Friday, December 23, 2011

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



Friday, December 16, 2011

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.

Friday, December 2, 2011

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)
 
Front Cover