End of EDUC 6005-7 Foundations: Early Childhood Studies

For the past 8 weeks, I have been a part of an amazing group of people.  As I reach the end of this class, my feelings are a little bitter sweet.  I am so thankful for the relationships that have been formed and the information I received in this class.  I look forward to working with all of you again in other classes as our paths may cross.  God bless each of you!

NAEYC and DEC Code of Ethics

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Responsibilities to Children:
I-1.1-- To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood education and to keep current through continuing education and in-service training.
    As an educator, I believe it is important for me to remain current in education and service training because this helps me stay on top of the trends in teaching as well as gain information and insight to be the best teacher I can be!

Responsibility to Employer:
I -3B.2-- To maintain loyalty to the program and uphold its reputation.
        I believe this is important because as a part of the program, my reputation and the reputation for the program in which is work, go hand in hand.  As I maintain loyalty to my program and uphold its reputation, I am ensuring that my reputation does not get tainted.

Responsibilities to Families:
I -2.7—To participate in building support networks for families by providing them with opportunities to interact with program staff and families.
        This is an important part of my job because I believe that a child’s overall success is dependent on his/her support system.  As families interact with the program and staff members, we can join together to ensure the children in our care have every opportunity to reach their full potential.

Division of Early Childhood (DEC)

Professional Development and Preparation:

We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services.
    Support is needed in this field both when starting out and as we gain experience as an educator.  I believe being a mentor is not only beneficial to the mentee but to the mentor as well.

Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives

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.
        When dealing with people in any aspect of life, I believe it is important to maintain a certain level of respect.  A person’s beliefs, values, customs, languages and culture are a part of who they are.  We should respect the whole person as everyone has something to offer.

Evidence Based Practices

We shall use every resource, including referral when appropriate, to ensure high quality services are accessible and are provided to children and families.
    As an educator, it is my responsibility to make sure that every child has the opportunity to be the best they can be.  There are times that outside help is needed and it is an important part of my job to make sure children and families are given the appropriate resources. 

References

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved December 17, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf.

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved December 17, 2011, from http://www.dec-sped.org/.

Course Resources (EDUC 6005-7 Foundations: Early Childhood Studies)

REQUIRED 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 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:


Supporting Teachers, Strengthening Families, a NAEYC child abuse prevention initiative
www.naeyc.org/ecp/trainings/stsf


Strengthening Families Through Early Care and Education
www.strengtheningfamilies.net


Child Care Services Association "ensuring affordable, accessible,  high quality child care for all young children and their families". 
www.childcareservices.org


North Carolina Division of Child Development- Searchable database of licensed child care providers across the state.  Includes child care centers, family child care homes and day camps.
 ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/general/home.asp

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Susan Bredekamp
"Effective teachers are intentional in everything they do--they are purposeful, they're planful, they know why they're doing what they're doing and they can explain it to other people" (Aspey, 2009).

Lilian Katz
"There is no assurance that busy and happy children are learning anything!"  (Rothenberg, 2000).
“Curriculum should help children make deeper and fuller understanding of their own experience” (McLaughlin, 2011).

Louise Derman Sparks
“I wanted to continue to be a teacher because I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices that existed in the world.  And I wanted to do that through teaching” (Foundations, 2010). 
“I see adults finding their voice as a result of doing this work.  It is like they reclaim and heal things that happened to them in their childhood that maybe no one helped them work with”  (Foundations, 2010).


Aspey, Susan. (2009).  What Effective Teachers Do.  Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3233314.htm. 

Foundations: Early Childhood Studies. (2010).  The Passion for Early Childhood.  Laureate Education, Inc.

McLaughlin, Geralyn Bywater.  (2011).  Words of Wisdom From Dr. Lilian Katz.  Retrieved from http://www.empoweredbyplay.org/2011/06/words-of-wisdom-from-dr-lilian-katz/

Rothenberg, Dianne. (2000).  Introduction.  Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting.  Retrieved from http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/intro.pdf

Personal Childhood Web

NANA- The most influential person in my life was my Nana.  She was so much more than just my grandmother.  She was my mentor and my number one supporter!  I was her favorite and she was not ashamed for the world to know it!!!  Growing up, I would spend every summer with my Nana.  My parents would take me to her house the weekend after school let out and I wouldn’t come back home until the weekend before school started back.  During this time, my Nana and I were inseparable!  She taught me several life lessons that will be with me forever.  She showed me the importance of family.  We used to sit and look through photo albums for hours while she told me stories about family members I never had the honor to meet.  To her, family was everything, which is probably why I feel like it is my job to make sure everyone stays connected.  She also made a huge impact on my spiritual life.  She indirectly taught me the importance of an actual relationship with God, not just the Sunday morning church service I was used to.  She took me to church every time the doors were open.  Together, we would sing the old hymns, read the Bible and pray.  Every night, she would go to the bathroom where she would have her quiet time with God.  I can remember hearing her praying for me, for God to keep his hand of protection around me, to bless me and to fill me with his Holy Spirit.  Because of my Nana, I not only accepted Christ as my Savoir but I have had a loving relationship with my Master for almost 20 years.  My Nana has been my rock for 30 years.  In May of this year, she went to be with the Lord.  That was probably one of the hardest times of my life but looking back, I know that I would not be the woman I am today if it weren’t for my Nana!  Because of her, I know that I can do anything I put my mind to.   

MOM- My mom has loved me and nurtured me since day one!  Growing up, I always knew my mom loved me, even when I refused to see it.  I can remember laying beside my mom on the couch while she watched tv and played with my hair.  She wasn’t super affectionate but little things like that always made me feel special to her.  My mom taught me that hard work and dedication pays off in the end.  She has always worked two jobs and I have never heard her complain about it.  She instilled in me a work ethic that made me strive to do better, to be better.  She made sacrifices for me when I was younger to put me in a private school.  She could have quit one of her jobs and made me go to a public school but instead, she showed me that my education and future mattered more to her.  When I was a teenager, people used to always say that I talked like my mom or did things like my mom.  I would just roll my eyes and say no.  Today, I am proud to say that I am just like my mom

DAD- Growing up, my dad and I always had a different kind of relationship.  My dad never hugged me or told me he loved me or any of that but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my dad would do anything for me.  My dad showed me he loved me in his own way.  I used to get out of school and have to sit with him for an hour or two while he finished working at the steakhouse.  I would sit and watch him cut meat and I hated it.  He knew I hated it but there really wasn’t anything he could do about it.  One day, he put me to work and spent entirely too much time telling me all about the different cuts of meat and showed me how to weigh the hamburger patties and the beef tips.  That was how my dad told me he loved me!  That was “our thing”.  Years later when I was old enough to have a “real job”, I actually went to work at that same steakhouse with my dad!  He would ride my butt and embarrass me but looking back, I know that it was his way of teaching me how to do a job the right way.

My parents and I

Artwork that is precious to me

This artwork is important to me not only because it was done by my daughter but because her teacher let her make it without correcting all of the "mistakes".  Some letters are backwards and are capitalized when they shouldn't be but that is what makes it special.  She was able to write a story about me exactly the way she wanted to.  It is kind of hard to read in this photo but it says "My mom is fun.  She makes me supper.  She loves me.  I love her too."  It melts my heart!!

One of my favorite children's books

This book is super cute and the CD is really fun to sing along to.  It is about two dogs, Fanny and Blue, the writer says "they go together like a sock and a shoe" and are "loyal and true"...  "there's nothing I'd trade for my Fanny and Blue".