A Note of Thanks

I want to thank all my Walden University colleagues and Prof.Kien for offering such an interesting and challenging course. Thank you for helping me grow and learn in this program, I look forward to more classes with you all! I hope you all have the best holidays with family and an amazing New Year!

"Love your child for what he is, not for the prizes, medals, or marks he gets for you. Love is unconditional, conditional love is business." ~Dr. Vinay Jain

Diagnosing Possible Learning Disabilities

In the United States we often take many things for granted, and having the ability to have our children diagnosed with possible learning disabilities and treated in public schools is one of those things we just take for granted. However, in many countries, there are no laws which require that children be diagnosed with disabilities and be provided special services to help with these disabilities. For example, in Israel,"there is no law obligating the schools to identify students with learning disabilities and to design programs for helping them." (1) In 1964, a non-profit called Nitzan which stands for the Israeli Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities, was founded by parents and volunteers who wanted to help provide an assessment tool which could be used to diagnose those who struggle with learning disabilities. According to Nitzan's website, their goal is to "assess and assist individuals with learning disabilities, adaptive problems and functional difficulties and to enable Israelis with learning disabilities to achieve their full potential." This important non-profit also provides employment assistance to adults with learning disabilities as well as "improving the social status of children and youth with learning disabilities." Although it can be difficult to believe, there is actually quite a stigma that comes along with a child having a learning disability. Programs that create awareness about learning disabilities is very important to helping children and adults achieve their potential in life and not be held back by what others consider a disability.

References:http://eng.nitzan-israel.org.il/

Children of Brazil

Children of Brazil

According to many studies, Brazil leads the world in child poverty rates as well as cases of child slavery and malnutrition. Unfortunately the sad reality is that poor children around the world often find themselves in similar situations, just fighting to stay alive everyday. Although Brazil is an important industrial power with one of the strongest economies in Latin America, poverty is still widespread. According to some estimates, upwards of 50% of the population is living on slightly less than US $2.00 per person per day. Brazil is second only to South Africa in the world ranking of income inequality and poverty rates. Approximately 21% of the total population lives in rural areas, and the country has the largest rural poor population in the western hemisphere. In some ways, rural families are more disadvantaged than poor people who live in urban areas. While education and health facilities are more readily accessible to urban than to rural populations, the water supply and sewage systems are generally inadequate in rural areas. With very limited access to technology,families of Brazilian rural communities struggle to supplement farming incomes through salaried labor. The most vulnerable groups among Brazil's rural poor people are women, young people and ethnic minorities. Often, their husbands are forced to migrate to other parts of the country in search of seasonal work, women are left with responsibility for running the family farm as well as the household. In Brazil, there are many forms of discrimination against women that often aggravate poverty in these households such as domestic abuse. In addition to farming, women’s daily household chores often include the critical need to fetch water in addition to all their other responsibilities. As a result of these difficult conditions, child labor becomes used as a another source of family income, as a result child labor is still commonly used among poor households in Brazil. In the poverty zones, especially the North-East, almost 40 per cent of all children between the ages of 10 and 14 work to supplement family incomes. Poverty is also closely related to difficult climatic conditions. Lack of access to formal education and skills training is another major cause of rural poverty. Rural poor have limited access to basic and social infrastructure, and to appropriate technologies and markets, and as a result they have no opportunity to capitalize on farm production or other income-generating enterprises.

STREET CHILDREN OF BRAZIL
Street children are known to receive beatings from the police
or members of the public and also can face imprisonment,
malnutrition, disease and AIDS.
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with a population
of approximately 190 million people and still growing. The disparity between the rich and the poor in Brazilian society is one of the largest in the world. The richest 1% of Brazil's population control 50% of its income. Whereas the poorest 50% of society live on just 10% of the country's wealth. Street children have become an urban problem which has roots in rural and the displacement of large numbers of people from the land.

References:
http://www.childreninhunger.org.uk
http://gbgm-umc.org/
http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/prost.htm
http://volunteerbrazil.com/streetkidsproject.html
http://www.children.org/
http://gvnet.com/streetchildren/Brazil.htm

Getting involved, what can you do?

For less than $20 dollars, you can make a huge difference in the lives of the children of Arcozelo. This is also a great project for a Sunday school class or for teens that want to get involved. Please make sure to include a return address so you can have some pictures of the children sent to you, as well as the vegetable gardens.

What you will need:

2 USPS Flat Rate Priority Mail Envelopes

Packets of vegetable seeds, for example: tomato, lettuce, squash, pumkin, cantaloupe, turnips, greenbeans, really anything.

Lipton Iced Tea TO GO packets or Crystal Light, in all flavors, children sell these for a profit to earn some money.

If there is room in the envelope, try to fit some crayons, colored pencils, yo-yos or some small toy such as a toy car or candy. This means so much to the children, who have no toys.

Whatever you can fit in the priority mail envelope, seal tightly. After it is sealed, place it in the second envelope and close. Do not tape the outside of the envelope or they will not mail it from the post office.

Mail it to the following:

Children of Arcozelo- c/o DINA

Estrada da Cachoeir 1700

Pati Do Alferes ARCOZELO

R.J BRAZIL 26950-000

Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself. You can make a difference in the world by giving back, and remember,
everything you give to others comes back to you multiplied. These kids need us, even the smallest bit of help makes a world of difference in the lives of these children.

Pox Parties and Paranoia

I strongly believe in immunizations and I disagree with those who believe it is wrong or dangerous to give their children vaccines, if anything, leaving them unvaccinated seems to be a greater risk. However, for the sake of this article I decided to research the arguments used by those who are anti-vaccines. The first argument they use is that "germ theory is flawed and germs don't make us sick." OK...on to number two, "Immunizations do not guarantee immunity" (and giving your child no vaccine really guarantees no immunity) and drug companies just push vaccines to make money. Next argument, nobody has the right to tell you what to do with your child, you have constitutional rights to refuse medical treatment. (This reminds me of the Christian Scientists in my city who at a football game, when the player has an accident on the field, rather than call an ambulance, the entire team stands in a circle to pray for him.) Another argument, which is quite common is the fear that the MMR vaccine may be linked to causing autism, which has since been disproved. And the last argument, which I find most ridiculous, she states, "Most of these diseases, if contracted today, rarely if ever cause death and are easily dealt with using antibiotics." Apparently getting mumps and measles is no big deal, especially for a newborn. Honestly, this article almost made me crazy! Speaking of crazy, that brings me to the next subject which has been on the evening news for the last week, POX PARTIES! A pox party or flu party is a party meant to gather otherwise healthy children with children who are infected with a childhood disease such as chicken pox, measles or flu in order to infect their child on the premise of building their immune system and avoiding vaccinations. One reason this has become so controversial is that now parents have taken to facebook to find pox parties or sell infected lollipops through the mail (usually $50 bucks a pop) in order to infect their child. Government officials warn, "These parties are not only dangerous, but they are also illegal." (1) What makes these parties most dangerous is that someone is getting an infected lollipop in the mail from a complete stranger, and according to the US attorney in Nashville, "If you think buying a lollipop contaminated with saliva from senders whose children are infected will protect your kids from chiocken pox, think again- because it probably won't. More likely, you will be exposing them to more serious infections such as hepatitis." Besides being dangerous, illegal, reckless and irresponsible, these pox parties place pregnant postal workers at risk of contracting illness from the dangerous contagians being sent through US Mail. Clearly, the situation in spiraling out of control, something needs to be done to educate the public about the dangers of not vaccinating children. Otherwise, besides massive outbreaks, I believe that these pox parties may only be the tip of the iceberg.



http://www.inquisitr.com/157263/chickenpox-lollipops-vaccination-fears-lead-to-pox-parties/

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2011/11/pox_packages_child_abuse_and_the_violati.php
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/08/pox_party/
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/searching-for-answers/vaccines-autism

The birth of my first child

Although I have experienced childbirth twice, I am going to focus on the birth of my first child. I was 24 years old and living in Miami Beach, when I met their father, I had no idea that he was going to be the father of my children. I was young and enjoying my freedom, I remember it was one of the best times of my life. As my friendship with him became more serious, I moved in with him and we were living as a couple. On the weekends, his daughter came to stay with us or we would take a four hour drive down to the Florida Keys to pick her up. While he was at work, I played the role of step-mother to his five year old daughter. Looking back, I realized that she helped prepare me for the role of motherhood and also at times, the challenges. It was not too long into our relationship that I became pregnant, and not long after I was nearly bedridden with morning sickness. I was working in a private school as a third grade teacher, and made the difficult decision of leaving my job in the middle of the year. From that point on when I stopped working, I remember I spent most of my time in bed watching the show “Baby Story,” reading pregnancy books and eating nonstop. I was obsessed with getting enough fruits and vegetables and protein, I didn't realize you only needed an extra 500 calories a day, I think I must have consumed at lease 1000 or more extra calories a day. Looking back, it is clear I overdid it a bit, I went from 112 pounds to 175 pounds when I actually gave birth. It wasn’t that I was actually sick or on bedrest during my pregnancy, but for some reason, I really felt like I needed to be pampered and I always felt exhausted. Looking back, I guess I was really lucky to have such a relaxing pregnancy. We took classes together at the Miami Beach Maternity center, where I was hoping and dreaming of a water birth.  I was terrified at the thought of painful childbirth, and I was hoping to find the most painless option, and from everything I had read, a water birth seemed to be my best option. Although, after much discussion, I realized that I wanted to be in a hospital where they could take care of my child and I in case of an emergency.

                At week 38 my doctor decided I had gained a bit too much and the baby, he worried, may be getting too big for a natural delivery, so he decided to induce. I was admitted into the hospital at 9 in the evening, and I remember the Jamaican nurse placing the Pitocin drip in my arm, and I sat in bed  watching the show CSI Miami, our Tuesday night ritual. All that night she checked me and kept increasing the pitocin until by morning she reached the maximum amount, but nothing happened, no contractions started, I wasn't dilated and worst of all, my son’s heart rate started to fall steadily.The nurse looked worried and my husband became agitated with the nurse, wanting to know what was going on. At a certain point in the morning she said, “You really don’t feel anything, well, then this isn’t working and she took out the IV. We will have to speak to the doctor.”  By 2:00 pm it was time for an emergency c-section. I remember feeling relieved, of all the Baby Stories I had watched, the c-sections had seemed to be the least painful during the actual childbirth. I also remember being excited to know I would finally meet my son for the first time. By 3:20, my son was born, and I was able to give him a kiss before he went off to the nursery with his father. Soon I was laying behind a curtain in recovery, a nurse was measuring my temperature and told me I could go see my son once the shaking wore off and I had the right temperature. I remember the doctor came to visit and said, “Thank God everything went well and I'm glad I did the c-section because the cord was wrapped tightly around his neck.”  

                The moment I finally met my son was one of the most magical moments I have ever had, I held him in amazement and couldn’t believe he had been inside me all that time.  I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life, it was the greatest feeling of joy and euphoria I have ever felt. It’s hard to think that was almost 8 years ago, it has gone by with a blink. I can’t believe the little baby in my arms is now a second grader, it doesn’t even feel like that much time has passed. Every day truly is a miracle, sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down and appreciate all the special moments that happen everyday. 

Water Births as a viable option

According to the British Governments health watchdog, "All expectant mothers should be offered the chance to have a water birth because it provides the safest form of pain relief." (1) In Australia, if a women wants a water birth she must often have a baby at home, however, "overly restrictive legislation has meant that the number of private midwives attending births in Australia has dropped from 200 midwives in 2009 to only 90 midwives in 2011. Some women are having to birth at home unattended, some are being forced into hospital births they do not want. Regional and rural areas have been significantly impacted." A model of positive water birth experiences can look to the UK where, "In England, a water birth has become so common, it is considered an option for childbirth and not an alternative. Most English hospitals are now equipped to accommodate the request." (2) The article goes on to say that the United States has a growing number of hospitals installing birthing pools to allow the women to labor in the pool, however, to "actually giving birth in water is discouraged." (2)  The United States is a good model for Australia where concerns about water births have driven home births underground, would allow women to have a more positive hospital experience by allowing them to at least labor in the tub, and give birth in a hospital bed. It is clear that water births have become a viable birth option for many women, and is bound to become much more popular as women look to natural methods of pain relief during labor other than drugs.

References:

(1) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10466076

(2) http://www.pregnancy-info.net/waterbirths.html

http://www.babycenter.com/2_live-birth-water-birth_3658855.bc

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/waterbirth.html

http://www.waterbirthinfo.com/materials.html

A Note of Thanks and Support

To all my colleagues of Walden University Foundations of Early Childhood, I want to thank each and every one of you for all your support throughout this semester. Thank you also, Dr. Longo for your support and for helping us as students create these new relationships. During this course I have realized the importance of supportive colleagues for the success of this program, both for learning, support and motivation. I look forward to continue to grow on this journey with you all.

Time is so precious, and it passes so quickly. The one thing that really draws me to children is their ability to live in the present. They are discovering the world for the first time, and it is through watching their eyes and the wonder and awe and excitement that they experience when they make a new discovery. It is so hard as a "grown-up" not to always worry about the future and the bills and so many little things, but I think in order to truly be happy and live a fulfilling life we have to be able to enjoy the present moment and become like a child. Most of the best early childcare educators that I met always had a child-like quality themselves and could easily enter a world of imagination and connect with the children on their level.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is an international membership organization for those who work with or on behalf of young children with disabilities and other special needs. 

Our mission is to promote policies and advance evidence-based practices to support the optimal development of young children with special needs. (2)

As a mother to a child with special needs, I feel very passionate about the inclusion practices that have been put in place by the DEC in order to allow children with special needs to integrate with typical peers. Although my son Ari who has been diagnosed with Autism is no longer in the mainstream of his school, now he is in a self-contained room, however, he still spends music, art, Spanish, PE, recess and lunch with his typical peers. He has a "shadow/buddy" or as they call it a "para support" person who is with him while he is integrated. Historically, children with special needs were segregated from typical peers, but we live in a changing world. As an early childhood professional, it is important we find ways to include all children, despite disabilities, and help support their abilities and also help them find peers who can make a real connection. Integrating children with special needs with typical peers does not only help the children with disabilities, but also teaches typical peers important lessons about empathy,tolerance and acceptance. 

The primary goal of the NAEYC Code of Ethics is to "provide a moral compass for early childhood educators. Based on the core values of the early care and education field, it spells out some important

ethical responsibilities and provides guidance for practitioners who face would a good early childhood educator do?” It was designed to be a living document that would always reflect the field’s current understanding of how early childhood educators can best serve young children and their families." (1)

As an early childhood professional, we will be faced with difficult situations, that is why the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is so important because it allows all educators to have a moral compass to  follow and also reminds us of our responsibility to children.

According to Eric Feigenbaum,(3) the NAEYC Code of Conduct centers around children and the following:

Collective Wisdom

• Educating young children is as much an art as a science. The NAEYC believes that how you treat children is more important than any particular curriculum or project you might offer them. The beliefs and core principles of the people who pioneered the early childhood education field have been compiled and refined into a document that elaborates their vision. It continues to be revised and updated using the collective wisdom of NAEYC members to account for new situations in an ever-changing world. NAEYC offers membership to anyone who cares about early childhood education, so Code of Ethical Conduct input comes from both highly educated specialists as well as those who may have more experience and caring than they do degrees.

Responsibilities To Children

• The NAEYC approach centers around responsibility to children. The code calls for educators to put children's interests first and to take ownership of the important role they play in the lives of young children. This manifests itself in many forms including how they approach education itself, avoiding anything that can be considered degrading to a child, reporting child abuse and protecting children's physical and emotional safety. The code also calls for teachers and daycare professionals to collaborate with parents and anyone else relevant in children's lives to inform, make decisions and work in their best interests.

Responsibilities to Parents

• Being a parent is a difficult job and even the most ready and capable need help. Teachers and daycare professionals play a pivotal role in a child's development and according to the code, should act as resources and partners to parents and guardians. Early childhood educators have a responsibility to collaborate and consult with parents and respect parental approaches to child-rearing--particularly religious and cultural beliefs and practices. When educators have concerns about a child, they have a responsibility to discuss it with parents and guardians to inform and work with them for the betterment of the child.

Responsibilities to Community

• Ethics often merge into standards of professionalism. The NAEYC is a group that furthers the interests of its industry and advocates for the advancement of early childhood education. Therefore, the Code of Ethical Conduct addresses the role that early childhood educators should play in the community, which includes offering useful, nurturing and positive educational programs wherever and for whomever they work. Among many things, the code tasks educators with furthering community knowledge and understanding of early childhood education, its direction and new research and findings. Educators should also play an active role in forming and working for policies that support early childhood education, as well as lobbying against policies that pose a threat to children's best interests.

Reference: (1)Nancy K. Freeman and Stephanie Feeney:  

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200411/FreemanEthics.pdf  

(2) www.dec-sped.org
(3)Eric Feigenbaum

www.ehow.com/info_7789814_naeycs_ethical-conduct-early-childhood.html

Course Resources

 http---www.naeyc.org-files-naeyc-file-positions-Readiness.pdfhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

World Organization for Early Childhood Education

http://www.omep-usnc.org/

http://www.earlychildhood.com/
http://www.earlychildhoodresources.com/
http://www.earlychildhoodeducationresources.com/
http://www.abcmouse.com/
http://www.theideabox.com
www2.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/resources.html
http://www.childcareresourcesinc.org

Quotes on Education

"Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not a preparation for life but is life itself." ~John Dewey

"The principle goal of education is to create men (and women) who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done- men who are creative, inventive, and discoverers." ~Jean Piaget

Favorite Quote on Children

"Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children." -Walt Disney

My name is Shira

My name is Shira Schwartz, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Women's Studies and Religion from Oberlin College. I spent many years as both a Hebrew teacher and Sunday school teacher in Ohio and Missouri. After graduating from Oberlin College I moved to Aspen Colorado where I served as the Assistant Director of Education for the Aspen Jewish Congregation. Later, I moved to Miami Beach and taught as a third-grade teacher in a private religious school in North Miami Beach. After moving to West Palm Beach I taught as a pre-school teacher in Palm Beach, Florida.