Establishing professional contacts and expanding my resources

In order to establish professional contacts, I emailed some people who are representatives of their program, which is part of International Step by Step Association and The Global Alliance of NAEYC. First I decided to establish contact with Sarah Klaus in The Netherlands and Mr Hicham Moukram, in Morocco. My interest for the program in The Netherlands arose after reading the article “Early childhood trends around the world” (Neugebauer, 2007), and I chose the other contact in Morocco because it is an interesting country and culture to me.

As I said before, I sent those representatives an email, but all I got was another email saying that those ‘addresses had permanent fatal errors’, I admit that I felt disappointed, because I thought that information was updated and reliable. I looked at programs in other countries, emailed them, and, since I didn’t get the terrible message saying that those addresses have errors, I am hoping to get an answer from  Ruzanna Tsarukyan in Armenia, Hilda Pérez Forest in Cuba, Blesilda Rios in Philippines, Margarita A. in Colombia, Suzana Kirandziska in Macedonia, and/or Juan Sanchez in Spain. I also asked some of my co-workers, who are from other countries, to help me getting in touch with a professional they know is teaching in their native country, but I haven’t heard anything yet.

For the purpose of knowing how early childhood is supported by some organizations, I read their mission and vision, and I decided to study the Association for Childhood Education International (www.acei.org).  

I am very excited about this assignment, because I would like to know what is the perspective other countries have regarding early childhood and its education. Even though it is a challenge to get in touch with professionals in other countries, especially when we realize that their emails are not updated or correct, or because of their position they are always busy and haven’t check their emails, I hope to get in touch with at least two people; otherwise, I will have to take the alternative assignment.

I wonder what criteria my colleagues used to choose their contacts and the association they will like to study about, if they faced any challenges like me when I realized some emails were not correct and what they did about it.

Reference

Neugebauer, R. (2007). Early childhood trends around the world. Exchange, (175), 58–63. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

My Supports

Since I decided to enroll into this master, I have valued even more the supports I have in mi life; considering that support, to me, is what holds and gives me foundations to achieve my goals. I can get the support I need from people who are important to me or from objects.

Even though my parents, siblings, and best friends are in Mexico, with their blessings and words, they give me emotional support when we get in touch with them, but my husband has been the greatest emotional, practical, and physical support I have. He has been taking care of household chores that I was in charge of, so I can use that time doing my school assignments; he also is the shoulder I can cry on when I feel tired or frustrated, and at the same time, he encourages me to keep going, reminding me that I am a capable person. It is because all the support I get from him that, every time I get another grade, I tell him that those grades are OUR grades.

My friends, co-workers and supervisor are the supports I have at school when working with children; as well as when they listen to me talking about my assignments and help me to broaden and clarify my ideas.

Another support I have is my computer, because it gives me the information I need in order to achieve my professional goals, as well as information that helps me to improve my work with children and families in my job. Through my computer I stay in touch with my loved ones too, and at the same time we support each other.

If I had to face the challenge of having a deaf student in my classroom, I would need the practical support of his family while learning the best way to communicate with him, in order to establish a relationship between the practices at school and at home. I would get the physical support of survival phrases (Macrina, Hoover, & Becker, 2009), images, and hand language, which I can learn through the internet or by taking a course. The emotional support would come from getting in touch with professionals who have worked (or are working) with deaf children, and by making a research about it. Another support I would look for would be my supervisor’s, when asking her to let me have an extra person the first days this child is in my classroom, in order to know him better by establishing a close relationship.

For sure, this would be an amazing challenge, but looking for emotional, practical, and physical support, I am sure I would learn how to work with this child, and this challenge would give me more confidence because I would realize that I was capable of working with him.

Resource

Macrina, M., Hoover, D., & Becker, C. (2009). The challenges of working with dual-language learners: Three perspectives: Supervisor, mentor, and teacher. Young Children, 64(2), 27-38.

We are a step closer to attain our goal!

-Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it.  ~Harold Hulbert

-Children need the freedom and time to play.  Play is not a luxury.  Play is a necessity.  ~Kay Redfield Jamison

-There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.  There are seven million.  ~Walt Streightiff

-A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer.  ~Author Unknown

Thanks to all my colleagues and instructor Dr. Kien, for your support throughout this course, I could not have finished this course without all of you. Looking forward to work with you and, more important, to learn from you again in future courses.

Whishing all of you the best!

Testing for Intelligence?

Every educative program follows its learning standards, which are the statements of what students, enrolled in that program, must know (Illinois State Board of Education, 2010). Teachers use those standards to assess what children have learned, but I think children’s learning assessment should not be determined by a test, because teachers should observe, or pay attention to, the child’s attitude, what if the child is going through a hard situation? What if he has been sick? What if the family structure at home has changed? These are things that affect the child’s learning, and as Benson stated “the child's actual behavior in the classroom and at home is often a better indicator of a child's ability than an abstract intelligence test, so children might get educational services that are more appropriate to their needs”  (2003, para. 23). These are some reasons why I think the assessment should not be based, or measured, only on tests that are the same for the whole group, because “even with a battery of tests, assessment may be inaccurate” (Berger, 2009, p. 325). 

On March 28, 2012, President Obama was asked about standardized tests, he shared a story about his daughters, who had just taken a standardized test without panicking about it, because they ignored they would be tested, he said that many times the standardized tests are used to punish students or schools, and suggested to apply these tests in a less pressured atmosphere (Univision.com, 2012).

Looking for different ways to assess students, I found an interesting article about Hungary. In this country the kindergarten coverage is over 90% of children 5 years old and older, keeping in mind that there is a low birth rate in this country, and its services have aimed at the balanced development of young children, emphasizing the acquisition of social and learning skills, rather than on rote learning and subject knowledge. School-based program for children aged 3-7 includes basic skills development, pre-reading, drawing, singing and school preparation.

Children are assessed by the kindergarten teachers throughout the school year. As from September 2004, their Act on Public Education stipulates that all children must be assessed in written, individual analysis. Kindergartens are staffed by kindergarten pedagogues who are required to have a tertiary degree of at least 2500 hours, of which 30% is of a practical nature including observations of kindergarten practice, individual and group sessions, and practical courses. They are helped by kindergarten assistants who provide support to the kindergarten pedagogues in the operation of the kindergarten class. Classes are therefore organized into groups with two pedagogues, and the support of an assistant/cleaner. The assistants do not have to have a secondary education and are able, but not required, to take a specialist examination. Currently some 80% of kindergarten teachers have a tertiary degree and a total of 97% have specialized training (Hidasi, n.d.).

I think the result of assessments in a program should not determine whether the child is promoted or not, but it can let the teacher know the kind of help that child needs at that moment. In addition, as President Obama mentioned, these tests should not only to judge whether a school is doing well or not (Univision.com, 2012).

References

- Benson, E. (February,2003). Intelligent intelligence testing. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/intelligent.aspx

- Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

- Hidasi, J. (n.d.) A successful kindergarten in Hungary. http://www.childresearch.net/PROJECT/ECEC/europe/hungary/report10_01.html

-Illinois State Board of Education. (2010). Illinois learning standards. Retrieved from http://www.isbe.net/ils/pdf/standards_qa.pdf

-Univision.com (2012). Transcript of President Obama's Town hall. Retrieved from http://vidayfamilia.univision.com/es-el-momento/obama-y-la-educacion/article/2011-03-29/transcript-of-president-obamas-townhall?page=6

Noise

Noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss in the 28 million people with impaired hearing in the United States, and health statistics suggest a trend that the incidence of hearing loss is occurring at younger and younger ages. If you have to shout to be heard three feet away, then the noise is too loud and is damaging your hearing (Center for hearing and communication, 2012).

I chose noise as a stressor because the school I am currently working at in the West Chicago suburb is located a block away from a railroad, and about three blocks apart from the intersection of FOUR railroads. I talked to some student’s parents about any way they have been affected because of that loud noise, and no one has been affected in any way, maybe they are used to it, as I already am because when I am in the classroom I don’t notice the train is passing by. One dad, who works for a landscaping company, told me they have soundproof windows at home, with specific thickness and some separation in between two layers in each window. He also told me people who have enough land can use some noise barriers, like earth berms, walls, fencing, or landscaping.

Noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss in the 28 million people with impaired hearing in the United States, and health statistics suggest a trend that the incidence of hearing loss is occurring at younger and younger ages (Center for hearing and communication, 2012).

I found that noise can be related to high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, cardiovascular deaths, strokes, suicides, degradation of the immune system (Center for hearing and communication, 2012), language acquisition, reading and learning skills, and social interactions(The Franklin Institute Online, 2004), like an increase in aggression and a decrease in cooperation.

In New York City, there are thousands of children attending to schools near elevated train tracks, and studies have found that some preschoolers attending day-care centers, near this noisy area, did poorer on tests on psychomotor skills. After some studies showing that children were being affected in their reading and learning abilities, the Transit Authority was convinced by parents and local public officials to install rubber pads on the tracks to lower the din, and the Board of Education installed acoustic ceilings in the noisy rooms. The result was a drop in the decibel level (Center for hearing and communication, 2012), which helped children to improve their learning and reading abilities.

The Center for Hearing and Communication (2012) establishes that there are some noises that can be avoided, like:

NOISY TOYS: Certain rattles, squeaky toys, toy telephones, and musical toys measure over 110 decibels (comparable to power tools). Children play with these toys close to their ears and manufacturers do not warn parents that sounds emitted from toys may be damaging to hearing. Parents must listen to toys before buying them and if the toy sounds too loud, don't buy it!

VIDEO ARCADES: Noise levels at video arcades can exceed 110 decibels (the level of factory machinery). Parents should limit their children's time at these arcades.

COMPUTER GAMES & STEREO SYSTEMS: Children should be cautioned to keep the volume down. Some systems are as high as 135 decibels (the level of a jackhammer).

PERSONAL STEREO SYSTEMS WITH HEADPHONES: These systems have been known to produce sound levels as loud as 105 - 110 decibels. Children, who listen to music this loud, for several hours a day, face an inevitable hearing loss.

LOUD MOVIES: Action movies have the volume turned up well beyond 90 decibels, exposing young ears to exceedingly loud sounds. The message sent out by these loud movies that "loud is cool" is a risky one. Parents should ask movie distributors and theater owners to lower the decibel level.

Remember that quiet times foster an environment where parents and children can spend time together reading, talking and listening to each other. The Center for Hearing and Communication recommends (2012):

BOOKS: Reading to young children helps develop their reading skills and serves to forge closer relationships between parents and children. Children of all ages should be encouraged to read.

EDUCATIONAL TOYS: Low-volume, educational computer games, puzzles, construction sets, and card games allow children to learn while playing in quiet, creative settings.

QUIET MOVIES: Family oriented films that focus on warm interpersonal relationships are a nice way to spend time with your children.

VISITS TO LIBRARIES & MUSEUMS: Quiet outings spent together with family and friends can be a fun way to enjoy the family.

For more information about noise and its effects on children's health, learning and behavior, visit http://www.chchearing.org/noise-center-home/facts-noise

References
-Center for hearing and communication. (2012). Noise and hearing. Retrieved from http://www.chchearing.org/noise-center-home/facts-noise/noise-hearing

-The Franklin Institute Online. (2004). The human brain. Retrieved from http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html

Clean water

When people have spent their life in comfortable places, where all kind of services are just a hand movement or a click away, sometimes they do not value the facilities they have at home, and it might be because they haven’t experienced the lack of any service.  Since human body is made up with a high percentage of water, depending on person’s age and health, access to clean and healthy water is a necessity that not everybody can satisfy.  

I found that close to half the population of the developing world is suffering from water-related diseases, over one billion have no source of drinking water (Watkins, 2006), and the “lack of safe water and sanitation is the world’s single largest cause of illness” (UNICEF, 2006).  In rural Mozambique or Ethiopia, as well as other developing areas in the world, women and young girls have to carry back from rivers and lakes around 5 to 20 liters a day for miles in the backing sun (Watkins, 2006). Women are seen as the “water haulers of the world” (UNICEF, 2006), and this obligation reduces their time for other productive activities, and for girls to attend to school.

UNICEF has a program called WASH, which stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, that equips schools with latrines, sinks with running water from a well, and education materials in the classroom about best practices for hygiene.

If we have been blessed with the opportunity to get clean water with just a hand movement away, it is our responsibility to take care of it, because “Water is not just a commodity. It is a source of life, dignity and equality of opportunity” (Watkins, 2006, para. 10).

Here are some effective ways to save water “in and around home:

• Stop Leaks.                             

• Replace Old Toilets with models that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.

• Replace Old Clothes Washers with EPA Energy Star certified models.

• Plant the Right Kind of Garden that requires less water.

• Provide Only the Water Plants Need” (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009, pp.11-12).

References

- UNICEF. (2006). Children and water: global statistics. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_31600.html

- United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Water on tap what you need to know. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide/upload/book_waterontap_full.pdf

- Watkins, Kevin. (2006, March 7). We cannot tolerate children dying for a glass of water. The guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/mar/08/water.comment

Birthing Experience

Being the first woman who got married in my family and with no children on my own, I have no experience with childbirth, only my own birth, and some I have watched on television.  About my own birth, my mom told me that she felt when her water broke and told my dad it was the time. My dad took her to the doctor’s office, in the nearest city to my hometown, about 15 miles away.  The doctor told them something was wrong with my hearth because the hearth beat was unstable. He sent them to the private maternity hospital and I was born through cesarean surgery. After born, everything was fine with my hearth. Because neither my mom nor I had complications at all after the surgery, we went home the day after.

I have a student whose parents are indigenous Tzeltales, an ethnic group from Chiapas, Mexico, and mom delivered her baby about a month ago. As soon as I knew about this blog assignment, I interviewed Ms. Ahuatzi about the birth practices in their village. She told me that Tzeltales live in Los Altos, located in the mountain region in Chiapas, and due to the impassable roads, they deliver their babies on their shack, squatting down, or with midwife assistance.

The Tzeltal midwife is responsible for prenatal care, and she accommodates the baby for the birth, rubbing and massaging the mother’s abdomen. She attends in the traditional manner with the pregnant woman kneeling and holding from her husband. The midwife also cares for the newborn, washing the baby in a certain way, to avoid the loss of his or her soul. “Midwives do their work with the help of medicinal herbs, home remedies [like chamomile tea], massage, and in some cases, prayer” (Luna Maya. 2011). When the midwife wants to make the delivery quick, she bathes the pregnant woman with water infused with sour orange leaves, as hot as she can stand it.

Some midwives don’t charge at all, because they say midwifery is a spiritual gift that God gave them through a dream, and it is their service to the community. Some others charge a kilogram of sugar, a few eggs, or coffee, when it comes to checkups; after the delivery they may charge $50 to $100 Mexican pesos.

I find amazing the different birth practices around the world, especially when they take place in a non-sterile environment.

Reference:

Luna Maya. (2011). Luna Maya, Casa de Partos. Retrieved from http://www.lunamaya.org/

(This website is available in English too)