Time Well Spent

"The best way to improve the American workforce in the 21st century is to invest in early childhood education, to ensure that even the most disadvantaged children have the opportunity to succeed along side their more advantaged peers"

~ James Heckman (Nobel Laureate in Economics)

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure."

Emma Goldman, author

Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.

YODA, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

I have learned a great deal from this program.  I was able to learn more about myself personally and professionally.  This program helped me define my strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals and passion for the early childhood field.  I was able to learn more about my own biases and how they impact others.  As well as how to be an anti-bias teacher and create an anti-bias classroom.  I have also learned more about culture and the importance of learning and acknowledging differences.  Through everything I have learned, I believe it is important to always be true to yourself and to stand up for your convictions. 

As I continue in the early childhood field, I hope to use the new insights and knowledge I have learned to create positive change with families and within this field.

Thank you to all of my professors and colleagues who played a part in helping me complete this program.  I have learned so many new insights and ideas and appreciate the perspectives you have shared with me.  I continue to wish you all the best as you move forward in your role in the early childhood field. 

Contact Information:

Angie McLouth

amclouth@ioniaisd.org

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

After researching I was able to find many organizations that promote social change for children and families.  It was encouraging to find so many wonderful resources for children and families.  I am thankful to have this new knowledge and awareness to share with the families I am working with. 

The three international organizations I would like to share are The FreeChild Project, Children International and Hope for Children. The FreeChild Project advocates, informs, and celebrates social change led by and with young people around the world.  Some of the issues addressed by young people include economic issues, identity issues and social issues.  Actions young people are taking to create social change include cultural, school, government and community actions.  I found this organization to be inspiring as it empowers young children and adults in order to make a positive social change. 

Children International is a non profit organization that help children around the world overcome the burdens of poverty.  In addition to sponsorship they also work to improve living conditions of children and families who live in poverty.  I would love the opportunity to be a part of this organization or one like it.  So many children and families are struggling with poverty and the effects of it and this organization truly makes a social change in society. 

Hope for Children is a small charity that helps some of the most disadvantaged children in the world.  HOPE works in 10 different countries across Africa, Asia and Europe.  They provide education and health care to improve children's quality of life.  They have many volunteer opportunities available such as fundraising, events, and marketing.  This is another organization that would be rewarding to be a part of. 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

There are many organizations I would be honored to be a part of.  Each organization focuses on the importance of early childhood and advocating for this field.  These organizations provide an current information as well as ways to get involved. 

The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education advocates for the involvement for parents and families in their child's education.  This organization recognizes the importance of involvement at home as well as school.  There is at one parent corner in each state.  In Michigan it is called the Michigan Alliance for Families located in Detroit.  There were no job opportunities listed at this time, however there were many opportunities to be involved in this organization. 

The National Center for Children in Poverty promotes the economic security, health and well-being of low incomes families and children.  They all promote family oriented solutions at the state and national levels. There are no job opportunities at this time. 

WINGS is an education program that teaches kids how to make good decisions and build healthy relationships.  They use a comprehensive social and emotional curriculum into an after school program.  There are no job opportunities at this time, however there are volunteer opportunities available. 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

I found many jobs available in my area that struck my passion in the early childhood field.  I feel that the Great Start of Michigan is one of the leading programs for young children.  Their mission is for all children in Michigan to be safe, healthy and eager to be successful in school.  Great Start currently has a position available as the Great Start to Quality Assessment Specialist.  Early Childhood Specialists would conduct assessments for preschool programs using the Preschool Quality Assessment tool.  I recently recieved my PQA certificate which is required for this position.  However, two years of experience conducting these assessments is also required.  This is the only requirement I would need to fullfill in order to be qualified for this position.

MI Headstart Association provides for the delivery of appropriate child development activities to infants, toddlers, pregnant women, and their families in a home-based early intervention program.  Headstart currently has a Early Headstart home visitor position available.  This position requires a BA degree in Early Childhood as well as experience in providing home visits.  I feel this position provides support to the family as a whole and would aid in the success of the child.

Many positions are available through local intermediate schools districts.  For example, Muskegon ISD has position of a Early Childhood Center Coordinator.  This position requires a BA degree or higher in the Early Childhood field as well as experience in preschool classrooms.  This is a high interest to me as it allows me to work within many schools in order to provide support in the early childhood field.

It is reassuring to know that there are a variety of positions available in the early childhood field that would allow me to advocate for families and grow within this field.  It is also reassuring to see the awareness of the need for these positions in the early childhood field. 

Reflecting on Learning

As an anti-bias educator, my hope is that each family and child that I come into contact with feels accepted and heard.  I am aware of the importance of connecting with each individual and will strive to learn more about each family and who they are. My hope for the future is help children feel good about who they are and to collaborate with other early childhood professionals to continue growing as an anti-bias educator. 

Thank you to all my colleagues for sharing and inspiring me throughout this journey.  I have learned a great deal from your discussions and blogs and hope to continue to learn from you in the future.  I wish you all the best!

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to look deeper into Latin America and the Caribbean because this is a region I have yet to have the opportunity to explore.  This region has six significant threats to child survival and development.  The number one threat is disparity.  60% of children under twelve years of age and 50% of adolescents between the ages 13-19 live in poverty.  The second threat is social exclusion.  Children are often socially excluded to due HIV/Aids.  The third threat is chronic malnutrition.  One in every five children have chronic malnutrition.  The fourth threat is violence.  Nearly 85,000 children die annually.  Violence affects over 6 million children and adolescents.  The fifth threat is HIV/Aids.  The Caribbean has the second highest prevalence of Aids in the world.  The sixth threat is emergencies.  Natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods occur yearly.

Any significant threat that children face or are exposed to will impact their emotional well-being as well as their development.  Children's relationships will be influenced as well as their self-esteem.  There are minimal support systems available to many of these children. The more needs these children have, the more stressors they will experience.  These stressors will hinder the emotional development of a child. 

After looking deeper into these regions I am more aware of the numerous variables that can impact a child's well-being as well as their development.  Understanding that many of these things may be out of our control, we need to make sure to support children and give them the supports they need to overcome their emotional difficulties.

Refrences:

UNICEF.  2011.  The Offical Regional Office of Latin American.  Retrieved from: 
http://www.unicef.org/lac/english.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

Often times when we speak of early childhood education, sexualization does not come to the fore front of our thoughts.  At the same time, when we speak of sexualization, we often think of intimate relationships between adults.  We need to understand what is being considered when we speak about sexualization in the early childhood field.  It is more than simply sexual relationships between two people, but the understanding of these relationships.  The things children hear and see when they are young will have an impact on the relationships they will have when they get older. 

One example of how children are exposed to sexualization at an early age is the clothing that is available for children to wear, such as skinny jeans, crop shirts, and heels.  When shopping for my 5 year old daughter, I am overwhelmed with disbelief at the adult-like clothing that is available in her sizes.  Another example I have noticed, is the selection of Halloween costumes that are available to children.  Many of these consist of superheros with unnatural physical characteristics along with a variety of celebrity look alike costumes.  Many of these costumes have some sort of sex appeal to them.  Even Tinker Bell has a revealing costume.  Finally, I have observed many children imitate things they have seen or heard on television that celebrities have done, said, or sung.  While children don't always understand what they are doing or saying, they are simply copying what they are seeing and hearing.

While many children don't understand what they are seeing or hearing, and adults don't always see a significant consequence of these copycat actions, these exposures can have an impact on who these children become and what types of relationships they will be creating throughout their lives.  Many of the implications of these exposures will not be seen until later in life.  However there are implications involved with improper exposure to children.  As adults in the early childhood field, it is important to help children appropriately understand the issues related to sexualization.  Children need to have positive supports that they trust and feel comfortable with to ask questions.  With the amount of exposure of sexualization, it would be impossible to shelter children from all of it.  Therefore, it is essential that we explain things in terms that they will understand, depending on their level of development.

After learning about sexualization in early childhood, I have become more aware of how sexualization relates to children.  The impacts that improper exposure to sexualization can have a detrimental impact on the relationships that children will be able create later in life.  It is extremely important for children to have adults they can trust to help them understand the issues related to sexualization.

 

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As an early childhood educator I experience "-isms" in my both my personal and professional life.  There are many consequences that may occur with these "-isms" with children and families that I work with.  These     "-isms" could interfere with creating a positive relationship.  Families need to feel comfortable and trust you in order for the child to be successful.  By feeling that they are being judged they may begin to act and communicate differently which takes away from who they are and what they need.  One of the most important aspects of helping a child is understanding where they come from and how they interact with their family.  If the family feels that they are inferior we may not be able to get a real understanding of who the child is and what their needs are.  We tend to have slight biases towards most groups of people.  I continue to learn about different groups and have more experiences that dismiss these biases.  Keeping an open mind about each individual family will allow be to continue to create positive relationships without letting my biases interfere. 

Observing Communication

This week we were asked to observe an adult and child communicating.  Throughout the week, I observed many conversations between adults and children.  Often times, conversations that are very positive or negative catch my attention more and make me reflect on the situation.  Yesterday my family and I were getting in our jeep to go to the store and I noticed my neighbor and children pulling into their driveway.  As I was getting something out of the back of the jeep I could hear the mom yelling at her daughter.  I looked over and saw her 6 year old daughter carrying her backpack and other items trying to open their front door.  It was obvious from what I saw that she was struggling to open the door.  As the daughter was trying to open the door, the mother was walking towards her carrying various bags yelling "McKenna open that door right now."  Mckenna stated "Mom I can't do it."  Mom yelled back "Mckenna knock it off and open that door right now."  Mckenna said back to mom crying, "I can't do it."  Mom pushed Mckenna out of the way and opened the door herself.  She then replied, "You are not going to be doing anything when you get inside.  Go to your room right now."  I noticed that the mom was just getting home from work and bringing the children home from school.  She was more focused on her own needs opposed to her child's needs.  I learned how important it is to look beyond yourself and to be aware of meeting the child's needs.  In this situation, the child was not listened to or seen by the mother.  The mom should have been able to see her daughter struggling to open the door and validated her feelings by saying "I see that you are having a difficult time opening the door, what do you think we should do?"  The mom could have suggested her daughter to set down her bags and then try to open the door.  Being talked down to in that way makes the child feel bad about themselves.  It also breaks the trust between the child and the parent.  The next time a situation like this happens, the child is going to be afraid to ask for help.  If the mom helped her daughter in this situation she would have built her daughter's confidence to problem solve this next time. 

There are no similarities between how this mother communicated with her child and how I communicate with children.  The mom was very aggressive and condescending to her child and was not able to see beyond her own feelings.  I am very aware of children's feelings and understand that each thing we say to children have an impact on them and on ourselves. 

Creating Affirming Environments

If I were to open a Family Childcare Center in my home, I would want to create a safe, healthy, learning environment for all children and families.  Creating and maintaining relationships with my families where they feel comfortable and respected would be key to a successful center.  Communication is also a essential component to creating and maintaining relationships.  Each family and child's voice would be heard and respected. 

In creating a safe healthy, learning environment I would provide multi-cultural materials throughout my center.  In the course reading it says to provide diverse, anti-bias materials.  I would include a rich variety of multi-cultural books, dolls, puzzles, and art materials.  Throughout the center I would include pictures and posters that show a variety of cultures that encourage conversations and learning opportunities.  In the video Adriana Castilo displayed pictures of the children who were in her center.   I would incorporate that idea in my center as well.  Another example I liked from Adriana Castilo center is including an area labeled "Family Culture Share."  This is a great opportunity to share and learn about the children in the center.  I also feel having and playing a diverse selection of music creates a calming environment. 

References:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Video: “Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community”

Art Gallery - What I Have Learned

One hope I have for working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is to be able to see each individual for who they are oppose to who I would expect them to be.  It is important to look beyond the stereotypes placed on each individual and/or group in order to help their needs. 

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to work towards eliminating bias and provide support for all children and families regardless of their background.  By doing this we will be setting/meeting goals of the family's needs opposed to us setting/meeting goals that we feel is needed. 

Thank you to all my colleagues for supporting and encouraging me throughout this course.  I appreciate your comments and post and have learned from all of you.  I wish everyone the best as you begin your next course. 

Creating Art

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

There has been many times where I see a child point out or comment on another person's physical appearance to their parent or caregiver.  I often notice these comments when standing in line to check out at a store.  Just last week when I was waiting in line to check out, there was a man with no legs in a wheelchair.  Behind him, was a mother and young child.  The mother was distracted putting her groceries on the belt when the little girl pointed at the man and very loudly stated "Mom, that man has no legs."  The mom very quickly said "Emma don't say that, it's not nice."  This brought attention to the situation by other people standing in line, including the man in the wheelchair.  Obviously the mother was embarrassed and was unsure how to respond to her child.    If I was the child, I would have felt that it was not ok to talk about other people who look different.  Which would then lead to me being afraid to talk about those things.  As an anti-bias educator, I would have acknowledged what the child said as she was clearly trying to understand why this man looked different.  I would reaffirm the child's comment by saying "Yes, Emma that man has no legs and that is why he needs his wheelchair."  I would follow up with Emma later and ask if she had any questions about what we talked about earlier.  As these situations occur, they are teachable moments where we as parent's and educators have the opportunity to teach our children and help them better understand the world around them.

"Start Seeing Diversity Video” Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

After reviewing the videos, I was reminded of the importance of being open minded to issues regarding gender and sexual orientation.  While I am aware of both of these topics, I have yet to see a push to educate young children about sexual orientation.  Many of the books and materials, including many of the curriculum that we use do not incorporate differences such as differences in sexual orientation.  Gender, on the other hand, is discussed and gender roles are identified and incorporated in the curriculum.  In my opinion, it is more difficult for children to understand the differences in sexual orientation when it often goes against what they learn about typical gender roles.

When discussing the issue of avoiding books that depict gay or lesbian couples, I would think it would depend on the situation.  Many people have very strong opinions on this topic.  If materials were presented that depicted gay and lesbian couples, there may be a very strong opinion against such books.  If this is the case, it may do more harm than good to have these materials in these classes.  However, the main purpose of books is to help with the education of children.  Therefore, I would not necessarily avoid a book because it depicted gay or lesbian couples if I thought it was relevant to the topic being discussed.

Thank You

Thank you to all my classmates for supporting me throughout this course.  I appreciate all the feedback and responses you have posted to my discussions and blogs.  I have learned so much from each of you and look forward to support all of you and learn more in the future classes.  Best of luck to everyone!

Team Building and Collaboration

As there are many different stages of groups, I find that the groups that I have successfully gone through each stage with are the most difficult to leave.  When completing tasks with a group, relationships are built and trust if formed.  Successful groups work well together and have formed the relationships needed to complete the task.  There is little doubt that when a group is successful, positive relationships have been formed.  Adjourning the group can be difficult if relationships have been formed.  It is difficult to leave a group when there has been success.

When adjourning a group, it is normal to gather to tie up any loose ends.  In some of the successful groups that I have been part of, I have developed positive relationships with other members.  When adjourning, I make sure that I am able to connect with them outside of the group situation.  Wishing the members good luck on future tasks is also a common occurrence. 

Adjourning is an essential part of teamwork.  This is the stage that everyone gets closure on the task, and assurance that the overall goal has been accomplished.  Without this stage, the team is unable to celebrate the success of the group.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Conflict is a normal part of any relationship whether it is personal or professional.  How we go about resolving these conflicts will strengthen or weaken the relationship between you and the other person.  One conflict that often arises between me and my husband is sharing responsiblilty of household tasks, which I wish would never happen.  Between work, kids, and various commitments throughout the week, it is easy to feel overwhelmed or left with the feeling that you never have enough time to complete everything.  We often find ourselves having disagreements regarding whose repsonsibilty it is to complete certain things.  This conflict is ongoing and at times left with frustration and disappointment.  One strategy that I could use to help resolve this conflict would be to compromise with my husband regarding these issues and respect each others time and effort.  This strategy would be more effective because it would lead to a resolution that both of us would be happy with.  Considering respect in this situation would help us consider the other persons feelings and see it from their point of view. 

A recent disagreement that I had with a co-worker was regarding strategies that this co-worker wanted to incorporate into the classroom.  I felt that these strategies were not age appropriate for the children we were providing services for.  Using a broader range of solutions to our disagreement would allow us to use some of the current ideas while making them more age appropriate.  By using this strategy we would maintain some of the original ideas making my co-worker more willing to accept my thoughts and opinions. 

I found this weeks resources to be highly beneficial and helpful.  It is imporantant to consider each of these strategies when resolving conflict.  By recognizing the conflict, we can find more specific strategies that then lead to more positive resolutions. 

Communication Evaluation

The task of interviewing myself as a communicator, along with others evaluating me was very insightful and beneficial.  I was able to learn more about myself and what others saw in me.  I have always felt nervous when speaking in large groups or in public.  I tend to rehearse repeatedly prior to speaking in public and often thought I was viewed this way as well.  One insight from the evaluation that I found surprising, was that my family member and a parent from my parent group did not view me as uncomfortable or anxious when speaking in groups or in public.  One insight I gained this week was that I appear more comfortable than I thought I was when speaking in groups or in public.  I need to gain confidence in my speaking abilities within this area.  Hearing how other people view me gives me more confidence and encourages me to do this more often.  Another insight I have gained this week was learning about my strength in listening.  I have always enjoyed listening to others and being in the position to help or encourage. It is reassuring to know that I am being viewed that way and hope to continue to listen effectively.  This assignment was rewarding and insightful in many ways.  I hope to continue to learn more about myself and others in terms of communication and ways to be a more effective communicator.

Communication and Culture

I do find myself communicating differently depending on the individual or group of people I am communicating with.  When communicating with friends and family, I tend to be more informal.  I am more comfortable and not as concerned with the conversation formalities.  When communicating as a professional, I tend to be more formal and precise.  When communicating I am more focused on the message I am trying to convey, as well as listening to others. 

One strategy I would use to effectively communicate with others is to verify my perceptions.  When communicating with others, I tend to jump to conclusions before fully assessing the situation.  It is important to take time to consider the other perspective before making and judgements.  A second strategy I would use is to look beyond first impressions.  It is very easy to make assumptions based strictly on your first impression of someone.  I need to make sure to take time and get to know someone before making any judgements.  Another strategy I would use is to be mindful when communicating.  It is important to be mindful when communicating with others.  There are so many ways that people can be diverse, we need to be open minded because we can't understand the way they are different. 

Communication Skills

I chose to watch sitcom called "Up All Night."  This was the first time this show was aired.  After watching the show with the sound off I was able to make many assumptions regarding the couple's relationship.  Based on the pictures I was aware that the couple was happily married and just had a baby.  As the show went on I noticed tension and stress between the couple.  I could make assumptions regarding their mood based on their body language and facial expressions.  I could tell that they were upset when they were arguing because of how animated they were when they spoke.  I could see that the couple was exhausted and tired.  I also noticed how loving the couple was to their baby by their facial expressions and the way they looked at her.

Watching the show with the sound on, confirmed my assumptions.  However, being able to hear what they were saying, I was able to have a better understanding of why the couple was stressed and feeling the way they were.  With the sound off, the communication between the couple was very animated and tense.  After listening to the conversations between the couple, I became aware of the resentment between the couple, due to the husband choosing to stay home with the baby, and the wife going back to work.  In the end, the wife showed her love and commitment to her husband and baby by choosing them over her boss.  I feel that I would have made better assumptions with a show that I already knew.  Because this was a new show, I did not know the history between the couple and their personalities.