My Supports

Larry and I

For my example of a support I choose to reflect on my boyfriend Larry. He is a major support to me in all realms; whether it is a trying time were facing or an exciting one. As time goes on we have continued to grow within one another. We communicate openly to each other and respect each other to the utmost highest degree.  He's there for me when I need him, and when I want to be stubborn and often time wrong about something he allows me to argue my side while lovingly saying Eb your wrong. He’s been a major support of mine when it came to me going back to school, burning the midnight oil with me doing assignments or listening to me rant about things happening at work. I can’t imagine things being any different between the two of us.

A challenge I would have with one of my supports would be if I  lost of my job. I depend solely on my income for finance to do the things I needs as well as the things I like; such as pay bills which provide me with housing, food and vehicle to drive to get back and forth to work;my non necessities of getting my nails done, and shopping as much as I do would definitely have to be scaled down. My daily environment would be changed and allocations of funds would need to be redirected else where.

Childhood Connections to Play

"It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them." Leo Buscaglia

"Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn't taste good" Lucia Capocchione

 Easy Bake Oven 

 Baby Alive 

As a child I can remember wanting to play outside allay long rain or shine. We were never bored,each day proved for new adventures and things to get into. Growing up with 3 siblings, cousins and tons of neighbors aided us in having plenty of people to play with. We used nature as our instruments, the block we lived on was our back yard. Creating muddies and riding bike and goat carts were some of my favorite past times. I can recall learning some of my best lessons in life playing, when the street light came on that told us it was time to retire home; and once inside I remember my mom would always say you smell like the outdoors. The parents of the children I hung around were very supportive of our overall learning teaching us math through cooking, reading during our special "outdoor" movie shows. It was simply the best, some days reflecting back on my childhood makes me miss it. The issues children face today, such as the increase in technological advances makes it a little difficult and more enticing to be inside than outdoors, fears of children being kidnapped, and or assaulted. I'm sure these issues were relevant when I was a child in the back of my parents minds however we weren't stressed with those we simply enjoyed ourselves and left the worrying to our parents. 

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are what make us. They help us to create bonds with individuals and they help us build trust and develop the roles of people in your life. They shape and mode who you can be with that person. When the factors that serve to be most important are broken we have to learn to rebuild. Sometimes it's easier to be said then done, but if it's truly important those involved will fine ways to reconnect. My relationships I have encountered have aided my growth into adulthood and have softened my heart to believe in second chances, we don't always get things right the first time and sometimes it's simply takes a do over to be successful.

My Grandmother and I @ graduation May 2011

This picture is very special to me, because it is the last picture she and I took together. My grandmother passed away seven months later. She was very important to me and a huge influence in my life. One of my biggest fans and supporters. She was so proud that I decided to go away to college and follow my dreams and teach young children. In some small way I believe she felt like i was living out some of her dreams.  I am often reflective of her and all she's taught me about life, love of family, and cooking. "you may not always get along with them(family) but you have to just love them" Some how any issue could be solved through a warm plate and hug.  

 

My parents
This is a picture of myself, mom, and dad at college graduation.
Although growing up my parents did not live together. I was able to be surrounded by unconditional love. My mother has embodied all the characteristics of a woman that I continue to strive to be. She's strong in her abilities to overcome hardships and adversity. Never one to do things for the attention and or recognition of other; yet has a unbelievable passion for people and those she encounters. Our relationship is that of a positive one, we communicate often about me being younger. I love how our conversations have evolved to accommodate my being older.  My father, our relationship hasn't always been a positive one. There was distance in between us for a long time, and some unresolved feelings of anger and trust plagued us. However, time was simply the best thing that happened for us; it allowed maturity to set in and communication to unfold which things aren't always perfect but i've learned to forgive and give people a chance.

When I think about Child Development

" Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate."-Anonymous


" I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!"- David Vitter, U.S. Senator


I believe a child is truly worth investing our time, talent, and resources into; because it is within a child potential and the constant possiobility of what if always reins. It's been quite frequently that I've run into the kindergartners that I student taught and it's always amazing
To see how talll and mature they all have become. I love being able to impact upon someones life and see the results of it.

Testing for Intelligence?

Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to “the whole child”), what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your reasoning.  

I believe Assessment should bring about benefits for children. Gathering accurate information from young children is difficult and potentially stressful. Assessments must have a clear benefit—either in direct services to the child or in improved quality of educational programs. All of your assessment decisions taken as a whole will direct and alter children’s learning outcomes. Both teachers and parents should be on one accord to gathering the information to best evaluate the child.

In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.) All countries vary In how they assess children. Brazil, England, and Japan, for instance, conduct national-level tests, but each country does so for different reasons: Brazil for state-by-state comparisons and program evaluation, England for school accountability, and Japan for college entry. All but one country have regional tests, which differ from one jurisdiction to the next.

What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues? I was able to find information on how the Czech Republic is unique among eight countries in using only oral examinations. 

Student assessment in eight countries retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200002_levinson.pdf retrieved on February 11,2012

Consequences of stress on Children's Development

It was Herbert Ward who once stated, “Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.” In reflecting about the terms child abuse it is the harm or mishandling of a person ages birth through adolescents. Each State provides its own definitions of child abuse and neglect based on minimum standards set by Federal law.

According to the Child Welfare Information Getaway Child Abuse and Neglect is defined in Federal Law through “Federal legislation which lays the groundwork for States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that define child abuse and neglect. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003”.

“Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Most Federal and State child protection laws primarily refer to cases of harm to a child caused by parents or other caregivers; they generally do not include harm caused by other people, such as acquaintances or strangers.

High profile cases of child abuse reported such as Debra Luptak and younger sister Danielle Luptak were routinely brutalized, physically and emotionally on a daily basis. They were physically malnourished and beaten, emotionally and cognitively stunted, and completely without any nurturing or schooling. They were caged both physically in a closet and later in a basement, and mentally with pharmaceutical drugs and strong adult sedatives, they learned to survive.



China

“Physical abuse in Chinese families had increased over the course of the years. The highest rate of serve violence occurred among boys or children aged 3-6 years old; and were committed by mothers. When compared to U.S. families, Chinese families showed lower rates of minor violence but higher rates of serve violence towards children” (Tang 1998)

The China Post reports in TAIPEI, Taiwan cases of child abuse increased by about 30 percent between
2005 and 2009, according to statistics from the government and the Taiwan Fund for Children and
Families (TFCF) , a fund executive said yesterday, ahead of the April 4 Children's Da

The number of child abuse cases reached 13,400 in 2009, 35 percent more than in 2005. Most victims were elementary school children improperly disciplined by their parents, TFCF CEO Wang Ming ren said, citing statistics compiled by the Ministry of the Interior

Evidence showed that parents torn between the demands of the workplace and the family tended to be rougher when disciplining young children.
Pointing to a recent criminal case in which a girl in Pingtung County is suspected of colluding with her boyfriend to murder her father after being subject to long-term abuse, Wang said that if police and social services groups could have intervened earlier, the tragedy could have been prevented. There are many parenting problems involved in child abuse cases, such as lack of parenting skills, negligence and overly strict parenting,

He also said “parents who are inclined to improperly discipline their children are often overly demanding, alcoholic or have anger management problems”





Reference

Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from

http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/whatiscan.cfmRetrieved on January 28, 2012 from

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213498000106 Catherine So-kum Tang

Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from

 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/04/03/250970/Reports-of.htm

Child Development and Public Health

Breast Feeding in India

"If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers' needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market. The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically. Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breast milk, since the beginning of human existence..."
-- Gabrielle Palmer, in The Politics of Breastfeeding, London: Pandora Press, 1988, page 1.

In some places in India, when it comes to health it is here that they hold the highest infant mortality rate, high levels of under nutrition and very poor childcare. There are about 30,000 children born per year, health status for children under two was the worse than any other district. Infant feeding practices were very poor. Women who were dominated by their mother in laws to practice the Orthodox beliefs of not feeding the child within an hour after birth, giving the child honey after birth which we know has a bacteria in it that infants can't digest, and there was no exclusive breast feeding after birth for six months. At first It was challenging to reach out to lactating mothers to convince them what was right for the health of their babies.

 The community has grown and women are eager to seek information and are a lot more open to following scientific practices instead of conventional beliefs. Statistics have shown an increase and growth in indicators. Initiation of breast feeding within one hour of birth has grown from 39 to 72 percent in a three year time frame. Today women are following through with the change. The dominating force behind it is the "baby friendly community health initiative" (BFCHI Project) which collaborates with  pediatrics and
focus was to promote infant feeding practices concerning infants and young children. This was executed through counseling of expectant mothers and training.

Breast feeding has many benefits. Many will agree breast feeding is great for the baby but has wonderful  has impacts on mothers, babies and society. Moms who breast feed have many benefits such as a reduction in ovarian cancer, helps develop special and emotional relationships with child. In babies breast milk provides children with the best nutritional mix possible, and it protects against upset stomachs and diarrhea. Lastly, its effects on the environment are rewarding as well having healthier moms and babies reduces visits to the doctor and increased medical bills.