WEEK 8 Passion

My Passion: Helping children learn in a way that helps them be (and feel) successful, Help empower parents and help them know their rights (in regards to their child’s education), advocate for children and their families, and teach children how to advocate for themselves.

I feel that my personal experience of my son’s transition out of early intervention services into a developmental preschool setting puts me at an advantage for what problems could arise. For example, I do not believe that the early intervention coordinators or the developmental preschool representatives did a good job informing me about my rights as Owen’s mother, the options for Owen, or even the special education laws. These issues are why I am passionate about helping ease the transition for parents and their child.

Thank you so much for all of the feedback throughout this course. I must say that I am constantly learning new strategies to teach and reinforce anti-bias education. I often try them out on my own children and hope that I continue to learn and want to learn about helping children (and people in general) feel accepted and valued.

THANK YOU!!!

UNICEF Week 7

WEEK 7: PHILIPPINES

Share with your colleagues the area of the world you chose and why. I chose to look at the Philippines because as a child I sponsored a child who lived in the Philippines. His name was Manuel and I recently told the story to my children about sponsoring him and what that means. For this assignment, I took the opportunity to show my children photographs from the UNICEF website about the Philippines. It was very interesting to them to see children around their ages and what those children had to do each day.

Describe in detail some of the challenges that children in this region of the world are confronting. The children in this country are facing recovery from tropical storms. This recovery includes rebuilding homes and farming areas. This area is also plagued with sicknesses. Children’s curriculum is now including daily teeth brushing and hand washing to try to reduce the transfer of these illnesses that can be fatal such as diarrhea and malnutrition.

Explain how these experiences might have an effect on children’s emotional wellbeing and development. Many schools were destroyed during the tropical storms and many children miss school because of sickness (such as diarrhea or malnutrition). The UNICEF website did not specify what illnesses (that have diarrhea as a symptom) are a chronic problem. However, they did state that hand washing in clean water was helping. The UNICEF website also stated that many children did not have enough food and suffered the many complications from malnutrition. “UNICEF expressed great concern over the growing number of children and families affected by storm Ondoy, which dumped a months worth of rain in 12 hours, flooding 25 per cent of Metro Manila and affecting more than 24 provinces around the country” (UNICEF, n.d.). Many families are now living in some of the only buildings that survived the storms. In this area, I can see how education is not really the main issue right now. Instead, families are worried about survival. I must say that prior to reading this UNICEF information, I did not know much about the storm that is causing such devastation in the Philippines. (I believe that my children learned a lot from this website. My son, Noah, prayed for the families this morning and I hope that they learned a valuable lesson.)

Include a personal and professional reflection. Explain the insights you gained and the influences they may have on you as a person and as an early childhood professional. I think that one important insight that I was reminded of from this lesson is that sometimes families are dealing with issues much, much bigger than school assignments or lessons. It is important to talk with families and learn about them. As a developmental therapist, I will need to be accommodating to their scheduling needs and if they wish to meet outside the home due to issues at home. For example, if a family does not have electricity, they may want to have the developmental therapy session outside. It is important to for a good rapport with the family and become acquainted with local agencies that can support a family’s needs.

References UNICEF (n.d.). Retrieved from www.unicef.com.

Sexualization of Early Childhood

Blog Assignment: Week 6 This week we studied the sexualization of early childhood. I struggle with this topic. It is very frustrating to me when I shop for my daughter. She is three years old and I find many of the clothes to be inappropriate. When my oldest son was in preschool, I volunteered to help. Many of the four year old girls had on jeans and many of them had exposed bottoms when they sat down due to the “lowrider” style. I have noticed this when shopping for my daughter and I even saw “lowrider” underwear in a size 4 for little girls. How inappropriate!!! ************** I do feel that children are exposed to ideas of sexuality at an early age. Shows for children (iCarly, Victorious, etc.) have young girls and boys. While they may not breech the topic of sex, suggestions are very visible. From a dancing bra to couple groping, it is on television and in children’s shows. Even cartoons, such as Phineas and Ferb, have boyfriend/girlfriend issues and often have references to being “hot”. ************** Another problem that I have noticed within the last few weeks (in our local area) that is loosely related to the sexualization of early childhood is the increase in the number of teachers being caught having inappropriate relations with students. This is disturbing to me. Is this related to the sexualization of children? I believe that it probably is, since youth is being viewed as sexual and sexually ready at an early, early age. Some teenage girls are also wearing clothing that is exposing too much and some boys are wearing pants that show their underwear. I do not think that these children are “asking for” these inappropriate actions, but it may make them a target for inappropriate behaviors. ************** The misinterpretation of the ideas of sexuality in early childhood may be due to the fact that preschoolers are not yet clear about what actually makes them a boy or girl and their expected role in society (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Growing up, my mom talked about being “thin” with her friends. Very young, I wanted to be thin and had a very unrealistic view of how to become thin. As a parent, I try desparately to teach healthy habits and a love of exercise. Since I am a Type 1 diabetic, it is crucial that I exercise and eat right. However, I try not to talk about my frustrations with my own body image. This is one area that I think children do pick up on and if they are too young to process these “good or bad body images” it can lead to unhealthy habits or unrealistic expectations. Growing up, one of my friends was considered “chubby”. She wanted to be desired by the boys and started being sexually active very early because it made her feel wanted and desired. “Both boys and girls are routinely exposed to images of sexual behavior devoid of emotions, attachment, or consequences. They learn that sex is the defining activity in relationships, to the exclusion of love and friendship” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 3). What is the solution? I think that in many cases, it is important to teach children to respect themselves as individuals. A positive self-esteem is important. ************* By reading the resources this week, I learned that many of the stories are similar. I truly believe that a positive self-image is important. Children must learn to love themselves in order to respect themselves enough to know the facts about sexuality and their own sexual actions. ********************* Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2). I think that parents talking to children about sex is important. I wish I knew a solution to this problem, but I think that as an early childhood educator, we must teach children to value themselves and how to respect others. ********************

“The reason I say this is actually very simple: just become an approachable parent on all matters sexual. That's it. If you take it upon yourself to speak honestly, lovingly, and on a regular basis with your child about the sexualized world around her, you will help her make sense of it, help her to put it into an understandable context, and help her to counter any potential negative consequences to all this exposure. As parents we can't hide our children in the closet. The world is sexually complicated for all children but our job is not to run away from it. Rather, we need to make sure we speak, listen, and guide our children every day so they can make sense of their sexualized world. Remember two very important facts: One, your voice as a parent IS more powerful than your child's peers and the media; and two, talking about sex and sexuality with your child will NOT increase their interest in sex; only help them act more responsibly. It really is this simple.” (Kaeser, 2011).

**************These comments represent many of my own ideas on what is important when dealing with sexualization of our youth. It is important to be honest. It is important to be up front and open to questions. We need to work with parents and know that children watch our daily moves. By teaching positive self-worth, answering questions when they arise and not avoiding them, early childhood educators can help promote a world where children respect themselves and make educated choices. **************************References *********Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. The National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington, D.C. **********Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf ***********************Kaeser, F. (2011). What Your Child Needs to Know About Sex (And When). Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-your-child-needs-know-about-sex-and-when/201109/the-super-sexualization-children-time-take

Ableism

My professional background includes teaching special education. This background puts ableism close to my heart. However, it is my role as a mother of a child with special needs that make ableism one of my priorities. It was Owen’s (and my own role as a parent of a child receiving early intervention services) experience with First Steps (early intervention services) therapies (PT, OT, DT, and speech) that sparked my interest in becoming a developmental therapist. This role makes me want to advocate for young children and their families. I have been through Owen’s transition from early intervention services to a developmental preschool setting. If I did not have a professional background in special education, I know that my transition would have been more difficult. I have discussed this issue with friends of mine (through a local parents with special needs organization) about their experiences and their experiences were also rocky. The parents did not know the laws pertaining to the transition and the parent rights. This is one aspect that I am passionate about and view as a form of ableism. All parents should feel empowered and have the right to know what is happening in their child’s education. As a developmental therapist, I hope to ease this transition by telling parents about the options that are available, informing them about parent rights, and by being an active listener if they wish to discuss their concerns. I know from personal experience that it can be beneficial to participate in activities that include children with special needs. This experience helped me talk to other parents about various topics, learn about resources, and help my children learn about a variety of differences. Just this week, I spoke with one of Owen's doctors about his recovery from surgery on his brain this past July. I guess I thought that a physician would know about early intervention services and essentially his early intervention goals. However, I was surprised that many other fields outside of education do not know the laws or even the terminology. This is one aspect of ableism that I hope to change with people that I work with. Here is my reason for wanting to be a developmental therapist: OWEN!!! (and my other babies (Noah and Ella)! Love my kiddos!!!

Observing Communication

Blog Week 3: Observing Communication This week, I chose to observe my father-in-law interacting with my three year olds (Owen and Ella). Don (my father-in-law) was sitting on the floor with the children. Ella was playing with her babies and feeding them. Don asked her questions about the doll’s name and what she was feeding them. Owen was playing with cars. He was lining them up according to color. Don asked Owen the color names of the cars. Don asked Ella if her baby liked cars. Ella responded “yes”. Don asked Owen if he and Ella could play with him. Together, they set the baby against the wall and placed several cars in front of the doll. Owen matched the colors to the color the baby was wearing (blue). Don commented about the matching colors. **************************************** Effective Communication Strategies Observed: • Don got down to their physical level to interact with them. • Don respected what they were playing and asked if he could join them. • Don asked questions about the activity that extended their language. For example, he talked about the parts of the cars or the body parts of the doll. • Don also engaged Owen in touching the doll (it has hair). Owen has sensory issues and often flinches when touching unfamiliar objects. Don guided him, but let Owen pull away when he was nervous. ******************************* Owen and Ella (as well as my older son, Noah) enjoy interacting with their grandparents. They are very blessed to have grandparents that enjoy spending time with them and helping them gain developmental skills. All of my children have distinct interests and Don encouraged them to play with each other beyond parallel play. He reinforced correct responses (by saying “good job”) and corrected them when needed. ****************************** As a mother, I love to allow my kids to pick what we play together. Of course, I also chose activities that can work on a specific skill (such as sorting, matching, or even manipulating fine motor skills). As a parent, teacher, and even babysitter, I always sit on the ground with the child. I like to look at the environment from their perspective. A plus side, if a toy is lost, this is an excellent way to help find it! ************** I also love asking children questions as we are playing to help gain knowledge about their current skills as well as offer new information about the activity.

Creating Affirming Environments

Creating Affirming Environments Creating an authentic early childhood setting is something that I think is important for the comfort level of the child and their family. If I were to have an early childhood home setting, I would have a sign-in or information area. This area would have a binder for sign-in and a calendar/bulletin board for information for the family. I would also have an area for children to adjust to the environment. For example, if the child were still tired and not ready to play, I would have an area for them to relax. This would also help the child feel more comfortable. It is important that I would be able to see the child, but also attend to the other children who are ready for the day. In my home, the front room would be used for a “quiet” corner and the connecting room would be filled with children. I would also have an area for center time. This area would be big enough for us to gather and learn about our daily skills and discuss our day. This area would have photos and signs on the walls. The photos would be diverse and show varying cultures, photos of the children attending the center, photos of my family, and photos of varying abilities. I believe that this is important to help create a family feel for the environment. I would also have an area that each family could pick items for display that they enjoy doing or they would use to help describe themselves. We would change this every two weeks. This would allow the children and families to have several times throughout the year that they could use items to help other families and staff get to know them better. I think that in the pretend/dramatic play area, I would have a variety of costumes and careers that the children could explore. The dolls would also include a variety of ethnicities and not just “token” examples (dolls that just change the color and not features). I have several dolls from my travels around the world that would be very beneficial in displaying real examples of clothing and features. I would reach out to other countries early childhood professionals to obtain games, dolls, and other examples from their country that they would use to represent their area. Another aspect that I would love to incorporate would be a section with community activities. It is beneficial to include "children and adults from the various racial and ethnic identity groups in your community" (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 43). I would ask families to post events that they like to attend in the community as well. It forms good rapport with families when you see them outside of the educational setting. I noticed several wonderful examples from the video this week. I liked the sign-in area for transfer of information. I also liked the family of the month area. This would help build and strengthen positive rapport. I also liked the "quiet" transition area that she mentioned. This would be helpful for families to know that if their child is still tired that they could have time to wake-up since some families have to drop their kids off early. I enjoyed the video! References Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Laureate Education, (n.d.). Retrieved from www.waldenu.edu

Week 1 (6358)

Hello! We are starting a new class and I am eager to learn new strategies regarding anti-bias education. People can be different a limitless ways. My oldest son this week had to create an anti-bullying poster for their sharing project at school. Noah is in Kindergarten and did not even know what a bully was. I began our conversation with talking about how a bully makes fun of others, what it means to be a good friend, and what to do if he experiences bullying or witnesses it. Noah and I discussed why someone would make fun of others. I told him it was because bullies were making fun of others being different. Noah attends a Catholic school and he decided his poster should say, "Bullies make fun of people because they are different. God made us all different. Be kind." Those were the words of a six year old. Very honest and true. The next day, he asked me if people would make fun of our other son (Owen, age 3)for having a large scar on his head from his recent brain surgery. I told him that some people might. This comment upset him. He asked me why people had to be mean. This is one reason why I hope to become a proactive part of anti-bias education.

(Photo of Noah and Owen in the hospital.)