Last Blog for Evaluation Class

I must say that this course has been very enlightening in my educational journey in early childhood education. Towards the end of the course I had surgery and a very time consuming mishap with my mother in love and her health. This made the last few weeks of the course quite horrendous; but with understanding from my colleagues as well as you professor, I am able to see the light at the end of the tunnel! In spite of these mishaps, I feel that this class and what I have learned will definetely prepare me more for my role in early childhood education. 

As a young child I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher! Even playing the role with family members when we were able to capture a moment of play together. This is what started my passion for my role that I currently serve. As a teacher, in order to keep up with changing times, new procedures, as well as any other aspect of change, we have to be prepared and ready for that change and how to help make that change a success within the realms of the classroom. This class has taught me why this change is so important to the field. Nothing ever stays the same and things are forever evolving; and when a program is able to be evaluated then necessary ideas of change are brought forth to make the program a better atmosphere for learning and connecting with children and the families that are being served. Change is hard, but it's always necessary! Self-evaluation is just as important as program evaluation. Through this class we have learned that evaluation tools such as CLASS are necessary so that teachers can consistently evaluate themselves for a better learning experience for the children that are being served. This class has taught me a lot and am glad to have shared this journey with all of you! 

Program Evaluation

                                                             Program Evaluation


  Program evaluation is a great thing for anyone! Just as people should individually self-evaluate themselves, I feel that programs should be evaluated as well! Early childhood years has been found to have a big impact on how a child develops, performs in school, and even in what type of adult they may become. Because of this, I feel that it is important to ensure that programs are being ran precisely and accurately for the benefit of young learners.

Program evaluation allows workers to take a look at things that are good the way they are, as well as things that could stand some improvement. It's important at times for outsiders to actually conduct these evaluations as they are able to reveal things that normal workers who have been employed for awhile, may not see.

Evaluations should be ongoing, and a system should be set in place for programs to improve upon anything that may have been lacking when being observed. As for myself and how evaluation can be good for me, it would help me in leadership roles, such as program coordinators or even center supervisors. Knowing the importance of evaluations would definitely help me if I were to ever partake in these roles. Program evaluation is key to having a successful early childhood program!

Fostering Classroom Communities

For this second assignment I have been asked to review a dissertation that shares information about the importance of positive environments within early childhood classrooms. After an extended search throughout the Walden Library, I was unable to locate an actual dissertation on the subject; but I was able to find an article which I felt was very relevant to the subject at hand from that particular Walden site. Hopefully with future assignments, or even a bit of help from you, my colleagues (through blog posts), I will be able to locate dissertations in the very near future.

            The title of the article that I found was Temperament, Family Environment and Anxiety in Preschool Children. The body of research used a total of 202 preschool participants to examine the relationship behavioral inhibition, family environment and anxiety. The types of family environments that were focused on were as follows; negative and over-involved parenting styles, parent-child attachment, and parental anxiety. The ages of the participants were between 3-4 and out of 202, 101 were male participants. The methodology used was thorough and included data from many observations, interviews, and questionnaires.  The results showed that children who are exposed to anxiety within the womb and within their environment after birth, are significantly more likely to meet criteria for a range of anxiety diagnoses.

            Three resources used by the author were interviews, questionnaires, and observations. For this study in particular, fathers were asked to complete a single questionnaire, which measured anxiety symptoms. Questionnaires help in analyzing data for an anxiety diagnosis. Hudson, Dodd, & Bovopoulos (2011) shares that “All mothers were interviewed using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSMIV, Parent Version” (p. 4). Interviews were good for this study because it gave researchers the opportunity for open-ended questions. Having open-ended questions allows the researcher to produce an authentic representation of what is actually occurring within the preschoolers’ home environment. Finally, an observation was conducted with this study through speech preparation. Each child had to prepare a 1 minute speech, while the parents had to prepare a 3 minute one. Observing these speeches allowed the researchers to grasp how severe or non-severe anxiety was for each child/parent.

            This study has definitely taught me a different avenue of why positive class environments are good for young children. Through past lessons, I have been taught that a classroom should always be welcoming and inviting for young children and their families. For example, colors are always an important component of promoting positivity within a center as well as classroom. Freeman, Decker, & Decker (2013) states that preschoolers aged 3-5 have distinct preferences for colors throughout centers. “They prefer cool colors such as blue, green, and light purple over warm colors such as orange, red, and yellow” (p. 137). Today, I was able to see one of the many reasons why an environment should be inviting for the young children that we serve on a daily basis.

 For children with anxiety issues, building communication skills may present a problem.  Teachers should always show warmth and understanding to any child that may display anxiety issues.  For personal interaction to blossom, the day must be planned and paced so that there are many opportunities for person-to-person encounters, for listening, and for conversing.  Teachers should also make a conscious effort to reach out to every individual child.

Creating an encouraging classroom involves many details that must be followed in order to create a positive learning environment. Teachers could ensure a positive climate for those that suffer with anxiety by developing a schedule that should be followed daily and assurance that a routine is developed.  Schedules and routines are a must in a preschool classroom.  When children are on a routine, they feel more comfortable, safe, and secure because they know what to expect next.  Schedules represent the big picture or the main activities to be completed daily.  Whereas, routines represents the steps done to complete the schedule.  Teachers should also ensure that lines of communication are open for parents and their children. When it comes to communication, children often identify very strongly with their families.  When teachers make family members feel welcome, the child will feel the same, in return. Finally, when speaking of the environment literally, as I did with color schemes above; I feel that lighting is another important issue for those children with issues such as anxiety. Natural sunlight is great for many things, and promoting happiness is one of the most important things for families who suffer with anxiety. Freeman, Decker, & Decker (2013) states “Natural light from large windows, balconies, and porches improves children’s and adults moods, reduces fatigue and eyestrain, helps the body maintain circadian rhythms, destroys bacteria and mold, and is a source of vitamin D” (p. 134). Including natural light within the classroom would be another excellent way to promote positivity naturally within the classroom. As long as these steps are followed, preschoolers as well as their anxious parents should feel comfortable in trusting their atmosphere as well as the people in it.

 References

Freeman, N. K., Decker, C. A., & Decker, J. R. (2013). Planning and administering early

            childhood programs (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall

Hudson, J. L., Dodd, H. F., & Bovopoulos, N. (2011). Temperament, Family Environment and

            Anxiety in Preschool Children. Journal Of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39(7), 939-951.

Healthy Prenatal Development

To start, I apologize for my lateness with this blog assignment! I had no idea there was Assignment 4 as I looked all over it, and just found it as I was preparing to complete Assignment 3 for this week! So sincerest apologies for my tardiness! For this blog assignment I have chosen to focus on healthy prenatal development and my advocacy message is entailed below;

Prenatal visits scheduled by a medical doctor should be a 'must' on an expectant mother's to-do list. There are many important and pivotal moments during an unborn child's duration inside of an expectant mother. Research shows that the largest change that any human will ever face, happens during the time when we were still 'cooking in the oven'! Berger (2014) states that "The most dramatic and extensive transformation of the entire life span occurs before birth" (p. 94).  This statement alone leads me to believe that this transformation is definitely a time in life that should be guided as well as checked on consistently by a trained professional. Another important reason why I stand behind prenatal visits is that brain growth is heightened during prenatal stages of development. Brain development is essential to a newborns survival rate. When the brain of a fetus is not functioning properly, then other organs of the body lose hope of working in harmony. Berger (2014) states that "The reason brain growth is critical at this point is that the entire central nervous system becomes responsive during mid-pregnancy, beginning to regulate basic body functions such as breathing and sucking" (p. 97). Because of these findings, I feel that performing prenatal tests as well as getting regular ultrasound type checkups definitely benefits both the mother and the unborn child. The only way these types of tests are administered is through monthly prenatal check-ups. Not only are these checkups great for fetuses, but for the expectant mother as well. Sometimes mothers who are expecting experience high blood pressure or even gestational diabetes. How can these things be determined if a expectant mother fails to attend prenatal visits. Lack of these type visits can cause detrimental effects to the unborn fetus as well as the woman carrying.

The message that I am trying to convey about prenatal visits is that lack of them can cause great damage to an unborn fetus as well as the mother in many cases. Of course each case will not be as serious as life or death, but it's better to be safe than sorry when dealing with prenatal issues. Children can't speak for themselves, we as adults have to speak for them. Expectant mothers can take a silent stand and advocate for their unborn child by simply attending scheduled prenatal visits. The life of their unborn child is in their hands, so why not do the right thing and seek a obstetrician or another type of trained professional. Berger (2014) states that medical entities aim to "protect every developing fetus and every newborn" (p. 93). Mother's should most definitely fight for the health of their unborn child, as the child cannot do it on their own.

I have given birth to two boys. Both were blessed with good health because I listened to medical professionals during both pregnancies. I was considered high risk as I had high blood pressure with each pregnancy. This is disease that could have affected my children had I not sought medical attention. The blood pressure pill that I was taking before pregnancy was a danger to an unborn fetus. If I never attended prenatal visits, this is something that I would not have known and I could have seriously caused harm to my children when they were in the womb. My own experience taught me of the high importance that prenatal visits truly have! 

Classmates/Colleagues, if any of you have shared positive experiences because of prenatal care such as I have, please chime in and share your experience! 

Berger, K.S. (2014). The Developing Person Through Childhood, 6th edition. Worth Publishers. New York, NY 

Final Blog

Three things I have learned:
This course has taught me so much! Most importantly, it has taught me the needed steps to become an advocate for the early childhood childhood field of which I wholeheartedly represent! I now know the hardships of reaching a goal within a field; and I feel that this class has equipped,me the armor needed to complete my mission successfully. The second thing that I have learned is leadership styles. My goal is to become an adult educator within the field, and knowing or learning my own leadership style can prove as very successful as making or breaking my career as an early childhood adult educator! It also opened my eyes as to what kind of leader various people are in my life! This was a true eye opener! Finally, learning that the dream time can help in my mission of advocacy was a true eye opener! In all honesty, I felt that if I was the one with the dream then I should be the one to accomplish it! This class has truly changed my belief in my prior thinking and has helped me realize that a team is needed....but its all about having the right team behind you!! Picking the right people can definitely make or break my advocacy efforts! This is something I would have never known and I thank this class for my awakening!
The goal that I have set for myself is to always stay educated! My own mission and challenge for,this class has taught me just how important it is to remain educated about what's going on within the field! This is not only a good act for me to follow for the children that I serve, but for my own professional growth as well!
To my colleagues and professor, a sincere THANK YOU is definitely in order on helping me to accomplish my goal of earning my Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. With papers turned in, you professor offered a guiding light as to whether I was traveling the right road or you would reveal whether I needed to take a detour. I truly thank you for that! At times, I wondered why I needed to change my challenge from one thing to another, but after deep consideration and pondering, I realized your thoughts were very valid and I appreciate your efforts on producing a better version of me! To my colleagues, I thank you for sharing your views and thoughts on things I have published through discussion. Many of your ideas were enough to change my mind when making different application decisions and I thank you for that! We have all definitely grown and become a huge family over the course of a few months! We have learned more, envisioned more, and are definitely better prepped at handling any future early educator endeavors that may be ahead! I have truly enjoyed the ride with you all and I wish you nothing but continued success in the future! Pray daily and remember to STAY EDUCATED!!!!

Wk 6

UNICEF- This is a group that I have heard of numerous times since being a student here at Walden. This is an organization that helps disadvantaged children in different regions of the world such as Europe, Asia, Africa, Caribbean, just to name a few. UNICEF works to give disadvantaged children a fair chance. Some areas that they push for is for inclusion and protection of young children, as well as promoting gender equality among these young children. When looking under the job opportunity section, I learned that the team actually promotes internships. They also have a section on their job opportunity link for the role of Child Protection Specialist. The job is located in the Republic of Cameroon. Main responsibilities for this job include justice for children, civil registration, and policy development. A couple of tasks that this job requires includes; developing and preparing child protection projects and advocating with the government.  

Save the Children- This is an organization that I have never heard of. Through research, I have learned that their mission is to give children a healthy start when disaster strikes. Saving young lives is the main goal of this organization. Save the Children helps children by providing education, emergency response, health and nutrition, and disaster response when the unthinkable happens such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and fires. The organization has stations in the U.S., Africa, Asia, Latin America/Caribbean and Middle East/Eurasia. When searching for available jobs I was able to search under the U.S. Field Based positions. I searched under the D.C. Home Office and the C.T. Fairfield for Education/Literacy/Child Development.

International Step by Step Association- Aims for quality and equity for all children and families. The organization reaches those in Europe and Central Asia, holding over 60 members. Everyone involved with this community offers insight on best practices for early childhood education. A few goals are to advocate for early childhood systems for all children, increase awareness of early childhood education, and become a leading network for early childhood education. I was unable to find any job listing for this organization.

Week 4

This week will be much like the previous week as I chose the same organizations for community helpers.

3 Local or State Organizations

Bright From the Start- This is a local organization here in my home state of Georgia. It provides various services for many of the childcare facilities here in Georgia. They are responsible for things such as licensing as well as ensuring that daycare centers and early childhood programs meet the safety, educational, and nutritional needs of the young children they serve. This organization definitely sparked my interest because it teams with the government as well as our local Head Start Association that's located in Atlanta. As for jobs Pre-K consultant as well as Pre-K teacher are a couple of job openings that this organization offers. For the consultant job the responsibility of the individual hired is to oversee Pre-K centers in public schools and early childhood centers of which they have been assigned. The requirement in education is a Masters degree along with two years of early childhood experience. The pay rocks as well, anywhere from $36,000-$52,000. As for pre-k teachers, it depends on where they work. Most centers would prefer a bachelors but in some places an Associates will suffice. In public schools the teacher must have a bachelors as well as certification to be a lead pre-k teacher.  

Boys and Girls Club of America-  There are many Boy and Girls Clubs around the world. They all have the same mission, and that's to provide a safe haven for young and older children to get them off the street and focus on the positive aspects of their young lives. I have a love for this organization as it relies on the help of other organizations to stay open and operate. This program has a realm of many collaborations; so I think it's safe to say they must have great communication skills as well as other collaborative skills when trying to get support from others. Mentors director is one of the jobs that I chose for this organization. Many were listed but the one that appealed to me most was the mentor director. Boys and Girls Club America (2016) states the following about the job description, "Under the supervision of the Executive Director of the FCBGC, the Frank Callen Mentoring Program Director is responsible for oversight and ongoing development and implementation of the Frank Callen Mentoring Program. Ideally, the Mentoring Program Director is a Mental Health Professionals who will establish the Program Model by recruiting, training, and matching volunteers, as well as responsible for managing risk. They ensure uniformity of training curriculum, data collection, outcome objectives, and ongoing clinical support. The Mentoring Director serves as the clinical mind for the program and is responsible for messaging, marketing, and brokering linkages to all available resources (e.g., facilities, human resources, risk management, volunteers, etc.)" (p.1). The requirements educationally is a bachelors degree. The pay starts out at 32,000

National Head Start Association- This is an organization that will always remain near and dear to my heart because teaching children and helping families who are less fortunate is a great feeling. This organizations mission is to provide quality care to children of families with low-income. They always stand in support of the program; and they will go head first in their action plans to support the Head Start Program. When Head Start was in trouble a couple of years back they made it their mission to type up letters to members as well as current and prior Head Start parents. These letters were intended for legislative officials who felt that the program didn't work and were tying to reduce funding. Not only did the officials from the organization take the letters, but themselves as well as others who were willing to speak on behalf f the program! This is a company that I would love to have back me up in my efforts to advocate and potentially help in improving some areas of the program that needs improving. Data specialist and Early Childhood Mentor/Coach were the two available jobs closest to my location. Each job was located in Macon, Georgia which is about 30 minutes away from my home. I attempted to find out educational and other requirements for both jobs but I would have to be a member to find that information out, which I'm not! The data specialist deals with more of the "office side" of NHSA, whereas the early childhood mentor/coach deals with the educational side of NHSA. 
                                  References
www.nhsa.org
decal.ga.gov
Boys and Girls Club of America. (2016). Careers. www.bgca.org/Careers/Pages/Careers.aspx