Mt International EC Connections

SAY 你好 -NI HAO TO XIAOWAN CHEN!

Xiaowan is from China where she works as an assistant kindergarten teacher for Shekou International School. Her classroom consist of several nationalities including: American, German, Japanese, Koran, Austrian, Russian, British, and  Indonesian students!

As an early-childhood professional she works to be culturally and linguistically inclusive by greeting parents and students in a different language everyday. She also invites parents to read a book in their native language to introduce her students to the various languages represented in her classroom.

I am looking forward to learning all that I can from Xiaowan about the issues and trends happening in the EC field there in her native country of China!

Say HOLA TO PAOLA JIMENEZ!

Paola, is a bilingual kindergarten teacher from Santander Columbia where she teaches English to 20 4-5 year old at the New Cambridge School.  Paola is staying with me as she participates in a month long English emersion program.

She has been teaching for five years and decided to become a bilingual teacher because she realized the various opportunities being bilingual afforded her and wants to give that to her students.

I had to opportunity to talk with Paola about this week’s discussion topic on poverty and the impact on child development. I asked her what were some of the issues of poverty she observed as a working professional in the field of early childhood. She admitted that she had very little experience and or interaction with poor children.  Her current schools is attended by children who would be considered poor but wealthy.  She herself comes from a upper middle-class background.  She did; however,  mention that when she did her practicum that’s the only time she remembers being expose to poverty.

She talked about how she noticed the children’s clothes were often warn and old looking.  “Many of them had dental  and other various health issues, as well.”  She also commented that many of the children had behavioral issues and were difficult to redirect and keep on task.  Concerning the children’s parents, she remembers them being very respectful and appreciative of her as their child’s teacher. She went on to share how this level of respect and appreciation isn’t found among the parents of her current children.

When I asked her what where her thought’s on poverty in general she seem to hold some of the myths brought up in this weeks reading materials. She believed poor people were poor essentially because they chose to be.  I worked to enlighten her by explaining that there were various reason why people ended up in poverty, among them being the death of the breadwinner and social and institutional structures, such as poor schools, being a contributing factor.

At the conclusion of our conversation I came away having gain insights on  what poverty looks like outside of my context here in America. What I discovered is that that there are a lot of similarities between what poverty looks like and people perceptions about people who are in poverty.  Some of the same observations Paola made about her poor students can be easily observed in poor children here in the US.   And many people here in the Us hold the same views on poverty as that of Paola.

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Thanks for allowing me to introduce you to my two international EC professionals, Paola and Xiaowan!  In two weeks we will travel to China to talk to Xiaowan about current issues and trends in her native country as it relates to the early childhood field, so STAY TUNE!

 

 

The Harlem Children’s Zone

 

 

I found it difficult to put into words what the Harlem Children’s Zone is, so I posted  a video that I feel describes the organization and the groundbreaking work it is doing the close the academic achievement gap and to end poverty!

After surfing the contents of the HCZ website the thing that caught my attention the most was an article and video clip of the President of the United States expressing his delight in the work that HCZ had done over the last 15  years to improve life count comes for some of the nation’s poorest children,  through it various academic and social support initiatives. Apparently, the HCZ urban school model has been so successful that the President announce 5 new Promise Neighbors that the administration will be helping to fund with the hope of producing the same results as that of HCZ.

 

here’s their link to learn more about this great organization: http://www.hcz.org

 

 

 

 

My Supports

Everyday we hear of military men and women returning home after suffering one type of injury. Many of these injures are life altering to the say the least.

I have always admired  our military; how they offer up their lives as a ransom so that we Americans  can enjoy the life and freedoms we so often take for granted.   For me, they are a type of modern day Jesus.

So in thinking about a special challenge I would have and the necessary supports I would need, I imagined that I was one of those returning war vets who was severely injured in an attack during a routine patrol in Iraq and as result suffered the amputation of my right arm.

When I think about the support I would need to overcome this life altering injury I would list them as follows:

Spiritual-as a Christian I would rely heavily on my faith to strengthen me for the long days of recovery and to help me accept my new normal. This would be achieved through daily prayer, meditation on God’s word  and deep and abiding fellowship with other Christians who cared encourage to take Galatians 6:2 to heart.

Family/Friends- I would imagine that I would need my family and friend’s support  in handling daily task of dressing myself, preparing food and even writing those letters      of thanks to family because I would be unable to do as it was my writing hand that was taken from me.

Medical-I would also imagine that I would need the support of my doctors,         nurses, counselors and physical therapist who took a personal interest in my recovery and emotional and life well being.

Social-I would need a social environment outside of my home that was accommodating. Citizens would not look down on me as a burden or something to be piety.  A society that honored my sacrifice by being willing to hire me inspite of the inconvenience it my cause them.

All these supports would be vital for my recovery and my life ahead.  Without them, I imagine that my challenge, which could  be over come with the right supports would easily turn into a “dark night of the soul” for me.  I would start to question my existence; fear the life ahead of me and the burden I would be to others and myself.  These feelings and thoughts are sure to come, but without the supports described above there wouldn’t be anything in place to buffer me from these feelings and provide the hope and assurance I would need to make it to the place where I could accept my new state and still live a vibrate and accomplished life.

When I think of life without these supports, life would simply stop. It is with this in mind that in the past I have donated to an organization called, WoundedWarrior which works to provide the said supports for returning injured vets.   I hope you will consider doing the same.  Here is there link:https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=675&campaignSource=CDRO&source=BS14049&gclid=CLWwzKur270CFWxp7AodUQgA3A

 

Relationship Reflection

One of the most amazing things that can happen is finding someone who sees everything you are and won’t let you be anything less. They see the potential of you. They see endless possibilities. And through their eyes, you start to see yourself the same way. If you are lucky enough to find that person, never let them go– Tracy Leach

I’ve been lucky enough to fine two:

 

 

These are my two “lucky charms!   First, my husband of 2 years, and believe it not my twin sister on the far left with the glasses on.  My husband whose name is Mathias and means gift, is truly a gift from God! My sister is literally my longest and best friend from birth and has experience all the ups and downs life has to bring with me for as long as I can remember.

Relationship are important to me because they bring color, laugher and joy to life!  My relationship with my husband and sister have been positive on so many levels.  First, spiritually, both of these relationship have contributed significantly to my Christian faith and daily walk to be more like Jesus!   We have been able to maintain our relationship and its development because of our individual respect for one another and honest desire to see the other succeed. I don’t see this today in a lot of relationships between friends.

Two often I see friends/spouses competing with one another instead of forming partnerships that help each individual achieve their goals.  I think this is the number one challenge to maintaining true relationships, and that is always having the other persons interest at the forefront.  When we do this, there’s no room for competition.  The special characteristic that make these relationship partnerships is that they both have endured many trails and are still standing strong!

Finally, these two relationship has and will continue to impact my work as and early care and education professional through their continuing to “see everything I am and not letting me settle for nothing less” then a knowledgeable, compassionate  advocate for all children and their families.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote: One of the world’s greatest “child developmentist”

Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa

“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”

Assessing the Whole Child

We live in an age of high stakes testing, where even the youngest children, those in kindergarten are expected to perform at a certain level. These tests are high stakes for both the student and state. Students are increasingly placed in academic tracks according to their test scores as early as third grade. Schools who don’t meet Annual Yearly Progressed, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind legislation, lose funding and can eventually be shut down as in the case of Reynolds Elementary school here in Philadelphia where I served as an STW. When this school shut down 40 teachers where displaced and hundreds of students had to be rerouted to different schools, many miles away from their homes. Because of this there has been a growing push to rethink how we assess students. Should a single test be allowed to determine so much? Beyond the fact that scores change, a more fundamental question is whether any single test can measure the complexities of the human brain (Berger, 2012).

A growing community of developmentlist like Howard Gardner believe that the answer to this question is no. For Gardner, he believes in what he calls multiple intelligences—the idea that human intelligence is comprised of a varied set of abilities rather than a single, all encompassing one (Berger, 1012). For Gardner humans posses seven intelligences which consist of linguistic, logical, mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily–kinesthetic (movement) interpersonal (social understanding) and intrapersonal (self-understanding), each associated with a different part of the brain (Berger, 2012).

Some school districts like Park-Ridge Niles in Illinois have adopted this understanding of development, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Administrators become concerned that the standardized-testing frenzy was preventing educators from assessing other important aspects of a child’s education and development (Delisio, 2009). I support Superintend, Dr. Sally Pryor statements regarding assessments, “standardized test don’t tell the whole story…our district is committed to educating the whole child…this demonstrates that other skills are important.” (Delisio, 2009). The district thus launched an assessment system where students are not only assessed in content areas but areas described by Gardner such as social/emotional development, critical thinking. Problem solving, physical education and fine and applied arts.

I believe that the model Park Ridge Niles school district adopted is a perfect example of what children should be assessed on when taking the “whole child” into consideration. Assessment from my opinion shouldn’t just look at test scores in content areas of math and science to make critical funding and placement decisions, but need to look at other areas of development like the ones purported by Gardner, in order to get a more accurate picture of a child’s development as well as how well a school is doing or not doing. In looking back, I believe that such an assessment model might have saved the teachers and students at Reynolds.

When looking at how children are assessed in other countries I looked at two, one which consistently ranks in the top 10 educational systems in the world. The two I chose was England and Japan. First, England’s system has a national curriculum they use to test all children. Achievement test are administered as early as elementary, up through high school. These scores are then used to rank primary and secondary schools. Once a child reaches 16 he or she is required to take a state exam which will determine whether or not a child will move on to an upper level secondary school. At the conclusion of secondary school another exam is administered to determine the university that the student can attend and the area of specialty (Rotberg, 2006)

Japan’s school system which consistently ranks in the top 10 educational systems in the world has a highly competitive examination system. One of the most interesting facts I learned about Japan’s educational system is that it doesn’t hold teachers accountable for student scores administered on standard test (Rotberg, 2006). Also, elementary and lower secondary students don’t take high stakes test nor are they assign to schools by achievement. The examination pressures begin between lower and upper secondary school, when examines results determine the upper secondary school that students will enter(Rotberg, 2006) There are also, supplementary schools(juku) that many student attend to help prepare them for the entrance examples in to college.

In conclusion, I believe children should be tested in an range of areas, much like those purported by Gardner. With such things as school funding and placement at stake i think a more comprehensive approach to assessment is a must! It simply is fair for a school to lose funding based strictly on the scores of standardized test. I was happy to learn that some school districts like the one in Illinois understand the importance of accessing the child in multiple areas to get a more complete picture of children’s development. My hope is that to other school districts will follow their lead!

References
Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Delisio, E (2009, May 25th) Beyond Standardized Testing: District Focuses on Assessing the Whole Child. Retrieved from Education World. Wedsite: http://www.educationworld.com

Rotberg I.C. (2005) Assessment Around the World. Journal of Educational Leadership. 65, 58-63

Poverty Here & Aboard

Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor Bare. “Mother to Son”Langston hughes(1922).

The famous Langston Hughes poem spoke of the hardship of poverty then in 1922 and still speaks today in 2013. According to the National Center on Poverty in 2010 15.1 percent of all persons lived in poverty here in the United States. Poverty as defined by some is the scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money (Intelligence n.d.). For blacks and Hispanics populations poverty rates greatly exceed national averages. For example, in 2010 27.4 percent of blacks and 26.6 percent of Hispanic were poor, compared with 9.9 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 12.1 percent of Asians (US Census Bureau. 2010) Furthermore, poverty rates are highest for families headed by single women, particularly if they are black and Hispanic. For children, the picture is even more grime. Children who are only 24 percent of the total population unfortunately make up 36% the poor population. For example, in 2010, 16.4 million children or 22.0 percent were poor (Census Bureau 2010)

As you can see from these numbers, poverty is a significant issue for millions across this country. I chose this topic because like the millions of children who are trapped in poverty today, I too was one of them just two decades ago. My mother was a single- divorced mother raising five kids by herself. I remember days going without food and sometimes without basic amenities that I take for granted today like, lights and running water. There was simply not an enough to go around in my home and so by the end of the month my mother turned to our “ecosystem”. Our ecosystem consisted of friends, family members; our local church and when times got really heard Welfare. Thankfully things changed later in my teen years as my mother begin to earn her education, eventually obtaining a Master’s degrees, which opened up work for my mother that helped her provide for her family more proficiently.

Poverty looks very different outside of the US in developing countries like that of Malawi. Malwai is one of the poorest countries in Africa with two thirds of its population living in poverty (wwww.cemnet.com). However, the poverty found in Malawi is more than the scarcity of material, but absolute poverty—the deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly include food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education. One organization is working this change this however and that is Pamoza International. My good friend Tawm Wright, who is always Malwian, serves as the Executive Directive of Pamoza international. Pamoza International mission is to united people in alleviating suffering and despair through Christian outreach and discipleship, meeting basic human needs, establishing self reliance and promoting environmental stewardship(www.pamoza.com)

One of the biggest ways to alleviated poverty from Ms Wright’s point of view is through education; particularly educating girls. Studies confirm that girls who are provided with an education in developing countries are less likely to end up poor. To achieve their goal Pamoza International runs and education initiative working to improve educational facilities and supplies; providing educational scholarships to children who can’t afford their school fees and attracting and retaining qualified teachers (www.pamoza.com).
To learn how you can get involved with my friend Temwa and Pamoza International work log onto http://www.pamoza.com

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, Report P60, n. 238, p. 61.

Intelligence. (n.d) . In Wikipedia online dictionary retrieved from http;//Wikipedia.com

The book that inspired me to change the world!

  “If you want poor kids to be able to compete with their middle-class peers, you need to change everything in their lives—their schools, their neighborhoods, even the child-rearing practices of their parents”( Forward from Whatever It Takes 2008)

This is one of the first books I read on the hot topic of closing the stubborn academic achievement  gap that exist between  poor and middle-class children.   It chronicles one man’s mission,  Mr. Geoffrey Canada,  to close the academic achievement gap by transforming a whole community through his urban public school reform model called, The Harlem Children’s Zone.

Mr. Canada’s  Harlem Children’s Zone has been the most effective urban school reform model to date.  The school boast a 95% graduation rate with 100 % of their  graduating students being  accepted into at least one university or college. One of the reasons the zone has been so effective is because of its early childhood development program, which focuses on educating young expecting moms and dads.  The program teaches parents everything from brain development to how to discipline their children in a way that teaches rather than simply punishes .  These classes go a long way in helping parents to understand that they are their children’s first teacher and if they want their child to be successful, learning has to start early and with them.

I remember not being able to put this book down and after I finished reading it I knew I wanted  change the world just like Mr. Canada!

What book has influenced you the most as an early care & education professional?

My Favorite Children’s Book: Frog and Toad!

Frog and Toad is a book series written by Arnold Lobel that tells of the amazing adventures of two best friends,  Frog and his sidekick, Toad.

I love Frog and Toad books because they teach children about friendship and how important it is to form lasting and trusting friendships with peers.   As a child, Frog and Toad meant the world to me because I wanted friendships like theirs.

As a child, and even as an assistant Head Start teacher, the statement that hurts the most is, “Sarah  said she doesn’t want to be my friend any more.”   Such words broke my heart then, when I was a child and now, when I hear them from my students.

As early care and education professionals it is important to we teach our students the importance of friendships and how to make friendships that are healthy.   Forming friendships will be important for their social and emotional development/well being not only in preschool but throughout their entire lives.

Here’s a  little video clip on the wonderful friendship of  Frog and Toad! Enjoy the Cookies! lol