Getting to Know International Contacts- Part 2

International Contacts- Part 2

Sadly, I have not received an email back from my contact in Ireland. Therefore, I have chosen to partake in the alternative assignment.

This week, I explored the Harvard University's "Global Children's Initiative" website.
My insights include:

1. The initiative is about building leadership capacity in child development research and policy and encourages diverse perspectives in regards to the global movement on behalf of young children

2. They focus on early childhood development, mental health and children in crisis and conflict situations

3. One project is centered around assessing quality in early childhood environments and programs in diverse global contexts

4. The vast amount of projects that are being planned or implemented in different countries such as Africa and Brazil

5. The non- English videos that are translated into languages such as: Spanish or Portugese

I am astounded and encouraged to see such activities taking place to bring awareness to the globe about the importance of Early Childhood Development and Education.

Sharing Web Resources

ZERO to THREE

I receive the Zero to Three Newsletter at least once a month now. It is tailored to the age of my twin boys, who are now almost 20 months. So, seeing as how my babies are my profession, as of right now, I love that I am able to connect my learning of child development and early childhood education with the growth of my little boys.

Oddly enough, the newsletter I received this week had a brief section on how 20-month olds can remember moments better if we talk to them about their experiences. Furthermore, the paraphrase came from an article in The Journal of Experimental Child Psychology magazine. So once again, neuroscientists are making an impact on how we look at the Early Childhood Education field. I enjoyed the piece in the newsletter because it reminds me, as a parent and professional, to always talk to children about the happenings of the day, what will take place tomorrow, such as a trip to the doctor, or even scary or upsetting experiences. In addition, the newsletter section suggested a great way to keep memories intact with our children: picture books.

In addition, the newsletter was full of great information about how my twin boys are developing now at 20-months old. I forget, in the go-go-go of my daily routine, that my boys are learning about imagination, how to control their actions, how to recognize others feelings, how to solve problems, and act like little scientists in their exploration of everything!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 1

Hi All,

I am very excited about the opportunity I have to converse via email with another Early Childhood Education professional from Ireland! Her name is Nora and she manages an Irish language preschool in Cork City.
 As of today, I have not received an email back from her in regards to my questions and interests of what it is like as an Early Childhood Educator in Ireland. Although, she seems eager to help me with my assignment and seems very sweet.
I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Therefore, I am extremely thrilled to have this chance to learn about their country and culture. Maybe some day I will visit and get to see their Early Childhood Education practices first hand!

Sharing Web Resources

Sharing Web Resources

I decided to subscribe to the Zero to Three organization and newsletter.
The website is:  http://www.zerotothree.org/

As the website states, the mission of the Zero to Three Journal is:
 "ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.Our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers."

"ZERO TO THREE is unique in our multidisciplinary approach to child development. Our emphasis on bringing together the perspectives of many fields and many specialists is rooted in the robust research studies showing that all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language and physical—are interdependent and work together to promote a child’s overall health and well-being in the context of his family and culture." 

I enjoy the Zero to Three Journal because it not only talks about behavior, development, care, and education, but it also incorporates a section on policies that pertain to Early Childhood Development. Also, I am a fan of Dr. Brazelton's work and his books and teachings are featured on the Zero to Three homepage. In addition, I was excited to see that their parenting podcasts, called Little Kids, Big Questions,  are now offered in Spanish and English.

Furthermore, I have children of my own that are in the zero to three age range, so I feel that I have a lot to learn from the articles and podcasts.

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1: Establishing Professional Contacts

I have currently sent emails to both the OMEP Ireland and the UNICEF Australia. I am still waiting for replies. However, I saw that a colleague put out a request on a Facebook page, which is a wonderful idea and one that I will try out! Also, I have thought about putting in an email to my previous school California State University, Fresno where I received my BA in Psych and started my MA in ECE. I know of a few professors that have lived in other countries to study the Early Childhood field.

If none of these work out, I'm glad that we do have an alternative project that we can participate in. This seems like an interesting assignment. I am always excited to learn about other countries and cultures, especially when it comes to the Early Childhood Education field.

Part 2: Expanding Resources

For this part to the assignment, I have found it hard to pick just one website. I started out with Zero to Three and subscribed to their newsletter. However, it said that it would not send one out until the first of next month. So then I moved on to the National Head Start Association page. I did not find a newsletter to subscribed to, but they did have a blog feed! I have added it to my RSS feed in the hopes to not only gain information, but to share the link with others at Walden University. Furthermore, I subscribed to Early Childhood Australia in the hopes that the contact from the UNICEF Australia works out.

Yet, I was drawn to an old love of mine, Reggio Emilia. I'm not sure if I can use that as my website but it is a wonderful resource to share about with others in our field.

My Supports

My Supports

My biggest supports are my twin baby boys. They can't help me bring in the groceries. Yet. They can't help me fold laundry. Yet. They can't help me clean their room, make their beds, or even do the dishes. Yet. But they truly are the force that drives me everyday. They not only get me out of bed everyday, but they are what keeps me on track to finish my master's degree. I know that one day it will be all worth it and I will be able to provide them with the life that they deserve. Of course, if they did not exist, I would go on. However, they are what completes me as a women. They have made me the best thing in the world: a mother.

Another big support is my boyfriend. He pushes me everyday to finish my master's degree to show our boys that having a higher education is essential in this day and age. He supports me by picking up the slack in regards to my boys when mommy has to do homework or even take a nap because she is sooooo tired. He is my friend and helps me see the bigger picture of life. I think that if he didn't exist, I would be heartbroken. He is a great father and tries everyday to show them how to be little men. Without him, I know that my boys would suffer and so would I.

A practical support is my obsession with making lists. I have one for the grocery store. I have one for my life goals. I have one for my daily activities. I even have one for my monthly budget. I use lists to "dumb" things out of my head. If I do not write things down, not only do I forget things, I can also become obsessed with details. Inevitably the mental lists of things to do, things to buy, or things to pay keeps me up at night. Obviously if I did not have the ability to make lists, I would be more and more confused. I think I would go around trying to remember what it was that I forget! 

 My Chosen Challenge

This task is hard. I could imagine being deaf. Blind. Not have legs. Not have arms.With any of these, the needed supports in my life would be great. Somehow though I know that I would hate to have to rely on others for help. I'm stubborn. (lol) However, I know that I would need someone to teach me sign language if I was deaf or someone to drive me around if I was blind. Yet, I would want to set an example for my children and show them that anything is possible, even with challenges. I think the benefit of any support is that it makes a person feel "normal" when they live with challenges. I have seen many documentaries on disabled people where they suggest that they wish to just be seen as normal and not known for their disabilities. I feel that I would want the same respect.

My Connections To Play

Quote 1: "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Quote 2: "A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who doesn't play has lost forever the

child who lived in him and who he will miss terribly."- Pablo Neruda 





 During my childhood, my parents encouraged me to play with all sorts of toys. I grew up with a brother, so he had lots of "boy" toys and I had lots of "girl" toys. However, we traded off toys and played together all the time. Toys were never separated into boys/girls toys in our household. Although I have to admit, I never really did get into playing green army men outside in the dirt. Either way, my brother was a big support in my quest for play. He was always way more imaginative than I in terms of finding ways to play.

I have to admit that I do not remember how play was in a classroom setting during my childhood. In my experiences of working at day cares or preschool programs, I have found that play is more encouraged and allowed. However, I have seen the difference between good quality and poor quality early childhood programs. I have noticed that good quality programs have designated areas for all different types of play. Yet, as children begin to enter kindergarten, it is my experience that the time for play is lessened and replaced with academics for state assessments. I hope that in the future this type of practice will change.

Growing up, I was not discouraged from playing. However, I think that my shyness kept me from doing imaginative play with other people in my class. Furthermore, I played by myself at home a lot and when my friends came over I was always a little selfish with my toys. Now as a parent, I try to encourage my boys to play openly and without reservation. I try to teach them to share their toys with each other and to use their imagination when playing. In all, I try to play with my boys often. I hope to encourage them to not be shy and to partake in activities with their peers.