Sharing Web Resources -- NIEER

     The entire NIEER website relates to what I am currently studying.  Because it is an early education research website, I am most drawn to the News and Events section. This section provides articles from newspapers and blogs across the country regarding early education,  The Star Ledger in NJ, The Jamestown Sun in ND, The Boston Globe in MA, and The Charlotte Observer in NC are just a few of those represented.  Blogs include those from The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.  I really enjoy these articles because they are current.

     The article from The Jamestown Sun caught my attention by it's title, "Childhood Education to get Second Hearing".  I read about how supporters of early education are urging the House Committee to provide state funding to create preschool programs around the state.  With the federal funding eliminated, states are now being asked to help with funding.  To my surprise, the committee chairman, Rep. Mike Nathe said that if early education is such an important issue, why can't the local districts levy a tax to fund it?  He continued by saying, "the House doesn't have the appetite for using state funding" and he feels communities should support the funding if they think it is such a good program. 

     Since we just read how economists, neuroscientists, and politicians are supporting the Early Childhood field, I was a little taken aback by Nathe's comments.  I applaud Sen. Poolman who rebutted by saying that there needs to be a compromise and that "a compromise between $4.7 million and zero is not zero!"

     This article has reinforced my opinion of politicians.  They say one thing - - Yes, early education is important and worth investing in.  Then do another - - No, you can't have state funding.  Ask your community for money.

    UGH! 

                                          Reference
Jerke, TJ (March, 2013).  Childhood education to get second hearing.  NIEER  Retrieved from:
          
       http://nieer.org/news-events/early-education-news/childhood-education-get-second-hearing

Getting to know your international contacts -- part 1

Well, I finally did it!

 I was able to find a contact in Spain through a community blog, Early Childhood Educators.  Her name is Lucy Moretti and she teachers ESL to children ages 3-12 in Madrid.  It is an extracurricular English class in both a Catholic (semi-private) school and in a public school.

 She told me that she has lost 25% of her students because of the crisis.  She said prices for the English classes are extremely low and they are set by the school parent association.  Even with low prices, they are still seeing a drop in enrollment.  Many families have only one working parent.  In the public school, children eat breakfast and lunch in the canteen, but due to the rising costs of this service, the school is currently meeting with families to discuss changing the times so that children can have lunch at home.  In the semi-private school, it is not such a problem because it is mostly wealthy families who choose to send their children to this school.  She also states that in Europe public schools are free and every child must go.  Madrid has taken many initiatives to provide food to children and has also done fund raising for this purpose. 

I was a little shocked to learn that the public schools were considering restructuring times so that children would be home at lunch time. I know that would never work here because most of our families have 2 working parents.  They already make a big stink about half-day kindergarten and trying to find care for the kindergarteners. 

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)

The organization that I chose to research is the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).

It can be found through the following link:

http://nieer.org/

This organization conducts research and gives advice to policy makers, journalist, and educators.  They work at the state level as well as the national level in the hope of attaining  excellence in the field.  They monitor and evaluate progress.  They develop and analyze standards, policies and legislation. Their online newsletter provides updates on what’s new in the field. 

In the March 8 (volume 12 issue 5) edition of their online newsletter, the NIEER has articles on new policies, bills, and legislation introduced as the result of Obama’s state of the union address.  There are also articles on media misrepresentations, the effects ofsequestration on education, full-day kindergarten options, ADHD interventions, and universal pre-k.  They have a calendar of events for conferences and a round-up of the nation’s headlines in the early childhood field. 

The resources provided by NIEER offered a small piece on Dual Language learners and how they are assessed.  The link to this brief is:

http://www.teachstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/CLASS-DLL-White-Paper.pdf

This article reiterates what we have been learning about - - that 20% of school age children speak a language other than English at home.  It also discusses the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the requirements of observers.  The CLASS measure focuses on three main areas: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. 

The NIEER website is so vast and provides so many links, it will be a long time before I navigate through the entire site!  There is so much to learn and explore.

 

 

 

 

Expanding Resources

I have chosen to research the National Institute for Early Education Research because it is one that I am not so familiar with.  I have subscribed to their newsletter as well as their feed: http://nieer.org/publications/rss.xml

Since we are learning about issues and trends in Early Childhood, I thought I might be kept up to date on the latest and greatest in the field with this website.  I'll let you know what I discover!

Establishing professional contacts

The two people I have tried to make contact with are Mrs. Bimbo Are in Nigeria and Mr. Eric Atmore in South Africa.  So far, I have not heard back from either. 
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Niger Delta Academic Foundation
Daniel Ibigoni Semeniworima, Director/CEO
Ajoke International School
Mrs.Bimbo Are
New Jericho G.R.A.
P.O.Box 679, Dugbe, Ibadan
Nigeria
Tel: 080-23236933
Email: arebimbo@yahoo.com
South Africa
OMEP South African National Committee
The National Early Childhood Development Alliance
Mr. Eric Atmore
P.O. Box 2363
Clarinch, 7740
South Africa
Tel: 27 21 683 2420
Email: cecd@iafrica.com

I have also subscribed to a community blog:

Community

- Early Childhood Education (Discussion)
I think I will probably get more feedback here and I noticed some of the members of this community are outside of the US.

MY SUPPORTS

     I have many supports in my life.  Most of my day is spent at work and I rely on my coworkers and friends for their support.  Sometimes I just need physical support with rearranging or taking something to the shed.  Other times I need their emotional support especially when dealing with some of the unpleasantries that we find in childcare (parents who are not involved, staff who won't work as a team, etc.).  I can always count on them for advice, humor, and comfort.

     At home, my family provides many of the same supports for me.  They physically help with the household chores, carrying in groceries, yardwork, etc.  They offer emotional support and love.  My husband offers emotional, physical, practical, and monetary support.  His income is double mine, so I rely heavily on him to meet our family's needs. 

     My other friends offer support through their kind words, words of wisdom, helping hands, and just being there when I need someone to talk to. 

    After thinking about a challenge that could jeopardize my supports, I became fearful that it might actually happen.  I was thinking if I didn't have the use of language (maybe a brain disorder that took away my speech) I would be devastated.  Then I started to think how I might communicate.  I could use a laptop or still write messages.  I also wondered if my emotional supports would still be there for me.  I know my family would.  I would also become much more dependant on others.  I couldn't answer a phone or have a conversation with a family at work. I think I would find it very upsetting not to be able to verbally communicate with others.  We take this for granted, but just think about ESL learners.  They must feel the same way. I would need a whole new set of supports designed to allow me to express my thoughts.  It makes my truly appreciate what I have and all of the supports in my life.  I would not want to be without any of them. 

Relationship Reflection

My sister (Lisa) and me

                                      MY SISTER
This is my sister.  She lives in Kentucky and we only see each other a few times a year.  I think we have such a close relationship because we are only 13 months apart in age.  She is my role model, my confidante, and my best friend.  We respect each other's opinions, we laugh together, we cry together, but most of all, we believe in each other.  She supports me in my endeavors and I support her in hers.





My boys


MY BOYS
Brandon (and his girlfriend, Angel), Bobby and Ryan.
I love the changing relationship I have with my boys.  At first,
I was their caregiver, nurterer, teacher, disciplinarian, maid, etc.
In the late teens of the two olderst, my role seemed to be that of the
"mean, uncool person who knew nothing about anything" (teens, after
all, know more than your google search engine!)  Luckily, we all survived
that stage and now they value my opinion and we have a loving, respectful
relationship.  Hopefully my youngest, Ryan, will bypass that awful "know-it-all"
stage!  I love them with all my heart!

 

 

 

 

COWORKERS, EXTENDED FAMILY, AND FRIENDS

My coworkers, extended family, and friends are a group of people that keep me grounded.  They are supportive, respectful, caring and understanding.  We enjoy each other's company due to common interests; however, there are many things we have different opinions on.  I have come to realize that just because someone has an opinion that differs from mine, doesn't mean we can't be friends.  I value the differences in others.  I see it as a learning opportunity and I feel it makes us all better people to be accepting of other's ideas, opinions, beliefs, and values.

 

 

The people in all of these relationships have made me who I am today.  Their honesty, kindness, and caring is what keeps our relationships strong.  Sometimes being brutally honest with someone is needed to regain perspective.  I think my relationships impact my work in the early childhood field in that the qualities I value are qualities I present to my families and children.  Some challenges in maintaining relationships are distance and time.  Sometimes it's hard to keep in touch with old friends because of busy schedules or living too far away.  It is so important to have reciprocal communication.  One person can't do everything in the relationship.  Both need to show commitment to ongoing communication.  Thank goodness for facebook and other social media.  It is how I have been able to reconnect with old friends and colleagues.