Sharing Web Resources: Children's Defense Fund

Children’s Defense Fund

                At the beginning of my course, Issues and Trends in Early Childhood, I chose the Children’s Defense Fund as my organization I would learn more about and subscribe to their newsletter.  I just started receiving emails from the organization. In this first email was today’s entry in Marian Wright Edelman’s column, Child Watch and is titled Our Children’s Cry: Do Something.  In the column, she talks about the nation-wide student walk-out that just occurred on the 14^th to honor the 17 students that died during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting one month ago. They also walked out to say they have had enough and want to feel safe again through stricter gun control. They are tired of waiting for the adults and for Congress to do something about it. The column also mentions the statistics of children’s’ gun-related deaths, the daily fear these children endure, and the need to stand up with these children. The next big march is called the March For Our Lives and is being held on March 24^th across the country. It is time that we stand up with these children, with all children, and let them know that we do hear them and that we also care.

                This website covers many different issues and focuses on policy priorities to end child hunger, child criminalization, and child poverty. They also want to ensure that all children have access to health care and quality early childhood education and to protect them from abuse and neglect.

Their website is: www.childrensdefense.org

The link to their newsroom where you can find Edelman’s column Child Watch: http://www.childrensdefense.org/newsroom/#child-watch

               As I was looking through their website, I found a program called Young Advocate Leadership Training (YALT). It is conducted by the Children’s Defense Fund on behalf of the Black Community Crusade for Children (BCCC). The program’s focus is to build a movement for children and to train a new group of young leaders.  The purpose is to build a strong advocacy group and for social justice. They also train young leaders ages 18-30 to be strong advocates in their communities (CDF, 2018).

Children’s Defense Fund’s website is full of information and they have several programs that help children. They are a strong advocate group. I am looking forward to learning more about them.

References

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). http://www.childrensdefense.org

Child Watch. (2018). http://www.childrensdefense.org/newsroom/#child-watch

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). Youth Development & Leadership. http://www.childrensdefense.org/programs/YouthDevelopment/

Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

 Expanding Horizons: Global Fund for Children

Upon exploring this website, I learned that the Global Fund for Children looks for programs that work with children around the world, fund their partnering programs, provide support to these programs, and build a network between all of the programs that they support. Through their partnering programs, they empower some of the world’s most at risk children by advocating for their rights. “Our partners become national leaders in children’s rights, and influence government policy to defend and protect hundreds of thousands of children worldwide.” They have a 91% success rate and have many awards. I like the work they are doing by funding these grass-roots programs in order to help them be successful in empowering children and aiding them in positive social change. You can also read about all the success stories, subscribe to their updates, and donate to their cause.

Expanding Resources: Children’s Defense Fund

It was hard to choose which organization I wanted to immerse myself in and to learn about how they impact the early childhood community. I decided on the Children’s Defense Fund mainly because I love the work Marian Wright Edelman has done for early childhood. I want to learn more about her influences and how they impact children and communities. The Children’s Defense Fund is a strong advocacy group for all children and I find myself inspired by their work.  Advocacy is an important part of what we do as educators. All kids need us to be their voice.

 

References

Global Fund for Children:  https://globalfundforchildren.org/

Children’s Defense Fund:  http://www.childrensdefense.org/about/

 

My Daily Supports

Daily Supports

            My emotional supports include my immediate family (husband and children), my co-workers and friends. My mother is only a phone call away when I need her. I also have a cousin and a few best friends that are also only a phone call or text message away.  I know that they are all there for me whenever I need it. It is a small but reliable circle.

          My practical supports include my calendar, my pay from work and from the VA, and my husband’s pay. If I do not put appointments etc. on my calendar, it often does not exist! I usually have so many things going on between work (I wear many hats), school, appointments, payments due, my daughter’s schoolwork and her activities that I have resorted to putting everything on my calendar. I don’t know what I would do without it. Pay is pretty self-explanatory. We all need it. Sometimes, we wish we had more and other times it is just enough. The struggle is real. I’m thankful for what we have and we make it work as a partnership. My husband is amazing and helps out around the house while I run around like a crazy person. He cooks and cleans while I work and do homework.  He also takes our youngest daughter to jiu-jitsu because I am still at work. Can’t wait for that to change next school year!

            I am not one who likes to ask for help, but when I do, I rely on my husband, my oldest daughter or my mother are my primary physical supports. The only other person near me that I would ever consider to ask for help is my co-teacher. We lovingly and jokingly call each other “work wife”. We are so much alike and we are often supporting each other equally. I feel like I am here to support others more than others are here to support me.

            The challenge I imagined was a major health issue either with myself or within my immediate family.  I know that my emotional supports: my family, my work family, and my friends near and far would all come to my aid if I needed it. I have seen all of them in action and come to the aid of others when needed. Whether it was to help cook dinner, run errands, raise money, or just emotional support, they all would be there for me and my family. They would become my emotional and physical supports. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it is a small circle but it is a strong reliable circle. It took years, love, and wisdom to build. I can’t imagine life without them nor do I want to. If this major health issue prevented me from working, I would lose part of my practical support (pay). I would still have some income coming in from the VA and from insurance.  I would still have my husband to help out financially and around the house. If it was my husband with the major health issue, we would have to rely on other means of income that we have set aside for this type of instance since he is the major contributor to the household.

            Thinking about this challenge has made me realize having daily supports is important. I do not know what I do without them. I also realized how much I need them. Without them, the impact would be great. I am hoping that when people read this that they also reflect on the importance of their daily supports and that they do not take it for granted. I know I surely won’t. 

My Connections to Play

My Connections to Play

“Play is the soil from which a child grows. Let her flower naturally, organically and in her own timing.” ~ Vince Gowmon

“If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.” ~ Bob Basso

“Play is the answer to the question, ‘How does anything new come about?’” ~ Jean Piaget

When I look back at my earlier days, I remember a much simpler time.  I remember making mud pies, playing in the rain, and making blanket forts in the house. Of the three, I think making the forts was the most memorable. Building the fort meant time with my mom and sometimes my older brother. My brother liked looking for new and better ways to make the fort larger. Makes sense now that he is an engineer. Both my mom and my brother would let me help in making the fort by showing me how to build it or by asking me what I had in mind. We used blankets, tables, chairs, TV trays, big books, and clothespins to make forts. When it was finished, I would spend hours in my fort. I would have my favorite blanket and pillow and many of my stuffed animals join me in my fort. Oh, and a flashlight, of course! Sometimes I would picnic in there and other times I would spend time drawing and coloring. I even remember my mom joining me for a picnic or reading to me in my fort. If I was really lucky, I was allowed to keep the fort up and sleep in it for the night. My dog liked joining me in my fort, especially if I slept in it. I loved making and hanging out in my forts.

     

I feel play today has changed somewhat. In my own experience with my children, I saw them still play in this manner when they were younger. My youngest is 11 now and she still wants to play like this sometimes. The difference now is all the technology that I did not have when I was growing up. If she were to build a fort now, she would want to take her Kindle in there with her or her MP3 player. She would take all her blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals in the fort with her. Even though my own children’s play was similar to my own, I do not feel like this is the case for most children. It seems like we keep our children busy with homework, technology, and organized sports. With all the activities we have them doing, it leaves little time for imaginative, creative play.

“We’re all a little weird, and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” ~ Dr. Seuss

“A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” ~ Roald Dahl

I chose these two quotes for adulthood. As adults, we need to remember what it was like to play and to laugh.  More importantly, I hope most of us have not forgotten how to play. A little play throughout our days is what keeps us young at heart. The other part is to remember to laugh. Being able to laugh even when things are not going quite right will get you through it. The quote from Dr. Suess is our family mantra. We love our weirdness and we tell our children to embrace their weirdness. It’s okay to be a little weird or to have our own quirks. These things are what make us who we are and it will help in keeping your grounded.

Play and laughter have been influential throughout my childhood and into adulthood. I believe the fact that I have not forgotten what it is like to be a child is what has helped me relate to my children and to my students. Showing children that it is okay to be silly and to use your imagination brings joy to me. I hope I am just as much to be around as they are to me. 

References

https://www.vincegowmon.com/playful-quotes-for-the-child-in-your-heart/

Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

Relationships and partnerships are important because we all need social interaction. My relationships and partnerships are valuable to me for so many reasons. I cherish all of them and they all play different roles in my life.

My strongest relationship is the one I have with my family. My husband and I have four beautiful girls. My husband is my partner and my best friend. We have known each other for so long and our love and commitment to each other is stronger than I could have ever imagined. Three of our four children have moved out of the house but are all still living in the same town as us. We see all of them for holidays and each of them separately on different occasions. They have also stayed in touch with each other and do things together when they can. Having a strong family foundation gives us the ability to set out on our own and still know they have a place to come back to when you need it. The great thing about family is that it doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be there to share all of life’s moments big or small, happy or sad.

        

                Another important person in my life is a co-worker. We were a great team last year in Kindergarten and we will be a team again next school year and future years for Prekindergarten. We work amazingly well together and we rely on each other for things inside and outside of work. Her input, advice, and friendship is something I can rely on. She also knows she can rely on me to be there for her when she needs it. It is a partnership based on mutual respect.

The next person is also a co-worker but she is also my youngest daughter’s Girl Scout leader. Our daughters are also friends and classmates. We spend a lot of time together at work and for Girl Scout activities. We share similar interests so she is a great person to talk to about current affairs and we also talk about education and children.

This is my close circle of family and friends. All of these relationships have been relatively easy to maintain since we spend so much time together and because we share similar interests. I have learned that it isn’t the number of friends that you have but the quality of friendships and relationships that you have.

My experiences contribute largely to how I form and build relationships because I have been all over the United States and abroad. I have also lived around and in several different cultures. Because of this, I have been exposed to things many people have not. I believe this has contributed largely to my understanding and sensitivity of other people’s cultures. I feel it also helps me stay open-minded. I do my best to be respectful and honest, and to treat others with dignity.  All of these experiences have helped me build relationships with co-workers and my student’s families.

  

When I Think of Child Development-My Favorite Quotes about Children

When I Think of Child Development-

My Favorite Quotes about Children

"A person's a person, no matter how small." 

  — Dr. Seuss

I love this quote because it is the perfect reminder that children and their feelings are important. Sometimes we forget that whatever they are doing or saying is important to them even if it does not seem that important to us. We need to take the time to listen and to validate what they are saying and feeling instead of being dismissive. 

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." 
  — Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Nelson Mandela has said many wonderful and insightful things. This speaks volumes to me. This is my reminder to do more to be a part of positive social change. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  References

  

 Seuss,Dr. Horton Hears A Who (1954). New York: Random House.

  

 http://www.nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com/news/nelson-mandela-quotes-about-children

                                                                                                                                                                                

Testing for Intelligence?

Testing for Intelligence?

I see several problems with standardized testing here in the United States. One, these tests solely focus on what the child has learned. Second, girls are more likely to score lower than boys regardless of intelligence because of text anxiety. Lastly, teachers are hyper-focused on their students doing well on these tests to the point of “force-feeding” the facts instead of letting the children come to conclusions on their own.

Standardized tests only focus on what the child has learned and does not look at the whole child. You can not only focus on academic achievement (cognitive and physical) in order for them to be successful (Diamond, 2010). You also have to focus on the emotional and social aspects of a child. Content-based multiple-choice question tests only assess the memorization of facts and does not show critical thinking skills or creative problem-solving (Diamond, 2010).

Although content-based tests are easier to assess via multiple-choice exams, it does not take into consideration the child’s emotions. Emotions play a role in test performance. Girls perform worse on tests than do boys because they are more anxious (Diamond, 2010).

We have all heard the phrase “teaching to the test”. If this is, in fact, what is happening in our school systems, we are failing our children. Lecture-based learning takes away from problem-solving skills, self-regulation, and hands-on learning (Diamond, 2010). Children learn more when they feel safe and know it is okay to make mistakes. They also learn more if they are given a task to solve on their own or in a small group.

There are some schools that use the whole child approach here in the United States. Canada is another country that implements the whole child approach and also uses standardized testing. The difference is the way they use assessments and testing. The Ministry of Education is similar to a state department of education. Every publicly funded school conducts a school-climate survey given to students, parents, and staff every other year to assess how the whole child approach is working and what changes need to be made. This gives each school the framework to use the policies the best way they seem fit (Chun, 2013). Standardized testing in Canada is used differently than in the United States. Their tests are administered in grades 3, 6, and 9. Grades 3 and 6 are tested in reading, writing, and math. Grade 9 students are tested in math and Grade 10 students are tested in literacy (Chun, 2013). So not only do they assess how the school is meeting the social-emotional needs of the children through the surveys but also how they are doing academically. The major difference is how this information is used. The testing is not a stand-alone assessment. It is used with a combination of information to better help the students.

I think we can learn a lot from our neighbors to the north. Canada has implemented the whole child approach across all levels of education, not just in early childhood. Also, while they do have standardized testing, they do not focus on it solely as a measurement of success.

References

Chan, Dawn (2013). The whole child movement: A journey between two nations. The Whole Child Blog.  Retrieved from: http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/the-whole-child-movement-a-journey-between-two-nations

Diamond, Adele (2010). The evidence base for improving school outcomes by addressing the whole child and by addressing skills and attitudes, not just content. Early Education Dev. 2010 Sep 1; 21(5): pp. 780-793. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2010.514522 Retrieved from: https:..www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3026344