Final Global Perspectives Blog

Resources that I believe our beneficial for the early childhood professional are anything that has been published by NAEYC.  On the NAEYC website there is not only articles to read but also books that can be ordered on a vast range of early childhood topics.  The NAEYC website is:

www.naeyc.org

I selected NAEYC because I always turn there first when in need of early childhood information.

My favorite inspirational quote about early childhood is:

"The first five years have so much to do with how the next eighty turn out" - Bill Gates

I selected this quote because nothing could be closer to the truth.

This is one of my favorite images that I selected when I see this image of the early childhood classroom I am at once transported to why I am passionate about early childhood education.

Fostering Early Learning

While researching the various sites that were given to us for Fostering Early Learning I found myself focusing on the site edutopia.  I sifted through the various articles that they have available and found that most of the articles do not necessarily deal with early childhood in education but older grades.  I then came across an article that I believe is pertinent for any age group the article is entitled:  The Language of Choice and Support.  This article is about how we as educators can reshape the way that we use words with children especially in situations that involve children who have diagnosis.  In doing this and changing the way that we speak we are cutting out the negativity and creating a more positive school experience for the children.

I like the real life example that the author used in stating that if we as educators go around using words like crazy, nuts and insane that we are creating a negative environment for the children.  This is something I am guilty of on a daily basis.  I like other educators do not mean to do this on purpose it is just part of my personality and the way that I speak. However the author suggests we use such language as unbelievable, unusual and unexpected instead for the former words to express how we feel during the day.  As an educator I can see how the choice in words will make a difference in how children perceive my personality and what I am saying.  The author also goes on to say that children are listening to the words that we use and will see us as either a place to go or not to go in times of struggle based on the words that we use in everyday language.


Reference

Shevrin, A. (2015). The Language of Choice and Support. Retrieved from:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/language-of-choice-and-support-alex-shevrin

Communication with Professionals

For the blog this week I was asked to communicate with another professional about an important topic.  I spoke to another fellow co-worker of mine about early childhood intervention and how sometimes children whose delays are not that substantial receive high amounts of service.  The position that I take on the issue is that the children who have substantial delays could be receiving more services if the children who have minimal delays were not taking up all of the resources and man power.  However, my co-worker saw it differently then me stating that who was I to judge if a child needed more services or not and that it was not up to me to decide this.  However, I believe thinking like this is a lot of what is the problem in Early Intervention Programs.  The overall reason for issues like this coming up is money. Currently in the program that I work with we need to bill for every child that we see and regardless of the need all children have high frequencies of services to have more to bill.  Honestly, I think that this is sad and unethical however it is happening and it needs to be discussed.

Introduction

Hello!

Welcome to my blog.  My name is Jolene and I am a working towards my doctorate in Early Child Studies. I have worked my way up the early childhood ladder in my career.   I have been an Assistant, Teacher, Child Development and now as an Early Intervention Specialist.  Below is a photo of myself when I in second grade at Thanksgiving (I am the Indian in the front row).  During this time in my development I was learning to develop relationships with other children and adults.  One of the pilgrims in the back row is my friend for over thirty years, so I guess I did pretty good with that relationship.These relationships were a big part of my life at the time.  It seemed that there were few others besides my parents whose relationships were so important.  At the time I also remember developing my social skills through play.  I remember going out to recess with these girls and playing make believe with them with also helped my social skills.