Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I have visited the World Forum Foundation site and the radio podcasts.  I also visited the Association for Childhood Education International because this site provides current research and information about early childhood education research.  I plan to continue establishing contacts with these sites and the podcasts from other early childhood professionals.  This information will help me to learn more about international issues. 

References

http://www.acei.org/.

http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php

http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

My Supports

I receive daily support from my coworkers and managers. These are my professional supports. 

My financial support and social support comes from my family and friends.

My spiritual support comes from my church members and my pastor.

I also find support from the families that I serve.

"My Connections to Play"

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ― Plato

“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.” ― Albert Einstein

Images of play

When I was in school, we had recess, and children were allowed to play during the day.  Play was seen as a way to work off lunch and to tire children down to make them more attentive in class.  Play was also a way for children to learn to socialize with other children.  Today, play is questionable in school.  People do not understand the benefits of play in learning.  As a result, opponents of play in school understate the benefits of play as a learning tool.  Play today is less active than when I was in school.  Therefore, I would like to see more creative play in the classroom. 

Reflecting on Building Relationships

I have relationships with people in all aspects of my life.  I have relationships with my family members and we love each other.  I feel comfortable sharing with my family and I rely on them for social support and guidance.

I also have relationships with my church members.  My church members provide spiritual guidance and support. 

I have relationships with the parents at the Head Start.  I try to establish communication with all parents to better understand the needs of their children. This helps me to build relationships with the parents and to establish an ongoing working relationship that benefits the children.

A Note of Thanks and Support

I would like to personally thank everyone who contributed to my blog.  I have enjoyed blogging with you in this class, and I look forward to blogging with you in the future. 

Thank you,
Elnora Fairley

Examining Codes of Ethics

From the NAEYC Code of Ethics, I chose:

I-1.3—To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.

I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

From the DEC Code of Ethics, I chose:

“We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture” (DEC, 2000).

I chose these three ideals because I believe that it is important to encourage individual growth and development in children.  Every child is unique and has unique skills and abilities.  Children also learn differently.  As a result, it is important for educators to research family cultures and values to make the classroom more representative and inclusive for all children.  Furthermore, it is important to provide a safe and healthy classroom environment promotes each child’s development.

References

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

Growing Your Collection of Resources

Part 1: 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://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

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.

Part 2: 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 media segment 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/

Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

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/

•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/

•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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

•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

Three additional resources

Childhood poverty Organization

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Global campaign for education. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/learn-the-issue-ece

Association of American Educators

http://www.aaeteachers.org/

These resources provide access to organizations and information that teachers can use  to enhance their toolboxes and find ways to improve learning for children.