It is separate from the cognitive development assessment and is completed by the class teacher from their knowledge of the child gained through general day-to-day interaction and observation.  It typically takes 5-10 minutes per child to complete.  The teacher is asked to assess each child against 11 items.  The items themselves are arranged into three sections:
  • Adjusting to the school environment
  • Personal development
  • Social and emotional development

Each item is assessed using a five-point scale, with a descriptor provided for each point on the scale.  The teacher decides which descriptor provides the closest match for a particular child and clicks on the relevant statement on screen.  The app records the information.  The assessment is carried out a few weeks after children start school and then again at the end of the school year.

 

  1. Physical development

 This includes:

  • Height and weight
  • Fine motor skills or fine motor coordination
  • Gross motor development

The fine motor skills aim to assess dexterity and manipulation with the hands and fingers.  The assessment involves drawing along a trail.  iPIPS involves a quick assessment of gross coordination that is built on the Brazilian sitting and rising test (Araújo, 1999) often used for older people.  For young children, it identifies those who lack flexibility and coordination.

  1. Behavior

This assessment is carried out at the end of the year by the class teacher and is based on their observations of pupils during the year.  The teacher is presented with a number of statements of behavioral characteristics and decides to what extent each statement applies to the child in question.  These statements are based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD for inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, with the wording adapted to reflect young children in the classroom setting

Contextual information

Two short questionnaires, one for teachers and another for parents/carers, captures basic background information on the children and schools included in the sample, such as ages, special needs, and socio-economic status.  This allows policy makers to see and compare relationships between these variables and the outcomes noted above.

http://www.ipips.org/the-ipips-study/the-pips-assessment

In conclusion, the most important thing I would like to share with my colleagues is that  any assessment given should be age appropriate in both its content and the way the information is gathered; this should include the Approaches of learning, language and general knowledge and cognition.   

 

References

Slentz, K. L., Ph.D., Early, D. M., Ph.D., & McKenna, M., Ph.D. (2008). A Guide to Assessment in Early Childhood Infancy to Age Eight. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.k12.wa.us/EarlyLearning/pubdocs/assessment_print.pdf

O’Malley, K. (2015, October 27). 4 Common Types of Test Teachers Give (and Why). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.noodle.com/articles/4-types-of-tests-teachers-give-and-why

Tymms, P., Professor. (2014). IPIPs Placing Early Childhood Education At The Heart of Worldwide Policy Making. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.ipips.org/the-ipips-study/the-pips-assessment

 

 

 

 

The Consequences of Stress on the Development of Children Living With Sickle Cell Disease in the US and Africa.

 Sickle Cell

Sickle cell disease (SCD) an inherited group of disorders, red blood cells contort into a sickle shape; typically inherited from a person’s parents.  The most common type is known as Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA). The cells die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells (sickle cell anemia), and can block blood flow causing pain (sickle cell crisis).

      My experience with this disorder is both personal and professional.  Personal because as a young child I witnessed the devastating effect this disease can have on a person.  My eldest brother and maternal first cousin were born with this disease.  Several of my siblings are careers of either the “S” or “C” trait.   I was very fortunate, in that I did not inherit the disease or any of its traits.

     I remember as a little girl I would often hear my parents talking about the expected outcome for my brother whenever he experienced an episode.  His experience compared to my relative was considered manageable in that he did not endure many of the debilitating crises my cousin would have whenever he was considered to be in crisis; extended time in the hospital which lead to excessive absences from school.  This not only proved stressful for my brother and parents, it was also very stressful for us children. This was especially hard on everyone when he and our Parents would make adjustments to our family routine to help manage and monitor his daily routines (i.e.) eating, exercise, play, all the things most young children would take for granted.  The most stressful part for me was when he would say in a matter of fact way,” I am going to make the most of and get the most out of life because my years are numbered”.  In addition to having sickle cell, his liver was damaged due to a hunting accident and his medical prognosis for life expectancy was to not live beyond the age of 19.  

      The stress of waiting and hoping that this would not come to fruition was extremely hard to everyone, especially our mother. I remember being hyper vigilant every April waiting and hoping that he would make it see another day, another year.  His 19th birthday came and went, so did his 20th and 21st birthday, and I really believed then that he would live forever.  It finally felt as if we could breathe a sigh of relief, putting this awful threat out of our consciousness.  It happened on the 4th of September, 1975, this was the first many dates that will forever be etched permanently in my mind and on my heart; this was the day I came face to face with the devastation of losing a beloved brother.   Looking back, I realize how the stress of knowing that a family member was chronically ill, especially, one so close as a sibling or parent, was a contributing factor to my attention/hyperactivity, always fidgeting, often fighting, in school.  These behaviors to me were my attempt to have a little bit of control, my foolishly thinking that if I were strong enough I could win the battle and defeat death and save my brother.  

     Fast forward, 40 years later, in my professional career, I see the stressful consequences this disease is having on many of the children I come in contact with daily.  Many have a close family member (mother or father, sister or brother) who is living with this disease.  The stress for some is so toxic, that at end of each day, they are almost paralyzed with fear of going home, because of not knowing if this family member will be home, in the hospital or no longer living.   My own personal experience, allows me to not only have empathy for these children and families, but to also have an understanding of why these children often act out in ways that are not developmentally appropriate (fighting, tantrums, clingy, afraid of many things); and how these stressors can impede a child learning, reducing the ability to stay focus, or respond appropriately when a family member is going through crises.

        Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean.    This disease has a high morbidity and mortality rate and affects 20-25 million people globally, 50-80% of infants born with sickle cell disease in Africa die before the age of 5 years. (Aygun & Odame, 2012).  

Some symptoms of this disease are: Infections, pain, and fatigue.

Treatments include medications, blood transfusions, and rarely a bone-marrow transplant.  

References

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/documents/livingwell-with-sickle-cell-  
        disease_self- caretoolkit.pdf   

http://www.wepsicklecell.org/

Where did sickle cell disease come from? (17, February 14). Retrieved March 30, 2017,              from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease

Mumba, L. L., & Wilson, L. (2015, September 2). Sickle cell disease among children in                Africa: An integrative literature review and global recommendation. Retrieved                    March 30, 2017, from www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139115000207

The Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mother and Baby

 

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

Breastfeeding was one of the best decisions I made as a mother.  My first baby came by emergency c-section which made it difficult to continue with my plans for nursing,  My milk was limited and the sucking only added to the excruciating pain I was experiencing, as a result,  I gave up. I knew the importance of creating a bond during feeding but for the first week, I was in so much pain, I could only watch as my husband took care of and feed our little girl which increase the bond the two of them shared. Once I was able to take care of our daughter, I put forth every opportunity to make sure that I was holding her close during feedings, I guess looking back, I was a little jealous of the bond the two of them seemed to share.

When our son was born, I  made the decision once again to breastfeed.  The closeness we shared during feeding created a bond that was exhilarating,  He was unable to digest formula and the smell of the soy milk the doctors suggested as a supplement, made me work even harder to try to increase my milk production.  I contacted a lactation consultant who not only helped with teaching me how to get my baby to latch on properly but also showed me massage techniques to help clear the milk ducts, which increased my milk supply. I continued to breastfeed my son until he was 11-months.  The benefits of breastfeeding goes far beyond the close bond the two share; research

The benefits of breastfeeding go far beyond the close bond the two share. Some of the benefits include:

  1. Lower SIDS risk:   Breastfeeding lowers your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome by about half.

  2.  Better healing postdelivery:   The oxytocin released when your baby nurses help your uterus contract, reducing postdelivery blood loss. Plus, breastfeeding will help your uterus return to its normal size more quickly—at about six weeks postpartum, compared with 10 weeks if you don’t breastfeed.

  3. More effective vaccines:  Research shows that breastfed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies.

  4. Benefits for all:   According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, the United States would save about $13 billion per year in medical costs if 90 percent of U.S. families breastfed their newborns for at least six months.

I applaud all mothers who courageously nurse their babies in the open public despite the barrage of negative comments.   Many of the people that are shocked and or embarrassed by seeing something so natural are usually the same people who enjoy sitting around a pool or beach watching women in the scantly clad beachwear and find this socially acceptable, how hypocritical.

In Japan, Exclusive Breastfeeding was the only practical feeding method to feed infants until the end of the first half of the 20th century.  Many women in Japan usually continue breastfeeding until two to three years of age, and breastfeeding up to six years of age was common.

References

 

Lucia, C. A. (n.d.). 20 Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom and Baby. Retrieved March 15, 2017, from https://www.fitpregnancy.com/baby/breastfeeding/20-breastfeeding-benefits-mom-baby

Inoue, M., Binns, C. W., Otsuka, I., Jimba, M., & Matsubara, M. (2012, October 25). Infant feeding practices and breastfeeding duration in Japan: A review. Retrieved March 15, 2017, from https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-4358-7-15

 

My Birthing Experiences compared to Women giving birth in Africa

 

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My first birthing experience occurred 28 years ago when my beautiful baby girl was born.  This was both an exciting and apprehensive time for me.  My husband and I were stationed at Shaw AFB, SC  which was an hour away from both of our families. It was exciting being so close to home and having family nearby to share the stages of pregnancy firsthand.  Also having a trusted family member attend my prenatal appointments with me while my husband was away on assignment was very helpful.   The apprehension came because my pregnancy was considered high-risk. John and I did the researched and found highly qualified Obstetricians & Gynecologist who were trained in performing bloodless surgery in the event of a medical emergency.  I was doing everything I could to make sure that I had a safe healthy baby. I still recall swinging back and forth in the swing outside in the backyard as I read and sing nursery rhymes and played classical music that I had recorded on the cassettes.  I would watch as she moved back and forth and sometimes curled into a ball and then suddenly release.  We lived on base and the duplex attached to our home was consumed by fire the week before my due date.  The commotion caused a spike in my blood pressure, so as a precaution, I was admitted to the hospital for monitoring. All the pre-planning for the arrival changed, I was now having and emergency C-section, when I came to, all of my family had come and left, my husband told me that we indeed did have a healthy little girl, and I remember crying tears of joy because, everyone and  everything went well, and tears of sadness because I had missed out on the birthing experience that I had been eagerly anticipating from the moment I  knew I was pregnant.

My second birthing experience was when I had my handsome little baby boy.  John, Daja, and I were stationed at Luke AFB, AZ.  This pregnancy was different in so many ways. We were hundreds of miles from home and family, my mother had just recently passed 5-months earlier in the year,  My due date was early June, and it gets really hot in the desert, I remember, literally, counting down the days and then my due date came and went without the baby, my doctors felt it would be best to allow the baby to come naturally, Once again I had researched and found a great team of professionals that would perform bloodless surgery in the event of a medical emergency.  My mother-in-law flew out to be with us and help with our daughter, while I was in the hospital.  I remember, going back and forth to Good Samaritan hospital, downtown Phoenix, because I felt like I was in labor, the pain was excruciating, and since I really didn’t get to experience much pain during the first pregnancy, I didn’t have a gauge to go by.  My doctors kept sending me home.  I remember, being in so much pain, but refusing to go to the doctor, just to be sent home again, needless to say the pain won the battle, we went to the hospital and 23-hours later and two epidural later, the nurses were helping me push, and then I saw the most perfect, handsome little baby boy, that nothing else mattered.  Daja saw it differently, she asked her grandmother if we could send the baby back. However, once she got to see and hold him, Jonathan was no longer just her brother, he became her baby, a bond that has continued throughout the years.

When I compare my birthing experiences to those of the women giving birth in Africa, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of sadness. Just knowing that in Africa, a staggering one in 22 women dies in pregnancy or childbirth because they lack access to good quality health care or a trained midwife is not only mind-boggling.   Research states that only 37% of births in the least developed countries are attended by a skilled health worker.   Many women, particularly in remote areas of Africa, have little choice but to give birth to their babies at home. With their mother or grandmother at their side, they are lucky if the birth goes smoothly and there are no complications. But if things go wrong, the nearest help can be hours away. With no transport, this means their only option is to walk, often in the middle of labor, to get help.

 I feel very fortune not only to live in a country like the united states, that is constantly evolving with its medical practices, and having the luxury to pick and choose not only the type of quality health care but also to have such a great family support system to ensure that these needs were carried out.

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/ Giving birth the most dangerous thing an African woman can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ashlee Horton, and all of my many talented, supportive and online professional community of online learners.  

Wow!   Where do I begin?   First and far most, I would like to say that this has truly been an amazing initial part of the many parts to follow in our online journey to completing our studies in Early Childhood.

We have learned so much from and with each other. Yes, I know that we still have a long road ahead of us,  still, I can’t help but feel a bit more confident, knowing that we will all RISE to the challenge. 

 I have enjoyed reading your shared posting and comments; I always knew that I would gain valuable knowledge and insight from each and every one of you and for this I Thank You. 

The World of Early Childhood is ever evolving, and it takes true dedication, commitment, and passion for staying the course.  These past few weeks, we have all been coaches, mentors,  and cheerleaders, all of the things needed to get us to the end of our initial phase, and I feel confident that should our paths connect again, we will continue to do the same.

 The close of this chapter in our online learning is bitter-sweet.  I am feeling all those emotions, I get each time my students transition to Kindergarten; I hate to see them leave, yet, I know that this was just their initial phase of the journey to academic success and achievements. 

That being said, I will miss each and every one of you and the experiences we’ve shared. I look forward, to hopefully seeing many of you in future classes.

I am truly appreciative to all of you,  especially those of you who followed my blog.  You all have helped in making  this part of my journey (blogging) a pleasurable one.

It is my genuine hope that we will all have continued success in all our endeavors. 

I look forward to our paths connecting again in the near future.

Sincerely, Doris B.

early-child-foundation

Ethics, Ideals, and Principles of Early Childhood

ethics                              
These are the Ideals and Principles of (NAEYC) that reflect my passion and aspirations as an early childhood practitioner; they are especially important to me because they resonate with my personal and professional goals.
1-1:3   To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child (NAEYC, 2005, p. 2, Ideals).  I am committed to providing children experiences,  that promotes a positive self-image letting them know that I believe in them and giving them positive, feedback that shows respect for their perspectives.
I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions
These are especially important to me because it is both my personal and professional belief that all children, especially young children need a safe positive nurturing environment to explore, create, develop and grow.   The primary years  (birth to five)are considered the most crucial because these are the years in which the foundation that shapes a child’s  future health overall growth and development take place.  Parents, caregivers, and educators play vital roles in the learning achievements in the home, at school, and in the community.  We must be intentional in providing children with many opportunities to experience success as contributors in his/her life and learning.
P-1.2—We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and social environments that are cognitively stimulating and that support each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure. It is my ethical and moral responsibility to not only provide high-quality educational experiences for the children in my classroom but to also collaborate with the families and incorporate this into the lessons to help provide individualize instructions that are inclusive of each child’s language, culture by inviting the families to volunteer, reading and or sharing  experiences in their own authentic language.  
 NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May           26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 


				


	



			
				


			

			
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COURSE RESOURCES
		

		
 


 


 


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Below are My Class Resources


 




 


 


Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices



Part 2: Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being



Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations



Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library


Tip: Use the Journal option under Search & Find on the library website to find journals by title.


    

  • YC Young Children
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  • Childhood
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  • Journal of Child & Family Studies
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  • Child Study Journal
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  • Multicultural Education
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  • Early Childhood Education Journal
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  • Journal of Early Childhood Research
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  • International Journal of Early Childhood
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  • Early Childhood Research Quarterly
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  • Developmental Psychology
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  • Social Studies
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  • Maternal & Child Health Journal
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  • International Journal of Early Years Education
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Part 5


Early Childhood News


Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center


Education World


The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agency


 


Part 6 Early Childhood Quotes


Children learn through Exploration and Play.  Parents are encouraged to support their children by providing them with many opportunities to engage in play.