The Life and Curiosity of Childhood

EDUC -6990 Capstone Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 19:09:00 +0000

Time Well Spent

As I reflect on my educational throughout every course, I took at Walden University I believe it was all a time well spent. I cannot thank Walden University, professors, community of learners and classmates forever I am very grateful. I believe that I have become competent in the field of Early Childhood Education do to my professors supporting my educational journey as well as my community of learners. They all have shared their expertise, knowledge, and passion that have challenge me in every way and I thank you all for it.

I do have to say that I have been challenge in man way through my educational journey at Walden but I know that this is the end of one journey and it has been very rewarding. Time just went by so quickly which at times I doubted myself however I have reached a goal and dream of mine. I still cannot believe that I have completed a M.S in Early Childhood Studies. My knowledge and skills have grown as well as expanded. I feel very inspired to know that there is a community of practices that also support early childhood education and I will get involved with those organizations every way I can so I can continue feeding my passion. I want to support the change in equity and inclusion of children in early childhood. I believe that I have acquired the tools that I need to advocate for social change as well as I can address those inequities with the tools that I have gained. Learning and developing effective programs and practices was also part of the challenge Walden gave me and I believe that I have gained deep knowledge in these areas as well.

One other important foundation I learned through this Master is how to conduct research with evidence-bases research and how it relates to making decisions in the early childhood field.

I look forward to working in the field of Early Childhood and teach other adults how to apply best practices when it comes to early childhood.

I have truly enjoyed working with everyone of you and wish you all success.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Nelson Mandela

EDUC 6990 – Capstone Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 23:19:00 +0000

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

I am so excited to investigate the countless organizations that are committed to the well-being of children. I can say that we are not alone in this. It is great to feel that I belong to a huge community of practices that have passion, vision, and mission. There are many individuals, agencies, and organizations on a local, state, and international level who don’t know each other but their passion for the welfare for all children that unite them to make a difference.

The early childhood field expands its horizon globally, and as an early childhood professional, I am thrilled to explore the international community of early childhood. My family and I are very involved with a non-profit organization that works globally. That is why I am excited to explore the international community of EC.

UNICEF

The website immediately communicates what drives this organization, “for every child, a fair chance…”- This simple phrase quotes my attention. UNICEF works across 190 countries and territories jointly defending the right s of children and advocating globally, protecting the lives of every child, every day across the globe.

What I love about this organization is that they are also working to improve the policies and services that protect all children. They aim to make the world a safe and inclusive place for children to grow and thrive.

International Step by Step Association

What stood as I was perusing their website is their dedication to promoting child development across all domains. They are committed to providing knowledge and tools to improve the quality of Early Childhood Development. Child development is my degree that is why any early childhood development topic is near and dear to my heart.

ISSA also gather and create prominent research and insights into child care and share it with colleagues, organization members, and policymakers to make a difference in the EC field. Their vision is to work together with families, communities, and professionals to empower every child to reach his unique potential and embrace the values of social justice and equity. That is a great vision!

Save the Children

The Save, the Children organization, works in the U.S. and around the globe to give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn, grow and protected from any harm. The uniqueness of this agency is their passion for every child’s future. That is why in times of crisis they are quick to respond and take every necessary step to save children.

What I love about this organization is their hands-on capacity to save the children around the world. They want to make sure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.

Job / Roles connected with the EC field internationally.

Associate Technical Director, Child Protection – Family Care First (Cambodia)

The Associate Technical Director, Child Protection will oversee all technical aspects on the FCF project and provide strategic technical leadership across the programme, including strategic advice to the Chief of Party and project team and over 20 projects across diverse partnerships and ensure technical excellence in the FCF priority areas and programming. Work will also include coordinating with government technical departments, donors, development partners, and other NGO partners.

Required Qualifications

Master’s degree Social Work, Child protection, or other relevant social sciences
Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding and other global policies, and to Save the Children values
Strong understanding of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and commitment to family based care
Practical knowledge of current thematic issues and debates regarding child protection in developing countries, and of the major institutional donors
Excellent understanding of rights based/child rights programming
Willingness to travel regularly and for prolonged periods to the field

The skills that I need to sharpen for this job is to effectively support a diverse range of projects, I will also need communication and collaboration skills.

Technical Advisor, Development Food Security Activities-Heatlh & Nutrition

Save the Children is seeking a Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor (TA) for the anticipated 5 year USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Security Activities (DFSA). This person will take overall responsibility of Save the Children’s deliverables in the project. The Technical Advisor will provide overall leadership and technical direction for the project, ensuring achievement of project deliverables. The project focuses on sustainably reducing persistent acute malnutrition rates in two target counties in Kenya. The project will be implemented in two phases whose objectives are to research, test approaches, and collaboratively design a context-sensitive, multi-sectoral activity that sustainably reduces acute malnutrition; and to implement and adapt, in conjunction with Kenyan systems, a multi-sectoral systems-driven activity to reduce acute malnutrition; and strengthen relevant systems and institutions to manage and scale nutrition activities.

Technical assistance and capacity building

Provide programmatic and strategic leadership, setting priorities in designing and managing the implementation of the project’s activities in collaboration with the other technical advisors and the implementation team
Provide overall technical guidance and leadership for implementation of health and nutrition activities
Provide technical leadership for health system strengthening and capacity building approach of health and nutrition activities
Provide leadership for Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement measures in health and nutrition
Contribute to health and nutrition formative research and pilot research design and implementation
Work with the project System Strengthening and Institutionalization Lead and contribute to the development and execution of health and nutrition systems strengthening and capacity building efforts
Review and analyze data for performance monitoring and utilize the data to take corrective actions

The skills that I need to sharpen for this job is communication and collaboration skills.

Helpful Resources

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Career opportunities-

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/SAV1002STCF/JobBoard/7d92e82b-af74-464d-859b-c5b8cba6e92e/?q=&o=postedDateDesc

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/SAV1002STCF/JobBoard/7d92e82b-af74-464d-859b-c5b8cba6e92e/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=3b165e5f-211c-4d94-aaba-e1aac8061034

EDUC 6990 - Capstone Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 04:34:00 +0000

Job/Roles in the ECE Community:National/Federal Level

Exploring national organizations and federal agencies that work closely with children and families makes my awareness of the numerous organizations and agencies that are trying to make a difference in the EC field. It also provides a sense that EC practitioners are not alone and that there are countless resources and communities of practice that we can be part of.

Here are some of the national organizations and communities of practice that stood out to me as I explore jobs and roles in the EC community.

National Child Care Association

The mission of NCCA is to foster growth and safeguard the interest of quality child care and education concentrating on licensed, private providers of these services. It also serves as a voice to ensure regulations and legislation are put forward for the benefits of children and their parents.

What I appreciate about this organization is that it supports policies that are beneficial to children. They also promote equal participation in funding for all providers of early care and education birth through 5.

Center on the Developing Child

The Center on the Developing Child is another fascinating organization that catalyzes local, national, and international innovation in policy and practice focused on children and families.

They are a multidisciplinary team dedicated to driving science-based innovation in policy and practice. The organization goal is to produce significantly larger impacts on the learning capacity, health, and economic and social agility of young children.

Division for Early Childhood

The Division for Early Childhood is another organization that has a unique focus on young children (0-8) with disabilities. It promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and augment the optimal development of young children (0-8) who have or at risk for developmental delays and disabilities.

I love their mission of supporting young children (0-8) with disabilities and other special needs and their families.

When it comes to job or roles connected with the EC field, I found some interesting jobs that grab my attention.

Child Life Specialist

Child specialists work with children and their families to foster growth and development in a setting that reduces anxiety about hospitalization and treatment.

· Child Specialists may have many administrative duties depending on the size of the program. They also sit on a committee to discuss a topic such as pain management, quality program, and grief.

· Working conditions could be hospital-based or facility-based. They work closely with a child’s family including parents and siblings to educate them about the healthcare process.

· The educational background includes educational training typically in child development. It may require the applicants to hold Certified Child Life Specialist accreditation from the Child Life Council (CLC). The applicant also needs to complete 480 hours of clinical work and pass the exam from CLC.

For me to competently fulfill this role, I need to take the CLS certification and pass the test. I also need to complete the 480 hours of clinical work.

Early Intervention Specialist/Early Childhood Special Educator

The nature of work of an Early Intervention Specialist/Early Childhood Special Educator is providing for the needs of infants, toddlers, and young children who have sensory and physical impairments and are emotionally and cognitively challenged

· They may work with families and other service providers in planning, delivering, and evaluating interventions that significantly affect the developmental needs of a child.

· The person may provide direct services in various setting such as classroom, home, or center-based programs.

· The educational background includes a Bachelor degree with an authorization for working as an early interventionist or teaching Early Childhood Special Education.

· The person has interest in medical terminology and unusual medical conditions and has the high energy level and ability to handle multiple tasks.

For me to competently fulfill this role I need to work in an EC or daycare that welcomes children with disabilities and I might need to take some Special Education coursework

Here are some of the valuable links that you may want to explore

https://www.nccanet.org/

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/

http://www.dec-sped.org/

https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2018/youre-a-what/child-life-specialist.htm

http://www.personnelcenter.org/ear_chil.cfm

EDUC 6990 Capstone - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 23:37:00 +0000

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

As I started to explore different organizations the ones that inspire me to continue with my passion in early childhood education are the following:

1. Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)

This international association is designed to encourage the education of all children. It works with children from birth to their teenage years. Through the organization, educators can get the support and professional resources that they need. The ACEI provides the latest information about best practices in early childhood education. There are also grants, awards and scholarships to help educators learn more about the field. I found this organization as one that I look forward to continue following because I love the fact that it is a global community in which educators are advocating for children and teenagers to make sure that a difference is made in this society.

2. National Head Start Association (NHSA)

This is one of the professional early childhood education associations that is devoted specifically to Head Start children. The NHSA is designed to support the Head Start community through training and professional development. It performs research, releases the latest information and provides resources for educators. The underlying goal of the NHSA is to strengthen Head Start services through training and advocating for specific policy changes. My interest for this association is because I want to continue furthering my education and stay abreast of all the changes so it is vital to continue professional development.

3. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

If you work with gifted children, this is the right organization for you. The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international association for this purpose. It includes more than 30,000 members and offers professional development opportunities. Members of the organization receive CEC publications and can take part in 17 special interest divisions. In addition, the CEC offers leadership positions as well as extensive networking opportunities. I am very interested in this organization because I love working with gifted children so I know that through professional development I would be able to learn more on how to support gifted children.

Job Opportunity I would be interested in is at:

Los Medanos College as a Child/Development/Early Childhood Education Adjunct Instructor

The successful candidate must meet one of the following criteria:
1. Master’s degree or higher in child development, early childhood education, human development, home economics/family and consumer studies with a specialization in child development/early childhood education, educational psychology with a specialization in child development/early education from an accredited college or university; OR
2. A combination of education and experience that is at least the equivalent of items 1 or 2 above (Applicants applying on the basis of equivalency must complete all Equivalency questions on their application in addition to all other required materials).

3. Sensitivity to and understanding of, the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.
4. Bilingual and biliteracy skills.

References

https://www.acei.org/

https://www.nhsa.org/

https://www.cec.sped.org/

https://www.4cdcareers.net/postings/5955?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed

Many Thanks to Dr. Parrish and all my Colleagues at EDUC 6165

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 21:00:00 +0000

I have to thank everyone for all their input and support during the last eight weeks. The valuable support of everyone has made me grow in so many different ways but more importantly on my communication, collaboration and listening skills. I hope to stay connected through our blogs or please feel free to email me at anytime janetvj1@gmail.com.

I sincerely hope to see you again in future courses at Walden.

Best Wishes,

Janet

The Adjourning Phase

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Adjourning is the stage in which a project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions. Sometimes when a group has built a knit group sadness is felt when separating and moving on to other projects. (Abudi, 2010).

I can remember working on my bachelors and making great friends. These are the friends that I made while working in groups in several of the classes we took together. It was very sad to say goodbye to many of them because I knew that they were moving back home, and it would not be the same again. I know that I made it through graduation because of them and I many times we said that to each other. We were there for each other through thick and thin and we supported each other with no judgements. I believe that the high-performing group was the hardest to leave because that is where we built the strongest relationships and became friends as well.

The closing rituals we went through was shopping for our graduation clothes, having dinners, graduation night we took many pictures, we had a dinner after graduation and in the morning we all got together for breakfast. It was hard to say good-bye to each other. We cried, hugged, and laughed at the same time.

I feel that online education is so much different because we don’t see people face to face so sometimes building relationships is harder. I do have to say that I have taken several courses with the same students and I have followed their blogs and discussion and I have to say that I have enjoyed as well as I have learned from them. So, saying good-bye to following their posts will be hard because I will no longer hear their voices through their writing.

References

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Resolving Conflict

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 00:30:00 +0000

I recently had a conflict or I would say more of a misunderstanding with my husband about something that was not really worth getting into an argument about. In studying this week’s material and the 3 R’s of Respect, Response, and Relationship it made me think about how me knowing these 3 R’s before our conflict I know that I would have handled things differently. This week I have gone through and eye opening in reminding me that I should treat people as I want to be treated. Respect is shown to treat people as you would like to be treated so I know that from now on I will remember to treat my husband as I want to be treated. Also, relationship came to mind because having a positive relationship with my husband will lead to a healthier and positive kinship between the both of us.

I am actually the type of person that will avoid any type of conflict except when it comes to my husband and not agreeing on something. I know that my husband and I can have very productive conflicts what will allow us to exchange our ideas and clarify how we both think and at the end we help each other with coming up with a resolution that we both are happy with. Ultimately, I believe that we must handle a conflict with respect and this is when I can surely say that NVC will help with expressing our inner guide to dialogue without blaming or judging others.

Who am I as a Communicator

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 00:30:00 +0000

During the course of this week I was asked to evaluate myself as a communicator as well as I was asked that I would be evaluated by another person. Through both evaluations I was said to be of moderate on the verbal aggressive scale. Moderate aggressive is described as maintaining a good balance between respect and consideration for others’ viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position (Rubin, et., al, 2009). My communication anxiety was also moderate and the person that evaluated also stated that I was moderate. I guess I was surprised to see that the results of my own evaluation and the person that evaluated me we both came up with the same results. My listening style profile scored me in Group 1 as being people-oriented and the description is that I am empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others. This listening style helps you to build relationships. But it can interfere with proper judgement because I tend to be very trusting of others. I agree with most of this statement however I know that I am not very trusting of others.

I learned this week that even though it seems that I do not like to communicate or feel that I communicate well I actually do even when I feel some anxiety when communicating. I also learned this week that it is important to become an effective communicator as well as that I must be an effective listener for both my personal and professional life. I want to make sure that I building relationships with parents, colleagues and student in an effective manner.

References

Rubin, R. B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H. E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

Rubin, R. B., Rubin, A. M., Graham, E. E., Perse, E. M., & Seibold, D. R. (2009). Communication research measures: A Sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

Communication

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 22 Sep 2018 23:00:00 +0000

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

I do believe that I communicate differently with people from different groups. First of all, when I communicate with my colleagues at work I make sure that I am professional and that I do not say anything that would offend anyone. Although I am not the type to offend people with my words. However, I do see myself being and keeping a professional conversation at work versus when I am with friends in a more comfortable environment I communicate with them different and can joke and laugh at our conversations. As to people from other cultures I am very careful when saying things because I do not want to offend them. I also know that some people do not like to hear another spoken language that they don’t know so I am careful to speak Spanish around people that do not understand the language. I do not want to make them upset or make them think that I am speaking about them because that is the misconception of many people thinking that we are talking bad about them in another language.

There are many different communication styles that I use when speaking to colleagues is more professional as when I am speaking to my children I use more loving manner showing them how much I love them or when I speak to my husband it is in a more romantic way. Even when we communicate with text or social media is different nonverbal communication from spoken words.

Non-Verbal Communication vs. Verbal Communication

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:30:00 +0000

Non-Verbal Communication

I was asked to choose an episode from a television show and looked over the way in which they were communicating without listening to the sound. The conversation was taking place over diner and Amy and Sheldon were sitting eating while having a conversation. I noticed that Sheldon was doing all the talking while Amy was not doing much of an eye contact and just continued eating. She did not seem engaged in the conversation. After Sheldon got up and went to the refrigerator I then noticed that all of a sudden, Amy became very engaged in the conversation and she started to move her hands as she spoke, and her facial expression seemed to portray as a concerned person. He seemed to be very expressive by moving his hands a lot as well and his entire body and his facial expressions were very noticeable. At the end of the video I noticed that Amy hit the table and said something in a very frustrated manner her facial expression showed that she was upset. I then noticed that Sheldon was in shock and became quiet and his facial expression was of someone that felt nervous.

Verbal Communication

As I listened to the conversation between both I could interpret that the Amy was not engage in the conversation, so my assumption was correct. I believe that we could tell so much about non-verbal communication without having to know the person or a show so I do not think that my assumptions would have changed since non-verbal communication can really be perceived.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_dAkDsBQyk

Competent Communicator

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 03:59:00 +0000

The principal I work for is the person that comes to my mind right away. She is one competent communicator that I have always admire when I hear her speak at meetings or with parents and students. She is not only a great communicator that shows empathy and competence, but she is a great listener. Her use of language and nonverbal behavior makes anyone feel comfortable to speak with her. I like that she is always very positive even in the mist of something happening. She is very understanding, thoughtful and the sympathy she portrays is very real. I have also noticed how well she understand culture competence when it comes to race, gender and ethnicity. She is a very genuine person and that makes it very easy for anyone to approach her and want to talk to her.

I would definitely want to model many of her own communication behaviors that she has. Her skills and abilities with communicating with everyone is something that I would like to learn and model.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice & Oppression

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000

During the last few weeks of class and after assessing myself on biases I found that I have formed some biases, and the ONE Hope I have is that I must defeat any biases I have. I need to commit that I will support all children and their families.

As an early childhood educator my GOAL is to become culturally responsive, so I can support diversity of children and their families.

I would like to take the time to thank all my colleagues for providing feedback to my discussions and blogs. I would also like to thank them for becoming vulnerable and sharing their stories of struggles, prejudices and oppressions they have experienced.

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 19:30:00 +0000

I would start by researching the country of Africa to make sure I know what they are accustomed to including their values and norms, so I can be able to communicate in a respectful manner.
I would incorporate in my classroom the culture in Africa on the board that I have all the other children’s cultures. I would ask them to bring something to the class that I can also put on that board that will share with us something about their culture.
I will make sure that I have an interpreter, so I am able to communicate in case the family do not speak English. I want to make sure that we are communicating so I can make them feel welcomed
I would invite them to the classroom, so they could share with us a bit about their background, so we can all learn directly from them about their cultures.
I will make sure that I do not cross any boundaries and respect their culture.

The benefits of preparing before I meet the family and learn what I can about their cultures and beliefs will show that I have an interest in their child and the family as well. It will also show to them that I respect their culture and that learning more about who they are will open the lines of communication. I will make them feel welcome and cared for if I show that I have taken the time to learn about their cultures.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 21:44:00 +0000

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

Friday night is family night for us and we love to try out new places to eat, watch a movie, go bowling or anything the kids want to do. My kids love Friday family nights and we as a family also really look forward to spending time with the kids and doing something fun. We enjoy trying new things so one day my kids suggested going golf. We thought well I we can try it even though this is a sport that we have never played or find interesting. So, the place we looked at took only reservations, so I made a reservation and knew how much we would be paying. As we arrived to the place it looked very nice and upscale in fact they have a really nice restaurant that I also decided to make reservations and have diner there. As soon as we walked in the hostess asked if we were lost. I told her that we had reservations to have diner then golf. She looked at all of us and then said, “you know this is a very expensive place and I do not thing you will be able to afford it” I was so upset and asked to speak to the manager. The manager came and had the same attitude as she did. We ended up leaving because we felt that oppression that we were not wanted or welcome there.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

I believe that our incident diminish equity because we were Hispanic and were thought that we could not afford a place like that. The hostess and manager had the same diminishing attitude that we were not wanted there and that they did not want to provide us any service.

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

The first feeling was a sense of sadness to see how my kids had to experience such harsh cruelty. I had a talk with them and my little one didn’t understand much how mean people can be but my older girls did understand that sometimes people judge us for not being white. I have to be honest that I have gotten a bit afraid to try new places because I do not want my kids to experience another discrimination

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

This is such a great question but very hard to see it turn into a reality. Society must change their way of thinking and not separate and discriminate people because they are from a different background, or have different skin color, or an accent. With all the cultures and backgrounds, we make a great nation that everyone should want to have the opportunity to learn from each other’s diversities.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 19:25:00 +0000

I really have to say that it is sad to see how microaggression can really hurt a person’s feelings. This past week I had some friends visit from California and we decided to go shopping. There was a total of six of us all Hispanic women at Macy's store. We were looking around a laughing and making jokes as we looked at clothes and our girls kept saying you should were that and we would say no we are to old for that type of clothes. To make a long story short a lady came over to asked us if we needed help or if there was something in particular we were looking for. My friend and I replied at the same time “just looking thank you” she stepped away, but my daughter noticed that she went to the register and got on the phone and as she spoke to someone she was looking directly at us. Next thing we see is some guy dressed in regular clothes playing along as he was looking for clothes however every time we moved he would follow us and pretend he was looking at clothes as well. My daughter got really upset and asked him if he was following us. He was really surprised and didn’t know what to respond. He then said that he had gotten a call that perhaps some shoplifting was going around that area. I was so mad that I asked for the manager. The guy got very defensive and wouldn’t call the manager. So, I walked to a register and asked for the manager on duty. Well the manager seemed to be so busy that he could not take the time to come and meet with me. I asked the clerk if I could get on the phone with him and she told the manager that I wanted to speak to him. I went on to tell him how I have been a customer of theirs for over 15 years and that I had a credit card with them in excellent status and that I always shopped with them. I also told him that I had guest over and we decided to come to shop to my favorite store and that by being treated this way I would never step foot at any Macy’ store. The manager tried to defend the clerk that had called security and the security guard. Then he went on to tell me that he apologized for the confusion but that lately several Hispanic women were caught shop lifting at another Macy's store. I was beyond mad by this point because he didn’t make us feel welcome but him mentioning that to me was beyond acceptable. Why would anyone generalize that just because we are Hispanic we are all thief’s?

We left the store unbelievable filled with many emotions. It made me think about what Dr. Sue said that racial microaggressions could be intentionally or unintentionally communicated. I can surely say that because we were seen as Hispanic women we were labeled right away and to me that was done intentionally. The way I experienced this racial microaggression really affected my perception on how prejudices and discrimination are very existing. I was upset but more sadden to know that we are stereotyped and labeled.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 23:00:00 +0000

I decided to speak to three different people that came from different backgrounds. It was a bit shocking to hear that they defined culture and diversity in the same way.

The first person is Vietnamese and she told me that she saw culture as traditions and customs they live by, and diversity to her was people from many different cultures.

The second person I asked he is from India and he said that culture to him was values and traditions as well as language and he described diversity as people from many different countries living in he United States.

The third person I asked she said it is my heritage and practices I am accustomed to, and diversity to her was getting to know people from many different countries with their own set of traditions.

As I think about how all three people included the aspects I have studied in the course about how culture and diversity are, no one mentioned anything close to what we have been learning. I believe that peoples knowledge about culture and diversity all seem to think alike.

The people I spoke to really lack to mention what we have studied about culture and diversity entails, socio-economics, demographics, roles, identity, and the qualities of individuals.

I believe that my thinking about culture and diversity has want me to further learn and understand how much deeper it is than just customs and values of people.

My Family Culture

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 14 Jul 2018 21:27:00 +0000

“A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.”

The first think I would take with me would be family pictures. I have always cherished dearly to my heart having pictures of my family so having those to look at would help me share a piece of my culture with the new culture I am living at as well it would remind me of the beautiful times I had with my family.

The second thing I would take with me is my security blanket (dads jacket). When I was little I would suck my thumb and while I fell asleep I would love to rub my dads jacket. He finally gave it to me because it became my security blanket that I had to carry everywhere. The jacket started falling apart however at my 47 years I keep a sleeve in my drawer because it reminds me of how secured it made me feel as well as it is very special to me because it was my dad’s.

The third thing I would take with me would be my bible. I believe in God and his words are promises for us. So, having my bible with me would give me the opportunity to keep Gods promises close to me so I can continue reading them and keeping my faith. I believe that if I had to give up two items I would be so devastated and sad. It would be so hard to decide on what item I would keep since all three hold a very special place in my heart. I believe that I would have to choose and keep my family portraits because those again are the ones I would like to share with the new culture, so they learn from my own culture too.

What I learned about this exercise was that first of all it was very hard to decide on an item because they are make part of who I am. Now I understand how hard it is for people of other cultures to come to this country with really nothing and giving up what they most care for. My family is very important and keeping my culture alive is one thing I cherish as well as I have passed down to my own kids. There are so many cultural differences and because I have my own culture I believe that it’s important to be open to learn from other cultures because I want to share my own culture as well. I know that I would like to embrace the new culture but would keep my own roots and culture too.

Learning About the International Early Childhood Field

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 21:00:00 +0000

I found this last eight weeks that collaborating with my colleagues has many benefits as we grow in this profession as the learning was enriched by their new insights. The course took me on a journey in which a very much took to heart because coming from a Hispanic background, a minority and a woman learning of the field in early childhood internationally helped me in my personal development. I learned that poverty affects the education of children and the opportunities are limited for these children. Poverty really affects the child’s development physically, socially, and emotionally. I believe that the lack of education of parents as well as the social injustices has affected many families all over the world.

Three areas that I believe I learned form the international early childhood field are awareness, being sensitive, and knowing how to appreciate other cultures. We need to become aware that there are many children living in poverty and that overall will affect their healthy development. At the same time, we must become sensitive to the hardships of these children living in poverty and find ways to support them by connecting them with organization that can help them. Finally, it is important to appreciate all walks of life no matter their background and customs.

One goal that I would like to work on is building relationships with the community and getting involved. It is also important to get families involved in the community, so they can learn and understand that they have the support of many. As an educator I believe that it is vital for us to get involved with the community so families can also see the importance of being part of a community.

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 21:00:00 +0000

Professional Development

I like to explore and go into the Arizona Department of Education website to become informed about things that are happening with education in the state. One area that is a hot topic this summer is an “Early Childhood Special Education Summer Summit”. I read so much about early childhood but one area I feel that is left out is special education programs for children in early childhood. I believe that these children also need quality programs and professional that are well trained. I like the fact that their focus with this training offered to professional will help them design and deliver as well as build programs for all children – inclusion of all children.

My Professional Hopes

I come from a diverse background and I love diversity and appreciate all backgrounds of life. We can learn so much from diverse cultures and from the customs of people. Being able to understand them in their own unique way is important to build a partnership and a sense of community. Everyone must have a voice and be heard to express as well as celebrate their culture and background.

My Professional Goals

My professional goal is to learn as much as I can on the profession of early childhood education and share my knowledge by teaching other professionals that want to teach children. I would like to provide instruction to future teachers in the field of early childhood, so they can also impact children lives as they become the future leaders of our country. In addition, my passion is to reach out to professional as they also learn to celebrate and embrace diversity, so every child can be given the same opportunity to learn no matter what their background is.

Sharing Web Resources

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 22:00:00 +0000

As I explored Care website I came across the page Women & Children in Emergencies. It was sad to learn that when there are disasters like earthquakes, floods, any natural disaster the need for medical care, shelter and food are the greatest need so human trafficking becomes a real problem and who suffer are women and children. Women that are pregnant face dangerous deliveries while girls become the target of sexual harassment and rape. What Care organization is trying to do if put a special focus and women and girls when natural disasters come about. I really like how Care is trying to include gender into emergency responses this way they have a balance between men, women, boys and girls.

I found that Care is really focusing on helping and supporting gender equality and making sure that women and girls are protected. They are providing equity in restoring women and girl as well as families to recover and fulfill their potential.

www.care.org

Working Globally

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 18:30:00 +0000

In the podcast I learned the importance of providing children with a healthy social development because if children have not acquired the social skills they need when they enter kindergarten. If children do not have those build social skills then they will lack the tools to cope, to survive and to know how to communicate. It is sad to learn that kindergarten is resembling a grade school environment with standards and children are no longer being given the opportunity to learn by playing. The gaps are becoming wider as we are moving into a standard teaching and exploring the website “Center on the Developing Child” Harvard University I learned that they have a joint effort around the world to close those gaps in education. It was reported that over 200 million children fail to reach their full developmental potential by the age 5 (Center on the Developing Child). Working globally is partnering with several organization around the world like Brazil, Canada, Mexico to build a greater movement in which children are being supported in their education, health and economic development. It is imperative to provide every child with an accessible education, so they can become school readiness.

References

Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/)

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Issues and trends in the early childhood field: Excellence and equity of care and education for children and families—Part 1. Baltimore, MD: Author.

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 06:30:00 +0000

Sharing Web Resources

Today we see how neuroscientist have become the new voices and are speaking up for early childhood. The field of early childhood education seems to be changing the views of political leaders. In researching credible web resources viewpoints vary as everyone sees early childhood education with a different lens. Many third world countries are in need of being supported in the area to see that impoverish children get the resources they need in order to develop.

I have been following the organization website called Care.org. I signed up to receive emails about important news and updates with how they are working to support children in other countries. This week I received an email regarding the “Letters of Hope” that children in the US write to refugee’s children in Syria. As a professional in the field of early childhood I see this to be such a great cause that can lead and allow children to have hope for a better future. These letters of hope really made me think of the importance of standing in solidity to continue the work in providing children with earl childhood education access.

One area that I notice that economists and politicians are supporting the field of early childhood is that Care.org is continuously reaching out to business for support. They call it “the value of change” they work as a chain to help families to have access to products and services they have never been able to have. These companies work as that chain to provide these needed families with the opportunity to empower those poor families with a better live. Also, CARE has linked these families with other business that provide these families with saving and loans to these families, so they can better themselves by venturing in small business, so they can succeed. Although there is still so much to be done this is a good start for many families, by supporting these poor families opens the door for their children to have access to early childhood education. I like the fact that Care.org believes in economic development for these families and they continue to work arduously so every family has the same opportunity. The focus overall is to provide every child with the opportunity and access to education.

http://www.care.org

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sat, 26 May 2018 22:44:00 +0000

Getting to Know International Organizations: Part 1

Mission- CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

I chose the CARE Organization. This organization works around the world in 94 different countries as they fight poverty by using more than 1000 humanitarian-aid projects. They have been fighting poverty since 1945. As I explored this organization it really interested me because they focus on women and children since they are the ones the ones that are hit the hardest by poverty. What CARE does is they empower woman by supporting them to help the economy to grow by obtaining jobs. The organization also focuses on making sure that women are respected in the labor force, as well as they support and service women that have been abused. There are 1.4 billion people that live in extreme poverty and women and girls make up the majority. So CARE has committed to uncover and transform political, social and economic relationships by improving heal care, education, and the well being of women and children.

In addition, CARE has helped over 12 million people by helping them with emergency programs and when they have refugee crisis. CARE has been helping Syrian Refugees with humanitarian aid. It is known that more than half of these refugees are women and children. Another example of CARE support is in South Sudan while 3.7 million people are dying of hunger CARE is helping feed many. The conflict in Yemen has also led for CARE to help people that are struggling to obtain water, food and medical care. Among other humanitarian aid CARE has provided to El Nino, Haiti Earthquake, West Bank & Gaza Crisis, Chad refugees, Mali, DADAAB Refugee camps, Nepal, Democratic Republic or the Congo and many others.

I was really impressed with CARE organization because they continue to support more than 90 countries and their primary focus is caring for women and children first. CARE would not be able to do it on their own if it wasn’t for many of the other organizations that have partnered with them. For example, USAID has been their partners for over 6 decades. It is awesome to see that there is a vast of partners supporting CARE. The list of partners is so big that they have been categorized by: Foundations and trusts, Corporate Partners, Humanitarian Partners, Institutional Donors, and Research & Technical Partners.

It saddens me to know that woman and girls are the target to so much injustice in many countries. Women have always had lesser rights and the struggle of being treated fairly and equally continues to be a challenge that CARE is fighting for. It was also shocking to learn through the CARE website that woman and girls make up the majority of the poverty in every impoverish country.

http://www.care.org

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Sun, 20 May 2018 06:05:00 +0000

Sharing Web Resources

The organization I decided to follow is NHSA National Head Start Association. They are a non profit organization that have been committed and believe that every child will succeed. This organization has been the voice for more than 1 million children. They have been working in supporting kids since 1974 in all 50 States. Their model is not only to support children but to support their families and the community.

Mission and Vision

“NHSA's vision is to lead - to be the untiring voice that will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served with the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community - and to advocate - to work diligently for policy and institutional changes that ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed. NHSA's mission is to coalesce, inspire, and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education” (NHSA, 2018).

One of the campaigns that really grabbed my attention what the “Head Start Transformation Storytelling Campaign” So what they do is chose one family that has been transformed in one year. These families must show how Head Start impacted and transformed their lives. I like that fact that they chose one family from every state.

I was so impressed to learn that NHSA works to connects with 33 million Head Start alumni that have graduated from the program since the year 1965. They do a national campaign that promotes Head Start Alumni, so parents and graduates can share their powerful stories. I was just thinking that I am a graduate of a Head Start program and would love to share my story as well.

http://www.nhsa.org/center/advocacy

noreply@blogger.com (The Life and Curiosity of Childhood) — Mon, 14 May 2018 06:52:00 +0000

Expanding Horizons / Expanding Resources

I explored the website Save the Children and I was really touched by what this organization does not only in the US but globally. As they say the are on the ground helping 120 countries and their focus is on education, health, disaster relief and protection. I was very intrigued by looking more into each of the areas they are supporting but the are I put my eyes on was children’s education. This organization has helped more then 13.8 million children all over the world to have an opportunity to learn. In the US they have helped over 124,000 children in 16 different states as well as their focus is in literacy programs and what a blessing that they have been able to provide over 400,000 books to children that are in the need of learning how to read. I am so impressed with this organization and would love to join in their efforts to help children in need.

I remember when I was a child I attended a Head Start Preschool, so I was very interested in continue to revisit the National Head Start Association so I can continue to learn more about the programs and services they offer. I really like how they mention that professional people today like educators, lawyers, artists, doctors they once were part of this community when children and these were their first steps to acquiring a life-long learning.

https://www.naeyc.org/

https://www.savethechildren.org/