Ideals from the NAEYC code of ethics (April, 2005)

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

I believe that all children have special qualities, abilities, and potential; therefore each child should be treated differently, taught in a way which would be most effective for him or her.  In the classroom, I usually repeat the information in different ways, play different kinds of games to be able to get through to each student.  Some children have better fine motor skills while others have a better memory, this only encourages me to work with children individually to improve all their skills, and challenge them to develop the skills they are good at.   

• I-2.8 To help family members enhance their understanding of their children and support the continuing development of their skills as parents.

A child's family should always try to understand his or her behavior.  Children's actions have a specific explanation; for example, a boy can start acting out or misbehaving at home and at school because he is jealous of a baby brother.  Parents should understand the reasons for this behavior before talking to him about it or punishing him.  That is why professionals should always be in touch with parents to discuss the behavior of their children and to offer their help and support.   

• I-3A.2 To share resources with co-workers, collaborating to ensure that the best possible early childhood care and education program is provided. 

All professional educators have a common goal: to provide the best care and education to all children, that means not only to their own students; therefore, as professionals, we should always consider what is best for the children.  Whenever we come across an interesting article or document we should share it with colleagues.  In the school I currently work in, we have an online group where we share anything related to the early childhood field that could benefit our colleagues.  This creates a collaborative environment where we are all encouraged to participate in sharing knowledge. 

Resources

Course resources:

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

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

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

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
  
  
• Websites:
  
  

• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
   http://acei.org/
  
  

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

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

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

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

Additional resources

·         Harvard Center on the Developing Child

Website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/

·         United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Website http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

·         Department for Education, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Website http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/healthandwellbeing/b0074766/uncrc

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"We have taken up the age-old challenge of poverty and we don't intend to lose generations of our children to this enemy of the human race." President Lyndon B. Johnson in Remarks on Project Head Start (May 18, 1965)

"The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents.... It is a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community.... It is a place where men are more concerned with the quality of their goals than the quantity of their goods." President Lyndon B. Johnson

"As your baby progresses from one milestone to the next, remember that he doesn't really leave any of them behind. In order to grow and develop to his full potential he must continually build on and strengthen all of the steps that have gone before." Dr. Stanley Greenspan

"Parents are led to believe that they must be consistent, that is, always respond to the same issue the same way. Consistency is good up to a point but your child also needs to understand context and subtlety . . . much of adult life is governed by context: what is appropriate in one setting is not appropriate in another; the way something is said may be more important than what is said." Dr. Stanley Greenspan

"What keeps me engaged is we're not there yet" Renatta M. Cooper 

"Today, my passion as a professional really is to bring my ideas to action into changing policy, into changing practice and influencing research" Leticia Lara LCSW

Personal Childhood web

Mother

My mother is a very caring and sensitive person. Since I was very young she has always been a role model for me, she showed me how to consider other people's feelings and how to treat myself and others with respect. She always trusted me, and that made my confidence grow.

Father

Since I was a child my father always made me feel like I was different from my brother and sister, we still have a special relationship, our personalities are so similar that we understand each other without having to say anything. He taught me to be independent and always supported my choices, he encouraged me to pursue anything I believed in.

Sister

My sister is one year older than me, she is a very sensitive person, and whatever she decided to do she always considered my feelings first, this taught me how to be thoughtful and kind to others.  

Brother

I remember that when we were kids we always used to play together and he would share his toys with me. He believed in me so much, he always told me that I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to. He encouraged me to do more with my life, since I graduated he was the one who kept pushing me to pursue my studies further. He is a role model to me because he moved away when he was only a teenager just to have a better education.

I was blessed with a caring family which allowed me to grow in a safe and healthy environment. These family members taught me how to be strong and believe in myself, they gave me the confidence to keep moving forward and never to give up on my dreams.

One of my favorite children's book is Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley.

Mouse Mess is a silly story about a mouse that wakes up at night to eat while everyone is sleeping. It is written in a way that attracts children's attention, there is only one line with rhyming words per page. The mouse makes a big mess while eating then it wonders who made that mess. When I read this story to my students they can't stop laughing and we always make a mess in the classroom to explain what happened in the story. This story broadens children's imagination by making them wonder what could happen in their house while they are sleeping. It also makes them more aware of the difference between real stories and fiction.

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

Hi all,

This is the first time I create a blog so I'm still learning how to use it. I'm hoping that it will be a nice place to share ideas and experiences. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone!