Web Resources     

Great nephew 1yr
Daughter 20 mths

Zero to Three
https://www.zerotothree.org

ECE Resources from Around the World

This week I was encouraged to reach out to another Early Childhood Professional from another country. My first reaction was, this profession is worldwide. I never thought that other countries needed early childhood education. This was shocking news to me. So the task was now how do I go about finding two individuals to make the connection with. I thought this would be a very difficult task. I was grateful to my professor for providing a starting point because it led me to a page on facebook entitled Teachers Around the World Pre-school Pen- Pals. Here on this page, i felt confident that I would be able to meet the requirements but  I was not successful. Then I tried Walden University Early Childhood Organization (WUECO). Here I was able to make a connection with some from Nanyuki who came highly recommended from another group member.

The one website that I would like to study is Zero to Three. I choose this website due to the career change I will be making. I will be transitioning from Head Start to Early Head start late this fall as the agency I currently work for is in the process of opening a small center. I feel that Zero to Three organization will be a great resource to have as i begin this journey with Infants and Toddlers. 

Reference

https://www.zerotothree.org/

https://www.facebook.com/PreschoolPenPals

 My Supports

I have a strong bond with my sisters that is unbreakable. Before I became a wife, I did everything with my sisters. My sisters have been very supportive in helping with my children and through this journey of continuing my education. One of the benefits of my support system is having four sisters in your corner who look up to you for advice, support, encouragement and occasional fun times with. 
If I did not have this support system, I do not believe I would have made it this far in life. I would have giving up on furthering my education to focus more on my children. My sisters have been that cushion of comfort and encouragement that pushes me to accomplish all obstacles. 

One challenge that I face on a daily basis is not having someone to help with transporting the children to their various activities. Having someone to help me with this matter would allow me to manage my time a lot better. It is very stressful at times when you have to plan around everyone's schedule. If I had this support I would be less cranky and moody with  others. I would also have more time to spend with my family. Being a mom of multiple children have is moments of exhaustion but it makes me a better person.

My Connections to Play

I choose this two quotes because they simplify the importance of play. the first one lists the exact skills and traits that children experience when they freely play amongst themselves or within a group. The second one caught my eye because expresses the impact play have on young children's lives. It is through play that children are developing lifelong skills.






As a child, I enjoyed reading books, roller skating and playing with dolls. My love for reading established when I entered second grade. There was a book report contest going on in our school and I wanted to win a prize. So every day I would read a book, write my report and anxiously turned it into my teacher. My other favorite thing to do was roller skate. I would practice skating every day in my basement until I was ready to skate outside. I also enjoyed playing with my dolls. Caring for my dolls prepared me for motherhood.

My Younger Days

Growing up with my sisters were the best years of my life. It was the bond that was built amongst my sisters that help me to build other relationships. Play help to build my self- esteem as well. I was the quiet and timid one of the bunch. I would play by myself or with my sisters. As I grew older, I began to express myself more. In doing so I was able to meet new people and made lifelong connections. I remember coming outside and a few of my friends younger siblings would follow me around on the playground. Some would eventually start calling me their pretend mother. It was these interactions that my passion for working with children developed.

Play Then and Now

Play for children today involves more technology than I remember as a child. Children prefer to play video games, tablets or smartphones over games with rules and involve interactions with others. When I was growing up you knew when school was out because the children were outside playing until the street lights came on. Now parents fear for their children's safety due to the rise in violence.

For Me

Play has molded me into a big kid at heart. Because I had the opportunity to play as a child with various children, it is portrayed in the work I do with my students. I was giving the opportunity to explore as a child through play and it has given me skills I needed to grow into the adult I am today.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I feel a sense of support. I am an individual with a heart of Gold. With that being said, I love to help others out the kindness of my heart. Eventhough I'm a kind person, I still need that supportive relationship/partnership. One of my positive relationships develop from work. My best friend Ebony and I worked together for awhile before the friendship develop. When our work partnership ended we continued to reach out to each other thus the begining of our friendship. She is the one that i can talk too about anything. She was one of the first co-teachers i worked with to share the impact i made on their career as a child care professional.

Then there is my good friend Kali who I thought would be a little uptight. In all reality she is a very funny positive and supportive person. Her personality will light up a room. When we worked together the partnership was one that refelected years of polishing but in reality we were still learning one another. She made working with the children and famiies a joy because she always had something uplifting for us all,  Although I do not speak with these ladies on a normal basis, we maintain our friendship through emails, texts and social media. What i really love about these two woman, we dont have to speak on a daily basis. No matte the time of day, I
can always depend on them and vice versus.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

These two quotes remind me why I decided to become an early childhood professional. Children are uniquely different and learn on various levels. So we as educators ned to find creative and engaging ways to guide our children through development. I want to take the time out to thank my fellow colleagues for inspiring me on this journey. You have shared with me some insights on child development that have truly enhanced my understanding. I have been motivated to continue my career in ECE as a leader who's determined to bring out the best in each child I interact with. Looking forward to future endeavors with you all.

My thoughts on assessing school age children

In today's school system, school age children are being prepared for standardised testing, instead of an education. With those standards in place, student progress and achievement will be measured according to state tests designed to match those state standards and given to every child, every year (Rapple,2004,p. 195). If school age children must be assessed, then they should be conducted three times a year, beginning, middle and of course the end of the year. During these assessments, the teacher would be able to pinpoint the child's progress and develop a plan to help in areas that need improvement. I believe crowding unfamiliar information into the minds of children can be a bit overwhelming.  Most psychologists now agree that the brain is like a muscle, affected by mental exercise which often encourage or discourage by social setting. Brain structures grow or shrink depending on past learning (Berger,2016,p.359).  If teachers are able to teach children the basic skills they need for life-long lessons and assess them on these skills, the scores would be a much better  turn out.

 One of the countries I decided to research was Geat Britain. Just like our American school Britain, have standardized testing as well. But more than three- quarters of teachers believe that pupils' enjoyment of education is being damaged by the Government's methods for measuring and raising achievement - its tests and exams regime( Mansel,2008). It amazes me that the effect that testing has on school age children in various countries. In the article "Smiles better than testing", Warwick Mansel, express the concerns of vigorous preparation for testing have on children. However, many professionals believe that the testing side has dominated, marginalising pupil development. I particular, there is a widespread view that putting children through months of test preparation, with aim of raising their achievement, can be boring for some and make others anxious (Mansel,2008).

Assessing school age children should be an enjoyable moment between the teacher and child. In these moments, one should be able to locate the child's strengths and or weaknesses. From these skills, I believe children should be tested on so that the process can be memorable and a complete success.

References
Mansel,W(2008).Smiles better than testing?TES: Times Educational Supplement,(4780),14-15.
Rapple,Brendan.2004 "Standardised Testing in AmericanSchool:Lessons from Matthew Arnold's Britain:Contemporary Review,285(1665),193-198