Sharing Resources

Let’s Get Children Outside with Nature-Based Education!

Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children was figured on the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Education sharing with others all the wonderful things children are learning through their interaction with nature. This program gets children away for those electric devices that are consuming their physical activities and get them down right dirty in the middle of exploring, discovering and learning while physical challenging them to be active. The program has, “27 nature-based activities correlated to the Head Start Domains and NAEYC Standards with easily digestible background information, Growing Up WILD provides educators with the knowledge and skills to comfortably teach nature-based education that includes math, science inquiry, literacy as well as music and movement”.

Even though this subject is not correlated to our class discussions I felt that it is good to know that our children are being exposed to outdoor activities that stimulates both cognitive and physical development. 

View it on the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Education website @ http://www.naecte.org/docs/Summer%202012%20eLetter.pdf

The Children of Zambian

Health and Education plays hand in hand. Children must have a balance.

I was intrigued with an article on the Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website. It was titled Zambian Early Childhood Development Project. There has been so many health issues and death for children in their country that there has never been a study or measuring tool for children learning and developmental growth in sub-Saharan African. They got it off its feet in May of 2010. They called it Zambian Child Assessment Test (ZamCat). It would help them to be able to understand and improve child development and to be able to identify important opportunities for intervention. And the Harvard University collaborated with a team to help them control and maintain a stable healthy, developmental appropriate and stimulating environment for children.

 

 

When you think of all the studies for the need for early childhood programs, you think that every country has some type of program in place; however, this country was fighting to save the lives of their children and families. I learned that there are children under that age of five have been dying from Malaria and HIV but with the efforts of the Zambian anti-malaria initiative the number are 30 percent lower on sickness and death and higher of educational growth. I learned that they speak 770 different languages in that region of the country. It makes me wonder if they just created an assessment tool to show the need for early childhood education; how did they previously determining how much funds would go to health and education? I glad they have one in place now.

Sharing Web Resources

I received an email invitation to Highscope end of the school year workshop. I have received invites all the time from them with wonderful subjects and trainings; however, this summer training caught my one because it is very closely related to some of the courses and class study that I have examined during obtaining my Masters with Walden. With all of the recent studies and findings it is good to see that there are research foundations that are assisting educators with the knowledge, tools and resources that gives them the ability to implement proven techniques into their classroom. It was interesting to see all the focus of Infancy, toddlers, early childhood and pre-k; even more, to see a workshop about English language learners. HighScope is an excellent source of resource for educating children; it specializes in the support of education through play experiences and exploration. I have copied a link to the website of the email. Please take a look at what they have to offer. I only listed a few that related to our studies.

This organization has always given me guidance or subject when it comes to providing me with different approaches and techniques of how to stimulate my children curiosity while promoting a balance in their education. It challenges me and continues to help me to become a better educator. Here are the topics of some of their summer workshops:

Introduction to the HighScope Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers June 18–22 or August 20–24, 2012

Promoting Language Development for English Language Learners June 18–21 or July 30–Aug 2, 2012

Promoting Academic Content in Pre-K Classrooms July 16–19 or Aug 6–9, 2012

HighScope and Early Head Start — A Perfect Match June 25–28, 2012

http://e2.ma/message/a7gfb/i54ew

After overlooking the email, I took a tour into their News and Info and under Hot topic I saw an interesting title. It stated
President's Report — Legislative Briefing, 3/21/2011. The president of Highscope, Larry Schwenhart spoke with 40 legislators early childhood educator and business leaders at their Highscope foundation to discuss early childhood in the state. Many areas of the class study were mentioned address. There was specialist that talked about the early development of the brain when exposed to education. But what stood out more to me was a statement made directly from Larry Schwenhart, he reclaimed that; “I spoke of the effects of HighScope’s Perry Preschool program in childhood and adulthood and of the enormous economic return on investment in the program — $16 for every dollar invested, which is a better return than the long-term return on the stock market before the recession” (Schwenhart, 2011)

And is that statement still true today? What can HighScope be doing that is bringing so much revenue? How can they provide guidance for other early childhood programs so that our economy and education for early childhood children can get better at the same time?

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=617

References
Schwenhart, L. (2011, March 21). President Report. Retrieved from HighScope Educational Research Foundation: http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=617
　
　
　

Childhood Poverty in West Africa

I visited Save the Children website and I read and observed some heartbreaking videos and pictures concerning children in Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso Africa that are and have been having starvation issues for years. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/emergencies/west-africa-appeal It is so sad to see children having to experience their body demonstrating because of lack of nutrition. Their bodies are under weight, deformed and shutting down because their land is experiencing a shortage of crops, clean drinking water and medicine. This is not affecting 1 or 2 million people but 18 million people in only West Africa. What is happening? Why is it so hard to provide food, water and medicine for families that are unable to provide for themselves?

Save the Children is asking for donations to aid them in their quest to reverse this disaster. They convey that, “are already reaching nearly 300,000 of the most vulnerable children and their families in west Africa with food and livelihoods support, helping prevent their situations from becoming too desperate”(Save the Children). This site provides interesting reading and related blogs to follow the crisis West Africa is dealing with. But most important they provide a link that will guide you in becoming a contributor of the Africa Appeal.

These imagines are now a part of me and will never leave my mind. I thought that children during today's times were not still experiencing the affects of poverty in such an extreme manner. I will be getting involved, becoming an advocate for Saving the Children and aiding them in their efforts to find monies and resources to help them with food, water and medicine. I hope you join me.  

The Highscope Foundation is the program that I chose to become a member of and receive newsletters and update about recent information about early childhood. Highscope provides certified trainings for teacher to ensure that they can providing children with the opportunities to make chooses, problem solve, learn from their interest and explore. Highscope developed the measuring tool called the COR that is use in early childhood classrooms around the world.  

One of the issues that are addressed in a news letter is Conflict Resolution. High scope talks about how Preschoolers are not too young to develop the skills to conflict resolution. When children are guided into learning how to express themselves and their feelings into words, they learn how to resolve situations without violence. This is only one of the great issues that Highscope support learning and active environments for teachers and children. Check them out. I believe that you will find this organization very informative.       

Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I can now understand how our families feel when they reach out for help though our educational system and do get quick results. I have email almost every educational professional on those lists and I have not heard anything yet.





But I am determined to reach someone.  I have noticed that there are phone numbers available for some of the sites but to be honesty I can’t afford to make that call. I will continue to reach out until I find someone willing to share by email ;). Having the ability to contact and discuss concerns with educators around the world would be both exciting and informative. I can't wait to get connected.  

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators is the site that I chose because I am an Early Childhood Teacher that is always looking for enlightening information about early childhood.  Two of the eight purposes caught my attention and it was:

To advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education

Provide a communication network for early childhood teacher educators

Both of these purposes allow early childhood teacher around the world to share ideas and obtain vital information to help them reach their goals.

My Supports

It is needless to say that God is my lifelong greatest supporter and second is my Husband. Without either one of them, I would be lost. It has been hard letting my guards down and summiting fully to them. Most people do not express that struggles they have letting it all go for God and I know women have insecurities about trusting everything in a man; so I will be the first to say, “I Have, I Did it and It Feels Great”. Building my relationship and trust with my husband was commanded by God. I thank God I have a husband that believes in Him and fear Him enough to honor the vow we both made to each other and to God. I know that without their support my life would be in tremor. It’s hard for me to imagine living my life any differently. I enjoy knowing that I am loved, that I will be provided for and that they will ever leave my side.   

 

My children, grand parents and I have the greatest support system. We support each other when we are financially limited, in sickness and trials. They are my joy and sun shine. We can go to each other to comfort or merely to joke and laugh anytime of night and day. We provide each other with emotional and spiritual support. I can share my happiness as well as my fears without judgment. I love the fact that my grandparents raised me and built that foundation for me, then I did the same for my children and soon they will do it for their children. It is these characteristic that families need to carry on generation to generation. I am blessed to have a family that sticks together when there are so many pulling each other down.

A challenge that I never wants to face is the absent of God in my life. He is the thread that keeps my relationship with my husband, children and grandparents together. He is the reason that I have the love and passion I carry in me to be able to change the negative outcome with children in my grasp. I remember the time that I did not care for Him as I should and He still breathed life into me every day. I don’t want to go back to just existing; I want to live abundantly in His grace.