Childhood Quotes/Professional Thanks

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." ~Proverbs 22:6~

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible because it tells what we as parents and caregivers need to do when it comes to raising our children. If we show our children the right way to go, they will remember it for the rest of their lives. We have a huge responsibility in child development. Children look up to adults so we have to make sure we set great examples. 


Terrance, Leslie, Jamila and Cassandra:


It was a pleasure to have another class with you. I hope we continue to have more classes together. Thank you for your encouragement and knowledge. You all have helped in some way. Keep up the good work! God bless...


To my other classmates; Katrina, Sharee and Shevia, Marika and Amy:


It was a pleasure being in this class with you all. I hope we have more classes together as well. i wish you all the best as you all travel this wonderful road of early childhood. You all keep up the good work and I will see you all at the top! God bless...


Dr. Myers:


It was a pleasure having you as a professor. I appreciate your feedback and knowledge. I believe it has made me a better student! I am thankful that you are a part of my journey as I travel this wonderful road of early childhood! Thank you for everything! God bless...

Testing for Intelligence

After reading two of my colleagues' blogs, reflecting on my own childhood, and considering the school aged children of today, I believe that each school aged child should be assessed differently. Along with that however, I believe that ALL children should have their emotional intelligence assessed as well. I believe that part in older children (7-11yrs old) is ofter overlooked, or doesn't get the attention it should. Looking back on my childhood, I excelled in school but I was an emotional child. I guess because I was smart, the teachers thought that I was ok, and overall I was, but now I am an emotional adult. And honestly, I do not like it! LOL I wonder if my emotional intelligence had been assessed, how would I be now? So as someone who is planning to be an educator in the early childhood field, I will make sure I pay attention to the children's emotional regulation, as well as every other part of the them. And I will make it known to the parents and other educators to do the same. As I said before, everyone and everything plays an important part in child development.

Sydney, Austrailia uses IQ tests to assess their children. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Forth Edition - Australian Standardisation (WISC-IV), is an individually administered instrument for assessing the cognitive ability of children aged 6 years to 16 years. The WISC-IV is one of the most reliable and valid IQ testing instruments available. It is the most widely used measure of IQ for school placement.

I want to share something else I read about the IQ tests in Sydney and why children should be assessed:

"Uncharacteristic behavioural/emotional issues - If a child is bored and under challenged in the classroom there may be a significant discrepancy between their ability level and the ability level of their class-room peers. A bored, gifted child may be showing their frustration by being disruptive in school, refusing to do homework, or displaying uncharacteristic behaviour or emotions. Often very bright children underachieve in order to fit in with their peers. It is helpful to identify giftedness as soon as possible so that a child's environment can be adapted successfully to best fit their ability."

I saw this happen too many times while I was in school. The most gifted children were the ones who always got in trouble. And I was the child that was considered to be "disruptive". But I was only trying to help my peers. lol I used to be the one to finish my work before everyone else. Then I would be bored because everyone was still working. So I would try to help them in order to speed up the process so that I would have someone to talk to ...not a good idea lol. Now looking back on it, if I would have been properly assessed, maybe I would have been promoted or something...It truly makes me think...

http://www.sydneychildtesting.com.au/iq_testing.html

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

I chose the topic "violence".

Violence is taking place all over the world and it is effecting children a great deal. Growing up, I experienced a great deal of violence. Unfortunately, my mother was on drugs and did not make the best decisions when it came to her kids. So you can only imagine what kinds of things I saw at an early age. I do not blame her totally because she was not in her right mind. But as a result of that, my sisters and I experienced some things that made a huge impact on us.

One of my sister's fathers was very abusive to my mom. She would be gone for long periods of time (because she was getting high or looking for drugs I'm sure). So he took it upon himself to look for her in the streets, bring her home, and would beat her (with a belt) as if she was a disobedient child. At the time, I was helpless. All I could hear was her screaming from the bedroom. The door was closed but it did not make a difference. It hurt me to hear her scream like that...

That same man was a child molestor. I found that out the hard way. He was the second man (in fact I think he was the third man) to do something like that to me. It happened to me at ages 3 (I remember vaguely), 5 and 7. I didn't tell a soul about what happened until I was about 9 yrs old, that's when it really hit me.

My sisters and I moved with my grandmother and I felt more safe there. Although some crazy things took place at my grandmother's house, that was the place I felt the most comfortable. I coped with my issues by simply not thinking about them, but focused on helping my grandmother with my sisters and making sure I did good in school. I would have to say that I was a strong kid. I didn't care about getting revenge on the men who did those things to me. I was just happy to be out of that situation until I was about 9 yrs old of course, then I opened up and told my family everything.

I want to talk about children who suffer from hunger in somalia. This has been going on for a long time. Children who suffer from hunger are effected in so many ways. Lack of food causes malnutrition. Malnutrition causes other things to go wrong in the body. If a child does not get the proper nutrition, he/she will experience some challenges during development. I know as an adult, it is hard for me to function if I do not eat enough so I can only imagine how that is on a daily basis for a child. It slows down everything biosocially, cognitively and psychosocially. Children who suffer from hunger don't have much energy to play, learn or energy to perform daily tasks.

But there are organizations out there that are working on fixing this problem. Organizations such as CARE, Mercy Corps, and UNICEF are working on this problem and are taking donations from those who want to help. This has been a problem for as long as I can remember. I pray that it will be solved soon. Those children deserve a better chance at life.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43841708/ns/nightly_news/t/famine-horn-africa-how-help/

Child Development and Public Health

I chose the topic: access to healthy water.

This topic is meaningful to me because I believe that is something that we take for granted here in the U.S. Some of us have the the privilege of taking showers everyday, drinking water everyday, cleaning house etc. However, there are countries who have a horrible water supply. Not to mention, the well-being of children. "Everything" needs to be clean when it comes to dealing with little ones. And water plays a big part in that.

I did a study abroad in Mexico during my undergraduate study. I was in Merida, which is in the Yucatan. Thankfully, we could use the water to take showers, but we were told not to drink the water. We could take the chance to use the water to brush our teeth. But it was not recommended. With that being said, we bought plenty of bottled waters and our host familes kept purified water in the houses. Otherwise, we would be at risk of getting very sick.

I plan to have my own daycare. God willing, I will have a chain of daycares all across the world, which may included Mexico. I am glad that I am aware of what is going on with the water in that country. Therefore, I will know what precautions I need to take in order to work around that issue. I will make sure to keep purified water and bottled waters present in the center. Hopefully by then, the water supply will have improved. Who knows, I may end up being an activist or someone who will work toward bettering the supply down there. Mexico city has already started working on the problem. There is an article about it that came out in 2008. Here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7312452.stm.

Their goal is to have it right by 2012. The president and the government want to not only improve the water supply in the city, but they want to improve it throughout the whole country as well. They have my support...

Childbirth––In My Life and Around the World

I was part of a birthing experience recently. I held the mother’s right leg as she gave birth to her little girl. And I saw EVERYTHING! Lol. I’m surprised that I did not faint during the process lol. But it helped me to understand life just a little bit more. It helped me to understand how beautiful it is to bring a child into this world. It helped me to understand how some mothers are so attached to their children. It helped me to understand a little bit more just how serious pregnancy, labor, and child-rearing are and that they should not be taken lightly. I will never forget that experience. And I am looking forward to giving birth one day in the near future, God willing. I’m attached to children anyway so just imagine when I have my own. I believe that will be a very happy day after all is said and done. I chose this birthing experience because this is the only one I have so far. But that will change soon...I hope!

Not so long ago in Jamaica, many children were born at home, which is different from the United States. Birth rituals were overseen by nanas or midwives, and varied from place to place, depending on race and class. All, however, reflected a deep sense of connection to, and respect for, the spirit world. Today, retentions are strongest in rural areas.

To prepare for birth, the room had to have an open bible on display. The nana would anoint the mother's belly with castor oil which would later be given to both mother and child. This is certainly more pleasant than having the mother drink a glass of water in which her mother-in-law's toe had been dipped, as is the custom in Bihar, India, or having her drink beer in which a purple onion has been boiled, as in Guatemala.

Following the birth, Jamaican nanas dressed the child's navel with nutmeg. The nana also blew smoke into the child's eyes, often from an old clay pipe which these women traditionally smoked. (In many Native American and Amerindian cultures tobacco is regarded as food for the good spirits). The nana then washed her own face with rum and sometimes she herself took a stiff drink to give her 'eyesight,' since the witnessing of each birth was said to affect her sight.

I like what I found out about births in Jamaica because they have respect for the "spirit world" and the process is so unique. I did not see an open Bible when I was in the delivery room. Nor did I see any rituals take place that I know of. I may take on their way of child birth when I decide to have a baby. I view life as a spiritual experience anyway. I am really intrigued by this...I do not believe that I have any additional insights on development by doing this comparison but I still believe that a child's birth plays a major part in his/her development, and that goes for children all across the world.

Shout Outs To My Colleagues

Leslie: Thank you for your encouraging words and your feedback on my posts. I wish you all the best as you continue this journey of early childhood studies. Please keep your eye on that grandson of yours. I don't even know him and he sounds like a joy so I know you love him dearly. I said it once and I will say it again, "He's a trooper just like his Granny!"

Jamila: Thank you for your support and your advice. I wish you the best as you continue to run your own day care and make a difference in someone's life everyday. That has to feel good. I am looking forward to doing the same thing one day soon.

Terrance: Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I wish you the best as you continue to work and learn more about the field of early childhood studies. Continue to let your light shine at the work place and keep working on giving your son more love. He sounds like smart little boy. I know you will do everything you can to make sure he becomes successful in life. He has a great example to look at everyday! 


God bless you all!

NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics

I-1.2

NAEYC

I-1.1
To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child.

These particular ideals caught my attention because they state  EXACTLY what I want my employees and I to do when I open my own daycare. I couldn't have said it better myself. These are the ideals I want to incorporate into my professional life when that time comes. I tried to practice these same ideals when I worked at Starfish Family Services. Just because I wasn't the CEO didn't mean that I couldn't exercise these same ideals in my professional life at that time. They are relevant in all cases... 


DEC

Professional and Interpersonal Behavior:
We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work.

That is it right there. I am sooooo big on integrity, truthfulness and honesty, especially when it comes to my babies. I do not play with that. I have worked in a few places where those things did not take place. All the "big people" cared about was getting the biggest paycheck possible. They did not have the children NOR THE ORGANIZATION/CORPORATION'S best interest at heart. And they would lie in order to get certain positions or bonuses (yes I am calling them out!). So with that being said, I do not plan to do that just so I can reap all the benefits. I truly believe we are being watched by God and I believe that if I do everything right in my organization with integrity, truthfulness and honesty, then He will bless me AND MY ORGANIZATION a great deal. That is from the heart...

http://www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/Code%20of%20Ethics_updated_Aug2009.pdf

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resources

• Video Program: “The Resources for Early Childhood”
  Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.  

Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/72033/CRS-CW-5804955/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://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
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, 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 video 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/about/
  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/index.cfm
• 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
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?”, select “Tips for Specific Formats and Resources,” and then “e-journals” to find this search interface.)

• 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:

• Earlychildhood NEWS (2007). An Environment That Positively Impacts Young Children. Retrieved October 8, 2011, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=334
• Earlychildhood NEWS (2007). Helping Young Listeners Become Successful Readers: Babies And Toddlers. Retrieved October 8, 2011, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=395
• Earlychildhood NEWS (2007). "Why Can't They Just Behave?" And Other Silly Questions Parents Ask. Retrieved October 8, 2011, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=497

Quotes, Quotes and More Quotes

"We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs." President Bill Clinton

"If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit." President Bill Clinton

"We know that teachers are the key to good child care - and as long as teachers are undervalued, American children, too, will keep getting less than they deserve." Marcy Whitebook Ph.D.

“It’s not all about you, you got to take your ego out of it (when working in the early childhood field) to think about what is best for this child, And you care about them enough to help them transition to what comes next and what’s best...” Renatta M. Cooper, the Program Specialist from the Passion of Early Childhood Video

Personal Childhood Web

I would like to dedicate this blog to my grandmother; Missouri Beatrice Cole (May 11,1922-Feb 15, 2006). She was the best! She would do anything for me. But don't get it twisted, she will put me in check when I needed to be. But she loved me dearly, even when I took her for granted. My parents weren't in the position to take care of me so she stepped up to the plate. Don't get me wrong, my aunt, Godmother and my cousins have been there for me but my grandmother was my backbone. When I needed to feel loved, she was nothing but a call away. For most of my life, she was nothing but a room away because I lived in her house (lol) but even when I didn't, that did not change anything. My grandmother didn't even graduate from high school, yet, she is the smartest woman I know. She was from Cecil (Montgomery), AL and she was 61 yrs old when I was born. So I had a "true grandmother". She always encouraged me to strive for the best. I remember when I was 7yrs, she told me in these exact words, "I knew when you were born that you were going to be the star of this family." "Really Bigma?" (that's what we called her). I was stunned for like 5 minutes after that. That was a lot for a 7yr old to take in and understand. But as I continue to go through life, I now see what she is talking about. I was the first woman in my family to graduate from college, not to mention, it was from a Big Ten school. (God is good!) And now it appears that I will be the first to get a Master's. I have many dreams and aspirations and from what I know and feel, they will come to pass. The list goes on and on when it comes to how much she has an impact on me. My family says the older I get, the more I look like her. I count it all a blessing. I truly believe that she lives through me and that I will be the next "Bigma" of the family. I have some big shoes to fill but I am ready for the challenge!

To my aunt Dolores: The "Diva" of the family. Girl I love you! Thank you for your love and support. You have been there for me as a child but I think I appreciate you more now as an adult. I must say that I got my fashion sense from you. You set the trend and I followed it. Your strength is amazing and I admire you so much. I am truly blessed to have an aunt like you...

To my Godmother Parada: You are a great listener and you have played a major part in my childhood. At times when I thought I was about to go crazy, you always brought me back to reality. You keep it real with me but you always encouraged me to do my very best. And when I feel defeated, you always show me otherwise. You have truly earned your title as "Godmother".

To My childhood friend Jessica: My "Ride or Die" homie lol. Childhood would not have been the same without you. You would always challenge me in SOMETHING and that has helped me tremendously. Now I love challenges. You used to dust me in running races...I want a rematch! lol But it is because of you that I always stay on my p's and q's. Thank you! 

Last but not least, my mom Beatrice: I know our relationship is very unique but I am thankful to have one with you period. Although things weren't perfect when I came into this world, you made sure I ended up in good hands. Despite of your shortcomings, you did your best. And that is all I can ask for. I remember you saying that you may not have been able to show my sisters and I the right things to do, but you showed us what NOT to do. But I must say that one thing you did teach us is how to hang in there. And I truly believe you gave me your strength. You clearly have an abundance of it! I love you dearly...

A little bit about me

Hi Readers:

Dr. Dartt, I hope a baby pic counts. That is me as a VERY young child lol. If not, let me know and I will change it.

My favorite childhood book is "Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. I would say "Green Eggs and Ham" is my second favorite by the same author. I love those books because they always make me smile. They have a rhythm to the story and the whole story rhymes! How cool! They are poetic in a sense and I'm the same way. Although the stories are fictious, they teach valuable lessons, esp. "Green Eggs and Ham". Don't knock it until you try it!

I'm just going to flow and talk about what fuels my passion in the early childhood field. As some of you know, I just love children. And for some reason, they love me too. :-) I think it is the reciprocity that really fuels my passion. Although some kids are not as friendly as others, it brings me much joy when a child is happy to see me just because. A lot of my friends have children and all of them love me. Mia, who is so funny, saw me get off the bus and head toward her house the other day. Her mom, who is my friend, said that she yelled out to her and said "Brandee is here!" and she was very excited! She gave me a hard time when I asked for a hug (lol) but it felt good to know that she not only knew who I was, but was happy to see me coming to her home. I felt really special...

So with that being said, just from the interaction with young children on a social level, makes me want to work with them on the education level. If I have an impact on children just by being in their lives, then I want to use that as an opportunity to teach them everything I know. Children from ages 0-5yrs old seem to connect with me with no problem. So while I have their attention, I might as well make an impact that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

I hope you enjoyed reading my post. Feel to say what you want...

Early Childhood Studies

Hey everyone. I came across this link called "Earlychildhood NEWS". Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/page2.aspx