Our Journey through the ECE M.A. Program

Over the past weeks I have grown a lot in my knowledge of early childhood education and have come to understand the aspects of the field.  I am encouraged that their are so many others who share a similar passion for young children and their families.  I have enjoyed reading the discussions and blog posts that all my colleges have shared.  I feel that I have gained insight about the ECE field because of some of the different ideas and advice that has been shared.  In responding to the posts, it made me stop and think about things and really take a look at how I view ECE. I know that by sharing our thoughts and ideas we can build a network of professionals.  I wish for all my colleges success in their ECE journey, 20 months will go by quickly, but at the end I hope that everyone reaches the professional goals they set and also see that their passion can be contagious and spread it around so that others will want to help in supporting young children, families and ECE teachers.  I wish you the best in your ECE journey and keep in mind what Lilian Katz said, we must each see ourselves as developing professionals.  That is, we must become lifelong students of our own teaching (Katz, 1990).

Reference
Katz, L. (1990). On teaching. Child Care Information Exchange. (71), 3-4. Retrieved from http://secure.ccie.com/library/5007103.pdf

Examinig Codes of Ethics

In reading the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children codes of Ethics the ones that really had the strongest meaning for me were:
1. From NAEYC - Under the Section 1- I-1.7- Ethical Responsibilities to Children.
To use assessment information to understand and support children's development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children  who may need additional services.
From DEC under Professional Practice number five.
We shall use individually appropriate assessment strategies including multiple sources of information such as observations, interviews with significant caregivers, formal and informal assessments to determine children's learning styles, strengths, and challenges.

The significance that these have in my professional life are that this an area that I want to continue to grow in.  I know that an assessment tool can be very helpful to be able to track a child's growth and development.  It helps us know how to plan the environment and learning activities better for the children.  I have not done this to the extent that I would like to because I am not sure which assessment tool would be best for out students and and teachers.  The Assessment tool can also help teacher start a conversation with patents if it found that a child may need additional services or help guide them in supporting their child's growth and development.  I would like to learn more about assessment so that I can better support teachers, children and families.

2. From NAEYC - under the Section II - Ethical Responsibilities to Families - I-2.1
To be familiar with the knowledge base related to working effectively with families and to stay informed through continuing education and training.
From DEC under Responsive Family Centered Practices section Enhancement of Children's and Families' Quality of Lives number 2
We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the development outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

The significance that these have in my professional life are that  I want to be able to help parents by giving them resources that will give them the information they need to make the best decisions for their child. This is why is it important that I stay current in the ECE field.

3. From NAEYC - under Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues - I-3A.3
To support co-workers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional development.
 From DEC under Professional Development and Preparation number 1
We shall engage in ongoing and systematic reflective inquiry and self-assessment for the purpose of continuous improvement of professional performance and services to young children with disabilities and their families.

The significance this has for my professional life is that in order for me to be able to train teachers I must remember to keep learning my self and stay current in the field.  I want to be able to help teachers by directing them to workshops, books, journals, etc.  I want them to have the confidence and tools to be able to support children and their families.  Being a role model for them is a big part of getting the teachers motivated as well.

Resources for Early Childhood Professionals

This week was exciting because of all the new resources I was able to look at in the course.  I found so may articles I will be going back to read and links to Early Childhood sites that are going to be helpful in my studies and as I mentor Early Childhood students and to help motivate the teachers at the my center.  Above you will notice the different tabs for the many helpful resources for early childhood professionals, take a look to find the information that you may need to help with ideas for a specific question on early childhood education.
The three additional resources I want to share are:
1. Exchange-The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine
2. The Program for Infant/Toddler Care
3. Working in the Reggio Way: A beginner's Guide for American Teachers by Julianne P. Wurm
Working in the Reggio Way helps teachers of young children bring the innovative practices of the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, to American classrooms. Written by an educator who observed and worked in the world-famous schools, this groundbreaking resource presents the key tools that will allow American teachers to transform their classrooms, including these:
Organization of time and space
Documentation of children’s work
Observation and questioning
Attention to children’s environments
This workbook also contains interactive activities for individual or group reflection. (Book description on Amazon.com)
 

Words of Insperation and Motivation

"It's easy to celebrate what we can see, hear, or taste, such as food, art, crafts, music, costumes and customs.  If culture is an iceberg and only 10% of it shows above water, we may think that's all there is to it.  It's the part below the water, the beliefs, values, priorities, and practices that go with them that need sensitive and respectful attention."  Janet Gonzalez-Mena (from the article: Advancing Each Young Child's Potential: The Difference You Can Make)

"We must each see ourselves as developing professionals.  That is, we must become lifelong students of our own teaching."  Dr. Lilian G. Katz (from the article: On Teaching)

"We as professionals in the Early Childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."
Sandy Escobido - from the DVD: The Passion for Early Childhood

"I'm not here to save the world, I'm here to make a difference in the community I'm working in."
Raymond Hernandez MS Ed - from the DVD: The Passion for Early Childhood

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
- Henry Adams

"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."
- Maria Montessori

Personal Childhood Web

The five people who come to my mind first as the ones who cared and nurtured me as a child are, my Mom, Dad, aunt Teresa, cousin Lisa and my sister Jennifer.

My mom was always the person who took care of me.  She was a stay at home mom and we spent a lot of time together.  I helped with the various activities around the house and my mom played games with me and played dolls with me.  She would make the clothes for my dolls and when I asked her if she would make underwear and bras for my barbies, because that was something they seemed to never come with, she found some fabric and made them for my barbies.  She kept my barbies and their clothes and gave them to me when I got older.  I feel that she valued the importance of play and imagination and so this is something that I enjoy to this day. 

My father took care of me in a different way.  He was not able to be at home because he worked, so he made sure that I had the things that I needed.  My dad likes to travel and so we would go to many places that he wanted to explore further.  He introduced me to the joy of traveling and seeing new things.  As a child we traveled a lot in Mexico and so I saw the beautiful beaches from the high mountains of the interior region.  I remember stopping at the top of a mountain that had a look out point and my Dad stood me up for a picture and he held on to me so I would not fall.  I was afraid of heights, but I felt safe with him by my side. In college I decided to travel and live overseas for a year and my Dad was supportive and made sure I was able to go with the stipulation that I save some of the money I would need.   My Dad worked a lot and provided for us.  For me this was a security and I new he cared for me because he wanted to provide the best he could for me, but he made me understand the value of the dollar as well.

Every summer when I was little my Mom, sister and I would go to my aunt Teresa's house for about a month or so.  My aunt would take us to the cherry orchards and I remember climbing the ladder with a bucket to pick cherries.  She likes to cook so we ate fresh home made Mexican food and she made sure we had all the fresh flour tortillas we could eat when we were there.  She made me feel at home and I love visiting with her because she makes me laugh.  I can not say that I got the joy of cooking from her, but I did learn to enjoy sitting around a table with friends and family eating good food and talking for hours.

While visiting with my aunt I also spent time with my cousins.  My cousin Lisa seemed to be the one who always wanted to take me places.  That made me feel special because she was a teenager and she wanted to spend time with me.  One day she took my sister and I to the Library by bus.  That was exciting for me.  She did not have a drivers license and so she got around using public transportation.  This helped me to look at other ways of doing things and to be creative about getting what I needed.  In going to the library, she introduced the love of reading to me that I still enjoy doing when I can.  She lives in France now, but she always makes a point of calling me to see how I am doing.   

My sister and I are four years apart, but we always played well together.  She was always the baby and I was the mommy because of our age and I wanted to be in charge.  She is a peaceful person so she did not really argue with me or get mad, but if she didn't like something she would calmly tell my why.  I think that helped me as a child to not react immediately if someone made me mad, but to calmly asses the situation tell the other child to leave me alone.   My sister makes me feel special because she encourages my interests but is also willing to ask me the hard questions that make me think about things.  I always know that I can talk with her and she will give me her honest opinion.

My son with my aunt Teresa making tortillas.  This is what I used to do with her as a child.

My sister and I on a vacation we took this last summer.

My Mom still enjoys "playing" outside.

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.  There are seven million.  ~Walt Streightiff

I love watching the children when I share a "new" science project or read a book they have never heard before.  It makes it fun to share things with them because it's all new and exciting for them and they want to learn as much as they can or hear the story over and over again.   

My Favorit Children's Book

My favorit children's book is Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey .  I can remeber having it read to me as a child.  As a child I loved imagining the ducks talking and living in the park.  I am always touched when Offiicer Micheal stops traffic so that mama duck and her ducklings can cross the street to meet papa duck at the park.
Another great book from this author is, Blueberries for Sal      .  It reminds me of simpler times and I love the camparison of a bear cub and a young chlild. They are both playful curious.