Hi Everyone!
This week, I went back and observed the Head Start Association website. This week I explored the Knowledge Center link. Inside the Knowledge Center link, I clicked, on the Top issues link. I explored the Top issues link, and found a familiar topic, school readiness. Head Start is focusing on school readiness, different funding approaches,different Head Start Regulations and re-authorization methods (National Head Start Association,2014).
I explored the Head Start Act link, which was about School Readiness. President Bush signed the Head Start Act on December 12, 2007, titled Pubic Law 110-134" improving Head Start for school Readiness Act of 2007 (National Head Start Association, 2014). The Public Law 110-134" was an act the reauthorize the Head Start program (National Head Start Association, 2014). The link had the original draft of the amended Head Start.
The research I did on the link, really helped me make the connection of School Readiness that I had done in week 5 discussion post. School Readiness is a big deal, and quality programs are trying to ensure that children are prepared for school. As School Readiness becomes part of the big plan, I am expecting to see change at the State levels. As of right now Texas has a curriculum that is dedicated to School Readiness, and children who are in poverty or at low-economic status level, can currently attend a child care program who is using the curriculum. I expect to see a larger push as time progress, and I am interested to see how Head Start will incorporate this trend.
When I gave a training in Seattle, I had the chance to train some Head Start teachers, and I asked them what is currently the big focus of Head Start. Many of the teachers shared with me that, Head Start site Directors are making a giant push for Expanding Children's Learning. For example, when a child says something, the teacher is supposed to be expanding what the child says. The teachers link this to school readiness. So school readiness is already a part of the Head Start process.
Have a great week everyone!
Reference:
National Head Start Association (2014). "Poverty's Effect on Child Development."Research Blast (n.d.): n. pag. National Head Start Association,
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 2
This week was a great week for communicating with my international contact Atica. Atica is currently living in the Dominican Republic and works as an early childhood researcher. She shared with me that she is currently conducting research with a team of colleagues to look at behaviors of children from maternal mothers who have received a college education in comparison to children whose maternal mothers haven't. The purpose of the research is to provide funding for a project that will assist in helping children who are at risk. Atica also shared with me that she often travels to America because some her research team is based in Florida. I asked her what were the education requirements for early childhood teachers because that was the topic that I chose for my week 5 application. Atica shared with me that where she lives, early childhood is not as big as it is in America. A lot of children stay at home with their mothers or grandmothers, first grade is usually the first start of school. Atica mentioned that even though a lot of children stay at home with their mothers or grandmothers, there a a few early childhood programs and they tend to start at the toddler age. When we were talking about teacher education, Atica mentioned that it depends on the location, but degrees are not required until grade school.
It was great touch base with Atica, we are trying to set up a Skype call, but the difference in time, makes it a bit hard, so e-mail is so much easier.
I hope everyone has a good week!
Cierra
It was great touch base with Atica, we are trying to set up a Skype call, but the difference in time, makes it a bit hard, so e-mail is so much easier.
I hope everyone has a good week!
Cierra
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Sharing Web Resources
The organization I am researching and learning more about is Head Start. I chose Head Start, because I know somethings about it, but I have never worked as a teacher in Head Start. I found it interesting, that now as I am learning about Head Start, I am beginning to meet teachers and directors who work with Head Start. I am also learning about my career and Head Start go hand-in-hand.
I am a National Trainer for an organization called Teachstone. Teachstone development a teacher-child interaction assessment tool, name CLASS that measures the quality and effectiveness of teacher-child interactions. This past week, I learned that Head Start uses our assessments to measure teacher-child interactions, and that I will be receiving a lot of trainees from the organization. So I feel like I am now meeting people who can tell me more about Head Start.
When I visit the website this week: www.nhsa.org, I realized that nothing had been updated since last Saturday. I decided to search a topic that I would like to know more information about, which is attachment. I know the basics of attachment, but I just wanted to know more information about attachment, since I will be giving my first infant training in September. I was very disappointed when I discovered that the website didn't have any resources or blogs on attachment, so I decided to see what resources they did have, and I came across an article, which is titled, Poverty's Effect on Child Development. I decided to read the article because I wanted to see if it tied in to what I have been researching all week about economist investing in high-quality child-care programs.
The article Poverty's Effect on Child Development, was about a research study to see how poverty affect the total volume of gray and white matter in children's brain (National Head Start, 2014). The results where that children who are poverty have less gray and white matter in their brains, and less likely to have supportive caregivers and will endure more stressful life events (National Head Start,2014). After reading this information, I begin to think about everything that has to be done in the field of EC, and how to begin that process. I have taken the stance in training principals, directors and teachers on how to provide and measure quality interactions with children, but there is still so much to do.
The article did make a link about the importance of high-quality programs such as Head Start and enrolling children in them (National Head Start, 2014). This week I have been learning how economist believe they should invest in high-quality child care programs in order to see their investments come back to them. So there is an emphasis on high-quality programs from different points of views.
I will be checking next week to see what Head Start has in store for me!
Cierra
References:
National Head Start Association (2014). "Poverty's Effect on Child Development."Research Blast (n.d.): n. pag. National Head Start Association,
I am a National Trainer for an organization called Teachstone. Teachstone development a teacher-child interaction assessment tool, name CLASS that measures the quality and effectiveness of teacher-child interactions. This past week, I learned that Head Start uses our assessments to measure teacher-child interactions, and that I will be receiving a lot of trainees from the organization. So I feel like I am now meeting people who can tell me more about Head Start.
When I visit the website this week: www.nhsa.org, I realized that nothing had been updated since last Saturday. I decided to search a topic that I would like to know more information about, which is attachment. I know the basics of attachment, but I just wanted to know more information about attachment, since I will be giving my first infant training in September. I was very disappointed when I discovered that the website didn't have any resources or blogs on attachment, so I decided to see what resources they did have, and I came across an article, which is titled, Poverty's Effect on Child Development. I decided to read the article because I wanted to see if it tied in to what I have been researching all week about economist investing in high-quality child-care programs.
The article Poverty's Effect on Child Development, was about a research study to see how poverty affect the total volume of gray and white matter in children's brain (National Head Start, 2014). The results where that children who are poverty have less gray and white matter in their brains, and less likely to have supportive caregivers and will endure more stressful life events (National Head Start,2014). After reading this information, I begin to think about everything that has to be done in the field of EC, and how to begin that process. I have taken the stance in training principals, directors and teachers on how to provide and measure quality interactions with children, but there is still so much to do.
The article did make a link about the importance of high-quality programs such as Head Start and enrolling children in them (National Head Start, 2014). This week I have been learning how economist believe they should invest in high-quality child care programs in order to see their investments come back to them. So there is an emphasis on high-quality programs from different points of views.
I will be checking next week to see what Head Start has in store for me!
Cierra
References:
National Head Start Association (2014). "Poverty's Effect on Child Development."Research Blast (n.d.): n. pag. National Head Start Association,
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Communicating with my International Contacts
This week I got a chance to communicate with both of my international contacts, Pam an Atica. Pam is actually enrolled in Walden, and is in our class, but in a different group for discussion and blog assignments. Pam is from the Philippines and has been in the field of education for 24 years now. Pam currently resides in Korea, but is moving to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Pam shared with me her background, and how she came into the field of early education. Pam has a degree in Political Science, and worked as a preschool teacher, it is there when she realized that early childhood education was the career she wanted for her life. Pam shared with me the educational issues of her home country, such as rote learning and the emphasis on knowledge building instead of skills and attitudes so that the children could be life-long learners. Pam and I didn't get a chance to touch on the issue of child poverty, but that topic was asked in our last e-mail, but there hasn't been a response yet. I am sure that our next series of e-mail will talk about that topic.
My second international contact name is Atica. Atica and I are still working on establishing a communication routine. I sent an e-mail asking about poverty trends in the Dominican Republic, since that is where she lives, but she hasn't replied yet. I am hoping that maybe we can set-up a schedule where on certain days we exchange e-mails.
Since I was unable to talk to Atica about poverty tends in Dominican Republic, I decided to conduct some research on my own about poverty trends in the Dominican Republic. What I found out is that many children under the age of 18 are in poverty, especially in the rural areas (Benedetti, 2013). Many areas in rural Dominican Republic have no access to clean water, toilets, food or housing, leaving children in horrible conditions (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.). I am looking forward to talking with Atica to find out more information, and some organizations that are trying to end poverty. As soon as she shares these details with me, I will share them with you all!
The insight that I have gained about poverty in the Dominican Republic is that is a difference in their poverty and our (American) poverty. For example, a child in poverty in our country, in most situations our children in poverty can have access to clean water and food, whereas in the Dominican Republic, they do not.
Have a great week!
Cierra
References:
Benedetti, A. M. (2013, October 08). Half Of The Children In Dominican Republic Live In Poverty According To UNICEF. Retrieved July 18, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/children-dominican-republ_n_3727957.html
Rural Poverty Portal. (n.d.). Rural Poverty in the Dominican Republic. Retrieved July 18, 2015, from http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/dominican_republic
My second international contact name is Atica. Atica and I are still working on establishing a communication routine. I sent an e-mail asking about poverty trends in the Dominican Republic, since that is where she lives, but she hasn't replied yet. I am hoping that maybe we can set-up a schedule where on certain days we exchange e-mails.
Since I was unable to talk to Atica about poverty tends in Dominican Republic, I decided to conduct some research on my own about poverty trends in the Dominican Republic. What I found out is that many children under the age of 18 are in poverty, especially in the rural areas (Benedetti, 2013). Many areas in rural Dominican Republic have no access to clean water, toilets, food or housing, leaving children in horrible conditions (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.). I am looking forward to talking with Atica to find out more information, and some organizations that are trying to end poverty. As soon as she shares these details with me, I will share them with you all!
The insight that I have gained about poverty in the Dominican Republic is that is a difference in their poverty and our (American) poverty. For example, a child in poverty in our country, in most situations our children in poverty can have access to clean water and food, whereas in the Dominican Republic, they do not.
Have a great week!
Cierra
References:
Benedetti, A. M. (2013, October 08). Half Of The Children In Dominican Republic Live In Poverty According To UNICEF. Retrieved July 18, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/children-dominican-republ_n_3727957.html
Rural Poverty Portal. (n.d.). Rural Poverty in the Dominican Republic. Retrieved July 18, 2015, from http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/dominican_republic
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Sharing Web Resources
The web resources I selected was Head Start. I selected Head Start because I want to know a lot more information about the program. I have never worked at a Head Start program before, but I know that Head Start is considered to be the best.
The web link for Head Start: http://www.nhsa.org/
The web link for Head Start: http://www.nhsa.org/
[google images]
Head Start is a non-profit organization that believes every child, regardless of the circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in life (National Head Start Association.n.d). The National Head Start Association's vision is to lead, a loud voice that will make sure that every vulnerable child is served with Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community (The National Head Start Association, n.d.).
The National Head Start Association didn't have any updated news since April 16, 2016. So I decided to read blogs from their website. The blog that I was interested in was the blog titled, The Changing Picture of Poverty: Hard work is "just not enough". The blog talked about how poverty is more than just a lack of materials, it's something that strikes emotions, support systems and families (Fessler, 2014). The article's view on poverty was that it takes more than hard work to cure poverty (Fessler, 2014). Poverty effects many avenues of a person and their environment, and if the person is isolated, it can be harder for the person to get out of poverty (Fessler, 2014).
What I learned from reading this blog is that poverty is a cycle. Often when we think about poverty, we think about a lack of materials, in reality poverty is so much more than that. I learned that you have to first educate and support the mindset before you can help the circumstances.
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| [google images] |
References:
Fessler, P. (2014, May 07). The Changing Picture Of Poverty: Hard Work Is 'Just Not Enough' Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.npr.org/2014/05/07/309734380/the-changing-picture-of-poverty-hard-work-is-just-not-enough
National Head Start Association. (n.d.). National Head Start Association. Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.nhsa.org/
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources
When I first read what part 1 of the blog assignment was going to be, I freaked out. I literally know 5 people who live outside the United States, and none of them are Early Childhood people. I begin to think about all my resources, yes I could call my job, and ask to speak to one our international trainers, and then maybe they could connect me to a international host of a child care program, but it is the weekend, and our office is closed. I would have asked people on Facebook, but I just deleted my Facebook account last week, so that is no longer an option.
Do you know what saved me? LinkedIn. I signed up to LinkedIn, when I was in my undergraduate program and trying to get a job. I hardly go on the website, but it is a great place to meet and network with other people who are in your field. I went to my contacts, and found two women who are both in the Early Childhood field, and live internationally. The first lady's name is Atica, and she lives and works as a teacher in the Dominican Republic. I sent her a message in LinkedIn, and was super excited when she agreed to be my pen pal for this course. The second lady's name is Rabsaris, and she lives in Puerto Rico. I am still trying to figure out her connection to early childhood, because it says that used to teach in Head Start. I sent her an e-mail and still waiting to hear back from her. My last but definitely not least contact is our very own Pam Castillo. Pam is one of my peers for EDUC 6162. I first noticed that Pam lived internationally when I read her post in the student lounge on the first day of school. Pam has agreed to be my contact, and I am super excited to learn from her, she lived in Korea for years, and now is moving to Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am excited to see what the women will teach me about early childhood around the world.
When deciding what website I want to explore more in order to expand my resources, I chose the website that I didn't know much about. The website that I chose is National Head Start Association. I have heard a lot about Head Start and visited a center who is Head Start last year, but I really don't know the in's and out's because I have never worked in a Head Start program. I know how important Head Starts are, and how they are the prime example of quality care, but I want to know more. I was excited to see that this website was offered as one of the resources.
I am excited about my connections and the website, and can't wait for this journey!
Do you know what saved me? LinkedIn. I signed up to LinkedIn, when I was in my undergraduate program and trying to get a job. I hardly go on the website, but it is a great place to meet and network with other people who are in your field. I went to my contacts, and found two women who are both in the Early Childhood field, and live internationally. The first lady's name is Atica, and she lives and works as a teacher in the Dominican Republic. I sent her a message in LinkedIn, and was super excited when she agreed to be my pen pal for this course. The second lady's name is Rabsaris, and she lives in Puerto Rico. I am still trying to figure out her connection to early childhood, because it says that used to teach in Head Start. I sent her an e-mail and still waiting to hear back from her. My last but definitely not least contact is our very own Pam Castillo. Pam is one of my peers for EDUC 6162. I first noticed that Pam lived internationally when I read her post in the student lounge on the first day of school. Pam has agreed to be my contact, and I am super excited to learn from her, she lived in Korea for years, and now is moving to Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am excited to see what the women will teach me about early childhood around the world.
When deciding what website I want to explore more in order to expand my resources, I chose the website that I didn't know much about. The website that I chose is National Head Start Association. I have heard a lot about Head Start and visited a center who is Head Start last year, but I really don't know the in's and out's because I have never worked in a Head Start program. I know how important Head Starts are, and how they are the prime example of quality care, but I want to know more. I was excited to see that this website was offered as one of the resources.
I am excited about my connections and the website, and can't wait for this journey!
Saturday, June 13, 2015
My Supports
You never realize how much support you need/ have on a daily basis until you have to think about it. The biggest support that I have is my mother. We talk every day, and when something doesn't go right with my day, or I need an extra pick-me-up, my mom is the person whom I call.
The practical supports that I need on a daily basis are, my cell phone, things to-do list, laptop, e-mail, my wallet and my car. I names these items, because if these item broke down or I didn't have access to them, I would have a difficult time.
Each of these daily supports make my day go a lot smoother. I don't have to stress because I these supports that get me through the day. If for some reason these supports were missing, my day would not be as smooth. Once I went out of town to work for a week, and I didn't have any cell phone service. I couldn't talk to my mom for four days, and as silly as it sounds, I had a hard time adjusting because I didn't have my daily conversation with my mom. When I speak to my mother, I share with her the events of my day, and talk through my daily processes. Since life is such a complex thing, it's nice to know that I have someone who I can talk to, and help me along the way.
I think it would be difficult to go day-to-day without the practical supports, just because I am so used to them. For example, a day without my cell is rough, because it literally has all of my work task, school task and personal task on it. My cell phone has reminders that I need daily, and provides me with the internet every where that I go. There are days when I leave my cell phone at home on accident, and literally I am stressed because I don't access to my calendar, contacts or e-mail.
If I had to go to a foreign country and build a child care center, the support that I would need, would be my mother in-person, that's right she would have to go with me! I would need all my practical supports, along with clean water. In addition to my practical supports and clean water, I would also need family photos, because being in an another country away from family, can be really rough. If I was in a foreign country without my supports, I would have a hard time thriving there and wouldn't be able to function.
I think we don't take in account our daily supports, and sometimes when we work with children, we don't take in account theirs. We all have something that we literally can't live without, and if for some reason that thing is not there, it can literally effect our whole day. I am so glad that I have supports, and can't imagine a day without them.
Cierra
The practical supports that I need on a daily basis are, my cell phone, things to-do list, laptop, e-mail, my wallet and my car. I names these items, because if these item broke down or I didn't have access to them, I would have a difficult time.
Each of these daily supports make my day go a lot smoother. I don't have to stress because I these supports that get me through the day. If for some reason these supports were missing, my day would not be as smooth. Once I went out of town to work for a week, and I didn't have any cell phone service. I couldn't talk to my mom for four days, and as silly as it sounds, I had a hard time adjusting because I didn't have my daily conversation with my mom. When I speak to my mother, I share with her the events of my day, and talk through my daily processes. Since life is such a complex thing, it's nice to know that I have someone who I can talk to, and help me along the way.
I think it would be difficult to go day-to-day without the practical supports, just because I am so used to them. For example, a day without my cell is rough, because it literally has all of my work task, school task and personal task on it. My cell phone has reminders that I need daily, and provides me with the internet every where that I go. There are days when I leave my cell phone at home on accident, and literally I am stressed because I don't access to my calendar, contacts or e-mail.
If I had to go to a foreign country and build a child care center, the support that I would need, would be my mother in-person, that's right she would have to go with me! I would need all my practical supports, along with clean water. In addition to my practical supports and clean water, I would also need family photos, because being in an another country away from family, can be really rough. If I was in a foreign country without my supports, I would have a hard time thriving there and wouldn't be able to function.
I think we don't take in account our daily supports, and sometimes when we work with children, we don't take in account theirs. We all have something that we literally can't live without, and if for some reason that thing is not there, it can literally effect our whole day. I am so glad that I have supports, and can't imagine a day without them.
Cierra
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