stressors

Hunger is a meaningful topic for me because of an article I read a few weeks ago. Children that have no access to food not only harm their body but it also affects their mental state.  There have been researchers that have revealed that poor diet during early development (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory deficits, lower IQ and school achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence (Mcgregor, (1995). Hunger has also been linked to conditions such as Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.  In UK, they are battling with hunger and a lack of resources to obtain food. Children are suffering extreme neglect and malnutrition. At an alarming rate, children are dying from hunger in the UK. The government is currently exploring solutions to this problem but not fast enough.

Reference:

Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review of Studies of the Effect of Severe

Malnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 125:

2233S-2238S

Child Development and Public Health

Nutrition/Malnutrition is a meaningful topic for me because of a story I came across a few weeks ago. Children that are not having the correct nutrition not only harm their body but it also affects their mental state.  There have been researchers that have revealed that poor diet during early development (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory deficits, lower IQ and school achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence (Mcgregor, (1995).Malnutrition has often also been linked to conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.  

I remember reading a story about children in the UK and how they were battling with malnutrition. Over in the UK, the children are suffering extreme neglect and malnutrition. Although very alarming, children are still dying from severe malnutrition. I remember they specifically mentioned a 7 year old boy named Khyra Ishaq who should not have lost his life due to food.  The latest figures calculated in the UK reveal that 4 million children in the UK are living in poverty.  It’s also been found that 16% were

severely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk of severe malnutrition. This world must find ways to reach out and make sure no one is dying because they are experiencing malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity. I do my best making sure all of my students can at least have food for nourishment while on campus.

Reference:

Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review of Studies of the Effect of Severe

Malnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 125:

2233S-2238S

Childbirth in your life and around the world

I believe that the birthing experience is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, I haven’t experienced this beauty yet. I have no kids and I do not remember my birthing experience.

I always wanted to visit Thailand so I did a little research on Thailand’s birthing experiences. Thailand is very similar to the US except they do have a few traditions after the birth of a child.

First, when a baby is born, on the 3^rd day the baby is placed into a basket with a pencil and a notebook (for brightness), and money (for richness); girls are also given knives (to cut and comb hair) and cooking utensils. The basket with the baby and instruments is then handed over to “a respectable man in the village. This means that the baby became his adopted child temporarily, in the US we call this “God Parents”

Second, a child is not given a name until the fifth day after birth. Another interesting point is that babies are also sometimes given a mixture of banana, honey, and water to prevent diarrhea. If the baby cries too much and cannot sleep, it is believed that the baby’s guardian spirit, “Mae Sue” is teasing the newborn too much. I really enjoyed learning about the different things that the Thailand culture follows.

Examining Codes of Ethics

I-1.1—To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

This is important to me because the world is ever changing and we as educators must not get lost in time. We can  stay in touch with the changing of times through continuing education

I-1.3—To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child. 

This is important to me and in order for us to respect these unique qualities we have to be knowledgeable on how to recognize these qualities.

I-1.4—To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults. 

Children cannot stand up and speak for themselves so we have to be their voice and advocate for them

Course Resource Section

Required Resources

• Course Media: "The Resources for Early Childhood"
  Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

Note: Read the documents listed in Parts 1 and 2 in preparation for this week's Discussion.

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8.Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to "How Do I...?", select "Tips for Specific Formats and Resources," and then "e-journals" to find this search interface.)

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education
• E

EXTRAS!!

1. Don't Be Afraid of The Mess!
By Sandra Fisher
2. ''Shake Up'' Your Music Curriculum With Rhythm Instruments!
By Abigail Connors
3. 'I Did It on the Computer!' Easy-to-make Crafts Using the Computer
By Diane S. Kendall

My Quotes

Former President Bill Clinton’s quote “Individual character involves honoring and embracing certain core ethical values; honesty, respect, responsibility. Parents must teach their children from the earliest age the difference between right and wrong. But we must all do our part”.

Professor Brazelton’s quote “I may be 94 years old, but I'm not done.


Louis-Derman Sparks quoted in the video  "I always wanted to teach simply because I love kids"

Childhood Web

These are the individuals that are a part or have contributed to my development. 

Liz-Mom- Supportive and Nurturer always checking to see if I have everything I need.

Joe-Dad- Provider, Protector and Supporter and always checking to see if I have everything I need.

Steve-Coach- Disciplinarian, motivator and Supporter and always checking to see that I have what I need.

Sanborn-Teacher- educator and supporter and always checking to see that I have what I need

Lisha- Sister- supportive, Loving, Motivation because of her expectations and always checking to see that I have what I need.