The Birth of Elijah E. Valcin

My first son was born on December 31, 1996 at Downstate hospital in Brooklyn, New York.  The excitement of giving birth outweighed the pain during those first couple of hours at home.  Once my water broke we rushed to the hospital hoping for a quick birth.  However, it turned out to be the worse experience of my life.  I arrived at the hospital around 9 am and suffered labor pains for about eight hours before the doctors decided I needed to have a c-section.  Once the consent was documented and I met with the anesthiaologist they wheeled me into the operating room.  Next thing I hears was a doctor instructoring another woman in scrubs, every step of the operation.

After about an hour, I heard the sweetest sound of my son's voice.  They did not place him in my arms, they wheeled him away into another room.  I was placed in a recovery hall filled with empty beds and surgerical equipment.  None of my family members knew where I was until I was moved into my own room.  After five days in the hospital with a wound literally covered with gauze I was released and sent home.  Three weeks later, I was rushed back to the hospital because my incision began to bleed.  For the next six months a nurse was assigned to come to my home each morning to attend to my open wound.
Postpartum set in immediately due to the fact I was in so much pain I was unable to bond with my son.

The birth of my child was not in a country with insufficient medical care or doctors such as maybe Africa, however, I felt I was treated terribly.  Everyone assumed I was young according to the nurses who refused to help me out of bed to the restroom after removing my catheder, stating a seventeen year old like you can get up on her own, I was 22.  Yet I was treated as if I were in a country that did not respect woman.  I believe my son's illness three months later was the cause of complications I had during his birth.  On the day of his christianing party he developed an infection they could not identify.  He was hospitalized for seven days, and underwent multiple test the worst being a spinal tap.

Today he is a healthy fourteen year old, attending a prominent school and  making straight A's.  With the love of both myself, husband and other family members he has grown to be a wonderful child and I beileve he will be a great man.

Thank you to my professor and colleagues

This has been a wonderful eight weeks with all of you as we took a ride on the Early Childhood Education train.  We have passed through many avenues and learned many ways to assist us in our future.  I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart that has commented on my blog and on the discussion board.  I hope to meet you again in the next class but if not I wish all of you the best.

Denise

Code of Ethics

This week we were required to read the articles regarding the code of ethics for early childhood education.
In addition, identify three that are meaningful to us and how they will become a part of our professional life.

According to the Division for Early Childhood, " we shall build relationships with individual children and families where individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young childrens development and learning." It is important that we involve families of young children in the classroom because once we establish a true relationship with them it will resonate with their children in the classroom.

According to the NAEYC, "effective public policy advocacy work requires intentionality, which in turn requires organization.  If all of us work independently without a well-defined vision and capacity to act and react to changing political, social and economic contexts, we will not make the progress that is needed.  If we work together strategically, we can cause the changes that we seek for children, families, and the professionals in the field.

All three ideals are significant to my professional growth because it is necessary to adhere to the statements to become an effective educator and understand what entails to help educate young children.

According to the Division for Early Childhood, "we shall use individually appropriate assessment strategies including multiple sources of information such as observations, interviews with significant caregivers, formal and informal assesments to determine childrens' learning styles, strengths and challenges.

Additional Resources

• Article: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004, Winter). Children's emotional development is built into the architecture of their brains (Working Paper No. 2). Waltham, MA: Author. Available from Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University website
  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/library/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp2/
  
• Article: Shonkoff, J. P. (2006, November). A promising opportunity for developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the interface of neuroscience, psychology, and social policy: Remarks on receiving the 2005 C. Anderson Aldrich Award. Pediatrics, 118(5). 2187–2191. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1728. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/5/2187.full.pdf+html
  
• Article: The World Bank. (2010). Early childhood development. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
  http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTCY/0,,contentMDK:20246241~menu
  PK:4697089~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:396445,00.html
  
• Article: Bang, Y.. (2009). Helping All Families Participate in School Life. YC Young Children, 64(6), 97-99. Retrieved April 5, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1908826341).
  
• Web Article: The National Institute for Play. (2009). Play Science—The Patterns of Play. Carmel Valley, CA: Author. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.nifplay.org/states_play.html
  
• Walden Resources:
• Walden University Writing Center
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/
• Ask a Writing Tutor
  writingsupport@waldenu.edu
• ESL Resources
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Grammar-and-ELL.htm

Optional Resources

• Video: Davidson, R. (2007). The heart-brain connection: The neuroscience of social, emotional, and academic learning. Edutopia. The George Lucas Foundation. Retrieved June 2, 2010, fromhttp://www.edutopia.org/richard-davidson-sel-brain-video
  
• Podcast: Spiegel, A. (2008, February 21). Old-fashioned play builds serious skills. NPR Morning Edition. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514
  
• Web Article: Alliance for Childhood. (n.d.). Play resource list. College Park, MD: Author. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/play_resources

Collection of Resources for Early Childhood Education


Here are a list of resources including there websites:

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
• World forum foundation

• http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission.
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/ 

Here is a list of organizations along with the website:

• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission.
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/ 

Here is a list of journals:

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Here are three additional resource:


http://www.projectapproach.org/projectApproachStudyGuide.pdf


http://workplacepsychology.net/2010/04/22/7-reasons-why-employees-leave/


http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/ecarefunding.html

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Hi Everyone, Here are some words of inspiration and motivation from phenomenal woman in the early childhood education field.

Mary Wright Edelman founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), an advocate for disadvantaged americans for her entire professional life.

                                                                    Quote that inspired me

" We all must take a stronger, more systematic, and more programmatic interest in alleviating the problems that affect black children.  No one has a greater stake than we do in whether our children read, write, think, survive, and grow up healthy."

Marcy Whitebook is the leader of the WorthyWage Campaign advocating for equitable compensation for child care professionals.  She is also the Director of the center for study of child care employment at UC Berkeley.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"My primary intention has been to reflect upon our past efforts with an eye to informing the work that remains to be done ensuring that child care teachers and providers receive compensation, support and respect that they, and the children and families in their care, deserve."

Renatta M. Cooper a program specialist in the Los Angeles County Chief Administrative office.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"All education is a civil rights issue."

Louise Sparks a professor at Emeritus Pacific Oak College, California.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"My built in passion is to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices in the world."

Hello everyone, meet the people that I love the most.

First is my grandparents Ruth and Lloyd Vassell.  There are no words to describe the influence these two individuals had on my life.  Since I was ten years old I vowed to mimic their relationship.  My grandmother raised me up until she passed away July 4, 2010 .  Her passing has placed an emptiness in my heart that can no longer be filled.  Her famous words to me, since my father's passing in 1980 is, "I promised your father that I would take care of you" which she's upheld even upon her death.  Now when I look into my grandfather's eyes, I can see the pain we share, missing her.  I cherish every little moment we have together and try my best to make him as happy as I can.  Our relationship wasn't always this peachy, but I always knew I wanted a husband that would stand by me and love me as he did my grandmother.  They taught me good work ethic and great family values and for this I will forever be grateful.

Now my husband, I believe with all my heart, is God's personal gift to me.  We have been together since I was sixteen years old.  He has taught me everything from driving a stick shift car to learning how to smile with others.  Our life together has been a rollercoaster ride that I would not trade for anything and would do it over in a heartbeat.  His patience with loving me has taught me to humble myself and  to be charitable.  We have been blessed with two beautiful sons, Elijah and Khalil and with the three of them everyday is a new lesson in life.  (By the way he is the one holding the plate of food)