Establishing Professional Contacts

Honestly, when I began reading the assignment to establish professional contact from outside of the country, I started to stress a little bit because I didn't even know where to begin with this task. I started reading through the blog resources provided and started emailing places that I would like to learn more about. I sent 3 mails so far; 1.) International Step by Step Association-Netherlands 2.) Canadian Child Care Federation- Canada 3.) Center for Early Childhood Care and Development-Philippines. Out of these 3 one came back underliverable and I haven't yet heard back from the other 2. I will continue to send more emails out in hopes to make contact with someone soon.

I looked through the provided list of websites that is devoted to helping children and promoting a high quality education. The website that I chose was Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.
This organization informs, trains, and supports professionals, policy makers, and their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. In the previous course we used articles from this organization and I truly enjoyed reading them because they provided such great information and the website offers different options to click on and to learn about different topics and issuces. I also subscribed to their newsletter.
I believe this website will provide me with great information throughout this course and beyond.

My Supports

I wake up every morning thankful for the people and support that I have in my life. The support that I have helps me work hard, do my job to the best of my ability, and knowing that I have someone there for me when I need them. No matter who you are everyone needs a support system to help keep one organized and on track, calm, and to help you through stressful situations to may occur in life.

I try to be a organized person and have everything I need just right and in a certain spot that way when I need it, I will know exactly where to look. I use calendars, planners and check list to help stay organized and prepared. Every morning I come in to work, I sit down with my assistance and we discuss what activities and task that need to be accomplished. I make a list of my task for the day and as I complete each one, I mark a line through it. As, I mark each task of one by one it makes me feel good and that I have worked hard to get my work done in a timely manner.

I am one of those people who gets stressed easily when something isn’t done the way, I had planned it and that is one thing I need to work on, but to keep me calm and focused on the task at hand, I EXERCISE!! This is the best way for me to regain my focus and look at the whole picture; it truly calms me right down. I enjoy going on long walks, jogging, and aerobics. Everyone needs time to them self just to relax and be worry free because if you didn’t the stress would be out of hand.

The back bone of my support however, is my family and friends. Whenever, I need someone to talk to about work, my worries and concerns, or just to enjoy someone’s company they are always there for me. This past year has been a roller coaster ride for me; I got engaged, I started classes, I bought my first house, and my brother and I had to face Cancer in our own ways. I found out about my cervical cancer and was scared, but 2 weeks later my younger brother was diagnosed with cancer as well. I worried more about him because his was so much worse. We supported each other through everything. As a family we stood strong for him and we were there for him no matter what. We kept a strong face as did he. The love and support of a family and the faith of God can do amazing things. This past weekend he has been cancer free for a year. It is amazing what a strong support system can get you through. I am so blessed and thankful for the support system of my family and friends.

I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without the love and support of my family and friends. I talk with them everyday or see them, they are there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on and vise versa, and we work together to stay a close and happy family. I have been through so much and I know without my family I would not have made it through the way I did. Without there support I would not be the person that I am today. I would be scared, very cautious, and I would not even have begun this course without my mother’s support. With a little love and support you can do amazing things in life.

My Connection to Play

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning. ~ Fred Rogers

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are. ~ Ovid

Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning. ~ Diane Ackerman

                                                                                   

  

When I was a child it seemed like things were so much simpler than it is today. We had no worries about anything. I remember going outside and playing for hours with my siblings and my cousins. We would pretend we were in a marching band, play “tag”, basketball/volleyball, go swimming, and climb up in the hills to see what we could find. We would play until it was dark outside. Weather never stopped us from playing and using our imagination. My favorite activity when I was younger was playing school and playing with my baby dolls.

I was always the teacher when we all played school. I would have old books I would hand out and they would have paper and pencils. I would have them write their names 10 times or work math problems. I loved the feeling of helping others and them depending on me to help them learn new things.

I could play with baby dolls for hours even if I was playing alone. I would pretend to fix the baby her meals, bath her, change her, dress her up in pretty dresses, and take her to the doctor for check-ups. I loved taking care of babies and nurturing them. I have always loved babies and always wanted kids of my own and they desire is still strong in my heart. My favorite activities as a child really influenced my career choice in life. I have always wanted to work with children and feel like I’m making a difference in their life.

My parents were big supporters of play when I was younger. They were always involved in our life and the activities we chose to participate in at school. My mom would play school with us. She would make out work sheets for us, quiz us on want we have learned, provide us with lunch and then we went outside for recess. She would push us on the swing and play games with us. She was always a volunteer at our school and supported us in everything. My dad always coached us in sports (basketball and softball) even though I wasn’t very good he would practice with us all the time and encouraged us to try our best at everything we done. Together as a family we would also have “Family Night” and we would sit around talking and playing games or watch a movie and that was very important in my development I think and that is a big part of who I am.

Children and play today has changed so much since I was young. I know there is more danger and concerns today than they were back then, but parents still need to encourage play and interactions with us for their children. Most children today stay inside watching television, playing video games, listening to their iPods, text messages on their cell phones, and working on the computer and it seems like younger children are getting caught up into this also. The children are not getting exercise by running and playing outside and they are not being encouraged to pretend play and use their imagination to be someone else or to visit a place they have never been before. Play and interactions with others builds a child’s social development and they are learning from one another and by imitating and watching others.

I watch my soon to be stepson play with his wrestling men and how he uses his imagination to make them go to different planets, how he can turn into spider  man and he saves the world, and my favorite is when he turns into the Hulk. This is the kind of play that should be encouraged because kids have just great imaginations and that shouldn’t be wasted.

Malnutrition in Guatemala

Each and every one of the public health topics is very important and people from all over the world are faced with them on a daily basis, even in the United States. However, I chose to look into malnutrition because it is so important for children and families to have the food and nutrition they need to live a healthy life. You see on television about children from other countries that are suffering from disease and infections and body growth due to the lack of nutrition that they need to have a strong and healthy immune system to fight off illnesses and to develop normally and it truly breaks my heart and I just want to do something to help. I have a big heart and I love to help people in anyway that I can, rather it is donating money, collecting and donating food, or helping in clothes drives. It may just be a little that I am giving, but I hope that I am helping someone who truly needs it.
I looked into how children are suffering from malnutrition in Guatemala. According to UNICEF Representative in Guatemala, Gonzalez-Regueral, half of the country's children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Due to the severe malnutrition the children have lower IQ scores and stunted growth. The main reason for the stunted growth in the children experts say, is the lack of vital nutrients during the critical period of development from conception to age 2. Peter Rohloff, an American doctor who runs a group of medical clinics in rural Guatemala says, children are at least six to eight inches shorter than they should be (Gowen, 2010). Also, children suffer from impaired cognitive function and lower IQ, which shows that when the children grow up they are more likely to drop out of school and have little potential in economic success later on in life which just continues the cycle of poverty and the lack of food needed to live.
"If you want to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala this is how you do it: Feed kids and feed them early before they get malnourished," Rohloff said (Gowen, 2010). Here is Rohloff suggestions to help with the issue of malnutrition. He encourages mothers to breast feed and begin supplement food at six months,
he teaches mothers how to use Incaparina, a locally made corn gruel fortified with vitamins and minerals that needs to be mixed with just the right amount of water, however the mixture will not work and can even be harmful if it is too diluted or used with unclean water (Gowen, 2010). He also suggested a supplement called "Plumpy Doz, a ready-to-use sugary peanut paste with milk powder and vitamins. However, due to not having a local Plumpy Doz manufacturer getting the product shipped in can be a hassle and expensive (Gowen, 2010). For nutritional intervention to be most effective, he said, it has to be done before the age of two. "Unfortunately, most programs in Guatemala are geared to school-aged kids but by the time they get to school it's too late," he said (Gowen, 2010).

What Dr. Peter Rohloff talked about is very important for all children in the world. This information has inspired me and something that I will carry with me throughout this program and in my future work. I want to make sure that children are receiving the adequate amount of nutrition they need to function and develop normally. I want the children to have a chance to grow and learn and to use their imaginations. All children deserve the chance to make something of themselves and when they are not receiving their daily nutrients they suffer in the classroom and they are more prone to common illnesses. I would love to start a program within my community at some point to help children and families receive the help they need to make sure they have a hot meal everyday.  I also, think that you should start teaching of the importance with young soon- to-be mothers and offer them with resources.Every one hears of other countries suffering, but they sometimes forget that they are children right in front of them that are suffering as well.

Gowen,G, & Martelli, J. (2010). Severe Stunting: Twelve Years Old Going on Five. Retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/malnutrtion-severe-stunting-guatemala-children/story?id=12381731

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_48087.html

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Britanie Sturgill and I'm a Activity Director and help in Social Services in a long term care facility and rehabilitation. I have my B.S. degree in Sociology & Human Services.
I'm engaged and will be getting married in June 2011 which I'm exteremly excited about. I have a puppy named Copper and I love being around my family.
I'm excited about working on my Master's because my passion has always been to work with children. I hope that we can support one another in this class help each other achieve our goal. If I can do anything to help just ask. I look forward to work with each of you.

WHAT INSPIRES MY INTEREST IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

I found some quotes that really got my attention and that I related to.

A child miseducated is a child lost ~ John F. Kennedy

A torn jacket is soon mended; but hard words bruise the heart of a child.
 ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Before you beat a child, be sure yourself are not the cause of the offense. ~Austin O'Malley

Children are apt to live up to what yo believe of them. ~ Lady Bird Johnson

Each one of these quotes relates to different developments in a childs life. Rather it be a childs education, parenting styles, stressors in a childs life and encouragement that a child receives. Children are so precious and it is so important that they are receiving all the love and encouragement they need and they are staying healthy and given the chance to become something great in life.

I want to thank all of my colleagues for their support in this class. All of the discussions and blogs really helped me to understand the topic a little more, provided me with new information and insights, and provided me with excellent resources on topics we were discussing within this course.
I would really like to thank Agneatha and Christina because at times I turned to their discussions and blogs for guidence and understanding when I felt a little lost on the subject matter. They provided great information and helped me understand. I also feel like we share similar views on many of the course topics.
I hope that I have helped someone in this course as they each have helped me. I hope to stay in touch with you all and hear from you in furure courses. If I can ever be of any help please email me and I will try me best to help you. Good Luck to everyone in future courses.

What is considered intelligent?

It seems like all children do these days in school is being prepared for a range of test taking. I believe that teachers and the school system focus way to much on teaching for the test that they are not focusing on what is important and what the children really need to be learning. I don't believe a test can rate a child's intelligence because a test doesn't show everything one may know. Children learn from school classes, but they also learn from others by watching them. Children learn skills and traits, they learn about values, jobs, how people live and this all influences a child's knowledge and learning. Also, some children are not good at test taking, so even if they do know the material the test will not show that because they do bad on test taking. Testing in my opinion doesn't show the whole person and what they are capable of and the knowledge they have.
I believe test should be given to see what area the child needs more help in and set up a class plan of action to help the child be successful in school and encourage them to go on in school and make something of them self in the work force when they get older. You don't want to give them test to separate them into classes that label them very smart and not. This will only lower their self esteem and will not motivate them. As teachers we suppose to be motivators and supporters for the children to be successful.

I chose to look at the Finland School System:

In Finland high school students rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night and children don't start school to the age of 7. There are no classes for the gifted students and no recognition organizations for those who achieve. Also, there is little in the way of standardized testing.
There is little grading and in essence no tracking in Finland. When you reach the 9th grade it becomes a divider as students are separated for the last 3 years of high school based on grades. Under current structure, 53% will go to academic high school and the rest will enter vocational school.
There are 20 universities and students are selected based on the results of entrance exams. The schools are free to students. Another higher education and is also free is the polytechnics schools. These schools offer a very close link to working life with focus on developing expert skills for various different vocational sectors. Entrance requirements must pass the traditional academic high school matriculation exam or have completed their vocational qualification.

Thomas. Several lessons to be learned from the Finnish school system. Retrieved December 8, 2010 from
http://www.openeducation.net/2008/03/10/several-lessons-to-be-learned-from-the-finnish-...