Sharing Web Resources

    http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.BF0B/Home.htm

“Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children” (Save the Children, 2011).

Our Vision

“A world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation” (Save the Children, 2011).

Our Mission

“To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives” (Save the Children, 2011).

The United States organization was started in 1934 by a group that was inspired by the original organization founded by Eglantyne Jebb in England.  Their immediate goal was to help children and their families during the Great Depression and now today the families and communities of over 50 countries including the United States are touched by Save the Children (Save the Children, 2011).

CURRENT ISSUE:

Save the Children have already began to activate worldwide to reach out to families within the communities affected by the earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this week.    Emergency teams have been dispatched and resources are on the way.  Those who want to help can donate through this trusted website.

I think most people want to help when disaster strikes but are unsure of how or even where to reach out.   As a professional in the EC field it is inspiring to know of an organization that focuses their outreach to children and their families.   This week I signed up to receive enewsletters that will be sent out monthly.  Information that I have requested to receive along with the enewsletter is emergency and crisis alerts, ways to help, and also an advocacy newsletter.

When I first began this journey of obtaining my master’s degree I knew that I wanted to specialize in teaching adults in the field but I have also become interested in knowing how to advocate for children and groups that I can become actively involved in.  In researching this website this week I discovered a way for me to get my foot in the door.  There is a specific that that helps to direct in how to become an advocate.  With help I have already sent in an email to my local congressmen on the importance of Early Childhood Development and the importance of continued funding for existing and future programming.

Save The Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.BF0B/Home.htm

A NEW CLASS BEGINS

Establishing Professional Contacts

This week we were asked to reach out to early childhood professionals outside of the United States.  The process for me has been somewhat unsuccessful.  So far I have not been able to open the link to The Global Alliance of NAEYC and I have attempted to email different representatives’ addresses from the UNICEF website and have not received any response.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I would like to keep trying to connect with a professional outside  of the US but until then I think I will have to complete the alternative assignment.  I have chosen to study the following websites :

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

I am very interested to learn more about the Save The Children organization.

http://www.zerotothree.org/

 I feel this website will be very interesting and beneficial personally and professionally.

My Supports

Support that I receive on a daily basis is from my family. My husband supports and loves me unconditionally every day.   He is wonderful about listening to me when I need an ear.  He is there to back me with work or school and we support each other in raising our children.   Together we work and provide for our family.  Monetarily our paychecks support our needs and wants.   My parents are also very supportive of me.  They provided for me and helped to shape me into the person and parent I am today.  I know that if I need anything they are only a call away and they would help in any way they can.  Without the support of my family I don’t know that I would be where I am today.  I am very grateful for everything and everyone. 

At work my team of teachers and I support each other as we provide a nurturing and learning environment for our students and partnership with our parents.

I think a challenge that would be difficult for me would be the gift of sight.  I can’t imagine waking up each morning not being able to see my children and their beautiful faces.  The gift of each day would be much different not being able to see what each day had to offer.  There are many things that I would not be able to do or at least not the same way that I live today.

If we view life optimistically challenges are merely obstacles or tests that will continue to strengthen are characters.  Just as my supports have been there for me and will continue to be there I know that they would support me through any challenge that I may be presented with.  My life would be different but I hope that I wouldn’t back down to the challenge.

“My Connections to Play”

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....”

--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

“It’s not so much what children learn through play, but what they won’t learn if we don’t give them the chance to play

Susan J. Oliver, Playing for Keeps

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.”

--John Cleese

  

The things I remember most about playing when I was little are fishing with my dad, gardening with my grandparents, and be outside climbing trees .  There is a tree in my parent’s backyard that I loved to climb.  It is a wild cherry tree and it was my oversized jungle gym when I was little.  I can remember spending hours in the tree. It was the perfect climbing tree.  There was a section of the tree that I named “hang gliders ridge”.  I could stand on one branch and hang from one that hung down over.  As I let my feet dangle I pretended that I was hang-gliding through the open skies.

“Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play.”

~Donna R. Barnes

My parent’s encouraged my brother’s and me to be outside using our imaginations.  Unfortunately today I don’t think that most children have that creative time for play.  Their free time is filled with video games and TV.    My childhood memories motivate me to provide the same opportunities for my children.  I want them to have time to play and explore and become their own individuals.   I believe those times that I spent playing helped me to be the person I am today.  I want to provide that same foundation for children as well.

Child Development and Public Health

The topic I chose to speak on this week is dental health.  Proper dental hygiene can be just as equally important as nutrition for healthy development in children.  I used to work for the local Boys and Girls Club.  Part of my job was to educate families on the importance of oral hygiene.  I feel all too often good oral hygiene is put to the side either because of  simply not knowing the importance of the effects that it can have an a child or lack of coverage in that a family is underinsured or uninsured.

 “Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S., five times more common than asthma. Untreated, tooth decay causes pain and can lead to infections. Untreated tooth decay and other oral diseases interfere with a child’s ability to eat, sleep and speak and can make it hard to learn or even play.”

  http://www.hrsa.gov/publichealth/clinical/oralhealth/maternalchild.html

With the help of programs such as Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Education and Mobile Van Reaches Millions of Children Every Year

The word is spreading quickly and dental hygiene is increasing around the world as service providers increase.

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/CommunityPrograms/Bsbf.cvsp

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.”

~Stacia Tauscher

I chose to post this quote because throughout this course we have learned about each stage of development in a child from pre-birth through the middle years of age.  As parents and educators I feel it is important to appreciate each stage of development and realize the beauty of each stage. 

I would like to thank each of you who responded to my postings and also all of the thoughts that you shared with us in each of your posts.  It is hard to believe that this class is coming to an end, but I have learned so much through each of you and our assignments that we have completed.

Week 6 assignment

In Japan the elementary school curriculum is similar to that of the United States in that subject areas such as social studies, science, math, music, art, and P.E. are taught.   However, weekly moral education is also included in the curriculum.  Emphasis on respect and being thoughtful to others are taught as part of Japan’s “whole person” education.  Teachers in Japan focus on evolving the holistic child and feel that it is part of their responsibility to teach such topics as personal hygiene, nutrition, and sleep.  Along with the moral education children are taught manners, how to speak politely, and how to speak to adults as well as their peers in an appropriate manner.

What is interesting to me is how the United States has put such topics to the side when it comes to educating our own children.  We are so focused on test scores such as Standards of  Learning that we are missing such key components  and are veering so far from a holistic approach.  I do feel that manners and respect should initially be taught at home but reinforcing such moral ideas could be beneficial as well and create a wonderful partnership between families and school.