My Supports

One of the biggest factors in my daily life that supports me and allows me to do all that I do with work and school is my computer. I also use my phone for these things, but my computer is what allows me to keep track of my children through observations, take home notes, individual plans, assessments, lesson plans, and so on. The agency I work for does all communications through email, including information needed for our daily schedule. I also use my computer for school, I do not go to a local college with traditional classes, so I need my computer for class, papers, discussions and projects. The benefits for both work and school are that I am able to keep up with all my work and have everything I need printed out when needed. For school, well I would not be in school if it were not for my computer and being able to go online. If I did not have my computer, my work would be harder to keep up with and it would take longer to get done. I would not be in school without my computer.
The challenges I would face without my computer would be many, but I know I would be able to do my work, it would just be harder to make sure all my work is completed every week and it would take so much more time than what it does being able to use the computer. For school, I do not think that I would be continuing my education if it were not for my computer. Going to an online school allows me to continue to do for my family and my education, because I can do my school work around my busy schedule.

My Connection to Play

Quotes:

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” ~ Plato (Greek philosopher)

“Play is the highest form of research.” ~ Albert Einstein (scientist)

Quotes about learning and play. (n.d.) Child's Play Magazine. Retrieved from

           http://www.childsplaymagazine.com/Quotes/index.htm

Pictures:

 

 

These pictures represent the type of play that I engaged in as a child. History was always a love of mine, and no matter what I was playing, it was always set, in my mind, in the 1800s. I would put on one of my older sister's dresses so that it would be long like the women wore a long time ago. I mostly played at being a school teacher in a one room school house. That is what the third picture represents. I loved pretending, but what I loved most about it was being in another time. When I could, I would make my brothers be my pupils, and I had a wagon that I used as my horse and buggy.

Support: 

As a child in love with history, my parents were my biggest supporters. When they could they would take me to tour old houses, visit Gettysburg, or the museum in Harrisburg. Most importantly, they allowed me to pretend about being born 200 years early and allowed me to play with objects around the house that would support my play. My parents live in a house that was built in 1900, that was not old enough for me but it help with my pretending. I would use certain rooms and antiques that my parents have for my need to be in a different time. Thinking about it now, I cannot believe they allowed it, I used a wash stand that belonged to my father's mother as my desk. But by allowing this, they allowed me my creative side to open and my play to form.

Difference in Play:

When I see children playing today I see a difference from when I was younger. We did have the things that children today have. When or if I played at being in a kitchen, I was playing with things in my mother's kitchen, I did not have the little kitchen sets that children have. I needed to pretend or make believe more when I was at play. Children today do use their imaginations, I just do not know if they use them as much as I had to do. I also see a difference in how girls play, they do not limit themselves to roles like I did, and more children today do not have the traditional family setting like I had growing up. Playing a family role for my childhood would include a mom, dad, and several babies, now children have a mom or a dad or a granny or another member. The roles changed as society has changed, children are playing at what they know, like I did. I hope children today are still able to expand their creativity because they have use of everything and do not have to pretend as much. I like to see children having to use different objects to represent another, it lets me know their minds are at work while they are at play.

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play withwhat they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what theylearn in new forms of play.--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22929/play-quotes

When considering how or what to assess children who are middle childhood age, I believe that they should be assessed for their cognitive development, motor development (both fine and gross) and language development. Assessments should allow children to show how they are progressing using their thinking skills to make sure they can do the work that will be presented in the grade they are in. Assessments should also allow teachers to see how far along children are with their language development to make sure they are on grade level or if the child may need extra resources. Motors skills should also be assessed because motors skills are just as important with children's learning and development.

When looking for information on assessments in the Philippines, I have found the following excerpt, however, it did not discuss what the children will be assessed on or how the assessments where to be done, just that they will have both formal and informal assessments.

The major objective of the assessment is to provide a framework that consolidates the many different studies and data on the above-mentioned sub-sectors and presents: a holistic, comprehensive picture of the sector which covers key performance indicators of quality and access; the legal and policy framework; an inventory of the various programs and initiatives and their outcomes; best practices both national and sub-national; and insights from key education stakeholders on issues, concerns and challenges. The assessment will identify priority areas, including possible areas of policy and program intervention, especially as regards the poorest performing and most neglected sub-sectors and geographical areas (Devex, 2012).

Devex (2012). Education sector assessment in the Philippines: Pre-solicition notice. Retrieved from

      http://www.devex.com/en/projects/education-sector-assessment-in-the-philippines-pre-

      solicitation-notice

When I think back on delivering all four of my children, I do not often think about the problems that occurred or the pain, I remember holding my babies for the first time. That is until I read an article on births in the Philippines. First I will tell you about the birth of my last child. He was not the worst, nor was he the best birth I experienced. He was typical, until the end. I had started bleeding heavily and I remember being really scared. I know that women can die in child birth, but I never thought problems would happen to me, especially here in America. They asked my husband to move out of the way and they took my baby from me. I do believe I blacked out for a while. The problem was I was hemorrhaging and they could not stop the bleeding. I do not remember much, but my doctor obviously did stop the bleeding eventually and my son is now 12. Now, for the story about women giving birth in the Philippines. I chose the Philippines because that is where my husband is from, my children are half Filipino. After reading the article I realized how truly lucky I was, to be here in America and to be able to receive the care I did. Many women/girls in the Philippines do not have access to the resources that are available here, many women/girls in the Philippines die every year. According to MNPI (n.d.), between 4-5 thousand women/girls die every year and many more become disabled from complications during or after child birth. One of the causes of death is bleeding/hemorrhaging during or after birth. There are some similarities like clinics for women to obtain care for before, during, and after child birth. There are also family planning centers for care and immunizations and postpartum checkups. However, they are limited and therefore many women, especially those in rural areas do not receive the care they desperately need. I have added the link to the article I read if any of you would like to read more about it. http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/MNPI/Philippines_MNPI.pdf


Maternal and neonatal program effort index: A tool for maternal health advocates. (n.d.).

          Retrieved from http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/MNPI/Philippines_MNPI.pdf

 Quotes by Marie Montessori:

• “The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."”
• “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”
• “One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.”

Quote by Louise Derman-Sparks:

• "I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world...I wanted to do that through teaching."

Personal Childhood Web:

My personal childhood web consists of all family members. My mother is the oldest of 10, my father an only child. My parents then had 16 of their own. I am the 14/16 that includes 10 girls and 6 boys. There were so many of us growing up that we were each other’s play mates. My brothers and sisters played baseball, kick the can, tag, and hide and seek with me plus taught me games they made up. We played cards together and tricks on our parents. We are all very close, so it is hard for me to pick just a few for my web.

I have to put my mother and father first on my list because without them I would not be who I am today. I am the luckiest girl in the world to have been given them as parents. From my parents I was taught morals, values, and was given strength. My mother taught me how to cook everything from scratch including baking. When she was in the kitchen, I was right beside her. We helped work my grandparent’s farm so I also learned how to can and freeze vegetables. Even as a very young child, I would have a “job” in the kitchen alongside my big sisters.

My father worked hard but never missed a sporting event, he was my biggest fan. I still remember the advice he would give me after track meets, and he was always positive. My father is baseball’s number one fan and I have fond memories of going to baseball games for as long as I can remember. I was even taken to a major league game when I was about 10; it is something I will never forget. My parents also gave me my religious beliefs and I do not ever remember missing a Sunday service with my whole family taking up an entire row.

My sister Terry was more like a mini mom to me. When I was 3 she had her first child so my niece and I were close growing up. I would spend part of my summer with them and that would always include traveling. I was very lucky to be able to go and see all that I did because of her. She opened up the world around me. Terry still is very positive and continues to be supportive with me and my children.

My sister Irene always had hugs for me and when I would spend the weekend with her, which was often, she had projects planned for me. Irene taught me how to crochet, draw and paint which sparked a love that would carry on to this day. It was because of her giving me that interest that I spent 2 years at an art school during junior and senior years in high school. I still draw and paint today.

My sister Mary was always there for me. As a young child I remember Mary was the one who took us little ones to the park. If I was 4 or 5 she was only 14 or 15, but she had at least 5 of us with her. She did not just take us to the park and let us run wild. There were always games or activities for us while we were there. Then later when I became a teenager, Mary became my best friend and she helped me through my “terrible teens”; she still is my confidant.

These family members along with all the others have been a constant in my life since the day I was born. They have been my friends, my supporters, and my family. When we were younger we may not always got along, but they all helped make me who I am; and for that I am truly grateful.

Quote:

"A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark."
-- Robert A. Heinlein

I love this quote because the truth behind it. Although some marks may not be what I would like for children to receive, it still makes a difference in a child’s life. I intend to leave marks that will hopefully make a positive difference in every child that I meet.

P is for Palmetto by Caro Crane is a book that I had read to my class during my student teaching for my Bachelor’s Degree. The book is an alphabet book for the state of South Carolina, and South Carolina is rich in history. We spent a great deal of time discussing this book and the things in it that we have all seen or hope to see. When my student teaching was finished the students gave me a party along with a copy of the book which they all signed their names in the front cover.

This is a picture of me when I was about nine years old. I am the one in the center holding up a dollar, for some reason it must have been important. I am the 14/16 children and family is very important to me, however this picture only shows about half.

New to blogs

I am new to bloggin, this is my very first blog. However, I would like to say that I am interested in Early Childhood Education and would love to discuss issues in subject with others in the field. I would like to know anything and everything that would help me build a long career in ECE. I do have experience as a pre-school teacher and I am working on my Master's Degree in ECE, but as I have learned long ago, the best learning comes from experience and others.