Sharing Web Resources

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

                As I continue to visit the National Black Child Development Institute web site I have found many of the sections to be interesting and bring to light many subjects I have not thought about.   The section title News Is relevant to my current professional development because it share current events happening in the Early childhood Field today. I find the web site to be encouraging my thinking in regards to my care and education of children.  It shares a common societal concern.   

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

                The site is a source for helping children of color.  As a teacher I work hard not to have bias.  That doesn’t mean there not there.  The site reminds me that there are many theories about the nature of children.  To be a good teacher I will need to remember the current needs of young children are changing in many ways.

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

                The Initiatives Early Childhood Education section provides recent events taking place that can help or and hinder the education of our children.  This month share information on what took place at the Head Start’s Eleventh National Research Conference.  The initiatives section gives up dated information on local and national events that are having an effect on the early childhood field.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

                I found an article posted about the study of asthma increasing among African-American children.  Asthma is not disease I would have labeled race inherited.

               

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

Lorena, age 24,

Teacher: ages 8-13 Show Details

FROM:

• Lorena Caballero Roman

TO:

• Lillie Brumwell

Message flagged

Friday, July 15, 2011 6:27 PM

Message body

Hi Lillie, 

I'll be glad to help you because I worked for an organization that helps poor children to find an sponsor so they can study,have food and medical access. 

Poverty is a major issue in Bolivia and children are the most affected because if their parents don't have incomes to raise the family, kids have to work in order to help their parents and most of them can't go to school because of their extreme poverty. Another effects of poverty on children are illnesses, they live in places where there isn't running water, sewer, and they don't have medical insurance. Sometimes all the family has an only room to live so they use it as a kitchen and bedroom. Migration is another issue that we have to take into account as an effect of poverty, parents decide to go to other countries (Argentina, Spain and Italy) to earn money for raising their kids who are left with a relative. When children are left by their parents, they are prone to be victims of abuse or they can be gang members.

I'm sending you some files of kids that needed to be sponsored so you will see their reality.

 If you need more information just let me know :)

            The people of La Paz, Bolivia are farmers or street vendors living in poverty.  children suffer from malnutrition, illness caused from being malnourished, medication,  lack of early childhood stimulation, education and political unrest.  Farmers and/or street vendors do not have health insurance.

"On average , of the 255,00 infants born each year, 7,000 die in the first month, another 7,000 do not survive their first year." (http://www.unicef.org)

Almost half of the population in Bolivia is made up of children and adolescents.  Poverty living conditions cause a low level of physical, mental and cognitive development.  The rights of children have not yet been developed.   

There is a very high demand for child labor because it is so inexpensive.  Children work in sweatshops, vegetable fields, and mining.  For this reason children are sold to traffickers for as little as $3.00.  Without any education or form of normal childhood.  It is a form of slavery, confined, beaten and psychological wounded.  Adolescent girls are pregnant or are already mothers themselves.  Sexually transmitted deceases, including HIV/AIDS is constantly growing. 

Childcare centers are small, dark and lack supplies.  But the children are happy to make their instruments and use empty product boxes as toys.  If they are fortunate enough to attend they can be feed by one of the volunteer health and nutrition programs. 

http://www.unicef.org/bolivia

lapaz@unicef.org 

Sharing Web Resources

National Black Child Development Institute

http://nbcdi.org/

(Newsletter: http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/)

The National Black Child Development Institute is an advocacy group developed by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation in 1970.  The women were very concerned about the lack of resource and support available to black families who were trying to raise healthy, reliable, dependable citizens.

 Since 1970, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained strong in its mission –“To improve and protect the quality of life for children of color and their families by giving every child a chance.”  With a focus on early childhood education, child welfare, elementary and secondary education, and health, the Institute accomplishes this mission. 

The current issue/trend from the newsletter and/or from the website that caught my attention is

NBCDI core programs.  To accomplish the vision and create a nationwide awareness of NBCDI .  Working on behalf of children of color, NBCDI works to sustain and expand the following core program areas:

• The Early Years and Parenting—Love to Read, The  Parent  Empowerment Program, African American Parents Project and SPARK: Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids

•The Middle Years – Entering the College Zone

•Community Mobilization – The National Affiliate Network

I would like to share something I learned from studying these resources related to the topic of this week.

This Week in Black History, This week is Black Child Development Week!

July 4^th  In 1881, Booker T. Washington opened Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

July 5^th  In 1892, Andrew Beard is issues a patent for teh rotary engine

July 6^th  In 1957, Althea Fibson won the women's single tennis championship at Wimbledon, England

July 9^th  In 1868, The 14th Amendment was ratified making Black Americans citizens

July 10^th In 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the world's first successful open heart surgery at Provident Hospital in Chicago

INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE

International Child Resource Institute

www.icrichild.org/

Founded in 1981, their goal is “empowering the village to raise the child”.

Their vision is a world in where all children and their families can fulfill their greatest potential.

The organizations focus is working to improve the lives of children and their families around the world.  Focusing on early childhood care and education, children’s rights, empowerment of women and girls, maternal/child health, and grassroots community development.

One current issue/trend from the newsletter and/or from the website that caught my attention is the consulting ICRI provides.  Giving expert consultation and technical support on the developing or improving of child and family programs around the world.  A two of their major projects, Central Bank of Malaysia: Designed and developed a child development center for over 400 children.

The California Consortium of child abuse:  developed a coordinated system of local child abuse prevention councils throughout the state.  

I would like to share something anything else I learned from studying these resources related to the topic of this week.

It is the ICRI involvement in a program named HOMEY.  Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth.  The organization serves youth of color from low income neighborhoods of San Francisco.  

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

The Global Alliance of NAEYC has e-mail addresses for early childhood professionals worldwide:

http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance

Unicef, United for children, are working in every country you can think of to help improve the lives of children.  You can research what they are doing by country or as a whole.  The site offers many resources.  You can register with most any social media you are familiar with to keep involved with what they are doing. I registered to become a fan on Face book.  They have a link titled “The State of the World’s Children”, It features videos, panels article from real people sharing information about children rights, policy, health etc...from world.  

UNICEF has local organizations and representatives worldwide. Check out the country specific links and contact a local representative:

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

I am familiar with NAEYC however, I did not know about their contacts outside of the U.S.  I joined TORCH, The Online Resource Center Headquarters.  The online community resources to help you better understand and implement the NAEYC accreditation criteria.  Most of the questions I read came from professionals living in the States.  I find many of the question and answers to actually be useful to me.

 

After exploring many of the sites and registering for a few of the newsletters I chose the following to full engulf myself in.   

National Black Child Development Institute

http://nbcdi.org/

(Newsletter: http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/ )

Totally personal reasons.  As an African American mother and teacher it is important for me to state informed and connected.

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators

http://www.naecte.org/

(Newsletter: http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=29 )

I have been a Early Childhood Professional for ten years.

Summer letter from the president, Discussing the Summer Conference taken place in RI, It has a nice write up about teacher research explaining who performs  the research and the purpose for the research.

International Child Resource Institute

http://www.icrichild.org/

(Review also the international projects at: http://www.icrichild.org/kenya ) Click on the International Projects tab at the top to see a list of the available projects.

I truly believe “it takes a village”.  And when I open up this site the front page of the website reads “Empowering the Village to Raise The Child”.

State it’s mission is to improve live of children and families around the world.  In a world where so many children do not have basic human rights.

"Without You..."

"My Support"

          Being born into a large family of sisters I grow up surrounded by others who always having someone around to help me with one thing or another.  Helping me with my homework to French braiding my hair.  I didn’t realize how important that support was until I moved from the East coast to the west coast with my husband and four year old daughter.  It was a very exciting and adventures time for us.  Leaving behind the home, family and friends that was my life for half of my life.  No longer having the support I had come to expect was shocking.  Having one of my sisters stop in so that I could go to the market while my daughter was napping was a thing of the past.  No more dropping her off at my older sister’s house for Friday night date night.  No more calling one of my sisters every morning to see whos house we were having coffee at.  No more stopping by my Aunt's house after church for dinner or dessert.  To make matters more tring my husband's work schedule requires him to be away from home 24-72 hours at a time, and often requires him to work on holidays.  We quickly learned to depend on each other.  I would never have been able to make it with out my husband constant support.  Setting up my morning coffee, leaving for work a little earlier on Sundays so that he can surprise me with a copy of the local news paper.  Keeping me company on the phone while I wait for my teenager to get home.  And always tell me I can do whatever I set out to do. 

I had to decide what to do now that I didn't have a all ready made supportive environment around me.  I had to decide it didn't matter where I am, I can create a supportive environment. Understanding that a supportive environment can be people, or it can be things that I surround myself with making my living or work environment supportive.

Creating a supportive environment to assist me in my journey of personal growth.  I also learned that I needed to create a supportive environment by being selective about the things that I feed my mind with like books I read, television I watch and web sites I visit.

24 years after that first move I have several factors within my daily environment that supports me and gives me strength each day.

“My Connections to Play.”

The quotes that I feel summarized what play represented to me in childhood.

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.  ~Author Unknown

The older I grow the more earnestly I feel that the few joys of childhood are the best that life has to give.  ~Ellen Glasgow

There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.  ~Mark Twain

I am from a family of seven children.  Being from a large family we spent a lot of ours play outdoors.  Growing up on the east coast we had the pleasure of celebrating seasons.  No matter the weather we had a game that we could play.

 Winter meant sledding until our clothes were wet and our mother was threaten us to come in or else. 

Spring finally I can ride my bike.  And ride I do to the park, to the school yard and home before the street lights come on.   

Summer finally “schools out for summer.”  I still wake up at 7:00am as if I have to go to school.  And I play from sun up too sunset.  And then I get to play some more.  I just can’t leave the front of the house and that’s when the real fun beings.  Kick the can, hide and seek, and he Ouji board. 

Fall the trees are beautiful.  Raking leave turns into a wonderful adventure.   

As I think back to my childhood play years.  I can’t help but feel sorry for what children today consider play.  When I think of early childhood, happy or unhappy, chaotic or relaxed, the imagined childhoods we might have had or wish for my children.  Children are missing out on a world of experience.  Some that represents a quality of life.  I want to give my students great experiences and establish a good rapport with them. 

Relationship Reflection

Relationships, it is deepest of all bonds humans develop. Yet we neglect to value and nurture.  Nonetheless, we feel the most painful emotions when we lose someone close to us and remorseful that we did not spend enough time with them.

I am the fifth daughter.  My parents were blessed with seven daughters.  We were realized in neighbourhoods where people didn’t quite understand how my father became the boss at the largest plant in town.  After all we didn’t look like them.  Therefore we spend most of our time with each other.  Reading, playing school and planning our further.  As adults we moved to different parts of the country promising to meet at least once a year to reconnect.  Not a Sunday goes by that we don’t speak to one another.  To this day my relationship with each of them is important.    This assignment makes me wonder if we were that important to one another then why did we move away?

My spouse, He makes me feel good about me.  He builds me up all the while keeping it real with me.  He is truly the only person that I can open up about anything.  He does not judge me.  He know this is who I am and he’s good with that.  My sisters were not happy for me.  They were honestly rude and hurtful towards me about my getting married.  He encourages me to forgive.  We celebrated 20 of marriage last week.  

My girls, I have two wonderful daughters.  I can say that now.  We are almost threw our teen years!  The dreams and plans I had and still have for them are bigger then I knew I could dream.  They have taught me lessons only children have the power to teach.  Is it really so bad that I see them as a reflection of me?

My co-worker Miss. Stacie, her classroom is diagonally across from mine.  We share tales of challenging students, lesson plans, the best words use when speaking with a parent.  We share our lunch, recipes, issues that have come up at home and district frustrations.  But the most important thing we share everyday is laughter!     

I share a partnership within each of these relationships because they are apart of whom I am and who I can.   They touch me in someway everyday. 

What else could a girl ask for?  At almost 48 years of age I still crave to have a "Bestie".  You know the girlfriend bond that so many books and movies talk about.  It's never to late.