Dear Walden Colleagues,
Thank you for all the thoughtful discussion and support over the last 16 weeks. I hope everyone has a restful break. I look forward to connecting with you all again in the New Year!
Sincerely,
Betsy Carlin
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Reflective Quotes
Our five senses are like openings through which we receive all the perceptions that are then transformed into concepts and idea.
Arnaud Desjardins
There is in every child at every stage a new miracle unfolding, which constitutes a new hope and a new responsibility for all.
Erik Erikson
By observing different cultures, we see that there are many ways to go about caring for and educating children. There's no one right way.
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Arnaud Desjardins
There is in every child at every stage a new miracle unfolding, which constitutes a new hope and a new responsibility for all.
Erik Erikson
By observing different cultures, we see that there are many ways to go about caring for and educating children. There's no one right way.
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Friday, December 7, 2012
Finland Abolished Standardized Tests
I have a friend who just went back to teaching in our local elementary school after a 10 year hiatus. I spoke to her the end of her first month back and asked her how it was going. She said it was fine, she was working with a great group of teachers and the children were wonderful, but it was not fun anymore. She said that everything that has made teaching fun was gone because the school was now "teaching to the test." She said there was no room for creativity or diversion from the set curriculum.
Although I believe there is a place for standardized testing, I think our country puts way to much emphasis on it as an indicator of our education system. I also believe that the tests do not take into account varying learning styles, abilities, home languages, how much sleep a child had the night before, if the child had breakfast, etc. etc. etc. Assessment should be done so a teacher can learn where an individual child is and how best they can help the student move to the next level. Assessments should come in many shapes and sizes considering all learning styles. Assessment should be done only to gather information, not rank schools, teachers, or students.
Finland is a small Scandinavian country and happens to have one of the most successful school systems in the world and you know what?... They only have on standardized test which is during the students senior year in high school. Instead teachers, one of the most respected and competitive professions in Finland, are trusted and allowed a"certain freedom to teach with creativity. Students, too, have autonomy to learn in different ways"(Sahlberg, 2010) They use a more humanistic approach in teaching and do not rely on statistics to measure the success of their schools.
Hancock, L. (2011 September) Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? Smithsonian. Retrieved www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why -Are-Finlands-School-Sucessful
Sahlberg, P. (2010, April 27) What Accounts for Finland's High Student Achievement Rate? Asia Society. Retrieved from www.asiasociety.org/education/learning-world/what-accounts-for-finlands-high-student-achievement-rate
Although I believe there is a place for standardized testing, I think our country puts way to much emphasis on it as an indicator of our education system. I also believe that the tests do not take into account varying learning styles, abilities, home languages, how much sleep a child had the night before, if the child had breakfast, etc. etc. etc. Assessment should be done so a teacher can learn where an individual child is and how best they can help the student move to the next level. Assessments should come in many shapes and sizes considering all learning styles. Assessment should be done only to gather information, not rank schools, teachers, or students.
Finland is a small Scandinavian country and happens to have one of the most successful school systems in the world and you know what?... They only have on standardized test which is during the students senior year in high school. Instead teachers, one of the most respected and competitive professions in Finland, are trusted and allowed a"certain freedom to teach with creativity. Students, too, have autonomy to learn in different ways"(Sahlberg, 2010) They use a more humanistic approach in teaching and do not rely on statistics to measure the success of their schools.
Hancock, L. (2011 September) Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? Smithsonian. Retrieved www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why -Are-Finlands-School-Sucessful
Sahlberg, P. (2010, April 27) What Accounts for Finland's High Student Achievement Rate? Asia Society. Retrieved from www.asiasociety.org/education/learning-world/what-accounts-for-finlands-high-student-achievement-rate
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Long Term Impacts of Stressors
Personal Story
The first part of this assignment has actually been a struggle for me as I have been very lucky in my life experience. I have certainly known people who were affected by the death of a sibling or violence in their home, but I have not known them well enough to comfortably share much about their experience.
I have chosen to write briefly about my roommate from college who lived in a home where there was abuse. Although she never provided specifics, I believe she and her siblings were victims of both physical and sexual violence. I believe she escaped this situation by leaving home to go to school.
During our freshman year she struggled emotionally, drinking a lot and developing friendships that supported her self destructive behavior. She eventually tried to hurt herself and spent time in a residential hospital. When she returned to our campus she continued to work with therapists to over come the events in her past that made it so hard for her to treat herself with the kindness and respect she deserved.
Because she did not have an opportunity to seek the help she needed when she was young she compensated by hurting herself further with self destructive behavior. Once she was a young adult she was able to work with professionals who could support her and help her respond in more appropriate ways so she could become more emotionally healthy.
Tsunami in Japan
On March 11, 2011, Japan faced a 3 tiered disaster that will have long term affects on the children who were victims of a double natural disaster first a level 9.0 earthquake which caused a massive tsunami, and a man made disaster, the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex. Children lost their homes, communities, family members, and safe water to drink. Immediately following the disaster young children were showing signs of stress. Many were not sleeping, having nightmares and were shutting down emotionally. An estimated 40% of affected children have shown signs of Post traumatic stress disorder.
In Japan there is a stigma attached to mental health and a cultural desire to be resilient. There is little differentiation between mental well being and mental illness. "The worry for many psychologists and mental health experts is that many survivors could be going through serious emotional distress in silence without seeking any help" (Kumar, 2012). Just after the disasters, many outside organizations came from across the world to help with disaster relief including mental health issues. The problem is that as time passes these outside organizations have left Japan and the tsunami survivors risk being forgotten in the shadow of structural and economic recovery... getting on with business as usual. "The core priorities of recovery have been set around economic revival and benefits. Missing, however, from the equation is any discussion to comprehensively address the emotional and psychological needs of survivors"(Kumar, 2012). Many of the people, especially children, may never get the help they need to move forward emotionally and the effects may be long lasting.
Reference:
Kumar, D (2012, March11). Japan's recovery will be a test of mind. Aljazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/03/2012311123334901314.html
The first part of this assignment has actually been a struggle for me as I have been very lucky in my life experience. I have certainly known people who were affected by the death of a sibling or violence in their home, but I have not known them well enough to comfortably share much about their experience.
I have chosen to write briefly about my roommate from college who lived in a home where there was abuse. Although she never provided specifics, I believe she and her siblings were victims of both physical and sexual violence. I believe she escaped this situation by leaving home to go to school.
During our freshman year she struggled emotionally, drinking a lot and developing friendships that supported her self destructive behavior. She eventually tried to hurt herself and spent time in a residential hospital. When she returned to our campus she continued to work with therapists to over come the events in her past that made it so hard for her to treat herself with the kindness and respect she deserved.
Because she did not have an opportunity to seek the help she needed when she was young she compensated by hurting herself further with self destructive behavior. Once she was a young adult she was able to work with professionals who could support her and help her respond in more appropriate ways so she could become more emotionally healthy.
Tsunami in Japan
On March 11, 2011, Japan faced a 3 tiered disaster that will have long term affects on the children who were victims of a double natural disaster first a level 9.0 earthquake which caused a massive tsunami, and a man made disaster, the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex. Children lost their homes, communities, family members, and safe water to drink. Immediately following the disaster young children were showing signs of stress. Many were not sleeping, having nightmares and were shutting down emotionally. An estimated 40% of affected children have shown signs of Post traumatic stress disorder.
In Japan there is a stigma attached to mental health and a cultural desire to be resilient. There is little differentiation between mental well being and mental illness. "The worry for many psychologists and mental health experts is that many survivors could be going through serious emotional distress in silence without seeking any help" (Kumar, 2012). Just after the disasters, many outside organizations came from across the world to help with disaster relief including mental health issues. The problem is that as time passes these outside organizations have left Japan and the tsunami survivors risk being forgotten in the shadow of structural and economic recovery... getting on with business as usual. "The core priorities of recovery have been set around economic revival and benefits. Missing, however, from the equation is any discussion to comprehensively address the emotional and psychological needs of survivors"(Kumar, 2012). Many of the people, especially children, may never get the help they need to move forward emotionally and the effects may be long lasting.
Reference:
Kumar, D (2012, March11). Japan's recovery will be a test of mind. Aljazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/03/2012311123334901314.html
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Early Breastfeeding Practices in Cambodia
As I began to think about this blog assignment I started to explore several of the topics on the list. I wanted to get pieces of information before I made a decision on the topic I would write about. During this exploration also decided to narrow the search to South East Asia. I found that many countries in South East Asia have similar feeding practices during the first 6 months of a child's life and similar outcomes in-regards-to nutrition and physical growth. I have chosen to highlight these practices with information on to Cambodia. 45% of all Cambodian children under the age of 5 are malnourished and show signs of stunted growth (Cambodia Falls Short of Early Childhood Nutrition Goals, 2012). Much of this can be contributed to poor feeding practices. I will now highlight those practices which take place in the first 6 months of life and are associated with breastfeeding
The World Health Organization recommends that infants be put to their mother's breast for a first feeding within 60 minutes of delivery. In Cambodia only 11% of all infants born are breastfed in the first hour of life and 1 in 4 are breastfed in the first day of life (Cambodia, 2012) . When the newborns miss out on this practice they not only miss out on the health benefits of colostrum, the rich protein filled fluid a mother's mammary glands produces in the first few days after the birth of her child, but also the initial bonding period early breastfeeding offers.
The World Health Organization also recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for through the first 6 months of life. Most infants in Cambodia are given both other types of fluids and are introduced to solid food well before this benchmark. Introduction of solid foods is often a time when malnutrition begins to take place (Cambodia, 2012) Exclusive breastfeeding provides the proper nutritional and caloric needs of an infant. It also provides exposure to pathogens and reduces infants risk of infection (Cambodia, 2012).
As I move forward in this work I would like to spend more time investigating ways healthier early feeding practices are being supported in Cambodia and all of South East Asia.
Reference
Cambodia Falls Short of Early Childhood Nutrition Goals. (2012) Population Reference Bureau Retrieved from Population Reference Bureau website http://www.prb.org/Articles/2003/CambodiaFallsShortofEarlyChildhoodNutritionGoals.aspx
The World Health Organization recommends that infants be put to their mother's breast for a first feeding within 60 minutes of delivery. In Cambodia only 11% of all infants born are breastfed in the first hour of life and 1 in 4 are breastfed in the first day of life (Cambodia, 2012) . When the newborns miss out on this practice they not only miss out on the health benefits of colostrum, the rich protein filled fluid a mother's mammary glands produces in the first few days after the birth of her child, but also the initial bonding period early breastfeeding offers.
The World Health Organization also recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for through the first 6 months of life. Most infants in Cambodia are given both other types of fluids and are introduced to solid food well before this benchmark. Introduction of solid foods is often a time when malnutrition begins to take place (Cambodia, 2012) Exclusive breastfeeding provides the proper nutritional and caloric needs of an infant. It also provides exposure to pathogens and reduces infants risk of infection (Cambodia, 2012).
As I move forward in this work I would like to spend more time investigating ways healthier early feeding practices are being supported in Cambodia and all of South East Asia.
Reference
Cambodia Falls Short of Early Childhood Nutrition Goals. (2012) Population Reference Bureau Retrieved from Population Reference Bureau website http://www.prb.org/Articles/2003/CambodiaFallsShortofEarlyChildhoodNutritionGoals.aspx
Thursday, November 1, 2012
A Personal Birthing Experience and Other Birthing Practices From Around The Globe
The Birth of My Daughter
I had the very unique experience of witnessing my daughter's delivery by c-section in the OR, but I was not the woman delivering the baby.... I was the support person. I had on disposable scrubs and a cover over my head. I was an observer and a cheerleader. My head was above the surgical screen while my partner's head was behind it. I could see the incision being made, the opening expanded and the doctor reach in and pull out a healthy baby girl. I was also saw the blood pooling and wondered is this normal, is my partner OK? But I could not dwell on this too long. My partner was move to the post surgical unit while my baby and I went to in to the OB unit for a little oxygen... she needed a little help pinking up. We were all reunited within 15 minutes to begin our new adventure as a family!
About an hour later my mother was visiting her granddaughter for the first time and holding her. She turned to me and said she had never held a baby so newborn, not even her own because she was sedated as was the protocol then.
Birthing Practices in Turkey
In Turkey, until 20 or 30 years ago most births especially in rural areas took place somewhere other than in a hospital and were over seen by a midwife. The few doctors that were available were mostly found in larges cities. With the increase of university medical schools in Turkey over the last several decades birthing practices have shifted away from midwives to more hospital deliveries with OB-GYNs supervising. Along with the shift toward doctor facilitated deliveries there has been a huge increase in elective c-sections and has reached almost 75% of all deliveries (Schalken, 2012). This is attributed to the lack of anesthesiologists who have specialized training in the area of obstetrics and are unable to preform epidurals. Women are opting for a c-section with a general anesthetic rather then having a natural birth without any painkillers.
Birthing Practices in Japan
In contrast, in Japan it is common practice to deliver babies in hospitals with a doctor present without any painkillers, because they feel the pain of labor is sort of a test in preparation for the difficult task of motherhood. Fathers are not necessarily involved in the delivery of their child and may not be present in the delivery room during a typical birth in Japan and cannot be present if there is a c-section.
Personal Reflection
As I think about the birthing practices in Turkey and Japan in relation to my personal experience I have 2 reactions. Although I was not the birth mom of my daughter, I cannot imagine not having the experience of being in the OR during the c-section and carrying my daughter to be weighted, measured, holding the oxygen and placing her on the chest of my partner in the recovery room. I am thankful that I was able to be there. I also think about my mother's reaction to holding my daughter just after delivery and that she was unable to have that experience with her own children because she was under general anesthesia. I am glad we were able to share that moment together even if it was decades after my birth.
References:
Schalken, L. (2012). Birth Customs Around the World. Parents. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/.
I had the very unique experience of witnessing my daughter's delivery by c-section in the OR, but I was not the woman delivering the baby.... I was the support person. I had on disposable scrubs and a cover over my head. I was an observer and a cheerleader. My head was above the surgical screen while my partner's head was behind it. I could see the incision being made, the opening expanded and the doctor reach in and pull out a healthy baby girl. I was also saw the blood pooling and wondered is this normal, is my partner OK? But I could not dwell on this too long. My partner was move to the post surgical unit while my baby and I went to in to the OB unit for a little oxygen... she needed a little help pinking up. We were all reunited within 15 minutes to begin our new adventure as a family!
About an hour later my mother was visiting her granddaughter for the first time and holding her. She turned to me and said she had never held a baby so newborn, not even her own because she was sedated as was the protocol then.
Birthing Practices in Turkey
In Turkey, until 20 or 30 years ago most births especially in rural areas took place somewhere other than in a hospital and were over seen by a midwife. The few doctors that were available were mostly found in larges cities. With the increase of university medical schools in Turkey over the last several decades birthing practices have shifted away from midwives to more hospital deliveries with OB-GYNs supervising. Along with the shift toward doctor facilitated deliveries there has been a huge increase in elective c-sections and has reached almost 75% of all deliveries (Schalken, 2012). This is attributed to the lack of anesthesiologists who have specialized training in the area of obstetrics and are unable to preform epidurals. Women are opting for a c-section with a general anesthetic rather then having a natural birth without any painkillers.
Birthing Practices in Japan
In contrast, in Japan it is common practice to deliver babies in hospitals with a doctor present without any painkillers, because they feel the pain of labor is sort of a test in preparation for the difficult task of motherhood. Fathers are not necessarily involved in the delivery of their child and may not be present in the delivery room during a typical birth in Japan and cannot be present if there is a c-section.
Personal Reflection
As I think about the birthing practices in Turkey and Japan in relation to my personal experience I have 2 reactions. Although I was not the birth mom of my daughter, I cannot imagine not having the experience of being in the OR during the c-section and carrying my daughter to be weighted, measured, holding the oxygen and placing her on the chest of my partner in the recovery room. I am thankful that I was able to be there. I also think about my mother's reaction to holding my daughter just after delivery and that she was unable to have that experience with her own children because she was under general anesthesia. I am glad we were able to share that moment together even if it was decades after my birth.
References:
Schalken, L. (2012). Birth Customs Around the World. Parents. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Week 8 nearly complete
Dear Walden Colleagues and Dr. Dartt,
As we near completion of this Foundation of Early Childhood class, I wanted to thank each of you for helping to make my first online course a good experience. The comments I received from each of you have been helpful and made the experience more personal.
I am looking forward to moving on to my next class as it means I am one step closer to my goal of completing this Master's program. I wish you all well in your continued journey and look forward to crossing paths with you along the way.
Sincerely,
Betsy Carlin (Elizabeth)
As we near completion of this Foundation of Early Childhood class, I wanted to thank each of you for helping to make my first online course a good experience. The comments I received from each of you have been helpful and made the experience more personal.
I am looking forward to moving on to my next class as it means I am one step closer to my goal of completing this Master's program. I wish you all well in your continued journey and look forward to crossing paths with you along the way.
Sincerely,
Betsy Carlin (Elizabeth)
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Three principles from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
P-1.2—We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and
social environments that are cognitively stimulating and that support each
child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure.
I-2.4—To listen to families, acknowledge
and build upon their strengths and competencies, and learn from families as we
support them in their task of nurturing children.
I-3C.1—To promote safe and healthy working conditions and policies that foster
mutual respect, cooperation, collaboration, competence, well-being, confidentiality,
and self-esteem in staff members.
After reading through the
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and DEC code of ethics I decided to share these 3
principles from the NAEYC code on my blog. When I read through the 3 together they sounded like the
beginnings of a mission statement I might use if I were opening an early
childhood center. Although it was
hard to separate them from the rest of this important document I felt like together they
touched on the ideals I hold close.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Inspiring Quotes From Leaders in the Early Childhood Field
"If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time."
--Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund
"The Question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to."
--Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund
"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child's world."
--Janet Gonzalez-Mena
U.S. early childhood educator and author
"Part of being who you are has to do with feelings, which means you'll have a wide range of emotions - not just constant sunshiny happiness."
--Janet Gonzalez-Mena Child Family and Community: Family-Centered Early Care Education
"The passion to create a safer more just world is there and I suppose will be there until I die, maybe until later..."
--Louise Derman-Sparks
Anti-bias educator and author
Professor Emeritus at Pacific Oaks College
"To have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better is what makes me passionate."
--Sandy Escobido Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative
--Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund
"The Question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to."
--Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund
"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child's world."
--Janet Gonzalez-Mena
U.S. early childhood educator and author
"Part of being who you are has to do with feelings, which means you'll have a wide range of emotions - not just constant sunshiny happiness."
--Janet Gonzalez-Mena Child Family and Community: Family-Centered Early Care Education
"The passion to create a safer more just world is there and I suppose will be there until I die, maybe until later..."
--Louise Derman-Sparks
Anti-bias educator and author
Professor Emeritus at Pacific Oaks College
"To have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better is what makes me passionate."
--Sandy Escobido Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Kelly Matthews and Stuart Stotts
This weekend was the Wyoming Early Childhood Association's Annual Conference. I have just spent 2 days learning and sharing with some amazing early childhood professionals from across Wyoming.
This year we had 2 keynote speakers who were wonderful. The first was Stuart Stotts who is a children's musician and talks about brain research associated with music among other things. The second was Kelly Matthews of A Place for You Consulting. She is an amazing advocate for young children and the professionals who work with them. As a WECA board member I was lucky enough to take Kelly out to dinner tonight. I recommend looking them both up on the internet or on Facebook.
What a great weekend! My head is spinning.
This year we had 2 keynote speakers who were wonderful. The first was Stuart Stotts who is a children's musician and talks about brain research associated with music among other things. The second was Kelly Matthews of A Place for You Consulting. She is an amazing advocate for young children and the professionals who work with them. As a WECA board member I was lucky enough to take Kelly out to dinner tonight. I recommend looking them both up on the internet or on Facebook.
What a great weekend! My head is spinning.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Play Dough the good stuff
I am currently working with a group of 2 year olds and we were playing with play dough. The parents could not believe I made my own. I told them that I always make my own - the consistency is better, the smell is better, it lasts longer and it is cheaper. I got out my recipe to share with them and decided to post it here.
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons of cream of tater
1 tablespoon of oil
food coloring
Mix all ingredients in a pan. Add at least 20 drops of food coloring. Cool over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool. Turn dough out on the counter and knead.
This dough lasts for a week or 2 as long as it is kept in tightly sealed plastic bag. It will last longer if kept in the refrigerator.
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons of cream of tater
1 tablespoon of oil
food coloring
Mix all ingredients in a pan. Add at least 20 drops of food coloring. Cool over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool. Turn dough out on the counter and knead.
This dough lasts for a week or 2 as long as it is kept in tightly sealed plastic bag. It will last longer if kept in the refrigerator.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
CJ touched my heart
I was a kindergarten teacher right out of college. The first year I took an internship position and the second year I was a teacher in a rural Ohio school. It was during this second year that I met CJ. He was bright and disruptive and had a smile that could melt your heart. His family was not interested in his education and you could see it in his attitude and behavior, but boy was he able. I must admit 23 years later, he was that child you run across only once or twice in your career that you could really take home.
I worked hard with CJ to move him forward and have him ready for first grade. At the end of that school year I decided to relocate to another state so I was not sure how he progressed. 2 years later CJ's second grade class was doing a letter writing project and out of the blue I received a really kind note from CJ. I could not believe it. You cannot imagine what that note meant to me, but what it also did was instill in me the notion that as an educator you have the ability to make a lasting impression, good or bad. I know that I had made CJ's first formal educational experience memorable and positive. He may not remember me now, but I sure remember him!
I worked hard with CJ to move him forward and have him ready for first grade. At the end of that school year I decided to relocate to another state so I was not sure how he progressed. 2 years later CJ's second grade class was doing a letter writing project and out of the blue I received a really kind note from CJ. I could not believe it. You cannot imagine what that note meant to me, but what it also did was instill in me the notion that as an educator you have the ability to make a lasting impression, good or bad. I know that I had made CJ's first formal educational experience memorable and positive. He may not remember me now, but I sure remember him!
Quotes to live by!
I have 2 favorite quotes. One represents how I like to live life.
Only those who experience truly live!
The other is how I think great educations begin and what we as Early Childhood Professionals must ignite in the children we touch.
Wisdom begins with wonder...
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