Sharing Web Resources

Foundation for Child Development

http://fcd-us.org/

FCD has been connecting research with policy for social change since 1900!  The work with families national but their main focus is helping disadvantaged families by promoting their well being and education in an effort to help them become productive citizens within our communities. 

This organization provides funding to help bridge the gaps in child development.  They also help influence policymakers understanding of what should be implicated for meeting the needs of children and their families. 

http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/FCD%20Description.pdf

FCD offers 4 programs: 

• Pre-K through 3^rd Education:  focuses on the learning environment and its requirements

http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/PreK-3rd%20Summary.pdf

• The Child Well-Being Index:  a comprehensive measure of the quality of life for families in America

http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Child%20Well-Being%20Index%20Summary.pdf

• New American Children :  focuses on immigrant families and their development

http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/New%20American%20Children%20Summary.pdf

• Young Scholars Program:  provides support for career scholars to conduct research on immigrant families 

http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Young%20Scholars%20Program%20Summary.pdf

Establishing Professional Contacts

I must admit when I first began it was a little tense trying to decide which country I wanted to learn about and to wonder if I would get a response from the emails I've sent.  As of now, I'm waiting for pending responses from Romania, Turkey, and Egypt.  I used the UNICEF, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html,  as my primary source.  For the second part of this assignment, I decided to learn more about the National Black Child Development Institute.  I subscribed to their newsletter from the following link,  http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/ and you can find their home page at, http://nbcdi.org/.
I took interest in NBCDI in a previous course, but never found the time to explore it so this assignment provided the perfect opportunity for me to do so and it will help me professionally since I work mostly with African American children.

My Supports

In all aspects of my life, I seek God to help me endure and overcome daily encounters.  In my personal life, I depend on my significant other, Brad, to help me as I encounter daily family challenges.  He helps motivate and encourage me in most of those type of endeavors.  My mom is another key supporter in my life.  I turn to her for parenting and spiritual support.  I have a select few of close girlfriends that I lean on for additional support.

In my professional life, I have select mentors I turn to for support.  My former military supervisor, Lenka, is always a phone call or email away.  I met her in 2001, and she continues to give me leadership advice and insight.  My former ECE supervisor, is another professional support I have.  I connect with her regularly to help me improve my teaching methods.  Normally when things are too crazy at work, she is my first contact of finding a quick solution or making sense of it all.  My paraprofessional, Lisa, is a major help and support in my life.  Our relationship is very important and I love the bond we have formed.  The support she provides in the classroom, helps me get a lot of administrative things done.

One challenge I can imagine is when I start my own early learning center.  I think of the different support systems I will need; financially, spiritually, and physically.  I will need support launching the business and maintaining it.  I've already completed the business blueprint.  Now, I have to find solutions to possible problems.  For example, finding substitute child care providers and teachers to assist when permanent staff is unavailable.  Another concern is making sure professional development is current and being implemented within the program.  Having support and partnerships with families and other community businesses will also be beneficial to the success of every child that enters the program.   Having enough well trained and educated staff is the key in the school functioning appropriately and at a high quality capacity.  Without administrative support, front office support, or generic support, the early learning system would be ineffective.

My Connections to Play

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~Plato

 “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~George Bernard Shaw

 I define play as a way for children to share or express their interpretation of the world.  My parents supported the idea or concept of play.  My room was well furnished with toys and games.  I had a bike, skates, a pet bunny to play with (before my baby sister came along), sports equipment, etc. I played with the other kids on my street as well.  I engaged in all forms of play from solitary, to competitive, to imaginative. 

 

Childhood Play

The pictures I chose represent what I liked to play with the most as a child.  I love Lego's, still to this day!  I have bought them for my daughter and we take time to build beauty salons and cafes.  And no female child can get through childhood without playing hand games!  When I hear the children in my class say the same chants, I can't help but to go back in time and reminisce on when I jumped rope to the same tune.  I think every child in America has played house but my most favorite was playing school.  Line up all the dolls and teddies and reenact what happened during the day but give it a different ending (lol).

 

Then vs. Now

I'm not sure if children are enjoying play like we did 15 plus years ago.  Most toys are electronic now so children don't have to be as creative during imaginary play.  I think there is an increase in solitary or parallel play for the older children.  I have seen children sit side by side and not speak to each other because their attention was glued to the iPhone, iPad, or iPod.  Children are less active now.  They don't go outside and play with their neighbors in the back yard like we use to. 

As we get older, we play less because of maturity and we have more responsibilities.  So, engaging in play will not help us.  Adults still play, just not as much and just in a different manner.  I don't play with dolls or other children toys unless I'm playing with my daughter or interacting with my prekindergartens.  To keep things fun for me and my spouse, we enjoy places like Dave and Busters and Main Events; we have family game nights where we play board games or let the children laugh at us when we try to save the princess on the Wii game system.  

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I personally rely on them to help me function in life.  The relationships I created as a child, with my parents, continue to carry on in my adult life.  That life long bond helps me be a better parent and helps me face and deal with difficult decisions that I have and will encounter in life.  The relationship I have with spiritual mentors, help me to learn, understand, and practice my faith and beliefs.  The relationship I have with my mate and children help me to strive to be a better person and educator.  They inspire me to achiever more.  The relationships I have with my colleagues, coworkers, and student parents, help me to be a better professional and advocate for children.  The relationships I have with my girlfriends help me unwind and let lose and express myself without concern of judgment.  

When I think of child development...

Testing for Intelligence

I am committed to the whole child concept.  When working with children, I focus on all aspects of their development.  I provide a learning environment that supports their physical, spiritual, emotional, cognitive, biosocial, and psychosocial needs.  The overall objectives are:

• fostering and guiding children to practice a healthy lifestyle 
• providing children with a physically and emotionally safe environment 
• providing resources and support children will need to help them to learn 
• providing children with an engaging and challenging learning environment that will prepare them for success later in life 

http://www.ascd.org/whole-child.aspx

In the UK, childrens' intelligence is assessed by using the Mensa IQ Test.  Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualification for membership of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions.  Their objects are:  

• to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members
• to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity
• to encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence

 Some of the characteristics and levels of intelligence they test children for are:   

• Reading early
• Unusual hobbies or interests or an in-depth knowledge of certain subjects
• Intolerance of other children
• An awareness of world events
• Set themselves impossibly high standards
• May be a high achiever
• Prefers to spend time with adults or in solitary pursuits
• Loves to talk
• Asks questions all the time
• Learns easily
• Developed sense of humour
• Musical
• Likes to be in control
• Makes up additional rules for games
• Extrovert/introvert
• Passing intellectual milestones early
• An unusual memory

Source:  http://www.mensa.org.uk/

Another IQ testing option in the UK is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or WISC.  It was developed by Dr. David Wechsler.  It is administered to children between ages 6 and 16.  The test is standardized and is not just for the gifted.  It also includes special groups of children with disabilities, mild or moderate mental retardation, learning disorders, ADHD, Austim, etc.  The WISC is used as an intelligence test and a as a clinical tool by most practiioners to diagnose learning disorders or behavior disorders.  

Source:  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechsler_Intelligence_Scale_for_Children

FYI

Some suggestions  I have is to never get comfortable at whichever level you are on when working with meeting the needs of children.  There is always work to be done.  Always seek ways to improve, yourself as a professional and to help your child/student achieve more.  Remember to assess the whole child.  Don't just focus on academics.  It's possible that the child may master reading and writing but lack the emotional support or a well balanced diet.  Always assess, their mental health, safety, interest, physical activities, social interactions.