Graditude of Thanks.

"If kids come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our jobs more important." -Barbara Colorso
I used this quote in another one of my blog post. I love this quote! I want to help children that don't have access to most resources. I believe that that is my life's purpose, to help children. Rather I'm teaching or not, I plan to continue to help children.

I want to say thank you to my classmates, especially Tracey Darden and Shahrazad Ali I really enjoyed reading both blog postings and discussion boards. You all's postings were full of information and different perspective of thinking. Thank you! I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

During my childhood, I was blessed not to have any of the stressors, such as poverty, war, racism, etc. nor did any of my friends, which I’m aware of. So I cannot speak personally about these stressors and how they affect children, but I can talk about a true story and movie about a young man from my hometown. ‘The Blind Side’ is a movie portraying Michael Oher’s struggle with poverty and his success within football. This is a very popular movie and a real tear jerker. Michael Oher was born to a crack addicted mother, grew up in the projects, he also moved around and slept couch to couch. Because of an acquaintance, had the opportunity to attend one of the top private high schools in the city, Biarcrest. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. He went on to graduate high school, attend Ole Miss, and he became a NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens. It is good to hear and see a story about someone who beat the odds.

“Around 1.2 million Egyptian children live in absolute poverty. More than 1.4 million children live on less than 1 US dollar per day” (www.un.org). Could you imagine living on $1 a day? “It is important to look at how poverty is affecting their lives and how we can address it, because a child who lives in poverty rarely gets a second chance at an education or a healthy start in life,” stated Ms. Kaag (www.un.org). For example through Save the Children, Egypt has provided street children with education and vocational training. Poverty will not disappear, but the effort is great.

References :

Child Poverty and Disparities Study in Egypt Launched. Retrieved from: http://www.crop.org/storypg.aspx?id=274&MenuNode=633953432867962126&zone=3

Egypt. Save the Children. Retrieved from: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/middle-east/egypt

UNICEF study finds millions of Egyptian children still live in poverty. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33816#.UkjHokko7IU

Teenage Pregnancy

The topic I chose is mental health of teenage mothers. The reason I chose this topic is because unfortunately some children are at risk. Being a teenager, there are a lot of football games, dances, and other fun activities to do with friends. Babies can be seen as getting in the way of that fun, especially if family isn’t there to support the baby and mother. Motherhood can be a bit overwhelming especially for a teen. Teenage pregnancy can bring some health and mental health risks for the mother and her baby. Teen births are at risk for low birth weight, premature birth, higher rate of low infant mortality, and many other complications. Children that are born to teen mothers are more likely to experience social, emotional, and other problems. There is an increased risk for abuse and neglect. Also, children who are born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care and cognitive & social stimulation.

In the UK research found that, “41.9% of teenage mums had antenatal depression, compared with 35.7% mothers in their early 20s and 18% of women in the group aged 23 to 38.”

I believe that it is good to have awareness and sex courses in high school. Just because we pray and hope teenagers know about safe sex and taking, the right precautions we still need to tell them and stress to them the subject. If we are care providers of young mothers, we should ask them about their feelings, how we can better assist them and her family.

References

(October 2000). Teen Pregnancy Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.healthcommunities.com/teen-pregnancy/children/overview-of-teen-pregnancy.shtml

(November 2008). Young Mothers’ Depression Risk. Retrieved from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7727540.stm

Childbirth in Your Life and Around the World

 I do not have children and I’ve never been in a delivery room, so I had to ask my friend about her experience. My close friend, Mel, had her first baby two weeks ago! Unfortunately she was in the hospital a week, due to high blood pressure, before she was induced. Mel has had high blood pressure since 2008 and she really didn’t start having problems until she was 32 weeks. She was scheduled a Cesarean Section for September 20, but the doctors were concerned about her health as well as the baby’s health. She told me that her doctor and attending nurses were very nice and helpful throughout her stay at the hospital and during her birth. She was induced that morning and was supposed to have a natural birth, but the baby’s heart rate was dropping so they did a C-Section. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, almost 6lbs. I visited Mel and the baby the next day, he was the smallest baby I’d ever seen. I stayed for about two hours, the nurses constantly came in and checked on her and the baby. From what I could tell they were really concerned about them and their health.

One in 22 women die during pregnancy or childbirth, in Africa. In remote areas of Africa childbirth usually happens at home, with only the mother and grandmother at the expecting mother’s side. If complications occur, the nearest help is hours away, which they’ll probably have to walk during labor.

In South Africa, a large number of women were interviewed stating that they had the following problems in the hospital:

·         Pinched, slapped, handled roughly during labor

·         Nurses ignoring them

·         Discharged improperly

·         While in labor they were refused admission

·         Sent home without pain medicine

·         Sent home after Cesarean section without medication, antibiotics, painkillers, etc.

Mel’s labor/after labor care and the women in Africa and South Africa differ a lot. It’s very heartbreaking to read that women are treated this way during what is expected to be the most joyous part of their lives. I received some of my information of www.theguardian.com and they give different websites to research regarding Africa. The issue had been raised to the United Nations about the treatment of pregnant women in hospitals in South Africa.

References

(2012). Giving Birth- The Most Dangerous Thing an African Woman can do? Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/journalismcompetition/giving-birth-the-most-dangerous-thing-an-african-woman-can-do

(2011). The Shocking Truth about Giving Birth in South Africa. Retrieved from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232413.php

Codes of Ethics

This week we reviewed the code of ethics from the National Association of Education of Young Children and the Division for Early Childhood. All of the positions stated are significant to me but these are the three that stood out to me.

1.      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. (DEC)

This is significant to me because I believe that every child learns differently. It’s important to understand how they learn. We should build upon their strengths and direct more focus on difficult areas. We should pay careful attention to the child’s learning skills to help them achieve and learn more.

2.      We shall respect, value, promote, and encourage the active participation of ALL families by engaging families in meaningful ways in the assessment and intervention processes. (DEC)

Working together with families is important for the child’s success. The family should be informed and active about what is going on with their child’s education. If the child is having any learning problems, the parents and I must work on a consistent basis to figure solutions for the child.

 

3.       To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training. (NAEYC)

 

The early years are so important, so knowledge of early childhood care and education is crucial to me. I want to start my own daycare therefore I should continue my education and training to benefit my future student. I want to provide the best child care, so I need to be properly educated and trained to offer the family and child the best.

 

Resources

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

Helpful Resources

Position Statements

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://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf

Global Support for Children Rights

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
 

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
 

Association for Childhood Education International

http://acei.org/
  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/

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/

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals

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

Learning Disabilities Association of America: for Teachers
http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/

The Role of Educators in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/educator/educatore.cfm

Association for Early Learning Leaders
http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/
 

The Wisdom of Early Childhood

This week in my blog I will share a few quotes from some influential people in the early childhood field. I chose these quotes because I really enjoyed them, they inspire me in this field and let me know that I chose the right profession. Enjoy!

Marian Wright Edelman

"Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, not something you do in your spare time."

"Never work for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night."

Lilian Katz

"Experts generally agree that taking all opportunities to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drill, and deciphering uninteresting words."

"Each of us must come to care about everyone else's children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people's children. After all, when on of our children needs life-saving surgery, someone else's child will perform it. If one of our children is harmed by violence, someone else's child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life also secured for all other people's children."



"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires" -William Arthur Ward

"If kids come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our jobs more important." -Barbara Colorso

"I always felt like I owed the families my best." -Renatta M. Cooper

"You have to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for the child." - Renatta M. Cooper

Personal Childhood Web

 

 

My childhood was influenced by a lot of people, but I'm choosing five people who had the greatest.

 

Daphne is my mother. She is everything I want to be in a woman. My mother has always motivated me to be better and not to settle for anything less than greatness. There is so much I could say about her, but I will keep it brief. She has always been involved in my education. When we use to lay in the bed, she would read her magazines and I would read my Minnie Mouse books. She made me love reading because she would always do it with me. When I had spelling words, she would always make me say the word, spell the word and say the word again. At the time I hated it, but it made me a stronger speller. I remember one day I told my mother that I hated school and she said, "never say that, you always want to be a life long learner".  This has always stuck with me and I long to be a life long learner. She has always been a positive role model in my life.



My father, Ellie, is another positive influence in my life. Naturally, I'm a daddy's girl. I've always been a bit of a tomboy, sort of his fault. He use to take me to basketball practice, girl scouts, and other extra curricular activities because my mom got off kind of late. He's always pushed me to not be afraid and speak up for myself. I always thought that my dad was hard, yet so sweet. I think I have a lot of my dad's traits, the reason why I call him my twin. Our attitudes are so similar; he is a tough one, but he is very giving. He made sure all of my homework was done before bed and really stayed on me about my school work.

 

My brothers, Darren (31) and Brian (26) , were very big part of my childhood. They were my first social interactions.  They are kind of the main reason that I am such a tomboy. Darren is really protective over me, but Brian has always been kind of nonchalant (probably because I took his spot). However they've always showed me love. Because Brian and I were close in age, we spent a lot of time together. My mom tells the story when we were in the car with her, she would point to things and make him spell the object, I was about 3 and he was 5, he could not spell stop, I guess I got tired of hearing stop and I yelled out, Brian, stop, S-T-O-P, stop. After that day she was determined to get me into kindergarten. My brothers have always been there to support me in whatever I have been pursing. I personally believe that I have learned more from them when we were older than back then. I'm blessed that they still pick up the phone when I call and talk to me.

 

The fifth person that had a huge influence on my life and persuaded me to become a teacher is a member of my church, Mrs. Flowers. Mrs. Flowers was over the Easter and Christmas programs every year. I bring this up because since I've been talking, I've been reciting speeches. I would cry every year and she would always say, "that's okay Chelsey, you'll say it next year". She really motivated me to become a better reader and overcome my fears of public speaking. Mrs. Flowers was an Early Childhood educator and she has always told me that I would make a great teacher. She always expressed to the children at our church the importance of an education. She really influence me and advised me to take up this career. (I don't have a picture of her)

 

Even though I have many other people who have been apart of my up bringing, these five have been really supportive of my present endeavors.  

 

 

 

Passion

The picture on the left me in the 1st or 2nd grade and on the right is me on my college graduation day.

The quote below is about early childhood. I came across on Walden's website when I was researching the program. I strongly agree with this quote from Dr. Costner, because children are like sponges in their early years; they soak everything up. I believe that an exceptional learning experience is extremely crucial at the early stages of life. They will take that learning with them for the rest of their life.

“The care, respect, and knowledge adults bring to working with young children and their families can determine children’s later success in school and in life.

 Dr. Kelley Costner
 Associate Dean of Master’s Programs
The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership

What really makes my heart smile and fuels my passion for this field is the way children faces light up when they learn something new. It is really a feeling like no other. They get so excited about new things that they learn. If a child does not understand something finally grasp hold to the concept it makes me feel some type of way, like I have accomplished something as well.

I have a 4 year old nephew, who I am just so in love with and I am so amazed by the things that he shows and tells me. Every time I talk to him I can see how he's developed cognitively, linguistically, and physically. I believe since his birth it has really fueled my passion even more for the field.

It is a very rewarding field, I believe, to know that I'm contributing to history in some type of way. It's more than just teaching, it's making a change in the world.

About Me!

Welcome to my blog! I am Chelsey Crawford, recent graduate of Arkansas State University. I graduated with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Education, Social Work, and Sociology. I am currently enrolled at Walden University to earn my MS in Early Childhood Studies. I have a love for children and want to ensure that they have a strong foundation in education. I believe that an excellent early childhood program prepares children for a great future.