A Note of Thanks and Support

Hi Susan,
     Thank you for your positive feedback during this course.  It has been a pleasure in sharing information and insight with you.  Throughout this course, you have really been sincere and motivating to me.  I wish you well as you continue on your professional journey.

Thanks Again,
Yolandia


Hello Jannell,
    Thank you for your encouraging thoughts to my blog.  I really appreciate it; it made me feel good when I did not feel good at all about my work.  Knowing that my blog was one of the blogs that you commented on was a big inspiration to me.  If we do not share thoughts or comments anymore, I will like to wish you the best on completing your goals toward your profession.

Thanks,
Yolandia

Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics is very essential in the field of Early Childhood Education.  It helps us in our profession to conduct ourselves professionally. It also gives us support when we run into problems while working with children, families and colleagues in this field of practice.

Section I

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.(NAEYC; 2005)

*I believe that as educators, we should always continue to have education and training in early childhood education because we can never have enough education when dealing with children and their families.  Having trainings helps our as professional to stay focus of what our priorities are while working with children and families.  Not only that, it also expands our thinking strategies and gives us ideas of ways to help children succeed in their education and child development.  

P-1.1—Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children. This principle has precedence over all others in this Code. (NAEYC; 2005)

*I believe strongly agree with this Code of Ethics ideal.  All children should be treated with no harm done to them at anytime; they should feel safe in the environment that they are in.  If children are being harmed, they will not be able to function at all on the level needed in order to grow in their education as well as child development. When children are given the attention, support and love needed, they will definitely prosper in life.  I never believe that a child should have to be discipline in a harsh way.  Children are just like grown people and we do not have anyone beating on us because we did something wrong.  However, we learn from our mistakes. But we do need to be there to guide children in their wrongness.  Since they are children, it is necessary that you might have to tell them over and over because it may take a little longer before they gets it but that is okay.  This is how we teach children so that they grow into a successful adult.  

3. We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others.(DEC; 2009)

*This is a very true statement.  I believe seeking the highest level of professionalism helps you to do a better job of what is expected of you.  I learned this since my enrollment at Walden University these last past weeks. From this class, which is Foundation of Early Childhood Education, I have gain knowledge on advocates and leadership and how important it is in the field of Early Childhood Education.  This class has also taught me, not only as an educator but as an individual, how to be more opened when listening to others way of thinking and how they feel.  You can learn something that will help you to benefit in your profession.

  

Course Resources

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

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

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. 

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 Internationalhttp://acei.org/about/
Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

National Association for the Education of Young Childrenhttp://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhoodhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Familieshttp://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTEDhttp://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letterhttp://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institutehttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

Administration for Children and Families Head Start’s National Research Conferencehttp://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/

Here are some additional resources related to young children, families, and/or the field of early childhood.

           

Allen, K. E., Schwartz, I. S. (2001).  The exceptional child:  Inclusion in early childhood education:  Clifton Park, NY:  Delmar Learning.

Center for Early Childhood Leadership

http://www.nl.edu/cec/

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (1993).  Multicultural issues in child care.  Mayfield.

Jorde-Bloom, P. (1988).  A great place to work:  Improving conditions for staff in young children’s programs.  Washington, DC:  National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The family educational rights and privacy act.  (Buckley Amendment).  (1974). The 1974 Educational Amendments, sec. 513,88, stat, 571.20, U. S. C. A., Sec 1232g. (Supp. 1875).

National Head Start Association

http://www.nhsa.org/

U. S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood-Head Start Task Force, Teaching Our Youngest Washington, D. C., 2002. From http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/teachingouryoungest/index.html

“Words of Inspiration and Motivation”

Quotes from Education Philosophers and Innovators

 

Louise Dieman- Sparks / Sparks had built-in passion that it was important to make real contribution in the world and fix all the injustice that existed in the world and she wanted to do that through teaching.

Sandy Escobido is a deputy field director.  Sandy’s passion started from her personal experience growing up. Her parent was very much involved in her education and wanted her to receive the best education.  This made her want to be involved in education, in general. Sandy Escobido says, “We as professional in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better”. This is her passion about the field of early childhood education  She also was an advocate for families.  When she went to parent meetings and saw how parents learned how to speak to policymakers, learn how to write letters, and learn how to tell stories helped kept her motivated regardless of all the challenges going on.

Edward Zigler- He was an ambitious young professor doing basic research.  He also joined the Head Start Planning Committee under the War on Poverty. Edward Zigler believed that children should have a fair opportunity to have readiness skills for school.  He came up with the “Project Rush Rush” for two reasons.  One he agreed that what they were doing will not be harmful.  The children would get immunized, have their teeth and eyes checked and eat nutritious meals.  Second, the families would receive some services and be invited to participate in parent education classes and in their child’s early schooling.  No one on the committee believed that they could break the cycle of poverty in such a short time.  However, Edward did not give up and he did it.

Elena Bodrova believed that children learn best though play.  Elena stated that based on the work of Vygotsky and Elkonin, as well as the work of their students, it is possible to identify several components of mature play.  Therefore, the Vygotskian approach can positively impact not only the development of play itself but the development of early academic skills.

These quotes help me to realize the impact that we as professional can have on a child’s life. It can be either positive or negative; it is left up to us.  I want to really improve my teaching skills to help my students because not all students are in an environment that influence their learning.  That is the reason I want to give that child or children my best when they are in my care.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). The Passion for Early Childhood. (Video Webcast). In Foundations: Early Childhood Studies. Retrieved from  http://www.courseurl.com          

           

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). Sectors of the Early Childhood. (Video Webcast). In Foundations: Early Childhood Studies. Retrieved from   http://www.courseurl.com