First 2000 days

I'm excited to be a part of this movement!

North Carolina Website Pushes for Action on Early Childhood

International Contacts and Poverty

I have a big bummer to share with you all.  I haven’t heard back from my contact.  L  I’m hoping in 2 weeks time I will hear from my contact from England and another from Costa Rica.

Since I haven’t heard back from my England contact … which I suspect will happen tomorrow!  J … I decided to look up some information about England and poverty and how does it compare to where I live in the U.S.?  I came across the site Child Poverty Action Group.  They state that 27% of children in England (in 2010/11) live in poverty with higher concentrations in different areas of the country.  Which is similar to U.S. statistics of 21.6% in 2010. 

In the U.S. the poverty level is a national level of income based on the size of the family and the ages of the members and was originally developed in 1963 based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s designated food budgets and what portion of their income was spent on food.  In 2011 that financial number was determined to be $23,018 for a family of four.  Which is currently equal to £14787.36. 

So how is poverty defined in England?  Where do they get their number?  The Poverty Site reports the poverty level to be determined to be “60% or less of the average household income in that year.” In 2008 that equaled £288 a week or £14976 a year for a family of four.  

While the years are off by 3 and the means of determining our poverty thresholds are different, they numbers come out fairly similarly.  England reports having more children living in poverty in the U.S. and through doing a simple search I found numerous resources on how both countries are combatting poverty similarly and the effects of a child growing up in poverty are the same. 

My prayer is that one day our upper-class citizens will find a way to live a simpler life and help out those who are suffering so deeply.  Just yesterday I was reading with my daughter the passage in the Bible about giving to the least of them was giving to Jesus found in Matthew 25:35-41.  There really is no excuse for the wealthiest countries to have this concern.

Taking a look at NAECTE … part 1

This is my first week sharing information with you about my selected organization.  The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) is found at www.naecte.org.  NAECTE was created and is sustained by members with a common interest in teacher education.  Their purpose is to promote professionalism, professional growth, advocate, discuss issues, share information, and provide a Journal and Conferences to support  growth and learning in the field. 

I first looked for a newsletter that I could subscribe to and found that they produce a newsletter quarterly.  I was disappointed because I wouldn’t be receiving weekly updates from the organization.  The most recent newsletter is dated Summer 2012 and its main focus is on preparation for the Professional Development Institute from the beginning of June.  The NAECTE meets during the NAEYC’s Professional Development Institute and the NAEYC’s fall conference. The newsletter also included highlights from 3 regional reports.  The highlight for me was the focus on Growing up WILD: Exploring nature with young children.  I had heard about this resource, but their information clarified the purpose of the resource in helping educators bring kids into nature and feel confident in the process. 

My next exploration into this site was their Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education.  Through my studies already, I have used this journal in locating additional information.  The purpose of the Journal is to “provide a forum for consideration of issues and for exchange of information and ideas about research and practice in early childhood teacher education.”  Currently there is a call for papers for a special edition titled “Early Childhood Teacher Education: Why does it matter?  How does it matter?”  This may be one that I need to get my hands on when it comes out!

The primary issue or trend that this organization is focused on is the development of quality teacher education programs.  There are three policies that they state should be included in every certification agency and school district. 

1.      Require an early childhood certificate and/or endorsement for those teaching in classrooms for children five years old and younger in state funded pre-kindergarten and in kindergarten programs.

2.      Give priority in hiring and placement to teachers with an early childhood certificate and/or endorsement for public school classrooms for six, seven, and eight-year-olds (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades).

3.      Require that early childhood certification and/or endorsement be based on completion of teacher preparation programs that meet professional preparation standards consistent with those established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Stay tuned for more information about this organization in future blog posts!  AND – I did find a professional contact!  Next week I hope to share some information with you from a home-child-care provider in England.

Professional Contacts & Exploring Websites

So this week’s assignment for my new class “Issues and Trends in Early Childhood” has not gone as expected.  We were assigned the job of locating two professional contacts outside the United States to be in conversations about issues and trends they see in the field of early childhood.  While I was hesitant at first, I tried with all my might to find someone to dialog with.  I contacted three prospects and haven’t heard back from any of them.

I tried for England, Madagascar (because of the relationship with friends working there with the Lutheran church), and Australia.  The England contact is an ECE worker who I love reading her blog.  Madagascar contact was through UNICEF.  And the Australia contact was through the University of South Australia.  I was shooting for being well rounded …. Hmmm … didn’t pan out the way I had hoped.  I am going to try a few other possibilities and see what turns up. 

At the same time I will also start pursuing the alternative option and get hooked up with the World Forum.  Let’s see in two weeks what can happen.

The second part of my blogging assignment is to choose an early childhood website to explore and learn.  I have chosen to explore the National Association of Early ChildhoodTeacher Educators’ website.  What was the deciding factor is when I looked at their purpose statement it spoke volumes to me right away.  The two directions I think my journey is taking me is 1^st to teach new teachers; help them learn appropriate practices for the classroom, and/or work to make it more affordable for teachers to gain the needed skills.  2^nd is to own my own childcare center that is faith based yet runs full day and is available for those who aren’t ‘poor’ but need to work full time to make it in our changing economy.  NAECTE seemed to fall right into place with both of those possible paths.  Then again, God still may have something different in store for me….

I can’t wait to hear how my classmates did on finding some professional contacts and which websites they chose!  Here’s to a new journey for the next 8 weeks!  (Sometimes it feels like my life lately is based on 8 week intervals….but it’s all going to be worth it!)

Can Parents Access Enough Information to Judge For-Profit Childcare?

My Supports

Who supports me?

First I need to look at what support means … dictionary .com defines support:

• To bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for.
• To sustain or withstand without giving way; serve as a prop for.
• To undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.
• To sustain under trial or affliction.
• To maintain by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for.

Supports are those people and things who are there with me holding hands with me.

First, my faith supports me.  God is my sustainer and provider. 

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.  Psalm 54:4

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  Hebrews 1:3

Second, my husband is always there for me, for thick or thin!  While there are bad times and good times, he holds me up, he tolerates me, he provides for me.

My parents are another source of sustenance.  They are always there to talk, to care for me, to help watch their grandchildren, to provide home and food when it was needed, and have always walked with me through my trials.

I also need to add my children.  They sustain me by giving me a reason each day for what I do.  God  gave me these precious children as a gift.  They are the reason that I get up each day and help them grow to their greatest potential.

My church community is another source of support.  Most importantly, they help me maintain my relationship with God.

Another support is my phone … and it’s not even to call people … my calendar is on it!  My calendar is my prop for remembering things.  I have a horrible memory and if it’s not written down then my brain likely won’t remember it.  J

I have Depression.  Too often this is seen as something just in the head, but it is a disability just like Multiple Sclerosis or Diabetes.  Every day I take medication to maintain my brain chemicals.  My medication is another support.  When I do not have it or it is not functioning correctly, I cannot get through the day.

If any one of these supports were to not be a part of my life, I would struggle greatly in leading my everyday life.  Often I forget that they are there surrounding me and encouraging me.  It takes an activity like this … writing them down … to help me remember what provides for me, gives me a solid foundation, and sustains me through every life event.

Recent Videos Discovered

Sir Ken Robinson -- "Do schools kill creativity?"

We are educating children out of their creativity 

Shakespeare was in someone’s English class…..

Another great one:

Stuart Brown -- "Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=103479