My Hopes and Goals

Currently, I work with one particular high school in Indianapolis. This school is failing children and families.  For the last seven years, the leadership has internalized the oppression from the dominant culture, and they have projected the oppression onto the school children and their parents.  It’s especially disappointing to see Black on Black oppression.  I hear them talk about the children and parents badly.  The school will be taken over by the state in July 2012.  My hope for the children and families of this school is that they receive a leadership team that believes in them, respects them, and does not perpetuate the very culture that is currently damaging their social identities. As a member of the NAACP, I will continue our efforts to implement positive behavior support programs which encourage critical pedagogy.  My hope is that we can undo the terrible damage that has been done to this community by creating a different reality for the children. “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The goal I have for the early childhood field is that we become more politically active.  The early childhood field includes individuals who are accomplished, well-published, and technically deep.  However, we must be committed and persistent in fighting for marginalized children and families.  We cannot be quiet or passive.  Too many decisions are being made by politicians and others which are not in the best interest of children and families.  In fact, I think recent decisions perpetuate many of this isms, especially classism.  The politics cannot be avoided.   Marion Wright Edelman said childhood professionals “must gain greater technical proficiency in how bureaucracies work, how programs are administered, how services are delivered and how decisions are made at the federal, state, and local level” to affect change (McAdoo, 2007).    This includes understanding the power structures and social justice. After taking this course in particular, I will do my very best to help children at the local schools achieve equity in education and social services using the Coalition of Community Schools model.

Lastly, I enjoyed this course.  I learned more than I assumed I would at the beginning of this course.  I also learned a lot from each of you.  Unfortunately, I need to take a short break.  So, I hope to reconnect with you again in March. I wish all of you the very best.

Reference

McAdoo, H. P., (2007). Black Families. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Welcoming a New Family

I just found out a 3 year old from Somalia is coming to Indianapolis with her family, and the little girl will be attending our child development center.  I need to prepare for her arrival.  Five ways I will prepare for her and her family are: 1) contact Exodus Refugee Immigration to explore supportive resources.  This agency can help the family get settled and connect to social services, transportation, employment, and other Somalians; 2) investigate available interpreters in the area to ensure I can communicate with the girl’s family; 3) prepare a unit of my curriculum which celebrates where each child is from so the entire class can see everyone is from different places; 4) prepare a parent information sheet so I can find out about family point of contact, child’s interests, home language, dreams for their child, and the importance of extended family; and 5) research Somalia’s history and culture.  I know the country has suffered from a lack of government, war, and famine.  As a result, the family may experience significant culture shock.

These preparations will help the child, her family and me in several ways.  First, my preparations will hopefully make the family feel welcomed.  I would imagine that settling in a new place is a little less stressful if the people in the new town are welcoming.  Second, my preparations will help me learn about a new culture.  Learning about other cultures further develops my cultural responsiveness to all students.   Lastly, my preparation should reduce the anxiety of receiving a student I know nothing about and may have challenges communicating with if English is not her first language.

Diversity: From Challenge to Opportunity

I am working with the NAACP Education Committee to help a community support their local high school.  The school population is 92% African-American and over 75% free and reduced price lunch.  I had three experiences with school administrators which revealed institutionalized inequities along race and class.

1.       In August, our committee wanted to bring a university STEM program to their students. (None of the 7^th graders passed the state standardized test for science.) The administration was not receptive.  Instead, they chose to launch a hair care program.

2.       In September, I made arrangements with community partners to transport juniors and seniors to a local college fair.  Local organizations were prepared to provide dinner to the students and transportation to the fair.  The day of the fair, no students were signed up to go.  The principal explained that I did not understand “these kids”.

3.      In October, about 30 teachers attended a meeting which was intended for parents.  (Only two parents came to the meeting.)  In this meeting, the teachers complained about the efforts of my committee and the new company which has been hired to take over the school in July 2012.  They said that “these kids” do not go to college.

These examples are infuriating. The beliefs of administrators and teachers drive inequitable policies and practices which have a potentially life-long impact on children.  Unfortunately, they are repeating recordings they have learned from a racist and classist society.

The school leadership has to change in order for the inequity to change.  Since the district superintendent also disrespects our urban students and their parents, the state DOE takeover is the only way to change what is happening.  When the leadership change happens, I will help the community have a voice.  The Walden classes are giving me the language and skills I need to help them reclaim equity for urban children and families.

Awareness of Microaggressions

This weekend my sister-in-law's sister made a comment about Mormons being a cult. I asked her why she said that. She responded that they were not Christians. I replied that Mormons believe in Jesus Christ. She replied that Mormons believe in having many wives. I explained that polygamy was an old concept that the Mormons had abandoned. Perhaps a small group of Mormons believed in polygamy, but not the majority. After she made another comment, I asked her why she was demonizing Mormons when none of us knew enough about Mormons to be so critical. She did not have an answer.

This conversation helped me see that we probably all have conversations amongst well-intended friends which involves a microaggression against individuals or cultures. I feel compelled to speak up sometimes. Hearing microaggressions makes me uncomfortable. Since this week's assignment, I have greater awareness of microaggressions against groups beyond "people of color". I also recognize now the microaggressions against people who have a different religion. For some reason, it seems like a human tendency to perpetuate this sense of "otherness" to claim superiority over another. I wonder what makes us do that.

Beyond Surface Labels

I asked three coworkers their definition of “culture” and “diversity”.  One coworker is a White, heterosexual Christian male from Indiana, another coworker is a White agnostic lesbian female from Northeast U.S., and the last coworker is an African-American heterosexual anti-racist male.  In their definitions of culture and diversity, there were several words which aligned with Week 3 readings:

• Socially created groups
• Over time (dynamic)
• What we say, what we do, shared experiences

All three coworkers listed components of culture, such as, language, religion, geography, and work.  I noticed, however, no one listed deeper cultural components, such as: children, expression, or values.  Cultural discontinuity of these items is what can spark considerable tension.  I say this based on my experiences in and outside of work.  For example, I often hear “don’t show your emotions” from well-meaning friends and mentors.  The African-Americans and Latinos who I interact with are emotional and are not ashamed to express their emotion in their tone of voice and in facial expressions.  To be constantly told to hide our emotions has an unintended consequence of suppressing our cultural identities as expressive people. So, the omission of “expression” supports my feeling that most people don’t see the manner in which others express themselves as an attribute of “culture”.

Regarding “diversity”, all coworkers were aligned on “differences”:

• “A collection of individuals or things that have unique differences".
• “Any social group composed of individuals from different cultures”.
• “All the different ways we do things and say things and thing about things”.

This exercise helps me see that culture is everything we do and say and how we do it and say it.  My three coworkers recognize this.  While the definition sounds simple, it’s terribly complex.  The construction of culture is so subtle; it’s difficult to deconstruct it to show the harm that can be inflicted on others who are excluded from dominant culture.

Joy's Family Culture

My family and I are headed to another country, but I’m not sure where we’re going.  They said I could bring three things, so I will bring our family Bible, a photo album, and the UNO game.  The Bible describes the values that guide my family; the photo album includes pictures of cousins, grandparents, and friends who we must remember; and the UNO game brings my family into one room to play, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company.  My family and I have arrived at this new country, but they told me I can only bring one item, not three.  I choose the family Bible.  The Bible is foundational to who the Mason family is.  The Bible talks about love, contentment, humility, and forgiveness. Even if we didn’t have the UNO game to pull us together or the photo album to remember the faces of family, the Bible would help us stay close and be content.  The Bible would also give us guidance for adjusting to our new home. 

The primary insight from this exercise is that I did not select a physical object to represent the African-American identity of my family.  The African-American identity is very important to who I am and who my family is.  However, I am discovering that social identities and culture are not so much about things, but more so about a way of being, relating, and validating. Lastly, I think the underlying reasons for why I chose my three objects are probably more similar to others, than dissimilar.

When I Think of Research....

When I Think of Research

1)     Insights – My insights from this course primarily involve research design.  Now, I know more about variables, mixed-method approaches, validity, and ethics.  The course readings helped me understand what it takes to design investigations which yield transparent, self-reflexive, and equitable outcomes to support social change.

2)     Research Ideas – My ides of research have changed primarily in the area of quantitative and qualitative approaches.  I have a science background, so I always considered research to be quantitative.  Now, I understand the importance of triangulation and adding qualitative aspects to one’s research.  Triangulation adds validity and richer outcomes.  Adding qualitative approaches to research design also allows participant involvement and a more even distribution of power.

3)     Lessons – I learned the importance of bringing my ontological and epistemological views to the foreground of my research design.  How I approach a research study will become evident in my theoretical framework, so I should be transparent from the start regarding my views.

4)     Challenges – My greatest challenge is actually in the data collection plan.  I am not sure if OSS data can be pulled from the district database by teacher.  I need to see the OSS impact of the treatment group versus the control group of teachers; therefore, OSS data must be pulled by teacher.  I also think it is unlikely the district will allow me to add subcategories to “other” in their database.  I am afraid this category will be overused which will hinder my efforts to analyze OSS by specific violation.  I may have to give teachers a paper form to overcome this problem.

5)     Perceptions – My perception of an early childhood professional was one who had deep expertise in the developmental stages of childhood.  I had not considered that EC professionals would be concerned with global issues that plague children all over the world, but it makes perfect sense.  I also had not considered the importance of research design to the EC professional.

International Research Topics

I explored a site for Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)  http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php this week.  A few of the international research topics on this site were integration of indigenous story telling in Early Childhood Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and building capacity in early childhood development and in community leadership.  

ECDVU students are researching indigenous storytelling in Uganda and its relation to early childhood development.  Students are analyzing the story themes and discovering these stories have purpose and function.  Myths, legends, tales, and fables help mold character, shape morality, and promote socialization of children.  These stories should be integrated into healthy early childhood development in Sub-Saharan African communities where storytelling is a tradition.

ECDVU values capacity building within communities, because they recognize this skill is essential for sustainability, especially when services in a community end or loose funding.  The ECDVU site highlights initiatives in Tanzania.

One surprising fact is that the ECDVU approach is very similar to Walden University.  ECDVU has a generative curriculum which is learner-focused, ecologically focused (interactive), co-constructive (relies on school curriculum and experience), multicultural, cohort driven and historical (explore evolution of theories).

Overall, when I reviewed ECDVU student research, the general theme was families, vulnerable children, and communities.  Before I started this Early Childhood Studies program at Walden University, I had not taken the time to consider the holistic nature of early childhood development.  I love what I am discovering!

Pedagogy of Confidence

If the sky were the limit for my research project in hopes of making a positive contribution, I would research the impact of adopting pedagogy of confidence for children of low socio-economic status (SES).  Given multiple classrooms across a city with children of the same SES, same age, and same support profile (or lack of), I would like to see the social, emotional and cognitive outcomes for children where teachers intentionally teach with positive affirmations versus classrooms where teachers do not reinforce children’s gifts and natural desire to learn.  Too often educators inadvertently adopt pedagogy of the oppressed or pedagogy of deficits. I believe this research already exists; however, many want to believe that something is different and special about children who succeed, and the children with the same SES and support profile do not succeed because they are poor and minority.  For example, some individuals on my NAACP Education Committee believe that poor Black children at one of our local charter schools are somehow different.  They believe that’s why the principal is able to get a 100% graduation rate and 97% college attendance, while the non-charter schools have a more difficult task because their students are poor and Black with disengaged parents. Actually the charter and non-charter children live in the same neighborhoods with the same level of parent disengagement.   It’s difficult to change emotions and perceptions.  My research would be designed to help professionals and community members to recognize pedagogy of confidence makes the difference, not more money, charter status, or a magic wand that made the charter students more studious.  Implementing research based and evidence based teaching practices is important too.

My Research Journey

A research question I am considering is “What is the impact of educator’s beliefs and perceptions on the disproportionate suspension rates of children of color in kindergarten?”  I am interested in this topic because there may be an emerging pattern across Indianapolis schools which needs to be understood.  If a pattern exists at the kindergarten level, this pattern may reveal deeply rooted social issues which adversely impact the long term academic achievement of children, specifically children of color.  

The research chart made me think about my research question in a more scholarly way, but now I am almost paranoid.  Now, I think about is my subtopic too narrow, should my topic be more global, how much do I actually know about this topic to develop a theoretical framework, will I be able to add anything original to what is already known, and do I understand the similarities/differences in existing research?

There are resources available on this topic when I search in Google Scholar.  My colleagues also have books on this topic.  I am not sure, however, how many of these resources reach down to the kindergarten level.  Since many of you are in the early childhood field, do you have any insights or additional resources you can share on this topic?  For anyone interested in disproportional discipline in schools, the Equity Project at Indiana University, http://www.indiana.edu/~equity/index.php, meets the criteria for a quality resource and includes abundant references for further investigation.

Connections and Resources

I made local and international connections which had an impact on me both personally and professionally.  The consequences of these connections were context, commonality, and collaboration.  Context - Connecting with colleagues and international professionals provides me with new perspective.  For example the UNICF site helped me understand that in many countries childhood is tragically disrupted by war, drought, and diseases.  In many U.S. cities, childhood is tragically disrupted by the consequences of short-sighted policies.  Now, I am more focused on consequences of policies that perpetuate inequities.  Commonality - Connecting with colleagues and international professionals helped me see the field has common themes across countries.  For example, culturally responsive pedagogy is an area of focus in TJ Skalski’s charter school for indigenous people, it is a concern for me and the African American students of Arlington school, and it is a concern for Bobbie as she works with Chinese children and families who have unfamiliar traditions.  Now, I think more globally.   Collaboration - Our field has many challenges, and we must form partnerships to solve them.  For example, I learned from the UNESCO website, 75 million children are excluded from education worldwide.  It is impossible to reduce this number without partnerships.  Now, I intend to focus on collaborative partnerships to resolve local challenges. 

As a result of this class, I have a new professional goal to stay connected internationally.  I can do this through UNESCO. I find UNESCO is a good resource for context, commonality, collaboration and potentially new colleagues.

UNESCO and Inclusive Education

I sent my contact another message this week.  My conversation partner is the principal of Mother Earth's Children's Charter School in Canada.  However, she did not reply.  Maybe she is busy with school starting.  As a result, I investigated the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) site and found interesting information on inclusion.

 “Inclusive education is based on the right of all learners to a quality education that meets basic learning needs and enriches lives. Focusing particularly on vulnerable and marginalized groups, it seeks to develop the full potential of every individual”  (UNESCO, 2011).   It is sad to discover 75 million children are excluded from education. According to the 2011 Global Monitoring Report, the primary reasons for exclusion are poverty, gender inequity, disability, child labor, speaking a minority language, belonging to an indigenous people, and living a nomadic or rural lifestyle (UNESCO, 2011).

For me, UNESCO has reaffirmed a new perspective during this course:  inclusive education is a human rights issue. As early childhood professionals, our challenge is to elevate our leadership and advocacy to promote inclusive and quality education as a human rights issue. To promote inclusion, UNESCO had 10 questions; however, I selected three questions that could be used when discussing inclusion with others.  UNESCO provides some thoughts to consider for each question.

1. Beyond the figures, what do we know about the excluded?

Being poor or marginalized are the major causes of exclusion

2. How do curricula need to change to improve learning and encourage the inclusion of all pupils?

Contrary to the traditional approach, curricula can foster tolerance and promote human rights. A culturally responsive curricula can challenge stereotypes.

3. Does inclusive quality education lead to more inclusive societies?

UNESCO promotes the concept that inclusion is “founded on values of democracy, tolerance and respect for difference.”  These values will carry on to adulthood and help create a more inclusive society.

In summary, consider discussing inclusive and quality education issues with family, friends, coworkers and politicians.  I found 80% of the people I talked to enjoy the conversation and hearing a passionate perspective on inclusion.  Even though 20% have been offended. I am comfortable with my track record.

Reference

United Nations Educational, Scientific,  and Cultural Organization. (2011).  Inclusive education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education/

Harlem Gems - A Success Story

If you go to the Harlem Children’s Zone website http://www.hcz.org, you will discover that 100% of their pre-kindergartners were at grade level for the eighth consecutive year.  How many programs can claim this distinction?  The Harlem Gems program is successful because it is based on current research in child development and best practices.  It is not surprising; therefore, the curriculum is child-centered.  The program is based on the knowledge that children are naturally active learners regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status.  The role of the adult is to plan activities and facilitate learning based on the child’s interest. The Harlem Gems curriculum was designed in consultation from researchers, child development experts, and pediatricians.  Lead teachers have master’s degrees, assistant teachers have associate degrees, and every classroom has a Family Worker who looks at for the needs of parents.  Each day, the child uses language to choose and plan an activity, carriers out the plan, and solves problems that may arise.  The teacher helps the child review accomplishments and lessons learned.  Children must also spend 75 minutes per week using a software application called Lexia to develop phonemic awareness.  Teachers use the Brackin Basic Concept Scale to assess 258 concepts for school readiness and the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment System to measure 50 areas of social/emotional, language, and physical development.  The Harlem Gems program clearly uses research and best practices to help all children succeed.  What may not be clear to outsiders is they also apply a lot of “love”.  I found a 2007 newsletter on the HCZ website, “Harlem Children’s Zone, A look Inside”, and I searched for how many times the word “love” was used.  “Love” was mentioned 19 times.     Harlem Gems program shows best practices, appling all resources necessary, and a lot of love go a long way to addressing the inequity that invariably exists in any society.

Worforce Development, Welfare Reform and ChildWell-Being

I communicated with the principal of Mother's Earth Children's Charter School, but she did not respond this week.  As a result, I accessed http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/forum_wp1/ and found a working paper which is aligned with the EDUC 6162 course materials and my interests.  The working paper is entitled "Workforce Development, Welfare Reform, and Child Well-Being".  When I think of workforce development and welfare reform, I think about getting adults back to work.  I tend not to think about the unintended consequences of workforce development policies on children.  After reading this paper, I had these insights:
1.  Five different experiments examining various approaches to work and welfare policies across the U.S. and Canada revealed mandated employment policies versus "make work pay" policies had an impact on children.  "Make work pay" policies with supports improved the academic performance and social behavior of children, while the mandatory work with no supports did not.
2.  "Make work pay" supports include child care subsidies, health insurance subsidies, case managers with low workloads, temporary jobs, job training, and wage supplements.  Child care supports were determined to be an important "effective factor" on children.
3.  Contrary to what was seen with young children, both the mandatory employment policies and "make work pay" policies had negative effects on parents perception of their teenagers.  This may be due to fewer interactions between the working parent and the adolescent and/or the adolescent has to start taking care of younger siblings because the parent is now working.
In summary, this paper continued to expand my understanding of how policies impact equity.  There are examples all over the country of how policies can be implemented in a manner which supports parents and their children.  This paper indicated the positive results of "make work pay" were consistent across cities in and outside of the U.S. 

Reference
Center on the Development Child: Harvard University. (2007). Workforce Development, Welfare Reform, and Child Well-Being.  Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/forum_wp1/

Innovation For Schools

This week, I co-facilitated my third meeting at a school which may be taken over by the state due to poor performance.  During the meeting, we celebrated a new partnership between the school and a local university to start adult education classes in the building.  Our NAACP Education Committee was excited, but the school leadership was leery regarding student safety.  Reading the innovation approaches to addressing such safety concerns on the Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. (HCZ).  website was perfect timing.  Civic Builders has partnered wth HCZ to created flexible spaces where students, the community, and businesses can coexist.  In the Civic Builders and HCZ's document "Maximizing Capital Dollars:  Practical Lessons from Charter Schools" (n.d.),  several design examples are described which actually help nurture partnerships and relationships http://www.hcz.org/images/stories/pdfs/HCZCivicCharterConstruction.pdf. Examples include large flexible spaces for community workshops and meetings.  These spaces have their own separate entrances which ensures safety for students.  Also, school spaces can be reconfigured, on short notice, for after-school programs, health clinics, or community events. I plan to take this information back to the school, so they can see options for addressing their safety concerns while also welcoming adults to take classes in the school.  This document opened my eyes to the possibility that our buildings may be as antiquated and rigid as our subject-by-subject curriculum. I think we all need help seeing new possibilities which allow a better learning environment and stronger community partnerships.  One idea I found quite scary was allowing businesses to rent space in the building.  Civic Builder suggests renting space to businesses could generate much needed revenue and bring more community traffic to the school.  This would be a concept that a economists or politician would recommend as an innovative and economical use of space, because they're looking strictly at the numbers. A "good for business" approach must never outweigh what is best for the students, parents, and community. 

TJ & Indigenous People of Canada

My new conversation partner is TJ Skalski in Canada.  I found her by watching her podcast on World Forum Radio http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php.  She is the principal of the only charter school for indigenous people of Canada.   Her school is called Mother's Earth Children's Charter School http://www.meccs.org/site/.  TJ's grandmother told her a long time ago she was a teacher, even though she entered a different career.  This stuck with her, and she eventually went back to school to become a teacher.  She noticed, however, the indigenous children were hurting.  The children come to school damaged, wounded, scarred, hungry, depressed and feeling unworthy.  That's why she started the charter school, which is based on a culturally-responsive curriculum.  The school curriculum is grounded in the Medicine Wheel, and the mission is to preserve and sustain the way of life where children's gifts are nurtured.  TJ was excited that I contacted her.  She explained that while her superintendent is supportive, many are stuck in "western ways" and do not understand the need to teach a different way.   More than half of the indigenous children are poor and unemployment is about 25% of the reservation and 30% on the reservations.. TJ said they need their culture and language to survive and thrive. I love TJ's passion, and her school mission.  Viewing life in a linear disconnected manner is hurting all of us, but especially indigenous people.

Inspiration In Harlem, New York!

I changed my domestic website to the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ):  http://www.hcz.org.   HCZ has made an extraordinary difference in the lives of thousands of  poor children in New York.  HCZ has done this by bringing many support services to children and families where they live.  In 1997, HCZ brought services to a 24 block area of drug-ridden Harlem, New York.  Now, they bring services to 8,000 children and 6,000 adults within a 100 block area. HCZ brings services to address all the issues that poor families face, and they are getting results.   For example, 190 four-year olds that entered the Harlem Gems program in 2009 went form 16.5% classified as delayed or very delayed to no students classified as very delayed.  Percentage of "advanced" students went from 21.3% to 41.6%.  Wow!  I love it!  The issue I identified from the HCZ site is the significant investment that is required to turn things around for Harlem families.  The fiscal year 2010 budget for HCZ was $75 million to support the Harlem Zone and surrounding areas.  How do we make the investment needed in children and families if decision-makers are focused on a machete approach to spending for domestic programs.  The answer is the "community" beyond geographic borders.  We all have to feel a sense of community regardless if the school children are actually our children or if we live in the area.  "The test of a morality of a society is what it does for its children" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. HCZ and its leader, Geoffrey Canada are an inspiration.  I'm ready to step up! 

Expanding Resources

I am looking forward to expanding my resources and sharing information with other professionals in different countries.  To begin my search for new contacts, I researched the UNICEF website.  There are UNICEF affiliates in many countries.  I chose to research two countries in Africa, Congo and Ghana.  I was struck and saddened by the violence against children which is described on the website.  The challenges of vaccinating children against malaria, yellow fever, and polio were also described.  I am troubled but interested in hearing more.  As a result, I sent email messages to the UNICEF representatives for both countries.  I hope I receive a reply.

Regarding the professional website I chose, I researched the National Council on Educating Black  (www.ncebc.org)Children (NCEBC).  My new education colleagues talk about NCEBC quite a bit, and there is a local chapter here in Indianapolis.  Their guiding principles actually apply to all children.  1) Have a principal who is a strong instructional leader; 2) Provide a safe community-like climate conducive for learning; 3)   Be staffed with professionals who have high expectations for all students; 4) Provide a curriculum that relates to the experiences of the learners; and 5) Maintain constant evaluation with remediation for mastery of content.  NCEBC was founded by a Harvard professor (Dr. Ron Edmonds) because many assume poor Black children cannot learn.  He knew, as we all know, that is simply not true.

My Supports

We all need some type of support.  My supports are God, family, my pastor, and my job.  God is my source from whom all things are praiseworthy and possible.  My family is my foundation where I have safety and shelter, both literally and figuratively.  My pastor interprets the Bible so I understand how I am supposed to live so that I may have joy, love, peace, strength, and confidence.  My job is my source of income and insurance.  My job allows me to go back to school, have a house, pay medical bills, and go on vacations.  These are my supports. I cannot imagine life without my supports.  They are the framework that I hang my body on. They provide the stability I need to function in a sometimes crazy world.

If  were deaf or hearing impaired, I would still need the same supports, but much more. I would need a culture of similar people who understand my experience because they are deaf too. I could confide in them and cry with them.   At my job, there's an employee resource group for the disabled and deaf. This group is a source of support and advocacy for policy changes.  I would need a paid interpreter as a support.  Without monetary assistance for an interpreter, I might not be able to afford one.  Without an interpreter, I would not be able to understand meetings at work, know what my pastor is saying, or enjoy concerts. I would also need supervisors, coworkers and friends to seek out classes to help them understand my world.  This would help deepen our relationship.  Without supports like these, I would probably feel alienated and isolated.  Most people mean well, but without these supports, access, participation, and full acceptance are not as open as they may appear.  The sign may say "all are welcomed", but the lack of supports keeps some people away.  Whether we acknowledge it or not, everyone looses when all are not really welcomed.

My Connection to Play

When I think back on my childhood play time, I think of puzzles, erector sets, Etch-N-Sketch, Light Bright, making potholders, painting and drawing.  When I asked my mother what she remembered about my play time, she said I was always creating.  I laughed becuase I enjoy creating as an adult.  I remember that my mom provided whatever supplies and time I needed to be creative.  Interestingly, I do not remember a lot of other children.  Much of my play time at the age of 4 and 5 was alone .  I was comfortable and happy playing alone.

In my day, the natural desire to learn, explore, and create did not compete with the 24 hour cartoon channels and electronic games that children have today. Joan Almon's talks about the school counselor in Virginia who said that her first grade students did not understand the word "imagination" (Almon, 2002).  So, I asked my 16 year old son what imagination was, and he said he didn't know.  Just like the counselor, I was surprised. However, I explained that he did know because he uses his imagination when he creates his music lyrics.  Play is essential to the healthy social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children, and I do believe there will be unintended consequences of insufficient play which this generation of children.  However, I still believe that children are playing in some form. We need to accept that play looks different today, while still encouraging good ole fashion dramatic play and fantasy play.  For example, my oldest son my not have engaged in much fantasy play, but he plays basketball for at least 30 minutes, lifts weights, is conscious about what he eats, and he creates with his mind when writing musical lyrics. 

This generation of children may not know the word "imagination", but I believe they are playing and creating in a way that the adult perspective cannot see. I still hope early childhood advocates will prevail in convincing school board members and politicians to build in more time for play during the school day.  They will not make this change unless we advocate for it.  With regards to my own play time, I have to work on that.  I work, study, work, study, volunteer, study.  I am not setting a good example for my children.  That will change starting today.

Reference
Almon, K. (2002). The vital role of play in early childhood education. Gateways, 43. Retrieved from http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BAPlayAlmon.pdf

Meaningful Relationships

Refer to my Relationship Reflection section on the far right side of my blog for my most important relationships.  Over the past three years, I have developed more relationships outside of my family. One of those new relationships is with a group called the YMCA Urban Mission. This group of people humbles me with what they do.  They help urban children, but they also help society's "throw away" children (minority children who are uneducated and incarcerated).  I share the same values with this group, and our relationship is reciprocal.  My insights from this group  - humility and authenticity. This group is helping me emerge out of a corporate environment where the values are very different.

We are the change we seek! Thank you!

I am a person through other people.  My humanity is tied to yours.

—Zulu Proverb

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German philosopher and theologian

Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times.
—Anonymous 

It takes a whole village to raise a child

—Igbo (Nigerian) Proverb

Thanks for being great colleagues and providing invaluable insight.  It is so refreshing to be with others who are like minded in spirit and have huge hearts for children.  We are gaining knowledge that will make a difference for children. This is the essence of God.  To those of you taking EDUC 6161, I will see you on May 2!  Enjoy the break. 

Testing for Intelligence

Intelligence testing is an old practice dating back more than 100 years (http://www.apa.org ).  In the United States, standardized intelligence testing is used for school entry, determining who is gifted, and potentially identifying learning disabilities.  Examples of intelligence testing are the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Kaufman Assessment Battery of Children, the Standford-Binet, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.

These tests focus on academic aptitude; however, Howard Gardner describes eight areas of intelligence:  linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic that should be considered (Berger, 2009, p. 326)

As stated in Berger (2009), a child may have a low IQ test result, but be responsible, demonstrate emotional control, and memorize names of friends.  Unfortunately, the pressures for academic achievement make it unlikely that intelligence testing and assessments based on intellectual aptitude will be de-emphasized in the United States anytime soon.

When I looked for assessment approaches in other countries, I surprisingly found a lot of information on New Zealand Schools.  Their Ministry of Education (MOE) adapted Uri Bronfenbrenner’s social cultural model to their education system and called it Te Whariki.  Likewise, their assessment philosophy for school-aged children follows the same model.  For example, the MOE provides tools to ensure development and assessment include the cultural tradition of oral story-telling and use of cultural symbols, not just “traditional” reading and writing.  In fact, teachers are encouraged to assess children in their first language so that the second language (English) is not a barrier.  Even though, I could not find the specific assessment tools used, the Te Whariki framework for assessment includes Well Being, Belonging, Contribution, Communication, and Exploration (http://www.educate.ece.govt.nz/learning/curriculumAndLearning/TeWhariki.aspx).     If New Zealand is actually practicing what they preach, I think the MOE has masterfully balanced the social context of native New Zealand children with their national requirements for achievement.  Furthermore, they appear to work very hard to maintain the cultural integrity and self-esteem of children when teaching and assessing them.   The New Zealand approach demonstrates that intelligence is not reserved for the few, if the basis by which intelligence is determined includes the dynamic environment in which people live.   

Reference:

Berger, K. S. (2009).  Middle Childhood:  Biosocial Development, The developing person through childhood (5th ed.) (p. 324 - 326). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Racism

My earliest memory of racism was at 10 yrs old after my parents divorced.  My mother, sister, and I moved away from a diverse neighborhood into a predominantly white suburb.   Although there were some African Americans who lived in the area, brown faces were not common.  My sister and I were dropped off at a nearby childcare facility near our apartment complex.  I have very few memories from this place, but I do remember being teased because we were African-American.  The teasing became so routine, the staff kept us separated from the other children.  For example, there was White time in the pool and there was Black time in the pool. 

I coped with the situation the same way I cope now, withdraw.  I am an introvert anyway, so this is easy to do. I do not remember if I told my mother, nor do I recall interventions to improve the situation.  It's just a bad memory, now.

I was interested in racism in South Africa, because I have not heard much about their progress since apartheid was dismantled in 1994.  Apartheid was a national policy of legalized racism against the Coloured and Black population.   South Africa’s racist policies came to an ugly head during the 1976 Soweto Uprising when children protested their inferior education and the ban on learning in their own language.  The students organized the peaceful protest, but it turned bloody when police arrived and killed over 400 and injured more than 2000 (Tin, et. al, 200X).  So, while children played a significant role in the liberation movement, 18.8 million South African children (all races) are still impacted by 350 years of institutionalized racism.  As of 2006, only 38 – 47% of Black households have running water, electricity, and sanitation (UNICEF, 2009). In 2004, sixth grade national achievement tests revealed that children who live in the poorest communities in remote areas who have not been allowed to learn in their own language(Black children) perform the worst.  Only 7% of schools even have libraries (UNICEF, 2009).  If children are deprived of education, access to health care, and a quality education, they will experience stress.  “Perceived racial differences lead to discrimination, and racial identity affects cognition” (Berger, 2009, p. 15).  In South Africa, racism is not perceived:  racism was and still is very real.  The government recognizes the gaps and formed the Conventions of the Rights of the Child, African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child and the National Integration Plan for Early Childhood which attempts to address comprehensive services for children.  In fact, the Office of the Rights of the Child was moved under the President to ensure children’s rights are a priority.  If one considers the significant legislation that has been passed over a 17 year period to protect children, the government has done quite a bit to undo the harm of racism.  However, I could not find any longitudinal studies to assess the psychosocial or cognitive impact of racism on the oppressed children of South Africa.  More research is needed.

References:

UNICEF. (2009, April).  Situation Analysis of Children in South Africa. Retrieved from

http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/docs/pcsa/gdch/situation-analysis.pdf

Tin, H. (2001). Children in Violent Spaces. Reinterpretation of the 1976 Soweto Uprising. Retrieved from http://www.ninaoghjalte.dk/downloads/forskning/10.pdf

Berger, K. S. (2009). Introduction, The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). (p. 15). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Child Development and Public Health

Public Health Measure - Immunizations

What has the “greatest impact on human mortality reduction and population growth (compared) to any other health intervention besides clean water” according to J.P. Baker (2000)? The answer is…..Immunizations (as cited in Berger 2009).

Signficance of Topic 

I chose immunization as my public health measure of choice because of how critical it is for all children.  Access and cost are two factors that could mean life or death for a child anywhere in the world.  Access and cost are addressed in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 which requires that health care plans cover preventive services recommended by doctors and experts at no cost to the patient.  This includes immunizations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, including routine immunizations for children (http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/provisions/services/background.html).  I feel strongly that high co-pay payments or deductibles should not stand in the way of a life-saving vaccine for a child.     

Immunizations in Cuba

Cuba has had a National Immunization Program since 1962.  This program has contributed to the eradication of nine infectious diseases (polio, whooping cough, neonatal tetanus, measles, mumps meningioencephalitis, malaria, rubella, diphtheria,  and congenital rubella syndrome .  Almost all children are the beneficiaries of a free immunization program that protects them against 13 preventable diseases. 

I would like to emphasize two goals of Cuba’s immunization program:  1) vaccinate all children and 2) at no cost (Reed, G., Galindo, MS., Galindo, MA, 2007).  These two goals align with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.  In fact, WHO Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Monitoring System, 2006 Global Summary reports that 94 – 99% of Cuban children under 16 years old have been vaccinated (as cited in Reed, G., Galindo, MS., Galindo, MA., 200).  (Percent varies within this range depending on the specific vaccine.)  Cuba’s immunization program is a model program, which proves preventive care at no cost is possible when you make it a national priority, and its saves lives.

Impact on My Future Work

When I transition into the early childhood or education field, I realize that requiring immunization records and/or educating parents on where they can go to vaccinate their children at no cost is a simple act that can actually make the difference between life and death. 

Reference:

Berger, K. S. (2009). Introduction, The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). (p. 209). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Tinder, P. (2011, March). Cuba set to vaccinate 500,000 children against polio.   vaccinenewsdaily.com.  Retrieved from  http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/news/235862-cuba-set-to-vaccinate-500000-children-against-polio

Reed, G., Galindo, MS., Galindo, MA. (Fall, 2007) Cuba’s National Immunization Program. MEDICC Review.  9(1),   p 5 – 7. Retrieved from http://mediccreview.medicc.org/articles/mr_56.pdf

Childbirth - My Life Compared to Haiti

What I remember most about the birth of my sons was they were both a bundle of joy, but they also had me in 22 hours of labor for each!  Whew!  It may have been shorter if I had not had an epidural.   I also remember the scary responsibility of bringing a precious gift from God home to care for.  After EDUC 6101 Week 1 reading, I think about the advantages I had during pregnancy.  I had affordable prenatal care, access to nutritious food, transportation to the hospital, no known exposure to teratogens, and a supportive husband.  I chose these examples because they are in stark contrast to most women in the world.  My advantages had a significant impact on the early childhood for my boys, because different circumstances may have set them up for birth complications or developmental abnormalities.  From what I can tell, they are normal teenagers now.  (This is an older picture of when they were much younger.)

In Haiti, more women die before and after childbirth compared to anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere.  High poverty and a non-existent healthcare system is a deadly combination for many women and their babies.  It is common for women to have their babies on a hospital floor, if they arrive at the hospital at all, and many of these women bleed to death due to inadequate staffing and training.  What is the impact of these conditions on child development?  Haiti has one of the highest under-5 mortality rates across the Americas (Chatterjee, 2008).  I, on the other hand, had everything I needed for a safe birthing experience and developmentally healthy children.   This comparison makes it very clear that many children begin life in a hole, due to no fault of their own, making it harder to have a healthy childhood. The “pull yourself up by your boot-straps” adage does not work when you have no boot-straps or boots.

Reference:

Chatterjee, P. (2008). Haiti’s Forgotten Emergency.  The Lancet, 372(9639), 615 – 618. Retrieved from  http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61259-3/fulltext

We did it!!!

We did it!  We finished the first course.  I remember biting my nails and being so worried about the first discussion post, the first blog, the first application.  Here we are... completing Week 8 assignments.  Thank you for being great colleagues.  Nothing happens by chance.  I believe our connections have a spiritual purpose.  I hope we will be together for the next course.  I will be taking EDUC 6160.  Hope to see you there!  Love Joy

Examining Codes of Ethics

NAEYC I-1.2  To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child.

Significance:  With data, research, and knowledge, we can make better decisions on behalf of all children.   I enjoy researching the data to support the case for investing in early childhood education and quality care.

NAEYC I-1.10  To ensure that each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.

Significance: U.S developmental milestones and teaching strategies appear to be primarily based on the dominant culture and language.  While there is more emphasis on the immigrant culture and language in recent years, I think there is insufficient recognition of other cultures, such as:  Native Americans, African Americans, and Appalachian.  This is an area I am particularly interested in, that’s why I chose the Teaching and Diversity specialty.

NAEYC – I-4.6 To work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which all young children have access to high quality early care and education programs.

Significance:  School choice (i.e. charter schools and vouchers) are popular ideals.   However, I have not seen data or research that shows that more choices actually improve quality education for all children.  School choice does not help ALL children.  What will happen to the children who cannot enter a charter school because of the long waiting lists and are not eligible for a voucher?  I am concerned for the children who are left.  For this reason, I recently joined the Indiana Coalition for Public Education.  

Websites and Journals as Resources

My websites and journal references are at the bottom of my blog site.  If you can not see them, go down to the brown section of my site.  I look forward to checking our your resources, as well. 

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

“The (other) thing with me is that it’s personal” (Conniff, 2002).    I know this quote from Edward Zigler, Ph.D.  is not very scholarly, but this quote’s simplicity and power regarding all children and their rights to healthy development speaks for itself.

Marion Wright Edelman said that professionals and the community “must gain greater technical proficiency in how bureaucracies work, how programs are administered, how services are delivered and how decisions are made at the federal, state, and local level” to affect change (McAdoo, 2007).  Marian Wright Edelman helped me see that we must be experts, as well as students of the decision making process.   

“I had a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and to fix all the social injustices that existed in the world.”  (Derman-Sparks, 2010)  I totally relate!  Sometimes, I am very idealistic regarding one person’s ability to fix injustice.

“Children are learning very early that there are power issues and that there are some identities that give you more social power than others….. It doesn’t allow children to grow up to their fullest potential, their fullest abilities” (Derman-Sparks, 2010).  To think that our children see and internalize the power discrepancies really hurts. The fact that many adults pretend that those power discrepancies do not exist hurts our ability to help children and their families.

References:

Conniff, R. (2002, June). Edward Zigler – The Progressive Interview – One of the Founders of the Head Start Program.  Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_6_66/ai_87855090/?tag=content;col1

McAdoo, H. P., (2007). Black Families.

     Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

The Passion of Early Childhood. [Filmstrip]. (2010).

United States:  Laureate Education, Inc.

Joy's Personal Childhood Web

This is a new experience - sharing personal childhood webs.  Opening up like this is new for me.  I added my personal childhood web on the right side of my blog page.
Mom (Carole Craig) - My mother's most significant influence on me as a child was modeling hard work and commitment. My mother's nurturing qualities were demonstrated in her ability to provide.  That is how I knew she cared. She always made sure my sister and I had everything we needed, within our means, of course.  That's also how she made me feel special.  Today, she is my strongest influence.  At 66, her commitment to the community and the time she devotes to advocating for children is phenomenal.  I would not be in the Master's program if it were not for her influence. She has more time now to study the Word and gain more insight into life, relationships, love, and humility.  She shares what she learns with me all the time.  I love listening to her insight.
Stepdad (Frank Craig) - My stepdad's influence on me as a child was modeling unconditional love and protection.  From the age of 11 (when my parents divorced) on up, he always treated us like we were his biological daughters.  He has nurtured me by being a loving father.  He demonstrated how much he cared and how special I was by coming to school events, activities, taking me where I needed to go and by being a reliable provider.  He influences me today in the same way.  He loves my boys unconditionally, and goes out of his way to be present and helpful in my boys' lives.  He comes to all of my sons' games.
Dad (Jay Smith)  - My dad influenced me as a child by showing me how to take care of a home, cook, and drive.  I remember when he taught me how to make a bed, scramble eggs, and wash dishes.  He nurtured me and cared for me by spending time with my sister and me every other weekend when my parents divorced.  He did not skip a weekend!  He made me feel special by trusting that I would make wiser choices as a grew older. He gave me the space to do grow and to make mistakes.  He influences me today because he is very wise.  He also influenced me to treasure my ancestors.  He and I have gone to the cemetery to visit deceased relatives almost every year since I could walk.  I still go to the cemetery every year to pay my respects.
Dukie (Carrie Leona Boards) - My grandmother (Dukie) influenced me by being down-to-earth.  She drank beer, smoked, and cursed, but I loved being with her.  She did not baby me.  She nurtured me and cared for me by including me in her gardening routine.  I loved being in her yard, helping her pick vegetables, wateingr her flowers, and sitting on her porch. She made me feel special by spending time with me in the garden, laughing with me, and being brutally honest.  She is deceased now, but she was strong woman that I miss very much.
Grandmother (Roberta Armstrong)  Grandmother was one of the strongest women I know.  She influenced me as a child by insisting on proper manners, the Queen's English, and lady-like behaviour.   Grandma was not really a nurturer, but she groomed us well and I knew she cared.  She also influenced me as a Christian and made us go to Sunday school.   You know, I can't think of anything right now regarding how she made me feel special.  Hmmm.  But she was a strong Christian woman whom I respected and honored. She is also deceased now.

Joy's Early Childhood Studies Site

I did it!  I created a blog.  This is my first blog, which will be dedicated to earlychildhood studies.