Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Ninth Week: October 19
Exchange Every day
Bonnie’s New Blog Oct. 20, 2009
. . .and then the day came when the risk to remain tight inside a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin
As I read Bonnie’s blog the thoughts kept running through my mind, “how could any mother give up her child? How could a family opt to get an incentive over raising their own child? In the master Cohort this summer we saw a video, the title I cannot remember. It asked the question is mothering inherit or learnt? Using mice, not humans, they found that a large portion of mothering was not instinctual but learnt. Interesting, if a society chooses a practice, not beneficial to the family unit or the children of their nation, everyone follows it because everyone’s doing it. This, to me, is a scary thought. Now, we don’t live in Romania and we don’t have warehouse orphanages, but are there practices, we do in Hawaii or our nation, that don’t benefit the family unit and our children? Exacting information from the mouse study it would seem so important that communities were taught-informed-mentored-modeled practices that are good-beneficial-healthful to the family unit and children.
Early childhood center of care are often a families first experience with people who are trained in “good practices” for child.
To the question of moral dilemma, what is right? My job is so important, teacher, director, administrator your job is crucial. It is right! Even if we are not called “professionals” even if we are under paid for “this season”, we must understand, with out a doubt, that to some degree our nation, and course there of, rest on us.
Maybe you have a different opinion, what do you think?
Additional Reading:
Supporting Grandparents who raise Grandchildren by Birckmayer et al.
Our school is seeing a continual rise in grandparents raising children. We have one where parents are incarcerated, a few on drugs, and one the mother just left. My heart goes out to these grand parents literally forced into a situation of parenting again. When these grandparents come into the school we try to carter to them, offering a chair or a cup of coffee. I like these points the article made
Early Childhood educators can:
*Listen empathically to grandparents
*Encourage grandparents to avail themselves of community resources
*Provide information about where to obtain good legal services
*Gather information about community organizations or resources for children with special needs.
I would add trying to network them with people. An example would be a stay at home mom who could give the grandparents a break on the weekend to go out.
This trend seems to be a social problem, the culprit of which is drugs, alcohol use, divorce, mental and physical illness, child abuse and neglect, incarceration, even death.
As you get older you tend to look forward to years of empty nest. My eldest daughter tells me I’m not at all as hard (concerning discipline) on the youngest child as I was on her. Truth be told, she right…I’m mellowing with age and so is my husband. But this is a natural process. My heart goes out to grandparent who would prefer to be “grandparent” being forced to be parents again.
Chapter 12 “Working with Families and Communities” Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs Ninth Edition by Decker, Decker, Freeman and Knopf
Opportunities for program, families, and communities to work together are a crucial component of quality early childhood programming (Larner, 1996; Raab & Dunst, 1997).
It’s very important that families and communities understand the important role they play in their young children. It very important that educator make parents feel welcome and important. I have seen teachers, in my 20 years of teaching that would be condescending to parents. The fact is it’s not always easy to raise your children but for the most part parents know their children a lot better than a teacher ever will. If the teacher is smart she will utilize the knowledge of the parent. To me, parent & teacher collaboration is the best method to educate a child. I always tell our parents we are partners.
Families with higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be involved in their children’s schools and their children are likely to perform better academically than are children from low-income families (Lee & Burkam, 2002; Smith, Brooks-Gun, & Klebanov, 1997; Stevenson & Baker, 1987). Eleanore Fong-Severance Child Nutrition Specialist researched the location of our site and told me we are in a poverty level area. She determined this by using charts/maps to determine USDA funding for child’s lunches. I don’t think it was any “bell ringing” news to me. I work with this community everyday. I love my community and the people who live here. However, I would be untruthful not to say it comes with it’s own set of problems. Being connected with knowledgeable mentors has been my greatest resource. People who help me help people. Having strong relationships with our families helps us to understand things they value. Tension between families and center personnel can make collaboration difficult. Teachers that continually have tensions between families need to look into the mirror. Are they smiling, are they sincere, are they listening, are they avoiding being a “know it all”? Parents who truly feel the teacher cares for their children (good, bad and the ugly) will, in my opinion, receive instruction from them. A teacher or director can have a lot of knowledge but without people skills the have no way to share it. Building strong relationship during the good times helps a teacher immensely during the bad times.
See Baby Discriminate: Kids as young as 6 months judge others based on skin color. What’s a parent to do?
Hawaii is full of different colors and cultures. I realize that we want to be color blind, but we are different color. Shouldn’t we be looking at character instead of color? I don’t have very much to say about this article. According to the article, “At the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas, a database is kept on thousands of families in the Austin area”. All the data was collected from one location, Austin Texas. How many thousand? Two, three? The picture on the cover evoked a feeling of sadness toward racism. Did anyone else get the same feeling? I’m not trying to be critical, I wish the research was taken from all over the country.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Promoting Excellence
Early Learning standards of the NAEYC are guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices and related early childhood standard are used to shape teaching practices and promote excellence in early childhood education. These guidelines emphasize the need to provide environments that support all domains of learning and development. These program standards support educators in designing effective programs for young children.
HAEYC just had its annual conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. Many classes were offered and many were based around our standards. I was able to take a class by Dr. Charles Meisgier “Type, Temperament, & Teacher perception of ideal and problem students. Since I had been in a “Castles Colluege” I had the opportunity to take the MBTI personality testing before. During this class we began to apply the principles to children in our schools. It was very good and applicable. The more knowledge we receive the better teachers and directors we’ll become. After learning Dr. Meisgier’s ideas on personality and the concept that each child comes with unique DNA, kind of like a personality thumb print. It can be applied to “developmentally appropriate practices”. The standards of create learning environments for each individual child. The more we understand the individuality of each child the better we can plan for suitable environments.
Chapter 9 of Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs looks at Program Planning. Vision and planning is very important to any program, it’s what keeps the school going in the same direction.
Te Whāriki is the Ministry of Education's early childhood curriculum policy statement in New Zealand. Their early childhood education has a set of strands. There are five strands:
Well-being – Mana Atua
Belonging – Mana Whenua
Contribution – Mana Tangata
Communication – Mana Reo
Exploration – Mana Aotūroa
The strands are defined in terms of the goals and learning outcomes needed to achieve them, of each strand’s relationship to the principles, and of adult responsibilities associated with each strand. This would take a lot of planning and foresight. I don’t think I can compare strands to standards, but I could compare the desire to create the best environment for the child or early childhood age.
The Te Whāriki believes that learning begins at home, and early childhood programmes outside the child’s own home play a significant role in extending early learning and in laying the foundations for successful future learning.
This curriculum emphasises the critical role of socially and culturally mediated learning and of reciprocal and responsive relationships for children with people, places, and things. Children learn through collaboration with adults and peers, through guided participation and observation of others, as well as through individual exploration and reflection (Ministry of Education of New Zealand website).
I think it would be wonderful to be able to go to New Zealand and work in a program there. Being in the environment would be the best learning style for me.
HAEYC just had its annual conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. Many classes were offered and many were based around our standards. I was able to take a class by Dr. Charles Meisgier “Type, Temperament, & Teacher perception of ideal and problem students. Since I had been in a “Castles Colluege” I had the opportunity to take the MBTI personality testing before. During this class we began to apply the principles to children in our schools. It was very good and applicable. The more knowledge we receive the better teachers and directors we’ll become. After learning Dr. Meisgier’s ideas on personality and the concept that each child comes with unique DNA, kind of like a personality thumb print. It can be applied to “developmentally appropriate practices”. The standards of create learning environments for each individual child. The more we understand the individuality of each child the better we can plan for suitable environments.
Chapter 9 of Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs looks at Program Planning. Vision and planning is very important to any program, it’s what keeps the school going in the same direction.
Te Whāriki is the Ministry of Education's early childhood curriculum policy statement in New Zealand. Their early childhood education has a set of strands. There are five strands:
Well-being – Mana Atua
Belonging – Mana Whenua
Contribution – Mana Tangata
Communication – Mana Reo
Exploration – Mana Aotūroa
The strands are defined in terms of the goals and learning outcomes needed to achieve them, of each strand’s relationship to the principles, and of adult responsibilities associated with each strand. This would take a lot of planning and foresight. I don’t think I can compare strands to standards, but I could compare the desire to create the best environment for the child or early childhood age.
The Te Whāriki believes that learning begins at home, and early childhood programmes outside the child’s own home play a significant role in extending early learning and in laying the foundations for successful future learning.
This curriculum emphasises the critical role of socially and culturally mediated learning and of reciprocal and responsive relationships for children with people, places, and things. Children learn through collaboration with adults and peers, through guided participation and observation of others, as well as through individual exploration and reflection (Ministry of Education of New Zealand website).
I think it would be wonderful to be able to go to New Zealand and work in a program there. Being in the environment would be the best learning style for me.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Advocacy and Activism
Hello everyone, I just got back from the mainland and had a great time! We went to conferences ...also 6’s flags and horseback riding.
Looking at Sumison’s reading; she quotes “By advocacy, I mean speaking on behalf of others, often from within existing political, social, and economic frames of reference. In contrast, activism involves resisting and challenging those frames of references and the power bases that support them (Kenny, 2004).” Activism is concerned with ‘control, recognition, participation and action’.
Compensation is a concern of most people in the early childhood education field. Where will the money come from to pay the increasingly higher educated and professional people of this field? Chapter 13 of our text book says that professionals are typically rewarded with high pay and elevated social status. Relating this to the Sumison reading we could conclude that, although they are interrelated, we not just become an advocate but also become activist for change.
Training in communication will help us to give clear messages about what is needed. If an administrator were advocating this would change the way the administrator spends their time. A more global picture of childcare would become the focus.
Looking at Sumison’s reading; she quotes “By advocacy, I mean speaking on behalf of others, often from within existing political, social, and economic frames of reference. In contrast, activism involves resisting and challenging those frames of references and the power bases that support them (Kenny, 2004).” Activism is concerned with ‘control, recognition, participation and action’.
Compensation is a concern of most people in the early childhood education field. Where will the money come from to pay the increasingly higher educated and professional people of this field? Chapter 13 of our text book says that professionals are typically rewarded with high pay and elevated social status. Relating this to the Sumison reading we could conclude that, although they are interrelated, we not just become an advocate but also become activist for change.
Training in communication will help us to give clear messages about what is needed. If an administrator were advocating this would change the way the administrator spends their time. A more global picture of childcare would become the focus.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Rules and Regulations Along with Quality
I guess the opposite of this title would be “No rules and no regulations along with no quality”. No rules would bring a since of autarchy. Now some people who are morally ethical, would, regardless of rules and regulations, research the best methods, the most reasonably means and implement them into their schools, thus creating quality childcare. Other’s given the same criteria, no rules and regulations, would find the best way to make money, cutting corners and maybe relinquishing the quest for quality.
I think that having regulations and rules in a school helps bring clarity to everyone involved; director, teacher, aides, support help, parents and students.
For instants, there have been times when parents want us to keep a child with fever (over 101) in our school. Our school does not have a room or place to house a sick child so we have established, in place, a rule, that states, “All children with fever must go home during the duration of their sickness”. Having this in our handbook and continually enforcing it has kept many other children under our care from becoming sick. If we allowed a case by case interpretation to the rule, we would have people arguing that their child really wasn’t sick they just run fevers or complaining that in a previous “fever” the child was allowed to stay. That would be confusing.
A wise, elderly man once told my husband and me, “people feel safe with strong leadership and established rules”. I think I agree with him. The children and staff of a school need to feel safe. Rules, regulation and expectations need to be clear and enforced/maintained. I think the easiest way for this to happen is have everyone one, director, teacher, parents, child understanding and agreeable to the rule prior to it ever having to be practiced. Collaborating, page. 102-103 Chapter 5 of “Planning and Administrating Early Childhood Programs” Decker, Decker, Freeman and Knopf; gives four levels of decision making; unilateral, consultative, collaborative and delegative. No matter which level is being used it’s important that everyone understands the content and outcomes and is willing to work with them.
Chapter 5 of “Planning and Administrating Early Childhood Programs” Decker, Decker, Freeman and Knopf; clearly defines job descriptions, managements, leadership, qualifications creating and communication and more. I enjoyed reading this chapter. It clarified the importance of management and organization in our schools, no matter how small or large.
We need to keep collaborating and enriching the quality of our programs regardless if people do not jump on the band wagon the first time round. Exchange Everyday, September 29, says, "In my experience, people don't 'get' the important messages leaders try to send the first time around," writes Rosabeth Moss Kanter in Harvard Business Review On Point (Fall 2009; www.hbr.org).
I think that having regulations and rules in a school helps bring clarity to everyone involved; director, teacher, aides, support help, parents and students.
For instants, there have been times when parents want us to keep a child with fever (over 101) in our school. Our school does not have a room or place to house a sick child so we have established, in place, a rule, that states, “All children with fever must go home during the duration of their sickness”. Having this in our handbook and continually enforcing it has kept many other children under our care from becoming sick. If we allowed a case by case interpretation to the rule, we would have people arguing that their child really wasn’t sick they just run fevers or complaining that in a previous “fever” the child was allowed to stay. That would be confusing.
A wise, elderly man once told my husband and me, “people feel safe with strong leadership and established rules”. I think I agree with him. The children and staff of a school need to feel safe. Rules, regulation and expectations need to be clear and enforced/maintained. I think the easiest way for this to happen is have everyone one, director, teacher, parents, child understanding and agreeable to the rule prior to it ever having to be practiced. Collaborating, page. 102-103 Chapter 5 of “Planning and Administrating Early Childhood Programs” Decker, Decker, Freeman and Knopf; gives four levels of decision making; unilateral, consultative, collaborative and delegative. No matter which level is being used it’s important that everyone understands the content and outcomes and is willing to work with them.
Chapter 5 of “Planning and Administrating Early Childhood Programs” Decker, Decker, Freeman and Knopf; clearly defines job descriptions, managements, leadership, qualifications creating and communication and more. I enjoyed reading this chapter. It clarified the importance of management and organization in our schools, no matter how small or large.
We need to keep collaborating and enriching the quality of our programs regardless if people do not jump on the band wagon the first time round. Exchange Everyday, September 29, says, "In my experience, people don't 'get' the important messages leaders try to send the first time around," writes Rosabeth Moss Kanter in Harvard Business Review On Point (Fall 2009; www.hbr.org).
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Rethinking
Rethinking of school through the exposure of the reconceputalist ideas.
Being in the early education field for a number of years have made me familiar with foundation of this field. Reading chapter 3 &4 of “Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs” by Decker, Decker, Freeman & Knopf made me aware that my relicensing is coming up. Fire inspection...check, Sanitation inspection...check, Health records up-to-date...check, staff credentials in order...check; ok, ok everything is in order. Keeping the foundation in place and inspected is important. Actually it’s very important. It helps to keep children safe and teachers qualified.
The book causally talked about “zoning”. Maybe on the mainland “zoning” is causal. In my experience “zoning” is the extremely difficult. You are asked to go to the building department (the words make me quiver). Once you’re in the building department you take a number and wait...hours, if you miss your number (yes I have), being hollered through a diluted speaker, from you must begin again. Once attaining an audience with the person at the window (thinking all clarification will come now!); you begin to wonder if they are really speaking English. In my experience zoning issues take years and loom over an already stressed director’s head.
Even though the previous two paragraphs describe a lot of work and a base which needs to be kept in place at all times; a more important subject is in the ability develop and evolve and consider other possibilities that might exist beyond what is known. Spending moments of discomfort, stretching what we know to include and expand our teaching practices. When we determine to move in these ways we will find that our staff or those around us will follow.
Critical disposition has led to examination and receptualization of accepted ways of thinking about early childhood education and associate practice and care. Parents (for the most part) love their child and want the best for them; I stand behind this theory because I love my children. Parents have the right to choose the best early childhood center or care for their child based on their identities, culture, philosophy or anything else that is important to them. There are certain teaches and ideas I want presented to my child. Sorry there is no “Universal Child”. All children come with a back ground and or culture. These things must be honored not abolished for the sake of “Globalised Childcare”. It’s the core of the family.
We need to rethink and recognize agency, voice and complex identities without losing our individuality and the beauty of diversity. I worry with some of the literature I read that we are trying to create a generic Early Childhood Education system. One that, for the sake of political correctness or is it federal money, dilutes the very fiber of our communities and the unique differences they hold.
Being in the early education field for a number of years have made me familiar with foundation of this field. Reading chapter 3 &4 of “Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs” by Decker, Decker, Freeman & Knopf made me aware that my relicensing is coming up. Fire inspection...check, Sanitation inspection...check, Health records up-to-date...check, staff credentials in order...check; ok, ok everything is in order. Keeping the foundation in place and inspected is important. Actually it’s very important. It helps to keep children safe and teachers qualified.
The book causally talked about “zoning”. Maybe on the mainland “zoning” is causal. In my experience “zoning” is the extremely difficult. You are asked to go to the building department (the words make me quiver). Once you’re in the building department you take a number and wait...hours, if you miss your number (yes I have), being hollered through a diluted speaker, from you must begin again. Once attaining an audience with the person at the window (thinking all clarification will come now!); you begin to wonder if they are really speaking English. In my experience zoning issues take years and loom over an already stressed director’s head.
Even though the previous two paragraphs describe a lot of work and a base which needs to be kept in place at all times; a more important subject is in the ability develop and evolve and consider other possibilities that might exist beyond what is known. Spending moments of discomfort, stretching what we know to include and expand our teaching practices. When we determine to move in these ways we will find that our staff or those around us will follow.
Critical disposition has led to examination and receptualization of accepted ways of thinking about early childhood education and associate practice and care. Parents (for the most part) love their child and want the best for them; I stand behind this theory because I love my children. Parents have the right to choose the best early childhood center or care for their child based on their identities, culture, philosophy or anything else that is important to them. There are certain teaches and ideas I want presented to my child. Sorry there is no “Universal Child”. All children come with a back ground and or culture. These things must be honored not abolished for the sake of “Globalised Childcare”. It’s the core of the family.
We need to rethink and recognize agency, voice and complex identities without losing our individuality and the beauty of diversity. I worry with some of the literature I read that we are trying to create a generic Early Childhood Education system. One that, for the sake of political correctness or is it federal money, dilutes the very fiber of our communities and the unique differences they hold.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Developing a vision, mission and program evaluation
One obstacle an already existent school seeking to develop a vision must face is the complacence to just redefine who they already are. A vision must have action to create a higher quality program. Yes, it is good to understand your pre-existent philosophy, culture and values. But what we need to do is (dare I use the word) “dream” beyond it. To dream beyond financial restraints, to dream beyond short sighted teachers and dream to create something that might not exist at the moment. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: Proverbs 29:18”
Once an “unlimited” vision is cast, then it is easier to complete a program assessment plan. Everyone involved is able to clearly see the idealistic goal. Obviously there are financial restraint, facility restraints etc. Understanding our dream we can ask…”who are we?” Understanding the dream we can document; “what is our mission statement?” etc.
I wish I could find the “best” model for what I want my program to be, however, I have not. Closing my eyes and reflecting on my own thoughts is not adequate and much too limited…I need a team.
Re-reading our text book makes me feel back at work again, sitting in my office chair, or perusing our classrooms, cleaning bathrooms (yes, my job also) or counseling a parent/teacher/child. My hours are long and yet fulfilling.
I believe it takes a special “type” of person to do this job. A person who is intuitive by nature, accurate to details with the ability to lead and encourage.
Once an “unlimited” vision is cast, then it is easier to complete a program assessment plan. Everyone involved is able to clearly see the idealistic goal. Obviously there are financial restraint, facility restraints etc. Understanding our dream we can ask…”who are we?” Understanding the dream we can document; “what is our mission statement?” etc.
I wish I could find the “best” model for what I want my program to be, however, I have not. Closing my eyes and reflecting on my own thoughts is not adequate and much too limited…I need a team.
Re-reading our text book makes me feel back at work again, sitting in my office chair, or perusing our classrooms, cleaning bathrooms (yes, my job also) or counseling a parent/teacher/child. My hours are long and yet fulfilling.
I believe it takes a special “type” of person to do this job. A person who is intuitive by nature, accurate to details with the ability to lead and encourage.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Generations living together
William Gibson wrote an article on the issue of more and more families are living together with multiple generations. The increase of parents living in the same home as their children increased 67% from 2000 through 2007.
Interesting, must families I know, who own homes in Hawaii, have multiple generations living together. We’ve always contributed it to the high cost of housing in Hawaii. Now, the rest of the nation is following suit.
How does this effect Early Childhood education?
1) Children have the help of grandparents as caregivers or to help with transportation.
2) Young children become close and influenced by other family members in a much closer relationship.
3) Parents are taking care of their aging parents which teach new and different skills to their young children.
In all of these cases can be positive or negative for families.
Interesting, must families I know, who own homes in Hawaii, have multiple generations living together. We’ve always contributed it to the high cost of housing in Hawaii. Now, the rest of the nation is following suit.
How does this effect Early Childhood education?
1) Children have the help of grandparents as caregivers or to help with transportation.
2) Young children become close and influenced by other family members in a much closer relationship.
3) Parents are taking care of their aging parents which teach new and different skills to their young children.
In all of these cases can be positive or negative for families.
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