My Connections To Play

                                                           

                                             

"In our play we reveal what kind of people we are."

-Ovid (Roman Poet)

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity."

-Kay Redfield Jamison

These quotes prove to be true for my life. As a child, I loved to play school. I would gather my younger sister and cousins in front of my chalkboard easel. Since I was considerably older than them, I was able to teach them everything I learned in school. I loved to write on the chalkboard because it made me feel like a real teacher. I would ask them questions while I was reading and give them assignments. My sister and cousins were cooperative students who loved to learn about what they called, "older kids' stuff."

I can remember the Christmas that I received my chalkboard easel. I was so happy and then so disappointed because the chalk was not included (smile). But, when I finally got the chalk I was able to practice at an early age what I do everyday. I had a lot of opportunities to improve my teaching techniques and model my teachers during play. I am thankful that my mom encouraged my play by continuously supplying me with chalk and erasers. (To this day, she doesn't know how I could go through a box of chalk so fast!) Now, I am doing what I loved to do since I was a child. My play has become my reality.

Looking at my childhood, I realize how important play is for children today. We truly do show who we are when we play. We discover our interest and what makes us happy, which eventually leads to our occupations. If we don't give children these experiences, how will they know who they are? It is my hope that young children will be more involved in active play. They will put down the video games and use their imaginations to transform reality. Only then will they discover who they are. 

Relationship Reflection

This post is dedicated to the positive girls in my life. I am truly grateful for our relationship.

Susan (Mom) and Elandra (Best Friend)

Relationships/partnerships are important to me because they provide me with the support I need to be successful in my personal life.  Without the support of those who are close to me, I would have given up on several goals. The love and encouragement that I have received from those people I have a relationship with has helped me get through many hard days.

Those two people with whom I currently have a positive relationship is my mother and my best friend.  These relationships are positive because they involve advice, criticism, and encouragement. We do not seek to harm each other, but help in any way possible. The relationships are maintained through respectful two-way communication. We take turns listening and responding to each other. We also trust each other enough to feel comfortable sharing personal information.  There is a shared understanding that secrets will remain secrets. Most importantly, we respect each other's opinions and are not easily offended by criticisms because they are done in love.  If issues arise that can affect the relationship, we address them immediately.

These relationships have helped me to be a more effective communicator as an early childhood professional. I listen to others and consider their point of view instead of being judgemental. The benefits of the positive relationships with my mom and best friend have made me more willing to form additional partnerships.  I now see families as a resource in promoting the healthy development of the child because they can provide knowledge and advice. As we work together we can support and encourage each other.

Final Thoughts

I have been influenced greatly by the work of Lev Vygotsky throughout this course. I believe that the development of a child relies upon social interaction. When adults provide scaffolds and opportunities for modeling, children become skilled and independent.  A quote that represents this theory is:

"Children have more need of models than of critics."

-Joseph Joubert                

Finally, I would like to thank all of my colleagues in EDUC 6160-6 for your insightful posts! 

Assessment

Assessment in the United States

In the United States, it is common for students to be assessed in the core subjects (language arts, math, science, and history).  These assessments are usually in the form of standardized tests.  Students simply write responses to a long list of questions. The questions only test one aspect of the students' development. When viewing children holistically, there should be a range of developments that are assessed in various ways.  One way to start is by looking at Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory. The multiple intelligences include linguistic, musical, logical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic (Parkway & Standford, 2004). Children may have a high IQ in one area and a low IQ in another area. By assessing according to the intelligences, one can see areas of development in each of the domains. Additionally, educators should consider different learning styles and should use various forms of assessment. Not all students are successful with pencil and paper tests. Performance- based and project- based assessments are great ways to assess knowledge and development. In the first assessment, teachers observe the children while completing a task. The task could require certain biosocial and cognitive developments that can be assessed during the observation. The other assessment involves the students working in teams to produce a final product. This type of assessment allows for psychosocial development to be assessed. Assessments should reflect the diversity among children.  All children are not the same therefore, alternative methods must be used to assess areas in all of the developmental domains.

Assessment in China
 
In china, educators are putting much effort into school-based assessments.  There has been a major reform over the past couple of years issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE).  The goal of the reform is to make the assessments more student centered. The first way they hope to achieve this is by expanding the curriculum to include practical knowledge. Students are taught how to solve real-life problems, and teachers were given the freedom to create unique assessments. Traditional tests were limited and assessments are now focused on the students' progress. Portfolio assessment is strongly encouraged. The MOE also stopped ranking students by percentages to eliminate competition (Lingbiao, 2007). Furthermore, the amount of assessments that are given has been reduced.  All of these changes in assessment is due to one goal: viewing the children holistically.

Personal Experience with Assessment

From my personal experiences with standardized tests, I would strongly suggest that educators use a variety of assessments.  My scores on standardized test never reflected how well I did in school.  My school grades were much higher than my test scores.  I believe this is because my teachers used various forms of assessment in the classroom.  The state assessments were timed pencil and paper tests.  The timing aspect of the tests would cause me to have anxiety, and then I would not be able to perform at my best.  Educators should consider the amount of pressure they put on students when they require them to finish a test in a certain amount of time.  For this reason, I believe that time limits for standardized tests should be eliminated.

References

Lingbiao, G. (2007, January 6). Assessment reform in China: A respond to the international trend in the new century. Retrieved from http://xypj.cersp.com/GLB/LUNWEN/200701/3223.html

Parkway, F. W. & Stanford, B. H. (2004). Becoming a teacher (6^th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Childhood Stressors: Divorce & Hunger

Divorce

As a child, I experienced a childhood stressor that seems to go unnoticed. Divorce had a substantial impact on my psychosocial development as a young child. When looking at the children around me, I felt different because my parents were not together. I thought that my family was abnormal because my father lived in another state. I was reluctant to invite friends over my house because I thought they would view me negatively once they saw that I lived with my mother and grandmother.  There would be times when I wanted my father to be physically present, but he could not.

The resource that helped me to overcome this stressor was my extended family. My uncle, aunts, and grandmother would help by taking me to and from school. They also helped me complete homework assignments. My uncle would step up and take me to father/daughter events at my school. What helped me the most was the conversations I had with my mom and dad. They encouraged me, showed me love, and assured me that my family was not weird.  My dad visited me as often as he could. He even surprised me at school and all my friends saw that I had a father too! Although divorce is not the ideal situation for any child, family can help to overcome it.

Hunger

There are many children who experience stress because of hunger. In Africa, many children suffer from malnutrition and have died. It is obvious that starvation affects the bisocial development of children. The immune system is weakened and body growth is limited. However, malnutrition affects cognitive development as well. "Abraham Maslow suggested that for students to have energy for learning, their basic personal needs must be met" (Jones & Jones, 2004, p. 39). UNICEF is one organization that is making sure that the basic need of nutrition is being met in Africa. Not only do they provide food, but the organization also adds essential vitamins and minerals to the food. By fortifying foods, many illnesses and defects have been reduced.

To learn more about how UNICEF is fighting hunger visit:

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_23528.html

Reference

Jones, V. & Jones, L. (2004). Comprehensive classroom management (7^th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

        

Public Health: Immunization

Immunizations help the body fight diseases by allowing the immune system to produce antibodies that can fight the disease. Many diseases that were common in the past have been reduced due to immunization. When a child is vaccinated, it not only protects that child, but it also means that the people who come in contact with the child will not be exposed to diseases (Berger, 2009). In other words, it stops the spreading of diseases. However, even in the United States some children are not vaccinated on time or their parents have decided against it. It is becoming common in the United States for parents to refuse vaccinations because they believe that it causes autism in some children.

This shift in many parents thinking has made this topic meaningful to me. It is my belief that the complications associated with preventable diseases have far greater consequences than autism. It is senseless to put a child's life a risk simply because there is a possibility that he/she might have a form of autism. Furthermore, it has not been scientifically proven that immunizations actually cause autism in children.

When looking at another country like Brazil, vaccinations are not mandatory. However, some are provided for by the government. Other vaccinations are only given by private practices. There are no age limits set for doctor's appointments. This means that children can go to school without ever getting vaccinations. Consequently, diseases can be spread rapidly at schools to children who have not been vaccinated and even to adults.

By studying this topic, I understand how important immunizations are to the public. Not only is the child who has the disease affected, but everyone around the child could be at risk if they have not been vaccinated. This impacts my work because I am in close contact with children everyday. I need to make sure that I am vaccinated regularly for certain illness to protect myself and the children around me. I will also educate the administration at my school about how important it is to make sure that we require the children to have updated immunization records before enrolling. Additionally, I want to provide information to parents, that face economic issues, about where they can take their children to get immunizations for free.

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY:
 Worth Publishers.

http://saopaulo.angloinfo.com/information/68/toddlers.asp

The Birthing Experience

On October 13, 2008 I witnessed my first and so far only birth. My sister gave birth to a 7lb 13 oz baby boy at 7:13 p.m. The birth took place at a hospital with medical professionals. I waited at the hospital for hours to see my younger sister give birth. As soon as I left the room to go to the cafeteria, I got a call that I needed to get back to the room because he was coming. I dropped my food and rushed to the elevator. Thankfully, I made it in time to see him enter the world. He was very peaceful and did not cry immediately. (That didn't last for long.) After his mother and father held him they gave him to me. Today my nephew and I have a special relationship, and I believe it's because I was able to bond with him in those moments after his birth.

It is for this reason that I think the birthing process has an impact on child development. A baby begins to form a bond with his or her family instantly. These early interactions will go on to impact how the child responds to others in social situations like school. The healthy birth of a child also has biosocial implications. Physically, everyone wants to ensure that a healthy baby is delivered. Conditions such as Anoxia (lack of oxygen at birth) can affect brain development and impair learning later on in life.

The significance of the birthing process can further be seen when studying it in other countries. In parts of Indonesia a majority of women have their babies at home. The only assistance they have is through a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). The TBA has no professional medical training. They provide the women with herbal drinks and recite prayers during labor. They simply tell the women to push when they feel pain. Because of their lack of medical training many women and their babies die during delivery. UNICEF and other organizations have programs that educate expecting mothers and provide them with places to give birth where trained workers assist them. Although these programs have helped many women and babies, there is still more work to be done.

These birthing experiences are completely different. One was at a hospital with trained medical professionals, while the other took place in a home with a TBA. The births in Indonesia show me how serious the birthing process is and that it is truly a miracle. I believe that many Americans take the birthing process for granted because we see so many successful births. However, for women in other countries they actually fear the process because they know how serious it is and the dangers that come with it. Having a successful delivery and a healthy baby is truly a blessing.

I hope that you LEARNED from what I SHARED about the birthing process, and from that knowledge you will GROW!

For more information on births in Indonesia and what UNICEF is doing to help click on the link below:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_43515.html